Science And Its Limitations

Science And Its Limitations Nowadays every person in the world knows and understands the tremendous progress that science has done and still is doing for our life. This essay is about the limitations of science as science does not provide answer to most of the questions this seems to be that science is limited. This essay is also about when science is beyond the limits then it provides danger and threat to the world. As Science has made our life comfortable and easier but has also bad effect on our life. The scientific inventions which are developed due to science help us in almost every aspects of life when the scientists works within limitations keeping regards of social responsibilities and human moral values. But when the scientists do not care of their social responsibilities and human moral values then these scientific inventions provides threat and danger to human life. In this essay we will discuss both sides of science that is its positive effects as well as its negative effects on our daily life. Introduction: If we want to know that what science is, it will be a good start to familiar with the common content of the concept. Today most of the activities are characterized as science, while some of the other activities are characterized as pseudoscience. It will be good for one who has to clear himself what he actually means via the words that he using [1]. Science covers a vast area of knowledge dealing with experimental facts and the link between these facts. The word science is derived from Latin word scientia means knowledge. Imre Lakatos defined science as a genuine knowledge [2]. The most modern definition of science according to late Sir Richard Gregory is Organized and formulated knowledge of natural objects and phenomena derived from verifiable observations and experiments [3]. So the knowledge gained from these observations is used for the creation of new scientific inventions. Some of these scientific inventions provide benefits to us while some of these provide us threat and danger. As we know that the process of producing knowledge is called science. This process depends on observations and the invention of theories that make sense out of these observations. Since the change in knowledge is expected that is new observations may confront existing theories. That is it does not matter how a theory explains one set of observations, it may be possible that the other theory is the more suitable. In science either a theory is old or new, testing, improving and occasional removing of theories goes on every time. In science the ideas are modified normally rather than rejection. For example, In formulating the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein did not discard the Newtonian laws of motion but rather showed them to be only an approximation of limited application within a more general concept[4, 13]. Science considers the universe as a standalone system and assumes that the fundamental rules are the same everywhere and the knowledge that is achieved after studying one part of the universe is valid to all parts of the universe. For example the laws of motion and laws of gravitation that gives explanations of objects that fall down on surface of the earth and also give details about the motion of the planets and the moon. After a couple of year some modifications has being made and the same laws of motion have applied to everything that has motion even to the smallest nuclear particles and to the very big stars, and to bullets and rays of light [4, 2]. In scientific reasoning, theories are confronted with facts; and one of the central conditions of scientific reasoning is that theories must be supported by facts [2]. Now to explain that how these facts support theory, different answers have given by the scientists. Newton proved his own laws with the support of facts. He published only the theories that are proved from facts [2]. Science brings to our mind various different images, a heavy text book, white coats and microscope. An astronomer observes via a telescope, the Einstein equations scrubbed on a black board and the launching of space shuttle, bubbling beakers. Some aspects of science are reflected from these images, but however none of them provides the full image because science has many facets [5]. In school science is just a collection of isolated facts that are available in the text books but this is not the complete story that is because science is a method of discovery and allows us to understand the world from these isolated facts [5]. Science is a method of discovering that what things are present in the world, how these things worked in the past, how they are working today and how these things will be working in the future. Scientist works hardly to discover such things that no one has discover before [5]. The knowledge gained from science is reliable and powerful. The knowledge developed from science help us in the invention of new technologies thats makes our life easier and comfortable like treating danger diseases, and also solve many other problems. Science is constantly exploring the knowledge of the universe and this knowledge generates more new questions in our mind [5]. The role of Science in our daily life: Science has a great effect on our life and in the world in which we are living. Today science is the base for modern technology, materials, the tools, techniques and much of the power sources that make our life more comfortable and easier [12]. Science has given rise to far-reaching changes in all areas of our daily lives. Now everyone can