Forward the Foundation Chapter 3

4 There was a short silence again, but only because thoughts are silent. Seldon's were tumultuous enough. Yes, it was true. His wife did seem to have an uncanny knowledge of robots. Hari had wondered about this so often over the years that he had finally given up, tucked it away in the back of his mind. If it hadn't been for Eto Demerzel-a robot-Hari would never have met Dors. For Dors worked for Demerzel; it was Demerzel who â€Å"assigned† Dors to Hari's case eight years ago to protect him during his flight throughout the various sectors of Trantor. Even though now she was his wife, his help-meet**, his â€Å"better half,† Hari still occasionally wondered about Dors's strange connection with the robot Demerzel. It was the only area of Dors's life where Hari truly felt he did not belong-nor welcome. And that brought to mind the most painful question of all: Was it out of obedience to Demerzel that Dors stayed with Hari or was it out of love for him? He wanted to believe the latter-and yet†¦ His life with Dors Venabili was a happy one, but it was so at a cost, at a condition. The condition was all the more stringent, in that it had been settled not through discussion or agreement but by a mutual unspoken understanding. Seldon understood that he found in Dors everything he would have wanted in a wife. True, he had no children, but he had neither expected any, nor, to tell the truth, had greatly wanted any. He had Raych, who was as much a son of his emotionally as if he had inherited the entire Seldonian genome-perhaps more so. The mere fact that Dors was causing him to think about the matter was breaking the agreement that had kept them in peace and comfort all these years and he felt a faint but growing resentment at that. But he pushed those thoughts, the questions, away again. He had learned to accept her role as his protector and would continue to do so. After all, it was he with whom she shared a home, a table, and a bed-not Eto Demerzel. Dors's voice brought him out of his reverie. â€Å"I said-Are you sulking, Hari?† He started slightly, for there was the sound of repetition in her voice, and he realized he had been shrinking steadily deeper into his mind and away from her. â€Å"I'm sorry, dear. I'm not sulking. Not deliberately sulking. I'm just wondering how I ought to respond to your statement.† â€Å"About robots?† She seemed quite calm as she said the word. â€Å"You said I don't know as much about them as you do. How do I respond to that?† He paused, then added quietly (knowing he was taking a chance), â€Å"That is, without offense.† â€Å"I didn't say you didn't know about robots. If you're going to quote me, do so with precision. I said you didn't understand about robots. I'm sure that you know a great deal, perhaps more than I do, but to know is not necessarily to understand.† â€Å"Now, Dors, you're deliberately speaking in paradoxes to be annoying. A paradox arises only out of an ambiguity that deceives either unwittingly or by design. I don't like that in science and I don't like it in casual conversation, either, unless it is meant humorously, which I think is not the case now.† Dors laughed in her particular way, softly, almost as though amusement were too precious to be shared in an overliberal manner. â€Å"Apparently the paradox has annoyed you into pomposity and you are always humorous when you are pompous. However, I'll explain. It's not my intention to annoy you.† She reached over to pat his hand and it was to Seldon's surprise (and slight embarrassment) that he found that he had clenched his hand into a fist. Dors said, â€Å"You talk about psychohistory a great deal. To me, at any rate. You know that?† Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"I throw myself on your mercy as far as that's concerned. The project is secret-by its very nature. Psychohistory won't work unless the people it affects know nothing about it, so I can talk about it only to Yugo and to you. To Yugo, it is all intuition. He's brilliant, but he is so apt to leap wildly into darkness that I must play the role of caution, of forever pulling him back. But I have my wild thoughts, too, and it helps me to be able to hear them aloud, even†-and he smiled-â€Å"when I have a pretty good notion that you don't understand a word I'm saying.† â€Å"I know I'm your sounding board and I don't mind. I really don't mind, Hari, so don't begin making inner resolutions to change your behavior. Naturally I don't understand your mathematics. I'm just a historian-and not even a historian of science. The influence of economic change on political development is what is taking up my time now-â€Å" â€Å"Yes, and I'm your sounding board on that or hadn't you noticed? I'll need it for psychohistory when the time comes, so I suspect you'll be an indispensable help to me.† â€Å"Good! Now that we've settled why you stay with me-I knew it couldn't be for my ethereal beauty-let me go on to explain that occasionally, when your discussion veers away from the strictly mathematical aspects, it seems to me that I get your drift. You have, on a number of occasions, explained what you call the necessity of minimalism. I think I understand that. By it, you mean-â€Å" â€Å"I know what I mean.† Dors looked hurt. â€Å"Less lofty, please, Hari. I'm not trying to explain to you. I want to explain it to myself. You say you're my sounding board, so act like one. Turnabout is fair play, isn't it?† â€Å"Turnabout is fine, but if you're going to accuse me of loftiness when I say one little-â€Å" â€Å"Enough! Shut up! You have told me that minimalism is of the highest importance in applied psychohistory; in the art of attempting to change an undesired development into a desired one or, at any rate, a toss undesired one. You have said that a change must be applied that is as minute, as minimal, as possible-â€Å" â€Å"Yes,† said Seldon eagerly, â€Å"that is because-â€Å" â€Å"No, Hari. I'm trying to explain. We both know that you understand it. You must have minimalism because every change, any change, has a myriad of side effects that can't always be allowed for. If the change is side effects too many, then it becomes certain that the outcome will be far removed from anything you've planned and that it would be entirely unpredictable.† â€Å"Right,† said Seldon. â€Å"That's the essence of a chaotic-effect. The problem is whether any change is small enough to make the consequence reasonably predictable or whether human history is inevitably and unalterably chaotic in every respect. It was that which, at the start, made me think that psychohistory was not-â€Å" â€Å"I know, but you're not letting me make my point. Whether any change would be small enough is not the issue. The point is that any change greater than the minimal is chaotic. The required minimum may be zero, but if it is not zero, then it is still very small-and it would be a major problem to find some change that is small enough and yet is significantly greater than zero. Now, that, I gather, is what you mean by the necessity of minimalism.† â€Å"More or less,† said Seldon. â€Å"Of course, as always, the matter is expressed more compactly and more rigorously in the language of mathematics. See here-â€Å" â€Å"Save me,† said Dors. â€Å"Since you know this about psychohistory, Hari, you ought to know it about Demerzel, too. You have the knowledge but not the understanding, because it apparently doesn't occur to you to apply the rules of psychohistory to the Laws of Robotics.† To which Seldon replied faintly, â€Å"Now I don't see what you're getting at. â€Å"He requires minimality, too, doesn't he, Hari? By the First Law of Robotics, a robot can't harm a human being. That is the prime rule for the usual robot, but Demerzel is something quite unusual and for him, the Zeroth Law is a reality and it takes precedence even over the First Law. The Zeroth Law states that a robot can't harm humanity as a whole. But that puts Demerzel into the same bind in which you exist when you labor at psychohistory. Do you see?† â€Å"I'm beginning to.† â€Å"I hope so. If Demerzel has the ability to change minds, he has to do so without bringing about side effects he does not wish-and since he is the Emperor's First Minister, the side effects he must worry about are numerous, indeed.† â€Å"And the application to the present case?† â€Å"Think about it! You can't tell anyone-except me, of course-that Demerzel is a robot, because he has adjusted you so that you can't. But how much adjustment did that take? Do you want to tell people that he is a robot? Do you want to ruin his effectiveness when you depend on him for protection, for support of your grants, for influence quietly exerted on your behalf? Of course not. The change he had to make then was a very tiny one, just enough to keep you from blurting it out in a moment of excitement or carelessness. It is so small a change that there are no particular side effects. That is how Demerzel tries to run the Empire generally.† â€Å"And the case of Joranum?† â€Å"Is obviously completely different from yours. He is, for whatever motives, unalterably opposed to Demerzel. Undoubtedly, Demerzel could change that, but it would be at the price of introducing a considerable wrench in Joranum's makeup that would bring about results Demerzel could not predict. Rather than take the chance of harming Joranum, of producing side effects that would harm others and, possibly, all of humanity, he must leave Joranum alone until he can find some small change-some small change-that will save the situation without harm. That is why Yugo is right and why Demerzel is vulnerable.† Seldon had listened but did not respond. He seemed lost in thought. Minutes passed before he said, â€Å"If Demerzel can do nothing in this matter, then I must.† â€Å"If he can do nothing, what can you do?† â€Å"The case is different. I am not bound by the Laws of Robotics. I need not concern myself obsessively with minimalism. And to begin with, I must see Demerzel.† Dors looked faintly anxious. â€Å"Must you? Surely it wouldn't be wise to advertise a connection between the two of you.† â€Å"We have reached a time where we can't make a fetish of pretending there is no connection. Naturally I won't go to see him behind a flourish of trumpets and an announcement on holovision, but I must see him.† 5 Seldon found himself raging at the passage of time. Eight years ago, when he had first arrived on Trantor, he could take instant action. He had only a hotel room and its contents to forsake and he could range through the sectors of Trantor at will. Now he found himself with department meetings, with decisions to make, with work to do. It was not so easy to dash off at will to see Demerzel-and if he could, Demerzel also had a-full schedule of his own. To find a time when they both could meet would not be easy.** Nor was it easy to have Dors shake her head at him. â€Å"I don't know what you intend to do, Hari.† And he answered impatiently, â€Å"I don't know what I intend to do, either, Dors. I hope to find out when I see Demerzel.† â€Å"Your first duty is to psychohistory. He'll tell you so.† â€Å"Perhaps. I'll find out.† And then, just as he had arranged a time for the meeting with the First Minister, eight days hence, he received a message on his department office wall screen in slightly archaic lettering. And to match that was the more than slightly archaic message: I CRAVE AN AUDIENCE WITH PROFESSOR HARI SELDON. Seldon stared at it with astonishment. Even the Emperor was not addressed in quite that centuries-old turn of phrase. Nor was the signature printed as it usually was for clarity. It was scripted with a flourish that left it perfectly legible and yet gave it the aura of a careless work of art dashed off by a master. The signature was: LASKIN JORANUM. It was Jo-Jo himself, craving an audience. Seldon found himself chuckling. It was clear why the choice of words-and why the script. It made what was a simple request a device for stimulating curiosity. Seldon had no great desire to meet the man-or would have had none ordinarily. But what was worth the archaism and the artistry? He wanted to find out. He had his secretary set the time and the place of the appointment. It would be in his office, certainly not in his apartment. A business conversation, nothing social. And it would come before the projected meeting with Demerzel. Dors said, â€Å"It's no surprise to me, Hari. You hurt two of his people, one of them his chief aide; you spoiled a little rally he was holding; and you made him, in the person of his representatives, seem foolish. He wants to take a look at you and I think I had better be with you.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I'll take Raych. He knows all the tricks I know and he's a strong and active twenty-year-old. Although I'm sure there'll be no need for protection.† â€Å"How can you be sure?† â€Å"Joranum is coming to see me on the University grounds. There will be any number of youngsters in the vicinity. I'm not exactly an unpopular figure with the student body and I suspect that Joranum is the kind of man who does his homework and knows that I'll be safe on home territory. I'm sure that he will be perfectly polite-completely friendly.† â€Å"Hmph,† said Dors with a light twist of one corner of her lip. â€Å"And quite deadly,† Seldon finished. 6 Hari Seldon kept his face expressionless and bent his head just sufficiently to allow a sense of reasonable courtesy. He had taken the trouble to look up a variety of holographs of Joranum, but, as is often the case, the real thing, unguarded, shifting constantly in response to changing conditions, is never quite the same as a holograph-however carefully prepared. Perhaps, thought Seldon, it is the response of the viewer to the â€Å"real thing† that makes it different. Joranum was a tall man-as tall as Seldon, at any rate-but larger in other directions. It was not due to a muscular physique, for he gave the impression of softness, without quite being fat. A rounded face, a thick head of hair that was sandy rather than yellow, light blue eyes. He wore a subdued coverall and his face bore a half-smile that gave the illusion of friendliness, while making it clear, somehow, that it was only an illusion. â€Å"Professor Seldon†-his voice was deep and under strict control, an orator's voice-â€Å"I am delighted to meet you. It is kind of you to permit this meeting. I trust you are not offended that I have brought a companion, my right-hand man, with me, although I have not cleared that with you in advance. He is Gambol Deen Namarti-three names, you notice. I believe you have met him.† â€Å"Yes, I have. I remember the incident well.† Seldon looked at Namarti with a touch of the sardonic. At the previous encounter, Namarti had been speaking at the University Field. Seldon viewed him carefully now-under relaxed conditions. Namarti was of moderate height, with a thin face, sallow complexion, dark hair, and a wide mouth. He did not have Joranum's half-smile or any noticeable expression-except for a sense of cautious wariness. â€Å"My friend Dr. Namarti-his degree is in ancient literature-has come at his own request,† said Joranum, his smile intensifying a bit, â€Å"to apologize.† Joranum glanced quickly at Namarti-and Namarti, his lips tightening just at first, said in a colorless voice, â€Å"I am sorry, Professor, for what happened at the Field. I was not quite aware of the strict rules governing University rallies and I was a little carried away by my own enthusiasm.† â€Å"Understandably so,† said Joranum. â€Å"Nor was he entirely aware of your identity. I think we may all now forget the matter.