September 11 as A Turning Point In International Law Essay

September 11 as A Turning Point In International Law - Essay Example 2, para 4. cited in Schmitt 521) "as the events of 9/11 tragically demonstrated, domestic or international law enforcement may prove an insufficient tool in effectively defending against non-State actors, such as terrorists" (Schmitt 539). "the attack directly against the Taliban on October 7, 2001 challenged then-existing legal understandings of the quality and quantity of support necessary to attribute an armed attack by a non-State actor to its State sponsor" Schmitt (547). The United States approached the UN Security Council to determine the extent of military and non-military reaction to the September 11 attacks. The UN, in response, issued two new resolutions in the same month viz. Resolution 1368 and Resolution 1373. The latter explicitly declared those terrorist attacks as detrimental to international peace and security (McWhinney 280). "the administration blurs the distinction between "rouge states" and terrorists, essentially erasing the difference between terrorists and those states in which they reside. But these distinctions do indeed make a difference" (Crawford 31) Crawford (31) delineates four indispensable conditions in order for a pre-emptive action to be justified under international law. These conditions implicate that any country should not undertake such motives to advance their "imperial interests", they should be certain and be able to demonstrate potent evidence about the imminence of threat, pre-emptive strategies should be undertaken with sheer certainty that it would successfully reduce the threat and finally any intended military action against the threatening forces should be inevitable for a country to protect itself. Also, it is very important not to identify any state or organisation as imminent threat on the mere ground that it possesses the capability to harm another country. "a conception of self that justifies legitimate pre-emption in self-defence must be narrowly confined to immediate risks to life and health within borders or to life and health of citizens aboard" (Crawford 32) "not preemption, but paranoid aggression" (Crawford 32) "a preemptive-preventive doctrine moves us closer to a state of nature than to a state of international law" (Crawford 34) "When responding to a situation involves the use of force, it can

What are the products made from benzene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What are the products made from benzene - Essay Example The utilization of this product is not linked with human being directly; this chemical is used in preparation of different human related products as indirect link with human beings (Wilcox and Greenbaum, 1965). So, people should be careful about the usage of those products which are prepared with participation of benzene chemical. This concentration is supportive for the health protection of people in the social and commercial way of life. Benzene is commonly used in different industrial programs which are linked with all people without any doubt. For example, this chemical is used in preparation of drugs, lubricants, detergents, nylon, wheels and various other significant products which are linked with human life (National Research Council & United States, 1984). It is mostly used in United Stated and this is also confirmed that latest researches are also performed about advantages and disadvantages of benzene are also related with western countries (Cavani, 2009). According to the professional persons, benzene is a colorless chemical which is used in product due to attractive smell of this element. Accordingly, the harms of this chemical are stated as the link of benzene with petroleum is certain without any reservation. Some products which are prepared with benzene chemical are enlisted as under; So, it can be stated that benzene is an important chemical element for the success of various industries. So, proper care is needed for making protection of human health certain and obvious in the communal and commercial way of life. Benzene is an important element to make painting products elegant and gorgeous in the community. This chemical is used in various departments and this utilization is helpful to gain success obvious in paint manufacturing programs. There are three major parts of paint industry which are mentioned as coloring, binding and solvent agents in the industry. These all parts are related with utilization of benzene chemical which is

Ethical Situation in Healthcare

