Theory of Descriptions Essay Example for Free

Theory of Descriptions Essay It is a matter of fact that Russell significantly contributed the development of philosophical thinking by helping to resolve many philosophical problems. Furthermore, he offered theory of descriptions and analyzed logical structure of what people say. Theory of descriptions is the best application of the technique. Theory aims at denoting phrases in ordinary language and thus it has given rise to three sorts of difficulties: Excluded middle. It means that the traditional principle is violated by suggestions such as â€Å"either the present king of France is bald or the present king of France is not bald† Non-existence assertions. They aim at denoting phrases which have referents.Furthermore, they are saying of something, though this something doesn’t exist: â€Å"The golden mountain does not exist† Opaque Contexts. Equivalent expression can be substituted, but substitution doesn’t preserve the truth of the statement: â€Å"Alan believes that Sarahs father is Joys son† Russell emphasized that descriptions are differently signified and they don’t always suggest logically proper names. The referent is denoted directly and thus is carrying existential import, although the description is indirect denotation and has to be regarded differently. Russell suggested that denoting phrases can’t be isolated; otherwise they won’t be understood correctly. Quine eliminated the ontological implications of descritions. For example, he stated that Pegasus wasn’t actual, because it wasn’t spatiotemporal object. He admitted that though Pegasus existed in mythology, in the imagination of every child and in philosophical disputes, it was not actual as it wasn’t found in any zoo. Quine said â€Å"the notion that Pegasus must be, because it would otherwise be nonsense to say even that Pegasus is not, has been seen to lead McX into an elementary confusion†. References Russell: The Theory of Descriptions. Encyclopedia od Philosophy. Retrieved November 7, 2006, from http://philosophypages.com/ph/russ.html

