Brick Support Tower

The team thought that to be able to have a strong structure, the tower must have support on its edges (or corners). Aside from providing support, the pillars would give the tower the necessary height to lift the bricks several inches from the ground. The team came up with only one design, and was not able to conceptualize any other design because of the time constraints. The team built a brick support tower using only five (5) pieces of note cards and some of the tape. Four of the five note cards had their short end sides cut to put slits into them.The slits were made to have a way of interlocking the cards. The note cards were then rolled in their long side to form cylinders. The fifth card was placed in the middle covering the four standing cylinders, with one cylinder standing in each corner of the fifth note card. The team didn’t have any idea as to how many bricks will it be able to support. Because of the short time allotted, the team was not able to utilize the remainin g note cards to build what could have been the next layer of the tower. Conceptual DevelopmentThe design that the team utilized provided sturdy columns, supporting the weight of the fifth note card, and also, the weight of the loading. However, the design proved to be weak in the middle part because no support was provided. Again, due to the time constraints, the group was not able to come up with other designs. The team only used the first thing that came to their mind, and immediately, set out to prepare the note cards for that design. Results and Discussion The team was only able to come up with a one-level structure of a tower.After construction, the team immediately proceeded with testing the strength and stability of their structure. The tower was only able to hold the weight of one brick. The structure turned out to be weak in the middle portion because of no added support. Another cylinder could have supported the middle part, where the center of gravity is located and thus, putting more stress and leading to eventual sagging of the middle note card. Achieving the highest performance index for a tower supporting one or more bricks was the goal of this activity.The performance index can be computed by multiplying the distance from the floor to the bottom of the lowest brick (height in inches) with the number of bricks that was supported. The team’s design’s performance index is __, which was calculated using the height measured multiplied by 1 (only one brick was supported). Given that the tower was only single-layered. The index is relatively high. Recommendations and Closure The structure could have supported more bricks if only more of the note cards were rolled into cylinders and used as base.Though the structure is single-layered, the performance index could still be higher because more bricks will be supported. Another approach would have been building a higher structure from the note cards (about two layers) but the number of bricks it may be able to hold will remain one. The team should have come up with several designs and thought over carefully which among their designs should they use. Of course, the design must be something that is sturdy and yet, easy to do, given the limited time allotment.

Effects of Computer Use on Children’s Health Essay

Nowadays, computers have become prevalent around the world. There are more and more children playing computers in their home. However, many studies of children’s computer use show that there are some negative effects on children. The essay will explain the possible negative effects of computer use on children’s health and physical development in three aspects: children’s physical health, displacement of activities for physical development and children’s mental health. Computer use may have negatively affect children’s physical health. According to Shields and Behrman (2001), children who have escalating time on computers can suffer from the pains on their eyes, backs and their wrists. In addition, as what workers have injured because of staring too long at a computer screen, children can also have a harmful effect on their vision. Another side effect on children’s physical health is that taking more time to use computers will increase the risk of obesity. Because of excessive time on watching TV, more and more people are getting obese. Furthermore, children will have the same risk if children increase their time on computers (Shields and Behrman, 2001). As Shields and Behrman (2001) advise, parents should have a limit on computer use to decrease the risk of those pains. Children’s activities for physical development can also be displaced by the extensive computer use. Since computer use can take up a lot of children’s time, it can displace activities for health development. According to Shields and Behrman (2001), the use of computer is escalating over time. There were nearly 21,000,000 children and teenagers began to surf the internet in 2000. Many of children, whatever gender they are, use the internet to surf music they like, chat with each other and send email (Shields and Behrman, 2001). Furthermore, as what Subrahmanyam says, computer use may not decrease the time of TV. Therefore, because of computers, videogames and television, the screen time increases, which makes children have less time to do outdoor activities for their physical development (Subrahmanyam, 2001). Another disturbing effect of computer use on children’s health and physical development is children’s mental health. The research of Subrahmanyam and colleagues (2001) shows the proportion of aggressive computer games is increasing time after time. Children who play violent computer games have different experiences from those playing educational games. For instance, if children play Duke Nukem and Doom for a long time, it can expose children to aggressive behavior (Shield and Behrman, 2001). Those suggest that children’s mental will get more violent. In addition, the study that launched among third and fourth grades shows children playing aggressive computer games act more violent than children playing outdoor activities, such as basketball (Subrahmanyam, 2001). In a word, children who are exposed to violent games for a long time may be more aggressive, which has a side effect on children’s mental health. In conclusion, although there are many children use computers, it has negative effects on children’s health and physical development. As much time is spent on playing computers which increases children’s screen time, children’s outdoor activities are displaced. What is worse, computer use can make children get pains on their eyes, backs and wrists. Just as troublesome, children’s mental health can also be negatively affected by playing aggressive computer games. Therefore, it is important to set a time limit on children’s computer use. Bibliography Shields, M.K. and Berman, R.E. 2001 Children and Computer Technology Analyses and Recommendations available at http://www.futureofchildren.org/information2827 Subrahmanyam, K. et al. 2001 The impact of Home Computer Use on Children Use on Children’s Activities and Development in Children and Computer Technology available at http://www.cs.cmu.edu/-/kraut/Rkraut.site.files/articles/subrahmanyam00-computer&kids.pdf

Relative ethics Essay

Relative ethics is where decisions are made with the circumstances in mind. For instance the culture and traditions of the place, the individuals, and society. Examples of relative ethics is utilitarianism and situation ethics. Relative ethics can be seen to be a fair approach to decision making because it is tolerant of different values, it is more realistic that nothing is right or wrong, it is more open to atheists, and is considers emotions as important. However it is more complex and makes decisions harder, it can be used as an excuse to act in an immoral way, it implies that we should not have laws and it does not protect worldwide human rights. Relative ethics is tolerant of different cultures. For example just because in one place it is considered wrong for women to have an education in one country e.g. Islamic countries, it doesn’t mean that in the UK women should not have an education. The UK is not morally superior and should not try to implement its own morals on any other country. This may seem fair in one way but it actually means that any act can be acceptable and doesn’t protect our human rights, sexism is wrong and women should never be discriminated against no matter their religion. Some laws need to be absolute. Someone in a different country may claim that for example kidnap and torture are part of their culture, but we know this is wrong. Relative ethics can be seen as fair because in it there are no absolute objective rights or wrongs. The right thing to do depends on the situation. For example, if a woman stole food out of greed then it would be wrong. However if she stole food to feed her starving children then this is right. It is fairer than absolute ethics because an absolutist would say that the woman shouldn’t steal even if he children are dying of starvation. Obviously, this is wrong and so the relativist view if a fairer approach to decision making The idea that there are no objective rights or wrongs can make relative decision making a slow process. In Utilitarianism, the consequences of each option have to be predicted and consequences. When each individual situation has to be considered, it can cause complications and ensuring every person gets a good result is difficult. Some may argue that the time it takes to make a decision about the morality of an act is causes those involved more suffering and is unjust. In conclusion I think that relative ethics is the best approach to making fair ethical decisions. However, I believe that some actions are wrong no matter the culture or time or individual. For example, discrimination is always wrong and torture of innocents and kidnapping is wrong. Despite this, relative ethics is tolerant of all cultures and does not believe that in any situations that one persons or country’s morals are superior to anothers.

Healthcare Organization Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Healthcare Organization Management - Essay Example For a health care administrator, it is clear to utilize a strategy that assesses policies within the environment of the organization. Each organization faces different challenges. One of the heavy reflections that was taken from the article is the administration of Social Security within the context of HIPAA. This strategy is more for a standardized approach and does not cater to an individual organization. Hence, a more integrated approach is needed in order to understand and acknowledge the perspectives all stakeholders is illogical because every case is different. This article is relevant because it discusses the intricacies of healthcare field, which is the focal point of discussion in our class. Since this class discusses the impacts of healthcare, it is highly crucial to understand the current environment of healthcare and how it correlates with this discussion. processes are placed. Another important aspect within the realm of 120,000 eligible healthcare professionals and more than 3,300 hospitals have qualified to participate, which allows a seamless access of patients to extract their information online â€Å"outpatient lab reporting† as a menu option for hospitals and â€Å"recording clinical notes† as a menu objective for both physicians and hospitals. Stageful 2 is a supplementary transition for organizations from stageful. The purpose is to also facilitate regulation in an organizational environment. One thing I took away from the article is that in order to be more lucrative in this field, education is extremely

How Can Social Change Be Brought About, Especially in a Totalitarian Essay

How Can Social Change Be Brought About, Especially in a Totalitarian Society Like the One Nafisi Describes - Essay Example In order to break the silence or discover possibilities to exercise their free will, individuals must strive to resist to such pressures on individual level. If only people realize what a deadly solution silence is, they would never choose to resort to it. It is a manifestation of the weakness and inability of individuals to stand for their basic human rights. In order to fight the system, Nafisi had to create a little world of her own with a like-minded group of students in order to evade the restrictions of the totalitarian regime they were living in. The classic literary works they studied together opened new vistas for their inner struggles to break the silence and to stand for their rights and this is how they survived in such suffocating circumstances with little efforts. â€Å"†¦ like Lolita, we tried to escape and to create our own little pocket of freedom.† (Nafisi, 435) They developed a strong bond during their struggle to keep their spirits alive and to carve o ut a little space for themselves and also learnt how to handle unfavorable circumstances. This is what Gladwell says about the Power of Context: â€Å"†¦ the Power of Context says that what really matters is little things.†(242) If people wait for radical social changes to take place, they must start by taking the first little steps themselves. Nafisi and Gladwell argue that environment plays an important role in shaping human behaviors. People tend to think and act differently under different circumstances and they even develop different perspectives of life in different situations. It was for this reason that reading Lolita in Tehran became an altogether different experience. â€Å"This then is the story of Lolita in Tehran, how Lolita gave a different color to Tehran and how Tehran helped redefine Nabakov’s novel, turning it into this Lolita, our Lolita.†( Nafisi, 420) Gladwell also emphasizes upon the strong impact of environment on human actions. Our b ehaviors undoubtedly reflect our familial and educational backgrounds, mentalities, and genetics- but most importantly they are shaped and governed by the environments we live in. We pick up cues from the environment and act or react accordingly. â€Å"The impetus to engage in a certain kind of behavior is not coming from a certain kind of person but from the feature of the environment.† (Gladwell, 238) In totalitarian regimes, it is incumbent upon individuals seeking social change to voice their concerns. The environmental factors might be discouraging and disheartening, but it is within human powers how they behave in particular situations. It is important to have will power, voice and the determination to express yourself through sensible and methodological actions. Social change can be brought about on the grassroots-level of totalitarian societies by instilling a general awareness about free will and the right to exercise it through words and actions. Rampant and radical movements can be easily undermined by such political systems by force; however, awareness about basic human rights seeps in the deepest layer of societies over the years. Such changes evolve slowly out of the dire need of the citizens to express their free will. In a totalitarian society like the one Nafisi describes, individuals are forced to redefine their behaviors particularly in public. People are forced to practice such customs in which they do not believe in; and they are expected to act and behave like the tools of a totalitarian system. If given an opportunity to