† â€Å"I assure you, gentlemen,† said Seldon, â€Å"that I have no great desire to remember it. This is my son, Raych Seldon, so you see I have a companion, too.† Raych had grown a mustache, black and abundant-the masculine mark of the Dahlite. He had had none when he first met Seldon eight years before, when he was a street boy, ragged and hungry. He was short but lithe and sinewy and his expression was the haughty one he had adopted in order to add a few spiritual inches to his physical height. â€Å"Good morning, young man,† said Joranum. â€Å"Good morning, sir,† said Raych. â€Å"Please sit down, gentlemen,† said Seldon. â€Å"May I offer you something to eat or drink?† Joranum held up his hands in polite refusal. â€Å"No, sir. This is not a social call.† He seated himself in the place indicated. â€Å"Though I hope there will be many such calls in the future.† â€Å"If this is to be about business, then let's begin.† â€Å"The news reached me, Professor Seldon, of the little incident that you have so kindly agreed to forget and I wondered why you took the chance of doing what you did. It was a risk, you must admit.† â€Å"I didn't think so, actually.† â€Å"But I did. So I took the liberty of finding out everything I could about you, Professor Seldon. You're an interesting man. From Helicon, I discovered.† â€Å"Yes, that's where I was born. The records are clear.† â€Å"And you've been here on Trantor for eight years.† â€Å"That is also a matter of public record.† â€Å"And you made yourself quite famous at the start by delivering a mathematical paper on-what do you call it?-psychohistory?† Seldon shook his head very slightly. How often he had regretted that indiscretion. Of course, he had had no idea at the time that it was an indiscretion. He said, â€Å"A youthful enthusiasm. It came to nothing.† â€Å"Is that so?† Joranum looked around him with an air of pleased surprise. â€Å"Yet here you are, the head of the Mathematics Department at one of Trantor's greatest Universities, and only forty years old, I believe. I'm forty-two, by the way, so I don't look upon you as very old at all. You must be a very competent mathematician to be in this position.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I wouldn't care to make a judgment in that matter.† â€Å"Or you must have powerful friends.† â€Å"We would all like to have powerful friends, Mr. Joranum, but I think you will find none here. University professors rarely have powerful friends or, I sometimes think, friends of any kind.† He smiled. And so did Joranum. â€Å"Wouldn't you consider the Emperor a powerful friend, Professor Seldon?† â€Å"I certainly would, but what has that to do with me?† â€Å"I am under the impression that the Emperor is a friend of yours.† â€Å"I'm sure the records will show, Mr. Joranum, that I had an audience with His Imperial Majesty eight years ago. It lasted perhaps an hour or less and I saw no signs of any great friendliness in him at the time. Nor have I spoken to him since-or even seen him-except on holovision, of course.† â€Å"But, Professor, it is not necessary to see or speak to the Emperor to have him as a powerful friend. It is sufficient to see or speak to Eto Demerzel, the Emperor's First Minister. Demerzel is your protector and, since he is, we may as well say the Emperor is.† â€Å"Do you find First Minister Demerzel's supposed protection of me anywhere in the records? Or anything at all in the records from which you can deduce that protection?† â€Å"Why search the records when it is well known that there is a connection between the two of you. You know it and I know it. Let us take it then as given and continue. And please†-he raised his hands-â€Å"do not take the trouble to give me any heartfelt denials. It's a waste of time.† â€Å"Actually,† said Seldon, â€Å"I was going to ask why you should think that he would want to protect me. To what end?† â€Å"Professor? Are you trying to hurt me by pretending to think I am a monster of naivete? I mentioned your psychohistory, which Demerzel wants.† â€Å"And I told you that it was a youthful indiscretion that came to nothing.† â€Å"You may tell me a great many things, Professor. I am not compelled to accept what you tell me. Come, let me speak frankly. I have read your original paper and have tried to understand it with the help of some mathematicians on my staff. They tell me it is a wild dream and quite impossible-â€Å" â€Å"I quite agree with them,† said Seldon. â€Å"But I have the feeling that Demerzel is waiting for it to be developed and put to use. And if he can wait, so can I. It would be more useful to you, Professor Seldon, to have me wait.† â€Å"Why so?† â€Å"Because Demerzel will not endure in his position for much longer. Public opinion is turning against him steadily. It may be that when the Emperor wearies of an unpopular First Minister who threatens to drag the throne down with him, he will find a replacement. It may even be my poor self whom the Emperor's fancy will seize upon. And you will still need a protector, someone who can see to it that you can work in peace and with ample funds for whatever you need in the way of equipment and assistants.† â€Å"And would you be that protector?† â€Å"Of course-and for the same reason that Demerzel is. I want a successful psychohistoric technique so that I can rule the Empire more efficiently.† Seldon nodded thoughtfully, waited a moment, then said, â€Å"But in that case, Mr. Joranum, why must I concern myself in this? I am a poor scholar, living a quiet life, engaged in out-of-the-way mathematical and pedagogical activities. You say that Demerzel is my present protector and that you will be my future protector. I can go quietly about my business, then. You and the First Minister may fight it out. Whoever prevails, I have a protector still-or, at least, so you tell me.† Joranum's fixed smile seemed to fade a bit. Namarti, at his side, turned his dour face toward Joranum and made as though to say something, but Joranum's hand moved slightly and Namarti coughed and did not speak. Joranum said, â€Å"Dr. Seldon. Are you a patriot?† â€Å"Why, of course. The Empire has given humanity millennia of peace-mostly peace, at any rate-and fostered steady advancement.† â€Å"So it has-but at a slower pace in the last century or two.† Seldon shrugged. â€Å"I have not studied such matters.† â€Å"You don't have to. You know that, politically, the last century or two has been a time of turmoil. Imperial reigns have been short and sometimes have been shortened further by assassination-â€Å" â€Å"Even mentioning that,† put in Seldon, â€Å"is close to treason. I'd rather you didn't-â€Å" â€Å"Well, there.† Joranum threw himself back in his seat. â€Å"See how insecure you are. The Empire is decaying. I'm willing to say so openly. Those who follow me do so because they know only too well it is. We need someone at the Emperor's right hand who can control the Empire, subdue the rebellious impulses that seem to be arising everywhere, give the armed forces the natural leadership they should have, lead the economy-â€Å" Seldon made an impatient stopping motion with his arm. â€Å"And you're the one to do it, are you?† â€Å"I intend to be the one. It won't be an easy job and I doubt there would be many volunteers-for good reason. Certainly Demerzel can't do it. Under him, the decline of the Empire is accelerating to a total breakdown.† â€Å"But you can stop it?† â€Å"Yes, Dr. Seldon. With your help. With psychohistory.† â€Å"Perhaps Demerzel could stop the breakdown with psychohistory-if psychohistory existed.† Joranum said calmly, â€Å"It exists. Let us not pretend it does not. But its existence does not help Demerzel. Psychohistory is only a tool. It needs a brain to understand it and an arm to wield it.† â€Å"And you have those, I take it?† â€Å"Yes. I know my own virtues. I want psychohistory.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"You may want it all you please. I don't have it. â€Å"You do have it. I will not argue the point.† Joranum leaned closer as though wishing to insinuate his voice into Seldon's ear, rather than allowing the sound waves to carry it there. â€Å"You say you are a patriot. I must replace Demerzel to avoid Imperial destruction. However, the manner of replacement might itself weaken the Empire desperately. I do not wish that. You can advise me how to achieve the end smoothly, subtly, without harm or damage-for the sake of the Empire.† Seldon said, â€Å"I cannot. You accuse me of knowledge I do not possess. I would like to be of assistance, but I cannot.† Joranum stood up suddenly. â€Å"Well, you know my mind and what it is I want of you. Think about it. And I ask you to think about the Empire. You may feel you owe Demerzel-this despoiler of all the millions of planets of humanity-your friendship. Be careful. What you do may shake the very foundation of the Empire. I ask you to help me in the name of the quadrillions of human beings who fill the Galaxy. Think of the Empire.† His voice had dropped to a thrilling and powerful half-whisper. Seldon felt himself almost trembling. â€Å"I will always think of the Empire,† he said. Joranum said, â€Å"Then that is all I ask right now. Thank you for consenting to see me.† Seldon watched Joranum and his companion leave as the office doors slid open noiselessly and the men strode out. He frowned. Something was bothering him-and he was not sure what it was. 7 Namarti's dark eyes remained fixed on Joranum as they sat in their carefully shielded office in the Streeling Sector. It was not an elaborate headquarters; they were as yet weak in Streeling, but they would grow stronger. It was amazing how the movement was growing. It had started from nothing three years back and now its tentacles stretched-in some places more thickly than others, of course-throughout Trantor. The Outer Worlds were as yet largely untouched. Demerzel had labored mightily to keep them content, but that was his mistake. It was here on Trantor that rebellions were dangerous. Elsewhere, they could be controlled. Here, Demerzel could be toppled. Odd that he should not realize that, but Joranum had always held to the theory that Demerzel's reputation was overblown, that he would prove an empty shell if anyone dared oppose him, and that the Emperor would destroy him quickly if his own security seemed at stake. So far, at least, all of Joranum's predictions had come to pass. He had never once lost his way except in minor matters, such as that recent rally at Streeling University in which this Seldon fellow had interfered. That might be why Joranum had insisted on the interview with him. Even a minor toe stub must be taken care of. Joranum enjoyed the feeling of infallibility and Namarti had to admit that the vision of a constant string of successes was the surest way of ensuring the continuation of success. People tended to avoid the humiliation of failure by joining the obviously winning side even against their own opinions. But had the interview with this Seldon been a success or was it a second stub of the toe to be added to the first? Namarti had not enjoyed having been brought along in order to be made to humbly apologize and he didn't see that it had done any good. Now Joranum sat there, silent, obviously lost in thought, gnawing at the edge of one thumb as though trying to draw some sort of mental nourishment from it. â€Å"Jo-Jo,† said Namarti softly. He was one of the very few people who could address Joranum by the diminutive that the crowds shouted out endlessly in public. Joranum solicited the love of the mob in this way, among others, but he demanded respect from individuals in private, except for those special friends who had been with him from the start. â€Å"Jo-Jo,† he said again. Joranum looked up. â€Å"Yes, G.D., what is it?† He sounded a little testy. â€Å"What are we going to do about this Seldon fellow, Jo-Jo?† â€Å"Do? Nothing right now. He may join us.† â€Å"Why wait? We can put pressure on him. We can pull a few strings at the University and make life miserable for him.† â€Å"No no. So far, Demerzel has been letting us go our way. The fool is overconfident. The last thing we want to do, though, is to push him into action before we are quite ready. And a heavy-handed move against Seldon may do it. I suspect Demerzel places enormous importance on Seldon.† â€Å"Because of this psychohistory you two talked about?† â€Å"Indeed.† â€Å"What is it? I have never heard of it.† â€Å"Few people have. It's a mathematical way of analyzing human society that ends by predicting the future.† Namarti frowned and felt his body move slightly away from Joranum. Was this a joke of Joranum's? Was this intended to make him laugh? Namarti had never been able to work out when or why people expected him to laugh. He had never had an urge to. He said, â€Å"Predict the future? How?† â€Å"Ah? If I knew that, what need would I have of Seldon?† â€Å"Frankly I don't believe it, Jo-Jo. How can you foretell the future? It's fortune-telling.† â€Å"I know, but after this Seldon broke up your little rally, I had him looked into. All the way. Eight years ago, he came to Trantor and presented a paper on psychohistory at a convention of mathematicians and then the whole thing died. It was never referred to again by anyone. Not even by Seldon.† â€Å"It sounds as though there were nothing to it, then.† â€Å"Oh no, just the reverse. If it had faded slowly, if it had been subjected to ridicule, I would have said there was nothing to it. But to be cut off suddenly and completely means that the whole thing has been placed in the deepest of freezes. That is why Demerzel may have been doing nothing to stop us. Perhaps he is not being guided by a foolish overconfidence; perhaps he is being guided by psychohistory, which must be predicting something that Demerzel plans to take advantage of at the right time. If so, we might fail unless we can make use of psychohistory ourselves.† â€Å"Seldon claims it doesn't exist.† â€Å"Wouldn't you if you were he?† â€Å"I still say we ought to put pressure on him.† â€Å"It would be useless, G.D. Didn't you ever hear the story of the Ax of Venn?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"You would if you were from Nishaya. It's a famous folktale back home. In brief, Venn was a woodcutter who had a magic ax that, with a single light blow, could chop down any tree. It was enormously valuable, but he never made any effort to hide it or preserve it-and yet it was never stolen, because no one could lift or swing the ax but Venn himself. â€Å"Well, at the present moment, no one can handle psychohistory but Seldon himself. If he were on our side only because we had forced him, we could never be certain of his loyalty. Might he not urge a course of action that would seem to work in our favor but would be so subtly drawn that, after a while, we found ourselves quite suddenly destroyed. No, he must come to our side voluntarily and labor for us because he wishes us to win.† â€Å"But how can we bring him around?† â€Å"There's Seldon's son. Raych, I think he's called. Did you observe him?† â€Å"Not particularly.† â€Å"G.D., G.D., you miss points if you don't observe everything. That young man listened to me with his heart in his eyes. He was impressed. I could tell. If there's one thing I can tell, it is just how I impress others. I know when I have shaken a mind, when I have edged someone toward conversion.† Joranum smiled. It was not the pseudowarm ingratiating smile of his public demeanor. It was a genuine smile this time-cold, somehow, and menacing. â€Å"We'll see what we can do with Raych,† he said, â€Å"and if, through him, we can reach Seldon.†

