Monday, May 25, 2020

Lynette Woodard of the Harlem Globetrotters

Lynette Woodard learned to play basketball in her childhood, and one of her heroes was her cousin Hubie Ausbie, known as Geese, who played with the Harlem Globetrotters. Woodards family and background: Born in: Wichita, Kansas on August 12, 1959.Mother: Dorothy, homemaker.Father: Lugene, fireman.Siblings: Lynette Woodard was the youngest of four siblings.Cousin: Hubie Geese Ausbie, player with the Harlem Globetrotters 1960-1984. High School Phenom and Olympian Lynette Woodard played varsity womens basketball in high school, achieving many records and helping to win two consecutive state championships. She then played for Lady Jayhawks at the University of Kansas, where she broke the NCAA womens record, with 3,649 points in four years and a 26.3 point per game average. The University retired her jersey number when she graduated, the first student so honored. In 1978 and 1979, Lynette Woodard traveled in Asia and Russia as part of national womens basketball teams. She tried out for and won a spot on the 1980 Olympic womens basketball team, but that year, the United States protested the Soviet Unions invasion of Afghanistan by boycotting the Olympics. She tried out for and was selected for the 1984 team, and was co-captain of the team as it won the gold medal. Woodards National and International Medals : Gold Medal: U.S. national team, World University Games, 1979.Gold Medal: U.S. national team, Pan-American Games, 1983.Silver Medal: U.S. national team, World Championships, 1983.Gold Medal: Los Angeles Olympics womens basketball team (co-captain), 1984.Gold Medal: U.S. national team, World Championships, 1990.Bronze Medal: U.S. national team, Pan-American Games, 1991. College and Professional Life Between the two Olympics, Woodard graduated from college, then played basketball in an industrial league in Italy. She worked briefly in 1982 at the University of Kansas. After the 1984 Olympics, she took a job at the University of Kansas with the womens basketball program. Woodards Education: Wichita North High School, varsity womens basketball.University of Kansas.B.A., 1981, speech communications and human relations.Basketball coach Marian Washington.Twice named academic All-American and four times named athletic All-American.Ranked first or second in the nation in steals, scoring, or rebounding each year. Woodard saw no opportunity to play basketball professionally in the United States. After considering her next step after college, called her cousin Geese Ausbie, wondering if the famed Harlem Globetrotters might consider a woman player. Within weeks, she received word that the Harlem Globetrotters were looking for a woman, the first woman to play for the team — and their hope to improve attendance. She won the difficult competition for the spot, though she was the oldest woman competing for the honor, and joined the team in 1985, playing on an equal basis with the men on the team through 1987. She returned to Italy and played there 1987-1989, with her team winning the national championship in 1990. In 1990, she joined a Japanese league, playing for Daiwa Securities, and helping her team win a division championship in 1992. In 1993-1995 was an athletic director for the Kansas City School District. She also played for the U.S. national teams that won the 1990 World Championships gold medal and the 1991 Pan-American Games bronze. In 1995, she retired from basketball to become a stockbroker in New York. In 1996, Woodard served on the Olympic Committees board. Woodards Honors and Achievements: All-American High School Team, womens basketball.All-American high school athlete, 1977.Wade Trophy, 1981 (best woman basketball player in U.S.)Big Eight Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) (three years).NCAA Top V Award, 1982.Womens Sports Foundation Flo Hyman Award, 1993.Legends ring, Harlem Globetrotters, 1995.Sports Illustrated for Women, 100 Greatest Women Athletes, 1999.Basketball Hall of Fame, 2002 and 2004.Womens Basketball Hall of Fame, 2005. Woodard's Continued Career Woodards retirement from basketball didnt last long. In 1997, she joined the new Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA), playing with the Cleveland Rockers and then the Detroit Shock, while maintaining her stockbroker position on Wall Street. After her second season she retired again, returning to the University of Kansas where, among her responsibilities, she was an assistant coach with her old team, the Lady Jayhawks, serving as interim head coach in 2004. She was named one of Sports Illustrateds hundred greatest women athletes in 1999. In 2005, Lynette Woodard was inducted into the Womens Basketball Hall of Fame.

Friday, May 15, 2020

Why Dead Fish Float Upside Down

If youve seen dead fish in a pond or your aquarium, youve noticed they tend to float on the water. More often than not, theyll be belly up, which is a dead giveaway (pun intended) youre not dealing with a healthy, living fish. Have you ever wondered why dead fish float and live fish dont? It has to do with fish biology and the scientific principle of buoyancy. Key Takeaways Dead fish float in water because decomposition fills the fishs gut with buoyant gases.The reason fish typically go belly up is because the spine of the fish is more dense than its belly.Healthy living fish dont float. They have an organ called a swim bladder that regulates the amount of gas present in the body of a fish and thus its buoyancy Why Living Fish Don't Float To understand why a dead fish floats, it helps to understand why a live fish is in the water and not on top of it. Fish consist of water, bones, protein, fat, and a smaller amount of carbohydrates and nucleic acids. While fat is less dense than water, your average fish contains a higher amount of bones and protein, which makes the animal neutrally buoyant in water (neither sinks nor floats) or slightly more dense than water (slowly sinks until it gets deep enough). It doesnt require much effort for a fish to maintain its preferred depth in the water, but when they do swim deeper or seek shallow water they rely on an organ called a swim bladder or air bladder to regulate their density. How this works is that water passes into a fishs mouth and across its gills, which is where oxygen passes from the water into the bloodstream. So far, its a lot like human lungs, except on the outside of the fish. In both fish and humans, the red pigment hemoglobin carries oxygen to cells. In a fish, some of the oxygen is released as oxygen gas into the swim bladder. The pressure acting on the fish determines how full the bladder is at any given time. As the fish rises toward the surface, the surrounding water pressure decreases and oxygen from the bladder returns to the bloodstream and back out through the gills. As a fish descends, water pressure increases, causing hemoglobin to release oxygen from the bloodstream to fill the bladder. It allows a fish to change depth and is a built-in mechanism to prevent the bends, where gas bubbles form in the bloodstream if pressure decreases too rapidly. Why Dead Fish Float When a fish dies, its heart stops beating and blood circulation ceases. The oxygen that is in the swim bladder remains there, plus decomposition of the tissue adds more gas, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. Theres no way for the gas to escape, but it presses against the fishs belly and expands it, turning the dead fish into a sort of fish-balloon, rising toward the surface. Because the spine and muscles on the dorsal side (top) of the fish are more dense, the belly rises up. Depending on how deep a fish was when it died, it might not rise to the surface, at least not until decomposition really sets in. Some fish never gain sufficient buoyancy to float and decay under the water. In case you were wondering, other dead animals (including people) also float after they start to decay. You dont need a swim bladder for that to happen. Sources Chapin, F. Stuart; Pamela A. Matson; Harold A. Mooney (2002). Principles of Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology. New York: Springer. ISBN 0-387-95443-0.Forbes, S.L. (2008). Decomposition Chemistry in a Burial Environment. In M. Tibbett; D.O. Carter. Soil Analysis in Forensic Taphonomy. CRC Press. pp. 203–223. ISBN 1-4200-6991-8.Pinheiro, J. (2006). Decay Process of a Cadaver. In A. Schmidt; E. Cumha; J. Pinheiro. Forensic Anthropology and Medicine. Humana Press. pp. 85–116. ISBN 1-58829-824-8.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Free Will Moral Responsibility - 1167 Words

Free will is the ability of a representative to make individual choices and/or act upon them in their own desired way. People make choices every day in their lives, maybe with a little incentive here and there, yet in the end, it’s the people’s choice. Free will has been a commonly debated subject throughout history. Not just if it’s true, but ultimately the real meaning of it. How can we not believe in free will? Humans naturally have a strong sense of freedom. Free will is true in species and there will never be an alternate. I believe people are responsible for their actions. Most philosophers assert that the concept of free will is closely related to moral responsibility. Responsibility is â€Å"the state or fact of being accountable or to blame for something.† When a person attempts to perform an action and fails to do so, people assume there is a common response. Blame and praise is a frequently used combination in such events. For example, one may b e praised for saving a child from a house that erupted in flames, yet one may be blamed for not using their phone to call for help. Free will becomes an important issue in the debate on whether one is responsible for their actions, and if they are, to what degree. There are always external constraints on the options presented to a person, these outside factors are not the person’s responsibility. (Stanford 1) A common challenge to free will is determinism. â€Å"Determinism is the philosophical position that for every event,Show MoreRelatedFree Will and Moral Responsibility1037 Words   |  4 Pagesbeginnings, the problem of free will has been connected with the question of moral responsibility. Most of the ancient philosophers on the problem were trying to show that humans have sufficient control over their decisions, that all actions depend on them, and that they are not pre-determined by logical necessity, arbitrary gods, fate, or even by natural determinism. The proble m of free will is often described as a question of reconciling free will with determinism. The problems of free will are also rootedRead MoreFree Will : Moral Responsibility1168 Words   |  5 Pages15 Free will is the ability of a representative to make individual choices and/or act upon them in their own desired way. People make choices every day in their lives, maybe with a little incentive here and there, yet in the end, it’s the people’s choice. Free will has been a commonly debated subject throughout history. Not just if it’s true, but ultimately the real meaning of it. How can we not believe in free will? Humans naturally have a strong sense of freedom. Free will is true in species andRead MoreFree Will And Moral Responsibility Essay2171 Words   |  9 PagesThe concept of free will is a source of constant debate and has been a major focus of philosophic and religious discourse for more than two millennia; the concepts of determinism and free will are among the oldest known philosophies. In the modern age, compatibilists like Laura Ekstrom have argued that the possibility to have chosen a different action — even if the action itself is predetermi ned — renders moral responsibility possible in a wholly determined universe (Ekstrom). Conversely, incompatibilistsRead MoreThe Moral Responsibility Of Free Will Essay2084 Words   |  9 Pagesthat free will is seen as hugely important to western philosophy. In particular, it has been suggested that it’s absence may have ramifications for the existence of moral responsibility, henceforth ‘MR’. I will be arguing that ultimate responsibility is the only sufficient condition forMR and that Baker’s reflective endorsement argument fails to encapsulate all scenarios in which we have MR. In addition, I will argue that belief in moral responsibility isn’t necessary to treat people as moral beingsRead MoreFree Will : The Concept Of Moral Responsibility1275 Words   |  6 PagesPart One, The Thesis: Free-will can be defined as the ability an individual has to act without the limitation of necessity or fate. It the power a person has to act at one’s discretion. Do we really have the freedom to experience what we want, when we choose? Some would say yes while some others will say no, philosophers have argued about this topic and there hasn’t been any particular conclusion yet. It is the ability a person or animal has to choose his or her course of actions. Although most philosophersRead MoreHume s Theory Of Free Will And Moral Responsibility1940 Words   |  8 Pages ¶1)? Would possessing it suffice for us to have free will? David Hume was a Scottish philosopher who was largely active in the eighteenth century. While Hume is largely remembered as being part of the empiricist movement that comprised of John Locke and George Berkeley, which largely focussed on the belief that knowledge came from our sensory experiences; this essay will focus on Hume’s work regarding the concept of free will and moral responsibility. It will do this by introducing Hume’s compatibilismRead MoreSaving Morality: The Implications of Hard Determinism 1116 Words   |  5 Pageslibertarian free will, results in some serious consequences for moral responsibility. At its most extreme interpretation a form of moral nihilism arises. †Without God ... everything is permitted now.†[1] That is, if determinism holds true, then there is no free choice, and without free choice there can be no moral responsibility. By taking hard determinism to its logical conclusion, and evaluating the results of a steadfast adherence to the theory this paper serves to show that moral nihilism isRead MoreFree Will And Determinism Can Go Together1447 Words   |  6 PagesFree will is one of the great debates among humans. What is it and do we even have it are two common questions. Freedom is not always easy to define but there is one compelling version of free will. I believe that humans are not truly free, they have free will but much of their lives are determined by other external causes because of the dual nature of decisions. First I will argue what the theory of compatibilist is and why it is the most reasonable. Then I will look at the moral responsibilityRead MoreWhat Would It Entail?1221 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: Imagine a world without moral responsibility. What would it entail? Without moral responsibility, legal systems today would necessarily undergo a dramatic revision. I have not a clue what they might result to. With constituents not being morally responsible for their actions, criminal acts become easily defensible. For the subject, he/she was not â€Å"free† at the time of the act, for one can only be morally responsible for an act if one was free and consciously willed the act ( ). RapeRead MoreSartre View on Free Will Essay868 Words   |  4 Pagesview on free will when he says, either man is wholly determined or else man is wholly free. This quote shows us that Sartre believes that man is free to do what he wants. For Sartre, freedom is the most basic value, which renders possible all other values the way our fundamental plan precedes and grounds our small choices. In that sense freedom is the source of all values. It is not logically possible to make sense of human responsibility and notions of justice without a conception of free will .

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Practical Application of Renewable Energy Technologies

Question: Discuss about thePractical Application of Renewable Energy Technologies. Answer: Introduction With the increasing concern for environmental sustainability, application of renewable of energy has been the focus of many nations. Renewable energy originates from renewable sources. Both UN and EU have passed laws that require their member countries to adopt renewable sources of energy generation (U.S. Department of Energy, 2012). Energy is a fundamental commodity in the modern society since it drives almost everything in the households. Over two thirds of the total energy in the world is utilized by manufacturing industry. Therefore, the need to adopt sources that are less expensive as well as environmental friendly will go a long way in making life enjoyable. This paper explores the practical application of renewable energy technology with a central focus on geothermal energy and Biomass. Geothermal Energy Introduction In general terms, geothermal energy refers to the energy in the earth and is the major determinant of the temperature of matter. The earth (ground) has internal heat emanating from radioactive decay upon materials down the ground. This internal heat from the ground can serves as a source of energy both at commercial level and at household level. Geothermal energy is readily available and this makes it a reliable, cost-effective, environment friendly and sustainable source of energy. Several regions across the world are already adopting geothermal energy as a means of reducing overdependence on fossil fuels and reduction of the effect of global warming (Bertani, 2010). Statistics reveals that by 2013, the global geothermal capacity had hit 11,700 megawatts (MW) (Geothermal Energy Association (GEA), 2010). Such a capacity is able to produce over 68 billion kilowatts-hours of electricity (GEA, 2013). US are the global leader in the installation of geothermal capacity. Most homes and bui ldings in US utilize GSHP to heat and cool their houses (GEA, 2013). In the medieval times, geothermal energy was used for bathing and space heating, but now it is used to generate electricity. Geothermal Source Heat Pump (GSHP) Technology Geothermal energy can be captured in varied ways. Under the earth crust exists a magma (hot and molten rock) which continually produces heat. Unlike the solid rocks which are heavier, magma is light thus it easily transferred upwards and heats up the water and rock on the earth crust even up to 7500F. The most conventional method of capturing geothermal energy is through heat pumps. Geothermal Source Heat Pump (GSHP), also known as ground source heat pumps utilizes the constant temperatures just a few feet below the earths crust (United Nations Industrial Development Organization 2010). GSHP comprises of three major parts; heat exchanger, heat pump unit, and ductwork (the air delivery system). The heat exchange consists of a series of pipes arranged in such a way that they form a loop. The loops can then be laid horizontal on the ground depending on the available space. Either air or antifreeze liquid mixed with water is fed through the pipes which are overlaid in the ground. The liquid absorbs the heat on the ground and relays the same to the heat exchanger and finally to the heat pump. Since the temperature of the ground is fairly constant, the pump can always be used throughout the year. The length of the loops of the pipes depends on the size of the building and the amount of heat energy required. Longer loops are often applicable whenever one needs more energy (UNIDO, 2010) In cold seasons (winter time), the heat from the ground is take to the exchanges from the heat pump extracts it and relays it into the air delivery system. The reverse occurs during summer. During summer, the heat from the air delivery system can be used a source of hot water. Unlike the conventional heating system, GSHP uses less energy since the heat emanates from the ground. It also good for cooling houses and building since it eliminates air pollution. Advantages of GSHP When used as a source of heating in place of conventional heating systems, heat pumps can significantly reduce the fuel bill. The government Renewable Heat incentive can be a good source of additional income. Heat pumps also reduce the level of carbon emissions GSHP can function both as a source of hot water as well as a heating system for the house or building Heat pumps requires minimal maintenance Unlike oil and gas boilers, GSHP operates at low temperatures and for a longer duration. Technical Basis of GSHP GSHP utilizes the yearly-constant temperatures on the earth to heat and cool buildings. For instance, approximately 10 feet from the ground the temperatures constant range between 50 and 60 F which is often at high temperatures with regard to the air above the surface in cold days and also cooler in the hot days. GSHP follows on the operation principles as those of refrigerators. Heat from the ground is absorbed by a liquid in a loop of pipes which are laid below the ground. The fluid then goes to the compressor which increases its temperature considerably. The high temperature liquid produces heat to the heating systems circuits within the building. After transmitting heat to the heating system, the liquid becomes cold and is transmitted back to the ground to get more heat energy. As long as the house or the building is in need of heat energy, the process of heat extraction continues. The pipes that are laid in loops on the ground to transmit water can either be laid flat or coiled in trenches two meters deep. However, there instances when the space available is so small to permit overlaying of trenches thus a vertical borehole can be drilled in. the heat pumps requires electricity to run. The temperatures