Legal Case Study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal Case Study - Research Paper Example The prosecution stated regarding one year statute of limitation and requirement of affirmative proof argument of the defense that sec.939.74 shall apply for criminal proceedings and that enough corroborative evidence was established by the testimony of the defrauded women. The argument that the brief failed to allege the elements of the crime and that the trial court did not have subject matter was also refuted by the prosecution on the basis of the argument that failure to provide information about the crime does not make the information void as per Schleiss v. State. As regards the restriction on cross examination, the prosecution proved that the exclusion of the witness from being cross-examined was absolutely correct. As regards to sufficiency of evidence the prosecution stated in its answer to the argument of the defense that Lambert’s promises could not have been fraudulent as the women to whom he promised to marry were already married that the question in a criminal fra ud action is whether the victim relied on the offender, which in this case the victim did and as such Lambert is liable. 3. What is the element of crime? The element of the crime in the present case is theft by fraud contrary to sec. 943.20 (1)(d),(3)(b), and (3)(c), Stats. 1 by the plaintiff on record of the present case. The offence of theft by fraud arises from a relationship of Lambert and a different woman, during which Lambert obtained money from each woman on the basis of a promise to marry her. The same offence was committed with six different women and an additional woman serially during the period of August 1971 to May 1974. What is the issue inference, actus reus, mens rea, presumptuous? The issue inference was whether the action was barred by ch.248, whether the trial court had subject-matter jurisdiction, whether proper offences were properly joined, whether restricting cross-examination of complaining witnesses was an abuse of the trial court, whether evidence was suff icient to support the verdict guilty and whether the sentencing of 24 was an abuse of power (Lambert v. State). The mens rea or wrongful intention in the present case was to have a wrongful gain through a promise to marry. The actus reus or the wrongful act itself in the present case was to take the money by creating deception, which amounted to fraud, and never giving it back to the women he took it from. 4. What is the previous law? The previous law on the same issue was that if there was breach of contract through refusal to marry, a cause of action to file a suit for the same arises. But the same was abolished by secs. 248.01, 248.02, Stats. 3. 5. What is the current law? The present law on the same issue is that civil suits for the recovery of the property which is taken on the strength of a fraudulent promise to marry can be initiated under sec. 248.06,4. The relief in the form of suit for damages for emotional harm caused by the breach of promise to marry isn’t availab le. But this doesn’t take away the remedy to file a suit for criminal fraud or civil fraud, when property was taken away from the victim. 6. What is your opinion? The Supreme Court of Wisconsin was correct in its decision. Lambert did commit the crime of theft by fraud, when he promised to marry them and used this promise to have unlawful gain in terms of money from the innocent women. This makes him liable to be punished according to law. Moreover, he committed the same crime consequently

GEOLOGY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMNET Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GEOLOGY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMNET - Essay Example Until recently, it was accepted that we live in the Holocene epoch which began at the end of the last ice age. However, the Dutch chemist Paul Crutzen coined the word Anthropocene epoch. The Anthopocene epoch can be considered to have begun sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. This is because, human impact upon the world has grown much more prominent since the last century and continues to do so with the human population being quadrupled in this period and the human biomass already being much larger than that of any species that ever existed on earth. The concept of a new epoch after the Holocene epoch was first introduced by an Italian geologist named Antonio Stoppani in 1870, but was rejected as unscientific. Since then however the human impact on earth has grown by immense standards and thus the Anthropocene epoch can be said to have begun after the late 19th century. I do support the concept of the Anthropocene epoch primarily because along with the increase in popula tion, the impact of technology on the earth cannot be overlooked.

Entity's ability to continue as an going concern Research Paper

Entity's ability to continue as an going concern - Research Paper Example The company will have to settle its dues by selling off all tangible assets. Intangible assets become worthless then (â€Å"The Going Concern Principle†). Going concerns are the only type of entities that can secure loans from banks and other institutions. Investors will only be interested to invest in a business that is expected to run for a long time in the future. A going concern is based on the idea that by continuing its operations in the business, a firm can yield the money that has been invested in the assets. In this way, profits will be generated and dues will be settled. It is important for a company to realize importance of the going concern concept in business and include this aspect in annual reports and statements (Hanif 3.3). Therefore, the objective of this research is to identify what a going concern is and ways in which an organization can effectively decide whether it is a going concern or not. The research is done on the basis of data provided by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) on the subject matter of going concern. Certain guidelines issued by the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) have also been referred to. Based on information collected, analysis was done with the help of books written by various authors as well as online resources. The analysis was designed in a manner so as to understand; the meaning of going concern; the different ways in which a firm can identify whether it is a going concern or not; the advantages of being a going concern; and the uncertainties that renders a firm as not a going concern. This research involves primary analysis of data based on qualitative method and rationale. The research is done on the basis of guidelines laid down by IFRS and GAAP standards. The IFRS and GAAP standards are considered in order to ensure whether a company can be regarded as a going concern or not. It is necessary to study a company on the following parameters (â€Å"Going

The Global context of modern business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Global context of modern business - Essay Example In today’s fast paced business environment Companies need to be fast growing, efficient, profitable, flexible, adaptable, and future-ready and have a dominant market position because in the absence of these qualities and characteristics companies cannot pose healthy competition in the modern global economy. Hence to successfully pursue their goals and also maximize profits, it’s crucial that they be in a position to obtain entree into new markets and come up with brand new ideas. Companies frequently opt to expand their business by means of Mergers & Acquisitions more willingly than engaging their labours on their personal business activities. This kind of growth and expansion is seen as a more rapid mode of accomplishing the primary purpose. (Krishnan 2009) Particularly in technology focused industries, where development is often boomed with the aid of amplified innovations, and companies can also stay in competition by being parallel to those which companies that are developing the innovative technology in the first place. This parallelism can be attained through both Merger as well as Acquisition. (Krishnan 2009) Today in the modern world companies can gain and sustain competitive advantage by being knowledgeable. The knowledgeable employees of an organization are its asset and are well treasured by it. (Krishnan 2009) Dimensions of the Business Environment: The business environment of a company is the macro and micro environment in which a company operates but it doesn’t have a direct control over it. It influences the company`s activities and performance in various ways, proving to be positive or negative at different stages in time. (Agrawala 2009) The macro environment is the general environment of the country in which the company is operating and it affects all companies in the economy. The next environment affecting the company is the industry and this comprises of the industrial conditions in which the company is operating in step to its competitors. Next is the microenvironment which deals with its specific markets and to other organizations that contribute to its production and distribution activities. It may also include other businesses manufacturing and marketing complimentary goods and services. (Agrawala 2009) Business Opportunities in Pakistan Since 1990 when Pakistan was on the threshold of bankruptcy, it has shown a remarkable political and economical development and has overcome the negativity in the minds of the international marketers. Pakistan is one of the most prominent countries of the Islamic world with an ever increasing population of approximately 150 million; hence it is well renowned by the international community. Considering the geographical location of Pakistan, it has close political and economic relations with the Middle East, Central and South Asia as it is the main entryway to Central Asia and supplier to the Emirates. Pakistan is a member of the South Asian Association for Regio nal Co-operation (SAARC) and lately noteworthy steps have been taken by SAARC, to create a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) which will also include India. (Guitard, Khan & Bienen, p 2, no date) Since 9/11 Pakistan has received sizeable economic support from its key creditors and this has made significant room for fast export growth, a positive balance of payments, reduction of the cost of debt service, a dramatic increase in the country’s currency reserves and an all time low for domestic interest rates. Due to the reduced cost of debt as well

Taking Business Abroad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Taking Business Abroad - Essay Example , between 2012 and 2013, seen basically flat sales (221M in 2013 and 222M in 2014), which is a problem for achieving growth for this High Street firm. The company was, however, able to raise its net income from  £3.1 million to  £5.3 million between 2013 and 2014 as a result of reduced selling, general and administrative costs in its operational model (Bloomberg). In 2011 and 2012, the company reported no profitability. Thornton’s, as a High Street company, provides gourmet chocolate products under a premium pricing structure to cater to the higher resource consumer in the United Kingdom. It is positioned in its market against quality, attempting to build a premium brand identity to gain interest from its more affluent target customer segments. The firm’s recent advertising strategies included The Art of the Chocolatier and Chocolate Heaven since 1911 as a means of using traditionalism and quality/sophistication to gain interest in markets that lean toward premium products. Fortunately, Thornton’s does not operate in a highly saturated competitive environment, competing against such brands as Cadbury which are not targeted at the high resource consumer. After 103 years of operations, Thornton’s has managed to create a brand that stands out among lower cost, less quality chocolate products and has a reputation for superiority with many UK consumers. Thornton’s, with flat sales volumes, requires a strategy to achieve growth in a market where consumption levels are not growing sufficiently. In the UK, Thornton’s is in its maturity stage which makes it difficult to achieve revenue growth without altering its existing business model and seeking new markets. This report identifies opportunities for Thornton’s PLC to enter the Chinese market as a means of enhancing sales growth and improving the financial position of the firm. The company’s most significant competitor is Cadbury, a company that produces chocolate products targeted at mass markets, but