Brain Drain Essay

When highly qualified experts like scientists, engineers, doctors and oft trained persons migrate from under-developed countries and settle down: advanced countries, their migration is called â€Å"Brain Drain†. This problem is not peculiar to India alone. It is being faced by almost all the developing country of the world. Brain drain results in direct loss to the underdeveloped and poor countries who train these experts at a great cost. When these experts migrate to advance countries, such countries stand to gain because they get the services of the experts without having had to spend anything on their training. There are a number of factors responsible for brain drain in India. First of all, India lacks job opportunities. When, after completing higher studies, people do not get any employment in India, they start looking forward to advance countries for jobs. India lacks facilities for advanced research. Most of the students who go abroad for higher research do not return t o India. They are offered lucrative jobs so that they may stay on in advanced countries and give these countries the benefit of their research. India is endowed with vast natural resources like oil, gas, coal, iron ore, gypsum, diamonds, uranium etc. There is no doubt that if these natural resources are exploited in full, India can become one of the developed countries of the world. The Indian experts, whom we lose every year, can stay on in India and help in the development and exploitation of natural resources. Even those experts who have already settled in foreign countries could be lured back to India so that they can help India to become a great power in the world. This problem cannot be solved without the co-operation of the people. The parents of the students should discourage their sons and daughters from going abroad even if they are offered lucrative jobs. Our political leaders should be serious about this problem, and they should set a personal example by preventing their children from going abroad and settling there. All the doctors, scientists and engineers should realise that they owe some duty to their country. Our country spends lakhs of rupees on their training. They should have a feeling of gratitude to their country. Our Government has also been inviting, from time to time, the scientists, engineers, technicians, academicians and even non-resident Indian businessmen, settled abroad, to return to India and help  in the fast industrialization and development of their motherland. They have also been offered a lot of incentives to set up their own industries in India.