afford to gain the benefits of luxury and comfort offered by science. Science has made goods cheaper and easily available and has brought within reach of every individual. It is only possible due to science that music devices, entertainment devices and communications devices are available at our doors. No doubt the mans life is very different than it used to be a few years ago. Indeed, science has given ears to deaf people and eyes to the blind people [6]. Our life has been changed by science and technology in a dramatic way. Computer, airplanes, automobiles, televisions, communication satellites are few of the technological and scientific invention that changed our life. Today we communicate with relatives and friends, some important people and also for general work. Most of the people living at long distances are contacted and this long distance has been captured by science. So this communication and travelling are possible in very short time. That is for communication we are using telephones, mobiles, internet, e-mails etc, and for rapid travelling we have aero planes. The deep and long water are also conquered by ships and these ships are perfect for secure journey [12]. Health is wealth. This is made possible with modern machinery. Science has invented ways to peep inside the human body to fight against diseases in human beings by X-ray machines. Diseases can be easily detected and various tests carried out in a matter of seconds. Due to science machines are invented and more complex operations are possible due to these machines. Life does not turn into new horizons and heights of prosperity when atomic energy is used entirely for peaceful purposes [6]. One major contribution of science for us is electricity. If there is no electricity in our daily life then we must face completely darkness at the night time. Without electricity no industry could function properly. It is due to electrical energy we can control the climate changes and their effects. We prevent our self from cold in winter by the help of heating gadgets and in summer prevent our self from heating by the help of coolers, fans and air conditioners all these devices operate due to electricity. Today one can enjoy in cinema to release the tension of the daily life this is due to electricity [6]. Now almost every house has a television and radio which are fastest source of communication that is due to science. Science made our daily life more smooth and comfortable. The modern world would become idle without scientific inventions. As we know that the world our facing shortage of spaces so scientific inventions helps us in the construction of high buildings that are use for residential and commercial purposes. The lifts are using in these buildings that made our life easier because we can go to the highest building in just few seconds [6]. The house hold wife can cook several dishes at the same time that is due to electric machines used in the kitchen. Thus she saves her precious time and is capable to spend her time in many activities concern with family life. Similarly due to automatic machines she can wash the clothes in just few minutes and also dry it in few minutes [6]. So looking at the above advantages of science, science are playing important role in our daily life. Science does not give answers to most of the questions: Science is a best tool for solving the mysteries of the universe, but there are some questions for which the science does not answer. This is because science has some limitations. Some of the questions for which science has not a testable answer, since we know that testability is the major point of science so these questions drops out from the area of science [7]. Some of these limitations are Science has no answer for questions of morality that is it cannot decide the right or wrong decision, good and bad decision lies outside the purpose of science. Therefore scientific experts cannot help us to resolve the problem over abortion. The answer to these questions of morality can be determined by social and cultural rules. Science cannot help us here [7]. Science has no answer for questions about value. In scientific process there is no answer to the questions. Which of the flower is more beautiful? Or which flower has good smell? So there is no scientific process to determine value [7]. Science does not help questions related to supernatural. The prefix super means above. Thus supernatural deals with beyond the nature, supernatural questions are beyond the reach of scientists [7]. Science does not deal with metaphysical issues; there are some issues in which cannot be proved by scientific experiments. As we know about the existence of gravity and the effects of the gravity can be describe but no one knows why this gravity works [8]. Science can tell us about the laws of physics but cannot explain why these laws existed [8]. Science cannot explain us that why the universe is existed and lastly science cannot explain that whether God is exists or not exists [8]. However these limitations of science cannot be modified by the advancements of science in future because they are basic to its nature so in the future we can expect major advancements of science [8]. Dangers of Science when science crosses the limits: As we know that today world is called the age of scientific inventions, a lot of scientific inventions have been developed and the process of making these scientific inventions is still continued. Since the scientists are working hardly to develop more new inventions in the field of science and to make our life easier and comfortable. But