Demographics of Huang Shan, China

Demographics of Huang Shan, China Huang Shan is located in southern Anhui province in eastern China. The city has neighbors of Jingdezhen and Wuyuan County of Jaingxi Province in its southwest edge, Kaihua, Chunan and Linan of Zhejiang Province in its southeast edge, Xuancheng City in its northeast, Chizhou City in its northwest. Huang Shan annual average temperature is low, only 7.8 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™, annual range for temperature is small, only 20.3à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™. Winter valley with a temporary temperature inversion phenomenon, the density of the cold air in winter night is big, so the cold air along the hillside into the bottom of the valley, the temperature is higher than the bottom in a certain height of slope zone. The annual average precipitation days 180.6 days, it is only 150-160 days on the foothill. The precipitation days are less in winter, but it increase in spring. It usually has heavy rain in May and June. From the June to September, the precipitation is 49% of annual rainfall, and is 69.6% of the heavy rain over the same period of years. The most Rainfall is 3326.6 mm in 1973, and the least one is 1548.6 mm in 1978. On the tectonic, Huangshan Mountain is located in contact zone between jiangnan ancient and Yangtze platform. The main tectonic line is almost the same with direction of mountain ranges which are the direction of northeast and southwest. The majority part of Huangshan Mountain is constituted by granite. In the south of promenade creek fracture have Sandstone, quartz sandstone, volcanic rock and metamorphic volcanic rocks. In the north of lotus hill is the Taiping rock mass. Huangshan has eight hundred million geologic history, and integrating peaks landforms, glacial traces. Also have the typical geological landscape which are Modelling of granite stone, Granite cave room and Fountain pool stream organ etc Huangshan Mountain has 77 peaks and each peak is sharp. Granite stone forest and stalagmites are distribute among peak, mountainside and valley etc. extensively. There are numerous mountains, rivers and valleys distributed around Huang Shan. Those valleys are deep in those mountains. The both side of the valley are steep walls. Various kinds of rocks are distribute among mountains and valley. Because of the orogenesis, the earths crust uplift, glacier and Natural weathering. Huangshan Mountain form the structure of peak. The main part of Huangshan Mountain is constituted by granite, and it suffered from a strongly erosion, cutting, fractured, long-term water dissolution, then formed granite caves and drill ways. The quaternary glacial relics of huangshan are mainly distributed in the south-east of the mountain. Base on the Huangshan Mountain rock mass affected by internal and external factors, long time weathering along the vertical cracks, many peaks are composed. 560 million years ago the early tertiary period of Himalayan movement, those sedimentary cover are erode by the uplifting of the mountain. Then Huangshan Mountain finally appear the earth’s surface. During the tertiary and quaternary, Himalayan movement made the earths crust uplift generally. Huangshan Mountain also unceasingly rises accordingly. At the same time the granite peak are made by erode. In the quaternary period, Huangshan Mountain had three ice age and the glaciers handling. There have many signs of glaciation left on the granite that made Huangshan Mountain has the landscape of glacial landform. There are about 600 rivers in the area of Huangshan mountain, among with more than 10 km river of the number of 108. Two hillsides locate in the Huangshan city, one in the area of north and another of south. Drainage area in these two hillsides split with 76.98% and 23.02% (north 7569.93 km and south 2264.1 km). There are 15 hot springs in yellow mountain, one called zhusha hot springs is one of the four top visit place. It’s history could back to Tang Dynasty. The altitude of its place is 650 m, the water degree vary from 41.1 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ to 42.5à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã†â€™ and its changed based on the temperature, range of rain. The flow to itself in the day of 219.51 tons and 145.23 tons at night. The area of yellow mountain water resource comes from nature rain, witch the biggest rainstorm over there and the average rain is 1775.9 mm. The districts rich with ground water, the flow over 9.928 billion m, but the distribution of its ground river flow is unequal which more in the month of May to July and less when in the winter. The proportion is 1 to 5. The flood caused by torrential rains, huangshan, cause the harm of plants, animals and human. Some years the flood would be worse to threat the species to regenerate. Huangshan mountain has a stable-balanced ecosystem. Plant community complete and is vertical distribution, forest coverage is 84.7%, vegetation coverage rate is 93.0%, there are 222 families, 827 genera and 1805 species of higher plants. Furthermore, Huangshan mountain is an perfect place for animal living and breeding, there are 24 kinds of fish, amphibians is 21 species, 48 species of reptiles, 176 kinds of birds, beasts is 54. Huangsheng Mountain has a stable ecosystem characteristics. 84.7% rate of forest coverage, 93% rate of vegetation coverage. Productivity Huangshan Mountain has Rich mineral resources. There have various minerals under the Huangshan Mountain, such as limestone, granite, porcelain clay, quartzite, serpentine stone coal and building materials. Huangshan Mountain also have gold, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, antimony, beryllium, non-ferrous metals such as lead, niobium, tantalum, uranium and rare metal mineral, and bentonite, Fu, sulfur, barite, crystal stone, such as non-metallic mineral resources. Services Huangshan Mountain has an abundant tourism resources. Huangshan Mountain has various scenic spots that attracted people to travel. Huangshan Mountain provide the source that people can take bath in hot spring. And there also have many restaurants and Hotels that provided to people. due to the climate change in different layer of the mountain, the plants varied between those layers. the group of the forest include shrubs and herbs in intact. Its ecological system usually balance. the palnts grows health and regularly locate. and many plants could be uesd for medicine. the total area is 126500 mu, the storage is about 365200 cubic meters. if in the open area of the moutain you can see high level plants like pine, bamboo, niche and so on. Macaque also known as golden monkey. It is tall and big, arms and legs are sturdy. Mainly weight is in 35-40 kilograms, the largest is 50 kilograms. It has long hair in the body, sometimes stood up and walk like human. They imitate human action accurate and flexible. They often exercise together in the forest or peaks. Sometimes, they would play with tourists and friendly. They live in 800-1500 meters of evergreen and deciduous mixed forests, deciduous broad-leaved forest zone. They often migrate down to the valley in the winter, and they usually walking through in 600-800 meters of the broadleaf tree forest for food. Macaque is the second class protected animals in China. Nowadays, Huang Shan is a famous tourist attractions. Many people from all over the world came to Hang Shan. People get materials and foods from Hang Shan. However, the environment become more serious than before, so many plants and animal become endanger. There are some severe problems about polluted in the next slide.