Overview of the Apps Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Overview of the Apps Industry - Research Paper Example The apps business is well beyond entertainment and gaming apps. It is a flourishing software industry which unveils opportunities for technology seekers who introduced innovation blended with the Internet. The apps stores, particularly Apple Stores, Nokia Ovi and Android markets, are gaining popularity among users. So, the word â€Å"apps† is no longer limited to Smartphones. Various Internet giants like Google and Microsoft have initiated apps stores for their offerings. Apps industry is the result of collaboration between third-party developers and companies for designing, enhancing and trading apps via different sources like smartphones, tablets, social media platforms and others linked with the web. It has tremendous growth potential which can be unleashed using innovation and continuous improvement in features (Stevens 58-74). It can be rightly said that Apps business will set the foundation for Internet’s future model. Apple’s Apps store became an inspirati on for other players in the smartphone industry and was followed by virtual markets like Nokia Ovi Store, Google Android market and Samsung apps (Appling and Pappalardo, 2010). Even outside the smartphone platform, the biggest online retailer Amazon is influenced by the progress of apps store and might introduce it for its Kindle development. APPS INDUSTRY HISTORY: The origin of smartphone industry initiated in 1993 with the invention of IBM Simon. However, 2007 marks the advent of Apple iPhone which gave rise to the smartphone apps market, commonly referred to as â€Å"apps†. The Apple smartphone was a symbol of aesthetics which combined touchscreen display with web browsing in one package. Apps industry has developed over the years beyond smartphones and the mobile apps industry is highly fragmented among several players. The apps stores owned by OEMs by a combination of product, platform and store include Apple apps store and the like. Google’s Android and Microsoft market are the platform providers used on third-party handsets like HTC and Samsung (Allen, Graupera, and Lundrigan 57). There is a difference seen in market dominance of the brands in various countries. For example, US market resists in adopting Nokia system so it was unable to attain dominance in the region, unlike the world market. The prominent carriers are AT&T, Sprint Nextel and Verizon whose integration with the hardware manufacturers is very crucial. The carriers set sales conditions for hardware vendors. Traditionally, the telecommunication carriers subsidized smartphones in order to drive demand from consumers who, in return, sign a contract. This provided a great insight that consumers are eager to purchase expensive high tech machines on lower prices. The collaboration can result in sales rise for hardware manufacturers as well as subscription contracts for the carriers. PERFORMANCE TRENDS: The apps market predominantly consists of four major players: Apple, Blackberry, Nokia Ovi, and Android. Since the apps market has emerged, more than 300,000 apps have been developed and downloaded over billion times. App stores are becoming a norm for mobile apps download for smartphones nowadays. They are penetrating in the market very swiftly with 2.4 billion downloads being done in 2010 (Global stats, 2012).

Muscular Disorders - Fibromyalgia Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Muscular Disorders - Fibromyalgia - Case Study Example She becomes depressed at times, which is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. The case also shows that she had been suffering from osteoarthritis in the past. Osteoarthritis is a joint disorder which causes pain in joints. Researches show that in some cases, osteoarthritis can lead to fibromyalgia when a pain in joints expands to related muscles. Therefore, looking at these aspects of the case, we conclude that Mrs Oliver is suffering from fibromyalgia. As Vorvick (2011) states, â€Å"one common cause of muscle aches and pain is fibromyalgia†. Substance P is a neurotransmitter, which plays the role of a pain messenger. This chemical substance is present in the brain of a person. In patients suffering from fibromyalgia, the level of substance P is significantly high as compared to the substance P level of a normal person. Stress is the factor, which increases the substance P level in a person. Researches show that people having problems with osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia usually have high substance P levels. Therefore, as we have concluded earlier that Mrs Oliver is suffering from fibromyalgia, we can say that she must be having a high substance P level. According to Clauw (2010), some of the common signs and symptoms of fibromyalgia include chronic fatigue, headaches, painful menstrual periods, numbness or tingling of hands and feet, temperature sensitivity, irritable bowel syndrome, swelling, and sleep disturbances. Chronic fatigue and sleep disturbance are two of the common signs of fibromyalgia. One of the signs, which differentiate fibromyalgia from other related medical problems, such as, arthritis and polymyositis, is that fibromyalgia does not cause damage to muscles and internal organs. On the other hand, arthritis and polymyositis can cause damage to muscles and joints. Although there is no proper treatment of fibromyalgia in medical science, one can limit the intensity of pain by learning the ways to deal with stress.     

LA Cuisine Marketing Report Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

LA Cuisine Marketing Report - Coursework Example It has a wide range of meals to suite all individuals and workouts. The main offering that the restaurant make includes protein booster for body builders, slim fat meals for people who intend to lose weight, high crab meal for those taking endurance training, and low meals for the one who want to acquire a lean body and muscle. The restaurants will offer the customers with advice on the best meals that fit their workout. The restaurants will offer three meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner (Loudon, Stevens, and Bruce, 2004). a. Marketing plan overview Marketing refers to a method of determining the value for ones products or services and taking the appropriate procedure to communicate the information to customers. Before deciding on the price that one will offer in the market, a reasonable analysis should be conducted on the target group or customers. LA Cuisine has clearly identified the target group and analyzed their needs. The restaurants will, therefore, make substantial returns d ue to proper selection of a unique opportunity (Loudon, Stevens, and Bruce, 2004). The researcher who will have the responsibility of marketing the restaurants should put into consideration The Four Ps. These include product, price, place, and promotion. For the researcher to emerge with the best marketing method that LA Cuisine should adopt, they should concentrate emerging with an appropriate marketing plan. Products refer to the commodities that the entity will offer. Price is the charges that the management will be implementing for every commodity or service. Place is the location of the entity where the business will take place. Promotion refers to the various strategies that the business will offer to help people find about the product. Where the researcher concentrates on the above, LA Cuisine will be successful to dominate the market of serving their customers with the best services (Website marketing plan, 2012). Marketing objectives The objectives set out the goals that th e business wants to achieve in the course of the marketing process. LA Cuisine should aim at attaining various objectives that will lead to success and comprise of both corporate and functional objectives. Corporate objectives are the one that concern the business as a whole, while functional objectives are the objectives for various marketing activities. For a business to be successful, the objectives should conform to the SMART criteria below (McDonald, and Wilson, 2011). 1. Specific- the objectives should state exactly what should be achieved. 2. Measurable- the objectives should be flexible in a manner that the management can measure them. It should be possible for the management to determine if they achieve their objective. 3. Achievable- the various laid out objectives should be realistic. They should conform to the resources of the entity. 4. Relevant- the objectives should have material relevance to the staff who have the responsibility of achieving them. 5. Time Bound- the management should set the objectives with a time-frame in mind. This will ensure that the management sets realistic and attainable deadlines for various objectives. LA Cuisine should follow the above criteria to achieve the set objectives. With a strict adherence to the above criteria, the company will derive fruitful results in achieving the stipulated results. Marketing ethics This is a field that deals with the various moral principles that govern regulation and

Serial Killer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Serial Killer - Research Paper Example There are many researches done on the psychology of serial killers by various researchers all over the world. It is amazing to note that causes of serial killing come forward more often in western societies as compared to eastern societies. There are two main ways to investigate about the psychology and thinking of serial killers. One is to study solved cases by police and experiences of investigating officers. Information provided on the basis of evidence and proper investigation gives a good way to do research on the topic of serial killers or serial killing. If opportunity is available one should try to meet/interview a serial killer. Thoughts of serial killers regarding sex, objectification and mutilation are important psychiatric points that can be analyzed during interview and whole research (TRUTV; Vaknin). Most of the serial killers think that to kill and to be got killed is one of the basic instincts that a human has. Early found skull of humans had traces of being attacked by some weapon. According to them, if chance available every person would kill someone. Serial killers are often regarded as people who believe that killing is a part of ritual and considered as objectifiers. Objectifiers are the people who treat other people as their subjects, most of the rulers, leaders political or military are often regarded as people that have fallen in the category of objectifiers (Vaknin). Difference between simple murders and serial killers can be explained by a known fact. A simple murderer kills due to some needs like sex, property, conflict that exists between him/her and other people. On the other hand the people called as serial killers are driven by continuous urge that is present in them from birth. Eric Hicky concluded in his research that about forty eight percent of the serial killers available to him as subjects were refused by their parents as children. Most of the serial killers live in their own world of fantasy

Two questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Two questions - Essay Example However, the additional information or dealings which do not form part of the final written contract are not binding upon either of the parties and are liable to dispute and debate (Jentz, Miller, and Cross). In this scenario, both the parties have agreed to the sale of the warehouse, and thus is mentioned in the final contract. This effectively constitutes the consideration element of the contract, that is, something of value is being sold and purchased for the set amount (Jentz, Miller, and Cross). As much is binding on both the parties. However, there is no mention of the furniture stored in the warehouse in the contract. This could take either of the two courses of action: if the seller is willing to include the furniture in the transaction, they can out of their own free will, and only after assuring that there are no claims or restrictions attached to such a sale (Jentz, Miller, and Cross); however, if the seller is not willing, it is not binding upon them to include the furnit ure in the final sale even though such intentions were previously expressed in some mutually exchanged emails. This is because of two reasons: firstly, such emails were not part of the legal proceedings, and did not form part of the final sales contract; and secondly, the contract clearly states that it supersedes all other related negotiations. Therefore, both the parties are responsible for only that which is specified in the contract according to the clause of the intention of legal consequences, that is, the contract being binding on both the parties (Jentz, Miller, and Cross). If the contract explicitly expresses the sale of the furniture in the warehouse, such a sale would then become

