The Stars And Galaxies Essays - Spectroscopists, Stellar Astronomy

The Stars And Galaxies Essays - Spectroscopists, Stellar Astronomy The Stars And Galaxies MEGAN JACKSON MS. KEYS SCIENCE DECEMBER 5,2000 THE STARS AND GALAXIES Have you ever looked up at the sky and wondered what are those bright and shiny things up there. Stars: a natural luminious body visible in the sky especially at night. A self-luminious gaseous celestial body ofgreat mass which produces energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions, whose shape is usually spheroidal, and whose size may be as small as the earth or larger than the earths orbit. Galaxies: Any of the very large groups of stars and associated matter that are found throughout the universe. In 1802, William Wollaston noted that the spectrum of sunlight did not appear to be a continious band of colors, but rather had a series of dark lines superimposed on it. Wollaston attributed the lines to natural boundaries between colors. Joseph Fraunhofer made a more careful set of observations of the solar spectrum in 1814 and found some 600 dark lines, and he specifically measured the wavelenght of 324 of them. Many of the Fraunhofer lines in the solar spectrum retain the notations he created to designate them. In 1864, Sir William Huggins matched some of these dark lines in the spectra from other stars with terrestrial substances, demonstrating that the stars are made of the same materials of everyday material rather than exotic substances. This paved the way for modern spectroscopy. Since even before the discovery of the spectra, scientists had tried to find ways to catergorize stars. By observing spectra , astronomers realized that the large numbers of stars exhibit a small number of distinct patterns in their spectral lines. Classification by the spectral features quickly proved to be a powerful tool for understanding stars. The current spectral classification scheme was developed at Harvard Observatory in the early 20th century. Work was begun by Henry Draper who photographed the first spectrum of Vega in 1872. After his death, his wife donated the equipment and a sum of money to the Observatory to continue his work. The bulk of classification work was done by Annie Jump Cannon from 1918 to 1924. The original scheme used capital letters running alphabetically, but the subsequent revisions have reduced this as stellar evolution and typing has become better understood. The work was published in the Henry Draper Catalog and Henry Draper Extension which contained spectra of 225,000 stars down to ninth magnitude. The scheme is based on lines which are mainly sensitiveto stellar surface tempertures rather than actual composition differences,gravity, or luminosity. Inportant lines