Texas Holdem Excellence Essay -- Personal Narrative Card Games Essays

Texas Holdem Excellence How do we define odds to ourselves? Are they things that happen because they are suppose to or are they things that were written and statistics made them happen. Odds and statistics play major roles in almost every event in life. They affect everything from who we marry and how long it lasts right down to what shoes we wear. These odds and statistics are very noticeable to everyone especially in a game of Texas hold'em poker. The game has some skills involved but the odds still apply to the type of cards a player is dealt in order to use his skills. This poker game is new and is played by many but only mastered by a few. I happen to look at myself as some one who has mastered the game. On Friday brad came up to me in school and asked if I was coming to the tournament tonight at his house. I responded "its Friday night what do you think I will be doing." He then said" Be there around 7 with the usual twenty dollar buy in." Walking around all day with a big grin on my face because in my head I was thinking that I have this thing wrapped up. I know there were going to be fifty or more people at his house for the tournament which was winner take all. The grin on my face was from me remembering the last three weeks in which I won the tournaments very easily. Later on in the day we were sitting in our English class talking some trash to each other. I said to Dan" are you guys prepared to go down again tonight for the fourth strait week." Dan responded " there is no way you can win again the odds are against you, so you better be prepared to take a beating tonight." I snapped back" Yes, they might be running out but the odds also state that I have a one in two hundred and fifty chance of winning which I ... ... and seventy five dollars," said Brad with an expression less face. "Call" I boldly stated knowing I was going to win, as the whole room fell silent as they all gasped for air. The river card was an three which did nothing. This was the big moment as we both turned our cards over. "The winner of the money was Justin Slesser" stated Brian while brad shook my had and retreated up stairs. The tournament started at seven and ended just before eight in the morning. There were many up's and downs in the tournament, but all in all I was very happy and was just glad to spend the evening with my poker buddies just like every Friday night. All my hard work and risk taking I beat the odds that my buddy Dan set against me the day before. This goes to show that odds play big roles in every thing but don’t be afraid to take a risk because someone says the odds are against you.

Simulation-supported Wargaming in MNE 4 :: essays research papers

Simulation-supported Wargaming in MNE 4 1. Introduction The objective of this document is to emphasize the importance of simulation as a measure of complexity reduction and planner’s tool for decision support in MNE 4’s Effects-Based Planning (EBP) process. Starting with an overview of the underlying principles of Wargaming and Modeling and Simulation (M&S), the outcome of this abstract is a ‘Process for the application of simulation to support Wargaming in MNE 4’. This document may also serve as a basis for MNE 4 design and execution decision-makers in order to determine the value of simulation as a wargaming tool for MNE 4. 2. The Art of Wargaming Wargaming and Course-of-Action Analysis are approved instruments of military planning in order to determine the feasibility and validity of military options and plans. Traditionally wargaming was conducted by exposing Blue military options to the challenges of Red Team’s counter-actions just using people’s brain, pen and paper. Today, the complexity of the battlefield has experienced significant increases due to the challenges of asymmetric menaces after the end of the Cold War. The concept of Effects-Based Operations (EBO) tries to embrace these new conditions based on ambitious processes like Knowledge Base Development (KBD). Furthermore, military planning and operation execution have to cope not only with a highly complex and dynamic adversary’s system conducting asymmetric operations, but also with great challenges on the Blue side, such as the coordination and interaction of multiple coalition partners and different agencies and organizations in a non-linear battlespace. Experiences from recent months and years have undoubtedly proven that EBO cannot be successfully conducted without adequate support by IT tools. Especially the various wargaming activities within EBP cannot be properly accomplished by just using traditional measures. Military planners desperately need automated tools in order to handle data masses, multi-dimensional and dynamic interrelations within the adversary’s system and own (blue) forces and instruments. 3. Simulation as an Analysis Method Basically, there are two major approaches for answering optimization questions: the analytical approach and the numerical approach. As the analytic approach tries to exactly calculate results considering the objective function, limitation variables and all other relevant factors, the numerical approach allows only for approximate results often using iterative or even heuristic processes. Nevertheless, numerical methods have a far more practical weight (see Reference 3) since in opposition to the analytical methods they can handle complex systems with great varieties of variables. Simulation is one of a whole set of numerical methods and additionally, it comprises another major advantage especially useful for wargaming problems: it models dynamics.

Ratio Analysis Essay -- essays research papers

Companies strive from day to day to make their business publicly strong, financially strong, and appeasing and profitable for its shareholders. Shareholders as well as the company’s management use several tools to determine a company’s health and direction. These tools are better known as ratio analysis. Ratios are among the more widely used tools of financial analysis because they provide clues to and symptoms of underlying conditions.2 Ratios help measure a company’s liquidity, activity, profitability, leverage and coverage.1 These five measured sections show how ratio analysis is used in decision-making, how a firm can measure its financial situation and financial performance, and the strengths and weaknesses of the company. The term ratio analysis can be broken down into smaller sections. The first is a current ratio which is the ratio of current assets to current liabilities. This ratio shows how well a company’s current liabilities are covered.1 Even though this ratio is used often, it does have its limitations. Since it shows all current assets it does not differentiate among the assets with regard to their degrees of liquidity, show it can show skued results .Another commonly used ratio is the acid-test ratio, also known as the quick ratio. This ratio shows an investor how the short-term liquidity, or how quickly the company’s assets can be turned into cash.2 Inventory turnover is an important and often overlooked ratio that indicates inventory levels. A low turnover...