Ethical Situation in Healthcare Azmir Bin Abdul Latiff ENQUIRY 3 Discuss the situation described from the perspective of the health and human services professional. What would be the most appropriate response to the situation? Include in your answer the: ethical frameworks, theories and principles appropriate to responding to the scenario relevant professional codes of ethics and codes of practice relevant legislation and guidelines, statute and common law, government guidelines. cultural and community values related to the issue, and comment on what would be appropriate and inappropriate responses of the health professional to the situation. Case Study Three Dr Simons was the new Surgical Consultant at a large public hospital. He was trained in the USA, and came with a reputation for being very fierce. Dr Simons regularly yelled at other staff, in particular Nurses, if his requests were not immediately met. He justified that if â€Å"Chefs could yell at staff in a kitchen, where nobody’s life is at stake, he could yell at incompetence when it is a life and death situation†. Although the Nursing staff disliked Dr Simons, they continued to work with him as they felt intimidated. One nurse, Clare, worked in Recovery where she looked after patients directly after they had surgery. She noticed that a very large proportion of Dr Simons’ patients were in considerable pain after surgery, and several patients had adverse outcomes such as heavy bleeding from the surgical site. Clare was concerned about this, but was scared to report it for fear of reprisal from Dr Simons. Eventually she was so worried about the patients’ health she made an official complaint to the Hospital management. She was called in to the Director of Nursing and told that if she ever made trouble like that again, a reason would be found to not continue her employment. She was told that Dr Simons was a senior staff member, and she had no right to make complaints about his medical conduct as she was â€Å"only a Nurse†. What should Clare’s response be? As healthcare professionals, Nurse Clare and Doctor Simons are bound by or influenced by professional codes of practice and ethics, Hippocraticoaths, statutes and laws and government guidelines. Clare was being responsible and professional by reporting and making an official complaint to the hospital management as she was concerned for the health and well being of her patients. It is her responsibility to report any suspicions of malpractice or substandard care to the higher authority if the senior staff members do not investigate and take actions to mitigate the suspicions. Considering that most of Doctor Simon’s patients were in a lot of pain and were exhibiting signs of heavy bleeding at the surgical site, Clare did raised her concerns to the hospital management and may have had exposed him to medical malpractice in the process. Instead of investigating the issue, the hospital management threatened to discontinue her employment. The fact that Doctor Simon is protected by the senior staff members despite his incompetence and medical malpractice is disturbing. Health professionals have codes of practice and guidelines to abide by. The National law requires Clare to report to a government body, AHPRA , if registered health practitioner knows of another practitioner’s destructive actions. AHPRA is a government body that focuses on serious cases of substandard practice or conduct by practitioners, or serious cases of impairment. This is to safeguard patients and to reduce or prevent the risk of potential harm from a result of medical malpract ice, negligence or impairment. A mandatory notification requirement helps to prevent the public from being placed at risk of harm. This shows that Clare have the right to report Doctor Simon’s attitude and actions to AHPRA if the senior staff members do not take action against Doctor Simon after the reported incidents as Doctor Simon have behaved in a way that poses a serious risk to the public. Ethics refers to standards of behaviors which are the best possible act in the many situations and issues that are raised as concerns. Ethics are not based on science, law, religion, accepted social norm, or feelings. It is viewed as approaches or processes such as, the utilitarian approach, an approach that is the one that provides the most good or does the least harm. The Utilitarian Approach deals with penalty; it tries both to increase the good done and to reduce the harm done. The Rights Approach is the one that best protects and respects the moral rights of those affected. This approach starts from the belief that humans have a dignity based on their human nature and their ability to choose freely what they do with their lives. TheJustice Approach, the idea that all people should be treated equally and fairly. Each of the approaches helps us determine what standards of behavior can be considered ethical. As there are still problems with the mentioned approaches, not all healthc are professionals agree to the specific approaches or the same set of human and civil rights. An ethical framework based on the approaches is to first recognize the ethical issue. After that, the healthcare professional must gather all the facts pertaining to the issue. He/she then must learn more about the situation and lay down the options available before acting on it. Subsequently, the next step would be to evaluate alternative approaches like the Utilitarian approach, Rights approach or Justice approach that best fits the situation. After considering the suitable approach needed to tackle the situation, he/she must act on the decided options. The