Database Administration -2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Database Administration -2 - Essay Example The database administrator would have the above given skills in order to perfectly perform his/her roles and responsibilities to manage the information system database in an organization. It is pertinent to mention here that these are the basic and fundamental skills of a database administrator; therefore, the database administrator must have these skills in addition to the specific skill set requirement of the organization (CWJOBS, n.d). The database is considered accurate if the values stored in the fields of the database are correct. As the organizations rely and presume that the information that is input into a database is faultless as well as accurate. Therefore, the design of the database should be accurate and reliable that will not only help to achieve new business ideas, but also play vital role in promoting the organizational goals. It is sure, if the data gathering and storing process is malfunctioning, the established data will be incorrect as well; this process is known to be as Garbage in Garbage Out (GIGO) (Rushinek & Rushinek, 1985). Updated and current data have been always important for any organization; therefore, the stored data has to be updated and current with respect to the requirements of the organization. The end users of the database have to be aware of any variation of a standard update schedule of the database. Real-time information is one of a key component of timeliness. A DBMS system contains metadata i-e data about data, in other words the data and a full explanation of the data. The explanation of the data includes: how data would be accessed, what are the data formats and record structures. On the other hand, the file processing approach is contrasted to this approach, whereas, the structure and format of data and records are required to be known to the application programs. The changes in the database i-e change in data format, change in index structure or entering a new field etc. are reflected in the catalogue; therefore,

Morality vs. Obedience Essay Example for Free

Morality vs. Obedience Essay Beliefs and knowledge are both dynamic concepts on all organizational levels of the human experience, from the individual to the global. Lets take for example the statement, â€Å"The Earth is flat. † Five hundred years ago, this statement was knowledge. Today, it’s knowledge that this statement is false. Knowledge changes based on the information and evidence available to us at any point in time. This is also true of beliefs but in a different way. When most of us were young, we believed in the Tooth Fairy. Why? Because someone told us she was real. However, this belief changed as we began to mature and rely more upon our own abilities to discern truth from fiction. Thus, we have established that both knowledge and belief are subjective but for different reasons. Belief requires no evidence, while knowledge requires evidence and/or experience. I would now like to make a comparative argument regarding morality and obedience. Simply put, morality is ‘doing what’s right, regardless of what anyone says’ and obedience is ‘doing what your told, regardless of what’s right. One can think of many examples regarding these concepts as they are defined but I will leave this to the reader’s imagination. There is a simple truth to defining obedience and morality in this manner that I find directly comparable to the examined quotation. Neither belief nor obedience require an individual or group to actively engage in an activity or thought process independently. There is no critical thinking involved and one must put their faith in the ‘rightness’ or ‘truth’ of another’s belief, knowledge or otherwise. Both knowledge and morality require active engagement. One cannot possess knowledge without having evidence to back it up and one cannot act morally without understanding what it is that makes a situation right or wrong in their eyes. This is especially true when acting morally requires someone to go against social norms or established laws. The point of this paper is to shed light on the fact that we are all responsible for ourselves to the extent that we can be. No one person can know everything about everything, so belief and obedience are often useful and easy fallbacks. For example, I don’t snowboard on black diamond slopes. This is not because I have knowledge of how hurt I will get but because I belief the sign posting and obediently board within my level to avoid possible injury. However, in every decision one makes there should be a component of knowledge and morality applied. In application to the snowboarding example, I know, from experience, that my snowboarding skills are not on par with a black diamond. I choose not to risk my health and the resources of first responders by making the moral decision to stay off of it, despite my desire to challenge myself.

Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Plant Growth

Effect of Silver Nanoparticles on Plant Growth Nanoparticles are becoming increasingly used as materials in over 2000 consumer products due to their unique chemical, physical and electrical properties. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter and nanoparticles can be 1-100 nm in size. Silver nanoparticles are used for their antibacterial properties in many every day products such as food storage containers, air filtration systems and bandages. Nanomaterials are structures, devices, and systems at the nanometre scale. They are fast becoming an important material that can range from better and faster electronics to more efficient fuel usage, drug discovery and stronger, more resistant materials (Whatmore, 2006). The demand for engineered nanomaterials is a rapidly growing industry which was expected to reach a market size of approximately 2.6 trillion dollars by 2015 (Lee et al., 2010), however there is little knowledge on whether nanomaterials have an adverse effect on the environment or to human health and what the extent of these effects could be. Engineered nanoparticles have a wide range of chemical, physical and electrical properties such as conducting heat with low resistance and being stronger and lighter than other bulk materials (Tolaymat et al., 2017). The broad number of products that contain nanomaterials for consumers may lead to the release of an increased quantity of engineered nanoparticles in to the environment, which display different physiochemical properties than larger materials. (Geisler-Lee et al., 2012).  While the benefits of nanomaterials are broadcasted, their potential effects to the environment and to human health from their widespread use in consumer products are just becoming recognized. (Hoet et al., 2004). There are a number of ways that nanoparticles can be released in to the environment as shown in Figure 1. There are a number of different entry points for engineered nanomaterials into the environment, including wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, and WWTP sludge, however, it is difficult to estimate the relevant concentrations of nanoparticles that will be released in to the environment (Maurer-Jones et al., 2013). Once nanoparticles enter the environment there can be movement throughout the environment. One way this could happen is through food webs. If nanoparticles are consumed by organisms on a low trophic level thy may begin to accumulate in organisms at higher trophic levels. One of the challenges for working out the dangers associated with nanomaterial release in to the environment is the concern related to how clear our knowledge of how the properties of nanomaterials change once they interact with the environment. Also, nanoparticle properties can be affected by conditions, such as soil chemistry, pH, and organic matter. (Darlington et al., 2009) One of these effects to the environment could be the release of nanomaterials, through different pathways, in to bodies of water including lakes, rivers, and streams which could also cause run off in to soils and in to the air. Recent research (Das et al., 2012) showed that AgNPs rapidly but temporarily inhibited natural bacterioplankton production. Nanoparticles can affect biological behaviour at the cellular, subcellular and protein levels of a plant. The effect of nanomaterials on plant species is a topic that is being widely researched however there is still no conclusive answer on whether nanomaterials, specifically silver nanoparticles, have a negative impact on plant species, however metallic engineered nanoparticles may have stimulatory and inhibitory effects on plants. Arabidopsis thaliana is widely used in scientific research and was used in this study to further investigate the effects of silver nanoparticles on germination of seeds and also chlorophyll fluorescence after treatment with differing concentrations of nanomaterials. The silver nanoparticles used in this experiment were capped with PVP; this is because capped nanoparticles are less likely to aggregate in the solution over time and are more stable than uncapped nanoparticles (Tejamaya et al., 2012). Due to this a control of PVP had to be used to show that the capping had no effect on the plant species itself. Two mutations of A. thaliana seed were used in this experiment to test the effects of silver nanoparticles. The two sizes of silver nanoparticles were dissolved in distilled water which also meant that distilled water had to be used as a control to show that, on its own, it had no effect on the plant germination. Silver nitrate was also used at differing concentrations as a third control to show any differences between nanoparticles and as silver nitrates can be reduced, with PVP as a stabilizer, to synthesize silver nanoparticles (Samadi et al., 2010). As silver nanoparticles are smaller in size than silver nitrate particles, there will be a higher abundance of nanoparticles within the solution at a given concentration than silver nitrates. The effect of silver nanoparticles on plant species is important due to the many ways that nanoparticles can be dispersed in the environment. Relatively few studies have investigated the toxicological and environmental effects of engineered nanoparticles (Smita et al., 2012). However, the concentrations used in this experiment would generally be higher than the concentrations of these nanoparticles in the environment, although accurate concentrations in the environment are still not fully known. This is because their concentration in the environment will depend on factors such as the amount of the material released over time. The nanoparticles may become physically or chemically altered by environmental conditions such as temperature and salinity of water and also these factors may alter the form of the nanoparticles, exposure, and transport through the environment.   There is still concern over the potential impacts of engineered nanoparticles in the environment on aquatic and ter restrial organisms. Although some data indicates that current risks of engineered nanoparticles in the environment may be low, what we know of the potential impacts of engineered nanoparticles in the environment is still limited. There is still a demand for continued work to further understand the exposure levels for engineered nanoparticles in environmental systems and try and further our knowledge on the significance of these levels in terms of the environment which is what has been addressed in this project (Boxall et al., 2007). A similar study was carried out by (Obaid, 2016) which evaluated the impact of capped silver nanoparticles on terrestrial and aquatic plants, one of the terrestrial plants being A. thaliana . In this study chlorophyll fluorescence and gaseous exchange of the plants were measured to analyse the effects of the capped silver nanoparticles. The study showed that the capped silver nanoparticles displayed varying toxicity to the plants at higher concentrations, with particular interest to how they effected the germination of A. thaliana, with inhibition of germination at a concentration of 100mg/l of capped silver nanoparticles. The outcome of this study found that there are many factors that have significance on the toxicity of silver nanoparticles which includes exposure method, released ions, plant species, light intensity and growth mediums. However the concentrations used in the study by (Obaid, 2016),   much like the concentrations used in this project, are exaggerated and concentr ations as high as these will not be present in the environment as yet although it is important to test high concentrations due to large quantities of nanoparticles being used in every day products therefore such concentrations may be present in the environment in the very near future.

