Prelude to Foundation Chapter 9 Microfarm

MYCOGEN-†¦ The microfarms of Mycogen are legendary, though they survive today only in such oft-used similes as â€Å"rich as the microfarms of Mycogen† or â€Å"tasty as Mycogenian yeast.† Such encomiums tend to intensify with time, to be sure, but Hari Seldon visited those microfarms in the course of The Flight and there are references in his memoirs that would tend to support the popular opinion†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 41. â€Å"That was good.† said Seldon explosively. â€Å"It was considerably better than the food Graycloud brought-â€Å" Dors said reasonably, â€Å"You have to remember that Graycloud's woman had to prepare it on short notice in the middle of the night.† She paused and said, â€Å"I wish they would say ‘wife.' They make ‘woman' sound like such an appanage, like ‘my house' or my robe.' It is absolutely demeaning.† â€Å"I know. It's infuriating. But they might well make ‘wife' sound like an appanage as well. It's the way they live and the Sisters don't seem to mind. You and I aren't going to change it by lecturing. Anyway, did you see how the Sisters did it?† â€Å"Yes, I did and they made everything seem very simple. I doubted I could remember everything they did, but they insisted I wouldn't have to. I could get away with mere heating. I gathered the bread had some sort of microderivative added to it in the baking that both raised the dough and lent it that crunchy consistency and warm flavor. Just a hint of pepper, didn't you think?† â€Å"I couldn't tell, but whatever it was, I didn't get enough. And the soup. Did you recognize any of the vegetables?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And what was the sliced meat? Could you tell?† â€Å"I don't think it was sliced meat, actually. We did have a lamb dish back on Cinna that it reminded me of.† â€Å"It was certainly not lamb.† â€Å"I said that I doubted it was meat at all.-I don't think anyone outside Mycogen eats like this either. Not even the Emperor, I'm sure. Whatever the Mycogenians sell is, I'm willing to bet, near the bottom of the line. They save the best for themselves. We had better not stay here too long, Hari. If we get used to eating like this, we'll never be able to acclimatize ourselves to the miserable stuff they have outside.† She laughed. Seldon laughed too. He took another sip at the fruit juice, which tasted far more tantalizing than any fruit juice he had ever sipped before, and said, â€Å"listen, when Hummin took me to the University, we stopped at a roadside diner and had some food that was heavily yeasted. It tasted like- No, never mind what it tasted like, but I wouldn't have thought it conceivable, then, that microfood could taste like this. I wish the Sisters were still here. It would have been polite to thank them.† â€Å"I think they were quite aware of how we would feel. I remarked on the wonderful smell while everything was warming and they said, quite complacently, that it would taste even better.† â€Å"The older one said that, I imagine.† â€Å"Yes. The younger one giggled.-And they'll be back. They're going to bring me a kirtle, so that I can go out to see the shops with them. And they made it clear I would have to wash my face if I was to be seen in public. They will show me where to buy some good-quality kirtles of my own and where I can buy ready-made meals of all kinds. All I'll have to do is heat them up. They explained that decent Sisters wouldn't do that, but would start from scratch. In fact, some of the meal they prepared for us was simply heated and they apologized for that. They managed to imply, though, that tribespeople couldn't be expected to appreciate true artistry in cooking, so that simply heating prepared food would do for us.-They seem to take it for granted, by the way, that I will be doing all the shopping and cooking.† â€Å"As we say at home, ‘When in Trantor, do as the Trantorians do.' â€Å" â€Å"Yes, I was sure that would be your attitude in this case.† â€Å"I'm only human,† said Seldon. â€Å"The usual excuse,† said Dors with a small smile. Seldon leaned back with a satisfactory well-filled feeling and said, â€Å"You've been on Trantor for two years, Dors, so you might understand a few things that I don't. Is it your opinion that this odd social system the Mycogenians have is part of a supernaturalistic view they have?† â€Å"Supernaturalistic?† â€Å"Yes. Would you have heard that this was so?† â€Å"What do you mean by ‘supernaturalistic'?† â€Å"The obvious. A belief in entities that are independent of natural law, that are not bound by the conservation of energy, for instance, or by the existence of a constant of action.† â€Å"I see. You're asking if Mycogen is a religious community.† It was Seldon's turn. â€Å"Religious?† â€Å"Yes. It's an archaic term, but we historians use it-our study is riddled with archaic terms. ‘Religious' is not precisely equivalent to ‘supernaturalistic,' though it contains richly supernaturalistic elements. I can't answer your specific question, however, because I've never made any special investigation of Mycogen. Still, from what little I've seen of the place and from my knowledge of religions in history, I wouldn't be surprised if the Mycogenian society was religious in character.† â€Å"In that case, would it surprise you if Mycogenian legends were also religious in character?† â€Å"No, it wouldn't.† â€Å"And therefore not based on historical matter?† â€Å"That wouldn't necessarily follow. The core of the legends might still be authentically historic, allowing for distortion and supernaturalistic intermixture.† â€Å"Ah,† said Seldon and seemed to retire into his thoughts. Finally Dors broke the silence that followed and said, â€Å"It's not so uncommon, you know. There is a considerable religious element on many worlds. It's grown stronger in the last few centuries as the Empire has grown more turbulent. On my world of Cinna, at least a quarter of the population is tritheistic.† Seldon was again painfully and regretfully conscious of his ignorance of history. He said, â€Å"Were there times in past history when religion was more prominent than it is today?† â€Å"Certainly. In addition, there are new varieties springing up constantly. The Mycogenian religion, whatever it might be, could be relatively new and may be restricted to Mycogen itself. I couldn't really tell without considerable study.† â€Å"But now we get to the point of it, Dors. Is it your opinion that women are more apt to be religious than men are?† Dors Venabili raised her eyebrows. â€Å"I'm not sure if we can assume anything as simple as that.† She thought a bit. â€Å"I suspect that those elements of a population that have a smaller stake in the material natural world are more apt to find solace in what you call supernaturalism-the poor, the disinherited, the downtrodden. Insofar as supernaturalism overlaps religion, they may also be more religious. There are obviously many exceptions in both directions. Many of the downtrodden may lack religion; many of the rich, powerful, and satisfied may possess it.† â€Å"But in Mycogen,† said Seldon, â€Å"where the women seem to be treated as subhuman-would I be right in assuming they would be more religious than the men, more involved in the legends that the society has been preserving?† â€Å"I wouldn't risk my life on it, Hari, but I'd be willing to risk a week's income on it.† â€Å"Good,† said Seldon thoughtfully. Dors smiled at him. â€Å"There's a bit of your psychohistory, Hari. Rule number 47,854: The downtrodden are more religious than the satisfied.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"Don't joke about psychohistory, Dors. You know I'm not looking for tiny rules but for vast generalizations and for means of manipulation. I don't want comparative religiosity as the result of a hundred specific rules. I want something from which I can, after manipulation through some system of mathematicized logic, say, ‘Aha, this group of people will tend to be more religious than that group, provided that the following criteria are met, and that, therefore, when humanity meets with these stimuli, it will react with these responses.' â€Å" â€Å"How horrible,† said Dors. â€Å"You are picturing human beings as simple mechanical devices. Press this button and you will get that twitch.† â€Å"No, because there will be many buttons pushing simultaneously to varying degrees and eliciting so many responses of different sorts that overall the predictions of the future will be statistical in nature, so that the individual human being will remain a free agent.† â€Å"How can you know this?† â€Å"I can't,† said Seldon. â€Å"At least, I don't know it. I feel it to be so. It is what I consider to be the way things ought to be. If I can find the axioms, the fundamental Laws of Humanics, so to speak, and the necessary mathematical treatment, then I will have my psychohistory. I have proved that, in theory, this is possible-â€Å" â€Å"But impractical, right?† â€Å"I keep saying so.† A small smile curved Dors's lips, â€Å"Is that what you are doing, Hari, looking for some sort of solution to this problem?† â€Å"I don't know. I swear to you I don't know. But Chetter Hummin is so anxious to find a solution and, for some reason, I am anxious to please him. He is so persuasive a man.† â€Å"Yes, I know.† Seldon let that comment pass, although a small frown flitted across his face. Seldon continued. â€Å"Hummin insists the Empire is decaying, that it will collapse, that psychohistory is the only hope for saving it-or cushioning it or ameliorating it-and that without it humanity will be destroyed or, at the very least, go through prolonged misery. He seems to place the responsibility for preventing that on me. Now, the Empire will certainly last my time, but if I'm to live at ease, I must lift that responsibility from my shoulders. I must convince myself-and even convince Hummin-that psychohistory is not a practical way out that, despite theory, it cannot be developed. So I must follow up as many leads as I can and show that each one must fail.† â€Å"Leads? Like going back in history to a time when human society was smaller than it is now?† â€Å"Much smaller. And far less complex.† â€Å"And showing that a solution is still impractical?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But who is going to describe the early world for you? If the Mycogenians have some coherent picture of the primordial Galaxy, Sunmaster certainly won't reveal it to a tribesman. No Mycogenian will. This is an ingrown society-how many times have we already said it?-and its members are suspicious of tribesmen to the point of paranoia. They'll tell us nothing.† â€Å"I will have to think of a way to persuade some Mycogenians to talk. Those Sisters, for instance.† â€Å"They won't even hear you, male that you are, any more than Sunmaster hears me. And even if they do talk to you, what would they know but a few catch phrases?† â€Å"I must start somewhere.† Dors said, â€Å"Well, let me think. Hummin says I must protect you and I interpret that as meaning I must help you when I can. What do I know about religion? That's nowhere near my specialty, you know. I have always dealt with economic forces, rather than philosophic forces, but you can't split history into neat little nonoverlapping divisions. For instance, religions tend to accumulate wealth when successful and that eventually tends to distort the economic development of a society. There, incidentally, is one of the numerous rules of human history that you'll have to derive from your basic Laws of Humanics or whatever you called them. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And here, Dors's voice faded away as she lapsed into thought. Seldon watched her cautiously and Dors's eyes glazed as though she was looking deep within herself. Finally she said, â€Å"This is not an invariable rule, but it seems to me that on many occasions, a religion has a book-or books-of significance; books that give their ritual, their view of history, their sacred poetry, and who knows what else. Usually, those books are open to all and are a means of proselytization. Sometimes they are secret.† â€Å"Do you think Mycogen has books of that sort?† â€Å"To be truthful,† said Dors thoughtfully, â€Å"I have never heard of any. I might have if they existed openly-which means they either don't exist or are kept secret. In either case, it seems to me you are not going to see them.† â€Å"At least it's a starting point,† said Seldon grimly. 42. The Sisters returned about two hours after Hari and Dors had finished lunch. They were smiling, both of them, and Raindrop Forty-Three, the graver one, held up a gray kirtle for Dors's inspection. â€Å"It is very attractive,† said Dors, smiling widely and nodding her head with a certain sincerity. â€Å"I like the clever embroidery here.