end result must be reflected and evaluated if need be for further improvements. As a healthcare professional, Doctor Simon is to abide by the Ethics that is in the best interest of his patients. This means that he must provide the best healthcare and at the same time, reduce the amount of harm done on his patients. In Clare’s perspective, she viewed Doctor Simon’s actions as most harmful to the patients as he had caused a lot of pain and bleeding to his patients’ surgical site. As he did not abide by the Ethics in Clare’s viewpoint, she has the right to report him to the higher authority to protect the patients. The practice of Doctor Simon who caused pain and heavy bleedings to his patients was accepted by his peers may be due to the ‘Bolam’ test where traditionally, doctors were not said to have breached their duty of care if they acted in accordance with a practice accepted by their peers: Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee (1957). As their peers were the ones who set the standard, substandard care and malpractice were more prominent during those times as long as the practice conducted is accepted by the rest. However, this soon changed because of an incident whereby a patient was left almost blind when the doctor had failed in informing her on the risk of sympathetic ophthalmia. In this case, there were two opposing sides in which one would inform the patient and another would not inform. Due to this, the law was changed and the standard was set not by peers but by the court instead. Based on the Professional code of Ethics and Conduct, Ethical Frameworks, Theories and Principles, and Law and Guidelines, Clare should report to AHPRA if the higher authorities did not take any actions against Doctor Simon. By reporting to AHPRA also on the culture of the higher authority in her hospital, Clare would be able to break the inappropriate culture that is similar to ‘Bolam’ test. By doing so, Clare would be able to help stop the substandard practices and minimize the potential harm on the patients while maximizing the healthcare system to its optimum capabilities. This way, the patients would be able to receive better care with a methodological and ethical approach. References Dhai, A. (2008). Understanding professionalism in health care in the twenty first century.SADJ, 63, 174, 176-7 Faunce, T., Shat, K., Adams, C. (2008). Health the law. : Hot topics (Sydney, N.S.W.); no. 64. Retrieved on 30/5/2014 from: http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Codes-Guidelines/Guidelines-for-mandatory-notifications.aspx M.Velasquez, D. Moberg, M. J. Meyer, T. Shanks, M. R. McLean, D. DeCosse, Claire Andre and Kirk O. Hanson. A Framework for Thinking Ethically (May 2009) retrieved from: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/framework.html

Relationship of Washington Square to Henry Jamess Other Novels :: Washington Square Henry James

Relationship of Washington Square to Henry James's Other Novels According to Bette Howland in "Washington Square, the Family Plot," the idea that Henry James should leave Washington Square out of his New York Edition, is "a fitting irony" in that "like Dr. Sloper in the novel, James disinherited his heroine; [and] cut her out of his will" (1). Although James might have wished us to treat Washington Square as an orphan, an outcast, a black sheep as compared with its "better" relatives, Howland's essay quite clearly establishes a familial link between this and James's other, more famous works. As Howland says, "Not only is Washington Square, though disowned, a member of the family--it is the original, the mother lode" (1). Howland begins her analysis by looking at how James took an anecdote given to him one night at a dinner party and made the "tale purely American." To Howland, the very location of Washington Square stands for James' perception of "the stifling provincial life of America" in that it is "the object of Morris' aspirations; the prison of Catherine's confinement; the seat of the Doctor's power (sic)" (16). By confining the characters to the small world of Washington Square, says Howland, James created a "closed system" in which he could work his irony most effectively (5). She also notes how James changed the simple anecdote into an ironic contest of wills. He made the father the "heavy" rather than the fortune-hunter, and he made the father a scientist, a "scholarly doctor" so that he fit in with the American values of earning an income (or seeming to), and appreciating science (Howland 3). Howland also does an apt comparison of Washington Square in relationship to James's other novels by pointing out how he frequently talked about love in terms of the financial. As Howland says, "[With James], there's never enough [love] to go around; one person's gain is always another's loss" (7), and money is quite commonly involved in the equation. In addition, James has another system of economy that is always at work in his novels. As Howland says, "at the beginning, the good heroines are all in the dark," but "by the end, they are the only ones who see" (15).

