Essay about California Missions †Monuments or Tombstones

California Missions – Monuments or Tombstones? Most Californians are introduced to the California Mission system in one of two ways: in their early education, or when they first visit a mission. Unfortunately, both methods are prone to simplification or bias in conveying the history of the missions. What this has led to is Californians who are ignorant of the history of the land they walk on. Consequently, visitors to the missions treat them as mere tourist attractions, instead of trying to embrace and understand the complex issues the missions represent. The issue was brought sharply into focus for me recently, when I was in the cemetery of Mission Santa Barbara. It was a sunny afternoon and the tiny graveyard was crowded with†¦show more content†¦Then you construct a model of a mission out of sugar cubes. For most people, this is all they will learn about the missions unless they visit one. While each mission is unique, most of what you learn in one is the same. My first visit to a mission was as a child with my grandmother. We visited San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo and San Juan Bautista. Both were presented as old churches that the Indians and Mexicans came to practice at and lived in. I looked through the glass cases and saw the tools and pictures and copies of the Bible. The placards described what the tools were used for and where the Bibles came from. The drawings showed Father Serra or the lands as they looked then. The recent tour I did of the missions showed that things had not changed much. In fact, by the 8th mission, I was bored by seeing the same tools in the same glass cases, bored and frustrated, because that was the knowledge most people were content to leave with. Now I will tell you why we shouldnt settle for artifacts with explanations of their use as the whole story. California had a population of at least 300,000 Native Americans who spoke at least 100 languages. These people lived on this land for centuries before the Spaniards showed up. Of course, you would never know that if you only learn from a mission or an elementary school. We are only told about the California Indians use of tools or baking of adobe

Borderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd ) - 1618 Words

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Borderline Personality Disorder Borderline personality disorder is defined in the DSM IV, a manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose all mental disorders, as an AXIS II disorder which has symptoms of impulsively and emotional dysregulation (Livesley 146). A person with BPD have feelings of abandonment and emptiness, and have frantic efforts to avoid abandonment, going to extremes to keep someone from leaving (Burger 300). He or she is emotionally unstable and forms intense but unstable interpersonal relationships. They show impulsive behavior, such as spending money, sex, eating and substance abuse. Borderlines engage in self-manipulating behaviors and recurrent suicide attempts and thoughts.†¦show more content†¦Individuals with this disorder do not simply drift in and out of friendships, but instead show abrupt, frequent and dramatic changes between intense love and equally intense hate (Durand 334) in any one relationship. The fluctuations in their mood, involved with their anger; involved with their th ought disturbances, and mixed with their paranoid thoughts about betrayal and abandonment by others; as well as their impulsiveness make it difficult to maintain relationships with others. Borderlines have problems with their mood. Their mood is not manic, but alternates between normal and flat to moderate or severe depression (Livesley 150). These individuals also go through periods of intense anger that can interfere with effective social functioning. Persons with borderline personality disorder are very vulnerable, and usually over-react to stress. These individuals usually form unstable and intense love-hate relationships, either a person or situation is all-good, or if any problems occur, all-bad (Durand 273). The borderline s anger usually alienates a relationship yet the borderline will make frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment (Burger 299). People with BPD angrily fear the abandonment of their friend or loved one and have episodic angry outbursts in fear that the person might abandon him or her. Recent research has shown that medications can significantly relieve the suffering of borderline patients when used in combination withShow MoreRela tedBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd )932 Words   |  4 PagesBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is an emotional disorder that causes emotional instability, leading to stress and other problems. With borderline personality disorder your image of yourself is distorted, making you feel worthless and fundamentally flawed. Your anger, impulsivity and frequent mood swings may push others away, even though you desire loving relationships. It is an often misunderstood, serious mental illness characterized by pervasive instability in moods, interpersonal relationshipsRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd )1484 Words   |  6 PagesBorderline Personality Disorder is one of the many serious mental conditions that is challenge to the individual suffering as well as family, friends or co-workers. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is known by impulsive behavior and instability, self-image and personal relationship issues. Individuals suffering from BPD may experience many of these symptoms listed in the DSM-V, â€Å"inappropriate, uncontrollable or vehement anger, chronic boredom or feelings of emptiness, extreme efforts to avoidRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd )1136 Words   |  5 PagesThe Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R) was designed to reliably diagnose Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It is not a global diagnostic assessment. Rather, the purpose of the DIB-R is to distinguish Borderline Personality Disorder from other clinical diagnoses (Gunderson, Kolb, Austin, 1981). Development John Gunderson, M.D. and Jonathon Kolb, M.D developed the Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB) in 1976 (Hurt, Clarkin, Koenigsberg, Frances, Nurnberg, 1986).Read MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd ) Essay2620 Words   |  11 PagesBorderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a disorder that effects every day life for the patient. The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) has it listed under the personality disorders because it is not something that comes and goes with any type of pattern or cause, the person with BPD has to live with it everyday. It can effect everything from relationships to common day to day activities. Borderline Personality Disorder is a disorder that is a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonalRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd )2994 Words   |  12 PagesBorderline Personality Disorder (BPD), an unpredictable change of mood which stems from prolonged childhood stress, affects nearly two percent of the adult population, pre dominantly younger women. BPD, one of the most common personality disorders, has become a female malady; however, men can also acquire BPD. Males diagnosed with borderline do not develop the characteristic of instability like women do; nonetheless, they inherit â€Å"rigid, defensive, and hyper-vigilant† traits (Moskovitz 4, 115) (FrancesRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd ) Essay1772 Words   |  8 PagesBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by difficulties in regulating emotion. This difficulty leads to severe, unstable mood swings, impulsivity and instability, poor self-image, and troubled personal relationships. When Adolf Stern first coined the term border line in 1938, he used it to describe outpatients that did not fall into the standard classification system used in the psychiatric profession. Patients with this disorder had what he determined as, â€Å"associative thinkingRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd ) Essay2257 Words   |  10 PagesBorderline Personality Disorder is a serious psychiatric disorder that is not well known among the greater population. Throughout the years many advances to treat a once untreatable disorder have been developed. This paper reviews the diagnostic features of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and its many methods of treatment, in efforts to bring a greater awareness of its presence. Within this body of reading the clinical presentation, diagnostic criteria, treatment methods, prevalence and incidenceRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd )2409 Words   |  10 PagesBorderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a personality disorder resulting in an abnormal pattern of behavior such as: extreme fear of abandonment; unstable relationships with other people, sense of self, or emotions; feelings of emptiness; frequent dangerous behavior; and self-harm. Symptoms of BPD appear to show in early adulthood and can be triggered by a variety of what appears to be normal life events. Along with personality issues comes substance abuse problems, depression, and eating disordersRead MoreBorderline Personality Disorder ( Bpd )2273 Words   |  10 PagesBorderline Personality Disorder Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex and serious mental disorder involving the inability to manage emotions effectively and exhibiting maladaptive behaviors characterized by unstable moods and