† â€Å"It is nothing,† twittered Raindrop Forty-Five. â€Å"It is one of my old things and it won't fit very well, for you are taller than I am. But it will do for a while and we will take you out to the very best kirtlery to get a few that will fit you and your tastes perfectly. You will see.† Raindrop Forty-Three, smiling a little nervously but saying nothing and keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, handed a white kirtle to Dors. It was folded neatly. Dors did not attempt to unfold it, but passed it on to Seldon. â€Å"From the color I should say it's yours, Hari.† â€Å"Presumably,† said Seldon, â€Å"but give it back. She did not give it to me.† â€Å"Oh, Hari,† mouthed Dors, shaking her head slightly. â€Å"No,† said Seldon firmly. â€Å"She did not give it to me. Give it back to her and I'll wait for her to give it to me.† Dors hesitated, then made a half-hearted attempt to pass the kirtle back to Raindrop Forty-Three. The Sister put her hands behind her back and moved away, all life seeming to drain from her face. Raindrop Forty-Five stole a glance at Seldon, a very quick one, then took a quick step toward Raindrop Forty-Three and put her arms about her. Dors said, â€Å"Come, Hari, I'm sure that Sisters are not permitted to talk to men who are not related to them. What's the use of making her miserable? She can't help it.† â€Å"I don't believe it,† said Seldon harshly. â€Å"If there is such a rule, it applies only to Brothers. I doubt very much that she's ever met a tribesman before.† Dors said to Raindrop Forty-Three in a soft voice, â€Å"Have you ever met a tribesman before, Sister, or a tribeswoman?† A long hesitation and then a slow negative shake of the head. Seldon threw out his arms. â€Å"Well, there you are. If there is a rule of silence, it applies only to the Brothers. Would they have sent these young women-these Sisters-to deal with us if there was any rule against speaking to tribesmen?† â€Å"It might be, Hari, that they were meant to speak only to me and I to you.† â€Å"Nonsense. I don't believe it and I won't believe it. I am not merely a tribesman, I am an honored guest in Mycogen, asked to be treated as such by Chetter Hummin and escorted here by Sunmaster Fourteen himself. I will not be treated as though I do not exist. I will be in communication with Sunmaster Fourteen and I will complain bitterly.† Raindrop Forty-Five began to sob and Raindrop Forty-Three, retaining her comparative impassivity, nevertheless flushed faintly. Dors made as though to appeal to Seldon once again, but he stopped her with a brief and angry outward thrust of his right arm and then stared gloweringly at Raindrop Forty-Three. And finally she spoke and did not twitter. Rather, her voice trembled hoarsely, as though she had to force it to sound in the direction of a male being and was doing so against all her instincts and desires. â€Å"You must not complain of us, tribesman. That would be unjust. You force me to break the custom of our people. What do you want of me?† Seldon smiled disarmingly at once and held out his hand. â€Å"The garment you brought me. The kirtle.† Silently, she stretched out her arm and deposited the kirtle in his hand. He bowed slightly and said in a soft warm voice, â€Å"Thank you, Sister.† He then cast a very brief look in Dors's direction, as though to say: You see? But Dors looked away angrily. The kirtle was featureless, Seldon saw as he unfolded it (embroidery and decorativeness were for women, apparently), but it came with a tasseled belt that probably had some particular way of being worn. No doubt he could work it out. He said, â€Å"I'll step into the bathroom and put this thing on. It won't take but a minute, I suppose.† He stepped into the small chamber and found the door would not close behind him because Dors was forcing her way in as well. Only when the two of them were in the bathroom together did the door close. â€Å"What were you doing?† Dors hissed angrily. â€Å"You were an absolute brute, Hari. Why did you treat the poor woman that way?† Seldon said impatiently, â€Å"I had to make her talk to me. I'm counting on her for information. You know that. I'm sorry I had to be cruel, but how else could I have broken down her inhibitions?† And he motioned her out. When he emerged, he found Dors in her kirtle too. Dors, despite the bald head the skincap gave her and the inherent dowdiness of the kirtle, managed to look quite attractive. The stitching on the robe somehow suggested a figure without revealing it in the least. Her belt was wider than his own and was a slightly different shade of gray from her kirtle. What's more, it was held in front by two glittering blue stone snaps. (Women did manage to beautify themselves even under the greatest difficulty, Seldon thought.) Looking over at Hari, Dors said, â€Å"You look quite the Mycogenian now. The two of us are fit to be taken to the stores by the Sisters.† â€Å"Yes,† said Seldon, â€Å"but afterward I want Raindrop Forty-Three to take me on a tour of the microfarms.† Raindrop Forty-Three's eyes widened and she took a rapid step backward. â€Å"I'd like to see them,† said Seldon calmly. Raindrop Forty-Three looked quickly at Dors. â€Å"Tribeswoman-â€Å" Seldon said, â€Å"Perhaps you know nothing of the farms, Sister.† That seemed to touch a nerve. She lifted her chin haughtily as she still carefully addressed Dors. â€Å"I have worked on the microfarms. All Brothers and Sisters do at some point in their lives.† â€Å"Well then, take me on the tour,† said Seldon, â€Å"and lets not go through the argument again. I am not a Brother to whom you are forbidden to speak and with whom you may have no dealings. I am a tribesman and an honored guest. I wear this skincap and this kirtle so as not to attract undue attention, but I am a scholar and while I am here I must learn. I cannot sit in this room and stare at the wall. I want to see the one thing you have that the rest of the Galaxy does not have†¦ your microfarms. I should think you'd be proud to show them.† â€Å"We are proud,† said Raindrop Forty-Three, finally facing Seldon as she spoke, â€Å"and I will show you and don't think you will learn any of our secrets if that is what you are after. I will show you the microfarms tomorrow morning. It will take time to arrange a tour.† Seldon said, â€Å"I will wait till tomorrow morning. But do you promise? Do I have your word of honor?† Raindrop Forty-Three said with clear contempt, â€Å"I am a Sister and I will do as I say. I will keep my word, even to a tribesman.† Her voice grew icy at the last words, while her eyes widened and seemed to glitter. Seldon wondered what was passing through her mind and felt uneasy. 43. Seldon passed a restless night. To begin with, Dors had announced that she must accompany him on the tour of the microfarm and he had objected strenuously. â€Å"The whole purpose,† he said, â€Å"is to make her talk freely, to present her with an unusual environment-alone with a male, even if a tribesman. Having broken custom so far, it will be easier to break it further. If you're along, she will talk to you and I will only get the leavings.† â€Å"And if something happens to you in my absence, as it did Upperside?† â€Å"Nothing will happen. Please! If you want to help me, stay away. If not, I will have nothing further to do with you. I mean it, Dors. This is important to me. Much as I've grown fond of you, you cannot come ahead of this.† She agreed with enormous reluctance and said only, â€Å"Promise me you'll at least be nice to her, then.† And Seldon said, â€Å"Is it me you must protect or her? I assure you that I didn't treat her harshly for pleasure and I won't do so in the future.† The memory of this argument with Dors-their first-helped keep him awake a large part of the night; that, together with the nagging thought that the two Sisters might not arrive in the morning, despite Raindrop Forty-Three's promise. They did arrive, however, not long after Seldon had completed a spare breakfast (he was determined not to grow fat through overindulgence) and had put on a kirtle that fitted him precisely. He had carefully organized the belt so that it hung perfectly. Raindrop Forty-Three, still with a touch of ice in her eye, said, â€Å"if you are ready, Tribesman Seldon, my sister will remain with Tribeswoman Venabili.† Her voice was neither twittery nor hoarse. It was as though she had steadied herself through the night, practicing, in her mind, how to speak to one who was a male but not a Brother. Seldon wondered if she had lost sleep and said, â€Å"I am quite ready.† Together, half an hour later, Raindrop Forty-Three and Hari Seldon were descending level upon level. Though it was daytime by the clock, the light was dusky and dimmer than it had been elsewhere on Trantor. There was no obvious reason for this. Surely, the artificial daylight that slowly progressed around the Trantorian sphere could include the Mycogen Sector. The Mycogenians must want it that way, Seldon thought, clinging to some primitive habit. Slowly Seldon's eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings. Seldon tried to meet the eyes of passersby, whether Brothers or Sisters, calmly. He assumed he and Raindrop Forty-Three would be taken as a Brother and his woman and that they would be given no notice as long as he did nothing to attract attention. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Raindrop Forty-Three wanted to be noticed. She talked to him in few words and in low tones out of a clenched mouth. It was clear that the company of an unauthorized male, even though only she knew this fact, raved her self-confidence. Seldon was quite sure that if he asked her to relax, he would merely make her that much more uneasy. (Seldon wondered what she would do if she met someone who knew her. He felt more relaxed once they reached the lower levels, where human beings were fewer.) The descent was not by elevators either, but by moving staired ramps that existed in pairs, one going up and one going down. Raindrop Forty-Three referred to them as â€Å"escalators.† Seldon wasn't sure he had caught the word correctly, never having heard it before. As they sank to lower and lower levels, Seldon's apprehension grew. Most worlds possessed microfarms and most worlds produced their own varieties of microproducts. Seldon, back on Helicon, had occasionally shopped for seasonings in the microfarms and was always aware of an unpleasant stomach-turning stench. The people who worked at the microfarms didn't seem to mind. Even when casual visitors wrinkled their noses, they seemed to acclimate themselves to it. Seldon, however, was always peculiarly susceptible to the smell. He suffered and he expected to suffer now. He tried soothing himself with the thought that he was nobly sacrificing his comfort to his need for information, but that didn't keep his stomach from turning itself into knots in apprehension. After he had lost track of the number of levels they had descended, with the air still seeming reasonably fresh, he asked, â€Å"When do we get to the microfarm levels?† â€Å"We're there now.† Seldon breathed deeply. â€Å"It doesn't smell as though we are.† â€Å"Smell? What do you mean?† Raindrop Forty-Three was offended enough to speak quite loudly. â€Å"There was always a putrid odor associated with microfarms, in my experience. You know, from the fertilizer that bacteria, yeast, fungi, and saprophytes generally need.† â€Å"In your experience?† Her voice lowered again. â€Å"Where was that?† â€Å"On my home world.† The Sister twisted her face into wild repugnance. â€Å"And your people wallow in gabelle?† Seldon had never heard the word before, but from the look and the intonation, he knew what it meant. He said, â€Å"It doesn't smell like that, you understand, once it is ready for consumption.† â€Å"Ours doesn't smell like that at any time. Our biotechnicians have worked out perfect strains. The algae grow in the purest light and the most carefully balanced electrolyte solutions. The saprophytes are fed on beautifully combined organics. The formulas and recipes are something no tribespeople will ever know. Come on, here we are. Sniff all you want. You'll find nothing offensive. That is one reason why our food is in demand throughout the Galaxy and why the Emperor, we are told, eats nothing else, though it is far too good for a tribesman if you ask me, even if he calls himself Emperor.† She said it with an anger that seemed directly aimed at Seldon. Then, as though afraid he might miss that, she added, â€Å"Or even if he calls himself an honored guest.† They stepped out into a narrow corridor, on each side of which were large thick glass tanks in which roiled cloudy green water full of swirling, growing algae, moving about through the force of the gas bubbles that streamed up through it. They would be rich in carbon dioxide, he decided. Rich, rosy light shone down into the tanks, light that was much brighter than that in the corridors. He commented thoughtfully on that. â€Å"Of course,† she said. â€Å"These algae work best at the red end of the spectrum.† â€Å"I presume,† said Seldon, â€Å"that everything is automated.† She shrugged, but did not respond. â€Å"I don't see quantities of Brothers and Sisters in evidence,† Seldon said, persisting. â€Å"Nevertheless, there is work to be done and they do it, even if you don't see them at work. The details are not for you. Don't waste your time by asking about it.† â€Å"Wait. Don't be angry with me. I don't expect to be told state secrets. Come on, dear.† (The word slipped out.) He took her arm as she seemed on the point of hurrying away. She remained in place, but he felt her shudder slightly and he released her in embarrassment. He said, â€Å"It's just that it seems automated.† â€Å"Make what you wish of the seeming. Nevertheless, there is room here for human brains and human judgment. Every Brother and Sister has occasion to work here at some time. Some make a profession of it.† She was speaking more freely now but, to his continuing embarrassment, he noticed her left hand move stealthily toward her right arm and gently rub the spot where he had touched her, as though he had stung her. â€Å"It goes on for kilometers and kilometers,† she said, â€Å"but if we turn here there'll he a portion of the fungal section you can see.† They moved along. Seldon noted how clean everything was. The glass sparkled. The tiled floor seemed moist, though when he seized a moment to bend and touch it, it wasn't. Nor was it slippery-unless his sandals (with his big toe protruding in approved Mycogenian fashion) had nonslip soles. Raindrop Forty-Three was right in one respect. Here and there a Brother or a Sister worked silently, studying gauges, adjusting controls, sometimes engaged in something as unskilled as polishing equipment-always absorbed in whatever they were doing. Seldon was careful not to ask what they were doing, since he did not want to cause the Sister humiliation in having to answer that she did not know or anger in her having to remind him there were things he must not know. They passed through a lightly swinging door and Seldon suddenly noticed the faintest touch of the odor he remembered. He looked at Raindrop Forty-Three, but she seemed unconscious of it and soon he too became used to it. The character of the light changed suddenly. The rosiness was gone and the brightness too. All seemed to be in a twilight except where equipment was spotlighted and wherever there was a spotlight there seemed to be a Brother or a Sister. Some wore lighted headbands that gleamed with a pearly glow and, in the middle distance, Seldon could see, here and there, small sparks of light moving erratically. As they walked, he cast a quick eye on her profile. It was all he could really judge by. At all other times, he could not cease being conscious of her bulging bald head, her bare eyes, her colorless face. They drowned her individuality and seemed to make her invisible. Here in profile, however, he could see something. Nose, chin, full lips, regularity, beauty. The dim light somehow smoothed out and softened the great upper desert. He thought with surprise: She could be very beautiful if she grew her hair and arranged it nicely. And then he thought that she couldn't grow her hair. She would be bald her whole life. Why? Why did they have to do that to her? Sunmaster said it was so that a Mycogenian would know himself (or herself) for a Mycogenian all his (or her) life. Why was that so important that the curse of hairlessness had to be accepted as a badge or mark of identity? And then, because he was used to arguing both sides in his mind, he thought: Custom is second nature. Be accustomed to a bald head, sufficiently accustomed, and hair on it would seem monstrous, would evoke nausea. He himself had shaved his face every morning, removing all the facial hair, uncomfortable at the merest stubble, and yet he did not think of his face as bald or as being in any way unnatural. Of course, he could grow his facial hair at any time he wished-but he didn't wish to do so. He knew that there were worlds on which the men did not shave; in some, they did not even clip or shape the facial hair but let it grow wild. What would they say if they could see his own bald face, his own hairless chin, cheek, and lips? And meanwhile, he walked with Raindrop Forty-Three-endlessly, it seemed-and every once in a while she guided him by the elbow and it seemed to him that she had grown accustomed to that, for she did not withdraw her hand hastily. Sometimes it remained for nearly a minute. She said, â€Å"Here! Come here!† â€Å"What is that?† asked Seldon. They were standing before a small tray filled with little spheres, each about two centimeters in diameter. A Brother who was tending the area and who had just placed the tray where it was looked up in mild inquiry. Raindrop Forty-Three said to Seldon in a low voice, â€Å"Ask for a few.† Seldon realized she could not speak to a Brother until spoken to and said uncertainly, â€Å"May we have a few, B-brother?† â€Å"Have a handful, Brother,† said the other heartily. Seldon plucked out one of the spheres and was on the point of handing it to Raindrop Forty-Three when he noticed that she had accepted the invitation as applying to herself and reached in for two handfuls. The sphere felt glossy, smooth. Seldon said to Raindrop Forty-Three as they moved away from the vat and from the Brother who was in attendance, â€Å"Are these supposed to be eaten?† He lifted the sphere cautiously to his nose. â€Å"They don't smell,† she said sharply. â€Å"What are they?† â€Å"Dainties. Raw dainties. For the outside market they're flavored in different ways, but here in Mycogen we eat them unflavored-the only way.† She put one in her mouth and said, â€Å"I never have enough.† Seldon put his sphere into his mouth and felt it dissolve and disappear rapidly. His mouth, for a moment, ran liquid and then it slid, almost of its own accord, down his throat. He stood for a moment, amazed. It was slightly sweet and, for that matter, had an even fainter bitter aftertaste, but the main sensation eluded him. â€Å"May I have another?† he said. â€Å"Have half a dozen,† said Raindrop Forty-Three, holding out her hand. â€Å"They never have quite the same taste twice and have practically no calories. Just taste.† She was right. He tried to have the dainty linger in his mouth; he tried licking it carefully; tried biting off a piece. However, the most careful lick destroyed it. When a bit was crunched off apiece, the rest of it disappeared at once. And each taste was undefinable and not quite like the one before. â€Å"The only trouble is,† said the Sister happily, â€Å"that every once in a while you have a very unusual one and you never forget it, but you never have it again either. I had one when I was nine-† Her expression suddenly lost its excitement and she said, â€Å"It's a good thing. It teaches you the evanescence of things of the world.† It was a signal, Seldon thought. They had wandered about aimlessly long enough. She had grown used to him and was talking to him. And now the conversation had to come to its point. Now! 44. Seldon said, â€Å"I come from a world which lies out in the open, Sister, as all worlds do but Trantor. Rain comes or doesn't come, the rivers trickle or are in flood, temperature is high or low. That means harvests are good or bad. Here, however, the environment is truly controlled. Harvests have no choice but to be good. How fortunate Mycogen is.† He waited. There were different possible answers and his course of action would depend on which answer came. She was speaking quite freely now and seemed to have no inhibitions concerning his masculinity, so this long tour had served its purpose. Raindrop Forty-Three said, â€Å"The environment is not that easy to control. There are, occasionally, viral infections and there are sometimes unexpected and undesirable mutations. There are times when whole vast batches wither or are worthless.† â€Å"You astonish me. And what happens then?† â€Å"There is usually no recourse but to destroy the spoiled batches, even those that are merely suspected of spoilage. Trays and tanks must be totally sterilized, sometimes disposed of altogether.† â€Å"It amounts to surgery, then,† said Seldon. â€Å"You cut out the diseased tissue.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And what do you do to prevent such things from happening?† â€Å"What can we do? We test constantly for any mutations that may spring up, any new viruses that may appear, any accidental contamination or alteration of the environment. It rarely happens that we detect anything wrong, but if we do, we take drastic action. The result is that bad years are very few and even bad years affect only fractional bits here and there. The worst year we've ever had fell short of the average by only 12 percent-though that was enough to produce hardship. The trouble is that even the most careful forethought and the most cleverly designed computer programs can't always predict what is essentially unpredictable.† (Seldon felt an involuntary shudder go through him. It was as though she was speaking of psychohistory-but she was only speaking of the microfarm produce of a tiny fraction of humanity, while he himself was considering all the mighty Galactic Empire in every one of all its activities.) Unavoidably disheartened, he said, â€Å"Surely, it's not all unpredictable. There are forces that guide and that care for us all.† The Sister stiffened. She turned around toward him, seeming to study him with her penetrating eyes. But all she said was â€Å"What?† Seldon felt uneasy. â€Å"It seems to me that in speaking of viruses and mutations, we're talking about the natural, about phenomena that are subject to natural law. That leaves out of account the supernatural, doesn't it? It leaves out that which is not subject to natural law and can, therefore, control natural law.† She continued to stare at him, as though he had suddenly begun speaking some distant, unknown dialect of Galactic Standard. Again she said, in half a whisper this time, â€Å"Wharf.† He continued, stumbling over unfamiliar words that half-embarrassed him. â€Å"You must appeal to some great essence, some great spirit, some†¦ I don't know what to call it.† Raindrop Forty-Three said in a voice that rose into higher registers but remained low, â€Å"I thought so. I thought that was what you meant, but I couldn't believe it. You're accusing us of having religion. Why didn't you say so? Why didn't you use the word?† She waited for an answer and Seldon, a little confused at the onslaught, said, â€Å"Because that's not a word I use. I call it ‘supernaturalism.' â€Å" â€Å"Call it what you will. It's religion and we don't have it. Religion is for the tribesmen, for the swarming ho-â€Å" The Sister paused to swallow as though she had come near to choking and Seldon was certain the word she had choked over was-â€Å" She was in control again. Speaking slowly and somewhat below her normal soprano, she said, â€Å"We are not a religious people. Our kingdom is of this Galaxy and always has been. If you have a religion-â€Å" Seldon felt trapped. Somehow he had not counted on this. He raised a hand defensively. â€Å"Not really. I'm a mathematician and my kingdom is also of this Galaxy. It's just that I thought, from the rigidity of your customs, that your kingdom-â€Å" â€Å"Don't think it, tribesman. If our customs are rigid, it is because we are mere millions surrounded by billions. Somehow we must mark ourselves off so that we precious few are not lost among your swarms and hordes. We must be marked off by our hairlessness, our clothing, our behavior, our way of life. We must know who we are and we must be sure that you tribesmen know who we are. We labor in our farms so that we can make ourselves valuable in your eyes and thus make certain that you leave us alone. That's all we ask of you†¦ to leave us alone.† â€Å"I have no intention of harming you or any of your people. I seek only knowledge, here as everywhere.† â€Å"So you insult us by asking about our religion, as though we have ever called on a mysterious, insubstantial spirit to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.† â€Å"There are many people, many worlds who believe in supernaturalism in one form or another†¦ religion, if you like the word better. We may disagree with them in one way or another, but we are as likely to be wrong in our disbelief as they in their belief. In any case, there is no disgrace in such belief and my questions were not intended as insults.† But she was not reconciled. â€Å"Religion!† she said angrily. â€Å"We have no need of it.† Seldon's spirits, having sunk steadily in the course of this exchange, reached bottom. This whole thing, this expedition with Raindrop Forty-Three, had come to nothing. But she went on to say, â€Å"We have something far better. We have history.† And Seldon's feelings rebounded at once and he smiled.