Choir

Frisco High 2009 Coffeehouse: A Night in Manhattan The director of the Frisco High choir is Tracy Bradstreet. During the performance, I didn’t see her direct the choir while they were singing. All the songs were in English. The whole performance was a Broadway theme. The choir overall was really good; the acting was nice. Although, the guys need to project their voices more. They’re too quiet and too shy!! I think that everyone needs to open their mouths more wide so we can actually understand what they’re saying.During the concert, there were a lot of solo performances. In the song Vanilla Ice Cream from She Loves Me, Elison Willis was the soloist. She was awesome, and so was Kenneth West when he sang A Heart Full Of Love from Les Miserables along with Allison Behne and Rebecca Carrington. Allison Behne sang On My Own from Les Miserables. I absolutely love her voice. Her vibrato is awesome! She can’t really sing the high notes though. Bring Him Home from Les Miserables was sung by Alex Nelson. At the beginning of the song, he looked kind of scared.Although, he has a nice voice, very strong; great vibrato. L. O. V. E. was performed by Shachi Merchant. His dance was awesome! But he needs to sing louder; I could barely hear him even with the microphone. Heather Caton sang Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid. She was a little late for some parts; slow and fast here and there. I kind of heard a few flats. The ending was good, though. Pioneer Heritage Middle School Show Choir sang a song called It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.The guys (even though there was only three of them, all the more reason) need to sing louder!! They got to project their voice more. Half of the time, they sang faster than what the CD played. Near the end of the first Act, the Frisco choir sang a medley of Wicked the Broadway musical. All choirs (excluding PHMS) sang No One Mourns the Wicked. One word: wow. They sound so totally awesome when they all sing together! The guys could still sing a little louder though. Next, two girls (Meghan Horstdaniel and Nicole Hathaway) sang What Is This Feeling.They need to add more feeling into that song because during that song, Elphaba and Galinda show how much they loathe each other. It felt like Meghan and Nicole didn’t add a lot of hatred towards their enemy character. In the song Popular, Ashley Romo was the soloist. She had a really pretty voice. But the choir sang too fast when they sang â€Å"you†¦will†¦be†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It just didn’t match the music. Dancing Through Life had two soloists: Taylor Duke and Frank Rosamond. Frank was really good with his solo.On the other hand, Taylor was okay. The choir rocked hard, though. Plus their dancing. Choir sang the song For Good and it was totally awesome! The last song they sang before intermission was Defying Gravity. The soloist, Jourdan Kolb had a pretty voice! Choir was great, once again and the ending of the song was magnifique! I wasn’t able to stay for the whole concert; just only the first Act. Overall though, Act I was really funny. They had cool props, but too many feedbacks with the microphone. They need to fix that.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 23

5 â€Å"Dad,† said Raych with some concern, â€Å"you look tired.† â€Å"I dare say,† said Hari Seldon, â€Å"I feel tired. But how are you?† Raych was forty-four now and his hair was beginning to show a bit of gray, but his mustache remained thick and dark and very Dahlite in appearance. Seldon wondered if he touched it up with dye, but it would have been the wrong thing to ask. Seldon said, â€Å"Are you through with your lecturing for a while?† â€Å"For a while. Not for long. And I'm glad to be home and see the baby and Manella and Wanda-and you, Dad.† â€Å"Thank you. But I have news for you, Raych. No more lecturing. I'm going to need you here.† Raych frowned. â€Å"What for?† On two different occasions he had been sent to carry out delicate missions, but those were back during the days of the Joranumite menace. As far as he knew, things were quiet now, especially with the overthrow of the junta and the reestablishment of a pale Emperor. â€Å"It's Wanda,† said Seldon. â€Å"Wanda? What's wrong with Wanda?† â€Å"Nothing's wrong with her, but we're going to have to work out a complete genome for her-and for you and Manella as well-and eventually for the new baby.† â€Å"For Bellis, too? What's going on?† Seldon hesitated. â€Å"Raych, you know that your mother and I always thought there was something lovable about you, something that inspired affection and trust.