text:
Kids who speak Mandarin, the primary language in China, may outperform kids who speak English in at least one aspect of musical ability — perceiving pitch. That's the finding of a new study.
Pitch refers to how high or low a sound's frequency is. In tonal languages, such as Mandarin, pitch is very important. These languages use different pitch patterns to give meaning to words. In Mandarin, a word like "ma," for instance, could mean "mother" or "horse." Knowing which will depend on how it was spoken. The English language uses vowels and consonants to change the meaning of a word. Switch the vowel in cat from "a" to "o," and it becomes cot. But changing the pitch of the word doesn't matter. (Even in English, pitch can play a role — just a different one. For instance, raising the pitch for the last word in a sentence signals that a question has just been asked.)
Sarah Creel led the new study. She works at the University of California, San Diego, where she studies how the brain perceives language and music. People who speak Mandarin may be better at detecting differences in pitch generally. "If you have to focus on pitch patterns a lot to understand what the people around you are saying, that may really hone your attention to pitch," explains Creel. "And that attention to pitch in language then transfers to another domain." One such domain: music.
Creel and her colleagues conducted an experiment with roughly100 kids between the ages of three and five. Half lived in China, the rest in the United States. The children listened to pairs of sounds. Then they reported whether the sounds in a pair had been the same or different. Some of the paired sounds were exactly alike. Others were slightly different. Some, for instance, had differences in how low or high a sound was. Other pairs had the same pitch but were played by different instruments.
Both groups did equally well at identifying pairs of sounds from different instruments. But Chinese kids were much better than the Americans at picking pairs of sounds having different pitches — almost 15 percentage points better. In a second trial, the researchers ran the test with threeto four-year-olds. Again, the Chinese children performed better at pitch perception, although not quite as well as the older children had.
Creel's team published its findings online January 16 in Developmental Science.
Scientists had previously linked speaking Mandarin and musical ability in adults. The new study is the first to do that in children.
"Showing the link in children suggests that it only takes a few years of experience with a tonal language to see effects," says Creel. The finding probably applies to other tonal languages too, she says. Cantonese (another Chinese language), Vietnamese and Thai are examples. Many languages in sub-Saharan Africa and Central America also are tonal.
The right side of the brain plays a crucial role in music. Languages, such as English and Mandarin, are mostly processed on the left side of the brain. But research has shown that Mandarin tends to activate parts of the right side of the brain that English doesn't.
It is not yet clear, however, whether the advantage in perceiving pitch actually makes Chinese kids better musicians, Creel notes.
Fan-Gang Zeng is a scientist at the University of California, Irvine. He studies how hearing works in the brain. Zeng says the study is "credible." But, he adds, the advantage the Chinese children showed "can be easily overcome by motivation, experience and training."
So if you want to spruce up your piano skills, maybe you should practice your piano lessons more, not head out to learn Chinese.
(for more about Power Words, click here)
Cantonese Also known as Yue, this is one of the five major languages of China, now spoken by some 100 million people. The name comes from Canton. That's the name that English colonists gave to Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province. This language has existed in some form for roughly 2,000 years.
colleague Someone who works with another; a co-worker or team member.
credible (n. credibility) An adjective meaning believable or convincing
domain An area or territory ruled by a political power; an area of knowledge or influence. (in math) The values that go into a function.
frequency The number of times a specified periodic phenomenon occurs within a specified time interval.
Mandarin (in linguistics) Versions, or dialects, of Chinese, which are spoken in about four fifths of China. In all, an estimated 1.3 billion people inside and outside China speak this language. Also known as pǔtōnghuà, it has been around for roughly 900 years. It takes its name from a Portuguese word and initially referred to an important Chinese official. This has been one of the most common languages in China since the 14th century.
pitch (in acoustics) The word musicians use for sound frequency. It describes how high or low a sound is, which will be determined by the vibrations that created that sound.
tonal language (in linguistics) A language, such as several spoken in China, that uses differences in tone to distinguish the meaning of words that would otherwise sound similar.
tone Changes in a voice that express a particular feeling or mood.


text:
What is the exact speed a particle can be accelerated?
We usually express the particle velocity as a fraction of the velocity of light. The formula is:
v/c = Sqrt(E^2-m^2*c^4)/E.
where E is the particle energy in GeV and m is the particle mass. Particles with 0 mass always travel at the speed of light regardless of their energy. The only particle that we know to be massless is the photon, the basic unit (particle) of light. Neutrinos have a very small mass, but may not be massless. The neutrino mass is a subject of intense research at Fermilab and other laboratories.
In high energy accelerators, particles travel at nearly the speed of light, but they never exceed the speed of light. For example, the Tevatron accelerates both protons and antiprotons to 980 GeV. The mass of the proton and antiproton are the same and equal to 0.93827 GeV/c^2.
>From the formula quoted above, you can calculate that the speed of
particles in the Tevatron is equal to 99.999954% of the speed of light.
|last modified 9/21/2000 _EMAIL_|

source: HuggingFaceFW/fineweb-edu


July 21, 2015
Why I Demand Character Generation Be Done at the Table
The usual reason is to watch die rolls for stats, but that is not why I want the players to roll up their characters in front of me. I do so for a few other reasons.
Why are the players making the character? First is that I want to see the choices the players are making and am looking for some insight into why. Recently one of my players made "the healer" for the party. However, as he was discussing it with the other players, he made mention of some interesting things. He wants to "cure everyone" even if that includes necromancy as a way to "raise someone". He wants to be the party healer but in a twisted version. If he had just brought a completed character to the first game, I wouldn't know the background concepts he has in mind. Sure, he might have mentioned such things to me, but they would have been bullet points on his character sheet and I wouldn't have the same insight into the concepts he is exploring. I know more about what the players are thinking.
Likewise, I can see the general style of play each players is looking for. If someone is taking lots of negotiation skills I can see they want a game with more role-play. If they are combat heavy then I want to make sure to throw them in. This goes beyond just abilities. As players are making their characters they often talk about "how cool this ability will be" or "I can't wait to use this ability". A character sheet can give some idea of what a player wants to see, but not as complete a picture as found during character generation.
Get to know the characters. Similar to the above, being there when the characters are created gives me knowledge of the character themselves. What flaws did they take, what areas did they specialize in, what skills does each have. When I am running a game I try to allow the players and their characters to shine. Often this means playing to a character's strengths. The best way to get to know their strengths is to be there while they are being created. Sure, I can take a look at a character sheet after it is made but the impact will not be as strong. being there for character generation means I know the characters better.
Party unity. When the players are all together making characters they tend to collaborate. They discuss who is going to be the healer, who is going to cover the wilderness skills, the thief skills, the magic knowledge skills. They find their place in the party before the campaign even starts. Even if they went in planning to make a lone wolf character, they end finding themselves part of a team. This can start at character generation.
Excitement. There is a general excitement when a new campaign is about to start. As a DM I have all kinds of cool ideas for the campaign (okay, maybe just cool to me). Everyone is wondering where things will go, what their characters will face. It is the ultimate in playing with the unknown. There is a buzz in the air. As a DM I like that buzz, that excitement. I can feed off of that. And basically, I enjoy it.
So for me, there is more to character generation than keeping the dice honest.
July 14, 2015
Why 5E is the Last Edition of D&D
July 7, 2015
5E Traps - Samples and A Better Design
I am not happy with the layouts of WotC's traps. Basically there is none. They jumble the information about a trap into a couple of paragraphs that a DM has to sift through to get the relevant info. I prefer something I can easily look at and immediately find what I need.
I've been writing an adventure for my group that is laden with traps (it is a kobold lair). I came up with another layout/design for traps that work better for me and maybe better for other people. Here are the traps so you can see the layout and if you are looking for some more traps to use...
Tar Trap
See Trap: DC14 Wisdom (Perception). "The floor feels weakened here."
Disable Trap: DC15 Wisdom (Perception) to move across the trapped area without setting off the trap. Roll with advantage if the person watches someone else cross safely. "There are parts of the floor that are still safe. The trick is to figure out where exactly that is."
Activates: When someone moves near the center of the trap area. "The floor gives way."
Set Off Trap: Anyone in the trap area is Restrained. A person may take an action to make a DC 12 Strength Save to end the Restrained condition and move out of the trap area. "You fall all of 3 inches. However, those three inches are covered in an odorless tar and your feet are stuck."
Leech Pit
See Trap: DC12 Wisdom (Perception). "There is something wrong with the floor up ahead. In fact, you swear you can make out where a corner of the floor is lifted up."
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. "The floor is in fact nothing but a loose cover for a pit. You think you can make it so it will not collapse when walked on."
Activates: When a person moves to the halfway point. "The floor falls out from under your feet revealing a pit beneath you."
Set Off Trap: Everyone in the area of the trap must make a DC12 Dexterity Save. Failure means the person takes 1d6 falling damage and is now in a 10' deep pit. In addition, the pit is filled with leeches. Each round the person takes 1d4 damage from the many leeches on them. Once out of the pit they can spend an action to remove the leeches. "You fall to the bottom of the pit which is covered in rotten meat, a couple of carcasses and hundreds of leeches. The leeches quickly latch onto you."
Stinkbomb Trap
See Trap: DC18 Wisdom (Perception). "There is a tripwire low to the floor. There is something odd about the ceiling."
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. "Any movement of the tripwire will set off the trap. A wedge needs to be placed where the wire enters the walls so when the wire is cut they will not release tension."
Activates: When a person moves to the end of the trap and trips the wire. "You feel the pull of a tripwire."
Set Off Trap: Everyone in the trap area must make a DC12 Dexterity Save. Those that fail are covered in a liquid that gives off a strong musky smell. At the same time the giant weasels from location 6 move to the smell and attack, focusing their attacks on those covered in the scent. "Parts of the ceiling collapse revealing bags that fall to the ground and burst. The bags were filled with a liquid that now covers you. The liquid seems to be water and does not harm you other than leaving a bad smell."
Collapsing Ladder Trap
See Trap: DC14 Wisdom (Perception). "The ladder looks shoddy and not safe."
Disable Trap: None, ladder is fake and cannot be used as a ladder. "The ladder is designed to collapse. It is best left alone."
Activates: When a person climbs up the ladder and is near the top. "The next rung suddenly gives way as the ladder itself falls apart."
Set Off Trap: Entire ladder collapses and the climber takes 2d6 falling damage. "The entire ladder comes off the wall in pieces. You plummet to the floor."
Deadfall Trap
See Trap: DC12 Wisdom (Perception). "The ceiling looks loose. There is a string stretched across the tunnel."
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. "Cutting the string will release the tension and disable the trap, but be careful as tugging on the string will activate it."
Activates: When a person moves into the end of the tunnel without seeing the trap. "Your foot pulls on a tripwire near the floor."
Set Off Trap: 1d10 damage to everyone within 10' of the end of the tunnel; DC15 Dexterity Save for half damage; makes a loud noise alerting location 4. "The roof comes cascading down with a loud series of crashes."
Pit Trap
See Trap: DC12 Wisdom (Perception). "The floor ahead looks unsafe."
Disable Trap: DC15 Dexterity. "By wedging a small item into the seam where the pit and regular floor meet it should be safe to walk over one at a time."
Activates: Move to the end of the northern end of the trap. "The floor tilts downward and then collapses."
Set Off Trap: Everyone in the trap's area must make a DC12 Dexterity Save. Those that fail take 1d6 falling damage and are now in a 10' deep pit. "You fall into a 10' deep pit."