“Eating green” by Margaret Lundberg Essay

In Margaret Lundberg’s short story â€Å"Eating green† she has a theory about the planet becoming a healthier place to live if everyone became a vegetarian, which I believe is true. Lundberg talks about her childhood and how right off the bat her mother had her eating healthy food and that pretty much stuck with her through out her whole life. â€Å"We had two vegetables with every meal, ate plain yogurt for breakfast, and excercised with jack LaLanne.† If most families started off like that it would be easier for kids to enjoy eating healthier food now instead of them liking junk food. Most people do not realize that what they eat does effect the planet and how we live on a daily basis and how badly it effects our health. If everyone became a vegetarian the rates of obsesity, diabetes, heart disease and other illness might become lower. The process of getting meat is causing some severe problems on earth such as pollution, global warming, and the dependence on f ossil fuels. â€Å"The energy it takes to raise, package, transport, store and prepare food is not the single largest contributor to global warming.† (Kate Geagan) If all those problems could be solved by switching some of the things we eat, why not do it? It would definitely be hard and a cultural shock to Americans but if it can help our future loved ones I would be with it. The meat that is produced is not how it once use to be. Cows do not live their lives on Pastured lands eating grass anymore they are now fed a diet that is not intended for them; fed corn in a short time as possible to speed up the process of being slaughtered and sold. That doesn’t sound so healthy or appetizing after reading those facts. â€Å"Livestock raised for meat production are responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions-more than the cars we drive.† Not only is it Some what unhealthy for us to eat but for the world we live in also. Meat all together is not competely horrible for you it’s the portions we eat. Meat has nutritional value and even the fat in meat are sometimes healthy. The stearic acid found in fat in meat can actually lower blood cholesterol levels. With the pros there’s the cons as well, â€Å"Americans are now eating nearly 200 pounds of meat, poultry and fish every year; an increase of 50 pounds per person in the last 50 years† ( Lumdberg) some very high numbers for what the appropriate amount should actually be. Farmers do not want to be looked at as the bad guys in all of this, which they aren’t, everyone has to make a living. A group of New York farmers thought of an idea to work with General Electric to produce  renewable energy from cow manure. That is a pretty good idea to try and atleast get something good out of the slaughtering of the cows to try and help the planet Earth out. If successful the dairy industry would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent in 2020, basically the equivalent of getting 1.25 million passenger cars of the road every year. That is a good idea but it still does not solve all the other major problems that switching your diet could help. In conclusion, I personally feel that it will not hurt to try something new. Like I mentioned earlier it would be extremely difficult to get used to but if it is benefiting you, others and the planet might as well take a chance. Why wait till it is to late to change your habits of wanting a 16 oz steak over a green salad knowing how many pros it would be to choose that salad. If things continue to go as they do, there will be no more places to raise these cows to produce meat because global temperatures are raising, causing serious climate changes In places that are specifically used for farming. Eventually there will not be enough meat to feed everyone leaving everyone to forcefully change their diets, why not do is a choice and not because you have no other options.

Busness Statisics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Busness Statisics - Essay Example On page 3 of Jain and Aggarwal’s book, the term statistics has two definitions. The first definition shows that statistics in the plural sense shows it is the numerical data of the facts that relate to different fields of enquiry such as population and prices (2007). In a singular sense, Jain and Aggarwal (2007) define statistics as a science that deals with different methods of data collection, presentation and interpretation among other techniques. According to Jain and Aggarwal (2007), there are two types and levels of statistics. The first is known as descriptive statistics where the techniques for data collection and organization are used with an aim of providing more details about the data. Under the descriptive type of data, decisions or conclusions are not made. On page 5 of Moss’s book, he cites the second type of statistics as the inferential statistics (2014). This type of statistics involves estimating the characteristic of decision-making that involves a population, based on sample results (Moss, 2014). Under this kind of statistics, there is an estimation of an unknown parameter of the population to check the basis of the sample and to test if the sample data has enough evidence to show the population parameter (Jain & Aggarwal, 2007). In business, the knowledge of statistics is extremely crucial. For a business person with the knowledge of statistics, it becomes easy to make estimates that are related to supply and demand. It becomes easier to make the right decisions when it comes to seasonal changes, the tastes of consumers in the market, the customs and the market’s trade cycle (Jain & Aggarwal, 2007). For example, a business person with knowledge of statistics is in a better position to know a market’s supply and demand of goods and how such supply or demand might become affected by changes in prices or the policies that the government sets. As noted in Jain and Aggarwal’s book, the making of

Minimizing risks in Shipping Lines Research Proposal

Minimizing risks in Shipping Lines - Research Proposal Example Identify and formulate new strategies, techniques or methods to identify and address risks due to the various factors like operational costs, oil prices, interest and exchange rates, political and environmental changes, etc. which are either highly exorbitant, volatile, or detrimental to affect the smooth and safe functioning of the shipping industry. Plan to use both primary and secondary data for the purpose of research. Primary sources off data like interviews and questionnaire will be used. Secondary sources like books, journal publications, articles, official websites, newsrooms, etc. would be used along with the primary sources of information. The primary sources of data that would be taken into consideration would represent a small section of people and their views and feedback based on their experience and varied roles in the industry which would then be generalized for the whole industry which may pose problems when taken for formulating high impact strategies by the governmental or policy making bodies. This use of limited primary data can be compensated by using secondary data from books, articles, journals, websites, newsrooms and other reliable sources. As the interviews would be conducted at shipping d... Plan to use both primary and secondary data for the purpose of research. Primary sources off data like interviews and questionnaire will be used. Secondary sources like books, journal publications, articles, official websites, newsrooms, etc. would be used along with the primary sources of information. Your signature Date Name(s) of proposed Supervisor(s) for this Dissertation: Confirmation of approval of proposal and its ethics by the Programme Leader/External Examiner: Signed Date RESEARCH ETHICS CHECK FOR MA DISSERTATIONS INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS This form should be submitted at the same time as the Dissertation Proposal Form Your Name: Your Degree Programme: Your Dissertation Supervisor's name: SECTION 1: DETAILS OF YOUR PROJECT 1. What is the title of your dissertation Minimizing risks in Shipping 2. What do you consider to be the main ethical issues or problems that may arise with the proposed study and what steps will be taken to address them The primary sources of data that would be taken into consideration would represent a small section of people and their views and feedback based on their experience and varied roles in the industry which would then be generalized for the whole industry which may pose problems when taken for formulating high impact strategies by the governmental or policy making bodies. This use of limited primary data can be compensated by using secondary data from books, articles, journals, websites, newsrooms and other reliable sources. 3. Where exactly will the interaction with participants be As the interviews would be conducted at shipping dock yards maritime control offices, etc. interaction would be with

Marketing Conference - Core Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Conference - Core Strategy - Essay Example This project is distinctive because Kick Spray is biodegradable hydraulic spray, which is invisible to the naked eye. Upon spraying all over the shoes, it functions for 24 hours. Besides, the product uses a Copenhagen enzyme based on antifouling option. For the benefits of the consumers in identifying the product, the product should be trademarked and patented under the trademark regulations. This will enable the consumers not confuse about the quality and origin of the product. Kick Covers Inc. is a company devoted to developing the ultimate anti-skid covers to attach or slip up onto shoes. Our mission is to develop and provide ultimate protection and dry feet solutions to consumers. Equally, the company is devoted to create a market niche and work towards sustaining it through excellent customer relations, provision of quality products and adhering to the customers’ tastes and preferences. We aim to become a vastly recognized brand name, capitalizing on the uniqueness of our product. Our goal is swift growth, annual profitability and quality product provision while maintaining our customers softy and happy. Productivity: To provide all of the resources our employees need to remain as productive as possible. This includes employee training, equipment maintenance and purchases that go into productivity (Anderson, & Thisse, 2002). Profitability: Our focus is in both production and operations while maintaining sustainable profit margin on our products sold. Revenue should always stay ahead of costs of doing business (Hooley, Saunders & Piercy, 2004). Positioning: Effective product positioning can be achieved by the triangle model, which provides for three distinct strategic options. They include best product, total customer solution ad system Lock-in (Porter, 2008). Let’s assume that our target market for instance in the State of Colorado is the group of Men and Women aged between

Why Juveniles should be tried as adults and Why shouldn't Juveniles be Essay

Why Juveniles should be tried as adults and Why shouldn't Juveniles be tried as adults - Essay Example Also, these courts and separate punishment laws have not helped stop or minimize the number of juvenile crimes taking place. If these delinquents are not punished properly then the next generation will be no better, probably even worse. The other side, that is that juveniles shouldn’t be treated as adults say that these children do not understand the consequence of their action and are not mature enough to handle this type of punishment. The juvenile court is there to help treat these children and not deter them. Also, by punishing the juvenile delinquents will not reduce the number of such crimes taking place but providing them with a healthy and supportive social environment will help achieve these results. (Cliff Notes, 2008) There have been some cases where children aged 7 till the ages of 14 have committed crimes. It seems unfair to judge them in an adult court as they did not understand the intensity of the crime that they have committed. In Chicago, two boys of the ages 7 and 8 were accused of killing an 11-year-old girl. The possible reason was to take her Road Warrior bike. (McLaughlin, 1998) Charging these boys with the same punishment as an adult would be a crime in itself. The adult prison is not a very safe place with all those men who are frustrated. Sending these children there would be the death of them and their innocence. On the other hand there was another case of three boys one of them who was a 15 year old. They tortured and decapitated an eight year old boy. The older companions were judged in the adult court while the fifteen year old was judged in a juvenile court, even though he was about to turn sixteen in three weeks. His punishment was a lot less than the punishment of the two older companions. He was to be released on his twenty-fifth birthday while the other two companions got life imprisonment with out

Katrina disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Katrina disaster - Essay Example The paper addresses planning and implementing of the rescue work, workers safety and hazards, equipment and protective gear required, hazardous materials inside the hospital and their removal. Keywords: Personal Protective Equipment – PPE, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health - NIOSH, Federal Emergency Management Agency – FEMA, High efficiency particulate absorbing – HEPA, Occupational Safety and Health Association - OSHA, contaminants, hazards, hygiene. Evaluation of a large New Orleans Hospital after Hurricane Katrina and resultant flooding is taking place directed by Incident Commander, lead by Industrial Hygienist of the hospital with a team comprising of Hospital’s Safety Supervisor (Programs & Training), the Environmental Manager (physical plant, wastes and regulatory issues), two technicians (IH and environmental sample collection and testing) and 25 other employees. The recovery team is given the name ‘Rescuers†. Teams would be organized by phases in the recovery mission. Phase one would be to make second floor safe and clean for working environment as per set standards. Second phase would be initial evaluation of the building further breaking down into sub-phases according to building levels. Then third phase would be removal of hazardous material from basement and 1st level. Fourth phase would be reconstruction and rehabilitation of the floors. Final phase would be testing and monitoring for safety prior to opening the hospital fro operation. Team would be housed on site in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers powered by generators. Team’s offices would be on the 2nd floor of the building (since below levels are waterlogged) along with surgical suites, clinical laboratory and pharmacy. Pharmacy has been looted and trashed. Since communication means through land line is impossible and few cell phone networks are working, hence radio satellite would be installed for reliable mean of