† â€Å"I know you thought so. You said so often enough when you were trying to get me to do something difficult. But I'll be honest with you. I never felt it.† â€Å"No, you won over me and†¦ and Dors.† (He had such trouble saying the name, even though four years had passed since her destruction.) â€Å"You won over Rashelle of Wye. You won over Jo-Jo Joranum. You won over Manella. How do you account for all that?† â€Å"Intelligence and charm,† said Raych, grinning. â€Å"Have you thought you might have been in touch with their-our-minds?† â€Å"No, I've never thought that. And now that you mention it, I think it's ridiculous. With all due respect, Dad, of course.† â€Å"What if I told you that Wanda seems to have read Yugo's mind during a moment of crisis?† â€Å"Coincidence or imagination, I should say.† â€Å"Raych, I knew someone once who could handle people's minds as easily as you and I handle conversation.† â€Å"Who was that?† â€Å"I can't speak of him. Take my word for it, though.† â€Å"Well-† said Raych dubiously. â€Å"I've been at the Galactic Library, checking on such matters. There is a curious story, about twenty thousand years old and therefore back to the misty origins of hyperspatial travel. It's about a young woman, not much more than Wanda's age, who could communicate with an entire planet that circled a sun called Nemesis.† â€Å"Surely a fairytale.† â€Å"Surely. And incomplete, at that. But the similarity with Wanda is astonishing.† Raych said, â€Å"Dad, what are you planning?† â€Å"I'm not sure, Raych. I need to know the genome and I have to find others like Wanda. I have a notion that youngsters are born-not often but occasionally-with such mental abilities, but that, in general, it merely gets them in trouble and they learn to mask it. And as they grow tip, their ability, their talent, is buried deep within their minds- sort of an unconscious act of self-preservation. Surely in the Empire or even just among Trantor's forty billion, there must be more of that sort, like Wanda, and if I know the genome I want, I can test those I think may be so.† â€Å"And what would you do with them if you found them, Dad?† â€Å"I have the notion that they are what I need for the further development of psychohistory.† Raych said, â€Å"And Wanda is the first of the type you know about and you intend to make a psychohistorian out of her?† â€Å"Perhaps.† â€Å"Like Yugo. Dad, no!† â€Å"Why no?† â€Å"Because I want her to grow up like a normal girl and become a normal woman. I will not have you sitting her before the Prime Radiant and make her into a living monument to psychohistorical mathematics.† Seldon said, â€Å"It may not come to that, Raych, but we must have her genome. You know that for thousands of years there have been suggestions that every human being have his genome on file. It's only the expense that's kept it from becoming standard practice; no one doubts the usefulness of it. Surely you see the advantages. If nothing else, we will know Wanda's tendencies toward a variety of physiological disorders. If we had ever had Yugo's genome, I am certain he would not now be dying. Surely we can go that far.† â€Å"Well, maybe, Dad, but no further. I'm willing to bet that Manella is going to be a lot firmer on this than I am.† Seldon said, â€Å"Very well. But remember, no more lecture tours. I need you at home.† â€Å"We'll see,† Raych said and left. Seldon sat there in a quandary. Eto Demerzel, the one person he knew who could handle minds, would have known what to do. Dors, with her nonhuman knowledge, might have known what to do. For himself, he had a dim vision of a new psychohistory-but nothing more than that. 6 It was not an easy task to obtain a complete genome of Wanda. To begin with, the number of biophysicists equipped to handle the genome was small and those that existed were always busy. Nor was it possible for Seldon to discuss his needs openly, in order to interest the biophysicists. It was absolutely essential, Seldon felt, that the true reason for his interest in Wanda's mental powers be kept secret from all the Galaxy. And if another difficulty was needed, it was the fact that the process was infernally expensive. Seldon shook his head and said to Mian Endelecki, the biophysicist he was now consulting, â€Å"Why so expensive, Dr. Endelecki? I am not an expert in the field, but it is my distinct understanding that the process is completely computerized and that, once you have a scraping of skin cells, the genome can be completely built and analyzed in a matter of days.