Stranger in a Strange Land Essay -- Stranger in a Strange Land

Stranger in a Strange Land Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein takes the themes portrayed in the book and directly criticizes the Western Culture. As Heinlein said, "My purpose in this book was to examine every major axiom of western culture, to question each axiom, throw doubt on it" (Jelliffe 161). These axioms are where feels the Western Culture fails and so he uses the themes to criticize humans of the Western Culture by pointing out these faults. The themes of the story portray this by having Valentine Michael Smith, a human raised by Martians, come to earth to teach his knowledge which contradict what the Western Culture feels to be true. "Stranger is a strong-minded work of culture criticism, no doubt about it (Stover 58)." The themes that Heinlein uses are those of religion, sex, and love to make his point of where the Western Culture fails as a whole. Heinlein's writing of his novels after 1961 when he wrote Stranger in a Strange Land, has changed the genre of science-fiction, because he not only wrote about strange worlds and crazy adventures, but Heinlein also tried to include criticism and a message to the reader in his novels to explain problems that he felt humans have. This became Heinlein's writing style after 1957 when he reached the age of 50 and was on the top of science-fiction. Because science-fiction was considered to be for kids, Heinlein began to write more for adult audiences by adding the real problems and criticism into his novel (Drucolli 210). "The publication of Stranger in a Strange Land marked drastic shift in Heinlein's writing, at least in social criticism and controversial subject matter" (Drucolli 227). "As he had done immediately before World War II, Heinlein helped to ... ...ing the Ways of Man to God: The Novels of Robert A Heinlein." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Eds. Dedria Bryfonski, Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1980. Vol. 14, 254-255. Jelliffe, R.A. "Alice in Wonderland for Space Age Grownups." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Eds. Dedria Bryfonski, Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1975. Vol. 26, 161-162. Rose, Lois and Stephen. "The Shattered Ring: Science Fiction and the Quest for meaning." Contemporary Literary Criticism. Ed. Carolyn Riley. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1969. Vol. 3, 226-227. Samuelson, David. " 'Stranger' in the Sixties: Model or Mirror?" Contemporary Literary Criticism. Eds. Dedria Bryfonski, Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Company, 1975. Vol 26, 167-169. Stover, Leon. Robert A. Heinlein. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