Race and Your Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Race and Your Community - Essay Example who has not had much engagement in the arena of race discourse and who have been spared the oppressions wrought upon racial minorities, it is all too easy for me to forget that there are looming issues that need to be resolved and ugly truths that have to be confronted. And while much has changed since the 1800’s, and new developments have been introduced that have sought to alleviate the racial divide not only in this State and in this country but in the world as well, it is incorrect to believe that the problem has been completely solved. We must be grateful that the world we have now is a better, more tolerant and more accepting world, but we must still try to think of steps to further reduce the racial divide. I look around me and I see that members of my community look like me. White Americans easily form 70% of my community, though there are those of African American, Asian and Latin American descent around me. Caucasians look alike for obvious reasons – skin color, eye color and hair color reveal a common racial blueprint. Even the most idle observer would perhaps be able to distinguish among the races because of these distinctions. It is also worthy to note that the racial divide seems to extend to choice in fashion, music, and the like. African-Americans tend to dress alike, for instance, and have the same tastes in music. For example, Tennessee boasts of a long tradition of gospel music, commonly associated with African Americans. Jazz music is also another Tennessee tradition. The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s – the period wherein blacks made their mark in the artistic scene – saw black musicals and jazz music emerging in the mainstream scene. Indeed, the differences in the musical tastes run deep and add a colorful flavor to the Tennessee cultural collage. Of course, there are many songs of recent vintage that cut across race, particularly among the younger generation. Our political office is comprised of African-Americans and Caucasians

Providing care with limited reimbursment Coursework

Providing care with limited reimbursment - Coursework Example All the patients who come here require serious services that can not be provided by everyone, but by a few dedicated and committed nurses. So, upon a successful completion of my training, I will need to evaluate the performance of each nurse. The one who displays a high degree of professionalism will be considered for employment (Masters, 2000). As an experienced professional, I strongly believe in the quality of education being offered at the nursing training colleges. So, anyone who graduates with a degree must be a hard working professional. They have got all the theoretical knowledge and practical skills that is necessary for them in the field. Therefore, if given an opportunity to nurture their talents, they can come out as exceptional professionals. It is for this reason that I do take my precious time to provide them with the necessary mentorship on exactly what to do when on duty. I prefer fresh graduates because they are still new in the field. Despite having little experience, the truth is that these are highly motivated professionals with lots of ambitions and expectations. Having just taken the oath, they are still committed to strictly complying with the ethical codes of conduct for the nurses (McHale & Gallagher, 2003). Therefore, there will be no doubt that the new graduates will be serving the patients with the expected degree of benevolence, sincerity and confidentiality. So, these are qualities that I have to consider while making a choice of my nurse. Apart from being thoroughly trained at the university, I should ensure that vigorously mentor these nurses. Focusing on issues like practical skills, theoretical knowledge and the general application of nursing ethical codes of conduct are paramount (McHale & Gallagher, 2003). Once I gauge and ensure that they are upheld, I will not hesitate to engage that particular graduate. He deserves to be a

Pathways to College Essay Example for Free

Pathways to College Essay Pathâ€Å"Less than 17% of African-American and Latino students will finish high school and graduate from college. † (Landy, 2013) Less than 70% of students in Milwaukee graduate from high school. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) Only a little over 25% of the people in Wisconsin hold a four-year college degree. (O’Connell, 2014) This educational disparity leads to economic disparity which affects the entire state, not just the urban areas with a higher achievement gap since most jobs with an annual salary over $30,000 will require a four-year degree. (Winters, 2014) There is a program called Pathways to College that is working hard to change these shocking statistics. We are here tonight to show you that Pathways to College is a cause worthy of your and your organization’s time, talent, and treasure. The problem is that not enough people know about Pathways to College. We would like to take a few minutes of your time to introduce you to this exceptional program. According to Pathways director Kelly Ramirez, Pathways to College was the vision of past WLC president Tim Kriewall and the program accepted its first students in 2007. Although located on the WLC campus, Pathways to College is a non-profit organization independent from WLC. With the mission â€Å"to create a belief that college is an option for everyone (Pathways pamphlet),† the program assists lower-income college prospects who are â€Å"first-generation† students (neither of their parents have graduated from college) and have the potential to succeed in college. In this program, students develop academically, socially, and spiritually for college. The program also assists them in finding the financial resources to attend college. The ultimate goal is to increase â€Å"the number of lower income and minority students pursuing and completing a post high school education. † (Pathways pamphlet) The Pathways to College program consists of four components. First is Pathways Prospects in which families visit the WLC campus to become familiar with a college environment and prepare for the Pathways program. (Pathways pamphlet) Next is the precollege component, which is the center of the program. Students in grades 6-12 participate in the after school prep center at least once a week and also once a month on Saturday mornings. They study, receive tutoring and mentoring, attend life skills workshops, and participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and literacy programs. In addition, the program sponsors a summer academy for grades 6-11 which focuses on academics, sports, and fine arts such as art, dance, drama, and music. (Pathways pamphlet) Director Ramirez said that in addition, high school seniors are able to broaden their educational horizons every summer on an international trip. (This year they are going to Puerto Rico!) Freshman, sophomores, and juniors take a Civil Rights tour in the Southern states, visit colleges in California, and colleges on the East Coast on alternating years. For the first time in the coming 2014-2015 school year, Pathways to College will be privileged to implement the final component, the college program, as the first graduating class of Pathways begins college next fall! Ramirez said the directors of the program will continue to encourage and mentor these college students. They will keep tabs on the students’ grades and attendance. In addition, financial support, workshops over school breaks, and internship as well as job and career assistance will also be offered. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) Finally there is the parental program. Parents also attend workshops throughout the school year. These regular meetings offer help with life skills and support for guiding their child toward college. (Pathways pamphlet) It takes a special student to be accepted into the Pathways program. Ramirez informed us that at present there are 17 Pathways partner schools. Teachers at these schools identify students that they feel meet the program qualifications of a low-income, first-generation student with a minimum â€Å"C† grade average and minimum behavior problems at school. Once accepted into the program, students must sign the Pathways to College Covenant. Here they promise attend at least 80% of the activities offered, exhibit Christ-like behavior at all times, keep up schoolwork and grades, and keep an open communication with their parents and with the Pathways program. Parents must also sign the covenant and agree to attend at least 80% of the parent programs, support and encourage their son or daughter in his/her academic career, and do everything to promote a loving Christian household. As long as these commitments are maintained, the child is welcomed and encouraged to stay in the program. (Pathways to College Covenant) Besides the above commitments, there is no monetary cost to the parents or the students who are selected for the program. This is not to say that the program itself comes without a price tag, however. Pathways director Kelly Ramirez said that the annual budget for Pathways is a half million dollars. This budget is totally dependent on grants, private donors, foundation contributions, and fund raisers. She also said that even though the directors have pulled the $500,000 budget together for this year, this just covers the basic program for its 240 students. A larger staff and a more reliable long-range financial picture are needed to lighten present workloads, add a kindergarten-4th grade component, and expand this program to its maximum capacity of 700 students. We feel this is a great program, which we ourselves promote and support. We don’t want you to just take our word for it, however. We’d like you to hear from families that have already benefited from the Pathways to College program. (YouTube testimonial) (Attention Era, 2013) Better yet, come see for yourself. If you can come early to class some Monday afternoon, stop by and visit with some of the volunteers and students in the program. Drop in and talk with Director Kelly Ramirez or Executive Director Milton Cockroft in their offices in the administration building. Now you are aware of the Pathways to College program. You have seen for yourself the great work that Pathways to College is doing with these young people. That’s all well and good, but you figure, â€Å"Well, this is all far removed from me and my family and my business. I know there’s a sales pitch coming, but it really has nothing to do with me. † It has everything to do with you, your family, and the community. Successful college graduates of this program will produce dedicated, responsible, skilled workers with whom you will be working and that will be working for the companies that you own or manage. This can only mean success for you and your business! In addition, these young people won’t need help from the government and other agencies but will have great potential for a productive future. First of all there will be decreased need for WIA funding. (â€Å"U. S. Department,† 2014) As young people with STEM training at Pathways, they have excellent prospects for good paying jobs since â€Å"47% of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM occupations earn more than PhDs in non-STEM occupations. † (â€Å"The case for,† 2013) Over a lifetime, a college graduate will earn $1,000,000 more than someone who only earned a high school degree. (Pathways PowerPoint, 2013) As you can see from the following chart (Youth Indicators, 2011), it does take education to get out of poverty. Every graduate will be one more person to contribute his/her talents and skills to society. Every graduate will help and encourage the next generation of friends and family to also go to college, which will have a positive ripple effect on the community. (Some Pathways parents themselves have already been inspired to enroll in college!! ) Best of all, you will know that you had enough love and foresight to take a part in enriching the lives of these deserving young people and the lives of those they touch. Now you are convinced that Pathways is certainly a great program and worthy of your support. However, you are thinking, â€Å"Jeepers, I’m going to college. I have a family to support. You’re barking up the wrong tree, ladies. I don’t have any extra money! † Don’t you? Let’s put Pathway’s half million dollar budget into perspective. Ramirez says that it costs about $3000 a year for each child that goes through the program. If we in this room would adopt a child and split that amount up among us, and then divide that by the weeks in a year, it would cost each of us no more per week than the price we’d pay for a latte at Starbucks! If you own or manage a business there are other things you can do. Visit your company’s HR department to see what type of donation your company could make. Perhaps you could have your company or PTA make Pathways the beneficiary of its next fund raiser. There are other things Pathways can use that are just as valuable as money/treasure. Pathways can use your time and talents. If you are great at math or grammar, for example, think about tutoring a struggling student. Maybe you don’t have time to come in to tutor once a week. As a sales manager, you could lead a once-a-year workshop instructing students how to write a resume. As the assistant manager of a bank, you could offer your financial expertise by teaching a workshop on money management. As a cook and cafeteria manager you could give a nutrition workshop. These are just a few suggestions to get you started. You have seen for yourself the great work Pathways is doing for these young people! You know that the program is worthy of support in the form of your time, talents, and treasure. You are aware of Pathways to College. Please spread the word and help us make others aware! References Attention Era. (2013, March 10). Pathways to College-the story [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www. youtube. com/results? search_query=Pathways%20to%20Collegesm=12. The case for STEM education as a national priority: good jobs and American competitiveness. (2013, June). Retrieved from http://www. stemedcoalition. org/wp-content/uploads/2013/ 10/Fact-Sheet-STEM-Education-Good-Jobs-and-AmericanCompetiveness-June-2013. pdf Landy, B. (June 13, 2013). Graph: U. S. college graduation rates are rising, but the rest of the world is catching up [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://tcf. org/blog/detail/graph-u. s. college-graduation-rates-are-rising-but-the-rest-of-the-world-is O’Connell, M. (2014, February 11). The role of education in the state of the economy. Paper presented at the Wisconsin ACT Organization 2014 Annual Conference, Middleton, WI. Pathways to College. (n. d. ). [Information pamphlet] Pathways to College. (n. d. ). Pathways to College covenant [Organization contract] Pathways to College. (2013). What path are you on? [PowerPoint] Ramirez, K. (2014, February 19 and March 3). Interview by C. Ristow and R. Flagg. What are Needs of Pathways to College? U. S. department of labor employment and training administration notice of availability of funds  and solicitation for grant applications for Youth Build. (2014, February 18). Retrieved from http://www. doleta. gov/grants/pdf/YouthBuild SGA-DFA-PY-13-04. pdf Winters, D. (2014, February 11). The brutal facts about the changing labor market and the need for an educated workforce. Paper presented at the Wisconsin ACT Organization 2014 Annual Conference, Middleton, WI. Youth indicators 2011 America’s youth: Transitions to adulthood youth indicators 2011America’s youth. (2011, December 26). Retrieved from http://nces. ed. gov/pubs2012/ 2012026/figures/figure_32a. asp.