Observational Learning Essay

During this course we studied that behaviors can be learned through our own experiences or observing others. Learning is the knowledge obtained in life through education, interacting with people, experiences and practice. There are three types of learning: Classical Conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. There are many topics that grabbed my interest during this course, but observational learning made me think about my personal life and reminded me of many experiences that I went through in life. Observational learning means that we learn through watching others and then imitating them, this can happen through observing our family, neighbors, friends or TV. I remember when I was a child, I used to watch my mother cooking and then I go back to my room and pretend that am cooking as well. Even though, I grew up and became a very bad cooker. Albert Bandura suggested in his theory â€Å"The social learning theory† that children tend to imitated adults by observing them. He supported his theory in his famous experiment â€Å"Bobo doll†, which shows an adult acting aggressively toward a Bobo doll, and after that when they allowed the children to play with the doll they acted in the same aggressive way. I remember last year I was with my aunt and her 7 years old son in the car going to a restaurant. My aunt is a smoker, so she took out a cigarette and started smoking. After sometimes, her son told her: † When I grow up I will smoke cigarettes†, she told him: â€Å"No, you are not allowed to smoke it’s bad for health†, he replayed: â€Å"But you smoke, I want to be cool like you† and when we reached to the restaurant, her son took a straw and started acting as if he is smoking. In addition, Banduara’s study showed that people also learn through imitating others who receive punishments and rewards. It means that when a child sees his older siblings getting punished for doing something wrong, the child is more likely to avoid doing it so he/she won’t get punished. On the other hand, if a child noticed that one of his siblings are rewarded for behaving in a certain way or doing something good, the child will do the same to get a reward. When I was 9 years old, my parents bought a new toy for my older brother because he got a full mark on one of his subjects at school, I was very jealous that day and decided to study hard to get a full mark so my parents can get me a gift. Learning can be either positive or negative. Positive observational learning is when a person learn a good behavior from someone. When I was young, every time we go to a mall there were these small charity cabinets were you can donate money. I used to see my mother donating money like every time we go to a mall, and now I do the same thing. In contrast, negative observational learning is when a person learn a bad behavior from someone else. It is true that people can learn negative behavior from their siblings, family, friends or neighbors, however; I believe that TV and media content is more dangerous and have more powerful impact on people. For example, my small cousin began to act violently since he started watching WWE (a wrestling show) and he even memorized all the wrestle moves. Everyone in the family and school is complaining that he beats other children so hard. For him, he finds it cool and believe that in this way more people will like him as they like these wrestlers. Finally, I believe that observational learning is an effective way. Children have the right to explore their own world and determine the wrong action from the right one. Of course, parents should act in a proper way in front of their children and be careful of what they are watching, and advice them to do the right thing when the make a mistake.

