Phantom Time Theory Essay Example for Free

Phantom Time Theory Essay There are a few German scholars who believe that a 300 year time period was just written in the history books, without actually existing. The gap in history has been coined the Phantom Time Theory or Phantom Time Hypothesis. Although it is not a very widely accepted theory, there is a fair amount of evidence to back it up. Time itself has very many definitions, the historical records of the time don’t coincide, and astronomy and dendrochronology can’t definitively prove the theory wrong. What exactly is time? One of time’s many definitions is â€Å"the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another,† (Time 784) Basically, this means the order of events occurred in relation to each other. Since there are numerous other definitions time is very subjective and who is to say that time even really exists. Different countries have different calendars and started counting years at other various times. For example, the Islam calendar started in the year we know as 622 AD. Niemitz asks â€Å"How was it possible to insert this phantom time into history? †(8), which has no easy answers. One might respond in a way as to say that we made a mistake when changing from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. If that were to be the case, then how would it have been a 300 year oversight? Maybe, the switch in calendars may just be a small part of the problem; could it have been the start of the falsified history? If so, then where else could the gap have come from? Most of the historical documents of the time seem to have either been falsified or just don’t exist. For example, Heribert Illig believes â€Å"†¦Charlemagne was a fictional character,† (Bellows 1). If Charlemagne was a made-up figure in history, than what else has been made up about that era? Maybe all of it has been fictionalized by some mass conspirators, or maybe certain documents of the time have just been translated incorrectly and certain historical feats did not actually happen. Also, there are large gaps in historical documents like â€Å"†¦the doctrine of faith, especially the gap in the evolution of theory and meaning of purgatory†¦,† (Bellows 3). With gaps in historical documents like this, it leaves a doubt in the mind of anybody that ponders the existence of this time period. If there are gaps in historical documents like this, then maybe there are gaps in the history itself, as well. John states in his narrative that â€Å"Often, historiography just consisted of archiving anything at all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (John 5). So, maybe most of the history as we think we know is nothing but false assumptions. But, this whole theory is built on the word maybe. Other scholars might give Illig more respect for his findings if he could come up with more specific answers that tell both sides of the story. Astronomy is neutral, for the most part, when it comes to the Phantom Time Theory. For example, Beaufort writes â€Å"Ultimate evidence against Illigs hypothesis, based solely on historical solar eclipses can possibly not be found,† (Beaufort 25). So, if solar eclipses can’t prove the theory wrong, then what can? Methods like Dendrochronology, carbon dating, might hold the answer. Unfortunately, â€Å"Despite of calibration a high degree†¦antique period typically up to +/-150 years,† (Beaufort 26). This leaves us once again with no definitive answer on the validity of the hypothesis. At the moment, there is no scientific way to prove the theory valid or invalid, but maybe, some day in the near or possibly distant future, there will be a way to accurately pinpoint the dates when certain historical events happened to put this talk of the theory being a â€Å"conspiracy† to bed. 300 years of our history may just have been thought up in someone’s head and written in the history books, or maybe it is true. There are a few things for certain though: time is very subjective and we could be living in any time period imaginable, depending on when you start counting years. Some historical documentation of the era has been proven to be forged, so we can never distinguish what has actually happened in history and what some writer of a history book just made it up. Lastly, astronomy and dendrochronology don’t give a definitive answer to the questions of when exactly these historical events happened. So, maybe this theory is just some wild thought a few German scholars had, but maybe, in the coming years more and more evidence to prove the theory valid may come out and these crazy scholars would look like geniuses.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Essay Example for Free

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Essay Posttraumatic Stress Disorder side effects may take years to show up, they are debilitating to the victims everyday life. A soldier with PTSD may experience emotional outburst, find it hard to communicate with others. Panic attacks, sleeping disorder, and flashbacks are a few of the major side effects. The soldier often will feel guilty which makes it difficult for them to adjust back into civilian life. Not knowing how to reunite with friends and family often lead to sever depression and suicide. An incident that may remind the soldier or their trauma can send them into a sever panic attack which may take days or weeks to recover from. It is said a soldier with PTSD is never truly home, there are always demons around every corner. The military teaches our soldiers how to fight, how to kill and how to survive. But who teaches them how to live with themselves? Soldiers are returning in large volumes with PTSD but are not being treated for their disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur following the experience or witnessing of a traumatic event. A traumatic event is a life-threatening event such as military combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents, serious accidents, or physical or sexual assault in adult or childhood. The fight or flight response is what we know happens when one is afraid. Your body is releasing adrenaline, raising you heart rate and releasing glucose to muscles allowing you to respond quickly. Once you are out of the fearful situation you release a hormone known as cortical allowing your body to calm down. In a sever trauma you may not release enough cortical so your body stays under a great deal of stress. Then the victim may produce a high level of catecholamine which is a stimulating hormone. When reminded of the trauma this hormone kicks in. Mason JW, Giller EL, Kosten TR) One out of ten Americans involved in a sever trauma event causes a cascade of psychological and biological changes known as post-traumatic stress disorder. Soldiers returning from wars throughout the years were not able to adapt back in to civilian life. Doctors now understand the severity of this disorder and our addressing to the best of their abilities. To receive the diagnosis the victim must have been in a situation in which they were afraid for their safety, feel horror, or feel helpless. The more terrifying the trauma is, increases the chances of the victim developing PTSD. Victims diagnosed with PTSD can prevent them from working; affect their relationships, and causes great difficulty being a good parent. (Allen IR PTSD) Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. It helps one deal with a tense situation in the office, study harder for an exam, and keep focused on an important speech. In general, it helps one cope. But when anxiety becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it can become a disabling disorder. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is not a black and white diagnosis, some the symptoms may be present right away however in others it can manifest years later. For some, the symptoms can be managed with therapy and others the symptoms are disabling. Many traumatic life experiences cause many emotions, such as guilt, anger, and fear. However it normally starts to improve in a short period of time, when these feelings or symptoms do not improve or get worse you may have Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Reliving the trauma can cause flashbacks and nightmares. Flashbacks are the Soldier or Victim actually mentally transporting back in time to the actual event. They can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel every sensation they experienced during the actual trauma. In their mind they are reliving the event in every shape and form. Nightmares is when the victim is sleeping as their brain slows down and enters into a dream state the trauma comes back to them in a nightmare. Just as in the flashbacks in their mind they are right back in that horrific trauma. Many times they will wake up yelling, swinging their arms, threatening or injuring anyone nearby. PTSD victims also may experience hyper arousal which is a state where a minor act will bring them back to the trauma. It can be as little as a child crying, thunderstorm, or a smell, this can cause a massive reaction from the victim. Men have been known to hi the ground, roll under cars, or even become very violent with a near by person. Another symptom of PTSD is always being on guard, getting startled easily, irritable, and anxious. Victims find it hard to concentrate on their current life they are always ready for that bomb to go off. This will cause lack of sleep which in return causes physical pain, muscle tension, and even heart problems. Many will never talk about their issues; it is too painful to speak out loud what is causing them so much pain on the inside. This causes many family problems and the issues just keep spiraling out of control. For some it may even lead into the thoughts or act of suicide. Many may think that since the increased amount of PTSD victims are returning from war the VA administration would step in and support them. Knowing all of this the support is not there. The VA’s track record nearly to void benefits for the victims, they are not or willing to deal with the large influx of affected Iraq veterans, who are left to deal with their illnesses alone. Judging by its recent actions, VA does not seem interested in changing to fit the needs of the new veterans. The benefits have increased in the recent years from one point seven billion to four point three billion, however the victims that are mostly benefiting from the increase is Vietnam veterans, not Iraqi veterans. (Uhl). Iraq veterans remain widely overlooked, and are coming back in record numbers with severe mental illness. This is a serious problem, since it’s expected that the number of PTSD sufferers from Iraq will exceed the number from Vietnam. Treatment and support are critical to your recovery. Although your memories won’t go away, you can learn how to manage your response to these memories and the feelings they bring up. You can also reduce the frequency and intensity of your reactions. Although it may seem painful to face the trauma you went through, doing so with the help of a mental health professional can help you get better. There are different types of therapy which are necessary to get back on the right track. There is cognitive behavioral therapy, which helps you change the thought patterns that keep you from overcoming your anxiety. Exposure therapy, where one work with a professional, to help confront memories and situations that cause the distress. Cognitive Processing Therapy, which is where you process your emotions about the traumatic event and learn how to challenge your thinking patterns. Another type of therapy is psychodynamic psychotherapy, where you focus on identifying current life situations that set off traumatic memories and worsen PTSD symptoms. (National Center for PTSD).