MUSIC DISCCUSION MORALITY PLAYS THEN AND NOW Term Paper

MUSIC DISCCUSION MORALITY PLAYS THEN AND NOW - Term Paper Example It resulted to the death of the Groom and Leonardo, the Bride’s Lover, who killed each other. Another play is the Tooth of Crime written by Harold Pinter in 1972. It features a ritual battle-to-the-death between what seems to be rock stars but in reality could be professional hit menor cowboys. Modern-day morality stories are still popular with movie-goers and as entertainment for today’s society. For me, they are still popular because of the moral lessons they convey. As human beings, we normally want to learn from the stories we read and movies we watch. Besides, we can recommend the younger generations to watch such plays as long as they are morally-guided. Another reason is that morality stories are usually based on true-to-life situations so we can really learn from them. Although there may be fictional characterizations, still the lessons are not as different as in everyday

Impact of Wars on Architecture and Design of New Buildings Essay

Impact of Wars on Architecture and Design of New Buildings - Essay Example It is imperative to note that the history of architecture is a rich arena where valuable models exist that exemplify on past failures, as well as instances where new theoretical models would harness so as to come up with a vibrant structure. Take for example, the works of Herscher (2008) and Livesey (2011) take a closer look at architectural structures subjected to military strikes or have been part of collateral damage. In this synthesis, Herscher and Livesey find that structures that were subjected to military bombardment have divergent resistance to the energy of the bombardment. It is admissible that some structures have withstood direct bombardment as shown in the pictures alongside from the works of Livesey and Herscher. The question is whether this has aided strengthening structures, and construction patterns? This remains to be a quagmire in the minds of many scholars (Schwartz, 2012, Livesey, 2011, Teal, 2011). Neo-rationalism provides a modern-day thought pattern that is in line with modern challenges. Schwartz (2012) talks of the emergence of a breed of architects that have malevolent acts ruining the reputation of the architectural body. A research by Schwartz found that a group of architects have fallen into the habit of designing structures that are substandard or having flaws, although minute, yet imminent to create a weakness in the building. A good case in question is that of The Loos Case as highlighted in the works of Schwartz (2012). It is further noted that, considering historical times and comparing.... The question is whether this has aided strengthening structures, and construction patterns? This remains to be a quagmire in the minds of many scholars (Schwartz, 2012, Livesey, 2011, Teal, 2011). Neo-rationalism provides a modern-day thought pattern that is in line with modern challenges. Schwartz (2012) talks of the emergence of a breed of architects that have malevolent acts ruining the reputation of the architectural body. A research by Schwartz found that a group of architects have fallen into the habit of designing structures that are substandard or having flaws, although minute, yet imminent to create a weakness in the building. A good case in question is that of The Loos Case as highlighted in the works of Schwartz (2012). It is further noted that, considering historical times and comparing it with the current time, it is emergent that the current state of affairs shows an increase in crime levels especially crime inclined towards warchitecture (Schwartz, 2012). Teal (2011) a nd Herscher (2008) make good use of visual aspects by communicating more using these pictures of architectural building; thereby surpassing the information contained in writing. Apparently, it is emergent that utilization of pictures in their work makes the work not only attractive but distinctive to the effect that it propagates information detailing aspects on architecture easily missed in the wording of literature. For example, the works of Teal (2011) highlight the making of a simple to complex structure that makes it possible to see divergent parts of the structure that makes it strong. In the works of Teal, it is amusing to note that, modern structures are fashioned in such a manner that it is made simple,

The DVLA System Case Study ( ISD) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The DVLA System Case Study ( ISD) - Essay Example Therefore, these companies can immediately get in touch with DVLA for updating their vehicle data base. Individual is generally required to inform the DVLA when they buy or sell a used vehicle. If the registration document is a two part registration document (V5) then DVLA is to be informed as soon as the individual buys a used vehicle, generally by completing the back of the registration document. In case it is the three part (V5), then the person selling the vehicle must complete buyer details in the top (blue) section. Both the buyer and the seller need to sign the declaration. The seller then sends it to DVLA. If the registration certificate is V5C, then the seller is to complete section 6 new keeper or new name/new address details of the V5C. Both buyer and seller need to sign the declaration in section 8. Then the seller sends it to DVLA. This information will be passed on to the DVLA Distribution department. This department sorts out data depending upon whether the car is old or new. This finalized information is then kept in the ‘car information file’ for further reference and action. VED department then generates the reports for further action depending upon the cost, size criteria of the cars. Reports are also generated about the mileage of cars and accordingly taxes are determined. VED also keeps track of the sense of discipline during, amongst the drivers. This helps in encouraging sensible drivers and punishing the errant ones’. DVLA sales department is also a source of revenue for the agency. It sells the personalized number plates to desirous one’s. The information search department takes input from the system and helps in keeping track of all types of information. An entity is something that is supposed to have a distinct, separate existence and identity. In this category, generally we take person, place, thing, event, or concept, about which information is to be stored.

1848-9 Italian Revolutions Due to the Intervention of Foreign Powers Essay Example for Free

1848-9 Italian Revolutions Due to the Intervention of Foreign Powers Essay The revolutions of 1848-9 failed because the foreign powers were too powerful and were easily able to overpower them to stop the revolutions. In 1848, there was an uprising in Palermo, Sicily. This is because King Ferdinand refused to set up a provisional government. This spurred on uprisings in Naples by the secret societies, which forced King Ferdinand to make concessions. This lead to King Ferdinand introducing a parliament but its power was very limited. In Lombardy, Austrian rulers refused to give in to and grant a reform. The Milanese stopped smoking in protest, this affected Austria as they collected the revenue from the cigarettes that were sold. This lead to demonstrations taking place in Venice demanding the release of Manin. Once Manin was released he declared a Venetian republic in Venice. As a result, Grand Duke Leopald granted a conservative constitution in Tuscany. Metternich resigned over the demonstrations for reform in Vienna, and in the same month, King Ferdinand was announced to be no longer then king after the Sicilian elections. After the battle in Milan, where Radetzky withdrew his troops, there was a political vacuum. A provisional government was formed, and they asked for Charles Albert for protection. In the same month, Charles Albert introduced the Statuto in Piedmont, which lead to a constitutional monarchy. Charles Albert saw that Lombardy was available for annexation, so he declares war on Austria and invades Lombardy, where by troops from all over Italy join him. The Pope grants a limited constitution, which lets all Italian Catholics know that he is ok with them helping Charles Albert invade Lombardy. However in April the Pope issues an Allocution condemning the war, as he saw Charles Albert as an aggressor that did he did not support a united Italy. This lead too many soldiers turning back from the war as they did not want to go against the Pope, as it would be going against their religious beliefs. In May, Charles Albert took Peschiera, however a French army amassed on the border. Radetzky persuades Austria to fight for Lombardy. This lead to Charles Albert being dispelled from Lombardy. In November, a new PM, Rossi, was appointed in Austria, this puts a stop to any hopes of making any territorial claim to Piedmont. This lead to Austria taking back control of Lombardy. Also, November Rossi was murdered, which lead the Pope to flee the Papal States, which in turn leads to a revolutionary government, led by Galletti. So in 1848, all Italian states apart from Lombardy were under a new government. This would not have happened if it wasnt for Austrias power and control over the states. Similarly in 1849, Austria kept their power over the Italian states. In the Papal States, the parliament met for the first time. Mazzini was welcomed back to Rome, and told to choose 2 people to run Rome with him. Meanwhile Charles Albert was encouraged to try to overthrow Austrian power in Piedmont. However Radetzky crushed Piedmont at Novera. Charles Albert resigned and Emmanuel II was appointed king. The French sent an army to crush Roman Republic in the Papal States; though Garibaldi blocked the French troops for 2 months, at the same time Leopald returned to Tuscany after Charles Alberts defeat. By June 1849, the French had 20,000 troops in Rome. This lead to Garibaldi Fleeing to San Marino, and Mazzini to London. In August the Main and the Venice republic surrendered to Austrian control. A piece treaty was also signed by Piedmont, which left them embarrassed. This showed that Austria could not be defeated without foreign help. In conclusion the failure of the revolutions was due to the interventions of foreign powers, because without Austria none of the Italian states would have been able to regain control of their governments and take back the power. However it was not due to the intervention of foreign powers, as it would have needed the help of foreign help to overthrow Austria to gain absolute control over Italy.