† â€Å"That's true. But having a deoxyribonucleic acid molecule stretching out for billions of nucleotides, with every purine and pyrimidine in its place, is the least of it; the very least of it, Professor Seldon. There is then the matter of studying each one and comparing it to some standard. â€Å"Now, consider, in the first place, that although we have records of complete genomes, they represent a vanishingly small fraction of the number of genomes that exist, so that we don't really know how standard they are.† Seldon asked, â€Å"Why so few?† â€Å"A number of reasons. The expense, for one thing. Few people are willing to spend the credits on it unless they have strong reason to think there is something wrong with their genome. And if they have no strong reason, they are reluctant to undergo analysis for fear they will find something wrong. Now, then, are you sure you want your granddaughter genomed?† â€Å"Yes, I do. It is terribly important.† â€Å"Why? Does she show signs of a metabolic anomaly?† â€Å"No, she doesn't. Rather the reverse-if I knew the antonym of ‘anomaly.' I consider her a most unusual person and I want to know just what it is that makes her unusual.† â€Å"Unusual in what way?† â€Å"Mentally, but it's impossible for me to go into details, since I don't entirely understand it. Maybe I will, once she is genomed.† â€Å"How old is she?† â€Å"Twelve. She'll soon be thirteen.† â€Å"In that case, I'll need permission from her parents.† Seldon cleared his throat. â€Å"That may be difficult to get. I'm her grandfather. Wouldn't my permission be enough?† â€Å"For me, certainly. But, you know, we're talking about the law. I don't wish to lose my license to practice.† It was necessary for Seldon to approach Raych again. This, too, was difficult, as he protested once more that he and his wife, Manella, wanted Wanda to live a normal life of a normal girl. What if her genome did turn out to be abnormal? Would she be whisked away to be prodded and probed like a laboratory specimen? Would Hari, in his fanatical devotion to his Psychohistory Project, press Wanda into a life of all work and no play, shutting her off from other young people her age? But Seldon was insistent. â€Å"Trust me, Raych. I would never do anything to harm Wanda. But this must be done. I need to know Wanda's genome. If it is as I suspect it is, we may be on the verge of altering the course of psychohistory, of the future of the Galaxy itself!† And so Raych was persuaded and somehow he obtained Manella's consent, as well. And together, the three adults took Wanda to Dr. Endelecki's office. Mian Endelecki greeted them at the door. Her hair was a shining white, but her face showed no sign of age. She looked at the girl, who walked in with a look of curiosity on her face but with no signs of apprehension or fear. She then turned her gaze to the three adults who had accompanied Wanda. Dr. Endelecki said with a smile, â€Å"Mother, father, and grandfather-am I right?† Seldon answered, â€Å"Absolutely right.† Raych looked hang-dog and Manella, her face a little swollen and her eyes a little red, looked tired. â€Å"Wanda,† began the doctor. â€Å"That is your name, isn't it?† â€Å"Yes, ma'am,† said Wanda in her clear voice. â€Å"I'm going to tell you exactly what I'm going to do with you. You're right-handed, I suppose.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† â€Å"Very well, then, I'll spray a little patch on your left forearm with an anesthetic. It will just feel like a cool wind. Nothing else. I'll then scrape a little skin from you just a tiny bit. There'll be no pain, no blood, no mark afterward. When I'm done, I'll spray a little disinfectant on it. The whole thing will take just a few minutes. Does that sound all right to you?† â€Å"Sure,† said Wanda, as she held out her arm. When it was over, Dr. Endelecki said, â€Å"I'll put the scraping under the microscope, choose a decent cell, and put my computerized gene analyzer to work. It will mark off every last nucleotide, but there are billions of them. It will probably take the better part of a day. It's all automatic, of course, so I won't be sitting here watching it and there's no point in your doing so, either. â€Å"Once the genome is prepared, it will take an even longer time to analyze it. If you want a complete job, it may take a couple of weeks. That is why it's so expensive a procedure. The work is hard and long. I'll call you in when I have it.† She turned away, as if she had dismissed the family, and busied herself with the gleaming apparatus on the table in front of her. Seldon said, â€Å"If you come across anything unusual, will you get in touch with me instantly? I mean, don't wait for a complete analysis if you find something in the first hour. Don't make me wait.