Isopropyl Alcohol Can Be Oxidized Environmental Sciences Essay

Isopropyl Alcohol Can Be Oxidized Environmental Sciences Essay Being a secondary alcohol, isopropyl alcohol can be oxidized to acetone, which is the corresponding ketone. This can be achieved using oxidizing agents such as chromic acid, or by dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol over a heated copper catalyst: (CH3)2CHOH ? (CH3)2CO + H2 Isopropyl alcohol is often used as both solvent and hydride source in the Meerwein-Ponndorf-Verley reduction and other transfer hydrogenation reactions; it is oxidized to acetone. Isopropyl alcohol may be converted to 2-bromopropane using phosphorus tribromide, or dehydrated to propene by heating with sulfuric acid. Like most alcohols, isopropyl alcohol reacts with active metals such as potassium to form alkoxides which can be called isopropoxides. The reaction with aluminium (initiated by a trace of mercury) is used to prepare the catalyst aluminium isopropoxide.[3] Isopropanol becomes increasingly viscous with decreasing temperature. At temperatures below -70C isopropanol resembles maple syrup in viscosity. [edit]Production In 1994, 1.5 million tonnes of isopropyl alcohol was produced in the United States, Europe, and Japan.[4] This compound is primarily produced by combining water and propene in a hydration reaction. Of minor significance is the hydrogenation of acetone.[4][5] There are two routes for the hydration process: indirect hydration via the sulfuric acid process, and direct hydration. The former process, which can use low-quality propene, predominates in the USA while the latter process, which requires high-purity propene, is more commonly used in Europe. These processes give predominantly isopropyl alcohol rather than 1-propanol because the addition of water or sulfuric acid to propene follows Markovnikovs rule. Indirect hydration The indirect process reacts propene with sulfuric acid to form a mixture of sulfate esters. Subsequent hydrolysis of these esters by steam produces isopropyl alcohol, which is distilled. Diisopropyl ether is a significant by-product of this process; it is recycled back to the process and hydrolyzed to give the desired product.[4] Direct hydration Direct hydration reacts propene and water, either in gas or liquid phases, at high pressures in the presence of solid or supported acidic catalysts. Higher purity propylene (> 90 %) tends to be required for this type of process.[4] Both processes require that the isopropyl alcohol be separated from water and other by-products by distillation. Isopropyl alcohol and water form an azeotrope and simple distillation gives a material which is 87.9% by weight isopropyl alcohol and 12.1% by weight water.[6] Pure (anhydrous) isopropyl alcohol is made by azeotropic distillation of the wet isopropyl alcohol using either diisopropyl ether or cyclohexane as azeotroping agents.[4] Hydrogenation of acetone Crude acetone is hydrogenated in the liquid phase over Raney nickel or a mixture of copper and chromium oxide to give isopropyl alcohol. This process is useful when coupled with excess acetone production, such as the cumene process.[4] [edit]Uses In 1990, 45 thousand tonnes of isopropyl alcohol were used in the United States. The vast majority of isopropyl alcohol was used as a solvent for coatings or for industrial processes. Isopropyl alcohol in particular is popular for pharmaceutical applications,[4] presumably due to the low toxicity of any residues. Some isopropyl alcohol is used as a chemical intermediate. Isopropyl alcohol may be converted to acetone, but the cumene process is more significant. In that year, a significant fraction (5.4 tonnes) was consumed for household use and in personal care products. It is also used as a gasoline additive.[4] [edit]Solvent Isopropyl alcohol dissolves a wide range of non-polar compounds. It also evaporates quickly and is relatively non-toxic, compared to alternative solvents. Thus it is used widely as a solvent and as a cleaning fluid, especially for dissolving oils. Examples of this application include cleaning electronic devices such as contact pins (like those on ROM cartridges), magnetic tape and disk heads (such as those in audio and video tape recorders and floppy disk drives), the lenses of lasers in optical disc drives (e.g. CD, DVD) and removing thermal paste from heatsinks and IC packages (such as CPUs.