no one can think about the dangers of these scientific inventions that are related with these inventions. As science has brought happiness to our life but has also brought threats and costs to our life. Most of the questions that generates in our mind are that, Can we know about the future of science? Are there any limitations of science? Who and what decide how science is used? [10]. There are various dangers effects of the scientific inventions for example the invention of an atomic bomb. Millions of peoples were killed by the first attack of atomic bomb when two popular cities of Japan were destroyed in the 2nd world war. Peoples of these cities are still suffering from the dangerous effects of these atomic bombs radiations. Mass destruction is another danger effect of science and many countries have still these chemical and atomic weapons. These are the big dangers because these countries are ready and can use these weapons anytime [9, 6]. Global warming is another dangerous effect and most of the people are unaware from it. The earth has a shielding cover called the ozone layer which protects the danger ultraviolet radiation produced from the sun. That is as the numbers of vehicles increases in the world the consumption of petroleum products is also increased and in the atmosphere large number of waste products are released. This is the main cause of global warming. As we know that some gases are released by refrigerator and air conditioner that create holes in the ozone layer. Change in the climate is the direct effect of global warming and in Antarctic region the melting of ice that increase the sea level is the indirect effect of global warming. Our future generation will be badly affected by the consequences of this global warming [9]. Many controversies have been created by the research on the embryonic stem cells. Most of people understand that embryonic stem cells like a form of human life. These people consider that science has no name for human morality. Today there is a great debate on cloning which is another scientific invention. Due to cloning it is possible to make human beings that have same characteristics to the giver of the stem cells. But this cloning process is challenge the fundamental human morality [9]. Today we are living comfortably due to scientific inventions. Similarly we cannot think life without telephone, electricity, cars, computer, televisions and thousands of many other scientific inventions thus we cannot deny the benefits of scientific inventions. We live longer that is due to the latest research done in the field of medical sciences. As we know that there are a lot of benefits of scientific inventions but we cannot ignore the danger related with these scientific inventions. This is a human nature to seek immediate solutions to problems without the awareness of concealed consequences. That is we cannot think about the danger bees inside the honeycomb we also see the honey on the outer surface of the honeycomb. This is same with scientific inventions we want refrigerators and cars but we do not think about the global warming as this is a great cause for global warming. We only wants nuclear energy and do not think about the dangerous results and the safe disposable of nu clear wastes. We do not think about the loss of natural resources we just want wooden furniture, paper and houses [9]. So it is the responsibility of the scientists to create scientific inventions they should be aware about their consequences. Scientists should warn up about the dangers in the future that are arises due to their inventions [11]. No doubt science has made our life easier but still the danger and bad effects of science cannot be ignored. We use nuclear energy for power purposes it is due to the successful research of nuclear scientists but the dangers associated with these nuclear power stations are very danger for the humanity and cannot be ignored. Because in just few seconds it will destroy our beautiful world in which we are living. Now to protect our world from these scientific inventions there should be some limitations? It is possible when we can look at the scientists and observe them when they are doing research. The government should play their role to stop the scientists that are doing such research and developing scientific invention that provides disasters to the world. That is to make restrictions on them to not develop such inventions and observe their work every time. Conclusions: I agreed that scientific inventions provide us a lot of benefits. We are taking benefits from these scientific inventions and enjoying our self but we should also have look on the future effect of these inventions. My opinion is that if we look on long term of these scientific inventions most of them are dangerous for us. Most of the scientific inventions needs electricity to provides entertainment to us and also make our life easier. But we do not think for our next generation because for producing electricity we are depending on natural resources and we are fully utilizing these natural resources so what be remained for our next generation. If scientists work within limits that is to make such inventions that do not provide harm and bad effects to human life and utilize the natural resources up to some limits then science will be more effective. However if scientist do not think about the future of the next generation and cross their limitations that is to develop such scientific i nventions that provide harm to humanity then there will be disaster everywhere in the world. Since it is the social and ethical responsibility of all the scientists to make such scientific inventions that only provide benefits to the humanity and that they are being aware of the consequences and results associated with these scientific inventions.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 10