Choosing the Best Economics Graduate Program For You

Choosing the Best Economics Graduate Program For You As the About.com economics expert, I get quite a few inquiries from readers about the best graduate schools for those pursuing an advanced degree in economics. There are certainly quite a few resources out there today that claim to give the definitive ranking of graduate programs in economics around the world. While those lists might prove helpful to some, as a former economics student turned university professor, I can say with great certainty that choosing a graduate program requires so much more than arbitrary rankings. So when Im asked questions like, Can you recommend a good economics graduate program? or What is the best economics graduate school?, my answer is usually no and it depends. But I can help you find that best economics graduate program for you. Resources for Finding the Best Economics Graduate School Before moving forward, there are a couple of articles you should read. First is an article written by  a professor at Stanford, titled Advice for Applying to Grad School in Economics. While the disclaimer at the start of the article reminds us that these tips are a series of opinions, but that is generally the case when it comes to advice and given the reputation and experience of the person giving the advice, I would have to say, have no dear.  There are plenty of great tips in here. The next recommended piece of reading is a  resource from Georgetown with the title Applying to Grad School in Economics. Not only is this article thorough, but I dont think there is a single point I disagree with. Now that you have these two resources at your disposal, Ill share my  tips for finding and applying to the best economics graduate school for you.  From my own experience and the experience of friends and colleagues who also have studied economics at the graduate level in the United States, I can give the following advice: Take Advantage of Your Undergraduate Resources: Ask the professors who are writing you recommendation letters where theyd apply if they were in your position. They usually have a good idea of the schools at which youll do well and which ones may not be suited to your strengths and interests. Of course, it never hurts when the selection committee at a school knows and respects the person writing your letter of recommendation. Even better if your reference writer has friends or former colleagues on the selection committee at that school. I do have one disclaimer on this subject: Dont choose an undergraduate reference solely based on their reputation or their network. An honest and personalized letter from someone who can specifically speak to your strengths as a candidate is always better than an impersonal one with a famous signature.Rankings Arent the Most Important Decision-Maker:  That is to say that I dont suggest that you apply to just the highest ranked schools. In fact, many would agree when I say that this is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in the application process. If youre interested in studying time-series econometrics, apply to schools that have active researchers in that area. Whats the point of going to a great theory school if youre not a theorist? Dont Put All Your Eggs in One Basket: Apply to as many graduate schools as reasonable. Id recommend applying to about ten schools. Ive seen a lot of terrific students only apply to top-ranked schools or their first choice and not get accepted  to any of them. Find your dream school(s) and your more reachable schools and build your list from there. And while you certainly dont want to focus on possible failure, make sure you have some backup plans. Have an idea of what you might do should you not be accepted into a graduate this year. If pursuing an advanced degree in economics is your dream, make sure that your plan B is something that only strengthens your candidacy for the next application cycle.Do Your Research:  As an economics student, you should be no stranger to research. But your economics graduate school search should not be limited to the internet or your undergraduate college counseling office. Talk to current graduate students at the school youre thinking about attend ing. Theyll usually tell you how things really work in their department. While talking to professors can also be enlightening, make a mental note that they have a vested interest in you applying to their school, which can greatly influence their opinions and advice. If you do choose to talk to a member of the faculty, try to get some sort of introduction. Contacting a professor unsolicited can a great source of annoyance, and why take a chance when this person might wield the power to say yes or no? Consider Size:  In my opinion, the size of the school can be just as important as its reputation. When approached for advice, I generally encourage prospective students to consider applying to larger schools. This is not to say that smaller schools are not worth your consideration, but you must always weigh the risks and rewards. Smaller departments are more likely to be negatively impacted with the departure of one or two key faculty members. So go ahead and apply to the program that boasts your dream professor among its ranks, but also look for schools that have three or more active researchers in the area you are interested in. That way, if one or two leave, youll still have an advisor you can work with. More Things to Read Before Applying to Graduate School So youve read the articles from Stanford and Georgetown, and youve made notes of my top bullet points. But before you jump into the application process, you may want to invest in some advanced economics texts. For some great recommendations, be sure to check out my article Books to Study Before Going to Graduate School in Economics.  These should give you a good idea of what you need to know to do well in an economics graduate school program. It goes without saying, best of luck!

BMW i Marketing Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BMW i Marketing Analysis - Essay Example It tends to focus upon zero emission and is presently working on a hydrogen hybrid drivetrain. It can be noted that most of the success of the BMW is derived from the entrepreneurial culture. BMW follows informal organisational culture which assists the employees in freely articulating the ideas and thereby assisting in innovation (BMW, 2012). The main objective of the company is to remain as one of the world’s primary providers of premium products as well as services for mobility of an individual. Collaborators BMW has been capable of maintaining good relation with its suppliers so that the goods can be delivered on time to the customers. The company mandates its suppliers to maintain the enhanced environmental as well as social standards that have been set by the BMW Group (BMW Education, 2010). It is because of this reason that the company makes use of the sustainability criteria in the optimum selection of its vendors and exaggerated supervision of its prevailing suppliers . It tends to train its suppliers in advance so that the company can guarantee accurate quality requirements as well as standards that have been set by the company right from the initiation of the production (The Economist, 2011). It has been found that in 2011, the UK car market was high by approximately 30% on a year-to-year basis which exceeded the expectation of the companies. In January, 2011, it was found that the car market rose by almost 29.8% thereby reaching 145479 units. It has been found that in the year 2011, an increase occurred of 8.78 percent in sales that rose from 153312 to 166780 vehicles in comparison to the year 2010, and against the market that sought decline in the sales by four percent (Boeriu, 2012). It has been evident that BMW makes use of three steps for the purpose of targeting such as market segmentation, target choices and product positioning. The company looks at behavioural, geographic, socioeconomic, beneficial and demographic features of the societ y that assist them in targeting the market effectively (Pearson, 2012). The company derives 65% of its sales from Europe as well as North America. These regions are industrialised locations with residents having sound financial position to purchase upper market cars since their per capita income is high. The demographics of the people capable of purchasing BMW are men and women who are aged 30-50 years old. Prior to purchasing BMW, people possess favourable image in their mind. They prefer cars that look sporty and modern. The benefits sought by these people are reliability, superiority, quality and performance (Slideshare, 2012). Competitor Analysis It has been found that the company faces direct competition for its each series ranges. The main competitors of the company are Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, Ford, Range Rover and Porsche among others. Among them, Ford Motor Company is found to be the main competitor of BMW, taking away high share of the automotive market. It has been obs erved that the overall balance sheet value of Ford Motor Company tends to surpass 7 times ‘correspondent value’ of BMW Group (BMW Limited, 2011). Climate In the present times, the political

Information Management and Statistics, Component A - Case Study Essay

Information Management and Statistics, Component A - Case Study Assessment - Essay Example This paper discusses how chase bank manages their data so as not to hurt their dear customers in the human resources department. It also deals with how the organizations gears towards tight security for their customers’ information from online data warfare which has been growing each day. Further, it will review the ethical issues involved when there is data loss of any magnitude. In addition, this paper will evaluate the laws and the set regulations which are aimed at protecting organizations, and in particular banks, from this menace. Electronic commerce depends entirely data and its security which emanates from how it is managed in the organization and the way customers perceive the organization as far as the issue of data security is concerned (Agnes, G.M 2004). Personal data held by chase bank is under threat from many unauthorized users and their numbers have been rising daily. Credit cards data, identity card numbers, account number as well as social security card numbers are some of the forms data which is most targeted. In this regard, the human resources department has come up with some procedures to manage data and to provide the needed security. First, it is the obligation of the human resources department to ensure that only the well qualified are employed and allowed to see customer’s data. In chase bank, the human resources department uses databases in the management of data about there employees and about customers. The use of a database is an effective way of storing data about a certain aspect at once. Databases in the bank allows for instant changes in the data thus affecting the whole database and not just changing file by file. The database is administered by an expert who engineered it; he has become part of the data management team. Further, through the IT department, the human resources

The Social Network Essay Example for Free

The Social Network Essay Darth Vader chose power over his love for Padme. He states that would rather rule the galaxy than raise a family with his wife. Due to his lust of power, he has lost morality to gain a higher status. Darth Vader disposes all of his potential threats, such as the younger Jedis, so that they would not block his path to gain power, not matter what the consequence. Both Darth Vader and Macbeth had a fatal flaw of power. Therefore intertextual links made via discourses still show the relevance between Elizabethan era and modern society. Archetypes are typical example of a certain person or thing. The archetypal character, Lady Macbeth, can be intertextually linked to Julia Guillard who both have the archetype of a seductress. During the play, the audience can figure out that Lady Macbeth is a seductress. A seductress can be defined as a woman who seduces or manipulates a man to get what she wants. Lady Macbeth can be seen as a seductress by manipulating Macbeths thought telling Macbeth that he is not a man because he could not provide her with any children and if he was unable to go through with the plot to murder Duncan. Macbeth was a man with a proud lineage and a reputation that has granted him the opportunity to be given titles and lands. Lady Macbeth had saw an advantage to this and convinced Macbeth that he could achieve more. Lady Macbeth wanted power and a higher status, but the only way was to force Macbeth into committing murders of higher statures. Lady Macbeth has a very prominent flaw that was her undoing. She was a partner of Macbeth in the killing of Duncan. Though she was not at the murder scene, she convinced her husband to kill Duncan as she could not commit such crimes herself. Julia Gillard can also be considered as a seductress. She meets the criteria of manipulation in order to achieve what she desires. If Gillard (along with others) had not convinced Rudd to slay the ETS, the polls wouldnt have been as terrible. Rudd wouldnt have got the chop and he may have survived, with Gillard to have logically succeeded him in time. By then climate wouldnt have been a problem for the government. But if the issue dominates the next national vote (whether it be a referendum or a general election), Gillard may, like Lady Macbeth, have created her own undoing. - (5) Julia Gillard manipulated Kevins into slaying the ETS, which has lead to Kevins downfall. It was not necessary for Julia to lead Kevin to his downfall as she would have become Prime Minister in time. However, her ambition of having a higher status in politics was strong, hence creating a flaw in her government, leading to her downfall. Both women have seduced their partners into becoming something greater, leading to their downfall. The audience can easily identify both women being the archetypal character of a seductress. Despite the fact that it Shakespearean plays were written over 400 years ago, it is still relevant to modern society. It is evident that the genre of tragic hero can still be found in modern texts such as The Scarlet letter. In addition, discourses of betrayal and lust for power apparent to films such as Star Wars and The Social Network which can intertextually linked to Macbeth. The audiences are able to recognise the archetypal seductress in Julia Gillard and Lady Macbeth. Through genre, discourses and archetype characters, the audience can still identify the intertexual links between the Elizabethan era and modern text. Reference list 1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Published on March 1981 2. The Social Network directed by David Fincher Columbian Pictures, 2010 3. Macbeth by William Shakespeare 4. Star Wars episode 3: revenge of the sith directed by George Lucas 2005 5. http://www. theage. com. au/opinion/lady-gillard-must-confront-climate-change-20110228-1bb3u. html, The age, Bella Counihan, Lady Gillard must confront climate change  http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/lady-gillard-must-confront-climate-change-20110228-1bb3u.html

A Mans Car :: Personal Narrative Automotive Papers

A Man's Car Any guy can tell you about his first time. The moment he knew it would happen, usually some fateful day after school. He slowly slipped in, then just froze, enjoying that single moment, hardly believing it was happening. Then, slowly but surely, with years of seeming evolution guiding him, he begins moving, changing his position, pushing buttons, then the final blissful moment†¦he turned the key and the car actually STARTED!! In that singular moment, an addiction is formed for most men. Contrary to popular belief, it has little to do with thinking it impresses women, and nothing to do with his penis size. Nearly 100 years ago, man gave birth, without the aid of a woman, to his own startlingly ugly little creation. And much like woman does, he has been taking that ugly creation and sticking it in other's faces, and asking "Isn't it beautiful?" or some variation thereof. After a few forty-odd years or so of evolution, a genuine automotive culture sprang up that's as American as, well, a Chevrolet. It became a minor sign of adulthood, for the young man to earn his license at the age of 16. Even moreso when he managed to get his hands on his first car of his very own. Women are certainly not excluded from this right of passage, but due to the sexual status of men and women when the car culture first began, it was predominently male, and continues to be. The young man, now outfitted with a license and wheels, was suddenly able to visit friends without his parents' knowledge or aid. To visit and pick up girls without his parents' knowledge or aid. To come home at any time of night without his parents'...aid (usually they somehow find out how late it was, and the young man remembers he's still a boy). All this sybolism and freedom offered by the automobile coupled with the raging repressed Oedipal complex of most teennage males makes for a hell of a need to get that license, get the car, and get out once in a while. Oedipus? Where does he come in? Have you ever seen a teenage male driving? The expression "Drive it like you stole it!" comes to mind. Every man remembers the first time he was driving faster then his father ever did, and a lucky few remember seeing the look on their father's face when they came home in their new sports car, and Dad's sad expression when he looked at his old grocery getter.

Cola Wars: Porters 5 Forces

Michael Porter developed five different forces in a framework he felt influenced industries. This framework was designed to help companies find ways to off-set a rival company and to help develop a more solid business plan. It has been known over the years a rivalry has existed been two of the biggest soda companies, Coca Cola and Pepsi. Three of Porter’s forces that are exemplified in this â€Å"coke war† are buyer power, barriers to entry, and rivalry which will be explained and elaborated on in the following essay. Buyer PowerThe retailers have a low to moderate buyer power over the consumer soft drink industry, due to the producer’s ability to forward integrate, the sheer number of buyers, and the buyer’s ability to forward integrate. Buyer power is the degree of influence customers have on the producing agent. Soft drink companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi have used forward integration to take over their channels of distribution. They created contra cts that gave them the ability to set concentrate prices for their bottlers; in turn bottlers would respond to price fulgurations by adjusting retail pricing.In 2000, when Coca Cola raised concentrate prices by 7. 6%, bottlers raised the retail prices by 6 to 7%. This demonstrates that buyers have limited control over the price changes. Coca Cola has also made great efforts to take over the bottling of their product, by establishing the independent subsidiary Coca Cola Enterprises. They began by acquiring bottlers to produce one third of their volume during 1986 which increased to 80% in 2004. This gave Coca Cola more control over retail pricing, and distribution of their products to retail stores.Since there are so many retail stores that carry products that consumer soft drink, CSD, companies make, it is hard for buyers to create a collaborative effort to resist price increases. Buyer power also suffers if retailers are fragmented and are not concentrated to a single type. Almost any type of store will carry a CSD product, which makes sales very spread out across the board. The different kinds of intermediaries involved in retail sales are Fountain and Vending machines, Super-markets, Convenience and Gas, Super Centers, Mass Retailers, and Club and Drug Stores.To put things in perspective 34 % of sales comes from Fountain and Vending, while 31% are from supermarkets. Fountain and Vending machines are mostly controlled by the CSD bottlers. Even though supermarkets may sell the second largest volume, CSD companies make up 5. 5% of their sales and also bring customers to their door. Not enough to convince you? Consider this: CSD companies such as Coca Cola produce a wide variety of products ranging from sports drinks to water, all the way to energy drinks. Coca Cola most likely will not sell a product to a supermarket unless they carry their full line of products.If the retail prices increase on the Coca Cola product they may have little control over resistance , because they rely on the other products they provide. Lastly, Coca Cola is considered the most valuable brand in the world, with 10 major successful brands and substantial power in the realm of business. Although Coca Cola may have a significant amount of power over their buyers, companies with much smaller market share, and product lines are taken advantage of by larger retailers. For example, mass merchandisers make up 14% of Pepsi’s total revenue, making that intermediary crucial to the company’s profitability.In some cases retailers do have power to resist price increases because they purchase a large number of outputs. Typically there are far more buyers than concentrate producers, which can give them leverage over smaller brands that rely on the sales they generate. Barriers to Entry When entering a market there are certain barriers that prevent a firm from becoming established, or gaining market share. In the consumer soft drink industry there are high capital requirements, unequal access to distribution channels, and brand loyalty which translates to high barriers to entry.In the text it states the price of a concentrate manufacturing plant is fairly reasonable. Manufacturing facilities cost around $25 million, and $50 million including machinery, overhead, and labor. For established companies with separate revenue streams, generating this kind of money could be fairly reasonable, especially since one of these plants can serve the entire country. Coca Cola and Pepsi operate around 100 plants each for adequate distribution of their product. New entrants would have a hard time investing enough capital that would be required to keep up with Coke and Pepsi’s istribution. Advertising and promotion costs are also high in 2004; Coca Cola spent $246,243 just on advertising their cola product. This shows that in order to compete in this industry, entrants are forced to spend large sums of money on advertising, packaging, proliferation, an d widespread retail price discounting. The high capital investment also translates to lowers profit margins, which makes entry even more unappealing. Another factor that creates a barrier to entry is the unequal access to distribution channels.Coke and Pepsi created agreements with their franchised bottlers that prevent them from handling competing brands of other concentrate producers. This prevents companies from entering an industry and using a Coca Cola bottler to get their product on the market. Also as Coca Cola and Pepsi grow in size so does the shelf space they require. As stated previously Coca Cola and Pepsi produce around 10 brands each, this constricts the amount of shelf space an entry producer will have access to. The top two cola companies have also made a significant amount of acquisitions, to boost the distribution of their products relative to their competitors.Coca Cola won 68% pouring rights against Pepsi’s 22% and Cadbury Schweppes 10%, across the United States. The reason Coca Cola has a majority of the pouring rights is because their agreements with Burger King and McDonalds, as well as their exclusive pouring rights and contracts around the world; whereas entry producers do not have the capital to invest, in buying out pouring rights. The ability to use vending machine technology requires a high capital investment from incumbent firms. Coca Cola and Pepsi offer their bottlers incentives to develop vending machine technology which accounts for 34% of the industry sales volume.Entry companies would have to invest in this technology to compete with the volume sales figures. One of the marketing goals of a company is to establish brand loyalty. When brand loyalty is achieved, customers will most likely not switch to a competitors brand. As a barrier to entry, brand loyalty is affected by many factors, such as presence in the market, or advertising and promotion efforts, to name a few. Both Coca Cola and Pepsi were created in the 80â €™s, as pioneers of the cola industry. Coca Cola was the first to invent the original cola recipe, and patent the 6. -oz bottle. Coca Cola also used strong promotional efforts in World War II, which contributed to brand identity. The case does not supply information regarding the sales across different age groups, but I believe figures would suggest higher sales levels across the ages compared to newer brands. It is apparent that the companies with the longest presence in the industry have the highest market share, which also directly correlates with the amount of advertising each company has expended over time.Another perfect example of this trend in the CSD industry is energy drink company Red Bull, having the largest market share while also spending the most on advertising. This goes to show by having consistently strong promotional efforts and advertising both Coca Cola and Red Bull have excelled in their markets. It is difficult for new entrants of soft drink market to matc h the brand loyalty Coca Cola has established through aggressive advertising over the course of the company’s existence. Rivalry In the beverage industry rivalry is at best a mechanism that drives profits and keeps the industry in motion.Coca Cola explains that they are in the position they are in today because of their rivalry with Pepsi. Rivalry is high because of the competition between top brands, low product differentiation and slow industry growth. It is clear that there is a substantial rivalry between Coca Cola and Pepsi that alone claim 74. 8 % of the U. S. CSD market as of 2004. Not only does this information tell us that there is a small amount of major competitors in the industry, but it also says that there is a fight for market share with the top two brands. This is most exemplified in the advertising expenditure of the two companies.During 2003 Pepsi spend a total of $236,396 on advertising while Coca Cola spent $167,675; the year after Coke responded by raisin g their advertising expenditure to $246,243. This trend also happened in 1981 to 1984, when coke doubled its advertising spending; as a result Pepsi did as well. The next variable that contributes to the high degree of rivalry is the low product differentiation. Although there are many efforts made by beverage companies to differentiate their product from others, there are no truly unique attributes about a single CSD brand. Each cola company provides a elatively similar option in packaging, container size and ounces per container. It is typical for companies such as Coca Cola and Pepsi offer 10 different brands, 17 container types and provide many discounts and promotions. For example Coke make Sprite and Pepsi has Sierra Mist and Dr Pepper owns 7UP; this creates a rivalry over who has the best lemon lime soft drink product. To show my point, Pepsi launched â€Å"The Pepsi Challenge†, which gave customers the ability to try out the different brands and see how they compare. Pepsi knew they needed to find a way to show consumers the difference between their brand and the competitors.This approach fueled the rivalry among other CSD companies especially Coca Cola. Slow industry growth spurs rivalry because it calls for companies to develop new competitive advantages and core competencies to keep sales alive. The market share for cola products has dropped from 71% in 1990, to 60% in 2004. Other products such as energy drinks and bottled water are increasing in market share, as consumers switch their focus to more functional and healthy alternatives. Goizueta said, â€Å"The product and the brand, had a declining share in a shrinking segment of the market. Signifying the need for soft drink manufacturers to find new ways to boost sales and increase rivalry. To put a number on these increasing trends, bottled water volume sales grew by 18. 8% in 2004, compared to 7. 6% non-carb CSDs and1% CSD growth. Top companies now have to find ways to proliferate their CSD products in relation to their rivals. It is also a definite possibility with the slow sales volume growth of 10 billion cases in 2001 to 10. 2 in 2004 that companies will invest in new beverage arenas such as the functional category, thus creating new rivalries.