Phineas Gage Paper Essay

There are many cognitive functions that the brain performs on a daily basis. People can survive with traumatic brain injuries or strokes and still function to a point. The brain is an amazing organ that can be resilient and bounce back from brain injuries due to an accident or stroke, depending on which areas of the brain are affected. If certain areas of the brain are affected then the person could lose the ability to see, speak, remember, function, or even die. A person’s brain continues to change and develop throughout their lifetime, even if parts of the brain become necrotic due to dementia and other disorders. The best known case of how a person can survive and have a relatively normal life after a brain injury was Phineas Gage. His story is an amazing one that is hard to believe. There are several parts of the brain that are responsible for the cognitive functions. One part of the brain that is responsible for cognitive functions is the amygdala. The amygdala is an almond shaped set of nuclei that control emotions such as fear, disgust, anger, and even pleasure. The amygdala is also responsible for what memories that the brain stores. For this reason, if the amygdala is damaged, then a person might lose their ability to control their temper, or the ability to remember their childhood. Another part of the brain that is responsible for cognitive function is the Wernicke’s area and the Broca’s region. Both of these regions are named for the person who discovered them. They both are responsible for speech and how we talk. It is also involved in how a person understands written and spoken language. For this reason, if a person sustains damage to either of these areas, then they could lose the ability to speak or understand words that are spoken to them or written words. The story of Phineas Gage is the most famous story of how neuroscience plays a part in a person’s survival. Back in 1848, in Cavendish, Vermont, Phineas Gage was a construction foreman working on a railroad bed when he was loading a hole in the ground with explosives. He was stuffing the explosives into the hole with a tampering iron when they went off and the forty-three inch long, thirteen pound tampering iron went through his left cheek and throughout his brain and out of the back of his skull. The accident affected his frontal lobe of his brain and stories have indicated that he was never the same again. He became blind in his left eye. He spent ten weeks in the hospital under the care of Doctor John Harlow and then was sent home (Unknown, 2010). Harlow observed Gage the entire ten weeks. He was unable to hold a foreman’s job again. Unfortunately, his recovery was not a complete success. The once likable and friendly man became fitful, irreverent, and grossly profane. He worked odd jobs from that time until his death in 1860 from seizures due to his injury. Harlow wrote that he was never the same after his injury and that â€Å"the balance between his intellectual faculties and animal propensities seemed gone. † He could not stick to plans, uttered the grossest profanity, and showed little deference for his fellows (Twomey, 2010). The reason that the case of Phineas Gage became so popular and famous was because it was the first case of its kind where brain injury and personality changes correlated and became prominent in the field of neuroscience. This was the first case where it was proven that brain injuries can affect how a person acts in their behaviors. Gage sustained damage to the frontal lobe of the brain and Dr. Harlow even claims that Gage never lost consciousness due to his injury. After his death, Dr. Harlow had Gage’s body exhumed and studied both the skull and the tampering iron before donating both to the Warren Anatomical Museum for display. This was after he authored reports of the case of Phineas Gage. There have been increasingly more cases of Traumatic Brain Injuries causing damage to the brain, especially in the past decade of the war in the Middle East. These injuries are paving the way for the world of cognitive psychology and neuroscience for how to treat the damage to the brain. The most famous case so far in history has been the case of Phineas Gage. He proved that the damage to the frontal lobe can affect how a person acts and their behaviors. With the technology that is becoming available, we should be able to make more and more strides in the subject of brain injuries. Hopefully someday, we can find how to treat these brain injuries from accidents and strokes and possibly cure them.

Othello Essay

Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’ is the study of how a seemingly successful Venetian general, is skilfully manipulated by the cunning Iago, who by exploiting Othello’s insecurities transforms his identity into a jealous murderer. At the beginning of the play, Othello’s identity is that of an assiduous black general who fought exceptionally hard to gain respect in a white dominated society. In marrying Desdemona, Othello adds to his identity by being a lover and husband and his identity is portrayed to be interconnected to his love for Desdemona. Iago is jealous of Othello’s high standing and greatly respected identity and therefore undermines Othello’s confidence in his wives faithfulness and turns his identity into an irrational jealously. Shakespeare utilises a number of key techniques in ‘Othello,’ to indicate the extent of Othello’s identity changes. These changes are effectively conveyed to the audience through the contrast of Othello’s outward appearance with his affable interior. They are further exemplified through the themes of love and jealously and via alterations in Othello’s language, as Othello’s confidence in Desdemona is slowly undermined. In the first Act of the play, Othello’s identity is shaped by a variety of negative images which promote the stereotype of the black African slave in a white dominated society. Although these images are not a true reflection of Othello’s identity, Shakespeare has very effectively done this in order to accentuate how Othello’s identity slowly changes throughout the play to reflect the initial images presented to the audience. In Act One, Othello is not once referred to by his actual name. Rather, he is referred to as â€Å"he,† â€Å"him,† and the derogatory terms â€Å"thick-lips† and a â€Å"Barbary horse. † Shakespeare makes use of this technique to establish Othello’s displeasing physical identity. Brabantio also describes Othello as a â€Å"sooty bosom,† whom his daughter Desdemona would never have agreed to marry without the use of witch craft and magic charms, â€Å"If she in chains of magic were not bound, whether a maid so tender, fair and happy, so opposite to marriage that she shunn’d. Contrastingly, Othello’s elevated status in Venetian society, reflected in his high naval position, demonstrates an identity that is greatly respected, so much so that not even the accusations of Brabantio affect his status. This is clearly demonstrated when the duke says, â€Å"Your son in law is far more fair than black,† thus signifying that Othello’s black skin hides an amiable interior. However, as Ot hello’s confidence in Desdemona is undermined, Othello is driven to the verge of insanity and his identity begins to reflect the negative images initially presented in the first act. This is achieved through the use of imagery, in which Othello is likened to the devil, â€Å"And what delight shall she have to look on the devil. † By the end of the play, Othello’s ‘blackness’ starts to show and his identity changes from a â€Å"War like moor,† to a man characterised by wrath and irrationality. In ‘Othello,’ love acts as a binding force between Othello and his wife Desdemona, and the initial impression portrayed by Shakespeare to the audience is of Othello as a romantic who has complete faith in his wife. Othello’s identity is shaped by his infatuation of Desdemona, â€Å"My soul hath her content so absolute that not another comfort like to this succeeds in unknown fate. † The link between Othello’s identity and his love for Desdemona is further accentuated in, â€Å"But I do love thee; and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again. † However as Iago’s manipulative plan takes shape, Othello grows insecure about his relationship and he begins to question why he married, â€Å"Why did I marry? Othello changes from a confident, in control, self-assured man into a doubtful man weakened by his love for Desdemona. His wives supposed infidelity leaves Othello a tormented broken man who is unable to go on living. Jealously is the most corrupting and destructive of emotions, which when instilled in Othello, drives him to insanity and causes substantial changes to his identity throughout the play. Initially, Othello claims not to be a jealous man, â€Å"Do you think I’d make a life of jealousy, to follow still the changes of the moon with fresh suspicions? He possesses a â€Å"free and open nature,† and this exceptional vulnerability allows Iago to manipulate Othello’s trusting character and twist his love for Desdemona, into a powerful and destructive jealousy, â€Å"O beware, my lord, of jealously: It is the green eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on. † As soon as Iago launches his deceptive plan and jealously is roused within Othello, it becomes so self-intensifying that he is taken over by an uncontrollable irrationality and his ability to make coherent decisions is over-ridded. Othello’s identity is transformed from a self-assured man into an envious persona and this is cemented in, â€Å"Trifles light as air, are to the jealous confirmations, strong as proofs of holy writ. There is a significant change in identity, â€Å"The Moor already changes with my poison,† from a smart, sensible person, to one characterised by jealously. A distinct transformation in Othello’s language is used to demonstrate how Othello’s identity changes substantially throughout the course of the play. The identity of Othello is closely aligned to his marriage with Desdemona and he feels that his status in society has been elevated because he is a black man married to a high class Venetian women. As Othello’s marriage is demoralised, Othello’s identity undergoes change and these changes are strongly emphasized through Othello’s choice of language. Initially, Othello is an idealist and romantic who generally speaks in verse throughout the play, â€Å"It gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me. † His language is quixotic and heightened conveying an affectionate persona; one profoundly linked with his flourishing marriage. However, once Othello is made aware of Desdemona’s ‘infidelity,’ their relationship is put under immense strain and Othello grows increasingly stressed, confused and angry. This is reflected in a change in language, which moves from polite and eloquent at the beginning of the play, to aggressive and exceedingly visual, â€Å"I’ll tear her to pieces. † This alteration in language portrays a character change, from a gentleman, to a violent and belligerent person. By the end of the play Othello’s identity transformation is so substantial, he is unrecognisable, â€Å"My lord is not my lord. Othello is no longer the man he used to be. Shakespeare successfully conveys changes to Othello’s identity throughout the course of the play through the contrast of his outwards appearance with his amiable inner identity. His identity changes are further enhanced by the accentuation of the bond between himself and his wife and the devastating effects the weakening of this bond has on him. The destructive force of jealously and Othello’s naive view on marriage are additionally used to show how Othello moves from a confident, strong and highly regarded naval officer to someone completely broken by his love of another.

Tweleve Years a Slave

While reading this novel, I often thought about what I learned about slavery in school and the many films I've seen on the subject, most notably, the television series Roots , which is probably most of our first visual representation of a slaves' life – but I thought, â€Å"Noooo, they got it wrong! Slavery was 50 times worst than any representation I've ever seen on a film. Solomon Northup, was a free born, African America man living in New York state in the early 1800s. He had a wife, three children, and was able to provide for his family working various jobs, depending on the season. Solomon is kidnapped and forced into slavery for 12 years, in the deep south. What makes this novel so compelling is his story telling.He goes into great detail explaining what is feels like to be a slave; the constant state of fear (scared of waking up late, scared of not working fast enough, scared of being in the wrong place at the wrong time if your master is in an angry mood), the whipp ings (which happened more often than I originally thought), the brutal labor, the little food (yet being forced to work at 100% at all times with little nourishment), and the depressing feeling of being separated from your family (being sold to another master was the worst nightmare of most slaves, more fearful than the whip).His prose paints a clear picture of what it feels like to be a slave. I highly recommend this non-fiction novel (did I mention, this is a TRUE story) to any and everyone interested in American or African American history. This novel is currently being made into a film by director Steve McQueen, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Brad Pitt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Fassbender.I have to admit, I am very eager to see this film (it's slated for release Sept. 6, 2013) because I'm curious to see if they will be true to the original work, and go hard and showcase slavery in its most brutal form, even if it will make audiences uncomfortable, because as time goes on, I t hink we forget how truly horrible an institution slavery was.

Moral panic

The public has always used the Mass Media as the primary source of information about most topics especially crime. The Mass Media has the power to convey messages and ideas to a large audience but how truthful or factual these messages are has long been a debate of sociologist, due to news broadcast being so criminogenic for example, Ericson et al (1987). â€Å"Study of news-making in Toronto found that a remarkably high proportion of news was about deviance and control.Ranging from 45. % in newspaper to 71. 5% on radio stations. ( Maguire,Morgan and Reiner 2012, p. 248) Therefore this use of Media may create fear amongst the public which in turn causes â€Å"Moral panic† and â€Å"Folk Devils†. Therefore I will outline and Illustrate the term â€Å"Moral Panic† and the effect it has on the public, also aiming to show the role the Media plays in creating panic. â€Å"Moral panic†is a term used to describe groups or subculture as a threat to the way of lif e for society's, norms and values.There are several organisations who claims a oral breakdown such as the â€Å"Mass Media, Politicians and churches†(Tim Newburn 2013, p. 96). Stanley Cohen's research into the Mods and Rockers gave a clear view of the media classifying these subcultures as deviant and creating panic amongst the public. Cohen's had three main ideas to illustrate how â€Å"Moral Panic† was created during the 1960s. Firstly Exaggeration and Distortion. â€Å"The exaggeration of seriousness†¦. the proportion engaged in violence†. Secondly Prediction. † Media coverage regularly assumed events would be even worse†.Lastly Symbolisation † Mods and Rockers appearance became associated with delinquency and deviant behaviour. (Tim Newburn 2013, p. 97). This indicates that the Media's use of emotive language used in broadcast and newspapers created â€Å"Folk Devils† of these subcultures and wide scale panic in Britain and subs equently creating stigma towards Mods and Rockers. However there has been criticism of the â€Å"Moral Panic† Theory. Jewkes (2004) states that the audience may not be as receptive to the â€Å"Moral Panic† as Cohen mentioned. Tim Newburn 2013, p. 101).This indicates that the public are more aware of issues in society and are able to think rationally without becoming fearful of news reports. Secondly â€Å"an occasional over-reading of the extent of â€Å"panickyness† in media representations†. This demonstrates that Cohen had no real evidence to prove that â€Å"moral panics† created panic amongst society, as it would be difficult to measure the level of concern throughout communities. To conclude â€Å"Moral Panic† may sometimes be created by the Mass-Media through the se of emotive and sensationalised heading to make a story more entertaining or appealing to its audience.Through this process they create fear amongst the public and stigmat ize subcultures which in turn may cause these social groups to be the truth out for themselves and come to their own conclusion without relying on the media as a primary source of information.

Education of Women and Girls Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Education of Women and Girls - Research Paper Example From the discussion it is clear that  80 percent of out-of-school girls in Yemen and 62 percent in Pakistan are unlikely even to enter school, compared with 36 percent of boys in Yemen and 27 percent in Pakistan. The situation is the most dramatic in sub-Saharan Africa, where 12 million girls are unlikely to enroll. In 2007, eighteen sub-Saharan countries had the gender parity index (GPI) of less than 0,90, which meant that they had not achieved the goal of gender parity in primary schooling, set by UNESCO for 2005.  This paper discusses that  there is a strong inverse relation between gender parity and school enrolment; in poor countries with a low enrolment ratio there is usually a large disparity between boys and girls out-of-school. Thus, several developing countries have included strategies to reach gender parity as part of their wider policies aimed to provide all children with universal primary education. The policy measures introduced in Yemen to increase the gender par ity index contributed significantly to the increase in enrolment from 2.3 million in 1999 to 3.2 million in 2005. The interventions targeted at out-of-school girls, such as providing girls in grades 1 to 6 with free textbooks and employing more female teachers in rural areas, enabled many girls to enroll, which lead to an increased number of all school children. Due to security concerns and household labor demands, few parents decide to enroll their daughters in schools far away from home.

Communication Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Communication - Annotated Bibliography Example Barret and Davidson (2006, p.38) have also observed that gendered thinking has to replace male paradigms of interpersonal communication. Suggesting that language is also a tool for the oppression of women in almost all native cultures, Longmire and Merrill (2001,p.1 ) have said that â€Å"our native language depicts the normative, the generic, as ‘male,’ women are necessarily defined as ‘other.† For example, when one uses the word, ‘mankind’, â€Å"man is to mean all people, both male and female† (Longmire and Merrill, 2001, p.1). And also, it has been concluded that non-verbal communication constitutes almost seventy percent of any interpersonal communication (Hartley, 1993, p.164). And it is often found that in an interpersonal communication between two people of different gender, the possibility of sexually loaded non-verbal communication to happen even in contradiction with the verbal message that is imparted, is far more ( Fulham, 1995). This leads to misunderstandings. Another interesting aspect of the impact of gender in interpersonal communication is that men â€Å"tend to interrupt, take long, sole-speaker turns, and use direct forms while women tend to use indirect or modalizing strategies, use inclusive communication techniques and encourage collaborative turns and floors (Barret and Davidson, 2006,

Does Economic Efficiency Require Greater Inequality Term Paper

Does Economic Efficiency Require Greater Inequality - Term Paper Example The variables require immediate and unified responses in order to prevent them from negatively affecting economic initiatives that have brought nations together in divergent regions and disciplines all over the world. Multiple complement factors that have facilitated division amongst nations have had a direct correlation on economic inefficiency in different regions around the world that may lead to a dramatic increase in this type of inefficiency in the future. Note the following: Many developing nations, for a host of reasons, may rapidly be falling out of favor with some of the world's leading multinationals. That's a worrisome prospect considering that FDI flows have been the largest source of external financing for the developing nations over the past half decade. According to the World Bank, FDI flows accounted for 60% of total private flows to the developing nations over the 1995-99 period; last year, the share was nearly 70%. So if our hunch is right, and multinationals are o n the verge of de-camping from a number of developing nations, many nations stand to lose a critical prop of external financing. This, in turn, could introduce a whole new and volatile dynamic to the global economy and to the world equity markets. Global Economic Forum, Global: The Bad News Bulls As you can see, any scenario that leads to a reconfiguration of global treaties and alliances has a highly probable chance of reducing economic efficiency on a region-specific and global level. Diplomatic relationships and strategic continuity between nations in regards to economic initiatives will play an integral part in how efficient these economic endeavors are in the future. Reconfiguration factors pose significant threats to economic efficiency across the global economic allies and treaty initiatives.     Ã‚