[7]) Isopropyl alcohol is used in keyboard, LCD and laptop cleaning, is sold commercially as a whiteboard cleaner, and is a strong but safer alternative to common household cleaning products. It is used to clean LCD and glass computer monitor screens (at some risk to the anti-reflection coating on some screens[citation needed]), and used to give second-hand or worn non-vinyl phonograph records newer-looking sheen. Isopropyl alcohol should not be used to clean vinyl records as it may leach plasticizer from the vinyl making it more rigid[citation needed]. It is effective at removing residual glue from some sticky labels although some other adhesives used on tapes and paper labels are resistant to it. It can also be used to remove stains from most fabrics, wood, cotton, etc. In addition it can also be used to clean paintballs or other oil based products so that they may be reused, commonly known as repainting. It is used as a wetting agent in the fountain solution used in lithographic printing, and often used as a solvent for French polishing shellac used in cabinet making. [edit]Intermediate Isopropyl alcohol is esterified to give isopropyl acetate, another solvent. It reacts with carbon disulfide to give sodium isopropylxanthate, a weed killer. Isopropyl alcohol reacts with titanium tetrachloride and aluminium metal to give titanium and aluminium isopropoxides respectively, the former a catalyst, and the latter a chemical reagent.[4] This compound may serve as a chemical reagent in itself, by acting as a dihydrogen donor in transfer hydrogenation. [edit]Medical Disinfecting pads typically contain a 60ÃÆ' ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½70% solution of isopropyl alcohol in water. A 75 % v/v solution in water may be used as a hand sanitizer.[8] Isopropyl alcohol is used as a water-drying aid for the prevention of otitis externa, better known as swimmers ear.[9] [edit]Automotive Isopropyl alcohol is a major ingredient in gas dryer fuel additives. In significant quantities, water is a problem in fuel tanks, as it separates from the gasoline, and can freeze in the supply lines at cold temperatures. It does not remove water from gasoline; rather, the alcohol solubilizes water in gasoline. Once soluble, water does not pose the same risk as insoluble water as it will no longer accumulate in the supply lines and freeze. Isopropyl alcohol is often sold in aerosol cans as a windscreen de-icer. Isopropyl alcohol is also used to remove brake fluid traces from hydraulic braking systems, so that the brake fluid (usually DOT 3, DOT 4 or mineral oil) does not contaminate the brake pads, which would result in poor braking. [edit]Laboratory As a biological specimen preservative, isopropyl alcohol provides a comparatively non-toxic alternative to formaldehyde and other synthetic preservatives. Isopropyl alcohol solutions of 90ÃÆ' ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½99% are used to preserve specimens. Isopropyl alcohol is often used in DNA extraction. It is added to a DNA solution in order to precipitate the DNA into a pellet after centrifuging the DNA. This is possible because DNA is insoluble in isopropyl alcohol. [edit]Safety Isopropyl alcohol vapor is denser than air and is highly flammable with a very wide combustible range. It should be kept away from heat and open flame. When mixed with air or other oxidizers it can explode through deflagration.[10] Isopropyl alcohol has also been reported to form explosive peroxides.[10][11] Like many organic solvents, long term application to the skin can cause defatting.[12] [edit]Toxicology Isopropyl alcohol and its metabolite, acetone, act as central nervous system (CNS) depressants. Symptoms of isopropyl alcohol poisoning include flushing, headache, dizziness, CNS depression, nausea, vomiting, anesthesia, and coma. Poisoning can occur from ingestion, inhalation, or absorption; therefore, well-ventilated areas and protective gloves are recommended. Around 15 g of isopropyl alcohol can have a toxic effect on a 70 kg human if left untreated.[13] However, it is not nearly as toxic as methanol or ethylene glycol. Isopropyl alcohol does not cause an anion gap acidosis (in which as lowered blood serum pH causes depletion of bicarbonate anion) unlike ethanol and methanol. Isopropyl alcohol does however, produce an osmolal gap between the calculated and measured osmolalities of serum, as do the other alcohols. Overdoses may cause a fruity odor on the breath as a result of its metabolism to acetone, which is further metabolized to produce the nutrients acetate and glucose.[14] Isopropyl alcohol is oxidized to form acetone by alcohol dehydrogenase in the liver.

The Achievement Gap and Education Essays -- Race Educational Educating

The achievement gap facing low income, African American, and Latino populations is undoubtedly a complicated problem. It is defined as the â€Å"disparity between the academic performances of different groups of students†. Most of the data on the achievement gap is gathered from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), also known as the â€Å"nation’s report card†. Some reports suggest that these students arrive at disadvantage, which is then perpetuated through their schooling (Learning Point Associates, 2003). This paper will explore some of the factors correlated with low achievement and more importantly the strategies that might work towards closing the gap. The solution is not easy and will require a range of approaches as well as efforts from the national government, states, local districts, schools, families and students. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2002 requires achievement data to be reported by group, both racially and economically. Schools must now track the performance progress of groups, rather than on a general school average. This probably didn’t spark much discussion in states like California, because they have already been doing this for decades. However, there are many states that had never made such reports, which resulted in the first-ever public acknowledgement of group differences in performance (Haycock, 2002). The racial and economic achievement gap has now been accepted and well documented for high poverty and high minority schools. A school in which at least half of the students qualify for subsidized school meals is classified as a high poverty school. A high minority school is one in which at least half of the student body are minorities (Olsen, 2003). Over the pa... ...15, No.4 (2001). Haycock, Kati. â€Å"State Policy Levers: Closing the Achievement Gap.† The State Education Standard. Winter 2002: 6-13. Learning Points Associates. North Central Regional Educational Library. 2003. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. â€Å"Closing the Achievement Gap Requires Multiple Solutions.† 2001. Olsen, Lynn â€Å"The Great Divide.† Education Week on the Web. 9 Jan 2003. Quality Counts. â€Å"To Close the Gap, Quality Counts† Education Week on the Web. 9 Jan 2003. Rips, Geoff. â€Å"Runn Also Rises† Texas Monthly. October 1999: 56-71. U.S. Department of Education. â€Å"Closing the Achievement Gap in America’s Public Schools.† 2003.

Cloning - Well, Split My Embryo! :: Cloning Argumentative Persuasive Argument

Cloning – Well, Split My Embryo! Genetic engineering, altering the inherited characteristics of an organism in a predetermined way, by introducing into it a piece of the genetic material of another organism. Genetic engineering offers the hope of cures for many inherited diseases, once the problem of low efficiencies of effective transfer of genetic material is overcome. Another development has been the refinement of the technique called cloning, which produces large numbers of genetically identical individuals by transplanting whole cell nuclei. With other techniques scientists can isolate sections of DNA representing single genes, determine their nucleotide sequences, and reproduce them in the laboratory. This offers the possibility of creating entirely new genes with commercially or medically desirable properties. While the potential benefits of genetic engineering are considerable, so may be the potential dangers. For example, the introduction of cancer-causing genes into a common infectious organism, such as the influenza virus, could be hazardous. We have come to believe that all human beings are equal; but even more firmly, we are taught to believe each one of us is unique. Is that idea undercut by cloning? That is, if you can deliberately make any number of copies of an individual, is each one special? How special can clones feel, knowing they were replicated like smile buttons. "We aren't just our genes, we're a whole collection of our experiences," says Albert Jonsen. But the idea, he adds, raises a host of issues, "from the fantastic to the profound." When anesthesia was discovered in the 19th century, there was a speculation that it would rob humans of the transforming experience of suffering. When three decades ago, James Watson and Francis Crick unraveled the genetic code, popular discussion turned not to the new hope for vanquishing disease but to the specter of genetically engineered races of supermen and worker drones. Later, the arrival of organ transplants set people brooding about a world of clanking Frankensteins, welded together made from used parts. Already there are thousands of frozen embryos sitting in liquid nitrogen storage around the country. "Suppose somebody wanted to advertise cloned embryos by showing pictures of already born children like a product," says Prof. Ruth Macklin, of New York's Albert Einstein College of medicine, who specializes in human reproduction. Splitting an embryo mat seem a great technological leap, but in a world where embryos are already created in test tubes, it's a baby step. The current challenge in reproductive medicine is not to produce more embryos but to identify healthy ones and get them to grow in the womb. Using genetic tests, doctors can now screen embryonic cells for hereditary diseases.