The first sight of her broke through his animal state and gave him enough mind to stand up like a man. She reminded him of Hellewise. She had that same look of tender courage, that same ageless wisdom in her eyes. Any woman could be pretty by virtue of regular features. But Hana was beautiful because her soul showed in her face. Seeing her made him ashamed. Seeing her defend him, intercede on his behalf as she was so obviously doing, made him angry. He resisted when she sneaked him out of the cave and tried to send him back into the world. Didn't she understand? It was best for him to die. As long as he was loose, no child, no woman, no man was safe. Even as he stood there in the moonlight with her, he was trembling with need. The bloodlust was trying to unbalance his mind, and it was all he could do not to grab her and bite into her soft throat. When she offered him her throat, he almost cried. It wasn't a sacrifice to turn her down and walk away. It was the only right thing to do, the only thing he could do. And then the hunters came. His mind was unbalanced by the torture. It was that simple. Not that it was an excuse, there was no excuse for what followed. But during the endless time while Hana's clan burned and stabbed and beat him, he lost all contact with the person he thought of as himself. He became an animal, as mindless as the mob that was trying to kill him. As an animal, he wanted two things: to survive and to strike out at the people who were hurting him. And there was a way to do both. Throats. White throats, spurting dark blood. The image came to him slowly in his haze of pain. He didn't have to lie here and take this. He was wounded, but there was still a granite core of strength inside him. He could fight back, and his enemies would give him life. The next time a spear jabbed at him, he grabbed it and pulled. It belonged to the broad-shouldered hunter, the one who'd led the others to him. Thierry grabbed the man as he stumbled forward, wrestling him to the ground. And then, before anyone in the crowd had time to react, he darted for the hunter's throat, for the big vein that pulsed just under the skin. It was all over in a minute. He was drinking deep, deep, and gaining strength with every swallow. The dam of the Three Rivers was staring at him in paralyzed shock. It felt good. He tossed the dead man aside and reached for another. When several hunters came at him at once, he knocked them apart and killed them, one, two, three. He was a very efficient killer. The blood made him supernaturally strong and fast, and the bloodlust gave him motivation. He was like a wolf set loose in a herd of antelope-except that for a long time nobody in the clan had the sense to run. They kept coming at him, trying to stop him, and he kept killing. It was a slaughter. He killed them all. He was drunk with blood and he gloried in it, in the animal simplicity of it, the power it gave him. Killing was glory. Killing to eat, killing for revenge. Destroying the people who hurt him. He didn't ever want to stop. He was drinking the last drops from the veins of a young girl when he looked down and saw it was Hana. Her clear gray eyes were wide open, but the light in them was beginning to go dark. He'd killed her. In one blinding instant he wasn't an animal anymore. He was a person. And he was looking down at the one person who had tried to help him, who had offered him her blood to keep him alive. He raised his eyes and saw the devastation he'd left in the cave. It wasn't just this girl. He'd murdered ‘most of her tribe. That was when he knew the truth. He was damned. Worse than Maya. He'd committed a crime so monstrous that he could never be forgiven, never be redeemed. He had joined evil in the end, just as Maya had promised he would. No punishment could be too great for him-but then, no punishment would make the slightest difference anyway, not to these people or to the dying girl in his arms. For just an instant some part of him pushed away at the feelings of guilt and horror. All right, you're evil, it said. You might as well go ahead and be evil. Enjoy it. Have no regrets. It's your nature, now. Give in. Then the girl in his arms stirred. She was still conscious, although barely. Her eyes were still open. She was looking up at him†¦. In that moment, Thierry felt a shock that was different from anything he'd ever felt before. In those large gray eyes, in the pupils which were hugely dilated as if to catch every last ray of light before death, he saw†¦ himself. Himself and the girl, walking together, hand in hand through the ages. Joined. Shifting scenes behind them, different places, different times. But always the two of them, tied with an invisible bond. He recognized her. It was almost as if all those different ages had already happened, as if he were only remembering them. But he knew they were in the future. He was looking down the corridor of time, seeing what should have been. She was his soulmate. She was the one who was supposed to have walked with him through different lives, being born and loving and dying and being born again. They'd been born for each other, to help each other grow and blossom and discover and evolve. They should have had many lives together. And none of it was going to happen. He was an immortal creature-how could he die and be born again? And she was dying because of him. He'd destroyed it all, everything. He'd killed his destiny. In the enormity of it, he sat silent and stunned. He couldn't say, â€Å"I'm sorry.