The Education In Reduce Audit Expectation Gap

The Education In Reduce Audit Expectation Gap Introduction The issue of audit expectation gap (AEG) has been very significant to the accounting profession since mid 1970s and continues to be debated until today. In the 1970s and 1980s, massive corporate failures have caused the accounting profession to be severely criticized by the public. For example, in 1973, Equity Funding an insurance firm based in Los Angeles collapsed when its computer-based fraud was discovered. In May 1982, Drysdale Government Securities collapsed followed by Penn Square Bank two months later. In 1985, the $340 million fraud in ESM Government Securities has been the largest securities fraud case ever to come before a US federal court at that time. Auditors were then forced to battle with legal suits taken against them. Meanwhile, the mounting list of corporate failures and abuses, alleged audit failures, and lawsuits against prominent accounting firms has generated concern outside the profession which subsequently called the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Inve stigations of the Committee on Energy and Commerce to conduct a hearing or congressional investigation of the profession, which was chaired by John Dingell, (Management Accounting, 1985). In defense, the profession defined the concept of AEG and focused public criticism on that concept. The US accounting profession also responded to the scandals and criticism by appointing the Commission on Auditors Responsibilities (the Cohen commission) in 1974 and in 1978. The Cohen report concludes that there is an expectations gap between what auditors do and what the public expects of them. And then in 1986 the Anderson committee issues its report, Restructuring Professional Standards to Achieve Professional Excellence in a Changing Environment, in response to concerns over the professions ability to serve the public interest and retain public confidence. In 1987 The National Commission on Fraudulent Financial Reporting (popularly known as the Treadway commission) reports on how fraudulent financial management can be reduced and how auditors can reduce the expectations gap between themselves and the public (Mousselli, 2005). This is followed by the Accounting Standard Board released, in 1988, of nine expectation gap standards (SAS no. 53 through 61) which were intended to redu ce the gap between what the informed public perceives auditors to be responsible for and what auditors regard their own responsibilities to be. However, those standards have not succeeded in closing the gap (Martens and McEnroe, 1991). The profession has the view that, in general, the public believes that auditors should take more responsibilities in detecting fraud, illegal acts, and material misstatements and to perform better in communicating about the nature and the results of audits including giving early warning about the possibility of business failure (Guy and Sullivan, 1988). The nine new standards are believed to address these issues. The standards cover four broad categories: improving external communication, detecting fraud and illegal acts, making audit more effective, and improving internal communication. This also involves a new auditors report (Kolins, 1988). However, the public regards that auditors have a covenant with society to be responsible for the independent certification of financial statements. And one crucial way in which SAS Nos 56-61 fail to express the auditing covenant and, hence, fail to close the expectation gap, relates to auditors responsibilities with regard to illegal acts by cl ients (Martens and McEnroe, 1991). Therefore, despite the professions efforts to address the issue of AEG, the gap still exists. As mentioned by the SECs Chief Accountant Michael Sutton, there were five dangerous ideas held by some accountants; one of it being auditors have closed the expectation gap. According to Steinberg in 1997, even the new auditing standards on fraud cannot be expected to totally close the gap. This is supported by Sikka, Puxty, Willmott and Coopers (1998) contention that due to social conflict, the meaning of social practices, such as audits, is subject to continuous challenges and renegotiations and the gap between competing meanings of audit cannot be eliminated. And so, in 2002, the profession is back under the spotlight following another series of corporate collapses that made history in the United States. As noted by Eden, Ovadia, and Zuckerman (2003), the criticism against the auditors is renewed with every public corporations failure and each financial loss the public takes. The firm Arthur Andersen came to its demise because of its association with Enron, even though the verdict of obstruction of justice against the firm was overturned in 2005 by the United States Supreme Court (Moussalli, 2005). The crisis then led to the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 2002 that is said to be the most sweeping reform ever to affect the accounting profession (Castellano, 2002). Now the accounting firms are regulated entities. Those corporate crises led to new expectations and accountability requirements, and hence, create this called expectation gap. An expectation gap is detrimental to the auditing profession as highlighted by Limperg, 1933 (cited in Porter Gowthorpe 2001) that: If auditors fail to identify societys expectations of them, or to recognize the extent to which they meet (or, more pertinently, fail to meet) those expectations, then not only will they be subject to criticism and litigation but also, if the failure persists, societys confidence in the audit function will be undermined and the audit function, and the auditing profession, will be perceived to have no value. In view of the detrimental effect of AEG to the auditing profession, various methods have been suggested in the literature to reduce the AEG. Education is one of the methods often recommended by researchers and practitioners as a means of reducing the AEG (Gramling, Schatzberg and Wallace, 1996). Definition Of Audit Expectations Gap The expectation gap is the gap between the auditors actual standard of performance and the various public expectations of auditors performance (as opposed to their required standard of performance). Many members of the public expect that: auditors should accept prime responsibility for the financial statements, auditors certify financial statements, a clean opinion guarantees the accuracy of financial statements, auditors perform a 100% check, auditors should give early warning about the possibility of business failure, and auditors are supposed to detect fraud. Such public expectations of auditors, which go beyond the actual standard of performance by auditors, have led to the term expectation gap. According to the auditing profession, the reality is that: management, as preparers of the financial statements, is primarily responsible for their content, even though management may request the auditors to prepare them; an audit only provides reasonable assurance that financial statements are free of material misstatement based on The CPA Journal entitled The Past and Future of Reasonable Assurance; an audit is no guarantee of solvency or financial performance; auditors are only required to test selected transactions it does not make economic sense, in to-days world, to check all transactions; and although auditors plan and conduct an audit engagement with an attitude of professional skepticism recognizing that circumstances such as fraud may exist that will cause the financial statements to be materially misstated, an audit does not guarantee that fraud will be detected. Several accounting researchers and professional accounting bodies have offered their definitions. For example, the phrase Audit Expectations Gap was first introduced into the literature over twenty years ago by Liggio (1974). In his article The Expectation Gap: The Accountants Waterloo? has defined that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the expectation gap is a factor of the levels of expected performance as envisioned both by the independent accountant and by the user of financial statements. The difference between these levels of expected performance is expectation gap. A few years later, in 1978, when the Cohen Commission Report was published, the definition extend to adds that a gap may exist due to the difference between the publics expectations and needs and what auditors can and should reasonably expect to accomplish. Porter (1993), however, argued that the definitions used by Liggio (1974) and the Cohen Commission Report were too narrow as they failed to consider the possibility of substandard performance by auditors. She states: these definitions are too narrow in that they do not recognise that auditors may not accomplish expected performance (Liggio) or what they can and reasonably should. They do not allow for sub-standard performance. It is therefore, proposed that the gap, more appropriately entitled the audit expectation-performance gap, be defined as the gap between the publics expectations of auditors and auditors perceived performance. According to Porter (1993), the gap has two components: the reasonableness gap and the performance gap. The reasonableness gap explains the expectation gap as the result of differences between what societies expects auditors to achieve and what auditors can reasonably expect to accomplish. Conversely, the performance gap views the issue as the differences in the publics expectations of auditors and their perceptions of auditors performance. Viewed in this way, the gap can be widened either by an increase in societys expectations (some of which can be unreasonable) or a deterioration in perceived auditor performance (sub-standard performance arises where the auditor fails or is perceived to fail to comply with legal and professional requirements). Therefore, the gap can be narrowed either by a reduction in societys expectations or an improvement in perceived performance. Other than that, a few researchers also attempt to define the audit expectations gap in general terms. For example, Liekerman (1990), indicates that expectations gap refers to the discrepancy between what professionals (auditors) appears to believe they are telling the rest of the community and what the rest of the community believes it is being told. This highlights the seriousness of the problem faced by the auditing profession which serves society rather than its immediate clients. Monroe and Woodliff (1993) defined the audit expectation gap as the difference in belief between auditors and the public about the duties and responsibilities assumed by auditors and the messages conveyed by audit report. Jennings et al. (1993) defined the audit expectations gap as the differences between what the public expects from the auditing profession and what the auditing profession can actually provide. Humphrey (1997) defines it as a representation of the feeling that auditors are performing in a manner at variance with the beliefs and desires of those for whose benefit the audit is carried out. According to Humphrey (1997), this definition can be extended to include other issues such as the adequacy of auditing standards and the quality of audit delivery. Local Auditing Context In Malaysia The Companies Commission of Malaysia regulates all companies including public listed and private limited companies incorporated under the Malaysian Companies Act 1965 (CA 1965). Section 169(4) of the CA 1965 requires every company incorporated under the Companies Act to have its financial statements audited before they are presented at the annual general meeting. Section 9 of the Act further requires that the audit must be performed by an approved company auditor as defined under Section 8 of the CA 1965. The auditors in Malaysia are regulated by Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA). Malaysias first documented financial reporting regulations were the Companies Ordinance 1940, which was repealed in 1965 to make way for the Malaysian Companies Act (CA, 1965). Introduction of the CA (1965) marked a significant turn in the countrys financial reporting practice as the Act, through the provisions of section 167 and the ninth schedule, established formal requirements, rules and regulations on accounting. Section 169 of the act requires the directors of every company to present audited financial statements at the annual general meeting and to ensure that the statements give a true and fair view of the companys affairs and results of its operation. The duties of the auditor were specified in section 174, which include: reporting to the members of the company on the accounts; ensuring timely submission of the audit report to the company; expressing an opinion on the truth and fairness of the financial statements; and ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Companies Act 1965 and the applicable approved accounting standards. The approved accounting standards are those standards that are issued or approved by the Malaysian Standards Board (MASB). Under Section 174 (8) of the Company Act 1965, auditors are required to report to the Registrar on any breach or non-observance of any provision of the Company Act 1965. The auditors are required to follow the Malaysian Approved Standards on Auditing (MASA) in the conduct of their audits. Any breach of or failure to comply with MASA could be considered as conduct discreditable to the profession, and this could lead to disciplinary action against the auditors (Arens et al 2003). With effect from 30 September 2004, the MIA has implemented the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001 (the AMLA, 2001). The AMLA (2001) requires auditors, accountants and company secretaries who are members of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) to report suspicious transactions of their clients to the Financial Intelligence Unit in the Bank Negara (Central Bank of Malaysia). In addition, Section 50 of the Securities Industry Act 1983 (SIA) stipulates that auditors are required to report to the Securities Commission any irregularities that are found during the course of the audit which may jeopardize the funds or property of the shareholders. Qualification Levels Education is not only aimed at meeting short-term professional and labour market needs and requirements. Education plays an important role in science and culture and for personal development. However, education has to provide access to qualifications and competences which facilitate a professional career. Most accountants and auditors need at least a bachelors degree in business, accounting, or a related field. Many accountants and auditors choose to obtain certification to help advance their careers, such as becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), ACCA or MICPA. Generally, they take those professional papers for the purpose of become qualified professional auditors. Level qualifications usually focus on a particular subject or area in basic knowledge, skills and understanding. ACCA The ACCA qualification is designed to provide the accounting knowledge, skills and professional values which will deliver finance professionals who are capable of building successful careers across all sectors, whether they are working in the public or private sectors, practicing in accounting firms, or pursuing a career in business. It also embeds the global accounting education standards set by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). There is a strong focus on professional values, ethics, and governance. These skills are essential as the profession moves towards strengthened codes of conduct, regulation, and litigation, which with an increasing focus on professionalism and