Analyze the research methodology

Analyze the research methodology Introduction This work has chosen two research papers to critically analyze the research methodology and method used, as well as to compare and contrast the approaches of the two papers. The first paper (refer to paper one hereafter) is to contribute the understanding of organizational culture in Turkish construction industry. A case study (Oney-Yazici E., et al, 2007) about Organizational culture: the case of Turkish construction industry was conducted to examine the cultural profile of construction organization in terms of firm type, size and age within the context of Turkish construction industry in 15 countries. The second paper (refer to paper two hereafter) is to demonstrate the situation of claims management in construction section in Egypt from contractors perspective. A questionnaire survey (Hassanein A and Nemr W, 2008) of Claims management in the Egyptian industrial construction sector: a contractors perspective was taken to discuss the issues of claim management, change of order in particular, conducting on a sample collection in construction industry companies. Research design and research question Two basic types of research methodologies are divided into quantitative and qualitative methods (Kumar, 2005). Creswell (2009) further advanced three types of designs as qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. In order to overcome the disadvantage of qualitative and quantitative research, mixed methods research emerged trying to combine or associate both forms. It involves the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods to achieve greater strength of a study than using either alone (Creswell 2009). A mix method is defined by Crewell (2009) as an approach to inquiry that combines or associates both qualitative and quantitative forms. Thus, this method can synthesize either strength or weakness of both quantitative method and qualitative method (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The research of organizational culture in paper one was conducted with questionnaire, which has Part I and Part II. Part I is mainly categorical or nominal variables (age, gender and size etc) to find out the demographic characteristics of respondents and profile of their firms. Part II comprises of questions with 1-5 Likert scale to measure the organizational culture. Paper one is therefore a straight-forward quantitative research paper, which emphasizes on the quantification the data collection and the subsequent analysis of data (Brymen 2009). The quantitative research was also defined as a means for testing objective theories by examining the relationship among variables. These variables, in turn, can be measured on instrument, so that numbered data can be analyzed using statistical procedures (Creswell, 2009). The aim of paper one was to examine existing culture profile in the Turkish construction industry. Quantitative research is suitable for fact-finding based on evidence or records (Table 1, Naoum 1998). Therefore, the objective of paper one to find out the culture profile can be achieved by quantitative research. Thus it is appropriate in this case. However, if the objective is extended to further understanding as to why such a culture profile existed in Turkish construction industry, a qualitative research could be conducted with methods like interview to gather more data to comprehend the mentality behind the organizational culture, thus to supplement the finding from quantitative research since it has rich and deep data (Naoum 1998), and it places greater emphasis on understanding, rather than merely testing and verification (Ghauri Gronhaug, 2005). The objective of the paper two is to finding and improving the status of claims management in Egypt, particularly the change order claims. The research of claims management in paper two is also conducted by questionnaire but it is not the same type of quantitative questionnaire as in paper one. Rather, it has both closed-ended and open questions, hence with combination of quantitative and qualitative questions.. It was actually conducted by researcher in person as an interview, which the researcher admitted it last longer than expected due to gathering of the vast amount of information. A semi-structured interview is believed to be used in this case (Bryman 2008). The questionnaire in paper two has 7 questions. Questions 1-3 are all closed-ended and are concerned with categorical (Q1) or nominal (Q2 Q3) variables with purpose to determine the profile claims statement status in Egypt. Questions 4-7, however, are all open questions. Interestingly, question 4 in fact has three questions rather than one question for the remaining part of questionnaire. It therefore can be concluded that the research in paper two is using mixed method research because both quantitative and qualitative data are gathered concurrently and analyzed separately. It occurred to me that the concurrent embedded strategy (Creswell 2009) is used in paper two, which will be discussed later in this article. In my opinion, mixed method is acceptable to use for paper but I do not like the combination of three different questions as Question 4. These questions are concerned with procedure, communication and documentation. They are interlinked but they could be separately asked. Moreover, questions 5 is asking respondents that does the contract stipulate that all change orders must be written? It is a missed opportunity as it could ask more information from the respondents such as which version/edition of the contract they used, what are the terms and conditions related to the change orders, whether these terms and conditions require all orders to be in written form only. Data collection and sampling According to Kumar (2005), the two main types of data collection are primary data and secondary data. Literately, primary data is collected by researchers themselves and secondary data are available data from another source. In both paper one and paper two, primary data were gathered. However, data collection in paper one is purely quantitative with Likert-scale questionnaire while the data collection in paper two are for both quantitative and qualitative data with closed-end questions and semi-structured interview. In order to gather primary research data, quantitative method combining with structured questionnaire was conducted in both of the two reports. A questionnaire is defined by Kumar (2005) as a written list of questions, the answers to which are recorded by respondents. In a questionnaire, respondents read the question and then provide the answers according to the questions. It is clear that a questionnaire is less expensive and easy to understand for the respondents giving the answers. Sometimes, sensitive questions can list on the questionnaire as the respondents can answer in anonymity in less distressed way (Kumar, 2005). However, questionnaires have disadvantages including low response rate, limited to literate population only, biased self-selection of respondents, lack of opportunity to clarify questions to respondents and no allowance for spontaneous responses. As Bryman (2008) asserted that, the reason why a questionnaire belongs to quantitative method is that most of questions are structured and closed, though it can combine a few open questions. Closed-ended questions refer to possible answers are set out on the questionnaire, and the respondents ticks the best category the best describes the respondents answer, concurrently open-ended questions refers to possible answers are not given. In the case of a questionnaire, respondents write down the answers in their own words (Kumar, 2005). It is apparent that closed-ended and open-ended questions are presented in paper two of claims management. The questionnaire was formulated based on an extensive literature review of issues on claim management, change order claims in particular. Meanwhile, paper one designed a questionnaire which based on Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) with two major dimensions in which the first dimension emphasizes the organizational focus, whereas the second one distinguishes between the stability and control and the flexibility and discretion, which formulated by clan, adhocracy, market and hierarchy. All questions in questionnaire of paper one are closed-ended questions which are easier and faster to respond because all alternative answers have been given. However, lack of depth and variety could be a main disadvantage as answers were restricted in a given scope (Kumar 2005). In paper two, a semi-structured interview in person was conducted with engineers and managers who have more than 15 years working experiences. This interview was based on previous literature in order to get more evidence to examine the claim management in Egypt, change order claims in particular. Open questions in paper two, with contrast of closed-ended questions used in paper one, could get more in-depth information, and allows respondents to freely express what they intended to say (Kumar 2005, Fellows and Liu 2008). Even closed-ended questions 1-3 in paper two have provided opportunity for respondents to write down their own answers (if other specify). However, the analysis of data from open questions could be more complex and difficult because respondents can say anything. Meanwhile, the chances are that these questions could have biases from interviewees. According to Kumar (2005), sampling can be divided into probability random sampling, non-probability non-random sampling and mixed sampling design. Stratified random sampling collection was used in in paper two, and non-random judgmental sampling was employed in paper one. As Kumar (2005) and Fellows and Liu (2008) asserted that there is an equal chance of selection for each member of the population in random sampling. Stratified sampling is one of the probability random sampling and appropriate where the population occurs in distinct, groups or strata (Fellows and Liu, 2008). In CM, the sample was selected among major companies in construction industry in Egypt and seven of the main companies were collected in this research. Using stratified random probability sampling method, the inferences drawn from the samples can be generalized to the whole population (Kumar, 2005). Judgmental sampling that called Purposive sampling as well, was conducted in Organizational Culture with the crit eria of nationality, firm size and market share. Thus, 134 in 351 firms participated in the research study. In judgmental sampling, researcher can gather case and information in those people who meet requirement of the sample chosen criteria, and this sampling method is extremely useful when the researcher want to describe a phenomenon and develop something about which only is a little known (Kumar, 2005 and Bryman, 2008). However, there can be bias when the sampling was chosen. The random sampling can be influenced by human preference unconsciously. On the other hand, the sample frame may not cover all the features of the whole population. In addition, the sample can not represent all the population, so that the conclusion can only be inferred from the samplings (Kumar, 2005). In paper one, the population is the whole Turkish construction industry. The stratified random sampling were used to gathered from 826 respondents, who are working for 107 contracting and 27 architectural firms, with male/female ratio of 74.9%/25.1%. The absolute size of sample of 826 is quite impressive and is significant in terms of sample size. The male/female ratio is not balanced, however, it may be the fact that most people working in architectural/contracting industry are dominantly male. The response rate is 38.18%, with 134 participated from 351 firms contacted. The sample selection in paper two are targeting at the middle to large size contracting firms that are more then LE 50 million in industrial work turnover and LE 100 million in cumulative construction work turnover. Due to limited number of firms fall into the category, seven major companies in Egypt were chosen and 21 industrial projects from them were the sample for the research. However, the actual data collection was conducted by the interview to the senior managers in these firms, but exact number of interviewee was not revealed in the paper. Therefore, when the data analysis present the data as percentage, there is no way for reader to know exactly how many respondents chose a particular answer. My guess is there might be at least 21 respondents since there are 21 industrial projects. If the respondents is only 7 (there are 7 companies chosen), the sample would be questionable due to limited sample size. The research in paper two have omitted small contracting firms and inexper ienced site manager/site engineers. Only medium and large contracting firms and hugely experienced personnel are invited for the interview. This may paint a rosier picture than the reality. Inexperienced site manager/site engineers tend to be worse in terms of contract administration, understanding procedures, using documentation. The main aims to select sample are to achieve maximum precision in the estimates within a sample size and avoid the bias in the selection of sample (Kumar, 2005). In this case, I believe that paper one has done pretty well to using a large representative sample, while paper two, on the other hand, use a relative smaller number of interviewee and the exact number of interviewee is unknown or unspecified. Reliability and Validity Another important process in a social research is the issues of reliability and validity. Reliability means concern with the results can be retested and can get the same result, time after, time in different conditions (Fellows and Liu, 2008). In Organizational culture paper, reliability coefficients (Cronbach alpha) were calculated with 0.89 for the clan and adhocracy cultures, and 0.86 for the market and hierarchy cultures. Both values indicate good internal consistency reliability for the fairness of all culture types because values above 0.7 are considered acceptable and above 0.8 are preferable (Pallant 2007). Meanwhile, despite of the statistical data display, there is no statistical test in the survey of Claims Management paper, hence the reliability of the data is not mentioned. Validity means the integrity of the conclusions that are generated from a piece of research. It is to determine if the research question is properly answered by the research. Internal validity refers to the causality relationship and external validty criterion refers to the generalization from research findings. (Yin, 1994; Amaratunga, 2002). Both papers are trying to generalize the situation. It can be concluded that both research are valid. Data Analysis In paper one, the questionnaire consists of 6 relevant questions to key dimensions of organizational culture and each statement has four alternative statements, therefore representing 24 questions. All questions are 1-5 Likert scale, with 5 as completely true. The average score was calculated to determine the overall cultural profile of a particular firm. The results of the questionnaire carried out have been presented in table II in paper one. Independent sample t-tests and Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to examine the differences of organizational culture by firm size and age. A post hoc Scheffe test was used to explore difference among subgroups. The results have been presented in table III. When it comes to firm type, independent sample t-tests was used on the overall scores of each culture types to compare architectural and contracting firms. in order to have the equal sample sizes (107 contracting firms vesus 27 architectural firms), items were randomly selected from them. An Independent sample t-test is used to compare the mean score for two different groups on same continuous variable (Pallant 2007). The research suggest that Market has more influence to Contracting firm than Architectural firm. The average score of randomly selected 32 Contracting firms is 3.37 while the 27 Architectural firms is 2.93, with t=3.849, p Comparing with Independent-sample T-test which use to compare in two groups and conditions, One-way ANOVA is used to determine whether there are significant differences in the mean scores on the dependent variables between more than two groups (Pallant, 2007). ANOVA test is based on the statistical F-test which is the ratio of the between-groups variance to the within-groups or error variance (Fellows and Liu, 2008). According to Pallant (2007), the significance of F-value indicates the evidence to reject the null hypothesis, which states that the population means are equal. In other words, the larger the F-value is, the more the independent variables influence on dependent variables. In the Table II of paper one under firm size, the value under four culture types for small and medium firms are all greater than those for large firms. Our of four culture types, three culture types have found that the difference is significant to reject the null hypnoses (p Paper one further had with k-means cluster analysis to group firms with similar cultural characteristics, together with Wards method and squared Euclidean distance. Three underlying patterns of cultural types among sampled firms were found from the results of hierarchy cluster analysis, and this formed as basis for the non-hierarchical k-means analysis. Hierarchical Data clustering algorithms care to find successive clusters with already-established clusters. To select a distance measurement is a vital step in clustering, from which how the similarity of two elements is calculated. The shape of the clusters will be influenced as as some elements may be close to one another according to one distance and farther away according to another (Huang 1998, Lu 2004). In paper two, the data from question 1 about the causes of claims are presented in Figure 1, which is a pie chart showing the percentage of various causes. The result validated with other research which indicated that change order claims is the main reason of claims in most projects while the owner factor ranked second. The result confirmed the necessity to evaluate change order claims in particular (this suggest that the research is valid in terms of the research purpose). In claims notification status related question, the results showed that notifications were tied to a contract clause in 67% of projects. But the research did admit the interviewee bias and its limitation because respondents tend to answer this question optimistically. In general claims documentation status related questions, the researcher undertook to categorize the answers into seven groups by using pattern matching for qualitative data analysis, which is one of the most desirable strategies (Yin, 1994). However, this method is under criticism for the subjective risk of interpretive discretion of the researchers (Yin 1994, Amaratunga 2002). This suggests that different researcher may group the data and interpret them differently. In change order document questions, pie chart is used again in figure 2 to highlight that documentation should be improved to better records management of the project. The research used explanation building strategy to explain and discuss the results of remaining questions. The researcher went further from these results to suggest solutions to improve change orders. In the conclusion paper, the research summarized the findings as well as the recommendations based on these findings. REFERENCE: Amaratunga D. et al, (2002) Quantitative and qualitative research in the built environment: application of mixed research approach, Work Study Vol. 51 No. 1, pp.17-31 Bryman, A. (1998) Quantity and Quality in Social Research. Unwin Hyman. Bryman, A. (2008) Social Research Methods, 3rd edition, Oxford University Press, Oxford Creswell, J. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches, Sage. Hassanein A and Nemr W, (2008) Claims Management in the Egyptian industrial construction sector: a contractors perspective, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management Vol. 15 No.5, pp. 456-469 Huang, Z. (1998). Extensions to the K-means Algorithm for Clustering Large Datasets with Categorical Values. Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery, 2, p. 283-304. Kumar R. (2005) Research Methodology: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners, SAGE, London Lu Y, et al (2004), FGKA: A Fast Genetic K-means Algorithm, in Proc. of the 19th ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, pp. 162-163, Nicosia, Cyprus Fellows R and Liu A, (2008), Research Methods for Construction 3rd edition, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford Oney-Yazici E, et al (2007), Organizational culture: the case of Turkish construction industry, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management Vol.14 No.6, pp.519-531 Pallant J, (2007), A step-by-step guide to data analysis using SPSS version 15 SPSS Survival Manual Third Edition, Open University Press Yin, K. (1994), Cast Study Research: Design and Methods, Sage Publications, Newbury Park, CA.

The American Dream in Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman :: Death of a Salesman

The American Dream in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman Within the tragic play, Death of a Salesman, Willy Loman destroys himself trying to achieve a dream. Yet, the dream that destroys Willy is not one that he has chosen. Willy Loman does not choose this destructive dream because he does not know himself, Willy Loman does not choose a dream at all, one is forced upon him by society. Willy Loman spends the expanse of the play trying to achieve wealth, fame, and the like of others. These ideas epitomize the American Dream, to become a successful, well-liked businessman. Willy's true dream, however, was very different from this. Throughout the play you can see evidence that Willy feels trapped by this dream that he feels obligated to fulfill. Society has dictated to Willy that the American Dream is "the" dream, and no other dream is acceptable. Because of this dictation, Willy abandons his true dream of living on his own, in the country, where he can support himself by farming, and living from the land. The proof of Willy's true dream appears in short scattered bits. "God, timberland! Me and my boys in those great outdoors! Yes, Yes! Linda, Linda!" he cries exuberantly at the idea of moving away from the city. By the idea is quickly killed by the society surrounding him. "You wait, kid, before it's all over we're gonna get a little place out in the country, and I'l l raise some vegetables, a couple of chickens..." once again, society surrounding Willy crushes this dream, his true dream, forcing it back into the subconscious of Willy's mind, where it remains for the duration of the play, only surfacing at a few times, when the dream that Willy is trying to fulfill becomes so horrible that he remembers that he had another dream, or when the false dream is looking as if it might be coming to a close, and he will be able to move on to take on his real dream. In the climax of the play, when Willy realizes that he is loved by his sons, a slight awakening occurs in Willy's mind. He begin to understand that his true dream, of living in the country, is identical to that of his beloved son, Biff. Biff has never been able to follow his dream because of his father pushing him into the false dream of being a businessman.

Drinking and Driving Essay -- Drunk Driving, DUI, Alcohol

â€Å"Have one drink for the road† was, until recently, a commonly used phrase in American culture. It has only been within the past 20 years that as a nation, we have begun to recognize the dangers associated with drunk driving (Sutton 463). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this year 519,000 people, or one person per minute, will be injured in alcohol-related accidents. 10,839 people will die in drunk-driving crashes this year – that is one death every 50 minutes. The heartbreaking part is, every injury and lost life due to driving after drinking can be prevented. Drinking while driving â€Å"accidents† are not merely â€Å"accidents.† Getting in a vehicle after consuming alcohol, which severely affects the function of the brain, is not an accident. It is lack of responsibility. Individuals that consume alcohol irresponsibly must begin to take responsibility for themselves and for other innocent drivers on the road. Unfort unately, in spite of great progress, alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious national problem that tragically affects many victims annually (Hanson). It is time that laws and consequences for drinking while driving strengthen and people begin to think twice before driving a vehicle after drinking. Individuals who make the decision to drive after consuming alcohol, not only put themselves in a dangerous situation, they also put an entire community at risk. Current laws, which are not strict or powerful enough, must be increased in order to keep our neighborhoods around the nation safe. Although many people think current drinking while driving limits and laws are strict enough, the rising number of individuals who continue to make an irresponsible decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle ... ...king & Driving." WWW2 Webserver. State University of New York Sociology Department. Web. 5 Apr. 2011. Lightner, Candy. "Campaign to Eliminate Drunk Driving." Mothers Against Drunk Driving. 2011. Web. 01 Apr. 2011. Saunders, Carol Silverman. "'It's suicide.'(Drinking and Driving)." Current Health 2, a Weekly Reader publication Feb. 1996: 26+. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. Sutton, Amy L. "Drinking and Driving." Alcoholism Sourcebook. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2007. 463. Print. "Update: Drunk Driving." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 21 Sept. 2007. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. Wagner, Heather Lehr. Alcohol. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2003. Print. "What Is a Drink?" Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), Arizona Highway Patrol - State of Arizona. 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2011.