† He couldn't say, â€Å"What have I done?† There was nothing that he could say that wasn't so trivial as to be demeaning to her. He simply sat and shook, looking down into her eyes. He had an endless feeling of falling. And then Hana spoke. I forgive you. It was just a whisper, but he heard it in his mind, not with his ears. And he understood it, even though her language was different from his. Thierry reeled with the discovery that he could talk to her. Oh, Goddess, the chance at least to tell her how he would try to atone for this by spilling out his own blood.. . You can't forgive me. He could see that she understood his own hushed answer. He knew he didn't deserve forgiveness. But part of him wanted her to realize that he had never meant this to happen. I wasn't always like this. I used to be a person- We don't have time for that, she told him. Her spirit seemed to be reaching toward him, drawing him into her, facing him in a still and separate place where only the two of them existed. He knew then that she had seen the same thing he had, the same corridor of time. She was gentle, but so sad. I don't want you to die. But I want you to promise me one thing. Anything. I want you to promise me you ‘II never kill again. It was easy to promise. He didn't plan to live†¦ no, she didn't want him to die. But he couldn't live without her and he certainly couldn't live after what he'd done. He'd worry about it later, about how to deal with the long gray stretch of future waiting for him. For now, he said, I'll never kill again. She gave him just the faintest of smiles. And then she died. The gray eyes went fixed and dark. Unseeing. Her skin was ghostly white and her body was absolutely still. She seemed smaller all at once as her spirit left her. Thierry cradled her, moaning like a wounded animal. He was crying. Shaking so hard he almost couldn't keep hold of her. Helpless, pierced by love that felt like a spear, he reached out to gently push her hair off her face. His thumb stroked her cheek- and left a trail of blood. He stared at it in horror. The mark was like a blaze of red against her pale skin. Even his love was deadly. His caress had branded her. The few survivors of Hana's clan were on the move, surrounding Thierry, panting and gasping with their spears ready. They sensed that he was vulnerable now. And he wouldn't have lifted a hand to stop them†¦ except that he had made a promise to Hana. She wanted him alive to keep it. So he left her there. He picked up her still, cooling body and carried it toward the nearest hunter. The man stared at him in fear and disbelief, but he finally dropped his spear to take the dead girl. And then Thierry walked out of the cave and into the merciless sunlight. He headed for his home. Maya caught up with him somewhere on the steppes, appearing out of the tall, ripping grass. â€Å"I told you how you'd end up. Now forget that washed-out blonde and start enjoying life with me.† Thierry didn't even look at her. The only thing he could imagine doing with Maya was killing her†¦ and he couldn't do that. â€Å"Don't walk away from me!† Maya wasn't laughing now. She was furious. Her voice followed him as he kept going. â€Å"I chose you, Theorn! You're mine. You can't walk away from me!† Thierry kept going, neither slower nor faster, letting her voice blend into the humming of the insects on the grassland. But her mental voice followed him. I'll never let you get away. You'll always be mine, now and forever. Thierry traveled fast, and in only a few days, he reached home and the person he'd come to see. Hellewise looked up from her drying herbs and gasped. â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you,† he said. â€Å"I need your help.† What he wanted from her was a spell to sleep. He wanted to sleep until Hana was born again. â€Å"It could be a long time,† Hellewise said when he told her the whole story. â€Å"It sounds as if her soul has been damaged. It could be hundreds of years- even thousands.† Thierry didn't care. â€Å"And you might die,† Hellewise said, looking at him steadily with her deep, soft brown eyes. â€Å"And with what you've become-I don't think creatures like you are reborn. You would just†¦ die.† Thierry simply nodded. He was only afraid of two things: that Maya would find him while he was asleep, and that he wouldn't know when to wake up. â€Å"I can arrange the second,† Hellewise said quietly. â€Å"You're linked anyway; your souls are one. When she's born again, voices from the Other Side will whisper to you.† Thierry himself figured out how to solve the first problem. He dug himself a grave. It was the only place where he could count on being safe and undisturbed. Hellewise gave him an infusion of roots and bark and Thierry went to sleep. He slept a long time. He slept straight through the epic battle when Hellewise drove Maya and her son Red Fern out of the tribe and away from the witches. He slept through the origins of the Night World and thousands of years of human change. When he finally woke up, the world was a different place, with civilizations and cities. And he knew that somewhere Hana had been born in one of them. He began to look. He was a wanderer, a lost soul with no home and no people. But not a killer. He learned to take blood without killing, to find willing donors instead of hunting terrified prey. He looked in every village he passed, learning about the new world surrounding him, surviving