Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge

Doubt Is The Key To Knowledge Doubt is the feeling of uncertain towards the truth. Persian proverb says that doubt is the key to knowledge. The key here means that the uncertain feelings bring us closer to the truth and making the level of knowledge increases. But, is it applicable in our daily life? Does doubt keeps someone to expand his knowledge in everyday life? If in a situation, an IB student doubt either he would pass or not in the examination, would his uncertain feeling causes his knowledge to expand? As for me, I think I would struggle hard because I do not have the confidence to pass the IB examination. And of course, I will expand my knowledge. But, here in this essay, we are going to discuss to what extent doubt brings us closer to the truth in different two areas of knowledge. In this essay, we are going to discuss whether doubt triggers or hinders the search for knowledge in two areas of knowledge, which are History and Natural Science. From the point of view of History, doubt can widen our knowledge. If someone does not believe about some historical facts, this would cause him to search information to find the truth. The person may not believe about the fact as he did not see the event by himself. There is a saying said that, seeing is believing. By seeing, then only the person would believe. But, as History is the story about the past, the person could not move the time backwards. Therefore, the person can only start searching for the information through the historical books, journals, and other related materials to get a better understanding about the event and to prove that the event really happened. And this eventually leads the person to gain extra information than he needed. For example, if a person could not believe that the Abbasids rule was ruined by the Mongol people, he would also know the reason why Mongol people managed to sack Abbasids capital in Baghdad, the attitude of Abbasids people during the att ack and many other related information about the fall of the Abbasid caliphate when he searched the information about it. He would also be acquainted with the leader of the Mongols. Thus, based from the explanation and example given, these strongly prove that doubt in History can increase knowledge by bringing the knowledge closer to the truth. Next, if we are looking in Natural Science, doubt leads to more research, which means that it also leads to new findings. The uncertain feeling towards some existing theories leads the scientist to do research about it. The scientist would firstly made assumption through logic based from the theory he felt uncertain about. Then he has to formulate hypothesis and design appropriate experiment in order to prove that the existing theory is false and he also has to come up with a new theory based on his experiment. This process is called falsification, introduced by a philosopher, Karl Popper. Before establishing a new theory, there would be many practical experiment conducted and of course, many new discoveries found. This would also expand the knowledge when the experiment conducted show any unexpected results. For example, the periodic table has undergone many rearrangement and falsification processes by the previous scientist before it is being established as the modern and most reli able periodic table, created by Dmitri Mendeleev. The establishment of this modern periodic table was also due to the development of quantum mechanics theories by other scientist. Therefore, doubt in Natural Science trigger the scientist to carry out many researches in order to make progress in expanding the knowledge. Apart from that, doubt sometimes becomes the inhibitor to knowledge. Let us now discuss why doubt cannot become the key to knowledge in History and Natural Science. Well, doubt in History will not become the key to knowledge if it stands on its own. Due to limitation like emotion, the uncertain feeling towards the historical facts solely will not bring knowledge closer to the truth. The expanding of knowledge is limited by emotion means that the knower himself did not want to belief about new facts or findings that contradicts from what he believed. When a new fact is revealed by the historians, he would feel uncertain about the fact because the fact is totally different from his belief. And if he still wants to stick with his belief, he will not gain any knowledge. In History, it took time to change someones paradigm and if he was reluctant to be open-minded, the true knowledge will not be discovered. For example, during Britishs rule in Malaya, there were many local heroes who always protest against the government to fight for the rights of the Malayan. They were Dato Bahaman, Tok Janggut, Syarif Masahor, and many more. Local folks said that t hey were very (berjasa) to the country and their names were (dijulang). But, there were new facts that reveals about the truth of those warriors. They were actually gangsters. They were not as kind as the local folks thought. But, many local folks did not believe on these statements. They just ignore their uncertain feeling and they keep the faith that those heroes were very (berjasa) to the country. Therefore, the emotion of the knowers here inhibit in the search for the knowledge in History. Next, in Natural Science, doubt will become the inhibitor to knowledge when there is too much doubt. If the scientist is not certain about many things, he will not gain any information from his uncertain feelings. Excessive doubt will make something become more complex and the scientist might become confused too. When the theory becomes complex, the experiment to falsify the theory will become more complicated. And without the suitable and appropriate apparatus, the scientist cannot make any progress from the theory that he felt uncertain. As for an example, the existence of aliens or the living creatures from other planets cannot be proven true or false until nowadays. The technology that we have nowadays still cannot find the truth about them. To conclude here, in Natural Science, too much doubt will become a hindrance in gaining knowledge. We have seen that how doubt works as the key to knowledge in History and Natural Science. We also have known in what conditions doubt becomes a hindrance in gaining the knowledge. Doubt is very important to bring the knowledge closer and closer to the truth. However, we must not doubt too much in both History and Natural Science. We might ignore the excessive doubt that we have and finally no new knowledge will be discovered. Therefore, we must have an equal level between doubts and confident before accepting and believing the truth. Hence, doubt can be considered as the main key in gaining knowledge.