text:
By Health Day
But what happens to those banged up players years later?
New research suggests that some NFL players may be at increased risk for depression.
Researchers recruited 34 retired NFL athletes with a history of concussion and 29 people from the general population with no history of the traumatic brain injury.
All were examined to assess their thinking skills, mood and to look for physical signs of depression.
The results: the NFL players had more symptoms of depression related to all 3 factors and the number of concussions suffered was directly related to the severity. Researchers say this suggests that athletes who suffer concussions during their playing days may be at a higher risk for developing the illness.
Depression is a common affliction, with up to 1 in 10 Americans having some form of depression each year. If you are concerned about your or a loved one's mental health, let your doctor know. Help is available.
I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV with the news that can help keep your family healthy.
KHASTV on Facebook


10 Genius Decorations Inspired by Train or Train Track
Toy trains and tracks are really fun. When I was a child, my biggest dream was to have a toy train set I would always enjoy playing with them. Most children love toy trains, but they are not only for playing, there are a lot of brilliant DIY home decorations and garden projects inspired by train set. If you are a train lover and want to make something unusual for your kid's room or decorating projects, then you are on the right place to be.
1. Make train tracks out of pool noodles, its sprinklers will let your kids love to play outside in the sun.
Source: play-trains.com
2. Train bed is perfect for a boy's room:
Above project tutorial ====> instructables.com Bottom project tutorial ====> instructables.com
3. Dining table made of wood tiles with railroad tracks for food trains:
Source: dailymail.co.uk
4. Make a train track along front yard walkway. You don't need much more stuff to build it, just tape with electrical tape and voila:
Above Image Source: ladyslittleloves.com Bottom Image Source: nstardiebirthdayparties.blogspot.com
5. Simply use several packs of aluminum loaf pans and a roll of electrical tape to make a snack train:
Above Image Source: pinterly.com Bottom Image Source: facebook.com
6. Set the wooden railway together with chalkboard to the wall for your daily MEMO:
Source: behangfabriek.com
7. Made from old wine barrels to small logs, these DIY train planters will improve the look of your garden:
Source Unknown.
Or you can build a garden bed like a train:
Source Unknown.
8. Suspended train track. Is it a cool way to decorate a bedroom or a playroom ceiling:
Source: designdazzle.com
9. DIY wall train track is perfect for a train themed playroom:
Get tutorial for above project from here ====> babymakingmachine.com
10. Create a wooden rail track and mini houses in your garden to give hours of fun to your kids:
Source: _URL_ Puzzles Connection


Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Does Grape Juice Offend You?
I am on the verge of doing some hardcore studying regarding the ethics of alcohol in the Christian life, and the Bible's teaching on whether alcohol is alright. This will probably manifest itself in the form of (hopefully) in-depth blog-posts here at Bring the Books. What I wanted to do today was comment on what I believe is an extremely potent argument that Christians are permitted to drink alcoholic wine. As iron sharpens iron, perhaps some input could help me to understand if I should be as confident about the clarity and strength of this verse as I am. Let me try this Aquinas-style.
Assertion: The Bible always condemns the consumption of alcohol. When it does seem to make a positive reference regarding alcohol, it is actually referencing a non-alcoholic drink such as grape juice.
On the Contrary: As the apostle says in Romans 14:21, "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." The context of this verse is that Paul is talking about Christian freedom. Earlier, in verse 14, Paul sets forth that "there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." The context is that Paul says that love for our brethren is more important than the exercise of our freedom and liberties. The crucial factor I want to examine is the curious inclusion of drinking wine along with eating meat in verse 21. If the prohibitionist perspective is accurate, and alcohol is always wrong (except, as some allow, for medicinal purposes), what is to be thought of Paul's statement that we should not drink wine if it offends or causes to stumble?
The traditional response is to say that this reference to wine here is to the "best wine," or the freshest off of the vine - unfermented wine (aka grapejuice). However, pretty serious contextual problems arise if we understand Paul as here referring to unfermented wine; most notably the fact that grape juice does not offend anyone. I repeat: there is nobody on the face of the planet who becomes offended by seeing someone drink grape juice. My 2 year old drinks grape juice, I drink grape juice, even prohibitionists drink grape juice. It is literally an unoffendable substance. It is more controversial to drink bottled water in some circles than it is to drink grape juice.
Let me counter by suggesting that in the context of Paul's day, it makes a lot more sense to understand him as referring to real alcohol and meat as two examples of things which are permissible and yet offensive to some.
Let me only add as a postscript that there may be some who say that since alcohol offends so many Christians, (regardless whether it is okay in and of itself) then everyone should abstain completely. Paul, however, does not feel this way, according to verse 22: "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God." We are to enjoy the liberty of conscience while at the same time publicly abstaining from them because there are well-meaning teetotaler's out there. You're welcome, teetotalers.
Next time: "How To Drink Like a Christian"
 1. You should check out the books, "God Gave Wine" which is a Biblical argument for alcohol consumption. As well as "Drinking with Calvin and Luther" which is more of the history of alcohol in the Protestant church. Both great reads from Oakdown Books.
 2. Funny you should mention God Gave Wine by Kenneth Gentry, because one of the elders in my church is going to lend that book to me when I see him on Sunday. I'm very excited.
 3. Adam,
 Good post.
 Have you done any archaeological study in this area? i.e. is there anything that points to the fact that wine would have had alcohol in it?
 4. Gentry's work is good, if overly detailed. He does bury the opposition, but most baptists won't read page after page of exegesis and quotes from the original.
 Drinking with Calvin and Luther is much superior, except at the end where they are comparing beers and they start bashing Corona. That was uncalled for.
 5. The real problem with most modern approaches is the "we now know" approach to determining what we should or should not do. I remember watching the national meeting of the SBC when they discussed requiring preachers to abstain from alcohol. All those against the overture used biblical arguments (no direct prohibition, we shouldn't have a rule that would prohibit Paul or Tim, not to mention Jesus, from becoming an SBC preacher, etc.). All those for the overture, almost to a man, began with "we all know how dangerous alcohol can be," or "my father was an alcoholic and it ruined my family," etc. The focus of their arguments was not what we can uncover from Scripture, but what "we now know." I have yet to hear an exegetical argument that would mean anything other than situational abstinence. I look forward to reading more.
 6. I would say that grape juice offends me at the communion rail, but I am shy about the "whining" lingo of "being offended" in the first place. Way too many people are "offended" anymore to the point of it being rendered a useless phrase.
 I tolerate grape juice at the rail (even as I choke down offensive glutton-free wafers); I just wish the teetotalers would show as much tolerance at the bar, as it were.
 God has ordained strong drink to sign, seal and nourish our faith and I tolerate its being effeminized. Funny how soft legalists think it "sq-welches" our faith and force an adolsecent spirituality onto a mature piety.
 7. Can't any of these boozey, self-indulgent little bohemians--"heroes of many a well-fought bottle"--get off their lazy rear-ends and do some real research upon this issue? The strawman that you hoisters of Luther's beer stein content yourself with is the shallow little conceit that if the Scriptures aren't talking about unfermented grape juice EVERY time that "wine" is mentioned, than it must ALWAYS be speaking of a high-alcoholic-content wine--the ONLY "reasonable" alternative... I guess it wouldn't occur to you "liberated" (or should I say, "libertine")Slayers of the Dragon of "Legalism" to do some actual studies in cultural context with regard to the manner of the ancients, and come to grips with the fact that the commonly ingested Biblical Era fermented wine was USUALLY heavily watered-down so that people could safely drink a sizable amount of it in order to satisfy their daily thirst and need for fluid intake in a safe, hygenic manner--as opposed to drinking undiluted, high-alcohol content wines for purely "entertainment value," like a bunch of "cool" (i.e., immature) modern Millennial Christians. Please note, for example, the historical testimony of the apocryphal 2 Macc. 15:39; it isn't Scripture, of course, but DOES function as an important historical testimony to contemporary, Biblical Era practices. And WHAT, precisely, was Timothy advised to drink in 1 Tim. 5:23--and WHY? Full strength wine? I think not. And WHY had he obviously been ABSTAINING, in the FIRST PLACE? Or are those inconvenient questions? Here's yet another: Do you really think that they were serving unsafely undiluted fermented wines to little kids in those days(Lam. 2:12)? Notice how your entire argument hinges upon ignoring the basic fact that Biblical wine SOMETIMES means a full-strength, potentially intoxicating substance (i.e.,a reputation-destroying, addictive drug and a poison, utterly forbidden to the People of God--unless they're dying, or something!--Prov. 31:6), and it SOMETIMES also refers to the common, standard, watered-down hooch that most people drank for life and for health (again, as opposed to drinking for "entertainment" value, like so many modern "oh-so-cool," boundary-pushing Christians). Those are the facts, friends: my advice is to grow-up and accept them. It's really sad to see so many guys this day-and-age who call themselves "Disciples" of the Incarnate Christ seek to establish their Christian Identity in the absurd self-indulgence of alcohol. Aren't there any higher causes out there for young men in Christ to dedicate the best of their vital strength unto? Of all the Neo-evanjellyfish hobby-horses out there, this "I've got the freedom in Christ to drink" is surely the stupidest! What ever happened to surrendering your pathetic little "RIGHTS" and adopting the Mindset of Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:7-8)--our Great Deacon who came not to be served, but to serve? It would appear to me that too many of our borthers are (literally, and with pun intended) "being served." NO ONE, incidentally, has the "Christian Liberty" to SIN.
 8. Doctor T, please see our comments policy.
 Please give us a real name, or we will delete your comment.
Before posting please read our Comment Policy here.
Think hard about this: the world is watching!


text:
last changed in 2002
The Best-Fit Principle is the greatest mystery of linguistics, and maybe of all cognitive science. It is the core of pragmatics, the set of processes by which we apply our knowledge (including grammar) to particular cases. It says that if we want to understand a particular piece of experience E, we look in our knowledge for the stored concept which best fits E, and assume that E isa this concept. Having made this initial link we can then apply default inheritance and guess vast amounts of information, so the link is vital to the whole of our understanding.
In relation to spoken language, we hear a sound and decide it is an example of /b/, or we hear a more complex pattern of sounds and decide it was an example of the word breakfast; but how do we do it? It can't be that we take our input experience and look through our knowledge for an exact match, because our experiences are often distorted in one way or another - e.g. you can recognise an example of breakfast even if the speaker is drunk, has a cold, etc. So we must be looking for the best match, given everything else we know about the input - e.g. what the speaker is likely to be talking about. But does that mean that we must consider all possible interpretations in order to pick the best? That can't be so; but if we don't do that, what do we do - and how do we do it so quickly? (For discussion see Hudson 1990 pp. 45-52.)
The most likely solution to the problem is spreading activation: the best fit is with the most active concept - the one that receives most activation from the input experience.
This is an article from the Encyclopedia of Word Grammar and English grammar. If you refer to it, please give the url as "_URL_


text:
Background: Although the extant literature on patient safety is rich, few studies have specifically examined safety from the patient perspective. In addition, little is known about how patients decide whether they are safe or satisfied with their care. From a foundation of attribution theory, we suggest that patients may interpret service quality lapses as risks to their safety, and this will influence their evaluations of their care.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among service quality, patient safety perceptions, and patient satisfaction by testing a model that hypothesized a mediating role for patient safety perceptions.
Methodology: Acute care patients with recent inpatient visits at three hospitals were surveyed (Hospital 1, n = 486; Hospital 2, n = 279; Hospital 3, n = 231) to examine the relationships among service quality, safety, and satisfaction.
Findings: Analysis found that patient safety perceptions partially mediated the relationship between service quality and satisfaction in Hospital 1 and fully mediated the relationship in the Hospitals 2 and 3. Thus, patient safety perceptions explained the relationship between service quality and satisfaction. Consistent with previous research, patients who reported service quality problems perceived risks to their safety.
Practice Implications: Although practitioners focus heavily on the technical aspects of care, this study suggests that it would be worthwhile to pay closer attention to how patients evaluate processes of care, in particular, the processes they may use to infer their safety in the hospital.

source: openbmb/Ultra-FineWeb


text:
- What kind of slaves did the Romans have?
- How did the Roman slaves live?
- How many slaves did Britain have?
- Were there any black Roman soldiers?
- How many slaves did the Romans take from Britain?
- Did Roman slaves get education?
- Was there slavery in Canada?
- What is the history of slavery in the world?
- Could Freedmen vote in ancient Rome?
- What race are Romans?
- When did Roman slavery stop?
- Who built the roads in ancient Rome?
- Where did Roman slaves sleep?
- What did Roman slaves eat for breakfast?
- What did the slaves eat?
- Could Roman soldiers get married?
- What percent of the Roman Empire were slaves?
- How did Roman Empire fall?
What kind of slaves did the Romans have?
Most slaves during the Roman Empire were foreigners and, unlike in modern times, Roman slavery was not based on race.
Slaves in Rome might include prisoners of war, sailors captured and sold by pirates, or slaves bought outside Roman territory..
How did the Roman slaves live?
The ancient Roman slaves who had the hardest lives were those who were put to work in the mines. They had to spend long hours underground in hot, cramped conditions. The mines were also unsafe and often slaves were killed in accidents.
How many slaves did Britain have?
Britain was the most dominant between 1640 and 1807 when the British slave trade was abolished. It is estimated that Britain transported 3.1 million Africans (of whom 2.7 million arrived) to the British colonies in the Caribbean, North and South America and to other countries.
Were there any black Roman soldiers?
Many years ago, there was an African Roman Emperor, Septimius Severus, who ruled large parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. When he came to Hadrian's Wall in 208AD, there were black soldiers already stationed there, they had travelled right across the Empire.
How many slaves did the Romans take from Britain?
A wealthy Roman might have between 400 and 500 slaves. What was life like for a slave? Life was very hard for many slaves. In Roman law they were seen as property of their master.
Did Roman slaves get education?
The large number of educated slaves in Roman society received their training in ways varying from self-education to instruction in formally organized schools within the larger households, which were called paedagogia.
Was there slavery in Canada?
The historian Marcel Trudel catalogued the existence of about 4,200 slaves in Canada between 1671 and 1834, the year slavery was abolished in the British Empire. About two-thirds of these were Native and one-third were Blacks. The use of slaves varied a great deal throughout the course of this period.
What is the history of slavery in the world?
Slavery occurred in civilizations as old as Sumer, as well as in almost every other ancient civilization, including ancient Egypt, ancient China, the Akkadian Empire, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, ancient Greece, ancient India, the Roman Empire, the Arab Islamic Caliphate and Sultanate, Nubia and the pre-Columbian …
Could Freedmen vote in ancient Rome?
Ancient Rome After manumission, a slave who had belonged to a Roman citizen enjoyed not only passive freedom from ownership, but active political freedom (libertas), including the right to vote. … Any future children of a freedman would be born free, with full rights of citizenship.
What race are Romans?
The Romans (Latin: Rōmānī, Classical Greek: Rhōmaîoi) were a cultural group, variously referred to as an ethnicity or a nationality, that in classical antiquity, from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD, came to rule large parts of Europe, the Near East and North Africa through conquests made during the Roman …
When did Roman slavery stop?
role in Roman society. While slavery never completely disappeared from ancient Roman society, its position in the Roman economy shifted at the beginning of the period called Late Antiquity (14 CE–500 CE). At this time, the slave system of the Roman world adjusted to a new category of labor.
Who built the roads in ancient Rome?
censor Appius Claudius CaecusThe first of the great Roman roads, the Via Appia (Appian Way), begun by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus in 312 bce, originally ran southeast from Rome 162 miles (261 km) to Tarentum (now Taranto) and was later extended to the Adriatic coast at Brundisium (now Brindisi).
Where did Roman slaves sleep?
Kitchen slaves probably slept where they worked, as did stable slaves. Porters would have bedded down in the small cubicles they used to guard the household entrance. Personal servant would have slept in the rooms of their master's or across their thresholds.
What did Roman slaves eat for breakfast?
Typically, the Romans ate three meals a day. The Romans ate a breakfast of bread or a wheat pancake eaten with dates and honey. At midday they ate a light meal of fish, cold meat, bread and vegetables. Often the meal consisted of the leftovers of the previous day's cena.
What did the slaves eat?
Maize, rice, peanuts, yams and dried beans were found as important staples of slaves on some plantations in West Africa before and after European contact. Keeping the traditional "stew" cooking could have been a form of subtle resistance to the owner's control.
Could Roman soldiers get married?
Roman soldiers were not allowed to get married. That changed depending on rank, but the rank and file were not legally allowed to get married – so there weren't any wives at home that had to get that painful letter (for the standard legionaries).
What percent of the Roman Empire were slaves?
20% and 30%A fairly large percentage of the people living in Rome and Italy were slaves. Historians aren't sure of an exact percentage but somewhere between 20% and 30% of the people were slaves. During the early parts of the Roman Empire, as many as one third of the people in Rome were slaves.
How did Roman Empire fall?
1. Invasions by Barbarian tribes. The most straightforward theory for Western Rome's collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s "barbarian" groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire's borders.


How To Read a Load Chart
Each crane has a load chart that, in short, specifies the crane's capabilities — detailing its features and how its lift capacity varies when considering distance and angle. Just like the old saying if you fail to plan, you plan to fail,' failing to consult a crane load chart before renting or employing a crane for a specific job could leave you with too much or too little capacity for your job.
Before a crane is rented, transported, employed or purchased, the crane chart must be consulted. Everyone, from the crane operator, to the job supervisors, to even the sales guys have to know how to read a crane chart. Here's how.
To illustrate how to read a crane chart, we've chosen the chart for the Terex RT345XL, a rough terrain crane with a maximum lift capacity of 45 tons.
1. DIMENSIONS and WEIGHT — The chart shows the crane dimensions. It includes data for operation with the outriggers extended, transport weight, and steering dimensions. Knowledge of this information is especially critical if the crane will be working in a confined space, as the lifting capacity varies depending on whether the outriggers are extended. The transport weight (below) determines the trailer to be used, how to load the crane on the trailer, the route to take, and what permits are required to get it to the jobsite.
Along the top axis, the first number is the gross vehicle weight. In the other two columns, the arrows indicate the weight load for each axle depending on what additional accessories are loaded.
2. LIFT CAPACITY — This is where the magic happens. In the legend at the top of the chart, you can see these ratings apply when using 6.5 tons of counterweight, with the outriggers extended to 22 x 22.3 feet. Here, you'd graph out the specific lift the crane is needed for. The ft.' indicator on the left axis represents the radius, the distance from the center pin to the center of the load.
EXAMPLE: You need to lift a load of 15 tons (30,000 pounds) a distance of 25 feet. The distance is measured from the center pin of the crane to the center of the load. Once you determine the distance, look on that line for the largest capacity; that will indicate how many feet of boom must be extended. In this case, it is 45 feet.
It's important to note that the maximum capacity is always measured by the shortest lift, usually over the rear of the crane, and with the outriggers fully extended. While the Terex RT345 has a maximum capacity of 45 tons, lifts at any distance or height drops the maximum capacity dramatically.
3. LIFT RANGE — Just as important as lift capacity is lift range. For that, a range diagram is usually included in every chart which illustrates how much boom length is needed to pick up and lift a load both at a distance and at height.
EXAMPLE: You need to pick up a load at 25 feet and lift it to the top of a five-story, 65-foot building. Consulting the range diagram, 69 feet of boom is required to make the lift.
4. LIFT ANGLE — This chart illustrates the maximum lift if a luffing or fixed jib is used. Lifts with jib lengths of 32 and 49 feet (in addition to boom extension of 105 feet) are illustrated. With higher angles of lift, the maximum load capacity decreases. With a luffing jib, the angle can be automatically adjusted from the operators cab. With a fixed jib, of course, the angle is fixed.
5. CRANE IN MOTION — This illustrates the lift capacity for a pick and carry. Here, the chart illustrates the total weight able to be picked up at a 360-degree angle while stationary on wheels, the total weight being able to be supported both while slowly rolling with the load at a zero degree angle (creep), and the total weight able to be supported while moving at 2.5 miles per hour. The column to the left again indicates the radius of the lift, the one to the far right, the maximum boom length each weight can be carried at.