Nondiegetic Music Of The Doors In The Scene Waiting In Saigon Essay

Nondiegetic music of the Doors in the scene waiting in Saigon Sound plays a significant part in all movies and one of the most interesting of all the sound techniques would be the use of nondiegetic music. In the movie Apocalypse Now, there is a double disc soundtrack with thirty tracks on it. The one song on there that has the most meaning would The Doors song â€Å"The End†. This song not only set the mood for the scene waiting in Saigon and the move as a whole but is also used to foreshadow the death of Coronal Kurtis. Mr. Coppola, the director of the film, was a genius for picking this song to represent the movie. It not only fits the movie with the sounds of helicopter but the words alone have significant meaning to the movie. Along with it serving as a premise for the movie, Mr. Coppola plays with the viewer’s perception of diegetic sounds and nondiegetic music. The scene as a whole is a montage of overlapping dissolve sequence. It is set in Saigon but is more of a delusional state of mind of Willard, the main character. We get a sense of the upcoming climatic part of the movie through the visions and music of the scene. The opening scene starts out with a diegetic sound of a helicopter passing in front of a jungle. We get the sense that the helicopter sounds that we will be hearing are going to be diegetic until Mr. Coppola brings in The Doors song â€Å"The End†. Which brings the sounds of the helicopter into the music. He uses the helicopter as a set up for the music ensemble that is forth coming. As the electric guitar starts to play a psychedelic tune with the sounds of the synthesized helicopter, you feel like you’re in a somewhat delusional state of mind. As if your mind is being carried away by the music to a dreamlike place. The dirt in the scene is doing some mysterious dance to the beat making the jungle in the backg round seem somewhat fuzzy and dreamlike. The first minute of the song is used to set the viewers for the montages sequence that is coming up next in the scene. Its purpose is to make us feel delusional and somewhat drugged. The guitar solo and synthesized helicopter sounds then leads us into the world and mind of the main character, captain Willard. As the sequence moves along you hear the voice of Jim Morrison sing, â€Å" This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end,† to the flaming sights of war are seen at th... ...es start off with the digetic sound of a helicopter, which is then used to lead into the nondiegetic sound of a synthesized helicopter within the song. As the scene moves along about two minutes into the scene we come to see the blades of a ceiling fan whirling around. This is where the helicopter sounds in the music change back into the diegetic sound of the whirling ceiling fan blades. The second motif is that the song reoccurs again about two hours into the movie. This is the scene where Willard is killing Kurtz and the caribou is being sacrificed. Which goes back to the function of the song in the beginning, which was to foreshadow the death or â€Å"The End† of Kurtz death. Thus the nondiegetic use of music is indeed a very useful technique in the scene waiting in Saigon. The Doors song, â€Å"The End,† not only is used to foreshow what is going to happen at the end of the movie but is also used to set the mood of the movie. Along with setting the mood, Mr. Coppola plays with the use of diegetic music turning it into nondiegetic music. These are all key functions for using a song in a movie and Mr. Coppola is a genius for choosing â€Å"The End† to play a significant part in Apocalypse Now. Nondiegetic Music Of The Doors In The Scene Waiting In Saigon Essay Nondiegetic music of the Doors in the scene waiting in Saigon Sound plays a significant part in all movies and one of the most interesting of all the sound techniques would be the use of nondiegetic music. In the movie Apocalypse Now, there is a double disc soundtrack with thirty tracks on it. The one song on there that has the most meaning would The Doors song â€Å"The End†. This song not only set the mood for the scene waiting in Saigon and the move as a whole but is also used to foreshadow the death of Coronal Kurtis. Mr. Coppola, the director of the film, was a genius for picking this song to represent the movie. It not only fits the movie with the sounds of helicopter but the words alone have significant meaning to the movie. Along with it serving as a premise for the movie, Mr. Coppola plays with the viewer’s perception of diegetic sounds and nondiegetic music. The scene as a whole is a montage of overlapping dissolve sequence. It is set in Saigon but is more of a delusional state of mind of Willard, the main character. We get a sense of the upcoming climatic part of the movie through the visions and music of the scene. The opening scene starts out with a diegetic sound of a helicopter passing in front of a jungle. We get the sense that the helicopter sounds that we will be hearing are going to be diegetic until Mr. Coppola brings in The Doors song â€Å"The End†. Which brings the sounds of the helicopter into the music. He uses the helicopter as a set up for the music ensemble that is forth coming. As the electric guitar starts to play a psychedelic tune with the sounds of the synthesized helicopter, you feel like you’re in a somewhat delusional state of mind. As if your mind is being carried away by the music to a dreamlike place. The dirt in the scene is doing some mysterious dance to the beat making the jungle in the backg round seem somewhat fuzzy and dreamlike. The first minute of the song is used to set the viewers for the montages sequence that is coming up next in the scene. Its purpose is to make us feel delusional and somewhat drugged. The guitar solo and synthesized helicopter sounds then leads us into the world and mind of the main character, captain Willard. As the sequence moves along you hear the voice of Jim Morrison sing, â€Å" This is the end Beautiful friend This is the end My only friend, the end,† to the flaming sights of war are seen at th... ...es start off with the digetic sound of a helicopter, which is then used to lead into the nondiegetic sound of a synthesized helicopter within the song. As the scene moves along about two minutes into the scene we come to see the blades of a ceiling fan whirling around. This is where the helicopter sounds in the music change back into the diegetic sound of the whirling ceiling fan blades. The second motif is that the song reoccurs again about two hours into the movie. This is the scene where Willard is killing Kurtz and the caribou is being sacrificed. Which goes back to the function of the song in the beginning, which was to foreshadow the death or â€Å"The End† of Kurtz death. Thus the nondiegetic use of music is indeed a very useful technique in the scene waiting in Saigon. The Doors song, â€Å"The End,† not only is used to foreshow what is going to happen at the end of the movie but is also used to set the mood of the movie. Along with setting the mood, Mr. Coppola plays with the use of diegetic music turning it into nondiegetic music. These are all key functions for using a song in a movie and Mr. Coppola is a genius for choosing â€Å"The End† to play a significant part in Apocalypse Now.

Cultural Influences on Social Cognition and Behavior Essay

There was once a time when I met a Filipino family in the park. The most famous hospitality of Filipinos was showed to me. They have invited me to join them for snacks — something that a typical American would not do even to fellow American. However, these people became friendly to me even though they know that I am not among their own race. I was able to identify with them because I have experienced the real essence of having a family, something I am not seeing in most American families. With that encounter, they have thought me to also be concern with other people. More than that, they have showed me that we can unite amid cultural differences and that we can trust people even at the first meeting; and through that we can have connections. I found this influences to easy come to my senses and being because I have been observing families in my own community and I have not found anyone or family as hospitable as them. That is because I was able to identify with them. I was vulnerable because it was my first time to experience such hospitability from other people who possess different culture other than what I have been practicing. Americans have become very individualistic and have failed to show such culture to other people even in our own kind. I was able to process my thoughts and feelings in terms of dealing with other cultures because I have experienced another culture first hand, more than what I can read from books and periodicals. What I have experienced and learned through the encounter is definitely a positive influence. Because their culture has encouraged me to learn more about other cultures and practices of other people and they have helped me understand the differences of cultures. Reference Huitt, W. (2006). Social cognition. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. Retrieved May 13, 2008 from http://chiron. valdosta. edu/whuitt/col/soccog/soccog. html.