relationships (NIMH, 2013). Individuals with BPD are very sensitive to environmental circumstances and the perception of rejection and separation (DSM-5, 2013). These individuals may exhibit excessive fears of abandonment and inappropriate anger when facing separationRead MoreEffects Of Borderline Personality Disorders ( Bpd ) Essay1812 Words   |  8 Pagesconsumers with borderline personality disorders (BPD) and how they are slightly different from treating other disorders. Rates of co-occurring mental health disorders are very high among individuals with BPD, which present challenges for treatments in those individuals. This paper will explore the complications in diagnosing consumers due to the fact that borderline personality disorder rarely stands alone and is often co-occu rring with other disorders. Gender differences among individuals with BPD will be

Angels Demons Chapter 20-23 Free Essays

string(37) " plasma rolled slowly in suspension\." 20 Phase two, the Hassassin thought, striding into the darkened tunnel. The torch in his hand was overkill. He knew that. We will write a custom essay sample on Angels Demons Chapter 20-23 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But it was for effect. Effect was everything. Fear, he had learned, was his ally. Fear cripples faster than any implement of war. There was no mirror in the passage to admire his disguise, but he could sense from the shadow of his billowing robe that he was perfect. Blending in was part of the plan†¦ part of the depravity of the plot. In his wildest dreams he had never imagined playing this part. Two weeks ago, he would have considered the task awaiting him at the far end of this tunnel impossible. A suicide mission. Walking naked into a lion’s lair. But Janus had changed the definition of impossible. The secrets Janus had shared with the Hassassin in the last two weeks had been numerous†¦ this very tunnel being one of them. Ancient, and yet still perfectly passable. As he drew closer to his enemy, the Hassassin wondered if what awaited him inside would be as easy as Janus had promised. Janus had assured him someone on the inside would make the necessary arrangements. Someone on the inside. Incredible. The more he considered it, the more he realized it was child’s play. Wahad†¦ tintain†¦ thalatha†¦ arbaa, he said to himself in Arabic as he neared the end. One†¦ two†¦ three†¦ four†¦ 21 â€Å"I sense you’ve heard of antimatter, Mr. Langdon?† Vittoria was studying him, her dark skin in stark contrast to the white lab. Langdon looked up. He felt suddenly dumb. â€Å"Yes. Well†¦ sort of.† A faint smile crossed her lips. â€Å"You watch Star Trek.† Langdon flushed. â€Å"Well, my students enjoy†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned. â€Å"Isn’t antimatter what fuels the U.S.S. Enterprise?† She nodded. â€Å"Good science fiction has its roots in good science.† â€Å"So antimatter is real?† â€Å"A fact of nature. Everything has an opposite. Protons have electrons. Up-quarks have down-quarks. There is a cosmic symmetry at the subatomic level. Antimatter is yin to matter’s yang. It balances the physical equation.† Langdon thought of Galileo’s belief of duality. â€Å"Scientists have known since 1918,† Vittoria said, â€Å"that two kinds of matter were created in the Big Bang. One matter is the kind we see here on earth, making up rocks, trees, people. The other is its inverse – identical to matter in all respects except that the charges of its particles are reversed.† Kohler spoke as though emerging from a fog. His voice sounded suddenly precarious. â€Å"But there are enormous technological barriers to actually storing antimatter. What about neutralization?† â€Å"My father built a reverse polarity vacuum to pull the antimatter positrons out of the accelerator before they could decay.† Kohler scowled. â€Å"But a vacuum would pull out the matter also. There would be no way to separate the particles.† â€Å"He applied a magnetic field. Matter arced right, and antimatter arced left. They are polar opposites.† At that instant, Kohler’s wall of doubt seemed to crack. He looked up at Vittoria in clear astonishment and then without warning was overcome by a fit of coughing. â€Å"Incred†¦ ible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he said, wiping his mouth, â€Å"and yet†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It seemed his logic was still resisting. â€Å"Yet even if the vacuum worked, these canisters are made of matter. Antimatter cannot be stored inside canisters made out of matter. The antimatter would instantly react with – â€Å" â€Å"The specimen is not touching the canister,† Vittoria said, apparently expecting the question. â€Å"The antimatter is suspended. The canisters are called ‘antimatter traps’ because they literally trap the antimatter in the center of the canister, suspending it at a safe distance from the sides and bottom.