Forward the Foundation Chapter 28

27 It was a lovely day, neither too warm nor too cold, not too bright nor too gray. Even though the groundskeeping budget had given out years ago, the few straggly perennials lining the steps leading up to the Galactic Library managed to add a cheerful note to the morning. (The Library, having been built in the classical style of antiquity, was fronted with one of the grandest stairways to be found in the entire Empire, second only to the steps at the Imperial Palace itself. Most Library visitors, however, preferred to enter via the gliderail) Seldon had high hopes for the day. Since he and Stettin Palver had been cleared of all charges in their recent assault and battery case, Hari Seldon felt like a new man. Although the experience had been painful, its very public nature had advanced Seldon's cause. Judge Tejan Popjens Lih, who was considered one of, if not the most influential judge on Trantor, had been quite vociferous in her opinion, delivered the day following Rial Nevas's emotional testimony. â€Å"When we come to such a crossroads in our ‘civilized' society,† the judge intoned from her bench, â€Å"that a man of Professor Hari Seldon's standing is made to bear the humiliation, abuse, and lies of his peers simply because of who he is and what he stands for, it is truly a dark day for the Empire. I admit that I, too, was taken in-at first. ‘Why wouldn't Professor Seldon,' I reasoned, ‘resort to such trickery in an attempt to prove his predictions?' But, as I came to see, I was most grievously wrong.† Here the judge's brow furrowed, a dark blue flush began creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. â€Å"For I was ascribing to Professor Seldon motives born of our new society, a society in which honesty, decency, and goodwill are likely to get one killed, a society in which it appears one must resort to dishonesty and trickery merely to survive. â€Å"How far we have strayed from our founding principles. We were lucky this time, fellow citizens of Trantor. We owe a debt of thanks to Professor Hari Seldon for showing us our true selves; let us take his example to heart and resolve to be vigilant against the baser forces of our human nature.† Following the hearing, the Emperor had sent Seldon a congratulatory holo-disc. On it he expressed the hope that perhaps now Seldon would find renewed funding for his Project. As Seldon slid up the entrance gliderail, he reflected on the current status of his Psychohistory Project. His good friend-the former Chief Librarian Las Zenow-had retired. During his tenure, Zenow had been a strong proponent of Seldon and his work. More often than not, however, Zenow's hands had been tied by the Library Board. But, he had assured Seldon, the affable new Chief Librarian, Tryma Acarnio, was as progressive as he himself, and was popular with many factions among the Board membership. â€Å"Hari, my friend,† Zenow had said before leaving Trantor for his home world of Wencory, â€Å"Acarnio is a good man, a person of deep intellect and an open mind. I'm sure he'll do all that he can to help you and the Project. I've left him the entire data file on you and your EncyIopedia; I know he'll be as excited as I about the contribution to humanity it represents. Take care, my friend-I'll remember you fondly.† And so today Hari Seldon was to have his first official meeting with the new Chief Librarian. He was cheered by the reassurances Las Zenow had left with him and he was looking forward to sharing his plans for the future of the Project and the Encyclopedia. Tryma Acarnio stood as Hari entered the Chief Librarian's office. Already he had made his mark on the place; whereas Zenow had stuffed every nook and cranny of the room with holo-discs and tridijournals from the different sectors of Trantor, and a dizzying array of visiglobes representing various worlds of the Empire had spun in midair, Acarnio had swept clear the mounds of data and images that Zenow had liked to keep at his fingertips. A large holoscreen now dominated one wall on which, Seldon presumed, Acarnio could view any publication or broadcast that he desired. Acarnio was short and stocky, with a slightly distracted look-from a childhood corneal correction that had gone awry-that belied a fearsome intelligence and constant awareness of everything going on around him at all times. â€Å"Well, well. Professor Seldon. Come in. Sit down.† Acarnio gestured to a straight-backed chair facing the desk at which he sat. â€Å"It was, I felt, quite fortuitous that you requested this meeting. You see, I had intended to get in touch with you as soon as I settled in.† Seldon nodded, pleased that the new Chief Librarian had considered him enough of a priority to plan to seek him out in the hectic early days of his tenure. â€Å"But, first, Professor, please let me know why you wanted to see me before we move on to my, most likely, more prosaic concerns.† Seldon cleared his throat and leaned forward. â€Å"Chief Librarian, Las Zenow has no doubt told you of my work here and of my idea for an Encyclopedia Galactica. Las was quite enthusiastic, and a great help, providing a private office for me here and unlimited access to the Library's vast resources. In fact, it was he who located the eventual home of the Encyclopedia Project, a remote Outer World called Terminus. â€Å"There was one thing, however, that Las could not provide. In order to keep the Project on schedule, I must have office space and unlimited access granted to a number of my colleagues, as well. It is an enormous undertaking, just gathering the information to be copied and transferred to Terminus before we can begin the actual work of compiling the Encyclopedia. â€Å"Las was not popular with the Library Board, as you undoubtedly are aware. You, however, are. And so I ask you, Chief Librarian: Will you see to it that my colleagues are granted insiders' privileges so that we may continue our most vital work?† Here Hari stopped, almost out of breath. He was sure that his speech, which he had gone over and over in his mind the night before, would have the desired effect. He waited, confident in Acarnio's response. â€Å"Professor Seldon,† Acarnio began. Seldon's expectant smile faded. There was an edge to the Chief Librarian's voice that Seldon had not expected. â€Å"My esteemed predecessor provided me-in exhaustive detail-an explication of your work here at the Library. He was quite enthusiastic about your research and committed to the idea of your colleagues joining you here. As was I, Professor Seldon†-at Acarnio's pause, Seldon looked up sharply-â€Å"at first. I was prepared to call a special meeting of the Board to propose that a larger suite of offices be prepared for you and your Encyclopedists. But, Professor Seldon, all that has now changed.† â€Å"Changed! But why?† â€Å"Professor Seldon, you have just finished serving as principal defendant in a most sensational assault and battery case.† â€Å"But I was acquitted,† Seldon broke in. â€Å"The case never even made it to trial.† â€Å"Nonetheless, Professor, your latest foray into the public eye has given you an undeniable-how shall I say it?-tinge of ill repute. Oh yes, you were acquitted of all charges. But in order to get to that acquittal, your name, your past, your beliefs, and your work were paraded before the eyes of all the worlds. And even if one progressive right-thinking judge has proclaimed you faultless, what of the millions-perhaps billions-of other average citizens who see not a pioneering psychohistorian striving to preserve his civilization's glory but a raving lunatic shouting doom and gloom for the great and mighty Empire? â€Å"You, by the very nature of your work, are threatening the essential fabric of the Empire. I don't mean the huge, nameless, faceless, monolithic Empire. No, I am referring to the heart and soul of the Empire-its people. When you tell them the Empire is failing, you are saying that they are failing. And this, my dear Professor, the average citizen cannot face. â€Å"Seldon, like it or not, you have become an object of derision, a subject of ridicule, a laughingstock.† â€Å"Pardon me, Chief Librarian, but for years now I have been, to some circles, a laughingstock.† â€Å"Yes, but only to some circles. But this latest incident-and the very public forum in which it was played out-has opened you up to ridicule not only here on Trantor but throughout the worlds. And, Professor, if, by providing you an office, we, the Galactic Library, give tacit approval to your work, then, by inference, we, the Library, also become a laughingstock throughout the worlds. And no matter how strongly I may personally believe in your theory and your Encyclopedia, as Chief Librarian of the Galactic Library on Trantor, I must think of the Library first. â€Å"And so, Professor Seldon, your request to bring in your colleagues is denied.† Hari Seldon jerked back in his chair as if struck. â€Å"Further,† Acarnio continued, â€Å"I must advise you of a two-week temporary suspension of all Library privileges-effective immediately. The Board has called that special meeting, Professor Seldon. In two weeks' time we will notify you whether or not we've decided that our association with you must be terminated.† Here, Acarnio stopped speaking and, placing his palms on the glossy, spotless surface of his desk, stood up. â€Å"That is all, Professor Seldon-for now.† Hari Seldon stood as well, although his upward movement was not as smooth, nor as quick, as Tryma Acarnio's. â€Å"May I be permitted to address the Board?† asked Seldon. â€Å"Perhaps if I were able to explain to them the vital importance of psychohistory and the Encyclopedia-â€Å" â€Å"I'm afraid not, Professor,† said Acarnio softly and Seldon caught a brief glimmer of the man Las Zenow had told him about. But, just as quickly, the icy bureaucrat was back as Acarnio guided Seldon to the door. As the portals slid open, Acarnio said, â€Å"Two weeks, Professor Seldon. Till then.† Hari stepped through to his waiting skitter and the doors slid shut. What am I going to do now? wondered Seldon disconsolately. Is this the end of my work? 28 â€Å"Wanda dear, what is it that has you so engrossed?† asked Hari Seldon as he entered his granddaughter's office at Streeling University. The room had been the office of the brilliant mathematician Yugo Amaryl, whose death had impoverished the Psychohistory Project. Fortunately, Wanda had gradually taken over Yugo's role in recent years, further refining and adjusting the Prime Radiant. â€Å"Why, I'm working on an equation in Section 33A2D17. See, I've recalibrated this section†-she gestured to a glowing violet patch suspended in midair in front of her face-‘taking into consideration the standard quotient and-There! Just what I thought-I think.† She stepped back and rubbed her eyes. â€Å"What is it, Wanda?† Hari moved in closer to study the equation. â€Å"Why, this looks like the Terminus equation and yet†¦ Wanda, this is an inverse of the Terminus equation, isn't it?† â€Å"Yes, Grandpa. See, the numbers weren't working quite right in the Terminus equation-look.† Wanda touched a contact in a recessed wallstrip and another patch sprang to life in vivid red on the other side of the room. Seldon and Wanda walked over to inspect it. â€Å"You see how it's all hanging together fine now, Grandpa? It's taken me weeks to get it this way.