Comparing The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin :: comparison compare contrast essays

Comparing "The Lottery by Shirley Jackson" and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin      Ã‚   The differences between "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. Le Guin seem relatively minor when compared to the striking similarities they contain in setting, symbols, and theme.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Each of the stories begin with a description of a beautiful summer day. "The flowers were blooming profusely and the grass was richly green"(para 1) in "The Lottery" is quite comparable to "old moss-grown gardens and under avenues of trees"(para 1) in "...Omelas."   These descriptions (along with several others) provide positive connotations and allow the reader to relax into what seems to be a comfortable setting in either story.   Both stories also contain a gathering of townspeople.   In "...Omelas there is music, dance, and special attire incorporated in the gathering, whereas in "The Lottery," the women show up "wearing faded house dresses and sweaters."   Although Le Guin's environment seems more festive, all the folks in both stories are coming together for what seems to be   enjoyable, even celebratory occasions.   However, I believe the major similarity lies in the fact that   these many pleasant details create a facade within each story.   The reader is then left ill-prepared when the shocking, brutally violent, ritualistic traditions are exposed.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Children are an important focus in both stories.   Jackson makes it easy for us to imagine their "boisterous play"(para 2), and Le Guin writes "their high calls rising like swallows' crossing flights over the music and the singing"(para1).   I see these children being used to symbolize perceived states of happiness in both stories.   I also believe they are vital necessities in each story because they are taught and expected to carry traditions into the future. For instance, in "The Lottery,"   "someone gave little Davy Hutchinson a few pebbles"(para 76),   he is then able to participate in the stoning of his own mother, and in "...Omelas," the tradition "is usually explained to children when they are between eight and twelve"(para 10), and of course, the victim in this tale is a child.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The fact that both authors include references to farming may be due to the association between farming and tradition.

Ap Human Geography Chapter 2 Study Guide

AP Human Geography Chapter 2 Study Guide Terms: population density – a measurement of the number of people per given unit of land  ·arithmetic population density – the population of a country or region expressed as an average per unit area  ·physiologic population density – the number of people per unit area of arable land  ·population distribution – description of locations on the Earth's surface where populations live  ·dot maps – maps where one dot represents a certain number of a phenomenon, such as population  ·megalopolis – term used to designate large coalescing supercities that are forming in diverse parts of the world  ·census – a periodic and official count of a country's population  ·doubling time – time required for a population do double population explosion – rapid growth of worlds human population during the last century  ·natural increase – population growth measured as excess of liv e births over live deaths  ·crude birth rate (CBR) – number of live births yearly per thousand people  ·crude death rate (CDR) – number of live deaths yearly per thousand people  ·demographic transition – multi stage model of changes in population growth in countries undergoing industrialization  ·stationary population level (SPL) – level at which national population ceases to grow  ·population composition – structure of a population in terms of age, sex, and other properties  ·population pyramids – visual representation of age and sex composition of a population  ·infant mortality rate (IMR) – describes the number of babies that die within the first year of their lives  ·child mortality rate (CMR) – number of children that die between the first and fifth year of their lives  ·life expectancy – how long, on average, a person may be expected to live  ·AIDS – Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome à ‚ ·chronic diseases – long lasting afflictions now more common because of higher life expectancies  ·expansive population policies – government policies that encourage large families  ·eugenic population policies – government policies to favor one racial sector  ·restrictive population olicies- government policies to reduce the rate of natural increase Notes  ·Change in population is calculated using the following: Global Population Formula – p1 = p0 + b(irths) – d(eaths) Sub-Global Population Formula – p1 = p0 + b – d + i(mports) – e(xports) Net Migration Formula – p1 – p0 + RNI + nm  ·Types of population density: arithmetic density, agricultural density, physiological density, urban density, residential density  ·Major World Population Centers – China, India, Russia, Central Europe, Asia, Northeast Africa, Northeast U. S.  ·Overpopulation – a generally undesirable condition where an o rganism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitatMalthus’s Theory, though incorrect, states population rate increases geometrically and the rate of food increase grows arithmetically.  ·Demographic Transition Model (http://www. main-vision. com/richard/demographic. htm) Stage 1: Stage one of the demographic transition model is the most primitive of the stages where there is a high fluctuating birth and death rate. Because of this there is no great population growth. These countries or even tribes have very basic living standards such as those in the Amazon rainforest where they hardly have any education, medicaments or birth rates such that population is based on food supply, health of tribe members etc.Other factors involved are no family planning therefore many children or because of the faith of the people which may look at large families as a sign of verility etc. Stage 2: In this stage of the demographic transition model there are a lot of births, however t he death rate has gone down to about 20/1000 infants who die. This results in a rise in population due to the fact that more infants are surviving. Reasons for which more people may be surviving may be better health care, improved sanitation such as water etc, more transport and medical care as well as inventions relating to this. In other words this stage involves a slight modernisation in health care raising people's living standards as well as there life expectancy.Stage 3: Stage three is the stage at which there is already a low death rate as well as a declining birth rate therefore leading to a slight increase in population. The reason for the fall in births may be due to family planning, better education, lower infant mortality rate, a more industrialised way of life and the want for more material possesions as well as women being able to go out to work. In other words these countries are in the final stages of becoming like the western countries such as the states and those i n Europe. Stage 4: Stage four is the one at which Switzerland is. There is a stable population whithout much change because both the death and birth rate are low and in some cases there are more deaths than births therefore leading to a possible stage five. Possibly a stage five? A country such as Sweden is currently entering into the negative growth rate meaning that there are less births than deaths so that the country's population size is decreasing leading to problems which will be discussed later on this page.  ·A population pyramid, also called an age structure diagram, is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a population (typically that of a country or region of the world), which forms the shape of a pyramid when the population is growing.  ·There is a predicted stage 5 of population growth that will level off at 10 billion people. The world’s population will progressively increase until it ultimately reaches this point.  ·Geography of health is the application of geographical information, perspectives, and methods to the study of health, disease, and health care. Epidemiological transition is a phase of development witnessed by a sudden and stark increase in population growth rates brought about by medical innovation in disease or sickness therapy and treatment, followed by a re-leveling of population growth from subsequent declines in fertility rates. The epidemiological transition model represents the developments resulting from epidemiological transition (disease and treatment).  ·The People's Republic of China has pursued anti-natalist policies, notably the ‘one-child’ strategy, for over a decade. While anti-natalist government policies may be instrumental in lowering birth rate, state coercion may have unexpected and damaging results; reports in 1995 suggested that abortion of female children had become common in China, so that male : female sex ratios at birth had become grotesq uely imbalanced.

Biography of Audrey Hepburn, Elegant Actress

Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929–Jan. 20, 1993) was an Academy-Award winning actress and a fashion icon in the 20th century. Having almost starved to death in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands during World War II, Hepburn became a goodwill ambassador for starving children. Considered one of the most beautiful and elegant women in the world then and now, Hepburns beauty shone through her doe eyes and contagious smile. A trained ballet dancer who never performed in a ballet, Hepburn was Hollywood’s most sought-after actress in the mid-20th century. Fast Facts: Audrey Hepburn Known For: Famous 20th-century actressAlso Known As: Audrey Kathleen Ruston, Edda van HeemstraBorn: May 4, 1929 in  Brussels, BelgiumParents: Baroness Ella van Heemstra, Joseph Victor Anthony RustonDied: Jan. 20,1993 in  Vaud, SwitzerlandNoted Films: Roman Holiday, Sabrina,  My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’sAwards and Honors: Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe for Best Actress (Roman Holiday, 1954), BAFTA (The Nuns Story, 1960), Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (1993), Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming (Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn, 1993)Spouse(s): Mel Ferrer (m.  1954–1968), Andrea Dotti (m.  1969–1982)Children: Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Luca DottiNotable Quote: The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. Early Years Hepburn was born the daughter of a British father and a Dutch mother in Brussels, Belgium, on May 4, 1929. When Hepburn was 6 years