† â€Å"Suspended? But†¦ how?† â€Å"Between two intersecting magnetic fields. Here, have a look.† Vittoria walked across the room and retrieved a large electronic apparatus. The contraption reminded Langdon of some sort of cartoon ray gun – a wide cannonlike barrel with a sighting scope on top and a tangle of electronics dangling below. Vittoria aligned the scope with one of the canisters, peered into the eyepiece, and calibrated some knobs. Then she stepped away, offering Kohler a look. Kohler looked nonplussed. â€Å"You collected visible amounts?† â€Å"Five thousand nanograms,† Vittoria said. â€Å"A liquid plasma containing millions of positrons.† â€Å"Millions? But a few particles is all anyone has ever detected†¦ anywhere.† â€Å"Xenon,† Vittoria said flatly. â€Å"He accelerated the particle beam through a jet of xenon, stripping away the electrons. He insisted on keeping the exact procedure a secret, but it involved simultaneously injecting raw electrons into the accelerator.† Langdon felt lost, wondering if their conversation was still in English. Kohler paused, the lines in his brow deepening. Suddenly he drew a short breath. He slumped like he’d been hit with a bullet. â€Å"Technically that would leave†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Vittoria nodded. â€Å"Yes. Lots of it.† Kohler returned his gaze to the canister before him. With a look of uncertainty, he hoisted himself in his chair and placed his eye to the viewer, peering inside. He stared a long time without saying anything. When he finally sat down, his forehead was covered with sweat. The lines on his face had disappeared. His voice was a whisper. â€Å"My God†¦ you really did it.† Vittoria nodded. â€Å"My father did it.† â€Å"I†¦ I don’t know what to say.† Vittoria turned to Langdon. â€Å"Would you like a look?† She motioned to the viewing device. Uncertain what to expect, Langdon moved forward. From two feet away, the canister appeared empty. Whatever was inside was infinitesimal. Langdon placed his eye to the viewer. It took a moment for the image before him to come into focus. Then he saw it. The object was not on the bottom of the container as he expected, but rather it was floating in the center – suspended in midair – a shimmering globule of mercurylike liquid. Hovering as if by magic, the liquid tumbled in space. Metallic wavelets rippled across the droplet’s surface. The suspended fluid reminded Langdon of a video he had once seen of a water droplet in zero G. Although he knew the globule was microscopic, he could see every changing gorge and undulation as the ball of plasma rolled slowly in suspension. You read "Angels Demons Chapter 20-23" in category "Essay examples" â€Å"It’s†¦ floating,† he said. â€Å"It had better be,† Vittoria replied. â€Å"Antimatter is highly unstable. Energetically speaking, antimatter is the mirror image of matter, so the two instantly cancel each other out if they come in contact. Keeping antimatter isolated from matter is a challenge, of course, because everything on earth is made of matter. The samples have to be stored without ever touching anything at all – even air.† Langdon was amazed. Talk about working in a vacuum. â€Å"These antimatter traps?† Kohler interrupted, looking amazed as he ran a pallid finger around one’s base. â€Å"They are your father’s design?† â€Å"Actually,† she said, â€Å"they are mine.† Kohler looked up. Vittoria’s voice was unassuming. â€Å"My father produced the first particles of antimatter but was stymied by how to store them. I suggested these. Airtight nanocomposite shells with opposing electromagnets at each end.† â€Å"It seems your father’s genius has rubbed off.† â€Å"Not really. I borrowed the idea from nature. Portuguese man-o’-wars trap fish between their tentacles using nematocystic charges. Same principle here. Each canister has two electromagnets, one at each end. Their opposing magnetic fields intersect in the center of the canister and hold the antimatter there, suspended in midvacuum.† Langdon looked again at the canister. Antimatter floating in a vacuum, not touching anything at all. Kohler was right. It was genius. â€Å"Where’s the power source for the magnets?† Kohler asked. Vittoria pointed. â€Å"In the pillar beneath the trap. The canisters are screwed into a docking port that continuously recharges them so the magnets never fail.† â€Å"And if the field fails?† â€Å"The obvious. The antimatter falls out of suspension, hits the bottom of the trap, and we see an annihilation.† Langdon’s ears pricked up. â€Å"Annihilation?† He didn’t like the sound of it. Vittoria looked unconcerned. â€Å"Yes. If antimatter and matter make contact, both are destroyed instantly. Physicists call the process ‘annihilation.’ â€Å" Langdon nodded. â€Å"Oh.† â€Å"It is nature’s simplest reaction. A particle of matter and a particle of antimatter combine to release two new particles – called photons. A photon is effectively a tiny puff of light.