ethics in accounting. CPA Certified Public Accountant (CPA)  is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience. CPA members and students work across a variety of roles in both practice and industry including, sectors such as financial services, banking, manufacturing, construction, education and consultancy. MICPA Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) promotes high standards of professional conduct and technical competence of members to safeguard public interest and provide quality professional education and training. It also enhances the value and distinctiveness of the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) qualification. This professional qualification is qualified for membership of the Malaysian Institutes of Accountants (MIA) after 3 years of approved working experience and as a member of MICPA. Research Problem The profession believes that the gap could be reduced over time through education. Studies have been carried out overseas and in Malaysia to determine the effect of education in narrowing the audit expectation gap. Previous research done in Malaysia had investigate the effect of audit education in reducing audit expectation gap by Kasim and Mohd Hanafi in 2005 and the benefits of internship to students by Minai et al. in 2005. However, Pierce and Kilcommins (1996) in Ireland suggest that although education can make a significant contribution to narrowing the expectation gap, there is a need to supplement it with other measures. Therefore, this study seeks to provide evidence of another way of education such as implementing active learning strategies, improve the illustration of lecturers during the classroom learning and seminar or training as a further education to increase the knowledge of auditors roles and responsibilities. Purpose of The Study The purposes of this study are: The surveys on auditors perceptions on issues of education in reduce the expectation gap regarding roles and responsibilities of auditors in the auditing process. To determine whether there is a significant different in auditors perception between the big firms and small firms. In particular, this study sets out to test three main method of education in order to ensure that it can be narrowing the gap: to examine the impact of implementing active learning strategies in education. to examine the impact of illustration of lecturer during the class room learning. to examine the seminar or training as a further education to increase the understanding of auditors roles and responsibilities. Scope of Study This study aims to perform a research among the auditors in big firms and small firms. It investigates the perceptions of auditors between big firms and small firms about the method of education that may help to reduce the audit expectation gap. Emphasis was given on the aspects of roles and responsibilities of auditors in auditing process. According to this study, a statistical hypothesis test is used as a method of making statistical decisions based on the experimental data. Contribution It is hope that this study on the method of education enables the audit expectation gap to be reduced in a comprehensive and effective manner. It also hoped that such an attempt can provide some valuable insights for the auditing professional and regulatory bodies to enable them to take effective steps to reduce the audit expectation gap in Malaysia. Besides, it gives a clear view that education improves the level of understanding of the roles and responsibilities of auditors in relation to the function of auditing process. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW Introduction Literature relevant to the expectations problem in auditing is extensive and ranging, for example, from empirical and experimental research to ascertain beliefs about auditing and its effects on the decisions of particular groups to analysis of legal judgments and to the work of various professional and governmental investigations established to consider audit related issues. There are also studies concentrating on psychological aspects, that is, theories of human judgment relating to views and opinion formed by different groups of people. They are documented in forms of reports, research findings, commentaries and argumentative writings in various auditing and accounting journals, magazines and even newspapers. Research On Expectations Gap The audit profession began to face public criticism in the 1970s, leading to the emergence of the expectations gap. Most debates on expectations issues seemed to cover, broadly, the specification of the role or functions that auditing is intended to fulfill, communications and reports from auditors, the structure and regulation of the provision of audit services, and the level of quality in the performance of audits. Most of the studies ascertain the auditors and the publics view of the roles and responsibilities of auditors through the use of questionnaire surveys. In the United States, Baron et al. (1977), they had examined the extent of auditors detection responsibilities with respect to material errors, irregularities and illegal acts. The aims of this study are to establish whether they are any differences in the perceptions regarding auditors detection and disclosure duties between the auditors and users of accounting reports (financial analysts, bank loan officers and corporate financial managers). The result from this study was that auditors and users of accounting reports have significantly different beliefs and preferences on the extent of the auditors responsibilities for detecting and disclosing irregularities and illegal acts. They also show that small-firm CPAs, large-firm audit partners, corporate financial managers, bankers and financial analysts thought Statements on Auditing Sta ndards (SAS) Nos. 16 and 17 inadequately clarified the CPAs responsibilities for detecting and reporting on clients deliberate material falsifications, other material misstatements and non-material illegal acts. In particular, users held auditors to be more responsible for detecting and disclosing irregularities and illegal acts then the auditors believe themselves to be. Based on the study in Singapore by Low et al. (1988), their objective was to examine the extent of the expectation gap between auditors and financial analysts on the objectives of a company audit. The study finds that, both groups perceived the traditional objectives of the audit such as expressing an opinion on financial statements as one of the primary audit objectives. However, besides this objective, respondents possessed an array beliefs as to what they considered as audit objectives. In the views of financial analysts, they perceived an audit as setting a seal on the accuracy of the financial accounts of the company. Furthermore, their perceptions of fraud prevention and detection responsibilities of auditors were more demanding than those that the auditors believed they themselves should possess. According to the Humphrey, Moizer and Turley (1993) in United Kingdom, they had examined the expectation gap by ascertaining the perceptions of the individuals of audit expectations issues through the use of a questionnaire survey comprising a series of mini-cases. The issues investigated include the following: What is and should be the role of the auditor? What should be the prohibitions and regulations placed on audit firms? And what decisions could the auditors expected to make? The respondents included chartered accountants in public practice, corporate finance directors, investment analysts, bank lending officers and financial journalists. The surveys review a significant difference between auditors and the respondents which represent some of the main participants in the company financial report process in their views on the nature of auditing. The result from this study showed that an audit expectation gap exists, specifically in the areas such as the nature of the audit functi on and the perceived performance of auditors. In this study they also found that the critical components of the expectation gap includes auditors fraud detection role, the extent of auditors responsibilities to third parties, the nature of balance sheet valuations, the strength of and continuing threats to auditors independence, and aspects of the conduct of audit work for example, auditors ability to cope with risk and uncertainty. Humphrey expressed concern over the possibility of completely closing the gaps because such problems have been persistently in existence within the audit profession. An empirical investigation on audit expectations gap in Britain was done by Humphrey, Moizer and Turley in 1993. Questionnaires were mailed to chartered accountants in public practice, corporate finance directors, investment analysts, bank lending officers, and financial journalists to ascertain the perception of individuals about audit expectations issues. Out of the total of 935 respondents, 82% were accountants and 73% were auditors. Both groups agreed that too much was expected of auditors by the investing community. The financial directors were almost equally split on the issues, which is 42% disagreed, 19% neutral and 41% agreed. The three user groups were disagreed. From the research, 67%.of the overall of users disagreed. Extending from the study by Humphrey, Moizer and Turley (1993), Gloeck and De Jager (1994) studied on the expectation gap in the Republic of South Africa. The respondents were grouped into users, auditors, and financially knowledgeable person, which have the same characteristics as the sophisticated users in Humphrey. The results found that financially knowledgeable person in South Africa seemed to be more sophisticated than their counterparts in the United Kingdom, particularly in understanding the contents of an auditors report. However, they also concluded that the expectation gap regarding the fraud and auditors going concern opinion. Another empirical study was conducted by Porter (1993) in New Zealand to test the postulated structure of the audit expectation-performance gap and to establish the composition and extent of the gap and its constituent parts. According to Porter, this research is an extension of those conducted by Lee (1970) and Beck (1974), who investigated the duties which auditors were expected to perform in the late 1960s in Britain and early 1970s in Australia, respectively. By using a mail survey, Porter ascertained the opinions of auditors interest groups (auditors, officers of public companies, financial analysts, auditing academics, lawyers, financial journalists and members of the general public) regarding auditors existing duties, the standard of performance of these duties, and the duties that auditors should perform. The findings from the survey revealed that 50% of the gap is attributable to deficient standards, 34% from society holding unreasonable expectations of auditors and 16% from perceived sub-standard performance by auditors. According to the study by Chandler et al. (1993), they looked at the various aspects of the development of the audit function in the United Kingdom and sought to explore the nature of auditors responsibilities and the publics perception of the auditors role. Their study that reviewed the evolution of audit objectives over the period of 1840 to 1940 suggested that statement verification was the primary concern of auditors in relation to public companies in the period 1830 to 1860, after which more emphasis was placed on fraud detection in the late nineteenth century. In the early part of this century, the primary audit objective reverted to statement verification. The study showed that audit objectives and practices tend to follow external events and that the profession has encountered great difficulty in reconciling public expectations with the practicalities of auditing. It also suggested that general confusion over the role of auditors has existed to such an extent that it has been difficult even for the profession to reach agreement on the main purpose of company auditing and the message to be sent to the investing public. Besides that, based on the study of Cameron (1993), he explored the relationship between public accountants and their small business clients in New Zealand by seeking the opinions of public accountants, small businesses and associated third parties like bankers, business consultants and enterprise agencies with respect to the roles that auditors are expected to perform and those that they actually perform. The results from the study were revealed that the three groups expected auditors to provide compliance services, give accounting-related advice, show concern for clients financial health, actively seek out client problems, and give general business advice. Auditors were perceived that they were actually providing all of the services expected of them except the service of actively seeking out client problems. In relation to the other functions, the actual performance of chartered accountants was generally perceived to fall below the expected levels. Epstein and Geiger in 1994 had conducted a survey of investors to gather information on various aspects of financial reporting issues, in particular on the level of assurance they believed that auditors should provide with respect to error and fraud. The surveys result suggested that investors seek very high levels of financial statement assurance and there exists an expectation gap between auditors and investors on the level of assurance an audit provides. Mohamed and Muhamad Sori (2002) performed a study about the audit expectation gap in Malaysia. They revealed that the audit expectation gap exists in Malaysia. The existence of the gap is due to a number of contributing factors; such as, uncertainties concerning the actual role of auditor; the satisfaction of clients with services provided by the auditors; and audit firms lack of independence and objectivity. However, this study did not include the differences in perceptions of the users and auditors in relation to the meaning conveyed by an audit report. Furthermore, issues such as the differences in perceptions between the users and the auditors in relation to the true and fair view of the financial statement and the going concern of the company were also not identified. A more comprehensive study have been conducted by Fadzly and Ahmad (2004) to examine the audit expectation gap among auditors and major users of financial statements: bankers, investors, and stockbrokers. The study focuses on the positive view of the expectation gap, which compares auditors and users perceptions on the duties of auditors. They found that the comparison of the auditors and users perceptions is able to reveal whether there is a state of unreasonable expectations among Malaysian users. The study reveals that an audit expectation gap exists in Malaysia, particularly on issues concerning auditors responsibility. A wide gap was found regarding auditors responsibilities in fraud detection and prevention, preparation of financial statements and accounting records, and in internal control. To complement the findings of Fadzly and Admad (2004), Lee and Palaniappan (2006) then conducted a survey on audit expectation gap in Malaysia to examine whether an expectation gap exists in Malaysia among the auditors, auditees and audit beneficiaries in the relation to the auditors duties. In addition, the study analyses the nature of the gap using Porters framework. The results proved the existence of an audit expectation gap in Malaysia. The study shows that the auditees and audit beneficiaries placed much higher expectations on the auditors duties compared with what auditors have perceived their duties to be. The analysis of the expectation gap indicated the exis