Automated Power Pole Photography via Helicopters

Automated Power Pole Photography via Helicopters Fugro Roames aims to automate the process of acquiring high resolution pictures, to reduce the risk and cost associated with helicopter based pole top inspection. The project will focus on acquiring previously worked algorithms, as well as the introduction of model predictive control, to automate the overall process, while also presenting a working prototype to simulate the operation of the intended product. The following proposal will aim to describe the intended topic and scope, while also reviewing background information on aerial asset management and autonomous aerial photography related to the project. The report will also highlight all achievable milestones, and their respective tasks, within the project plan; as well as present a detailed OHS risk assessment of the projects practical and non-practical work. The work completed during the semester, will hope to provide sufficient groundwork for automated aerial asset management procedures, within the electrical distribution industry. Accurate and effective asset condition management is important to ensure the longevity of an electric distribution network, while maximising its performance and operational efficiency.[1] At present, an efficient and cost effective method to test the integrity of a network, requires the use of a human-piloted helicopter and a photographer to capture high resolution images of power poles and their subcomponents [2]. Fugro-Roames, a company which currently provides this to its customers, aims to reduce the risk and cost associated with helicopter based pole top inspection, by replacing the photographer with an automated camera gimbal to capture high resolution pictures of the network. Figure 1.1: Power Pole Photography [1] Automated aerial asset management in the context of this proposal refers to the use of aerial platforms, to asses specific assets in an easy and cost-efficient manner, without the need of manual involvement. Unfortunately, and as it will be discussed in Chapter 3, the project topic is a form of technology that has not been widely researched; however, various methods of aerial asset management, such as helicopters, UAVs or drones, do exist and are currently in use within the industry. 2.1 Project Outline It is the purpose of this project to develop a Receding Horizon Planner (RHP) in order to automate power pole photography using camera gimbal system. The RHP will based on the algorithms created by Dr. Michael Kearney, which provide a solution to the photograph feasibility, photograph scheduling, and gimbal trajectory planning problems [3]. For validation, the developed planner will be tested using simulation flight data provided by Fugro-Roames. Further testing will include the implementation of the RHP into a gimbal prototype, where sensitivity analyses and assessment of the initial assumptions will be completed to determine the projects limitations and outline recommendations for future work. A more defined project plan will be described in Chapter 4 below. 2.2 Motivation for Automated Aerial Asset Management In order to overcome the limitations associated with conventional asset management methods, a high resolution image capture system was developed and is now used to aid in the inspection, assessment and maintenance of electric distribution networks [4]. However, the overall cost associated with this method, outweights its improved efficiency, as it involves specialized labour (photographers) and the use of helicopters to complete the required task [5]. The motivation to introduce an automated aerial asset management system, requires for the reduction of risks and overall cost associated with the current model, as well as improving the quality and selection of photographs taken. 2.3 Project Aim, Objectives Intended Scope Since the project, and all information available, are sponsored and provided by FugroRoames, the aims and objectives have been defined by the companys desires for the finished product. Therefore, the aim and proposed purpose of the project is to reduce the cost and risk associated with helicopter based pole top inspection, with the use of a Receding Horizon Planner (RHP) that automates the movement and control of a camera gimbal system. Along with the proposed project aim, multiple objectives must also be met whilts completing the work required. These include improving the algorithms created by Dr. Kearney, obtaining accurate efficiency gains for the RHP, designing and building a working gimbal prototype to be used for testing, and providing sufficient ground work for actual on-site testing and implementation, with the use of a helicopter, of the RHP beyond the project. Similar to the projects aim and objectives, the intended scope has also been shaped by the companys desires for the final product. Therefore, the scope can be outlined as: Review of background information and related work Adaptation of algorithms created by Dr. Kearney Development of Receding Horizon Planner Design and build of a gimbal prototype Planner implementation and testing Analysis of results Sensitivity analysis Assesment of projects assumptions Evaluation of project and suggestion for future work Possible gimbal rig implementation and on-site testing Taking into account the scope described above, it seems logical to break the project into three specific sections; planner development and testing, prototype design and testing, and thorough result analysis. The development and testing of the Receding Horizon Planner involves the improvement of existing control algorithms, to implement and verify its overall efficiency, using available and provided data. The design and testing of the gimbal prototype, which should resemble the actual gimbal rig, involves the use of the developed Receding Horizon Planner to validate and improve previously obtained results. Finally, thorough result analysis requires the breakdown of the planner and obtained results, to find how assumptions, parameters and particular components were affetcted. Although automated aerial asset management is a form of technology that has not been widely researched, the following chapter will provide a complete review of background literature which would closely resemble the general subject matter. The review will be broken into two sections; aerial asset management, and autonomous aerial photography and gimbal control. Previous work related to these topics will be presented, reiterated and reviewed, focusing on sources related to asset management within the electric power distribution industry. 3.1 Aerial Asset Management Aerial asset management , within the electric power distribution industry, has been implemented to replace conventional asset management and inspection methods, and provide a fast and accurate way to determine any defects that could be present. Whitworth et al. [6], in a work sponsored by EA Tecnology, propose the use of a helicopter-mounted camera to capture and store visual information, in order to enhance the inspection of overhead power lines. In order to reduce camera shake and partially automate the inspection process, the authors recommend the use of an acquisition system, which finds and locks the camera to the location of the powerline, followed by a recursive algorithm that tracks the powerline smoothly, despite the translation of the helicopter. Similarly, Earp et al. [1][4] describe an aerial inspection technique, which was also developed by EA Technology, that uses high resoluion images to perform a detailed condition assessment on electrical towers within a distribution network. The authors break down the helicopter based condition assessment, which is considered an improvement from the video inspection method in [6], to include four different parts: Pre-flight Planning: Inspection requirements, photographic sequences, camera trajectories; as well as current wind and weather conditions, natural and man-made ground feature, and the locations of the electrical towers, are all taken into account during the pre-flight planning. Helicopter Inspection and Picture Acquisition: A high resolution digital camera is used to take a set number of images, per tower, to meet the inspection requirements. Satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) and moving map displays are used to georeference each photograph taken, back to the tower. Image Processing, Analysis and Condition Assessment: Captured images are examined and given a Condition Rating (CR), typically on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 describing best condition, 4 describing worst condition). The uniformity of the assessment, determined by the individual DNOs requirements, is ensured by this critical step and therefore requires for a detailed condition assessment criteria, application-specific workstations, and accurate in-house training programme for assessors. Condition Based Risk Management (CBRM): A process developed by EA Technology, it combines practical and theoretical knowledge about a specific asset, along with maintenance experience, in order to define its current condition. Taking a different approach, N. Ellis [7] investigates the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to inspect power transition lines. The author investigated the cost, risks and overall efficiency that comes with the use of UAVs, searching for low budget automation strategies to be designed and tested. Unfortunately, due to government regulations and the high capital and operating cost of the UAV, lead the author to the conclusion that the technology is not feasible at the current time. As outlined by most of the sources presented, the introduction of aerial asset management techniques, has made a big improvement on the inspection, assessment and maintenance of an electrical distribution network. Whilst most models present techniques that far surpass conventional inspection methods, the cost that comes with the involvement of specialized labour and helicopters, leaves little room for errors and inconsistent results. However, although the implementation of an UAV was not possible due to the introduction of new risks, the automation techniques, presented in [7], can be applied to previously discussed aerial photography techniques, and mitigate/remove any currently involved risks. 3.2 Autonomous Aerial Photography and Gimbal Control Autonomous aerial photography and control, within the electric power distribution industry, is not a topic that has been widely researched or implemented. However, the use of a camera and aerial images to predict and control the movement of UAVs is something that is commonly discussed and will therefore, be the main focus for this section. E. Skjong et al. [8] investigate the recent commercial availability of UAVs within Search and Rescue (SAR) and Search and Tracking (SAT) applications. The authors then focus on the development of a SAT system, which is able to steer the UAV and focus the gimbal attitude on regions and objects of interest respectively, with the use of Model Predictive Control (MPC). The overall process is made autonomous by allowing computer vision to work directly with the UAV autopilot and MPC, so objects can be simultaneously detected and tracked in an efficient manner. Similarly, C.E. Lin and S. Yang [9] explore the use of UAVs to detect and track specific objects, with the help of aerial photography and camera gimbal control. The authors implement the use of an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), which consist of a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer, along with an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), to determine and ensure that the angles of the camera gimbal are in the correct reference frame. Both [8] and [9] use Global Positioning System (GPS) to determine the location of both the UAV and the target, using this relationship to implement a reliable autopilot flight control for target detection and photography. R.J. Rajesh and C.M. Ananda [10] move away from controlling the camera gimbal, attached to a UAV, and focus on stabilizing its movement to ensure that clear photograph and/or video footage is taken. The use of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller is recommended by the authors, to compensate for the vibrations and gust, as well as control the position of the camera by stabilizing the movement of the gimbal. Manually tuning the controllers parameters is not recommended, as the process is considered time consuming and tedious, instead, the authors recommend the use of Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) as the preferred algorithm to complete this task. Uncertainty and disturbances are mentioned, but not properly investigated in [9], [8] and [10]. A. Ashok et al. [11] investigate the external disturbances that affect the UAVs, as well as the dynamic and parametric uncertainties that arise in the mathematical autonomous model when subjected to a number of operating conditions. The authors reiterate previous approaches taken to design a robust control system, including the use of a PID controller for linear [12] and linearized [13] models, as well as the use of a Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller [14] in the presence of uncertainties, before the Uncertainty and Disturbance Estimation (UDE) method is chosen to synthesize the required controller. The control of a camera gimbal, as outlined by most of the sources above, is necessary in order to ensure the accuracy of photographs or video that is captured by the UAV. Although the use of conventional control methods is described above, only [8] focuses on the use of MPC, which is closely related to the project, to ensure that the UAV is able to detect and track objects efficiently and simultaneously. A clear representation of the projects tasks, has been outlined as a comprehensive project plan from the first to the final day of employment at Fugro-Roames. A visual representation and description of the plan is used to illustrate the timeline of the project, including all achievable milestones, which are related to the aims, objectives and intended scope of the project, discussed in section 1.2. 4.1 Visual Representation of Project Plan The use of a modified GANTT chart was implemented to showcase the proposed flow of the project, from the first to the last day of employment. The timeline is hence separated into 24 weeks that are broken into 5 days, in the same manner as the business week format, where the project milestones and their corresponding tasks are allocated a precise number of days in which work is scheduled to take place. Green solid bars represent the projects milestones, where red solid bars indicate their respective tasks. The progress of the overall project is tracked by the completion of every achievable milestone, which can only be completed by first completing their respective sub tasks. Completed milestones are shown with a blue line through the green bar, and completed tasks are shown with a yellow line through the red bar. Weeks 1 to 12, as shown in Figure 4.1, represent the core work to be completed, as Milestones 3-5 directly relate to the aims, objectives and intended scope of the project. Weeks 13 to 22, as shown in Figure 4.2, outline the analysis and completion of the final pieces of assessment, including the thesis report and demonstration, which require the content from previous milestones to be completed. Weeks 23 to 24, also shown in Figure 3.2, outline a possible Milestone that can be completed until the final day of employment at Fugro-Roames. This milestone does not affect the previous pieces of assessment; however, it will provide the company with important information that could prove vital to the future of the project. 4.2 Milestone Task Breakdown Milestone 1: Project Scope The project scope is necessary to determine the projects main objectives, and will therefore guide the work to be completed throughout the semester. To ensure all expectations are met, and the appropriate time is given to all project milestones, an agreement between academic and industry supervisors is necessary. Task ID Days Description Project evaluation 1.1 5 Evaluate the requirements of the project, including potential goals and outcomes. Collect all necessary information to present during the supervisor meeting. Supervisor meeting 1.2 1 Meet with the projects academic and industry supervisors to discuss the project scope, and agree on the due dates for all pieces of assessment. Scope confirmation agreement 1.3 2 Compile a detailed scope which highlights the projects objectives, as discussed during the supervisor meeting. Resources Workspace with an available computer Availability from both supervisors to organize a meeting Milestone Hazards and Risks Milestone 1 is essential to the project. Any delay could be considered a minor, but possible risk, as it affects the progress of the overall project. If this issue becomes bigger, and the project scope cannot be defined, then it can be classified as a major risk and mitigation strategies should be taken immediately. Clear communication between all parties involved, can reduce and remove the possibility of the identified risks from occurring. Milestone 2: Project Proposal The project proposal is the first piece of assessment, which must be completed as part of the responsibilities for completing the project placement. The report highlights the work from Milestone 1, as it expands on the agreed aims and objectives, outlines the background information related to the projects main topics, and presents a visual and a clear representation of the project plan. A detailed OHS risk assessment, which analyses the potential risk involved with the projects practical work, and any potential equipment used, will also be included in the proposal. Task ID Days Description Research of relevant material 2.1 5 Find background information and prior art related to the projects main topic. Project outline and intended scope 2.2 4 Expand on the projects scope decided in Task 1, expanding on the projects aims and objectives. Background and related work 2.3 3 Summarize and expand on the material obtained from Task 2.1. Project plan summary 2.4 3 Provide a detailed project plan, with logically ordered tasks and their respective milestones. OHS risk assessment 2.5 2 Compile an OHS risk assessment, which highlights the projects practical work and equipment used. Drafting and submission 2.5 5 Assemble the proposals individual sections, review the written report and submit via Turnitin. Resources Completion of Milestone 1 Confirmation of university assessment due dates OHS risk assessments, regarding the use and control of the gimbal rig Milestone Hazards and Risks The project proposal relies mostly on individual and previously completed work, however, certain sections require resources which are not readily available. The most significant obstacles, which would require mitigation, are the confirmation of all university assessment due dates and the risk assessments completed for the gimbal rig, which might be used during the project. Clear and constant communication with the universitys course coordinator, as well as the personnel in charge of the gimbal rig, is essential to mitigate and prevent any issues that could affect the completion of the project proposal. Milestone 3: Receding Horizon Planner Milestone 3 is the first milestone that uses the algorithms created by Dr. Kearney to develop an on-line planner that controls the photograph scheduling plan and the movement of the gimbal throughout the event horizon. The completed Receding Horizon Planner will involve the use of a low level controller, an upper level planner, and an event monitor, to be used in Milestones 4à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢7. Task ID Days Description Algorithm testing and improvement 3.1 5 Improve the current photograph feasibility algorithm, and test its efficiency. Model predictive control research 3.2 5 Find related material to be used when designing the Receding Horizon Controller. Lower level controller design implementation 3.3 5 The gimbal and camera are robustly controlled by the photograph scheduling algorithm chosen by the upper level planner. Upper level planner design implementation 3.4 5 Implemented the improved algorithm from Task 3.1 to generate a plan that the system will follow over a prediction horizon. Event monitor design implementation 3.5 4 Connect the results from Tasks 3.3 and 3.4 so that the plan is implemented and changed after certain events occur. Resources Programming and modelling software Access to the projects repository and previous work Milestone Hazards and Risks The progress of Milestone 3 could be significantly affected, if access to the necessary repositories and previous work is delayed. As previous algorithms are necessary to the development of the Receding Horizon Planner, the completion of the project would be significantly impacted. Clear communication with the right personnel can help mitigate this issue before it affect the timeline and progress of the project. Milestone 4: Planner Analysis and Improvement Rigorous testing of the developed Receding Horizon Planner is required to find the necessary efficiency gains, so the planner can be implemented on the projects physical equipment. Data obtained from Fugro Roames, as well as the analysis and reiteration of the testing completed, will be completed to improve the found controller gains. Task ID Days Description Test current and new scenarios 4.1 4 Implement the Receding Horizon Planner on several simulated scenarios, using data received from Fugro Roames. Reiteration of Receding Horizon Planner testing 4.2 3 Fix any errors found in Task 4.1 and repeat the tests. Determine accurate efficiency gains 4.3 3 Determine the required controller gains which provide the most accurate results. Resources Completion of Milestone 3 Sufficient testing data provided by Fugro Roames Milestone Hazards and Risks The lack of testing data used to complete this milestone, is a minor risk that could affect the project. Requesting said data ahead of time, would ensure that it is ready for when testing of the Receding Horizon Planner begins, leaving the project timeline unaffected. Milestone 5: Gimbal Prototype Milestone 5 marks a key point in the project, as the implementation of the Receding Horizon Planner on a working prototype is essential to the projects success. The design of the prototype will be based on the actual gimbal rig owned and created by FugroRoames, to facilitate the implementation of the planner for further testing, at the end of the project. Task ID Days Description Embedded system design and build 5.1 7 Design, build and combine the mechanical, electrical, and software components of the prototype. Implementation of Receding Horizon Planner 5.2 6 Test the Receding Horizon Planner using the gimbal prototype. Sensitivity Analysis 5.3 5 Identify and vary the dominant parameters, testing and improving the Receding Horizon Planner where possible. Resources Completion of Milestone 4 Mechanical, electrical and software design software Working space and necessary build equipment Development of testing scenarios Milestone Hazards and Risks Milestone 5 introduces the use of practical equipment to design, test and build each component of the gimbal prototype. The misuse of the practical equipment, and the lack of component testing, are immediate risks to the completion of the prototype. Following the risk assessment outlines on Chapter 4, as well as completing the required testing before the Receding Horizon Planner is implemented, can help mitigate the risks described and prevent possible delays. Milestone 6: Assessment of Projects Assumptions As previously shown by Dr. Kearney, on the initial report he completed for Fugr-Roames, the introduction of the Receding Horizon Planner required changes to the initial assumptions made when designing the projects photograph allocation and gimbal control algorithms. The change and/or the addition of assumptions, by analysing the projects missing parameters is, therefore, also essential when validating the results obtained in Milestone 5. Task ID Days Description Identify missing parameters 6.1 2 Determine the projects missing parameters based on the assumptions made by Dr. Kearney on his report. Evaluate the effects of missing parameters 6.2 3 Assess how the model is affected by each missing parameter. Update the projects assumptions 6.3 2 Compose a list of updated assumptions based on the results from tasks 6.1 and 6.2, to be used on further work. Resources Completion of the Sensitivity Analysis Task within Milestone 5 Milestone Hazards and Risks The risks to Milestone 6 are relatively small, where the largest possible problem involves the inability to identify the effects of the projects missing parameters. Keeping a record of all parameter changes/assumptions made during previous tests is the best solution to mitigate/prevent this issue. Milestone 7: Project Evaluation and Recommendation for Future Work Identifying the projects limitations is an important process, as it allows recommendations for future work to be made and included on the final thesis report. Task ID Days Description Identify projects limitations 7.1 3 List the projects limitations, based on the results from Task 6. Develop accurate recommendations 7.2 3 Expand on previous work and results from Tasks 6.1 to 6.3, including 7.1, to develop accurate recommendations for future work. Resources Development of the Receding Horizon Planner Sensitivity analysis of the gimbal prototype Completion of Milestone 6 Milestone Hazards and Risks The completion of Milestone 7 is only affected by the work done in previous milestones. If previous tasks are delayed, any future recommendations run the risk of not being completed. To prevent this from affecting the final stages of the project, the plan/timeline outlined should always be followed, noting wher