† Langdon had read about photons – light particles – the purest form of energy. He decided to refrain from asking about Captain Kirk’s use of photon torpedoes against the Klingons. â€Å"So if the antimatter falls, we see a tiny puff of light?† Vittoria shrugged. â€Å"Depends what you call tiny. Here, let me demonstrate.† She reached for the canister and started to unscrew it from its charging podium. Without warning, Kohler let out a cry of terror and lunged forward, knocking her hands away. â€Å"Vittoria! Are you insane?† 22 Kohler, incredibly, was standing for a moment, teetering on two withered legs. His face was white with fear. â€Å"Vittoria! You can’t remove that trap!† Langdon watched, bewildered by the director’s sudden panic. â€Å"Five hundred nanograms!† Kohler said. â€Å"If you break the magnetic field – â€Å" â€Å"Director,† Vittoria assured, â€Å"it’s perfectly safe. Every trap has a failsafe – a back-up battery in case it is removed from its recharger. The specimen remains suspended even if I remove the canister.† Kohler looked uncertain. Then, hesitantly, he settled back into his chair. â€Å"The batteries activate automatically,† Vittoria said, â€Å"when the trap is moved from the recharger. They work for twenty-four hours. Like a reserve tank of gas.† She turned to Langdon, as if sensing his discomfort. â€Å"Antimatter has some astonishing characteristics, Mr. Langdon, which make it quite dangerous. A ten milligram sample – the volume of a grain of sand – is hypothesized to hold as much energy as about two hundred metric tons of conventional rocket fuel.† Langdon’s head was spinning again. â€Å"It is the energy source of tomorrow. A thousand times more powerful than nuclear energy. One hundred percent efficient. No byproducts. No radiation. No pollution. A few grams could power a major city for a week.† Grams? Langdon stepped uneasily back from the podium. â€Å"Don’t worry,† Vittoria said. â€Å"These samples are minuscule fractions of a gram – millionths. Relatively harmless.† She reached for the canister again and twisted it from its docking platform. Kohler twitched but did not interfere. As the trap came free, there was a sharp beep, and a small LED display activated near the base of the trap. The red digits blinked, counting down from twenty-four hours. 24:00:00†¦ 23:59:59†¦ 23:59:58†¦ Langdon studied the descending counter and decided it looked unsettlingly like a time bomb. â€Å"The battery,† Vittoria explained, â€Å"will run for the full twenty-four hours before dying. It can be recharged by placing the trap back on the podium. It’s designed as a safety measure, but it’s also convenient for transport.† â€Å"Transport?† Kohler looked thunderstruck. â€Å"You take this stuff out of the lab?† â€Å"Of course not,† Vittoria said. â€Å"But the mobility allows us to study it.† Vittoria led Langdon and Kohler to the far end of the room. She pulled a curtain aside to reveal a window, beyond which was a large room. The walls, floors, and ceiling were entirely plated in steel. The room reminded Langdon of the holding tank of an oil freighter he had once taken to Papua New Guinea to study Hanta body graffiti. â€Å"It’s an annihilation tank,† Vittoria declared. Kohler looked up. â€Å"You actually observe annihilations?† â€Å"My father was fascinated with the physics of the Big Bang – large amounts of energy from minuscule kernels of matter.† Vittoria pulled open a steel drawer beneath the window. She placed the trap inside the drawer and closed it. Then she pulled a lever beside the drawer. A moment later, the trap appeared on the other side of the glass, rolling smoothly in a wide arc across the metal floor until it came to a stop near the center of the room. Vittoria gave a tight smile. â€Å"You’re about to witness your first antimatter-matter annihilation. A few millionths of a gram. A relatively minuscule specimen.† Langdon looked out at the antimatter trap sitting alone on the floor of the enormous tank. Kohler also turned toward the window, looking uncertain. â€Å"Normally,† Vittoria explained, â€Å"we’d have to wait the full twenty-four hours until the batteries died, but this chamber contains magnets beneath the floor that can override the trap, pulling the antimatter out of suspension. And when the matter and antimatter touch†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Annihilation,† Kohler whispered. â€Å"One more thing,† Vittoria said. â€Å"Antimatter releases pure energy. A one hundred percent conversion of mass to photons. So don’t look directly at the sample. Shield your eyes.