old, her father Joseph Victor Anthony Hepburn-Ruston, a heavy drinker, deserted the family. Hepburns mother Baroness Ella van Heemstra moved her two sons (Alexander and Ian from a previous marriage) and Hepburn from Brussels to her father’s mansion in Arnhem, Netherlands. The following year in 1936, Hepburn left the country and moved to England to attend a private boarding school in Kent, where she enjoyed dance classes taught by a London ballet master. In 1939, when Hepburn was 10, Germany invaded Poland, beginning World War II. When England declared war on Germany, the Baroness moved Hepburn back to Arnhem for safety. However, Germany soon invaded the Netherlands. Life Under Nazi Occupation Hepburn lived under Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1945, using the name Edda van Heemstra so as not to sound English. Still living a privileged life, Hepburn received ballet training from Winja Marova at the Arnhem School of Music, where she received praise for her posture, personality, and performance. Life was normal at first; kids went to football games, swim meets, and the movie theater. However, with half a million occupying German soldiers using up Dutch resources, fuel and food shortages were soon rampant. These scarcities caused the Netherlands child death rate to increase by 40 percent. In the winter of 1944, Hepburn, who had already been enduring very little to eat, and her family were evicted when Nazi officers seized the Van Heemstra mansion. With most of their wealth confiscated, the Baron (Hepburn’s grandfather), Hepburn, and her mother moved to the Baron’s villa in the town of Velp, three miles outside of Arnhem. The war affected Hepburn’s extended family as well. Her Uncle Otto was shot to death for attempting to blow up a railroad. Hepburn’s half-brother Ian was forced to work in a German munitions factory in Berlin. Hepburn’s half-brother Alexander joined the underground Dutch resistance. Working for the Dutch Resistance Hepburn also resisted Nazi occupation. When the Germans confiscated all the radios, Hepburn delivered secret underground newspapers, which she hid in her oversized boots. She continued ballet and gave recitals to make money for the resistance until she was too weak from malnutrition. Four days after Adolf Hitler ended his life by committing suicide on April 30, 1945, the liberation of the Netherlands took place—coincidentally on Hepburn’s 16th birthday. Hepburn’s half-brothers returned home. The United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration brought boxes of food, blankets, medicine, and clothes. Hepburn was suffering from colitis, jaundice, severe edema, anemia, endometriosis, asthma, and depression. With the war over, her family tried to resume a normal life. Hepburn no longer had to call herself Edda van Heemstra and went back to her name of Audrey Hepburn-Ruston. Hepburn and her mother worked at the Royal Military Invalids Home. Alexander (age 25) worked for the government in reconstruction projects while Ian (age 21) worked for Unilever, an Anglo-Dutch food and detergent company. Rise to Fame In 1945, Winja Marova referred Hepburn to Sonia Gaskell’s Ballet Studio ’45 in Amsterdam, where Hepburn studied ballet for three more years. Gaskell believed that Hepburn had something special; especially the way she used her doe eyes to captivate audiences. Gaskell introduced Hepburn to Marie Rambert of Ballet Rambert in London, a company performing night revues in London and international tours. Hepburn auditioned for Rambert and was accepted with scholarship in early 1948. By October, Rambert told Hepburn that she did not have the physique to become a prima ballerina because she was too tall (Hepburn was 5-foot-7). Plus, Hepburn didn’t compare to the other dancers since she had begun serious training too late in her life. Ups and Downs Devastated that her dream was over, Hepburn tried out for a part in the chorus line in High Button Shoes, a zany play at London’s Hippodrome. She got the part and performed 291 shows, using the name Audrey Hepburn. Afterward, Cecil Landeau, producer of the play Sauce Tartare (1949) had spotted Hepburn and cast her as the girl walking across the stage holding up the title card for each skit. With her impish smile and large eyes, she was cast at higher pay in the play’s sequel, Sauce Piquant (1950), in a few comedy skits. In 1950, Hepburn modeled part-time and registered herself as a freelance actress with the British film studio. She appeared in several bit parts in small movies before landing the role of a ballerina in The Secret People (1952), where she was able to show off her ballet talent. In 1951, the famed French writer Colette was on the set of Monte Carlo Baby (1953) and spotted Hepburn playing the small part of a spoiled actress in the movie. Colette cast Hepburn as Gigi in her musical comedy play Gigi, which opened on Nov. 24, 1951, on Broadway in New York at the Fulton Theater. Simultaneously, director William Wyler was looking for a European actress to play the lead role of a princess in his new movie, Roman Holiday, a romantic comedy. Executives in the Paramount London office had Hepburn do a screen test. Wyler was enchanted and Hepburn got the role. Gigi ran until May 31, 1952, earning Hepburn a Theatre World Award and plenty of recognition. Hepburn in Hollywood When Gigi ended, Hepburn flew to Rome to star in Roman Holiday (1953). The movie was a box-office success and Hepburn received the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1953 when she was 24 years old. Capitalizing on its newest star, Paramount cast her as the lead in Sabrina (1954), another romantic comedy, directed by Billy Wilder and in which Hepburn played a Cinderella type. It was the top box-office hit of the year and Hepburn was nominated for Best Actress again  but lost to Grace Kelly in The Country Girl. In 1954, Hepburn met and dated actor Mel Ferrer when they co-starred on Broadway in the hit play Ondine. When the play ended, Hepburn received the Tony Award and married Ferrer on September 25, 1954, in Switzerland.​ After a miscarriage, Hepburn fell into a deep depression. Ferrer suggested she return to work. Together they starred in the film War and Peace (1956), a romantic drama, with Hepburn getting top billing. While Hepburn’s career offered many successes, including another Best Actress nomination for her dramatic portrayal of Sister Luke in The Nun’s Story (1959), Ferrer’s career was on the decline. Hepburn discovered she was pregnant again in late 1958  but was on contract to star in a Western, The Unforgiven (1960), which began filming in January 1959. Later that same month during filming, she fell off a horse and broke her back. Although she recovered, Hepburn gave birth to a stillborn that spring. Her depression went deeper. Iconic Look Thankfully, Hepburn gave birth to a healthy son, Sean Hepburn-Ferrer, on January 17, 1960. Little Sean was always in tow and even accompanied his mother on the set of Breakfast at Tiffanys (1961). With fashions designed by Hubert de Givenchy, the film catapulted Hepburn as a fashion icon; she appeared on nearly every fashion magazine that year. The press took its toll, however, and the Ferrers bought La Paisible, an 18th-century farmhouse in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, to live in privacy. Hepburns successful career continued when she starred in The Children’s Hour (1961), Charade (1963), and then was cast in the universally acclaimed musical film, My Fair Lady (1964). After more successes, including the thriller Wait Until Dark (1967), the Ferrers separated. Two More Lovers In June 1968, Hepburn was cruising to Greece with friends aboard the yacht of Italy’s Princess Olympia Torlonia when she met Dr. Andrea Dotti, an Italian psychiatrist. That December, the Ferrers divorced after 14 years of marriage. Hepburn retained custody of Sean and married Dotti six weeks later. On February 8, 1970, at age 40, Hepburn gave birth to her second son, Luca Dotti. The Dottis lived in Rome, but while Ferrer had been nine years older than Hepburn, Dotti was nine years younger and still enjoyed the nightlife. In order to focus her attention on her family, Hepburn took a lengthy hiatus from Hollywood. Despite all her efforts, however, Dotti’s ongoing adultery caused Hepburn to seek a divorce in 1979 after nine years of marriage. In 1981 when Hepburn was 52, she met 46-year-old Robert Wolders, a Dutch-born investor and actor, who remained her companion for the rest of her life. Later Years Although Hepburn ventured back into a few more movies, in 1988 her main focus became helping with the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF). As a spokesperson for children in crises, she remembered the United Nations relief in Holland after WWII and threw herself into her work. She and Wolders traveled the world six months a year, bringing national attention to the needs of starving, sick children throughout the world. In 1992, Hepburn thought she had picked up a stomach virus in Somalia  but was soon diagnosed with colon cancer. After an unsuccessful surgery for colon cancer in November 1992, her doctors gave her three months to live. Death Hepburn, age 63, passed away on Jan. 20, 1993, at La Paisible. Her death was announced by UNICEF, the United Nations Childrens Fund, for which she had been a special ambassador since 1988. At a quiet funeral in Switzerland, pallbearers included Hubert de Givenchy and ex-husband Mel Ferrer. Legacy Though Hepburns film career was relatively brief, spanning mainly only the 1950s and 1960s, the American Film Institute named her among the greatest movie stars of all time. The AFI placed Hepburn in the third spot on its AFIs 100 Years...100 Stars  list of the 50 greatest screen legends, behind only Katharine Hepburn, at No. 1, and Betty Davis, at No. 2. (Katherine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn were not related.) Hepburn is still remembered for such films as Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffanys,  and to this day, she is still looked upon as a fashion icon for her style and elegance. Even decades after her death, Hepburn continues to be voted as one of the most beautiful women of all time on numerous polls. Sources â€Å"AFIs 100 Years...100 Stars.†Ã‚  American Film Institute.404â€Å"Audrey Hepburn.†Ã‚  Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 22 Jan. 2019â€Å"Audrey Hepburn.†Ã‚  IMDb, IMDb.com.Friedman, Vanessa. â€Å"Givenchy and Hepburn: The Original Brand Ambassadors.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 13 Mar. 2018.â€Å"The Most Beautiful Women Of All Time.†Ã‚  Esquire, Esquire, 26 Nov. 2018.James, Caryn. â€Å"Audrey Hepburn, Actress, Is Dead at 63.†Ã‚  The New York Times, 21 Jan. 1993.Riding, Alan. â€Å"25 Years Later, Honor for Audrey Hepburn.†Ã‚  The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Apr. 1991..Roman Holiday Filmsite.org.