Library System Documentation Essay

A. Introduction A computer plays a vital role in our life and in our society. Business and some government agencies have long been using computer-based system. In schools and private office computer plays a vital role in their advancement and development. With the emergence of computer technology. Efficiency and accuracy were achieved. Even with the emergence of this technology, there are still many establishments today which still are used manual system in their operations. With the problems being encountered, such as inaccurate results and workloads, computers will of great help. Through an automated system, problems will be lessened with ease accuracy and efficiency. The Library, being the focal point for academic in college and university campuses plays a vital role in the academic development of the students and faculty alike. It has the basic function of aiding the parent institution in carrying-out its objectives by acquiring and making the books, materials and services available when needed. With the rapid and advancement in computer technology. Traditional library function is now being updated using current technology concepts. Libraries are now faced with the challenge of providing effective access to the rapidly growing resources in electronic form. B.Problem Statement Mabini Educational Institution Library faces the following problems: * Manual in locating and knowing the availability of the books. * Manual in knowing the list of employee * Less efficient and Time consuming. * Unmanageable record and list of books. * The Library clerk has delayed response to the inquiry. * The librarian needs enough time to track down the borrowed book. C.Objective The objective of the study is to propose a computerized library system as well as a system design that could be used by MABINI EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. D.Hypothesis The system will not be able to provide and develop a computerized library system. It will not be able to increase security in terms of record keeping.The system will not to be able to easily track down number of available books. The system will not be able to save time in updating book records. E.Significance of the Study The study can help lessen problems that are presently encountered by the said school. For the school (& the people behind the management of the library system particularly the librarian), this would help in minimizing the loss of book records being encountered in the existing library. Creating reports would be easier for the librarian. For the student and teachers, this would save time in verifying whether the books is available or not. For the researchers to enhance and likewise develop their skills and talents in analyzing system needs designing a computerized system and as a programmer developing a software. This study will also serve a reference for the future researches who will conduct a similar study. F.Scope and Delimitation The study entitled â€Å"Computerized Library System of MABINI EDUCATIONAL INSTUITUTION† focuses mainly in the transaction of arrival of books, borrowing of books, returned books and the overdue. It will also include the monitoring of books and generating of books records. The system would have information about the student and the books they borrowed or returned. Details about the book would also be included in the system such as call number, title, author, and the accession number. The system would have monitor of the book with a penalty. The system will only limit its study in the MEI balele branch. The Proposed system does not include the catalogue system, borrowing other materials such as thesis, manuscript, newspaper, magazines and etc. because of time constraint. CHAPTER 2 A.REVIEW OF RELATED STUDIES Local Studies Wilson Banga and Connie Kou, made an information system. The study eliminates the present problems and procedures and efficient and reliable result. The study includes all records from first year to fourth yea, the alumni record and the personal record applicable to registrar’s office. Maria Teresa Lumban (2000) made a library system. The Proposed library system for Lipa City National Library was made to prove that computer could be useful in solving problems arising from the increasing demand of library users. It is a window database that runs through Windows 98 operating system. The system uses peer-to-peer networking and is set-up on star topology. Billy Dimaculangan (2000), made a library system. The system shows the computerized library system of Mabini Academy High school Department and used the peer-to-peer networking in windows 98. Elmer Tanyo (2000), made a automated card catalogue system. Just like an ordinary manual catalogue system, libraries have option to delete, add, record in card catalogue order to update the catalogue. The software also has the option to reserve our borrow book. Julius Luna (2001), made a library system. The proposed system consists of two major components card cataloging and users-monitoring system. The card cataloging system serves information on book acquisitions and call number. It is capable of accessing the location of individual’s volumes. Foreign Studies According to Charles Deavor (1991), the automated card catalogue for library is open to access the shelves and the facility to borrow means that much of use modern library is at the free choice of reader, scholars and scientist continue to emphasize the value of browsing among shelves of well-arranged library. Eileen Merith (1992), made library system. The system was develop through HTML, and Java the Galileo project will create standard friendly user computerized community information system. Thus computerized information system consolidate social service, health, care, training, and job information in an interface that average citizens and system participants can use. They also have the information that enrollment system tax a completed introductory program application from the community service. Robert Kingsley (1995), made an inquiry system. The system was developing through Java and HTML. The system aims to provide convenient and comprehensive advantages, their effectiveness revolved around the availability of machine information, specially two types of machine readable information one indentifying the browser and the other indentifying the items to b changed. CHAPTER 3 A.Theoretical Framework B.Conceptual Framework C.Methodology This Computerized Library System is recommended to Mabini Educational Institution High school. This Computerized Library System is design to help those MEI student, teachers, other Personnel , and other concerned people so many persons will be benefited . For the school, it will help to have a secure assurance of borrowing books from the library and can easily detect the borrowed books. For the librarian, do not need to consume or use up more time to handle of manage data and to produce a report on library manually. The personnel can organized and find the book easily. For the student, it will borrow book in much easier way. It does not have to fill up again the library card, a computerized library system is much better than the present library system which is in manual form. The System is not intended to changes all the principle details and methods of borrowing books from the library but rather to improve it in much accurate and reliable form .

