Thursday, November 28, 2019

Darkness of Space Essays - Cool Vibes, Furry Monster, Hairy Legs

It was beginning to become very cold outside my bedroom?s brown walls, as December was coming to an end with its raindrops creeping down slowly on the bare windows. I touched the walls on the inside, taking in some cool vibes as the interior hot air circulation of the room was becoming suffocating. Until the electricity cut off, and the heat seemed to suddenly dissipate at once out of the room. I sighed ? unsure whether I did so due to the fact that I wasn?t going to stifle, or whether actually the only light coming into the room was that of the lightning strikes outside. In all cases and as usual, it seemed to be the perfect setting to play a good game of hide-and-seek. I yelled out loud to my brother and sister who were in the adjacent room, and asked whether they?d want to take part in our gloomy tradition. It was set. We set light to a few white candles; melting the bottom-tips so we could place them on the floor. The shadows they?d create on the walls were always magnificent; magnifying close-by objects as projections, like an ancient projector of some sort screening a monotone image. It was my turn at first to be the one hiding, and I thought I?d play it easy by exposing myself just a little as I hid in the corridor?s empty in-wall closet. But I did not know that I myself would also be exposed to a fourth player, as I began to feel something creep onto me. It had many tiny hairy legs, with little claws that felt like fresh nail clippings. And yet I was not able to distinguish exactly what it was. Yet without hesitation, I pulled myself out of the young game to see what it was. A minuscule spider, brown and sharp, crawled slowly out of the closet and onto the floor. Its shadow on the wall was a lot more expressive however, and it felt as though a furry monster was making its way through the linear walled spaces of this long corridor. It must have been very enthusiastic about the game, as it hid its legs around the corner, and kept its eyes in sight as it anticipated a reaction on my behalf. Meanwhile, I was fervent in a different sense; beginning to feel the hairs on my legs sway with the still breeze, and the chills on my body becoming more intense. It was at this moment that I had wished the heating was still on. It didn?t appear to be nearly as afraid as I was; proudly projecting its enormity like a portrait of one of Louise Bourgeoise?s spider sculptures hung on my corridor walls. Walls that were bare before it suspended itself on my own bare skin. And I began to feel that my own shadow was diminishing in size and slowly fading away into the darkness of the space.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Hybodus - Facts and Figures

Hybodus - Facts and Figures Name: Hybodus (Greek for humped tooth); pronounced HIGH-bo-dussHabitat: Oceans worldwideHistorical Period: Late Permian-Early Cretaceous (260-75 million years ago)Size and Weight: About six feet long and 100-200 poundsDiet: Small marine animalsDistinguishing Characteristics: Moderate size; tough cartilage; mouth near end of snout About Hybodus Most creatures of the Mesozoic Era held the limelight for 10 or 20 million years before going extinct, which is why its astonishing that various species of the prehistoric shark Hybodus persisted for close to 200 million years, all the way from the late Permian through the late Cretaceous periods. This small- to medium-sized shark possessed a couple of odd characteristics that may help to explain its success: for example, it had two types of teeth, sharp ones for ripping into fish or whales and flat ones for grinding mollusks, as well as a sharp blade jutting out from its dorsal fin, which helped to keep larger predators at bay. Hybodus was also sexually differentiated; males were equipped with claspers that helped them to hold on to females during the act of mating. Most tellingly, though, Hybodus seems to have been more solidly built than other prehistoric sharks. Part of the reason why so many fossils of this genus have been discovered, around the world, is that the cartilage of Hybodus was relatively tough and calcifiedalmost, but not quite, like solid bonewhich may have given it a valuable edge in the struggle for undersea survival. The persistence of Hybodus in the fossil record has made it a popular go-to shark in nature shows; for example, a Hybodus is shown preying on an Ophthalmosaurus on an episode of Walking with Dinosaurs, and a later episode of Sea Monsters depicts it digging into the giant prehistoric fish Leedsichthys.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Ethics Case studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics Case studies - Essay Example John has rested his hope in my positive recommendation to get the opportunity which he regards as a lifetime opportunity. Patients are the major stakeholders in this case because their life will be at risk in case the wrong person is offered the job. Indeed, the only practical alternative is to be honest with the reference lab regarding John’s capabilities. Lying for him would be unethical and short-lived because even if he is hired, it will not take long before the new employer discovers his incompetence. This would result in him being fired and it would be embarrassing for him to come back to seek his old job once again. This would jeopardize the Center’s reputation and my credibility as a reference person. Professional code of ethics states that the best interests of the patient should come first before individual and organizational interests. The interest of colleagues should be given second priority when the patient’s well-being is at risk. The profession should also be safeguarded through ethical practices. I would clearly explain to John the competencies required in the new job and make him understand that in my honest opinion, he is not qualified for the job. I would also explain to him the undesirable consequences that may result from my strong recommendation for him including putting his current job and the potential job at risk as well as jeopardizing the reputation of the lab. As the lab supervisor, you receive a report from one of the evening shift technologists that another one of the evening techs is doing the â€Å"sink test† (i.e. dumping samples down the sink and making up the results) in urinalysis in order to get to dinner earlier. What action would you take? The ethical problem in this case is dishonesty in one of the laboratory technologist who is putting the patients’ health at risk. The wrong results may cause irreversible damage to the patient. These actions may damage the reputation of the