on very little, searching every face he saw. Lots of communities would have been glad to adopt him, this tall young man with dusty clothes and far-seeing eyes. But he only stayed long enough to make sure that Hana wasn't there. When he did find her it was in Egypt, the Kingdom of the Two Lands. She was sixteen. Her name was Ha-nahkt. And Thierry would have recognized her anywhere, because she was still tall, still fair-haired and gray-eyed and beautiful. Except for one thing. Across her left cheek, where his fingers had smeared her own blood the night that he had killed her, was a red mark like a bruise. Like a stain on her perfect skin. It was a sort of psychic brand, a physical reminder of what had happened in her last life. A permanent wound. And it was his fault. Thierry was overcome with grief and shame. He saw that the other girl, Ket, the friend who had been with Hana in the last life, was with her again now. She had friends. Maybe it was best to leave her alone in this life, not even try to speak to her. But he had forgotten about Maya. Vampires don't die. Life is strange sometimes. It was just as Thierry was thinking this that a figure walked into the lobby. Still half in his daydream of the past, he was expecting it to be Circe, so for a moment he was simply confused. Then his heart rate picked up and every muscle in his body tensed violently. † It was Maya. He hadn't seen her for over a hundred years. The last time had been in Quebec, when Hannah had been named Annette. And Maya had just killed her. Thierry stood up. She was as beautiful as ever. But to Thierry it was like the rainbow on oil scum. He hated her more than he had ever imagined he could hate anyone. â€Å"So you found me,† he said quietly. â€Å"I knew you'd show up eventually.† Maya smiled brilliantly. â€Å"I found her first.† Thierry went still. â€Å"That amulet was a very good one. I had to wait around to catch her alone so she could invite me inside.† Thierry's heart lurched. He felt a physical wrench, as if something in him were actually trying to get out, trying desperately to get to Hannah-now. How could he have been so stupid? She was too innocent; of course she would invite someone into her house. And she thought of Maya as a friend. The ring should have offered at least a measure of protection from mind control-but only if Hannah had kept it on. Thierry realized now that she probably hadn't. His voice a bare whisper, he said, â€Å"What did you do to her?† â€Å"Oh, not much. Mostly it was just conversation. I mentioned that you were likely to get rough with her if things didn't go your way.† Maya tilted her head, eyes on his face, looking for a reaction. Thierry didn't give it to her. He just stood, watching her silently. She hadn't changed in thousands of years. She never changed, never grew, never got tired. And she never gave up. He didn't think she was capable of it. Sometimes he thought he should just tie himself to her at the waist and find a bottomless pit to jump into. Rid the world of its two oldest vampires and all the problems Maya caused. But there was his promise to Hannah. â€Å"It doesn't matter what you say to her,† he said stonily. â€Å"You don't understand, Maya. This time is different. She remembers and-â€Å" â€Å"And she hates you. I know. Poor baby.† Maya made a mock-sympathetic face. Her eyes sparkled peacock blue. Thierry gritted his teeth. â€Å"And I've come to a decision,† he went on evenly. â€Å"The cycle has to be broken. And there is a way to do it.† â€Å"I know,† Maya said before he could finish. â€Å"You can give her up. Give in to me† â€Å"Yes.† This time he cut her off. And the look of astonishment that flared in her eyes was worth it. â€Å"At least, yes to the first part,† he finished. â€Å"I'm giving her up.† â€Å"You're not. You can't.† â€Å"She's happy in this life. And she-doesn't want me.† There. It had been hard to say, but he'd gotten it out. â€Å"She remembers everything-I don't know why, but she does. Maybe because she's so dose to her original form. Maybe somehow the memories are closer to the surface. Or maybe it's the hypnosis. But in any case, she doesn't want me anymore.† Maya was watching him, fascinated, her eyes the violet of deep twilight, her lips parted. Suddenly, she looked beyond him and smiled secretly. â€Å"She remembers everything? You really think so?† Thierry nodded. â€Å"All I've ever brought her is misery and pain. I guess she realizes that.† He took a breath, then caught Maya's eyes again. â€Å"So I'm end-tag the cycle†¦ now.† â€Å"You're going to walk away.† â€Å"And so are you. She's no threat to you anymore. If you want something from me, the only person to deal with is me. You can try any time you like in Vegas.† He gazed at her levelly. Maya threw back her head and let out ripples of musical laughter. â€Å"Oh, why didn't you tell me before? You could have saved me some trouble†¦ but on the other hand, her blood was very sweet. I wouldn't have missed-â€Å" She broke off, then, because Thierry slammed her against the oak-paneled wall of the lobby. In one instant, his control had disappeared. He was so angry that he couldn't speak out loud. What did you do to her? What did you do? He shouted the words telepathically as his hands closed around Maya's throat. Maya just smiled at him. She was the oldest vampire, and the most powerful. In every vampire who came after her, her blood had been diluted, half as strong, a quarter as strong, an eighth. But she was the original and the purest. She wasn't afraid of anyone. Mel I didn't do anything, she said, answering him the same way. I'm afraid you were the one who