Motivation As The Key To Performance Improvement Commerce Essay

Motivation As The Key To Performance Improvement Commerce Essay There is an old saying-you can take a horse to the water but u cannot force it to drink; itll drink only if it is thirsty-so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. Whether it is to excel on the workshop floor or in the ivory tower they must be motivated or driven to it, either by themselves or through external stimulus. Motivation is essential for any business to survive and succeed. Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus: Job performance = f (ability)(motivation) Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement in a slow and long process. On the other hand, motivation can be improved quickly. There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation: Positive reinforcement/high expectations Effective discipline and punishment Treating people fairly Satisfying employees needs Setting work related goals Restructuring jobs Base rewards on job performance Essentially, there is a gap between an individuals actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap. Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. It is inducing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator. Naturally, these goals as also the motivation system must conform to the corporate policy of the organization. The motivational system must be tailored to the situation and to the organisation. Intrinsic motivation comes from rewards inherent to a task or activity itself the enjoyment of a puzzle or the love of playing.[2] This form of motivation has been studied by social and educational psychologists since the early 1970s. Research has found that it is usually associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students. Intrinsic motivation has been explained by Fritz Heiders attribution theory, Banduras work on self-efficacy, [3] and Ryan and Decis cognitive evaluation theory. Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they: attribute their educational results to internal factors that they can control (e.g. the amount of effort they put in), believe they can be effective agents in reaching desired goals (i.e. the results are not determined by luck), are interested in mastering a topic, rather than just rote-learning to achieve good grades. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of the performer. Money is the most obvious example, but coercion and threat of punishment are also common extrinsic motivations. While competing, the crowd may cheer on the performer, which may motivate him or her to do well. Trophies are also extrinsic incentives. Competition is in general extrinsic because it encourages the performer to win and beat others, not to enjoy the intrinsic rewards of the activity. Social psychological research has indicated that extrinsic rewards can lead to overjustification and a subsequent reduction in intrinsic motivation. In one study demonstrating this effect, children who expected to be (and were) rewarded with a ribbon and a gold star for drawing pictures spent less time playing with the drawing materials in subsequent observations than children who were assigned to an unexpected reward condition and to children who received no extrinsic reward[4] These articles on motivation theory and practice concentrate on various theories regarding human nature in general and motivation in particular. Included are the articles on the practical aspects of motivation in the workplace and the research that has been undertaken in this field, notably by Douglas McGregor (theory y), Frederick Herzberg (two factor motivation hygiene theory), Abraham Maslow (theory z, hierarchy of needs), Elton Mayo (Hawthorne experiments), Chris Argyris Rensis Likert and David McClelland (achievement motivation). The incentive theory of motivation A reward, tangible or intangible, is presented after the occurrence of an action (i.e. behavior) with the intent to cause the behavior to occur again. This is done by associating positive meaning to the behavior. Studies show that if the person receives the reward immediately, the effect would be greater, and decreases as duration lengthens. Repetitive action-reward combination can cause the action to become habit. Motivation comes from two sources: oneself, and other people. These two sources are called intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, respectively. Applying proper motivational techniques can be much harder than it seems. Steven Kerr notes that when creating a reward system, it can be easy to reward A, while hoping for B, and in the process, reap harmful effects that can jeopardize your goals.[5] A reinforcer is different from reward, in that reinforcement is intended to create a measured increase in the rate of a desirable behavior following the addition of something to the environment. Drive-reduction theories There are a number of drive theories. The Drive Reduction Theory grows out of the concept that we have certain biological drives, such as hunger. As time passes the strength of the drive increases if it is not satisfied (in this case by eating). Upon satisfying a drive the drives strength is reduced. The theory is based on diverse ideas from the theories of Freud to the ideas of feedback control systems, such as a thermostat. Drive theory has some intuitive or folk validity. For instance when preparing food, the drive model appears to be compatible with sensations of rising hunger as the food is prepared, and, after the food has been consumed, a decrease in subjective hunger. There are several problems, however, that leave the validity of drive reduction open for debate. The first problem is that it does not explain how secondary reinforcers reduce drive. For example, money satisfies no biological or psychological needs, but a pay check appears to reduce drive through second-order conditioning. Secondly, a drive, such as hunger, is viewed as having a desire to eat, making the drive a homuncular being a feature criticized as simply moving the fundamental problem behind this small man and his desires. In addition, it is clear that drive reduction theory cannot be a complete theory of behavior, or a hungry human could not prepare a meal without eating the food before they finished cooking it. The ability of drive theory to cope with all kinds of behavior, from not satisfying a drive (by adding on other traits such as restraint), or adding additional drives for tasty food, which combine with drives for food in order to explain cooking render it hard to test. [edit] Cognitive dissonance theory Suggested by Leon Festinger, this occurs when an individual experiences some degree of discomfort resulting from an incompatibility between two cognitions. For example, a consumer may seek to reassure himself regarding a purchase, feeling, in retrospect, that another decision may have been preferable. Another example of cognitive dissonance is when a belief and a behavior are in conflict. A person may wish to be healthy, believes smoking is bad for ones health, and yet continues to smoke. Need theories [edit] Need hierarchy theory Main article: Maslows hierarchy of needs Abraham Maslows theory is one of the most widely discussed theories of motivation. The theory can be summarized as follows: Human beings have wants and desires which influence their behavior. Only unsatisfied needs influence behavior, satisfied needs do not. Since needs are many, they are arranged in order of importance, from the basic to the complex. The person advances to the next level of needs only after the lower level need is at least minimally satisfied. The further the progress up the hierarchy, the more individuality, humanness and psychological health a person will show. The needs, listed from basic (lowest-earliest) to most complex (highest-latest) are as follows: Physiology (hunger, thirst, sleep, etc.) Safety/Security/Shelter/Health Belongingness/Love/Friendship Self-esteem/Recognition/Achievement Self actualization [edit] Herzbergs two-factor theory Main article: Frederick Herzberg Frederick Herzbergs two-factor theory, AKA intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, concludes that certain factors in the workplace result in job satisfaction, but if absent, they dont lead to dissatisfaction but no satisfaction.[6] The factors that motivate people can change over their lifetime, but respect for me as a person is one of the top motivating factors at any stage of life. He distinguished between: Motivators; (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) which give positive satisfaction, and Hygiene factors; (e.g. status, job security, salary and fringe benefits) that do not motivate if present, but, if absent, result in demotivation. The name Hygiene factors is used because, like hygiene, the presence will not make you healthier, but absence can cause health deterioration. The theory is sometimes called the Motivator-Hygiene Theory and/or The Dual Structure Theory. Herzbergs theory has found application in such occupational fields as information systems and in studies of user satisfaction (see Computer user satisfaction). [edit] Alderfers ERG theory Main article: Clayton Alderfer Clayton Alderfer, expanding on Maslows hierarchy of needs, created the ERG theory (existence, relatedness and growth). Physiological and safety, the lower order needs, are placed in the existence category, while love and self esteem needs are placed in the relatedness category. The growth category contains our self-actualization and self-esteem needs. [edit] Self-determination theory Self-determination theory, developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, focuses on the importance of intrinsic motivation in driving human behavior. Like Maslows hierarchical theory and others that built on it, SDT posits a natural tendency toward growth and development. Unlike these other theories, however, SDT does not include any sort of autopilot for achievement, but instead requires active encouragement from the environment. The primary factors that encourage motivation and development are autonomy, competence feedback, and relatedness. Broad theories The latest approach in Achievement Motivation is an integrative perspective as lined out in the Onion-Ring-Model of Achievement Motivation by Heinz Schuler, George C. Thornton III, Andreas Frintrup and Rose Mueller-Hanson. It is based on the premise that performance motivation results from the way broad components of personality are directed towards performance. As a result, it includes a range of dimensions that are relevant to success at work but which are not conventionally regarded as being part of performance motivation. Especially it integrates formerly separated approaches as Need for Achievement with e.g. social motives like Dominance. The Achievement Motivation Inventory (AMI) (Schuler, Thornton, Frintrup Mueller-Hanson, 2003) is based on this theory and assesses three factors (17 separated scales) relevant to vocational and professional success. [edit] Cognitive theories [edit] Goal-setting theory Goal-setting theory is based on the notion that individuals sometimes have a drive to reach a clearly defined end state. Often, this end state is a reward in itself. A goals efficiency is affected by three features: proximity, difficulty and specificity. An ideal goal should present a situation where the time between the initiation of behavior and the end state is close. This explains why some children are more motivated to learn how to ride a bike than mastering algebra. A goal should be moderate, not too hard or too easy to complete. In both cases, most people are not optimally motivated, as many want a challenge (which assumes some kind of insecurity of success). At the same time people want to feel that there is a substantial probability that they will succeed. Specificity concerns the description of the goal in their class. The goal should be objectively defined and intelligible for the individual. A classic example of a poorly specified goal is to get the highest possible grade . Most children have no idea how much effort they need to reach that goal. Models of behavior change Social-cognitive models of behavior change include the constructs of motivation and volition. Motivation is seen as a process that leads to the forming of behavioral intentions. Volition is seen as a process that leads from intention to actual behavior. In other words, motivation and volition refer to goal setting and goal pursuit, respectively. Both processes require self-regulatory efforts. Several self-regulatory constructs are needed to operate in orchestration to attain goals. An example of such a motivational and volitional construct is perceived self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is supposed to facilitate the forming of behavioral intentions, the development of action plans, and the initiation of action. It can support the translation of intentions into action. See also: Health Action Process Approach I-Change Model [edit] Unconscious motivation Some psychologists believe that a significant portion of human behavior is energized and directed by unconscious motives. According to Maslow, Psychoanalysis has often demonstrated that the relationship between a conscious desire and the ultimate unconscious aim that underlies it need not be at all direct.[9] In other words, stated motives do not always match those inferred by skilled observers. For example, it is possible that a person can be accident-prone because he has an unconscious desire to hurt himself and not because he is careless or ignorant of the safety rules.[citation needed] Similarly, some overweight people are not hungry at all for food but for fighting and kissing. Eating is merely a defensive reaction to lack of attention.[citation needed] Some workers damage more equipment than others do because they harbor unconscious feelings of aggression toward authority figures.[citation needed] Psychotherapists[who?] point out that some behavior is so automatic that the reasons for it are not available in the individuals conscious mind. Compulsive cigarette smoking is an example. Sometimes maintaining self-esteem is so important and the motive for an activity is so threatening that it is simply not recognized and, in fact, may be disguised or repressed. Rationalization, or explaining away, is one such disguise, or defense mechanism, as it is called. Another is projecting or attributing ones own faults to others. I feel I am to blame, becomes It is her fault; she is selfish. Repression of powerful but socially unacceptable motives may result in outward behavior that is the opposite of the repressed tendencies. An example of this would be the employee who hates his boss but overworks himself on the job to show that he holds him in high regard.[citation needed] Unconscious motives add to the hazards of interpreting human behavior and, to the extent that they are present, complicate the life of the administrator. On the other hand, knowledge that unconscious motives exist can lead to a more careful assessment of behavioral problems. Although few contemporary psychologists deny the existence of unconscious factors, many[who?] do believe that these are activated only in times of anxiety and stress, and that in the ordinary course of events, human behavior from the subjects point of view is rationally purposeful. [edit] Intrinsic motivation and the 16 basic desires theory Starting from studies involving more than 6,000 people, Professor Steven Reiss has proposed a theory that find 16 basic desires that guide nearly all human behavior. [10] [11] The desires are: Acceptance, the need for approval Curiosity, the need to think Eating, the need for food Family, the need to raise children Honor, the need to be loyal to the traditional values of ones clan/ethnic group Idealism, the need for social justice Independence, the need for individuality Order, the need for organized, stable, predictable environments Physical Activity, the need for exercise Power, the need for influence of will Romance, the need for sex Saving, the need to collect Social Contact, the need for friends (peer relationships) Status, the need for social standing/importance Tranquility, the need to be safe Vengeance, the need to strike back In this model, people differ in these basic desires. These basic desires represent intrinsic desires that directly motivate a persons behavior, and not aimed at indirectly satisfying other desires. People may also be motivated by non-basic desires, but in this case this does not relate to deep motivation, or only as a means to achieve other basic desires. [edit] Other theories Reversal theory Motivating operation Taylor Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856 1917) put forward the idea that workers are motivated mainly by pay. His Theory of Scientific Management argued the following: Workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control Therefore managers should break down production into a series of small tasks Workers should then be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as possible on one set task. Workers are then paid according to the number of items they produce in a set period of time- piece-rate pay. As a result workers are encouraged to work hard and maximise their productivity. Taylors methods were widely adopted as businesses saw the benefits of increased productivity levels and lower unit costs. The most notably advocate was Henry Ford who used them to design the first ever production line, making Ford cars. This was the start of the era of mass production. Taylors approach has close links with the concept of an autocratic management style (managers take all the decisions and simply give orders to those below them) and Macgregors Theory X approach to workers (workers are viewed as lazy and wish to avoid responsibility). However workers soon came to dislike Taylors approach as they were only given boring, repetitive tasks to carry out and were being treated little better than human machines. Firms could also afford to lay off workers as productivity levels increased. This led to an increase in strikes and other forms of industrial action by dis-satisfied workers. Mayo Elton Mayo (1880 1949) believed that workers are not just concerned with money but could be better motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work (something that Taylor ignored). He introduced the Human Relation School of thought, which focused on managers taking more of an interest in the workers, treating them as people who have worthwhile opinions and realising that workers enjoy interacting together. Mayo conducted a series of experiments at the Hawthorne factory of the Western Electric Company in Chicago He isolated two groups of women workers and studied the effect on their productivity levels of changing factors such as lighting and working conditions. He expected to see productivity levels decline as lighting or other conditions became progressively worse What he actually discovered surprised him: whatever the change in lighting or working conditions, the productivity levels of the workers improved or remained the same. From this Mayo concluded that workers are best motivated by: Better communication between managers and workers ( Hawthorne workers were consulted over the experiments and also had the opportunity to give feedback) Greater manager involvement in employees working lives ( Hawthorne workers responded to the increased level of attention they were receiving) Working in groups or teams. ( Hawthorne workers did not previously regularly work in teams) In practice therefore businesses should re-organise production to encourage greater use of team working and introduce personnel departments to encourage greater manager involvement in looking after employees interests. His theory most closely fits in with a paternalistic style of management. Maslow Abraham Maslow (1908 1970) along with Frederick Herzberg (1923-) introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s, which focused on the psychological needs of employees. Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. All of the needs are structured into a hierarchy (see below) and only once a lower level of need has been fully met, would a worker be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied. For example a person who is dying of hunger will be motivated to achieve a basic wage in order to buy food before worrying about having a secure job contract or the respect of others. A business should therefore offer different incentives to workers in order to help them fulfill each need in turn and progress up the hierarchy (see below). Managers should also recognise that workers are not all motivated in the same way and do not all move up the hierarchy at the same pace. They may therefore have to offer a slightly different set of incentives from worker to worker. Herzberg Frederick Herzberg (1923-) had close links with Maslow and believed in a two-factor theory of motivation. He argued that there were certain factors that a business could introduce that would directly motivate employees to work harder (Motivators). However there were also factors that would de-motivate an employee if not present but would not in themselves actually motivate employees to work harder (Hygienefactors) Motivators are more concerned with the actual job itself. For instance how interesting the work is and how much opportunity it gives for extra responsibility, recognition and promotion. Hygiene factors are factors which surround the job rather than the job itself. For example a worker will only turn up to work if a business has provided a reasonable level of pay and safe working conditions but these factors will not make him work harder at his job once he is there. Importantly Herzberg viewed pay as a hygiene factor which is in direct contrast to Taylor who viewed pay, and piece-rate in particular Herzberg believed that businesses should motivate employees by adopting a democratic approach to management and by improving the nature and content of the actual job through certain methods. Some of the methods managers could use to achieve this are: Job enlargement workers being given a greater variety of tasks to perform (not necessarily more challenging) which should make the work more interesting. Job enrichment involves workers being given a wider range of more complex, interesting and challenging tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should give a greater sense of achievement. Empowerment means delegating more power to employees to make their own decisions over areas of their working life. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation) (http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html) (http://tutor2u.net/business/gcse/people_motivation_theories.htm)