† Langdon was wary, but he now sensed Vittoria was being overly dramatic. Don’t look directly at the canister? The device was more than thirty yards away, behind an ultrathick wall of tinted Plexiglas. Moreover, the speck in the canister was invisible, microscopic. Shield my eyes? Langdon thought. How much energy could that speck possibly – Vittoria pressed the button. Instantly, Langdon was blinded. A brilliant point of light shone in the canister and then exploded outward in a shock wave of light that radiated in all directions, erupting against the window before him with thunderous force. He stumbled back as the detonation rocked the vault. The light burned bright for a moment, searing, and then, after an instant, it rushed back inward, absorbing in on itself, and collapsing into a tiny speck that disappeared to nothing. Langdon blinked in pain, slowly recovering his eyesight. He squinted into the smoldering chamber. The canister on the floor had entirely disappeared. Vaporized. Not a trace. He stared in wonder. â€Å"G†¦ God.† Vittoria nodded sadly. â€Å"That’s precisely what my father said.† 23 Kohler was staring into the annihilation chamber with a look of utter amazement at the spectacle he had just seen. Robert Langdon was beside him, looking even more dazed. â€Å"I want to see my father,† Vittoria demanded. â€Å"I showed you the lab. Now I want to see my father.† Kohler turned slowly, apparently not hearing her. â€Å"Why did you wait so long, Vittoria? You and your father should have told me about this discovery immediately.† Vittoria stared at him. How many reasons do you want? â€Å"Director, we can argue about this later. Right now, I want to see my father.† â€Å"Do you know what this technology implies?† â€Å"Sure,† Vittoria shot back. â€Å"Revenue for CERN. A lot of it. Now I want – â€Å" â€Å"Is that why you kept it secret?† Kohler demanded, clearly baiting her. â€Å"Because you feared the board and I would vote to license it out?† â€Å"It should be licensed,† Vittoria fired back, feeling herself dragged into the argument. â€Å"Antimatter is important technology. But it’s also dangerous. My father and I wanted time to refine the procedures and make it safe.† â€Å"In other words, you didn’t trust the board of directors to place prudent science before financial greed.† Vittoria was surprised with the indifference in Kohler’s tone. â€Å"There were other issues as well,† she said. â€Å"My father wanted time to present antimatter in the appropriate light.† â€Å"Meaning?† What do you think I mean? â€Å"Matter from energy? Something from nothing? It’s practically proof that Genesis is a scientific possibility.† â€Å"So he didn’t want the religious implications of his discovery lost in an onslaught of commercialism?† â€Å"In a manner of speaking.† â€Å"And you?† Vittoria’s concerns, ironically, were somewhat the opposite. Commercialism was critical for the success of any new energy source. Although antimatter technology had staggering potential as an efficient and nonpolluting energy source – if unveiled prematurely, antimatter ran the risk of being vilified by the politics and PR fiascoes that had killed nuclear and solar power. Nuclear had proliferated before it was safe, and there were accidents. Solar had proliferated before it was efficient, and people lost money. Both technologies got bad reputations and withered on the vine. â€Å"My interests,† Vittoria said, â€Å"were a bit less lofty than uniting science and religion.† â€Å"The environment,† Kohler ventured assuredly. â€Å"Limitless energy. No strip mining. No pollution. No radiation. Antimatter technology could save the planet.† â€Å"Or destroy it,† Kohler quipped. â€Å"Depending on who uses it for what.† Vittoria felt a chill emanating from Kohler’s crippled form. â€Å"Who else knew about this?† he asked. â€Å"No one,† Vittoria said. â€Å"I told you that.† â€Å"Then why do you think your father was killed?† Vittoria’s muscles tightened. â€Å"I have no idea. He had enemies here at CERN, you know that, but it couldn’t have had anything to do with antimatter. We swore to each other to keep it between us for another few months, until we were ready.† â€Å"And you’re certain your father kept his vow of silence?† Now Vittoria was getting mad. â€Å"My father has kept tougher vows than that!† â€Å"And you told no one?† â€Å"Of course not!† Kohler exhaled. He paused, as though choosing his next words carefully. â€Å"Suppose someone did find out. And suppose someone gained access to this lab. What do you imagine they would be after? Did your father have notes down here? Documentation of his processes?† â€Å"Director, I’ve been patient. I need some answers now. You keep talking about a break-in, but you saw the retina scan. My father has been vigilant about secrecy and security.† â€Å"Humor me,† Kohler snapped, startling her. â€Å"What would be missing?† â€Å"I have no idea.† Vittoria angrily scanned the lab. All the antimatter specimens were accounted for. Her father’s work area looked in order. â€Å"Nobody came in here,† she declared. â€Å"Everything up here looks fine.† Kohler looked surprised. â€Å"Up here?