† â€Å"How did you do it?† asked Hari, admiring the equation's lines, its logic, its elegance. â€Å"At first, I concentrated on it from over here only. I blocked out all else. In order to get Terminus to work, work on Terminus-stands to reason, doesn't it? But then I realized that I couldn't just introduce this equation into the Prime Radiant system and expect it to blend right in smoothly, as if nothing happened. A placement means a displacement somewhere else. A weight needs a counterweight.† â€Å"I think the concept to which you are referring is what the ancients called ‘yin and yang.' â€Å" â€Å"Yes, more or less. Yin and yang. So, you see, I realized that to perfect the yin of Terminus, I had to locate its yang. Which I did, over there.† She moved back to the violet patch, tucked away at the other edge of the Prime Radiant sphere. â€Å"And once I adjusted the figures here, the Terminus equation fell into place as well. Harmony!† Wanda looked pleased with herself, as if she'd solved all the problems of the Empire. â€Å"Fascinating, Wanda, and later on you must tell me what you think it all means for the Project. But right now you must come with me to the holoscreen. I received an urgent message from Santanni a few minutes ago. Your father wants us to call him immediately.† Wanda's smile faded. She had been alarmed at the recent reports of fighting on Santanni. As Imperial budget cutbacks went into effect, the citizens of the Outer Worlds suffered most. They had limited access to the richer, more populous Inner Worlds and it became more and more difficult to trade their worlds' products for much needed imports. Imperial hyperships going in and out of Santanni were few and the distant world felt isolated from the rest of the Empire. Pockets of rebellion had erupted throughout the planet. â€Å"Grandfather, I hope everything's all right,† said Wanda, her fear revealed by her voice. â€Å"Don't worry, dear. After all, they must be safe if Raych was able to send us a message.† In Seldon's office, he and Wanda stood before the holoscreen as it activated. Seldon punched a code on the keypad alongside the screen and they waited a few seconds for the intragalactic connection to be established. Slowly the screen seemed to stretch back into the wall, as if it were the entrance to a tunnel-and out of the tunnel, dimly at first, came the familiar figure of a stocky powerfully built man. As the connection sharpened, the man's features became clearer. When Seldon and Wanda were able to make out Raych's bushy Dahlite mustache, the figure sprang to life. â€Å"Dad! Wanda!† said Raych's three-dimensional hologram, projected to Trantor from Santanni. â€Å"Listen, I don't have much time.† He flinched, as if startled by a loud noise. â€Å"Things have gotten pretty bad here. The government has fallen and a provisional party has taken over. Things are a mess, as you can imagine. I just put Manella and Bellis on a hypership to Anacreon. I told them to get in touch with you from there. The name of the ship is the Arcadia VII. â€Å"You should have seen Manella, Dad. Mad as anything that she had to go. The only way I was able to convince her to leave was to point out that it was for Bellis's sake. â€Å"I know what you're thinking, Dad and Wanda. Of course I would have gone with them-if I could have. But there wasn't enough room. You should've seen what I had to go through just to get them onto the ship.† Raych flashed one of his lopsided grins that Seldon and Wanda loved so much, then continued. â€Å"Besides, since I'm here, I have to help guard the University-we may be part of the Imperial University system, but we're a place of learning and building, not of destruction. I tell you, if one of those hot-headed Santanni rebels comes near our stuff-â€Å" â€Å"Raych,† Hari broke in, â€Å"How bad is it? Are you close to the fighting?† â€Å"Dad, are you in danger?† asked Wanda. They waited a few seconds for their message to travel the nine thousand parsecs across the Galaxy to Raych. â€Å"I-I-I couldn't quite make out what you said,† the hologram replied. â€Å"There's a bit of fighting going on. It's sort of exciting, actually,† Raych said, breaking into that grin again. â€Å"So I'm going to sign off now. Remember, find out what happened to the Arcadia VII going to Anacreon. I'll be back in touch as soon as I'm able. Remember, I-† The transmission broke off and the hologram faded. The holoscreen tunnel collapsed in on itself so that Seldon and Wanda were left staring at a blank wall. â€Å"Grandpa,† said Wanda, â€Å"what do you think he was going to say?† â€Å"I have no idea, dear. But there is one thing I do know and that is that your father can take care of himself. I pity any rebel who gets near enough for a well-placed Twist-kick from your dad! Come, let's get back to that equation and in a few hours we'll check on the Arcadia VII.† *** â€Å"Commander, have you no idea what happened to the ship?† Hari Seldon was again engaged in intragalactic conversation, but this time it was with an Imperial navy commander stationed at Anacreon. For this communication, Seldon was making use of the visiscreen-much less realistic than the holoscreen but also much simpler. â€Å"I'm telling you, Professor, that we have no record of that hypership requesting permission to enter the Anacreonic atmosphere. Of course, communications with Santanni have been broken for several hours and sporadic at best for the last week. It is possible that the ship tried to reach us on a Santanni-based channel and could not get through, but I doubt it. â€Å"No, it's more likely that the Arcadia VII changed destination. Voreg, perhaps, or Sarip. Have you tried either of those worlds, Professor?† â€Å"No,† said Seldon wearily, â€Å"but I see no reason if the ship was bound for Anacreon that it would not go to Anacreon. Commander, it is vital that I locate that ship.† â€Å"Of course,† the commander ventured, â€Å"the Arcadia VII might not have made it. Out safely, I mean. There's a lot of fighting going on. Those rebels don't care who they blow up. They just train their lasers and pretend it's the Emperor Agis they're blasting. I tell you, it's a whole different game out here on the fringe, Professor.† â€Å"My daughter-in-law and granddaughter are on that ship, Commander,† Seldon said in a tight voice. â€Å"Oh, I'm sorry, Professor,† said an abashed commander. â€Å"I'll be in touch with you as soon as I hear anything.† Dispiritedly Hari closed the visiscreen contact. How tired I am, he thought. And, he mused, I'm not surprised-I've known that this would come for nearly forty years. Seldon chuckled bitterly to himself. Perhaps that commander had thought he was shocking Seldon, impressing him with the vivid detail of life â€Å"on the fringe.† But Seldon knew all about the fringe. And as the fringe came apart, like a piece of knitting with one loose thread, the whole piece would unravel to the core: Trantor. Seldon became aware of a soft buzzing sound. It was the door signal. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Grandpa,† said Wanda, entering the office, â€Å"I'm scared.† â€Å"Why, dear?† asked Seldon with concern. He didn't want to tell her yet what he had learned-or hadn't learned-from the commander on Anacreon. â€Å"Usually, although they're so far away, I feel Dad and Mom and Bellis-feel them in here†-she pointed to her head-â€Å"and in here†-she placed her hand over her heart. â€Å"But now, today, I don't feel them-it feels less, as if they're fading, like one of the dome bulbs. And I want to stop it. I want to pull them back, but I can't.† â€Å"Wanda, I really think this is merely a product of your concern for your family in light of the rebellion. You know that uprisings occur all over the Empire all the time-little eruptions to let off steam. Come now, you know that chances of anything happening to Raych, Manella, or Bellis are vanishingly small. Your dad will call any day to say all is well; your mom and Bellis will land on Anacreon at any moment and enjoy a little vacation. We are the ones to be pitied-we're stuck here up to our ears in work! So, sweetheart, go to bed and think only good thoughts. I promise you, tomorrow, under the sunny dome, things will look much better.† â€Å"All right, Grandpa,† said Wanda, not sounding entirely convinced. â€Å"But tomorrow-if we haven't heard by tomorrow-we'll have to-to-â€Å" â€Å"Wanda, what can we do, except wait?† asked Hari, his voice gentle. Wanda turned and left, the weight of her worries showing in the slope of her shoulders. Hari watched her go, finally allowing his own worries to come to the surface. It had been three days since the hologram transmission from Raych. Since then-nothing. And today the naval commander at Anacreon denied ever having heard of a ship called Arcadia VII Hari had tried earlier to get through to Raych on Santanni, but all communication beams were down. It was as if Santanni-and the Arcadia VII-had simply broken off from the Empire, like a petal from a flower. Seldon knew what he had to do now. The Empire might be down, but it was not out. Its power, when properly wielded, was still awesome. Seldon placed an emergency transmission to Emperor Agis XIV. 29 â€Å"What a surprise-my friend Hari!† Agis's visage beamed at Seldon through the holoscreen. â€Å"I am glad to hear from you, although you usually request the more formal personal audience. Come, you've piqued my interest. Why the urgency?† â€Å"Sire,† began Seldon, â€Å"my son, Raych, and his wife and daughter live on Santanni.† â€Å"Ah, Santanni,† the Emperor said as his smile faded. â€Å"A bunch of misguided wretches if I eve -â€Å" â€Å"Sire, please,† broke in Seldon, surprising both the Emperor and himself with this flagrant breach of Imperial protocol. â€Å"My son was able to get Manella and Bellis onto a hypership, the Arcadia VII, bound for Anacreon. He, however, had to remain. That was three days ago. The ship has not landed at Anacreon. And my son seems to have disappeared. My calls to Santanni have gone unanswered and now the communication beams are broken. â€Å"Please, Sire, can you help me?† â€Å"Hari, as you know, officially all ties between Santanni and Trantor have been severed. However, I still hold some influence in selected areas of Santanni. That is, there are still a few loyal to me who have not yet been found out. Although I cannot make direct contact with any of my operatives on that world, I can share with you any reports I receive from there. These are, of course, highly confidential, but considering your situation and our relationship, I will allow you access to those pieces that might interest you. â€Å"I am expecting another dispatch within the hour. If you like, I'll recontact you when it arrives. In the meantime, I'll have one of my aides go over all transmissions from Santanni for the past three days to look for anything pertaining to Raych, Manella, or Bellis Seldon.† â€Å"Thank you, Sire. I thank you most humbly.