The Signalman by Charles Dickens and The Darkness Out There by Penelope

"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens and "The Darkness Out There" by Penelope Lively Comparing 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens and 'The Darkness Out There' by Penelope Lively is an ideal way of looking at two authors from different times and backgrounds. Dickens, writing in the nineteenth century, would have had a very different audience to write for from Lively, writing in the twentieth century. Therefore, each author uses different techniques to create tension in the two pieces. During the nineteenth century there was a strong belief in ghosts and the spiritual world; telling ghost stories around the fireplace is often seen as a typical form of Victorian entertainment. Dickens draws on this tradition to create a short story that would have strongly appealed to readers of that time. Lively, however, is not writing for an audience that would enjoy a ghost story as much, therefore 'The Darkness Out There,' is not blatently a ghost story. To capture her readers' interests she instead uses the war and the attitudes to the Germans as a focus of concern. As Dickens lived in a time when the Queen was married to a man of German origin, war with Germany was very unlikely. This meant he had to use an alternate approach to draw the audience into the story. For this he used the recent invention of the steam train to gain a foothold into the reader's minds. This was already causing a lot of anxiety so it would have been easy to take advantage of the reader. He uses this approach to create tension. Another way the writers create tension is by exploring elements of the unknown. They both do this but in contrasting ways. In 'The Signalman,' the unknown is explicitly explored and it is obviously a ghost story from ... ...s and Lively create tension through their use of plot, characters, style and setting. The eerie "Packers End" matches the claustrophobia enhancing setting of 'The Signalman'. Dickens' anonymous characters of the narrator and the signalman keep the readers on edge in 'The Signalman,' whereas Sandra's naivety, Kerry's suspicious nature and Mrs Rutter's seeming innocence then the abrupt exposure of true character build up tension and surprise in 'The Darkness Out There.' Dickens' compacted plot works well to hold the reader's attention and the build up to Lively's final climax keeps her audience hooked to the end. On the whole both authors use events of their time well to create suspense. I feel that although Dickens appears to do this more effectively, the seeming normality yet the sense of unease about 'The Darkness Out There' creates just as much tension.

Understanding Multi-Universe Engineering :: Mathematics Engineerings Essays

Understanding Multi-Universe Engineering A mathematical movement based on a concept of prime numbers from which to model energy pools and their link status to parallel memory spaces is a decisive factor in understanding how a unified theory for energy qualifies as a model for energy exchange within a limited function criteria as set out herein. Life spaces connected by transit designs and their sequence modulations produce flow dynamic accessing energy pathways that concurrently synchronise process and concept determination. Concentration in defining a clear interpretation of pathway methodology to thus describe mental tasks of thought and its overview architecture reduces the emphasis on level structures and their definition within paradigmatic values. Assigning parallel mechanism to design as well as nano-processing methods to acoustical thought links the development of movement with its symbiotic concept as a complex model. Movement transfigures process by duplicating exchange templates within the mnemonic interpretations used by mental values to co-ordinate and dissimulate theory of mind into and beyond the confines of understanding, thus a cliched syntax used to reveal a priori patterns may be placed in context to extension variables. An interpretative understanding in how sense constructs are maintained and support mental movement as a means to evolve and define parallel conditions needed in memory organisation becomes by definition a series of relationships between application of pattern synthesis and initiating nano-patterns exhibiting choice related organisation ab initio leading to milo forms. In considering thought as a matrix from which nano-positions may be seen to relay material development through a series of design arcs consistent with design as control of material interaction to applicate the synthesis of design matrix. Matrix loops developed by adjusting bonding structures via acoustical densities that link with the properties of material structure and so alter structure in accordance with the elemental synthesis required. If a nanodesign is to satisfy criteria for creative logical models and therefore achieve aesthetic credence in design semantics a theoretical perfect linking of elements is envisaged to act as a template e.g. an arrangement of light atoms that store and transmit energy in the form of colour intensity states adjustable by an integrated nanocircuitry of symbolic signals passing through the template system formed of multiform density states. Programmable studies would show the inherent flexibility of multiform nano-states and their self defining properties in designing template systems in which to sub-group and determine signal propagation as a source of powerful binding sites. Frequency structures may be maintained via an in-built system oscillator functioning on a megahertz cycle interpolating and computing at