Greenland Glaciers and Global Warming Essay

Global warming, which is the increasing of the average temperature within the air near the Earth’s surface and the oceans, has caused the glaciers in Greenland to melt, causing the water levels to rise and the climate to change. Global warming is an unfortunate event that is taking place in numerous parts of the world, enabling bizarre and, in some instances, unnatural changes in the weather. Global warming has become most noticeable in the polar regions, amongst the polar icecaps, or in the more iced-over regions of the world, such as in Greenland and the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, Greenland has become the most common area for quickly-dissolving glaciers, making it the most notorious for climate and weather changes throughout the world. It is difficult to connect weather changes to global warming, though it has been proven that some more pronounced changes are likely to come about, and in fact, already are. One of the most obvious changes involves an increase in precipitation, as well as changes in the average patterns of precipitation, which can lead to flooding and, in turn, drought. The sea levels worldwide will rise, and are rising, as the glaciers melt, which will cause Arctic shrinkage – the shrinking of the Arctic region due to climate change. In time, this shrinkage could possibly be seen in other areas, including the Atlantic Ocean. Some other irreversible affects include the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tsunamis. With the continuously melting Greenland glaciers, these risks are more likely to happen and these changes will only become more obvious and the melting becomes more rapid. Jason Box, a professor at Ohio State and a global warming researcher, has noticed a rapid and unsettling change in the amount of glaciers in Greenland. In an interview in regards to the melting glaciers and global warming, Box stated that â€Å"we fly over the world’s fastest-deteriorating glacier; and in 2003, we didn’t even recognize the place. It had doubled its speed (of shearing off ice) and lost about 6 miles of width (Feran). † Box goes on to state the worries that he feels about global warming, as well as pointing out a slight change to weather happenings around the world – for instance, a snowstorm in an area that, despite being cold, has never seen such harsh weather. Box feels that this weather event can be linked simultaneously with global warming from the Greenland region. In further studies done by scientists and other global warming researchers, it has been discovered that a huge portion of the Atlantic region is warming just as much and just as fast as the rest of the world (Wilkinson). The scientists have researched and discovered that the temperature has risen 2. 5 degrees in the past half century and that there has been a 140 percent ice loss within a decade. This has caused ice shelves to break up or disappear, exposing the glaciers behind them and â€Å"speeding up the discharge of ice and fresh water into the ocean (Wilkinson). † In the article, Dr. Ian Allison of the Australian Antarctic Division says that the activities taking place in the Atlantic are related to the rising of the air and water temperatures. Allison also stated that the melting of the Greenland glaciers are of the biggest concern, saying that its changes are even more noticeable than those of other regions. â€Å"In Greenland, the rate of ice loss is getting greater over the last 10 years and the surface ice melt is definitely related to the warming. † Allison, who’s main focus is that of the Arctic and Atlantic regions, has been keeping close note on the melting glaciers, as well as trying to compare them to changes that have been taking place with weather. The more ice that the Atlantic loses, as well as the rest of the regions under the pressure of global warming, the more heat that comes back to it. When there is no ice to reflect the heat of the sun, the heat permeates through the water, causing the water to warm up even more. The heat is then spread to the remaining glaciers, which causes an almost domino effect, repeating itself until all that can happen is for the sea levels to rise. According to Alan Boyle, a science editor, Greenland’s glaciers have been â€Å"dumping ice into the Atlantic Ocean at a rate that’s doubled over the past five years,† as researchers have reported. Yet there are many scientists and researchers that are not as worried about the melting of the glaciers as others are; they claim that Greenland has gone through warming before, but the heat had been followed by cooling temperatures. Many of the researchers feel that the same thing is happening again. These scientists are not disregarding the possibility of global warming, but are wary to rule in Greenland as a current problem. Other scientists are against this, saying that Greenland has been warming up 2. 2 times faster than it has in previous years. Greenland is home to one of the world’s largest, and one of the most quickly dissolving, glacier, the Kangerdlugssuaq Glacier. The aforementioned glacier has gone from being completely stationary as of 1996 to flowing at a rate of fourteen kilometers a year by 2005; it is because of this that it is considered one of the fastest moving glaciers on the planet. It is also because of this, as well as Greenland’s other quickly-melting glaciers, that will play a huge, unwanted role in the rising of the world’s sea levels (Biello). Greenland has become one of the biggest concerns of scientists, due to the alarming rate that its glaciers are melting, as well as to the obvious increase in the temperature. Since Greenland is home to some of the most quickly melting glaciers, as well as to the world’s largest, it will be one of the main purveyors of climate and weather changes throughout the world. Bizarre changes in weather have already been noticed, with many scientists blaming global warming on these changes. Regardless of the fact that Greenland is in a region of its own, what is taking place with its glaciers can affect the entire world; the weather will be the most pronouncedly changed. Horrific weather events will last longer than what is considered average, and they can take place in areas that would not normally see such conditions. Works Cited Biello, David. (17 Feb 2006. ) Greenland’s glaciers: Melting and on the move. Scientific American. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. sciam. com/article. cfm? id=greenlands-glaciers-melti. Boyle, Alan. (16 Feb 2006. ) Greenland’s glaciers losing ice at faster rate. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/11385475/. Feran, Tim. (24 March 2009. ) Glacier warning us, OSU researcher says. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. columbusdispatch. com/live/content/life/stories/2009/03/24/2_NOVA_ICE. ART_ART_03-24-09_D5_9ADB1F1. html? sid=101. Wilkinson, Marian. (23 March 2009. ) The ice caps are in trouble. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 24, 2009, from http://www. smh. com. au/environment/earth-hour/the–ice-caps-are–in–trouble-200