† â€Å"The chances of finding anything in the first hour are very slim, but I promise you, Professor Seldon that I will be in touch with you at once if it seems necessary.† Manella snatched Wanda's arm and led her off triumphantly. Raych followed, feet dragging. Seldon lingered and said, â€Å"This is more important than you know, Dr. Endelecki.† Dr. Endelecki nodded as she said, â€Å"Whatever the reason, Professor, I'll do my best.† Seldon left, his lips pressed tightly together. Why he had thought that somehow the genome would be worked out in five minutes and that a glance at it in another five minutes would give him an answer, he did not know. Now he would have to wait for weeks, without knowing what would be found. He ground his teeth. Would his newest brainchild, the Second Foundation, ever be established or was it an illusion that would remain always just out of reach? 7 Hari Seldon walked into Dr. Endelecki's office, a nervous smile on his face. He said, â€Å"You said a couple of weeks, Doctor. It's been over a month mow.† Dr. Endelecki nodded. â€Å"I'm sorry, Professor Seldon but you wanted everything exact and that is what I have tried to do.† â€Å"Well?† The look of anxiety on Seldon's face did not disappear. What did you find?† â€Å"A hundred or so defective genes.† â€Å"What! Defective genes. Are you serious, Doctor?† â€Å"Quite serious. Why not? There are no genomes without at least a hundred defective genes; usually there are considerably more. It's not as bad as it sounds, you know.† â€Å"No, I don't know. You're the expert, Doctor, not I.† Dr. Endelecki sighed and stirred in her chair. â€Å"You don't know anything about genetics, do you, Professor?† â€Å"No, I don't. A man can't know everything.† â€Å"You're perfectly right. I know nothing about this-what do you call it?-this psychohistory of yours.† Dr. Endelecki shrugged, then continued. â€Å"If you wanted to explain anything about it, you would be forced to start from the beginning and I would probably not understand it even so. â€Å"Now, as to genetics-â€Å" â€Å"Well?† â€Å"An imperfect gene usually means nothing. There are imperfect genes-so imperfect and so crucial that they produce terrible disorders. These are very rare, though. Most imperfect genes simply don't work with absolute accuracy. They're like wheels that are slightly out of balance. A vehicle will move along, trembling a bit, but it will move along.† â€Å"Is that what Wanda has?† â€Å"Yes. More or less. After all, if all genes were perfect, we would all look precisely the same, we would all behave precisely the same. It's the difference in genes that makes for different people.† â€Å"But won't it get worse as we grow older?† â€Å"Yes. We all get worse as we grow older. I noticed you limping when you came in. Why is that?† â€Å"A touch of sciatica,† muttered Seldon. â€Å"Did you have it all your life?† â€Å"Of course not.† â€Å"Well, some of your genes have gotten worse with time and now you limp.† â€Å"And what will happen to Wanda with time?† â€Å"I don't know. I can't predict the future, Professor; I believe that is your province. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I would say that nothing unusual will happen to Wanda-at least, genetically-except the gathering of old age.† Seldon said, â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"You have to take my word for it. You wanted to find out about Wanda's genome and you ran the risk of discovering things perhaps it is better not to know. But I tell you that, in my opinion, I can see nothing terrible happening to her.† â€Å"The imperfect genes-should we fix them? Can we fix them?† â€Å"No. In the first place, it would be very expensive. Secondly, the chances are that they would not stay fixed. And finally, people are against it. â€Å"But why?† â€Å"Because they're against science in general. You should know this as well as anyone, Professor. I'm afraid the situation is such, especially since Cleon's death, that mysticism has been gaining ground. People don't believe in fixing genes scientifically. They would rather cure things by the laying on of hands or by mumbo-jumbo of some sort or other. Frankly it is extremely difficult for me to continue with my job. Very little funding is coming in.† Seldon nodded. â€Å"Actually I understand this situation all too well. Psychohistory explains it, but I honestly didn't think the situation was growing so bad so rapidly. I've been too involved in my own work to see the difficulties all around me.† He sighed. â€Å"I've been watching the Galactic Empire slowly fall apart for over thirty years now-and now that it's beginning to collapse much more rapidly, I don't see how we can stop it in time.† â€Å"Are you trying to?† Dr. Endelecki seemed amused. â€Å"Yes, I am.† â€Å"Lots of luck. About your sciatica. You know, fifty years ago it could have been cured. Not now, though.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Well, the devices used for it are gone; the people who could have handled them are working on other things. Medicine is declining.† â€Å"Along with everything else,† mused Seldon. â€Å"But let's get back to Wanda. I feel she is a most unusual young woman with a brain that is different from most. What do her genes tell you about her brain?† Dr. Endelecki leaned back in her chair. â€Å"Professor Seldon do you know just how many genes are involved in brain function?† â€Å"No. â€Å"I'll remind you that, of all the aspects of the human body, the brain function is the most intricate. In fact, as far as we know, there is nothing in the Universe as intricate as the human brain. So you won't be surprised when I tell you that there are thousands of genes that each play a role in brain function.† â€Å"Thousands?† â€Å"Exactly. And it is impossible to go through those genes and see anything specifically unusual. I will take your word for it, as far as Wanda is concerned. She is an unusual girl with an unusual brain, but I see nothing in her genes that can tell me anything about that brain-except, of course, that it is normal.† â€Å"Could you find other people whose genes for mental functioning are like Wanda's, that have the same brain pattern?† â€Å"I doubt it very much. Even if another brain were much like hers, there would still be enormous differences in the genes. No use looking for similarities. Tell me, Professor, just what is it about Wanda that makes you think her brain is so unusual?† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I'm sorry. It's not something I can discuss.† â€Å"In that case, I am certain that I can find out nothing for you. How did you discover that there was something unusual about her brain-this thing you can't discuss?† â€Å"Accident,† muttered Seldon. â€Å"Sheer accident.† â€Å"In that case, you're going to have to find other brains like hers-also by accident. Nothing else can be done.† Silence settled over both of them. Finally Seldon said, â€Å"Is there anything else you can tell me?† â€Å"I'm afraid not. Except that I'll send you my bill.† Seldon rose with an effort. His sciatica hurt him badly. â€Å"Well then, thank you, Doctor. Send the bill and I'll pay it.† Hari Seldon left the doctor's office, wondering just what he would do next.

How actions portray the personality of the characters essays

How actions portray the personality of the characters essays The way a person reacts to another can sometimes give a little idea as to what their personality is like. In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, this is displayed by the presence of Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Philips, Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh all reacted to the arrival of Mr. Collins. Mrs. Bennet, Mrs. Philips and Elizabeth are all part of the same family and they all reacted to the arrival of Mr. Collins. ...Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailed away from your own children... (60) This quote represents how Mrs. Bennet reacted to Mr. Collinss visit. She is worried about the estate being taken out of the family. It shows that she is the kind of person to hold a grudge and to be hateful towards people whether it be their fault or not. It is not Mr. Collinss fault that the estate will be handed over to him, but Mrs. Bennet only sees what she wants to see. In describing to her all the grandeur of Lady Catherine and her mansion, with occasional digressions in praise of his own humble abode, and the improvements it was receiving, he was happily employed until the gentleman joined them; and he found in Mrs. Philips a very attentive listener, whose opinion of his consequence increa sed with what she heard, and who was resolving to retail it all among her neighbors as soon as she could. (73) This quote describes Mrs. Philips in a way that she is easily flattered and she likes to be complimented. She feels very honored that her house is compared with that of Lady Catherines and cant wait to brag to the other people of the community. I cannot make him out. There is something very pompous in his style. And what can he mean by apologizing for being next in the entail? We cannot suppose he would help it, if he could. Can he be a sensible man, sir? (62) When Eliz...