† Vittoria had said it instinctively. â€Å"Yes, here in the upper lab.† â€Å"You’re using the lower lab too?† â€Å"For storage.† Kohler rolled toward her, coughing again. â€Å"You’re using the Haz-Mat chamber for storage? Storage of what?† Hazardous material, what else! Vittoria was losing her patience. â€Å"Antimatter.† Kohler lifted himself on the arms of his chair. â€Å"There are other specimens? Why the hell didn’t you tell me!† â€Å"I just did,† Vittoria fired back. â€Å"And you’ve barely given me a chance!† â€Å"We need to check those specimens,† Kohler said. â€Å"Now.† â€Å"Specimen,† Vittoria corrected. â€Å"Singular. And it’s fine. Nobody could ever – â€Å" â€Å"Only one?† Kohler hesitated. â€Å"Why isn’t it up here?† â€Å"My father wanted it below the bedrock as a precaution. It’s larger than the others.† The look of alarm that shot between Kohler and Langdon was not lost on Vittoria. Kohler rolled toward her again. â€Å"You created a specimen larger than five hundred nanograms?† â€Å"A necessity,† Vittoria defended. â€Å"We had to prove the input/yield threshold could be safely crossed.† The question with new fuel sources, she knew, was always one of input vs. yield – how much money one had to expend to harvest the fuel. Building an oil rig to yield a single barrel of oil was a losing endeavor. However, if that same rig, with minimal added expense, could deliver millions of barrels, then you were in business. Antimatter was the same way. Firing up sixteen miles of electromagnets to create a tiny specimen of antimatter expended more energy than the resulting antimatter contained. In order to prove antimatter efficient and viable, one had to create specimens of a larger magnitude. Although Vittoria’s father had been hesitant to create a large specimen, Vittoria had pushed him hard. She argued that in order for antimatter to be taken seriously, she and her father had to prove two things. First, that cost-effective amounts could be produced. And second, that the specimens could be safely stored. In the end she had won, and her father had acquiesced against his better judgment. Not, however, without some firm guidelines regarding secrecy and access. The antimatter, her father had insisted, would be stored in Haz-Mat – a small granite hollow, an additional seventy-five feet below ground. The specimen would be their secret. And only the two of them would have access. â€Å"Vittoria?† Kohler insisted, his voice tense. â€Å"How large a specimen did you and your father create?† Vittoria felt a wry pleasure inside. She knew the amount would stun even the great Maximilian Kohler. She pictured the antimatter below. An incredible sight. Suspended inside the trap, perfectly visible to the naked eye, danced a tiny sphere of antimatter. This was no microscopic speck. This was a droplet the size of a BB. Vittoria took a deep breath. â€Å"A full quarter of a gram.† The blood drained from Kohler’s face. â€Å"What!† He broke into a fit of coughing. â€Å"A quarter of a gram? That converts to†¦ almost five kilotons!† Kilotons. Vittoria hated the word. It was one she and her father never used. A kiloton was equal to 1,000 metric tons of TNT. Kilotons were for weaponry. Payload. Destructive power. She and her father spoke in electron volts and joules – constructive energy output. â€Å"That much antimatter could literally liquidate everything in a half-mile radius!† Kohler exclaimed. â€Å"Yes, if annihilated all at once,† Vittoria shot back, â€Å"which nobody would ever do!† â€Å"Except someone who didn’t know better. Or if your power source failed!† Kohler was already heading for the elevator. â€Å"Which is why my father kept it in Haz-Mat under a fail-safe power and a redundant security system.† Kohler turned, looking hopeful. â€Å"You have additional security on Haz-Mat?† â€Å"Yes. A second retina-scan.† Kohler spoke only two words. â€Å"Downstairs. Now.† The freight elevator dropped like a rock. Another seventy-five feet into the earth. Vittoria was certain she sensed fear in both men as the elevator fell deeper. Kohler’s usually emotionless face was taut. I know, Vittoria thought, the sample is enormous, but the precautions we’ve taken are – They reached the bottom. The elevator opened, and Vittoria led the way down the dimly lit corridor. Up ahead the corridor dead-ended at a huge steel door. HAZ-MAT. The retina scan device beside the door was identical to the one upstairs. She approached. Carefully, she aligned her eye with the lens. She pulled back. Something was wrong. The usually spotless lens was spattered†¦ smeared with something that looked like†¦ blood? Confused she turned to the two men, but her gaze met waxen faces. Both Kohler and Langdon were white, their eyes fixed on the floor at her feet. Vittoria followed their line of sight†¦ down. â€Å"No!† Langdon yelled, reaching for her. But it was too late. Vittoria’s vision locked on the object on the floor. It was both utterly foreign and intimately familiar to her. It took only an instant. Then, with a reeling horror, she knew. Staring up at her from the floor, discarded like a piece of trash, was an eyeball. She would have recognized that shade of hazel anywhere. How to cite Angels Demons Chapter 20-23, Essay examples