attacked her. She seemed very unhappy about it; she even stabbed you with a pencil. Maya lifted a hand and Thierry saw a neat dark hole puncturing it, faintly ringed with blood. The power of illusion, he thought. Maya could appear as anyone and anything she wanted. She had talents that usually only belonged to werewolves and shapeshifters. And of course she was a witch. She really has extraordinary spirit, Maya went on. But she's all right-you didn't exchange as much blood as you ‘d planned. The pencil, you see. People were gathering behind Thierry, murmuring anxiously. They were about to interfere and ask him to please let go of the girl he was strangling. He ignored them. Listen to me, he told Maya, staring into her mocking golden eyes. Listen, because I'm never going to say this again. If you touch Hannah again-ever-in any life-I will kill you. â€Å"I'll kill you,† he whispered out loud, to emphasize it. â€Å"Believe me, Maya, I'll do it.† Then he let her go. He had to get to Hannah. Even a small exchange of blood with a vampire could be dangerous, and Maya's blood was the most potent on earth. Worse, he'd already taken some of Hannah's blood last night. She could be critically weak now †¦ or starting to change. He wouldn't think about that. You won't, you know. Maya's telepathic voice followed him as he made for the door. You won't kill me. Not Thierry the compassionate, Thierry the good vampire, Thierry the saint of Circle Daybreak. You're not capable of it. You can't kill. Thierry stopped on the threshold and turned around. He stared directly into Maya's eyes. â€Å"Try me.† Then he was outside, moving quickly through the night. Even so, Maya got the last word. And, of course, there's your promise†¦.

Mr. Doe

* 1. Look over the scope statement (PE Figure 4-1). If you were an employee at Petrie’s Electronics, would you want to work on this project? Why or why not? The project scope statement is to describe a high level overview of the project size, duration, and outcomes as a summary of the baseline project plan (BPP) information. A project scope statement and a baseline project plan are created during project initiation and planning * 2. If you were part of the management team at Petrie’s Electronics, would you approve the project outlined in the scope statement in PE Figure 4-1?What changes, if any, need to be made to the document? * 3. Identify a preliminary set of tangible and intangible costs you think would occur for this project and the system it describes. What intangible benefits do you anticipate for the system? Cost Benefit Analysis Spreadsheet Alternative C Chapter 5 Electronics Case * 1. What do you think are the sources of the information Jim and his team collec ted? How do you think they collected all of that information? * 3. If you were looking for alternative approaches for Petrie’s customer loyalty program, where would you look for information?Where would you start? How would you know when you were done? * 5. Why shouldn’t Petrie’s staff build their own unique system in-house? Chapter 6 Electronics Case * 1. Are the DFDs in PE Figures 6-1 and 6-2 balanced? Show that they are, or are not. If they are not balanced, how can they be fixed? * 5. Why is it important for the team to create DFDs if they are not going to write the actual system code themselves? Chapter 7 Electronics Case * 2. Again, review the DFDs you developed for the Petrie’s Electronics case (or those given to you by your instructor).Use these DFDs to identify the attributes of each of the six entities listed in this case plus any additional entities identified in your answer to Question 1. Write an unambiguous definition for each attribute. Then , redraw PE Figure 7-1 by placing the six (and additional) entities in this case on the diagram along with their associated attributes. * 3. Using your answer to Question 2, designate which attribute or attributes form the identifier for each entity type. Explain why you chose each identifier. * 4.Using your answer to Question 3, draw the relationships between entity types needed by the system. Remember, a relationship is needed only if the system wants data about associated entity instances. Give a meaningful name to each relationship. Specify cardinalities for each relationship and explain how you decided on each minimum and maximum cardinality at each end of each relationship. State any assumptions you made if the Petrie’s Electronics cases you have read so far and the answers to questions in these cases do not provide the evidence to justify the cardinalities you choose.Redraw your final E-R diagram in Microsoft Visio. Chapter 8 Electronics Case * 1. In the questions asso ciated with the Petrie’s Electronics case at the end of Chapter 7, you were asked to modify the E-R diagram given in PE Figure 7-1 to include any other entities and the attributes you identified from the Petrie’s case. Review your answers to these questions, and add any additional needed relations to the document in PE Figure 9-1. * 5. Complete all table and field definitions for the Petrie’s Electronics case database using Microsoft Access.Besides the decisions you have made in answers to the preceding questions, fill in all other field definition parameters for each field of each table. Chapter 10 Electronics Case * 1. Why don’t information systems projects work out as planned? What causes the differences between the plan and reality? * 5. Information systems development projects are said to fail if they are late, go over budget, or do not contain all of the functionality they were designed to have. Is the customer loyalty program a failure? Justify you r answer. If not, how can failure be prevented? Is it important to avert failure? Why or why not? Use Case Diagram (CRM)

About PACs or Political Action Committees

Political Action Committees, commonly called PACs, are organizations dedicated to raising and spending money to either elect or defeat political candidates. PACs typically represent and advocate for the interests of business and industry, labor or ideological causes. Under current campaign finance laws, a PAC can contribute no more than $5,000 to a candidate committee per election—primary, general or special. In addition, PACs can give up to $15,000 annually to any national political party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. Individuals can contribute up to $5,000 to a PAC or party committee per calendar year. All PACs must be registered with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) in order to seek and accept contributions. According to the Federal Election Commission, a PAC is any entity that meets one of the following conditions: An authorized committee of a candidateAny club, association or other groups of persons that receives contributions or makes expenditures, either of which aggregate over $1,000 during a calendar yearA local unit of a political party (except a state party committee) that: (1) receives contributions aggregating over $5,000 during a calendar year; (2) makes contributions or expenditures either of which aggregate over $1,000 during a calendar year or (3) makes payments aggregating over $5,000 during a calendar year for certain activities that are exempt from the definitions of contribution and expenditure Where PACS Came From In 1944, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the CIO part of what is today the AFL-CIO, wanted to help President Franklin Roosevelt get re-elected. Standing in their way was the Smith-Connally Act of 1943, which made it illegal for labor unions to contribute funds to federal candidates. The CIO went around Smith-Connally by urging individual union members to voluntarily contribute money directly to the Roosevelt campaign. It worked very well and PACs or political action committees were born. Since then, PACs have raised billions of dollars for thousands of causes and candidates. Connected PACS Most PACs are directly connected to specific corporations, labor groups, or recognized political parties. Examples of these PACs include Microsoft (a corporate PAC) and the Teamsters Union (organized labor). These PACs may solicit contributions from their employees or members and make contributions in the PACs name to either candidates or political parties. Nonconnected PACS Nonconnected or ideological PACs raise and spend money to elect candidates -- from any political party -- who support their ideals or agendas. Nonconnected PACs are made up of individuals or groups of U.S. citizens, not connected to a corporation, a labor party or a political party. Examples of nonconnected PACs include groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA), dedicated to protecting the 2nd Amendment rights of gun owners and dealers, and Emilys List, dedicated to protecting the rights of women to abortion, birth  control, and family planning resources.   A nonconnected PAC can solicit contributions from the general public of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Leadership PACS The third type of PAC called leadership PACs are formed by politicians to help fund the campaigns of other politicians. Politicians often create leadership PACs in an effort to prove their party loyalty or to further their goal of being elected to a higher office. Under federal election laws, PACs can legally contribute only $5,000 to a candidate committee per election (primary, general or special). They can also give up to $15,000 annually to any national party committee, and $5,000 annually to any other PAC. However, there is no limit to how much PACs can spend on advertising in support of candidates or promote their agendas or beliefs. PACs must register with and file detailed financial reports of monies raised and spent to the Federal Election Commission. How Much Do PACs Contribute to Candidates?   The Federal Election Commissions reports that PACs raised $629.3 million, spent $514.9 million, and contributed $205.1 million to federal candidates from January 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. This represented a 27% increase in receipts when compared with 2002, while disbursements increased by 24 percent. Contributions to candidates were 13 percent higher than this point in the 2002 campaign. These changes were generally greater than the pattern of growth in PAC activity over the past several election cycles. This is the first election cycle conducted under the rules of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. How Much Can You Donate to a PAC? According to campaign contribution limits established every two years by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), individuals are currently allowed to donate a maximum of $5,000 per year to a PAC. For campaign contribution purposes, the FEC defines a PAC as a committee that makes contributions to other federal political committees. Independent-expenditure-only political committees (sometimes called super PACs) may accept unlimited contributions, including from corporations and labor organizations. Following the Supreme Courts 2014 decision in McCutcheon v. FEC, there is no longer an aggregate limit on how much an individual can give in total to all candidates, PACs and party committees combined.