Pancreas Disease - Can you recognise this sleeping monster?
The Fish Site
by The Fish Site
6 June 2006, at 1:00am
By Intervet - Pancreas disease (PD) of Atlantic salmon was first recognised in Scotland, followed by Ireland and then Norway. This short series of Agenda articles will cover; 1. A description of PD (Agenda No. 5), 2. The diagnosis of PD (Agenda No. 6) and 3. Control strategies (Agenda No. 8).
PD is caused by an alphavirus known as salmon pancreas disease virus (SPDV). While there are some molecular differences between isolates from Norway and the Irish and Scottish PD virus, the variation in the manifestation and impact of SPDV infection on individual sites is more related to fish and environmental factors than these viral differences.
In Norway, PD is an important economic disease of Atlantic salmon particularly around the Bergen area. It has also recently been described in sea-reared rainbow trout. It can cause signifi cant losses due to morbidity, mortality, reduced production and downgrading. While the name suggests that the primary organ damaged is the pancreas, severe cardiac and skeletal myopathies are also key features of this disease. One form of chronic PD has also been known as sudden death syndrome (SDS), due to deaths in well conditioned feeding fish.
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L) is considered to be the most susceptible host but published experimental challenges have shown that brown trout (Salmo trutta) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are also susceptible; however, the lesion profile is considerably less severe in these latter species. However, in in-house experimental challenge studies, we found that rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon had equally severe lesions Due to the difficulty of isolating SPDV from natural outbreaks of PD and the widespread distribution of Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis virus (IPNV), which can mask the SPDV and the disease in farmed salmon, PD has been significantly under diagnosed in the fi eld. Other conditions such as cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) and heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) have also complicated the diagnosis of PD.
All stages of marine-reared Atlantic salmon are susceptible, including S0 and S1 smolts and growers. There is strong evidence of a high level of acquired life-long immunity to PD, as once a population has been infected, new PD outbreaks do not occur. But primary outbreaks of PD can take several months to resolve depending on the age of fish infected and the water temperature.
The pattern and outcome of PD outbreaks has become less predictable with disease occurring during all months of the year and in all sizes of fi sh in Ireland, Scotland and Norway. When PD occurs at winter temperatures, it is very insidious in nature, takes a long time to spread throughout a cage and site, and has a prolonged recovery phase. From a production point of view, winter PD is potentially much more damaging than a PD outbreak shortly after transfer, as, while mortalities may be less, there is a significant loss of growth over a prolonged period.
An epidemiological survey undertaken in Ireland on 2002-2003 farmed salmon stocks revealed that 15 of 21 sites (71%) had experienced PD with mortality reaching 40% in some cages. The prevalence and severity of PD outbreaks in Norway have steadily increased since the mid 1990s where, in severe cases (e.g., 97 G S0 with 9 % and S0 98G with 20% losses), considerable losses were recorded. Transmission appears to be primarily due to direct fi sh to fi sh contact, but the involvement of other marine reservoirs, such as molluscs, crustaceans and wild fish, or vectors such as sea lice and even vertical transmission, cannot be ruled out.
The clinical signs of acute infection with SPDV can be difficult to detect, especially in winter conditions. Classically there is a sudden drop in feed intake, in some cases preceded by voracious feeding. A variable proportion of fi sh become lethargic and can be seen swimming around the edges and corners of the net pen. Some moribund fi sh may be seen hanging from the sides of the nets by their jaws. There may be a small increase in mortalities at this viraemic stage, but the most signifi cant mortalities usually occur 3-6 weeks after the acute phase disease at temperatures of 12-14°C or there may be a more prolonged chronic mortality phase.
An increase in white to yellow cast-like faeces is often associated with PD and these are frequently observed on nets. Other clinical manifestations include sudden death in large fish, which have feed in their gastrointestinal tract, fi sh lying motionless on the bottom of the pen, unusual swimming behaviour (including circling and spiral swimming) and spitting out feed pellets. A variable percentage of fi sh become runts. Sub-clinical infections where the population is infected with SPDV but with no evidence of clinical or signifi cant histological lesions may also occur.
In post-mortem examination of acute phase PD fish, which is rarely detected, there will be no food in the gut, white or yellow casts in the gut and, occasionally, petechial haemorrhages over the surface of the pyloric caecae. In chronic phase PD, there will be a significant lack of abdominal body fat and poor condition factors in severely affected fish. Large good-conditioned fish with feed in their gut may show no gross lesions but rupture of the heart is occasionally observed (SDS). Histological, serological, and virological examination can confirm the diagnosis (see Agenda No. 6).
Source: Intervet - April 2006


Take the 2-minute tour ×
I've noticed that often authors will comment that "descent theory" shows that some sheaf in the étale topology is actually a scheme. I was wondering what result in descent theory actually implies this(a statement and reference for the result is what is requested in case an actual explanation would take too long). I understand how descent theory is what allows one to define and construct stacks, but I've never seen a result which says something to this effect (for example, I haven't seen it in Vistoli's stack notes in FGA explained) and it seems to be used often in verifying that something is a DM stack.
For example, Edidin states in the proof of Prop. 2.2 of his notes on $M_g$ that "$\underline{\mathrm{Iso}}_B(e,e')$ is the étale sheaf which is the quotient of $(X\times_{X\times X} E\times_B E')$ by the free group action of $G$. Moreover, descent theory shows that this sheaf is in fact a scheme."
In the proof of Theorem 3.2 there, he similarly writes, "Descent theory says that in this case a quotient $C=C_E/PGL(N+1)$ also exists as a scheme."
One finds similar statements in the other standard papers about DM stacks. I was wondering what results in "descent theory" they are referring to.
share|improve this question
Minor note for HNuer and Chris Gerig: If by some chance it is difficult for you to type "é" using your keyboard, you could look up "etale topology" on Wikipedia (or your favorite search engine), and copy-paste from there. – S. Carnahan Nov 21 '12 at 5:16
You may want to look again in the last chapter of Vistoli's notes. He describes a few situations where descent is effective on schemes, and an example where it is not. Usually, the examples in the literature fall into one of the good situations, but unfortunately for readers, authors often don't bother to say precisely why. – S. Carnahan Nov 21 '12 at 5:26
1 Answer 1
up vote 8 down vote accepted
When you post a question, it would be good if you include enough explanations not to force the interested reader to go search for a paper online.
Anyway, the general question is: suppose that we have an fpqc covering of schemes $Y'\to Y$ and a scheme $X' \to Y'$ with descent data. When can I conclude that $X'$ descends to a scheme over $Y$? I know of two general results in this direction: this works when $X'$ is affine over $Y'$, of when there is a relative ample line bundle $L'$ on $X'$, and the descent data can be extended to $L'$. These are covered in my notes on descent theory: the first is in 4.3.1, the second in 4.3.3. Affine descent applies to the first of the cases you mention, descent via ample line bundles to the second.
share|improve this answer
I certainly apologize Angelo. In the future I will try to include more background to my question to make it self-contained. Thank you for pointing to those specific theorems in your notes. I of course had read those theorems when learning about descent, but the general use of the phrase "by descent theory" threw me off as to what statements were being used and how, as S. Carnahan pointed out above. Thanks for the response and sorry again. – HNuer Nov 21 '12 at 14:54
You are welcome. There is no need to apologize. – Angelo Nov 21 '12 at 15:42
Your Answer


sulfur (in grams) is produced from 48.0 grams of O2?
A) 16.0 g
B) 32.1 g
C) 48.1 g
D) 96.2 g
E) none of these
75. The refining of aluminum from bauxite ore (which contains 50.% Al2O3 by mass) proceeds by the overall reaction 2Al2O3 + 3C ® 4Al + 3CO2. How much bauxite ore is required to give the 5.0 ' 1013 g of aluminum produced each year in the United States? (Assume 100% conversion.)
A) 1.3 ' 1013 g
B) 5.3 ' 1013 g
C) 1.9 ' 1014 g
D) 7.6 ' 1014 g
76. SO2 reacts with H2S as follows:
2H2S + SO2 ® 3S + 2H2O
When 7.50 g of H2S reacts with 12.75 g of SO2, which statement applies?
A) 6.38 g of sulfur are formed.
B) 10.6 g of sulfur are formed.
C) 0.0216 moles of H2S remain.
D) 1.13 g of H2S remain.
E) SO2 is the limiting reagent.
77. An unknown substance dissolves readily in water but not in benzene (a nonpolar solvent). Molecules of what type are present in the substance?
A) neither polar nor nonpolar
B) polar
C) either polar or nonpolar
D) nonpolar
78. 1.00 mL of a 3.50 ' 10–4 M solution of oleic acid is diluted with 9.00 mL of petroleum ether, forming solution A. 2.00 mL of solution A is diluted with 8.00 mL of petroleum ether, forming solution B. How many grams of oleic acid are 5.00 mL of solution B? (molar mass for oleic acid = 282 g/mol)
A) 4.94 ' 10–4 g
B) 7.00 ' 10–6 g
C) 4.94 ' 10–5 g
D) 1.97 ' 10–6 g
E) 9.87 ' 10–6 g
79. How many grams of NaCl are contained in 350. mL of a 0.250 M solution of sodium chloride?
A) 41.7 g
B) 5.11 g
C) 14.6 g
D) 87.5 g
E) none of these
80. Which of the following aqueous solutions contains the greatest number of ions?
A) 400.0 mL of 0.10 M NaCl
B) 300.0 mL of 0.10 M CaCl2
C) 200.0 mL of 0.10 M FeCl3
D) 200.0 mL of 0.10 M KBr
E) 800.0 mL of 0.10 M sucrose
81. A 54.8 g sample of SrCl2 is dissolved in 112.5 mL of solution. Calculate the molarity of this solution.
A) 0.346 M
B) 3.07 M
C) 3.96 M
D) 8.89 M
E) none of these
82. A 51.24-g sample of Ba(OH)2 is dissolved in enough water to make 1.20 liters of solution. How many mL of this solution must be diluted with water in order to make 1.00 liter of 0.100 molar Ba(OH)2?
A) 400. mL
B) 333 mL
C) 278 mL
D) 1.20 ' 103 mL
E) none of these
83. How many grams of NaOH are contained in 5.0 ' 102 mL of a 0.80 M sodium hydroxide solution?
A) 16 g
B) 80. g
C) 20. g
D) 64 g
E) none of these
84. The net ionic equation for the reaction of aluminum sulfate and sodium hydroxide contains which of the following species?
A) 3Al3+(aq)
B) OH–(aq)
C) 3OH–(aq)
D) 2Al3+(aq)
E) 2Al(OH)3(s)
85. Which of the following is paired incorrectly?
A) HI – strong acid
B) HNO3 – weak acid
C) Ba(OH)2 – strong base
D) HBr – strong acid
E) NH3 – weak acid
86. The interaction between solute particles and water molecules, which tends to cause a salt to fall apart in water, is called
A) hydration.
B) polarization.
C) dispersion.
D) coagulation.
E) conductivity.
87. When solutions of cobalt(II) chloride and carbonic acid react, which of the following terms will be present in the net ionic equation?
A) CoCO3(s)
B) H+(aq)
C) 2CoCO3(s)
D) 2Cl–(aq)
E) two of these
88. You mix 260. mL of 1.20 M lead(II) nitrate with 300. mL of 1.90 M potassium iodide. The lead(II) iodide is insoluble. Which of the following is false?
A) The final concentration of Pb2+ ions is 0.0482 M.
B) You form 131 g of lead(II) iodide.
C) The final concentration of K+ is 1.02 M.
D) The final concentration of NO3– is 1.02 M.
E) All are true.
89. You have 2 solutions of chemical A. To determine which has the highest concentration of A in molarity, what is the minimum number of the following you must know?
I. the mass in grams of A in each solution
II. the molar mass of A
III. the volume of water added to each solution
IV. the total volume of the solution
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
E) You must know all of them.
90. The following reactions
2K(s) + Br2(l) ® 2KBr(s)
HCl(aq) + KOH(aq) ® H2O(l) + KCl(aq)
are examples of
A) precipitation reactions.
B) redox, precipitation, and acid-base, respectively.
C) precipitation (two) and acid-base reactions, respectively.
D) redox reactions.
E) none of these
91. Aqueous solutions of sodium sulfide and copper(II) chloride are mixed together. Which statement is correct?
A) Both NaCl and CuS precipitate from solution.
B) No precipitate forms.
C) CuS will precipitate from solution.
D) NaCl will precipitate from solution.
E) No reaction will occur.
92. In the balanced molecular equation for the neutralization of sodium hydroxide with sulfuric acid, the products are:
A) NaSO4 + H2O
B) NaSO3 + 2H2O
C) 2NaSO4 + H2O
D) Na2S + 2H2O
E) Na2SO4 + 2H2O
93. If all of the chloride in a 5.000-g sample of an unknown metal chloride is precipitated as AgCl with 70.90 mL of 0.2010 M AgNO3, what is the percentage of chloride in the sample?
A) 50.55%
B) 10.10%
C) 1.425%
D) 20.22%
E) none of these
A) the HCl solution
B) the H2SO4 solution
C) You need to know the acid concentrations to answer this question.
D) You need to know the volume and concentration of the NaOH solution to answer this question.
E) You need to know the acid concentrations and the volume and concentration of the NaOH solution to answer this question.
95. A 3.00-g sample of an alloy (containing only Pb and Sn) was dissolved in nitric acid (HNO3). Sulfuric acid was added to this solution, which precipitated 2.93 g of PbSO4. Assuming that all of the lead was precipitated, what is the percentage of Sn in the sample? (molar mass of PbSO4 = 303.3 g/mol)
A) 33.3% Sn
B) 17.7% Sn
C) 50.0% Sn
D) 66.7% Sn
E) 2.00% Sn
96. A 1.000-g sample of a metal chloride, MCl2, is dissolved in water and treated with excess aqueous silver nitrate. The silver chloride that formed weighed 1.286 g. Calculate the atomic mass of M.
A) 222.8 g
B)


text:
Yes, you read it right, you can turn your android phone into wireless Speaker. You can use your android phone as a speaker and play music by using laptop or PC. If suppose the speaker of your laptop or PC is not working properly in this case you can use your android phone as a speaker for your device. Follow the below mention steps to achieve this.
It's a very simple task. You just need four things to turn your android phone into wireless speaker:
- Android Phone.
- PC or Laptop.
- Wifi Connection.
- Soundwire Software.
Steps to Turn your Android Phone into wireless Speaker.
In order to turn your android phone into wireless speaker you just need to follow these short and simple steps.
1. First, download the Soundwire software in a PC as well as in android phone and install as well. You can also use some other software rather than Sowundwire but I recommend you to use Soundwire only because it's sound quality is good and there is very less sound lacking.
2. Then open the Soundwire software on PC and save the server address i.e. 192.168.1.8 for later use.
As you can see in the above screenshot the status is disconnected because our android phone is not connected to it. You can also change the input method like a speaker, microphone etc.
3. Now, open the Soundwire application in android phone and enter the server address that is present in Soundwire software in PC i.e. 192.168.1.8.
4. You just need to click on the box above the server to turn your android phone into wireless Speaker. i.e.
and the colour of that box will change and it will show that your android device is successfully turned into a wireless speaker. i.e.
You can also see the connection status is now connected, in the Soundwire desktop application.


Take the 2-minute tour ×
Suppose now that the objects in question are abelian topological groups $G$ so that morphisms are continuous group homomorphisms. Given an exact sequence of abelian topological groups $0 \to G''\to G \to G''$ is the functor $\textrm{Hom}(H,-)$ a left-exact functor? $H$ is an abelian topological group.
We know that if we only care about group homomorphisms then $\textrm{Hom}(H,-)$ is left-exact, but will the condition of continuity now change anything? It seems there is a problem because to prove exactness at $\textrm{Hom}(H,G)$ requires defining a map from $H \to G''$ which may not be continuous.
Edit: PinkElephants has shown us that this functor may fail to be exact. However if we consider a specific case which is the exact sequence
$$0 \to \Bbb{Z} \to \Bbb{R} \stackrel{e^{2\pi i x}}{\longrightarrow } S^1 \to 0$$
then is the functor $\textrm{Hom}(S^1, -)$ left-exact? What about the contravariant functor $\textrm{Hom}(-,S^1)$, is it still right-exact?
share|improve this question
If $\textrm{Hom}(G, -)$ fails to be left exact then you have defined exact sequence incorrectly. – Zhen Lin Dec 10 '12 at 23:35
Continuity, in any case, cannot solve anything, for you always put the discrete topology on groups! – Mariano Suárez-Alvarez Dec 10 '12 at 23:36
_USER_-Alvarez What if I consider $S^1$ as a topological group the topology on here is the Euclidean topology? – user38268 Dec 10 '12 at 23:38
_USER_ I made an edit above. – user38268 Dec 10 '12 at 23:43
Let me just mention the amazing fact that if you consider only compact abelian groups, then this category actually turns out to be abelian. In particular, Hom(S^1, -) is left-exact as long as you restrict to compact groups. – Piotr Pstrągowski Dec 11 '12 at 2:23
2 Answers 2
up vote 3 down vote accepted
$\DeclareMathOperator{Hom}{Hom}$Given a short sequence $$0 \to A \xrightarrow{f} B \xrightarrow{g} C \to 0,\tag{$\ast$}$$ in an additive category, the sequence of abelian groups $$ 0 \to \Hom(G,A) \xrightarrow{f_\ast} \Hom(G,B) \xrightarrow{g_\ast} \Hom(G,C) $$ is exact for all $G$ if and only if $f$ is a kernel of $g$ and, dually, $$ 0 \to \Hom(C,G) \xrightarrow{g^\ast} \Hom(B,G) \xrightarrow{f^\ast} \Hom(A,G) $$ is exact for all $G$ if and only if $g$ is a cokernel of $f$.
This can be interpreted as follows: Since we want $\Hom$ to be left exact, the minimal requirement that a short sequence $(\ast)$ in an additive category should satisfy in order to deserve to be called exact is that $f$ be a kernel of $g$ and that $g$ be a cokernel of $f$.
From this point of view, the example in Pink Elephant's answer is not a good one: the identity $G \to H$ is a monomorphism and an epimorphism, but it is not an isomorphism and a fortiori neither a kernel nor a cokernel.
The trouble of calling all kernel-cokernel sequences $(\ast)$ exact is that they lack the closure conditions you need in order to prove the diagram lemmas necessary for homological algebra. A particularly convenient (hence convincing) approach to exact sequences (albeit not intrinsic as in abelian categories) is usually attributed to Quillen, see exact categories. In a nutshell what this means is that you have to think about what sequences you want to call exact.
Outside of the additive setting exactness can be dealt with in various ways but it gets even more complicated. See e.g. Borceux-Bourn's book.
share|improve this answer
Let $H$ be an abelian topological group whose topology is not discrete, and let $G$ have the same underlying group as $H$ but with the discrete topology. Consider the short exact sequence $0\to G\to H\to 0\to 0$ where $G\to G$ is the identity on sets.
Now the sequence $0\to \mathrm{Hom}(H,G)\to \mathrm{Hom}(H,H)\to \mathrm{Hom}(H,0)$ is not exact at $\mathrm{Hom}(H,H)$, as $\mathrm{Id}_H$ is in the kernel but not the image.
share|improve this answer
Thanks for your answer. However if the topologies are all inhereted from the euclidean topology (e.g. $G''= \Bbb{Z}$, $G = \Bbb{R}$ and $G'= S^1$) then will the functor be left-exact? – user38268 Dec 11 '12 at 0:31
You may see my edit in the question above for further queries. – user38268 Dec 11 '12 at 0:34
Your Answer


Question: What Are Lava Stones Good For?
Do lava rocks help with anxiety?
It's an intense energy, but a calming one.
On a spiritual level, lava stones bring stability.
Are lava beads bad luck?
Lava Rock beads are, as their name suggests, a type of igneous rock. It's considered bad luck and illegal to take lava rocks from Hawaii's national parks because the volcano goddess, Pele, may place a curse on you.
Is lava stone toxic?
Lava rocks is a very broad term. If it is just a bubbly basalt, you should be fine. … The 'lava rocks' might be toxic because sometimes they are used as an industrial filter.
Is Tiger's Eye dangerous?
This stone is formed in part from the mineral crocidolite, which is a type of asbestos. During the formation of tiger's eye, crocidolite is completely replaced with quartz and iron ore, so if you ever wondered whether tiger's eye is dangerous – well, it isn't.
What does Tiger's Eye do?
Is lava rock good for fish tanks?
If you want the plants and fish in your aquarium to live in a healthy environment, lava rocks are a great idea. Lava rocks are covered by holes and pores that have beneficial bacteria, which is called denitrifying bacteria. These bacteria can help in keeping normal nitrogen cycles in your aquarium.
How can you tell if lava rock beads are fake?
Real lava beads should look spongy, ceramic ring-like, and with a rough texture. They should be lightweight and red, red, brown, or black in color. They also should not fade during the cleaning process. They should not burn, melt, shatter, or have an unusual odor.
Are lava rocks strong?
It was shiny, hard and heavy. Lava rock, for landscaping, is foamed obsidian. The gasses released in the volcanic eruption penetrated the lava, but did not escape before the lava cooled, leaving air pockets behind.
What side of your body do you wear crystals?
leftThe left side of your body deals with your internal self and controls stresses from your outside environment. Wear your Crystal Bracelet on the left side if you want to receive its healing energy and internal benefit.
Can lava rocks be cleaned?
Lava rocks are often used for gas barbeque grills and can become quite dirty with food and grease droppings. You cannot use a wire brush or wash them in water as you might ceramic briquettes found in other gas grills. Instead, you must burn them clean.
What rocks are bad for aquariums?
Rocks to avoid include:Shells or crushed coral (These are not ideal for most freshwater tanks, but may be used for African cichlid tanks, where higher pH and calcium hardness are desirable.)Limestone.Geodes.Marble.Dolomite.Dec 4, 2019
Can you shower with a lava stone bracelet?
Do not wear your Lava Stone Bracelet in the Bath or Shower they should be removed prior to bathing or showering.
Can lava stone get wet?
Answer: Hello, if it gets wet it will not effect the lava beads at all, the central bead you may want to pat dry once out of the water.
Is lava stone expensive?
How much do lava stone countertops cost? Lava stone's biggest deterrent is its price. At $250 to $350 per square foot, it's one of the most expensive countertop materials around, comparable to, or even exceeding, high-end marble.
Do lava stones really work?
Lava stones and the chakra Many users of lava stone believe it grounds and stabilizes the root chakra because of the stone's strong connection with the earth. When the root chakra is stabilized, the body and mind will feel positive, safe and anchored to the earth.
Does lava stone have healing properties?
Known for its grounding and calming healing properties, lava stone is great for stabilizing the root chakra. When the root chakra is stabilized, you feel safe, anchored and more positive.
How long do lava beads last?
2-3 daysThe lava beads are black or brown (if you ordered a bracelet with natural brown lava). They are porous with "craters" on them. You can drop one drop of oil on each bead (a little goes a long way, so you only have to put them on a couple of the beads) and it will last 2-3 days.
Do Chakra bracelets help anxiety?
Stone and Crystal Bracelet for Anxiety. Certain crystals and stones are seen as anxiety antidote since ancient times. They believed to offer a calming effect which assists in alleviating emotional disorders. Blue Agate is believed to be among the strongest crystal for stress and anxiety relief.
What do lava rocks do spiritually?
Will lava rock affect pH?
The lava rock is red due to the iron in it. It has no calcuim so it will have no affect on your ph.


text:
The following text is for questions 5 to 7.
Beef rendang is one of the original cuisines of Minangkabau descent and Sumatra's culture.
It is served at special occasions to honor guests and during festive seasons. It is a delicious Indonesian dish prepared with a myriad of herbs and spices cooking for a few hours until all the liquids have been completely absorbed by the meat. Beef rendang is best eaten with steamed rice and condiments such as fried onions and chili pieces.
There are two types of beef rendang, i.e. dried and moist. According to Minangkabau (hence the name Minang rendang) tradition, their authentic beef rendang should be dry. Beef rendang is carefully stirred, simmered and cooked for three to four hours until the coconut milk has totally evaporated and the meat has absorbed the flavor of the herbs and spices. Dried rendang can be stored at room temperature for three to four weeks. It can even last up to six months if frozen.
Moist beef rendang is cooked for a much shorter time than dried beef rendang. The cooking process ends when the coconut milk becomes a thick gravy of the rendang. Moist rendang is more popular in neighboring countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and southern Thailand. One exception is rendang Tok found in the state of Perak, Malaysia, which is dry. Most rendang served in western countries is moist rendang.
5. What is the text about?
A. An Indonesian traditional beverage
B. Indonesian traditional food
C. Dried beef rendang
D. Moist beef rendang
"B. Indonesian traditional food".
Soal menanyakan inti dari teks tersebut.
Tentang apakah naskah tersebut?
A. minuman tradisional Indonesia
B. makanan tradisional Indonesia
C. Rendang daging sapi kering
D. Rendang daging sapi basah
Teks tersebut membahas tentang makanan tradisional Indonesia yaitu rendang.
Dijawab Oleh : Kunjaw


CURRVAL. Typical usage:
 INSERT INTO table (k, v) VALUES (nextval('seq_name'),?);
To get the value just inserted, you can use the corresponding currval() SQL function in the same session, or
 SELECT last_value FROM seq_name
Automatic Row Numbering and Row Count Limiting
Postgresql does not support any way of automatically numbering returned rows.
Parameter Binding
The TYPE attribute of the bind_param() method may be used to influence how parameters are treated. These SQL types are bound as VARCHAR: SQL_NUMERIC, SQL_DECIMAL, SQL_INTEGER, SQL_SMALLINT, SQL_FLOAT, SQL_REAL, SQL_DOUBLE, SQL_VARCHAR.
The SQL_CHAR type is bound as a CHAR thus enabling fixed-width blank padded comparison semantics.
Unsupported values of the TYPE attribute generate a warning.
Stored Procedures
DBD::Pg does not support stored procedures.
Table Metadata
DBD::Pg supports the table_info() method.
The pg_attribute table contains detailed information about all columns of all the tables in the database, one row per table.
The pg_index table contains detailed information about all indexes in the database, one row per index.
Primary keys are implemented as unique indexes. See pg_index above.
Driver-specific Attributes and Methods
There are no significant DBD::Pg driver-specific database handle attributes.
DBD::Pg has the following driver-specific statement handle attributes:
Returns a reference to an array of integer values for each column. The integer shows the storage (not display) size of the column in bytes. Variable length columns are indicated by -1.
Returns a reference to an array of strings for each column. The string shows the name of the data type.
Returns the OID of the last INSERT command.
Returns the name of the last command type. Possible types are: INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE, SELECT.
DBD::Pg has no private methods.
Positioned updates and deletes
Postgresql does not support positioned updates or deletes.
Differences from the DBI Specification
DBD::Pg has no significant differences in behavior from the current DBI specification.
Note that DBD::Pg does not fully parse the statement until it's executed. Thus attributes like $sth->{NUM_OF_FIELDS} are not available until after $sth->execute has been called. This is valid behaviour but is important to note when porting applications originally written for other drivers.
URLs to More Database/Driver Specific Information
Concurrent use of Multiple Handles
DBD::Pg supports an unlimited number of concurrent database connections to one or more databases.
It also supports the preparation and execution of a new statement handle while still fetching data from another statement handle, provided it is associated with the same database handle.
Other Significant Database or Driver Features
Postgres offers substantial additional power by incorporating the following four additional basic concepts in such a way that users can easily extend the system: classes, inheritance, types, and functions.
Other features provide additional power and flexibility: constraints, triggers, rules, transaction integrity, procedural languages, and large objects.
It's also free Open Source Software with an active community of developers.


text:
for each different reflection angle required in the final disk. A typical point-of-sale scanner will have between 7 and 16 wedges on a single disk. Holographic recording is done with two laser beams that intersect at the surface of the DCG sandwich, creating the holographic pattern. Adjusting the angle at which the two beams meet will change the reflective properties of each hologram. Each wedge created in this way will act like a mirror that is turned in a different direction.
2 Once all the required wedges have been recorded, they are assembled and glued down on a single transparent plate, which can then be replicated. The glue used has optical properties that will not distort the hologram image, such as glycerin-based adhesives will. There are many ways to replicate a hologram, but the most common for DCG holograms is optical replication. The master disk is placed close to, but not touching, a blank DCG sandwich disk, and a single laser beam is used to illuminate the master from behind. This transfers the pattern onto the blank.
Lenses, mirrors, laser
3 Other components—lenses, mirrors, laser, etc.—are usually purchased from an outside manufacturer. Lens, mirror and scan window properties are specified during the design process. The manufacturer tests all of these components as they arrive to confirm that they meet specification. Motors and lasers are tested for proper operation, and some are lifetime tested to make sure that the bar code scanner will not fail within a reasonable period of time.
4 Housing can be purchased from a metal job shop, or it can be fabricated by the manufacturer. The size and exact shape of the box is specified in design, and manufacturing converts those specifications into realizable sketches. The parts are machined, assembled and tested for strength and durability.
(In bar code scanner, a laser beam is directed toward an item with a black and white bar code symbol. The light is reflected back and recorded on a spinning holographic disk. A photodetector then converts this light into an electrical signal that can be read by a computer.
The spinning disk consists of a chemical substance, DCG, sandwiched between two plastic disks. A typical holographic disk contains between 7 and 12 wedges, each of which reflects light at a different angle. To make these disks, a disk master—comprising the various wedges glued onto a single transparent plate—is first prepared. Next, a single laser beam illumnates the master from behind, transfering the pattern onto a blank DCG disk placed next to (but not touching) the master.)
5 Finally, the hologram disk is assembled with the spinning motor drive and tested. Scanning pattern, direction, and speed are all examined. The spinning disk is then assembled with the optical system (the laser and mirrors). Placement of the laser often depends on space considerations: the laser can be aimed directly at the spinning disk, or at a mirror that guides the beam to the disk, if this makes the package smaller.
6 The disk and optical system are tested as a unit. When the assembly passes inspection, it is mounted permanently inside the housing and sealed with the scanning window.
There are several stages to quality control in bar code scanner manufacturing. To begin with, there are several test criteria that are defined within the bar code industry and that must be specified by all manufacturers. These include:
- First Pass Read Rate (FPRR)—the percentage of time that a code can be read the first time it passes the scan window
- Rejection Rate—the number of scans per million which simply won't be read
- Read Velocity—the range of speeds with which a code may be passed over the surface of a scanner
These properties will relate to the optical, electrical and mechanical properties of the scanner. Mechanically, scanners are run for several days (and some select units will be pulled from production for longer lifetime tests—up to several years) to insure that the motor will continue to turn the disk consistently at the expected speed. Since the ability to differentiate between wide and narrow bars in a code is related to the speed at which the disk turns, it is critical that the motorized disk continue to operate in a predictable way. Spinning speed will also relate to Read Velocity, and may need to be adjusted to match the average speed that a clerk will use to drag items through a supermarket checkout. Mechanical failures may indicate a mismounted or imbalanced disk or other mechanical problems that need to be corrected.
Optically, scanners are tested for code reading consistency. For a good bar code scanner, this number should be greater than 85 percent. Commonly, 75 percent to 85 percent is achieved. If the scanner cannot meet this criteria, it is sent back for an inspection of the optical system—cleanliness of components and proper functioning of the laser and detection system.
Electrically, scanners are tested for the Rejection Rate. Holographic scanners scan the light over a bar code 100-200 times per second. This allows the computer to compare many different readings of the code for accuracy. But if there is some problem with the electronics, the computer will begin to "reject" scans, or simply refuse to read them. Part of this test uses bar codes that are imperfect in some way—codes containing ink spots, bars of non-uniform width, etc. The manufacturer has to produce a scanner that can tolerate some glitches in the code printing process. This is another reason to use a multiple scan and cross-check technique.
The future of bar code scanning technology will take a number of diverging pathways. More general use of bar code scanning requires cheaper and smaller light sources that will improve simple instruments like the wand scanner. Semiconductor lasers, for instance, may make the wand a more attractive instrument to users. In addition, some children's learning tools and toys are starting to appear with interactive bar codes rather than push buttons. In this way, new modules can be added to the same bar code scanning toy. There are some home-shopping systems that are beginning to exploit this technology, allowing people to do grocery or clothes shopping at home by scanning selections from a catalog using their telephone and a modem.
Laser scanners, on the other hand, are beginning to find more and more complex applications as the technology becomes more reliable and easier to use. More industries are using bar coding to track complicated lots of custom-manufactured items, record steps in a manufacturing process, and monitor activities in their plants. Other optical assemblies may be developed that will allow this technology to become even more flexible in size and utility.
Where To Learn More
Adams, Russ. Reading Between the Lines: An Introduction to Bar Code Technology, 4th ed. Helmers Publishing, Inc., 1989.
Brophy, Peter. Computers Can Read. Gower Publishing Co, 1986.
Burke, Harry E. Handbook of Bar Coding Systems. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1984.
Marshall, Gerald F., Laser Beam Scanning, Marcel Dekker, 1985.
Sobczak, Thomas. Applying Industrial Bar Coding. Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1985.
Kramer, Charles. "Holographic Laser Scan¬ners for Non-Impact Printing," Laser Focus. June, 1981, p. 70.
"Bar Code Scanner Replaces Data Entry Without a Decoder," Purchasing. September 27, 1990, p. 101.
Schwartz, Evan I. "They Just May Have Built a Better Bar Code," Business Week. September 28,1992, p. 122K.
Stamper, Bonney. "What Happens When a Scanner Reads a Bar Code?," Industrial Engineering. October, 1992, p. 34.


text:
University of California, Davis scientists have developed a self-cleaning cotton fabric that can kill bacteria and break down toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues when exposed to light.
"The new fabric has potential applications in biological and chemical protective clothing for health care, food processing, and farmworkers, as well as military personnel," says Ning Liu, who conducted the work as a doctoral student in Professor Gang Sun's group in the UC Davis Division of Textiles of Clothing.
A paper describing the work was published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry.
Liu developed a method to incorporate a compound known as 2-anthraquinone carboxylic acid, or 2-AQC, into cotton fabrics. This chemical bonds strongly to the cellulose in cotton, making it difficult to wash off, unlike current self-cleaning agents. Unlike some other experimental agents that have been applied to cotton, it does not affect the properties of the fabric.
When exposed to light, 2-AQC produces so-called reactive oxygen species, such as hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide, which kill bacteria and break down organic compounds such as pesticides and other toxins.
Although 2-AQC is more expensive than other compounds, the researchers say that cheaper equivalents are available.SOURCE


text:
MIT's Technology Review featured Professor Catherine Klapperich's SNAP device, co-developed as an IIH project, to purify DNA in the field. SNAP (System for Nucleic Acid Preparation) is able to purify DNA from field samples such as blood and saliva without any electricity or specialized training. This allows samples to be collected in the field, and stabilized without expensive refrigeration. By isolating DNA from the sample, the resulting material remains stable at room temperature for long periods of time.
"Instead of taking blood samples and keeping them cold, with our technology, they would be able to prepare all the samples at the point of care," says Klapperich, an assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at Boston University. "They would also have a longer period of time to get a much more preserved sample to a central lab someplace else."
A standard bicycle pump is all that's required to power a DNA purifying kit, designed by Catherine Klapperich and her students at Boston University. The thermos-size device, dubbed SNAP (System for Nucleic Acid Preparation), extracts genetic material from blood and other bodily fluids by pumping fluid through a polymer-lined straw designed to trap DNA. A user can then pop the straw out and mail it to the nearest lab, where the preserved DNA can be analyzed for suspicious bacteria, viruses, and genetic diseases.
More at Technology Review


text:
Two species of the fungus-like (Oomycete) organism Phytophthora (P. cactorum and P. plurivora) have long been known to cause cankers (bark infections) in horse chestnut, though cases were relatively uncommon and confined mainly to southern England. But in recent years there has been a dramatic upsurge in cases of bleeding canker, in many parts of the UK, from which Phytophthora could not be detected. Work in the UK and the Netherlands has established that the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. aesculi is the cause of these new cases.
The bleeding fluid is produced by the tree in response to the infection, which kills the inner bark, cambium and outer layers of wood, causing disruption to water and nutrient transport. If the canker girdles the stem, the stem dies.
Research on the bacterium is still in progress. It may require wounds to infect (which may include naturally occurring lenticels, or pores, in the bark) or might exist on plant surfaces and be spread by wind-blown rain. Phytophthora spreads in a similar way and also forms resting spores which can remain for long periods in the soil.


Miro Internet TV Blog
Viewers don't really care how it gets to them
October 18th, 2006 by Nicholas Reville
I completely agree with Mike Hudack's blog post from a couple weeks ago about what to call online video shows: It's the rock star, not the vinyl.
Most people don't care how TV gets to them or what channel it's on, they just want to watch. If a show comes via cable or satellite or terrestrial broadcast or the internet or even DVD, it's still a TV show. We don't need a new term like 'netcast' for the same reason we don't call satellite TV shows 'satcasts'. When we need to specify that a broadcast is internet based, we can say 'internet TV' the same way we would say 'satellite TV' or 'network TV' or 'cable TV' or 'pay-per-view'.
A side note: I think 'video blog' is a useful term for a specific type of internet-based video show. This is the same as any genre of show: all soap operas are TV shows but not all TV shows are soap operas. Similarly, all video blogs are TV shows, but not all TV is a video blog.
One Response to "Viewers don't really care how it gets to them"
 1. Good afternoon
 Translations of the meaning of the Quran
 Is the Qur'an the Bible's Saviour?
 In the 19th century, Darwinian geology and biology have challenged the literal truth of Genesis and the divinity of the Bible. The hitch that prevents the modern scientific mind from accepting the divine version of creation is the extreme disparity between the enormous length of time required for the evolution of the earth, universe and the contradicting short period of six days. No wonder the Bible is branded as a 'myth', especially as each day of creation ends with the words "And the evening and the morning were the first day"(Gen. 1:5), etc.
 In comparison to the Bible, the Quran uses the words "in six periods of time" in seven different passages on creation, but here, not once are the 'periods' defined as "the evening and the morning".
 The Arabic word used in the Quran is "Ayam" which is from the Latin word eaon which literally means a "segmant or incrament of time"
 In the light of these verses, we can surmise that the Bible is not a 'myth', as confirmed in the Koran. The Koran cooperates with the Bible in meeting the skepticism of any "Darwinian geology and biology", over 700 years before Darwin was born.
 Another example of how the Holy Qur'an saves the revelations within the Bible is demonstrated in the story of Noah's Flood.
 When seen in the light of modern knowledge, the Biblical description of the Flood as a Whole is unacceptable for the following reasons:
 a) The Old Testament describes the Flood as a event which covered the entire world.
 b) The Flood of Noah described in the Bible is estimated to a date in which a international Flood could not have occurred
 When we relate this to the age of Adam along with the age of Abraham in the Bible (Genesis 11: 10-32), we calculate the Flood would be situated in the Twenty-first Twenty-second century B.C.
 Knowledge of history during this time period would show it was a time of prosperity with civilizations such as Egyptian's Eleventh Dynasty and Babylonia's Third Dynasty at Ur in which we know for certain there were no breaks in these civilizations. Therefore to make such a claim that everything on earth was destroyed as the Bible claims (Genesis 7:21) is unsupported.
 On the other hand, the Qur'an gives general details which do not promote any criticisms from a historical point of view.
 In The Qur'an 11:25-49, Sura 71, and 26: 105-115, we see God inflicted on communities guilty of gravely infringing His Commandments. Whereas the Bible describes a universal Flood intended to punish ungodly humanity as a whole.
 The Qur'an, in contrast, mentions several punishments inflicted on certain specifically defined communities. This is viewed in 25: 35-39,
 Sura 7, verses 59 to 93 contains a reminder of the punishments brought upon Noah's people, the Ad, the Tamud, Lot (Sodom) and Madian respectively.
 This is the method of how the Qur'an saves the Bible in the narration of the Flood of Noah, as in the case of Saving the Bible from Darwin, the case of the Flood could also not be verified until centuries after the Prophet Muhammad.
 A shepherd from the desert could not know the archaeological history of the world around him to pinpoint or deny of whether or not the entire world was flooded or if it were only certain communities as the Qur'an clarifies.
 Also in the Qur'an saves the Bible in the rule given by Jesus (Mt 5:39) But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also"
 This basically means that if your enemy strikes or attacks you, you are to allow him or her to attack you without striking back. You are to take the punishment without reacting.
 Now if Christians lived by this rule, than all Monotheists would be dead because the pagans despise the concept of One Single God. If the Christians in history allowed themselves to be attacked without retaliating as Jesus ordered, than there would be no Christians left today.
 Here again the Qur'an saves the Bible and those who believe in Christ (which includes Muslims) by clarifying that when you are being attacked, it is best to have patience and forgiveness against the attack, But then if the attacks continue, than we are given the permission to retaliate only with the equal amount of force that was used against us.
 " And if you take your turn, then retaliate with the like of that with which you were afflicted; But if ye endure patiently, verily it is better for the patient." Holy Qur'an 16:126
 Therefore we are given the permission to repel attacks, to protect ourselves, although God prefers forgiveness.
 Thus completing the teachings of Jesus who was sent by God as the Qur'an confirms to the Jews and Pagans to repel these and many more criticisms spoken by scientists and Logical people towards the God of the Bible, all centuries before the criticism was even known.
 (I Thessalonians 5:21) "Prove all things; hold fast that which is Good."
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Sabina Berman Interview
Sabina Berman is Mexico's most commercially successful and critically acclaimed playwright. She has won the Mexican National Theatre Prize an unprecedented four times. She is also a journalist and has written film scripts, poetry and prose, in addition to her work for the stage. Her collection of interviews with Mexican women in positions of power, Mujeres y poder, won the 2000 National Journalism Award. She recently wrote director Jorge Fons' new movie about the murders on the border of Juarez and the adaptation of "The History of Love" for director Alfonso Cuarón.
Maria Bustos was driving me through Mexico City on the way to see Sabina Berman. My goal was to learn about Sabina Berman's early family life and how her family might have influenced her decision to become a playwright.
I was musing about the role of the artist to provoke and educate, considering the big picture and the role of playwrights in society.
The artist gives us a way to see the themes of our culture which most of us are not capable of seeing. Deeper than the cultural influences of a specific time, a few artists penetrate deeply into the relationships process. Like Shakespeare, they can show us how people manipulate others, leading to confusion, polarities and paradoxes.
In Hamlet, Shakespeare pulls back the curtain and shows us a grown child caught in the parental triangle. The audience can see and feel the bare bones of emotional confusion and the problems created in taking sides, leading to the essential question, to be or not to be? After reading Hamlet, few will question the importance of being a well defined self. Most of us can see the difficulty, in the throes of deep emotions, to know and declare who we are to important others.
Who among us would not like to understand how to be free of these emotional quagmires? Yet we cannot free ourselves without understanding the deep and often unseen pull of relationship connections. It takes disciplined effort to be mindful of how our family history may be impacting our sensitivities and decisions. We are tuned to react to important others, and when the pressure increases on us or them, our behavior can unfold in very automatic ways, often beyond our ability to control. Do you ever wonder what made you say that or do this?
As to Shakespeare's family life we cannot know what influenced him and how those influences may be reflected in his plays. Did he just have the right genes for being creative? What about the influence of his parents or the social and political environment on his thinking and writing? We will never know how he reacted to the expectations and pressures from his family or those around him. We do not know if he liked his grandparents or used them to deal with his parents.
But we can have a more complete picture of the lives and influences, and even genetic make up, of current leaders in many different fields. As more people, like Sabina Berman, are willing to take the bold step of reflecting on their lives openly, more knowledge will be available about the process of managing one's self in social networks.
I am grateful to Sabina Berman, a contemporary playwright, for her willingness to give us her impression of the influence of family relationships on her development. I was curious about her life and how she developed her plays, which often combine both story-telling and ethical questioning. Would Berman consider her plays mostly entertaining or did she purposely provoke with the intent to educate? Would I remember to ask this kind of question when I met her?
Consider the predicament I was facing. In one of her plays, Yankee, Berman focuses on interrogators and the interrogated.[1] Now I had to ask her questions. What kind of an education would I get? No doubt she would see my biases: my evolutionary take on the forces behind human behavior and my hope that knowledge of family emotional systems would enable people to see the importance of being a self.
As an interviewer my task is to ask questions that will open doors to new ways of thinking. These exchanges can also promote the ability of the interviewee to see his or her story differently. Each of our stories changes depending on who is asking the questions and how those questions are posed. If the interviewer asks more open-ended questions, the person interviewed has more freedom to clarify points or to deepen his or her understanding of the emotional forces that operate in his or her own life.
David Slone Wilson, in his essay, "Evolutionary Social Construction", notes that we constantly construct and reconstruct our selves to meet the needs of the situations we encounter.[2] He believes we do this with the guidance of our memories of the past and our hopes and fears for the future.
With this big picture in mind I was ready to meet Sabina Berman.
Maria Bustos and I arrived at Berman's apartment building and took an elevator, which opened into her apartment. A smiling Sabina Berman welcomed us. Immediately I found her to be very open, disarming and delightful. She is a very accomplished woman, and I hope you will enjoy how she tells her story and questions me.
 Interview with Sabina Berman
AMS: I have a couple of questions about the bridge between family life and one's life direction but please feel free to go in any direction you choose.
I was wondering how early could you remember if and when you were just slightly different, thinking different, doing things a little bit different from others. Then I was wondering if or how did your family react to you? I was also wondering if there were other people in your family who have been artists or who have stood out who have been leaders?
SB: As I remember, I did anything to be different and be noticed. I liked to see people react. I was a very good student but at the same time, I was said to have behavioral problems. I wanted to get the attention of my peers. And I could sacrifice my teacher's attention if I could get my peers to pay attention.
I am not sure why but I am the third child in the family.
AMS: How many were there all together?
SB: Four. There were two older brothers and a younger sister.
AMS: So you are the oldest daughter?
SB: But I was really depressed by my brothers.
AMS: How much older are they?
SB: One is four years older and the other one is seven years older.
AMS: And your mother didn't rescue you or help you…
SB: She was too busy. There were too many children and she worked.
My mother, always she told me the story of how I was born. Said she wanted to have a girl. Said she was going to take time off just to have a girl. She didn't work for a year. This seemed very important to her in retrospect, because she worked all the time, and she liked working.
AMS: What kind of work?
SB: After I was born, she became a psychoanalyst. Before that she was a
 Criminologist. She's really is very happy. This brings me to your second question. My father was an engineer. They were both born in Poland and met in Mexico. My father was thirty and she was eighteen and they married. They did not really tell me the story of how they met.
AMS: Maybe romance wasn't that important to your mother to tell you the story of how we fell in love?
SB: Our family is very intense, very Polish. My parents clashed and then they got divorced. Perhaps that is maybe why I don't remember.
AMS: Sometimes the fighting creates enough distance to mange the perceived or real difference between the parents. And then other times, no, it is too painful and the parents just drift apart. Often married people continue the relationships and just find other women, other men, other relationships, or they just bury themselves in work.
In trying to understand relationship dynamics often we see that if parents fight there is less focus on the child and the child can grow up without as much involvement in the life of the parents.
SB: Absolutely…absolutely! They gave me very attention but wanted me to work hard. The message in which they agreed was very simple and clear. My father use to say, "The night is young".
 Sometimes I wanted to complain that I was working too hard. I might be playing tennis five hours every day because he wanted me to be a champ.
My brother was a champ. And the expectation was there when I went home. If I complained he would say, "the night is young". So I worked it out and I mean, I really, really worked. Overall it was very useful!
Being an immigrant, especially in a country like Mexico you have to fit in. There is a very open door, but once in the society is closed to immigrants. That secret has to be erased. So my parents were very clear, you have to work to earn your place in society, you have to earn it. So I go back to work as being a central value in the family.
AMS: Were your parents escaping from Poland during the war?
SB: My father came here because there was a lot of opportunity to study and work. This was somewhat before the war.
AMS: About what year would that have been?
SB: I think it was nineteen forty or thirty-nine