Red Badge Of Courage (609 words) Essay Example For Students

Red Badge Of Courage (609 words) Essay Red Badge Of CourageAdolescence brings about many changes as a youth becomes an adult. For manypeople this passage is either tedious and painful or simple and barelynoticeable. The anguish and torture that is usually associated with rites ofpassage and growing up is often used in literature, as it is common and easilyunderstood. In The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane, the character HenryFleming survives the Civil War, which serves as his rite of passage as itteaches him the importance of things such as dreams, companionship, dignity,individualism, and, of course, courage. In the beginning of the novel, Henry isdetermined and eager to fight in war, which is his dream and goal. From all thetales told by others of fighting and glory, he can not help but idolize the dutyof the soldier and aspire to become the very same soldier. Once he leaves home,he starts to feel the indescribable feeling, like a rush of excitement andanxiety at the same time. His entire future is ahead of him, and he is walkingtowards it with open arms. Unfortunately, his dreams are virtually shatteredtime and time again as he fights on in battle. Eventually, Henry is faced withthe ultimate enemy ? himself. He begins to doubt his own self-confidence andwonders whether he will stay and fight or run when faced with death and war atthe battlefields. He questions his fellow soldiers and doubts whether they willaccept him later should he run from the battle. What will they do? Will they runor stay? If he runs and the other soldiers dont, what will they think of him?Such questions suggest the constant dilemma experienced by most adolescents,which would be conformity, peer pressure, and acceptance. Henry eventually fleesfrom the scene, reexamines himself and his thoughts, and musters up the courageto return to the battlefield. This is part of growing up ? facing your fearsand giving it another shot. Henry also learns the importance of companionshipand its limits, which plays an important part in anyones life as friends areone of lifes greatest treasures. Henry promised his friend Jim Conklin thathed take care of him. This promise lasts only for a moment since JohnConklin, insisting on being alone all the while, dies. Jims sudden deathteaches Henry that friends can only do so much, but are equally important tolife as they are consistent pillars of strength that one can rely on. Later,Henry becomes more of a man in the sense that he lies about the story behind hishead wound. This may seem awkward, but carefully looking at the situation Henrylearns the importance of ones dignity and pride. He is aware that wordtravels quickly and he saves himself from humiliation and tells a small whitelie so that his dignity is preserved. Towards the end of the novel Henrydiscards the expectations of his peers and declares his individuality andcourage by seizing the flag from the dead color sergeant and waving it in frontof the regiment. He risks being shot at ? as he is an easy target ? and thusdisplays his courage and willpower. This seizing of the flag is Henrysultimate rite of passage. He discards his terrified and cautious childhood andbecomes an experienced, courageous individual. In conclusion, Henrys rite ofpassage is, generally, the Civil War. It teaches him the hardships of life anddraws out the courage deep down within his soul. Henry, at first, is timid andanxious about his potential and what would the others think about him. Later, heignores everything around and focuses on the Union flag. .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 , .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .postImageUrl , .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 , .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81:hover , .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81:visited , .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81:active { border:0!important; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81:active , .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81 .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u7ddb07e9bf600ff7aec900183718be81:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In all history, no nation of mere agriculturists Essay His reaching out forthe flag proves to himself that he is just as brave and courageous as thosesoldiers whose stories dazzled him as a boy. He is that very soldier.