of the ground are often contant since the heat is renewed naturally. A well designed G SHP uses very small amount of electricity to transfer a vast amount of naturally occurring heat energy from the earth to a building (UNIDO, 2010). Biomass Introduction Biomass is energy that is extracted from biodegradable materials such as wood products, dried vegetation, garbage, crop residues, and even aquatic plants. Plants even uses the energy from the sun to manufacture their food which is then stored in form of chemical energy. Once the plants die, this energy is trapped in residues and can be extracted to provide biomass energy. Wood is the most common biomass fuel and it is renewable. Therefore, as long as trees are continually planted after some are cut down, there will always be fuel for biomass energy. The energy in the biomass fuel is directly obtained from the sun. It is widely used since it has low costs and occurs naturally (CanmetENERGY 2011). Biomass is converted to energy by burning stuff like wastes, wood, and plants matters which then releases the chemical energy in these materials in form of heat. The heat energy can drive shafts to provide electricity. The energy can also be obtained through fermentation and decomposition (Munnings, Kulkarni Giddey, Badwal, 2014). Advantages of Biomass energy Biomass fuel reduces emission of greenhouse gases which reduces acidic rain and hence improves the quality of soil (Springsteen et al, 2011) It fosters rural development Reduces overdependence on fossil fuel The price of biomass fuel is constant despite changes in the energy markets (Ioelovich, 2015). Biomass Boiler Technology Biomass boiler technology has come as a source of clean and renewable energy for multinational companies. The boilers exist in three main types; log gasification boilers, wood chip boiler, boiler hand fill option, and automatic fed systems (CanmetENERGY 2011). Log gasification boilers are operated by large pieces of wood including joinery offcuts and logs. Logs of wood are manually loaded into the system. Boiler hand fill option often has external hoppers or integrated hoppers. The user fills the boiler with pellets of wood which are burnt up to produce heat energy. Wood chip boiler works the same way as hand filled option boiler. Automatic fed systems of boilers are similar with oil boilers with oil tanks (Munnings, Kulkarni Giddey, Badwal, 2014). They have automatic systems that deliver fuel to the boiler. Biomass boiler technologies are the most efficient sources of renewable energy since the fuels are locally available. It is a heating technology that is applicable for all output levels. It is also flexible and environment friendly. Biomass boilers can be used to supply energy for a house for the whole year. It can also be used in combination with thermal systems (Baxter, 2005). Components of Boilers The biomass boiler looks structurally similar to the oil boilers. Boiler components include the furnace; the tube passes combustion gas circulation, and the water tank (Huber, Iborra, Corma, 2006). Combustion occurs in the furnace which is often cylindrical in nature. At the end of the furnace there is a reversal chamber where the gasses are turned and fed into tube passes. The first tube pass is immersed in water and passes from end to end. If the boiler has a second tube pass then it is considered a three pass boiler since the furnace is also termed as a pass. Other additional components include heat recovery equipment, dust collection equipment, and cleaning systems (Ioelovich, 2015). Fundamentals of Boilers Boilers exist in two versions; fire-tube and water-tube boilers. In the latter, the water is heated as it circulates in tubes surrounding where the combustion takes place. In the fire tube boilers, the combustion gas flows in the tubes that are immersed in tanks full of water. Biomass boilers work the same way as oil or gas boilers (United Nations Industrial Development Organization 2010). They use combustion as a means of extracting energy from the plant materials. References Baxter, L 2005, "Biomass-coal co-combustion: Opportunity for affordable renewable energy." Fuel 84 (10): 12951302 Bertani, R. 2010, Geothermal Power Generation in the World: 2005 2010 Update Report. International Geothermal Association, April 2010. CanmetENERGY 2011, A Review of Biomass Boiler Technologies. Retrieved from https://www.ofa.on.ca/uploads/userfiles/files/Fernando%20Preto.pdf GEA (May 2010),Geothermal Energy: International Market Update,pp.46. Retrieved on February 22, 2017 from https://www.geo_energy.org/pdf/reports/GEA_International_Market_Report_Final_May_2010.pdf Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). 2013.Geothermal: International Market Overview Report. Geothermal Energy Association (GEA). 2013.2013 Annual US Geothermal Power Production and Development Report. SNL data. Huber, GW, Iborra S, Corma, A 2006, "Synthesis of Transportation Fuels from Biomass: Chemistry, Catalysts, and Engineering".Chemical Reviews.106(9): 40444098 Ioelovich, M 2015, Biofuels energy Potential, BioResources, 10(1). Munnings, C.; Kulkarni A Giddey S, Badwal, SPS. (2014). "Biomass to power conversion in a direct carbon fuel cell".International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.39(23): 1237712385. Springsteen, B et al 2011, "Emission Reductions from Woody Biomass Waste for Energy as an Alternative to Open Burning".Journal of the Air Waste Management Association.61(1): 6 U.S. Department of Energy,. 2012. Geothermal Technologies Program: Coproduction Fact Sheet United Nations Industrial Development Organization 2010, Renewable Energy in Industrial Applications: An assessment of the 2050 potential. Retrieved February 22, 2017 from https://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/Services/Energy_and_Climate_Change/Energy_Efficiency/Renewables_%20Industrial_%20Applications.pdf