Human Memory Essay Example for Free

Human Memory Essay The human memory is that part of our brains that has the capacity to receive, store, and retrieve information. It is comprised of not one but three types: sensory, short term, and long term. Generally, the process involves receiving information or stimulus from the environment. The stimulus is then received by the sensory memory. Then the information, which is converted into electrical impulses, is passed through the short-term memory, and finally, the long-term memory through the neurons. Sensory A stimuli that is sensed or received by one of the five sense organs are received by the sensory memory, which acts as a protective barrier. There are different types of sensory memory, one for each sense organ. For the visual stimuli that are registered by the eyes, the sensory memory is called iconic. Stimuli that passes through the ears are received by the echoic memory. And the haptic memory is for stimuli that are felt or touched. A stimulus reaches the sensory memory between two hundred and five hundred milliseconds after it was perceived. An example of sensory memory is the ability to remember how something looks like even if you were able to see it for only a few seconds. Based on research, sensory memory is able to retain about 12 items in a very short period of time. Interruption in the smooth relay of sensory information can be caused by problems in the neurons . If there are some neurons that do not connect or there are imbalances, then information flow will stop or will be delayed. Short-Term Information that reaches the sensory memory are transferred to the short-term memory. This type of memory allows retention of information for up to 60 seconds. While it can remember information far longer than the sensory memory, the short-term memory can only retain up to five items. To increase the number of items that the short-term memory can remember, studies showed that grouping or chunking the items into three have been found very useful. Short-term memory will degrade if a person experiences chronic pain or drinks constantly. It can be enhanced through aerobic exercises because of the increased oxygen in the brain. Long-Term After information has passed through the short-term memory, it is then transferred to the long-term memory for storage and for retrieval in the future. Contrary to the two previous memories, the long-term memory can hold information indefinitely, sometimes for a lifetime. Information becomes ingrained in the memory through repetition or rehearsal. For instance, the alphabets has been constantly repeated to young children in order for them to remember each letter. As a result, knowledge of them will remain etched in memory forever. Long-term memory degrades through certain illnesses. It can be improved through constant intellectual stimulation and rehearsal. Long-term memory groups information into facts and skills. Facts is further classified into two: the episodic and semantic. As their names suggests, episodic refers to events that are stored in the memory. All the others are stored in the semantic memory. Skills, on the other hand, is about learned information that needs to be recalled to perform certain actions. The processes involved in the long-term memory are retention, retrieval and deletion. Retention is achieved when there is rehearsal. Deletion happens when there is interference. Retrieval can occur through recall and sometimes, through recognition. When the information is remembered from memory, it is called recall. If there are promptings and cues to remember an information, it is called recognition. Interference Interference is defined as the inability to recall an information because certain items or events interfere with the process. Proactive interference occurs when previous learnings will make it difficult to remember new ones. On the other hand, retroactive interference occurs when new learnings make it difficult or impossible to recall past information. While studying, information gets jumbled in the students mind because there are too many to recall. To improve absorption and recall, it is important to rehearse the information over a period of time. This could be done by reading the days lessons and memorizing the salient points before going to sleep. If the student will make this a habit, he wont need to cram everything in his head a few days before the exam. By constantly rehearsing, the retention and retrieval will become easy. Other Factors That Could Affect Memory Age is one factor that could make a person forget an information or make it difficult to retrieve it from its storage. Like any other part of the body, the brain also degrades if it is not constantly in use. Injuries, traumas, medicines, and diseases could also affect memory storage and retrieval. For example, a tumor in the brain can interrupt the flow of electrical impulses, resulting to memory loss. Or a trauma caused by accident could result to sensory memory loss in one part of the body. To improve and maintain a good memory, it is always important to keep on exercising the mind as well as the body. When the mind is seldom used, it degenerates. Reading, learning and engaging in intellectual discourses would keep the mind active. References Gailbuck. (2007). Delving Into the Autistic Brain Part 1. HubPages. Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://hubpages.com/hub/autism-sensory-processing Human Memory. Retrieved August 14, 2008, from http://www-static.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_winter/Topics/human- cap/memory.html Mohs, R. How to Improve Your Memory. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from

Two Points Against Naturalized Epistemology :: Epistemology Research Papers

Two Points Against Naturalized Epistemology ABSTRACT: My aim is to raise two points against naturalizing epistemology. First, against Quine’s version of naturalizing epistemology, I claim that the traditional questions of epistemology are indispensable, in that they impose themselves in every attempt to construct an epistemology. These epistemological questions are pre- and extra-scientific questions; they are beyond the scientific domain of research, thus, for a distinct province of inquiry. Second, I claim that no naturalistic account can be given as an answer to the traditional question of justification. I take Goldman’s and Haack’s accounts as examples to support my claim. The traditional demand of justification is to start from nowhere. Naturalizing justification is to start form somewhere. The two approaches are, thus, necessarily incompatible with each other. So, the accounts given by the naturalists are not answers to the traditional problem of justification. To remain compatible with themselves, t he naturalists should have conceded that the problem of justification is illegitimate or incoherent. The fact that they did not I take as additional evidence to support my claim that the traditional questions of epistemology are indispensable: they impose themselves and are, thus, hard to eliminate. Introduction: When Plato tried to distinguish in "The Theatetus" between mere belief and knowledge, as an attempt to answer the skeptical doubts concerning the possibility of our knowledge of the external world , he has created what has become known throughout the history of philosophy as "epistemology" and what has since then, become a distinct province of inquiry whose main concern is determining the nature, the scope, the sources and limits of human knowledge. These problems, which are known as the traditional problems are to be determined, according to the traditional approach to epistemology, as exemplified throughout the history of epistemology, by using a priori methods such as conceptual analysis, not by any kind of empirical investigation. Such view of epistemology was rejected, partially or wholly in different ways and for various reasons by the recent trend known. as "naturalized epistemology". (1) The aim of this paper is to raise two points against two versions of naturalized epistemology; the first is that epistemology can be restricted to doing science, as held by Quine who is cited to having held the strong version of naturalized epistemology, (2) the second is that justification can be given a naturalistic account, as held by A. Goldman and others, from which I conclude that traditional epistemology survives the attempt to naturalize.

How does Forster(TM)s narrative style affect the relationship between reader, character and situation? Essay

Forster’s narrative style affects the relationship between reader, character and situation in many different ways. Forster’s narrative technique is often quite muddled. His style of narration wavers between optimism and uncertainty. He is always trying to show and describe one thing but means something else. He starts out with a certain vision, only to have it falter in subtle and frightening ways, and then reaffirms it. His narrative style can be rather subtle at times especially when he reveals his own opinion about a character, it is very indirect. However, on the contrary one of Forster’s narrative techniques is to address the reader directly. Forster also leaves the reader to make their own view on the character; many times he does not reveal an opinion about the character so the reader can create their own interpretation. His narrative style can affect the situation in diverse techniques. Forster can describe the situation in which Lucy can let out her emotion in her conscious and unconscious state, he reefers to music. How he describes general way of being and life in A Room with a View has a link to music. The affirmation from his certain vision comes with an artistic admission. The articulate, dominant narrative voice chooses to have things turn out that way. For example Forster show the readers that life in his novels is rather like Beethoven’s sonnets ‘ They can triumph or despair as the player decides and Lucy had decided that they should triumph’ (Page twenty nine) The music becomes a way to show and relate to how Lucy attempts to convince her subconscious of a certain lifestyle. Forster also uses his artistic admission with Lucy and the way in which Forster narrates his novel affects how the readers view the characters. Using Lucy Honeychurch as an example, the readers gain a connection with her. At the beginning of the novel Forster revealed her immaturity and often showed it with his narrative techniques. Throughout the novel the reader sees that Lucy develops into a more mature character. For example, her break up with Cecil shows the readers that she has finally distinguished her own thoughts realising that Cecil is not the man for her. The situation is narrated through the vision of art. Forster describes Cecil’s constant comparisons of Lucy to a Leonardo. It is based on Cecil’s perception of her â€Å"shadows† and â€Å"reticence†, which are actually signs of her confusion and repression. Lucy is always muddled and the reader sometimes does not comprehend her, it is all to do with her not knowing what she really wants. Just as the reader starts to think they understand her Forster muddles up his narrative technique and ‘throws’ the reader from their thoughts quite subtly. Subtlety plays quite a vital role in Forster’s narrative manner. He uses it in many ways, to describe the characters in deep thought. He also uses it with the character Mr. Beebe. He is clearly gay, just like E. M. Forster himself and Forster states the fact of Mr. Beebe’s sexuality however in an extremely clever and subtle way without making the whole situation too obvious. The indirect narration of the characters plays a major role in the novel. Forster reveals his own opinion very indirectly. It provides a fine example of the highly visual nature of Forster’s narrative style and his concentration of the gaze on characters, especially male ones. The readers can see that he favours Mr. Emerson and therefore Forster makes no criticism towards him. The readers can see that few characters receive full lengthy physical description. However, on the contrary, Forster shows the characters that he is not so fond of, for example, Miss Bartlett. Forster subtly criticises her in his narration. Most of the novel is narrated from Lucy’s prospective and at times from Mr. Beebe’s and Charlottes. Lucy and Charlotte’s relationship is exposed. Forster makes it obvious that Lucy is told what to think by Charlotte. He narrates it in such a way that it represents the freedom (or lack of it) that Lucy has. At the beginning of the novel Lucy is inferior to Charlotte and is expected to think what charlotte thinks and do what she does. It illustrates the opposition of immaturity and maturity shown in the beginning and end of the book. Forster also shows opposition within his narration between the characters. For instance, Ms. Bartlett and Cecil are described as more conservative characters more indoor kind of people and are generally narrated doing things less active. A vast majority of the time they are only narrated doing things inside. However, comparing them to Freddy, Lucy and George it shows extreme distinction between characters because they are more outdoor and active characters, often narrated doing thing outside which then goes on to show the link to the view and how they appreciate it a lot more than Cecil and Charlotte. For example, Cecil refuses to play tennis stating that he was not made to play sport. Overall, Forster’s narrative style affects the relationship between the Readers by subtly favouring the character, by showing criticism towards the character or not criticising them at all and leaving the opinion to be made by the reader. His narrative style affects the situation by linking it to something that the reader can refer to, in this case, art and music. This therefore leads to a much more vivid image of the situation that the reader creates in his of her mind.

Analysis of wind energy - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1649 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2019/08/08 Category Energy Industry Essay Level High school Tags: Wind Energy Essay Did you like this example? The advancement in technology which led to industrialization over the last century has resulted in geometric increase in population. Breakthrough in the field of medicine and other technologies subsequently improved fertility, rise in life expectancy and rise in standard of living. The baby boom era saw an unprecedented rise in population from 2.1 billion to over 6.5 billion and the population is expected to rise to about 9 billion people by year 2050 (United nations,2006). This increase in population has led to increase in demand for energy. This has resulted in the burning of more fossil fuels which has raised lots of concerns. The first concern being the question of sustainability due to fossil fuel being non-renewable and the second being the issue of global warming. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Analysis of wind energy" essay for you Create order With population set to be on the rise, demand for electricity and other energy sources is bound to increase, more cars begin to ply our roads as more people need to move from one place to the other. These means the rate at which we consume fossil fuel increases as well. This increases the fear of running out of fossil fuel someday questions the sustainability of fossil fuel. The bye products of combusting fossil fuel has also been having derogatory effects on our environment. The release of Carbon monoxide into the atmosphere has contributed to the increase in greenhouse gases. This has resulted in an increase in the average temperature of the earth surface and subsequently contributed to the climate change we are experiencing. Renewable energy sources has been identified as the solution to these problems. Renewable energy sources include solar energy, wind energy, biomass, geothermal energy, hydroelectric power among others. All these sources are renewable and at no risk of running out. Also, unlike fossil fuel, they are environmentally friendly as they contribute little or nothing to the greenhouse gases. According to the U.S. Energy Information and Administration, Renewable energy accounted for 12.7 percent of the total primary energy production in 2017. About 77.6 percent came from fossil fuel (2018). However, renewable energies have various limitations which affects their contribution to energy production. Among these limitations are technological limitations, economic limitations and environmental limitations. In this paper, the limitations of Wind energy will be discussed and probable solutions will be proposed. WIND ENERGY Wind energy is the kinetic energy due to airflow. This airflow is a result of the uneven heating of the earths surface by the sun. The difference in the rate causes the movement of air, as the hot air rises and the cold air goes opposite way in other to reach an equilibrium. The energy in the wind is harnessed by using a Wind Turbine which captures the kinetic energy in the wind. The kinetic energy in the wind causes the blades of the turbine to rotate here by creating a mechanical energy which turns a shaft connected to a gear box. Depending on the gearbox configuration, the speed of rotation of the shaft is multiplied by a factor of 100 or more which in turn drives a generator that produces electricity. Since the Energy crises in 1973, Wind energy has been identified as one of the economically viable renewable energy. Countries like Denmark, Sweden, China, and USA among others have invested heavily in the technology that converts wind energy to electrical energy. This has reduced the cost of per Kw hour of electricity generated by wind by about 80%. However, electricity from wind energy is still more costly than energy generated by fossil fuel. This is due to the high cost of setting up a wind farm as well as running cost. Wind turbines have potential for high efficiency , low operating costs , zero carbon dioxide emission and it only takes the wind turbine about 25 percent of its age to break even and produce the energy that goes into producing, operating and recycling the it (Rose mary P.J, 2014). There are a few things that can be done to reduce the cost of per KW of electricity generated from wind energy. We can improve the technology to produce more electricity at the same cost or reduced cost by trying to eliminate exergy destruction in the system. We can also make policies that help to reduce the running cost of wind turbines. Policies such as reduced tax and incentives for investing in wind turbines. ECONOMICS OF WIND ENERGY The cost of wind energy per KW hour depends on lots of factors ranging from wind speed, location, type of wind turbine. A study done by Raghed showed that the cost of electricity generated in wind power mainly depends on capital and investment cost, operation and maintenance cost and fuel cost. A closer look into the cost of electricity per KW hour in wind energy shows that the cost depends on other things such as the economic depreciation of the capital equipment, interest paid on initial loans, taxes, government incentives and tax credits, electricity bills while on standby, wind speed among others (Ragheb, 2017). This factors vary from location to location. The cost of leasing land for wind farms in the Middle West is less than the cost of leasing the same land mass in the north east coast or in southern states like Texas or California. However the wind speed is more favorable in the Midwestern states than the North east coast and the aforementioned southern states. Other factors that contribute to the cost of wind energy per KW hour is the type of turbine. Different turbines have different efficiencies at different wind speeds. The height of the hub and the diameter of the wind turbines also play a key role in the output of the wind turbine (Rose, 2014). Due to all these factors, it is difficult to specifically pinpoint a particular cost for wind energy as these factors vary from one location to another but one fact that has been ascertained is that the cost of electricity generated per KW hour from wind energy is more than that generated from fossil fuels hereby making it less competitive in the market. However, there are various policies that has been implemented to offset some of these costs, hence making wind energy more profitable for investors. Federal policies like the Production Tax Credit (PTC), Renewable Energy Production Incentive (REPI), and Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System (MACRS) among others have been initiated over the years. This has resulted in increase in the installed capacity of the wind power. It was recorded that the installed capacity grew by about 35% in 2005 when the PTC was reinstated after the PTC expired in 2004 (Ragheb, 2017). The policies discussed above has encouraged investors to invest in renewable energy but there has not really being a federal move to reduce dependency on cheaper fossil fuel. Elisabeth Rosenthal in an article for the New York Times in 2010 wrote that If the United States is to catch up to countries like Portugal, the United States must overcome obstacles like a fragmented, outdated energy grid poorly suited to renewable en ergy, a historic reliance on plentiful and cheap supplies of fossil fuels, especially coal, powerful oil and coal industries that often oppose incentives for renewable development and an energy policy that is influenced by individual states. The federal government must improve the energy grids to be more renewable energy friendly to reduce the cost of transporting the energy. The federal government should also reduce the incentives on electricity from fossil fuel and allocate more of the funds to renewable energy. EXERGY ANALYSIS OF WIND TURBINE Exergy is the useful energy in a system. It is the energy available for useful work. It can be referred to as the dollars in a generating plant as it is the energy available for sale. Although the wind power energy has been ascertained to have high efficiency potentials, the wind turbine can only harvest a small portion of the kinetic energy in the wind. To increase the quantity of energy resources harvested from the wind, a set of turbines which forms a wind farm are strategically located on a field. The set of turbines are connected to a grid to transport the energy to distribution centers. The performance of the wind farm depends on wind speed, wake effects which depends on the spacing between the turbines as well as the topography of the field. In other to maximize the efficiency of the wind farm hereby optimizing power production, the turbines must be positioned at a distance from each other. This distance must be sufficient for the wake effects to diminish and the wind to recov er from the energy harvested from it by the turbine ahead of it (Hui, 2015). For individual wind turbines, the exergy efficiency is a measure of how well the stream exergy of the wind is converted into useful turbine work output which is converted to electricity or used to do work. (ozgener and ozgener, 2006, Reynaga et al, 2017). The input exergy of a wind turbine is dependent on the mass of air causing the blades to rotate. Exergy depends on the dead state and the only difference between the wind at a point and dead state is the velocity it possesses when it is not in dead state. This velocity gives it its kinetic energy which can be converted to useful work by the wind turbine. Irrespective of the temperature and pressure, the energy input of the wind turbine is dependent on the velocity of the wind (Ozgener and Ozgener, 2006). The maximum amount of power available to the wind turbine is equal to the product of the mass flow rate of the air and the specific exergy of the air. The output exergy is equal to the exergy available at the inverter. The exergy de struction is the difference between the output exergy and the input exergy. Sources of exergy destruction in the wind turbine includes heat, friction and noise. And these losses occur during the mechanical (shaft speed multiplication and braking) and electrical (generators) activities of the wind turbine.