† And Hari Seldon dipped his head as the Emperor's image faded from the holoscreen. Sixty minutes later Hari Seldon was still sitting at his desk, waiting to hear from the Emperor. The past hour had been one of the most difficult he had ever spent, second only to the hours after Dors's destruction. It was the not knowing that did Hari in. He had made a career of knowing-the future as well as the present. And now he had no idea at all about three of the people most precious to him. The holoscreen buzzed softly and Hari pressed a contact in response. Agis appeared. â€Å"Hari,† began the Emperor. From the soft slow sadness in his voice, Hari knew this call brought bad news. â€Å"My son,† said Hari. â€Å"Yes,† replied the Emperor. â€Å"Raych was killed, earlier today, in a bombardment on Santanni University. I've learned from my sources that Raych knew the attack was coming but refused to desert his post. You see, a good number of the rebels are students and Raych felt that if they knew that he was still there, they would never†¦ But hate overcame all reason. â€Å"The University is, you see, an Imperial University. The rebels feel they must destroy all things Imperial before rebuilding anew. The fools! Why-† And here Agis stopped, as if suddenly realizing that Seldon did not care about Santanni University or the plans of the rebels-not right now, at least. â€Å"Hari, if it makes you feel any better, remember that your son died in defense of knowledge. It was not the Empire Raych fought and died for but humanity itself.† Seldon looked up out of tear-filled eyes. Weakly he asked, â€Å"And Manella and little Bellis? What of them? Have you found the Arcadia Hl?† â€Å"That search has proved fruitless, Hari. The Arcadia VII left Santanni, as you were told. But it seems to have disappeared. It may have been hijacked by rebels or it may have made an emergency detour-at this point, we just don't know.† Seldon nodded. â€Å"Thank you, Agis. Although you have brought me tragic news, at least you have brought it. Not knowing was worse. You are a true friend.† â€Å"And so, my friend,† said the Emperor, â€Å"I'll leave you to yourself now-and your memories.† The Emperor's image faded from the screen as Hari Seldon folded his arms in front of him on his desk, put his head down, and wept. 30 Wanda Seldon adjusted the waistband of her unisuit, pulling it a little tighter around her middle. Taking up a hand hoe, she attacked some weeds that had sprung up in her small flower garden outside the Psychohistory Building at Streeling. Generally Wanda spent the bulk of her time in her office, working with her Prime Radiant. She found solace in its precise statistical elegance; the unvarying equations were somehow reassuring in this Empire gone so crazy. But when thoughts of her beloved father, mother, and baby sister became too much to bear, when even her research could not keep her mind off the horrible losses she'd so recently undergone, Wanda invariably found herself out here, scratching at the terraformed ground, as if coaxing a few plants to life might somehow, in some tiny measure, ameliorate her pain. Since her father's death a month ago and the disappearance of Manella and Bellis, Wanda, who had always been slim, had been losing weight. Whereas a few months ago Hari Seldon would have been concerned over his darling granddaughter's loss of appetite, now he, stuck in his own grief, seemed not to notice. A profound change had come over Hari and Wanda Seldon-and the few remaining members of the Psychohistory Project. Hari seemed to have given up. He now spent most of his days sitting in an armchair in the Streeling solarium, staring out at the University grounds, warmed by the bright bulbs overhead. Occasionally Project members told Wanda that his bodyguard, a man named Stettin Palver, would badger Seldon into a walk out under the dome or try to engage him in a discussion of the future direction of the Project. Wanda retreated deeper into her study of the Prime Radiant's fascinating equations. She could feel the future her grandfather had worked so hard to achieve finally taking shape, and he was right: The Encyclopedists must be established on Terminus; they would be the Foundation. And Section 33A2D17-in it Wanda could see what Seldon referred to as the Second, or secret, Foundation. But how? Without Seldon's active interest, Wanda was at a loss as to how to proceed. And her sorrow over the destruction of her family cut so deep that she didn't seem to have the strength to figure it out. The members of the Project itself, those fifty or so hardy souls who remained, continued their work as well as possible. The majority were Encyclopedists, researching the source materials they would need to copy and catalogue for their eventual move to Terminus-when and if they gained full access to the Galactic Library. At this point, they were working on faith alone. Professor Seldon had lost his private office at the Library, so the prospects of any other Project member gaining special access were slim. The remaining Project members (other than the Encyclopedists) were historical analysts and mathematicians. The historians interpreted past and current human actions and events, turning their findings over to the mathematicians, who in turn fit those pieces into the great Psychohistorical Equation. It was long painstaking work. Many Project members had left because the rewards were so few-psychohistorians were the butt of many jokes on Trantor and limited funds had forced Seldon to enact drastic pay cuts. But the constant reassuring presence of Hari Seldon had-till now-overcome the difficult working conditions of the Project. Indeed, the Project members who had stayed on had, to a person, done so out of respect and devotion to Professor Seldon. Now, thought Wanda Seldon bitterly, what reason is left for them to stay? A light breeze blew a piece of her blond hair across her eyes; she pushed it back absentmindedly and continued her weeding. â€Å"Miss Seldon, may I have a moment of your time?† Wanda turned and looked up. A young man-she judged him to be in his early twenties-stood on the gravel path next to her. She immediately sensed him to be strong and fearsomely intelligent. Her grandfather had chosen wisely. Wanda rose to speak with him. â€Å"I recognize you. You are my grandfather's bodyguard, are you not? Stettin Palver, I believe?† â€Å"Yes, that's correct, Miss Seldon,† Palver said and his cheeks reddened slightly, as if he were pleased that so pretty a girl should have given him any notice. â€Å"Miss Seldon, it is your grandfather I'd like to talk to you about. I'm very worried about him. We must do something.† â€Å"Do what, Mr. Palver? I am at a loss. Since my father†-she swallowed hard, as if she were having difficulty speaking-â€Å"died and my mother and sister disappeared, it is all I can do to get him out of bed in the morning. And to tell you the truth, it has affected me very deeply as well. You understand, don't you?† She looked into his eyes and knew that he did. â€Å"Miss Seldon,† Palver said softly, â€Å"I am terribly sorry about your losses. But you and Professor Seldon are alive and you must keep working at psychohistory. The professor seems to have given up. I was hoping that maybe you-we-could come up with something to give him hope again. You know, a reason to go on.† Ah, Mr. Palver, thought Wanda, maybe Grandpa has it right. I wonder if there truly is any reason to go on. But she said, â€Å"I'm sorry, Mr. Palver, I can think of nothing.† She gestured toward the ground with her hoe. â€Å"And now, as you can see, I must get back to these pesky weeds.† â€Å"I don't think your grandfather has got it right. I think there truly is a reason to go on. We just have to find it.† The words struck her with full force. How had he known what she had been thinking? Unless-â€Å"You can handle minds, can't you?† Wanda asked, holding her breath, as if afraid to hear Palver's response. â€Å"Yes, I can,† the young man replied. â€Å"I always have, I think. At least, I can't remember not doing it. Half the time I'm not even consciously aware of it-I just know what people are thinking-or have thought. â€Å"Sometimes,† he continued, encouraged by the understanding he felt emanating from Wanda, â€Å"I get flashes of it coming from someone else. It's always in a crowd, though, and I can't locate whoever it is. But I know there are others like me-us-around.† Wanda grabbed Palver's hand excitedly, her gardening tool tossed to the ground, forgotten. â€Å"Have you any idea what this might mean? For Grandpa, for psychohistory? One of us alone can do only so much, but both of us together-† Wanda started walking into the Psychohistory Building, leaving Palver standing on the gravel path. Almost to the entrance she stopped and turned. Come, Mr. Palver, we must tell my grandfather, Wanda said without opening her mouth. Yes, I suppose we should, answered Palver as he joined her. 31 â€Å"Do you mean to say I have been searching Trantor-wide for someone with your powers, Wanda, and he's been here with us for the past few months and we never knew it?† Hari Seldon was incredulous. He had been dozing in the solarium when Wanda and Palver shook him awake to give him their amazing news. â€Å"Yes, Grandpa. Think about it. I've never had occasion to meet Stettin. Your time with him has primarily been away from the Project and I spend the majority of my time closeted in my office, working with the Prime Radiant. When would we have met? In fact, the one time our paths did cross, the results were most significant.† â€Å"When was that?† asked Seldon, searching his memory. â€Å"Your last hearing-before Judge Lih,† Wanda replied immediately. â€Å"Remember the eyewitness who swore that you and Stettin had attacked those three muggers? Remember how he broke down and told the truth-and even he didn't seem to know why. But Stettin and I have pieced it together. We were both pushing Rial Nevas to come clean. He had been very steadfast in his original claim; I doubt that either one of us would have been able to push him alone. But together†-she stole a shy glance at Palver, who was standing off to the side-â€Å"our power is awesome!† Hari Seldon took all this in and then made as if to speak. But Wanda continued. â€Å"In fact, we plan to spend the afternoon testing our mentalic abilities, separately and together. From the little we've discovered so far, it seems as if Stettin's power is slightly lower than mine-perhaps a five on my rating scale. But his five, combined with my seven, gives us a twelve! Think of it, Grandpa. Awesome!† â€Å"Don't you see, Professor?† Palver spoke up. â€Å"Wanda and I are that breakthrough you're looking for. We can help you convince the worlds of the validity of psychohistory, we can help find others like us, we can help put psychohistory back on track.† Hari Seldon gazed up at the two young people standing in front of him. Their faces were aglow with youth and vigor and enthusiasm and he realized it did his old heart good. Perhaps all was not lost, after all. He had not thought he would survive this latest tragedy, the death of his son and the disappearance of his son's wife and child, but now he could see that Raych lived on in Wanda. And in Wanda and Stettin, he now knew, lived the future of the Foundation. â€Å"Yes, yes,† agreed Seldon nodding forcefully. â€Å"Come you two, help me up. I must get back to my office to plan our next step.†