Wormholes and Space Travel

Space travel through wormholes sounds like quite an interesting idea. Who wouldnt like to have the technology to hop in a ship, find the nearest wormhole and travel to distant places in a short time? It would make space travel so easy!   Of course, the idea pops up in science-fiction movies and books all the time. These tunnels in space-time supposedly allow characters to move through space and time in a heartbeat, and the characters dont have to worry about physics. Are wormholes real?   Or are they only literary devices to keep science-fiction plots moving along. If they do exist, whats the scientific explanation behind them? The answer could be a little of each. However, they are a direct consequence of general relativity, the theory first developed by Albert Einstein early in the 20th century. However, that doesnt necessarily mean that they exist or that people can travel through them in spaceships. To understand why theyre even an idea for space travel, its important to know a little about the science that might explain them. What are Wormholes? A wormhole is supposed to be a way to transit through space-time that connects two distant points in space. Some examples from popular fiction and movies include the movie Interstellar, where the characters used wormholes as portals to distant parts of the galaxy. However, there is no observational evidence that they exist and theres no empirical proof that they arent out there somewhere.   The trick is to find them and then figure out how they work.   One way for a stable wormhole to exist is for it to be created and supported by some kind of exotic material. Easily said, but whats exotic material? What special property does it need to have to make wormholes? Theoretically speaking, such wormhole stuff   has to have negative mass. Thats just what it sounds like: matter that has a negative value, rather than regular matter, which has a positive value. Its also something scientists have never seen. Now, it is possible for wormholes to spontaneously pop into existence using this exotic matter. But, theres another problem. There would be nothing to support them, so they would instantaneously collapse back in on themselves. Not so great for any ship that happens to be passing through at the time.   Black Holes and Wormholes So, if spontaneous wormholes arent workable, is there another way to create them? Theoretically yes, and we have black holes to thank for that. They are involved in a phenomenon known as an Einstein-Rosen bridge. Its essentially a wormhole created due to the immense warping of space-time by the effects of a black hole. Specifically, it has to be a Schwarzschild black hole, one that has a static (unchanging) amount of mass, doesnt rotate, and has no electrical charge. So, how would that work? Essentially as light falls into the black hole, it would pass through a wormhole and escape out the other side, through an object known as a white hole. A white hole is similar to a black hole but instead of sucking material in, it repels material away. Light would be accelerated away from a white holes   exit portal at, well, the  speed of light, making it a bright object, hence the term white hole.   Of course, reality bites here: it would be impractical to even attempt to pass through the wormhole to begin with. Thats because the passage would require falling into a black hole, which is a remarkably lethal experience. Anything passing the event horizon would be stretched and crushed, which includes living beings. To put it simply, there is no way to survive such a trip. The Kerr Singularity and Traversable Wormholes There is yet another situation in which a wormhole might arise, from something called a Kerr black hole. It would look quite different than a normal point singularity that is what astronomers think make up black holes. A Kerr black hole would orient itself in a ring formation, effectively balancing the immense gravitational force with the rotational inertia of the singularity. Since the black hole is empty in the middle it could be possible to pass through that point. The warping of space-time in the middle of the ring could act as a wormhole, allowing travelers to pass through to another point in space. Perhaps on the far side of the universe, or in a different universe all together. Kerr singularities have a distinct advantage over other proposed wormholes as they dont require the existence and use of exotic negative mass in order to keep them stable. However, they havent yet been observed, only theorized.   Could We Someday Use Wormholes? Putting aside the technical aspects of wormhole mechanics, there are also some hard physical truths about these objects. Even if they do exist, it is difficult to say if people could ever learn to manipulate them. Plus, humanity really doesnt even have starships yet, so figuring out ways to use wormholes to travel is really putting the cart before the horse.   There is also the obvious question of safety. At this point,  no one knows exactly what to expect inside a wormhole. Nor do we know exactly WHERE a wormhole could send a ship. It could be in our own galaxy, or perhaps somewhere else in the very distant universe. Also, heres something to chew on.   If a wormhole took a ship from our galaxy to another one billions of light-years away, theres a whole question of time to consider. Does the wormhole transport instantaneously? If so, WHEN do we arrive in the distant shore? Does the trip ignore the expansion of space-time?   So while it may certainly be possible for wormholes to exist and function as portals across the universe, it is considerably less likely that people will ever be able to find a way to use them. The physics just dont work out. Yet.   Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen