Could Matter-Antimatter Reactor Technology Work

The starship Enterprise, familiar to fans of the  Star Trek series, is supposed to use an incredible technology called  warp drive, a sophisticated power source that has antimatter at its heart. Antimatter supposedly produces all the energy the ships crew needs to warp its way around the galaxy and have adventures. Naturally, such a power plant is the work of science fiction. However, it seems so useful that people often wonder if a concept involving antimatter could be used to power interstellar spacecraft. It turns out the science is quite sound, but some hurdles definitely stand in the way of making such a dream power source into a usable reality. What Is Antimatter? The source of the Enterprises power is a simple reaction predicted by physics. Matter is the stuff of stars, planets, and us. Its made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons. Antimatter is the opposite of matter, a sort of mirror matter. Its composed of particles that are, individually, antiparticles of the various building blocks of matter, such as positrons (antiparticles of electrons) and antiprotons (antiparticles of protons). These antiparticles are identical in most ways to their regular matter counterparts, except that they have the opposite charge. If they could be brought together with regular matter particles in some sort of chamber, the result would be a giant release of energy.  That energy could, theoretically, power a starship. How Is  Antimatter Created? Nature does create antiparticles, just not in large amounts. Antiparticles are created in naturally occurring processes as well as through experimental means such as in large particle accelerators in high-energy collisions. Recent work has found that antimatter is created naturally above storm clouds, the first means by which it is produced naturally on Earth and in its atmosphere. Otherwise, it takes massive amounts of heat and energy to create antimatter, such as during supernovae or inside main-sequence stars,  such as the sun. We are nowhere near being able to emulate those massive types of fusion plants. How Antimatter Power Plants Could Work In theory, matter and its antimatter equivalent are brought together and immediately, as the name suggests, annihilate each other, releasing energy. How would such a power plant be structured? First, it would have to be very carefully built due to the huge amounts of energy involved. The antimatter would be contained separate from the normal matter by magnetic fields so that no unintended reactions take place. The energy would then be extracted in much the same way that nuclear reactors capture the expended heat and light energy from fission reactions. Matter-antimatter reactors would be orders of magnitude more efficient at producing energy than fusion, the next best reaction mechanism. However, it still isnt possible to fully capture the released energy from a matter-antimatter event. A significant amount of the output is carried away by neutrinos, nearly massless particles that interact so weakly with matter that they are nearly impossible to capture, at least for the purposes of extracting energy. Problems With Antimatter Technology Concerns about capturing energy arent as important as the task of getting enough antimatter to do the job. First, we need to have enough antimatter. Thats the major difficulty: obtaining a significant amount of antimatter to sustain a reactor. While scientists have created small amounts of antimatter, ranging from positrons, antiprotons, anti-hydrogen atoms, and even a few anti-helium atoms, they havent been in significant enough amounts to power much of anything. If engineers were to gather all the antimatter that has ever been artificially created, when combined with normal matter it would scarcely be enough to light a standard light bulb for more than a few minutes. Furthermore, the cost would be incredibly high. Particle accelerators  are pricey to run, even to produce a small amount of antimatter in their collisions.  In the best-case scenario, it would cost on the order of $25 billion to produce one gram of positrons. Researchers at CERN point out that it would take $100 quadrillion and 100 billion years of running their accelerator to produce a single gram of antimatter.   Clearly, at least with technology currently available, the regular manufacture of antimatter doesnt look promising, which puts starships out of reach for a while. However, NASA is looking for ways to capture naturally created antimatter, which could be a promising way to power spaceships as they travel through the galaxy.   Searching out Antimatter Where would scientists look for enough antimatter to do the trick? The Van Allen radiation belts—doughnut-shaped regions of charged particles that surround the Earth—contain significant amounts of antiparticles. These are created as very-high-energy charged particles from the sun interact with Earths magnetic field. So it might be possible to capture this antimatter and preserve it in magnetic field bottles until a ship could use it for propulsion. Also, with the recent discovery of antimatter creation above storm clouds, it could be possible to capture some of these particles for our uses. However, because the reactions occur in our atmosphere, the antimatter will inevitably interact with normal matter and annihilate, likely before we have a chance to capture it. So, while it would still be quite expensive and the techniques for capture remain under study, it might be possible someday to develop a technology that could collect antimatter from the space around us at a cost less than artificial creation on Earth. The Future of Antimatter Reactors As technology advances and we begin to understand better how antimatter is created, scientists can begin to develop ways of capturing the elusive particles that are naturally created. So, its not impossible that we could one day have energy sources like those depicted in science fiction. -Edited and updated by Carolyn Collins Petersen

The Negative Effects of Imperialism in Nigeria (its...

Nigeria is a country with abundant resources and the potential to be a very powerful nation, but it is hampered by many problems. These problems are caused by NigeriaÂ’s colonization by England. Because of this intrusion on their way of life, their future was altered dramatically. The nation of Nigeria as a whole has suffered greatly as a country because of this colonization, its problem is rooted in the way it was colonized and ruled. The background of the situation is essential to understand its full impact From the way Nigeria was colonized, it was clear from the start that it would bode ill for the future inhabitants of Nigeria. Beginning in the 19th century, the British started to make their presence felt along the coast. In earlier†¦show more content†¦Instead of focusing on diversifying, the leaders of the country focus on gaining power and standing in the government. “NigeriaÂ’s most daunting challenge lies in overcoming the severe divisions among its competing religious and ethnic groups” . Moreover, once they gain it, their problems do not end, since they must look over their back, never knowing how long they will hold on to the little power they have. Meanwhile, the common person suffers, as he is neglected by his government and must survive on his own. “The standard of living declined even further than before and external debts increased.” This neglect of the common man bode s ill for the government, as it is the common man who votes in the polls. However, the vote does very little, since corruption is rampant in Nigeria. Two futures for Africa are possible-one with a democratic and stable Nigeria, and one with a Nigeria stricken by autocratic rule, corruption, and intermittent coups. An entire continent awaits the result of the Nigerian experiment with democracy. Nigeria has the resources and can provide leadership to foster greater regional and international cooperation, leadership that many of Nigerias neighbors need. A successful Nigerian democracy would provide hope for many of Africas other burgeoning democracies. The biggest problem with the government of Nigeria in regard to its malpractice towards the people is the unchecked corruption. “AShow MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesBehavior that helps you actively study and prepare material for class. Chapter-by-chapter activities, including built-in pretests and posttests, focus on what you need to learn and to review in order to succeed. Visit www.mymanagementlab.com to learn more. DEVELOPING MANAGEMENT SKILLS EIGHTH EDITION David A. Whetten BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Kim S. 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Creating A Word Problem For Students - 975 Words

Equalizer: More structured to more open because student that are gifted or have more of a understanding of word problem will be able to fill in their own matrix and provide their own suggestion in order to create a word problem. The student that need more support will work in groups to provide suggestion to the teacher, then teacher will guide the student on which components they are choosing in correspondence to the number they roll with the dice. Simple to complex because students can make their matrixes more complex by adding more facet or by adding more option and rolling two dice instead of just one dice. By adding an additional factors this adds more detail to their word problem. Furthermore if student have two dice this requires student to add the number of each dice together to see what number they must choose. If a student is uncomfortable with word problems then they can use just the 5 facet to make it simple and just roll one dice to find the number. Clearly defined problem and fuzzy problem, we can use matrix to differentiate because the lower student can have clearly defined expectations that they have to use all five component in a word problem, however the student that have a better understanding are able to use the matrix as a brainstorming item and then use it to elaborate on their word problem adding more charters, detail or a more complicated mathematical process. Therefore the stronger student are creating fuzzier problems while the student withShow MoreRelatedMuch Ado About English Class1219 Words   |  5 PagesMuch Ado About English Anyone who is, or was, a high school student knows what it’s like to sit in an English class wondering how learning about Shakespeare and grammar was going to help you in the real world. However, as you got older you probably realized that you used the skills you learned in English almost every day. 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It involves taking initiative, independence mindset, and pers istence in reading, ability to view problems and challenges as not being an obstacle to learn, creating schedules and abiding by it is effective and important to achieving the goal of learning. Essential Aspects Required:Read MorePersonal Statement On Compound Nouns946 Words   |  4 Pagesclass began a lesson on compound nouns. We began by playing a matching game. Each child picked a card with a word on it. They then had to try to find a partner who had another word that would pair up with theirs to make a new word. The children were very excited, but no one made the connection with compound words. Once they were paired up, each student said their word and their new word. At this point, they started guessing that we ere going to talk about compound nouns. I observed the children’s

A Rose For Emily Character Analysis - 934 Words

At first sight, the work â€Å"A Rose for Emily† by William Faulkner looks like the story of a woman, Emily, who was molested by an entire city. For example, the moment when the new generation requires the payment of taxes even though Emily’s family had reached an agreement with the previous city government to skip this payment. At that point, I really felt sorry for Emily. However, as the story progresses we see that Emily deserved the repudiation of the inhabitants of the city because she acted in a strange and sometimes offensive way. One can think that circumstances of Emily’s life were the main cause of her behavior, but there were other causes. The setting and the acts of Emily of this literary work contribute makes Emily an unsympathetic†¦show more content†¦In short, the setting of the story made Emily an unsympathetic person. Emily acted very strangely as the story progressed. For example, Emily didn’t care for her house, it passes from the best house around the town to a pile of smelly debris. That even surprised the inhabitants of Jefferson because how was it possible to let your own house to decay. However, the main moments where we can suspect of Emily are when she bought Arsenic, and when Homer Barron entered to Emily’s house. What was the reason to buy Arsenic? She didn’t even answer. But the store server gave it to her, for she was so appreciated by the town. Lately, Homer Barron entered her house, and he disappeared. We confirmed there was something wrong because a short time after Homer disappeared, a bad smell sprouts from Emily’s house. From that same period, Emily stopped almost every contact with people from the outside except for some years where she gave painting lessons to some kids. In addition, Emily didn’t want to let her dad go. She only accepted his death after three days had passed. Those acts raised suspicions between the inhabitants of Jefferson. Why didn’t they interfere before her death? Maybe because she was so appreciated, or they felt guilty for Emily to lost her love. Were those acts the foreshadowing of what was going to happen at the end? We can assume that it is right. As a result, Emily became anShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis of Emily Rose in a Rose for Emily726 Words   |  3 PagesThe character Emily Rose in A Rose for Emily is considered a static character because; her traits throughout the story do not change. In the story she is deemed as quiet, inhuman and, even mad. However, through further inspection; there are characteristics displayed throughout the story that can possibly prove that Emily was a dynamic character. Throughout the piece Emily changes both mentally, socially and physically. 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Shadow Kiss Chapter 2 Free Essays

TWO Or, well, it looked like mason. He – or it or whatever – was hard to see. I had to keep squinting and blinking to get him in focus. We will write a custom essay sample on Shadow Kiss Chapter 2 or any similar topic only for you Order Now His form was insubstantial – almost translucent – and kept fading in and out of my field of vision. But yes, from what I could see, he definitely looked like Mason. His features were washed out, making his fair skin look whiter than I recalled. His reddish hair now appeared as a faint, watery orange. I could barely even see his freckles. He was wearing exactly what I’d last seen him in: jeans and a yellow fleece jacket. The edge of a green sweater peeped out from underneath the coat’s hem. Those colors, too, were all softened. He looked like a photograph that someone had left out in the sun, causing it to fade. A very, very faint glow seemed to outline his features. The part that struck me the most – aside from the fact that he was supposed to be dead – was the look on his face. It was sad – so, so sad. Looking into his eyes, I felt my heart break. All the memories of what had taken place just a few weeks ago came rushing back to me. I saw it all again: his body falling, the cruel look on the Strigoi faces†¦. A lump formed in my throat. I stood there frozen, stunned and unable to move. He studied me too, his expression never changing. Sad. Grim. Serious. He opened his mouth, like he might speak, and then closed it. Several more heavy moments hung between us, and then he lifted his hand and extended it toward me. Something in that motion snapped me out of my daze. No, this could not be happening. I wasn’t seeing this. Mason was dead. I’d seen him die. I’d held his body. His fingers moved slightly, like he was beckoning, and I panicked. Backing up a few steps, I put distance between us and waited to see what would happen. He didn’t follow. He simply stood there, hand still in the air. My heart lurched, and I turned and ran. When I’d almost reached the door, I stopped and glanced back, letting my ragged breathing calm down. The clearing he’d stood in was completely empty. I made it up to my room and slammed the door behind me, hands shaking. I sank onto my bed and replayed what had just happened. What the hell? That had not been real. No way. Impossible. Mason was dead, and everyone knows the dead don’t come back. Well, yeah, I had come back†¦but that was a different situation. Clearly, I’d imagined this. That was it. It had to be. I was overtired and still reeling from Lissa and Christian, not to mention that Victor Dashkov news. Probably the cold had frozen part of my brain too. Yes, the more I thought about it, the more I decided there had to be a hundred explanations for what had just happened. Yet, no matter how often I told myself that, I couldn’t fall back asleep. I lay in my bed, covers pulled to my chin as I tried to banish that haunting image from my mind. I couldn’t. All I could see were those sad, sad eyes, those eyes that seemed to say, Rose, why did you let this happen to me? I squeezed my eyes shut, trying not to think about him. Since Mason’s funeral, I’d been working so hard to go on and act like I was strong. But the truth was, I was nowhere near being over his death. I tortured myself day after day with what if? questions. What if I’d been faster and stronger during the Strigoi fight? What if I hadn’t told him where the Strigoi were in the first place? And what if I’d simply been able to return his love? Any of those could have kept him alive, but none of them had happened. And it was all my fault. â€Å"I imagined it,† I whispered out loud into the darkness of my room. I had to have imagined it. Mason already haunted my dreams. I didn’t need to see him when I was awake too. â€Å"It wasn’t him.† It couldn’t have been him, because the only way it could have been was†¦Well, that was something I didn’t want to think about. Because while I believed in vampires and magic and psychic powers, I most certainly did not believe in ghosts. I apparently didn’t believe in sleep, either, because I didn’t get much of it that night. I tossed and turned, unable to quiet my racing mind. I eventually did drift off, but it seemed like my alarm went off so soon after that I could have hardly slept for more than a few minutes. Among humans, the light of day tends to chase off nightmares and fear. I had no such daylight; I awoke to increasing darkness. But just being out with real and living people had nearly the same effect, and as I went to breakfast and my morning practice, I found that what I’d seen last night – or what I thought I’d seen last night – was growing fainter and fainter in my memory. The weirdness of that encounter was also being replaced by something else: excitement. This was it. The big day. The start of our field experience. For the next six weeks, I wouldn’t have any classes. I’d get to spend my days hanging out with Lissa, and the most I’d have to do was write a daily field report that was only about a half-page long. Easy. And, yeah, of course I’d be on guard duty, but I wasn’t concerned. That was second nature to me. She and I had lived among humans for two years, and I’d protected her the whole time. Before that, when I’d been a freshman, I’d seen the kinds of tests the adult guardians planned for novices during this phase. The ordeals were tricky, absolutely. A novice had to be on watch and not slack – and be ready to defend and attack if necessary. None of that worried me, though. Lissa and I had been away from the school our sophomore and junior years, and I’d fallen behind then. Thanks to my extra practices with Dimitri, I’d quickly caught up and was now one of the best in my class. â€Å"Hey, Rose.† Eddie Castile caught up to me as I walked into the gym where our field experience orientation would kick off. For a brief moment, looking at Eddie, my heart sank. Suddenly, it was like I was out in the quad again with Mason, staring at his sorrowful face. Eddie – along with Lissa’s boyfriend, Christian, and a Moroi named Mia – had been with our group when we’d been captured by Strigoi. Eddie hadn’t died, obviously, but he’d come very close to it. The Strigoi who’d held us had used him as food, feeding from him throughout our capture in an effort to tease the Moroi and scare the dhampirs. It had worked; I’d been terrified. Poor Eddie had been unconscious for most of the ordeal, thanks to blood loss and the endorphins that came from a vampire’s bite. He’d been Mason’s best friend and nearly as funny and lighthearted. But since we’d escaped, Eddie had changed, just like I had. He was still quick to smile and laugh, but there was a grimness to him now, a dark and serious look in his eyes that was always on guard for the worst to happen. That was understandable, of course. He pretty much had seen the worst happen. Just like with Mason’s death, I held myself responsible for this transformation in Eddie and for what he’d suffered at the hands of the Strigoi. That may not have been fair to me, but I couldn’t help it. I felt like I owed him now, like I needed to protect him or make things up to him somehow. And that was kind of funny, because I think Eddie was trying to protect me. He wasn’t stalking me or anything, but I’d noticed him keeping an eye on me. I think after what had happened, he felt he owed it to Mason to watch over his girlfriend. I never bothered to tell Eddie that I hadn’t been Mason’s girlfriend, not in the real sense of the word, just as I never rebuked Eddie for his big brother behavior. I could certainly take care of myself. But whenever I heard him warning other guys away from me, pointing out that I wasn’t ready to date anyone yet, I saw no point in interfering. It was all true. I wasn’t ready to date. Eddie gave me a lopsided smile that added a little boy type of cuteness to his long face. â€Å"Are you excited?† â€Å"Hell, yeah,† I said. Our classmates were filling in bleachers on one side of the gym, and we found a clear spot near the middle. â€Å"It’s going to be like a vacation. Me and Lissa, together for six weeks.† As frustrating as our bond was sometimes, it nonetheless made me her ideal guardian. I always knew where she was and what was happening to her. Once we graduated and were out in the world, I’d be assigned to her officially. He turned thoughtful. â€Å"Yeah, I guess you don’t have to worry as much. You know your assignment when you graduate. The rest of us aren’t so lucky.† â€Å"You got your sights set on someone royal?† I teased. â€Å"Well, it doesn’t matter. Most guardians are assigned to royals lately anyway.† That was true. Dhampirs – half-vampires like me – were in short supply, and royals usually got first pick of guardians. There was a time in the past when more Moroi, royal and non-royal alike, would have gotten guardians, and novices like us would have competed fiercely to get assigned to someone important. Now it was almost a given that every guardian would work for a royal family. There weren’t enough of us to go around, and less influential families were on their own. â€Å"Still,† I said, â€Å"I guess it’s a question of which royal you get, right? I mean, some are total snobs, but lots of them are cool. Get someone really rich and powerful, and you could be living at the Royal Court or traveling to exotic places.† That last part appealed to me a lot, and I often had fantasies of Lissa and me traveling the world. â€Å"Yup,† agreed Eddie. He nodded toward a few guys in the front row. â€Å"You wouldn’t believe the way those three have been sucking up to some of the Ivashkovs and Szelskys. It won’t affect their assignments here, of course, but you can tell they’re already trying to set things up after graduation.† â€Å"Well, the field experience can affect that. How we’re rated on this will go into our records.† Eddie nodded again and started to say something when a loud, clear feminine voice cut through the murmur of our conversation. We both looked up. While we’d been talking, our instructors had gathered in front of the bleachers and now stood facing us in an impressive line. Dimitri was among them, dark and imposing and irresistible. Alberta was trying to call us to attention. The crowd fell silent. â€Å"All right,† she began. Alberta was in her fifties, wiry and tough. Seeing her reminded me of the conversation she and Dimitri had had last night, but I filed that away for later. Victor Dashkov was not going to ruin this moment. â€Å"You all know why you’re here.† We’d become so quiet, so tense and excited, that her voice now rang through the gym. â€Å"This is the most important day of your education before you take your final trials. Today you will find out which Moroi you’ve been placed with. Last week, you were given a booklet with the full details of how the next six weeks will play out. I trust you’ve all read it by now.† I had, actually. I’d probably never read anything so thoroughly in my life. â€Å"Just to recap, Guardian Alto will highlight the main rules of this exercise.† She handed a clipboard to Guardian Stan Alto. He was one of my least favorite instructors, but after Mason’s death, some of the tension between us had lightened. We understood each other better now. â€Å"Here we go,† said Stan gruffly. â€Å"You’ll be on duty six days a week. This is actually a treat for you guys. In the real world, you’re usually working every day. You will accompany your Moroi everywhere – to class, to their dorms, to their feedings. Everything. It’s up to you to figure out how you fit into their lives. Some Moroi interact with their guardians just like friends; some Moroi prefer you to be more of an invisible ghost who doesn’t talk to them.† Did he have to use the word ghost? â€Å"Every situation is different, and you two will have to find a way to work it out to best ensure their safety. â€Å"Attacks may come at any time, anywhere, and we’ll be dressed in all black when it happens. You should always be on your guard. Remember, even though you’ll obviously know it’s us doing the attacking and not real Strigoi, you should respond as though your lives are in terrible, immediate danger. Don’t be afraid of hurting us. Some of you, I’m sure, won’t have any qualms about getting us back for past grievances.† Students in the crowd giggled at this. â€Å"But some of you may feel like you have to hold back, for fear of getting in trouble. Don’t. You’ll get in more trouble if you do hold back. Don’t worry. We can take it.† He flipped to the next page of his clipboard. â€Å"You will be on duty twenty-four hours a day for your six-day cycles, but you may sleep during daylight when your Moroi does. Just be aware that although Strigoi attacks are rare in daylight, they aren’t impossible indoors, and you will not necessarily be ‘safe’ during these times.† Stan read over a few more technicalities, and I found myself tuning them out. I knew this stuff. We all did. Glancing around, I could see I wasn’t alone in my impatience. Excitement and apprehension crackled in the crowd. Hands were clenched. Eyes were wide. We all wanted our assignments. We all wanted this to begin. When Stan finished, he handed the clipboard to Alberta. â€Å"Okay,† she said. â€Å"I’m going to call out your names one by one and announce who you’re paired with. At that time, come down here to the floor, and Guardian Chase will give you a packet containing information about your Moroi’s schedule, past, etcetera.† We all straightened up as she leafed through her papers. Students whispered. Beside me, Eddie exhaled heavily. â€Å"Oh man. I hope I get someone good,† he muttered. â€Å"I don’t want to be miserable for the next six weeks.† I squeezed his arm reassuringly. â€Å"You will,† I whispered back. â€Å"Er, get someone good, I mean. Not be miserable.† â€Å"Ryan Aylesworth,† Alberta announced clearly. Eddie flinched, and I instantly knew why. Before, Mason Ashford had always been the first one called on any class lists. That would never happen again. â€Å"You are assigned to Camille Conta.† â€Å"Damn,† muttered someone behind us, who’d apparently been hoping to get Camille. Ryan was one of the suck-ups in the front row, and he grinned broadly as he walked over to take his packet. The Contas were an up-and-coming royal family. It was rumored that one of their members was a candidate for when the Moroi queen eventually named her heir. Plus, Camille was pretty cute. Following her around wouldn’t be too hard for any guy. Ryan, walking with a swagger, seemed very pleased with himself. â€Å"Dean Barnes,† she said next. â€Å"You have Jesse Zeklos.† â€Å"Ugh,† Eddie and I both said together. If I’d been assigned to Jesse, he would have needed an extra person to protect him. From me. Alberta kept reading names, and I noticed Eddie was sweating. â€Å"Please, please let me get someone good,† he muttered. â€Å"You will,† I said. â€Å"You will.† â€Å"Edison Castile,† Alberta announced. He gulped. â€Å"Vasilisa Dragomir.† Eddie and I both froze for the space of a heartbeat, and then duty made him stand up and head toward the floor. As he stepped down the bleachers, he shot me a quick, panicked look over his shoulder. His expression seemed to say, I don’t know! I don’t know! That made two of us. The world around me slowed to a blur. Alberta kept calling names, but I didn’t hear any of them. What was going on? Clearly, someone had made a mistake. Lissa was my assignment. She had to be. I was going to be her guardian when we graduated. This made no sense. Heart racing, I watched Eddie walk over to Guardian Chase and get his packet and practice stake. He glanced down at the papers immediately, and I suspected he was double-checking the name, certain there was a mix-up. The expression on his face when he looked up told me that it was Lissa’s name he’d found. I took a deep breath. Okay. No need to panic just yet. Someone had made a clerical error here, one that could be fixed. In fact, they’d have to fix it soon. When they got to me and read Lissa’s name again, they were going to realize they’d double-booked one of the Moroi. They’d straighten it out and give Eddie someone else. After all, there were plenty of Moroi to go around. They outnumbered dhampirs at the school. â€Å"Rosemarie Hathaway.† I tensed. â€Å"Christian Ozera.† I simply stared at Alberta, unable to move or respond. No. She had not just said what I thought. A few people, noticing my lack of movement, glanced back at me. But I was dumbstruck. This wasn’t happening. My Mason delusion from last night seemed more real than this. A few moments later, Alberta also realized I wasn’t moving. She looked up from her clipboard with annoyance, scanning the crowd. â€Å"Rose Hathaway?† Someone elbowed me, like maybe I didn’t recognize my own name. Swallowing, I stood and walked down the bleachers, robot-like. There was a mistake. There had to be a mistake. I headed toward Guardian Chase, feeling like a puppet that someone else was controlling. He handed me my packet and a practice stake meant to â€Å"kill† the adult guardians with, and I stepped out of the way for the next person. Disbelieving, I read the words on the packet’s cover three times. Christian Ozera. Flipping it open, I saw his life spread out before me. A current picture. His class schedule. His family tree. His bio. It even went into detail about his parents’ tragic history, how they’d chosen to become Strigoi and had murdered several people before finally being hunted down and killed. Our directions at this point had been to read through our dossiers, pack a bag, and then meet up with our Moroi at lunch. As more names were called, many of my classmates lingered around the gym, talking to their friends and showing off their packets. I hovered near one group, discreetly waiting for a chance to talk to Alberta and Dimitri. It was a sign of my newly developing patience that I didn’t walk right up to them then and there and demand answers. Believe me, I wanted to. Instead, I let them go through their list, but it felt like forever. Honestly, how long did it take to read a bunch of names? When the last novice had been assigned his Moroi, Stan shouted above the din for us to move on to the next stage of the assignment and tried to herd out my classmates. I cut through the crowd and stalked up to Dimitri and Alberta, who blessedly were standing with each other. They were chatting about something administrative and didn’t notice me right away. When they did glance at me, I held up my packet and pointed. â€Å"What’s this?† Alberta’s face looked blank and confused. Something in Dimitri’s told me he’d been expecting this. â€Å"It’s your assignment, Miss Hathaway,† Alberta said. â€Å"No,† I said through gritted teeth. â€Å"It’s not. This is somebody else’s assignment.† â€Å"The assignments in your field experience aren’t optional,† she told me sternly. â€Å"Just as your assignments in the real world won’t be. You can’t pick who you protect based on whim and mood, not here and certainly not after graduation.† â€Å"But after graduation, I’m going to be Lissa’s guardian!† I exclaimed. â€Å"Everyone knows that. I’m supposed to have her for this thing.† â€Å"I know it’s an accepted idea that you’ll be together after graduation, but I do not recall any mandatory rulings that say you’re ‘supposed’ to have her or anyone here at school. You take who you’re assigned.† â€Å"Christian?† I threw my packet on the floor. â€Å"You’re out of your mind if you think I’m guarding him.† â€Å"Rose!† snapped Dimitri, joining the conversation at last. His voice was so hard and so sharp that I flinched and forgot what I was saying for half a second. â€Å"You’re out of line. You do not speak to your instructors like that.† I hated being chastised by anyone. I especially hated being chastised by him. And I especially hated being chastised by him when he was right. But I couldn’t help it. I was too angry, and the lack of sleep was taking its toll. My nerves felt raw and strained, and suddenly, little things seemed difficult to bear. And big things like this? Impossible to bear. â€Å"Sorry,† I said with great reluctance. â€Å"But this is stupid. Nearly as stupid as not bringing us to Victor Dashkov’s trial.† Alberta blinked in surprise. â€Å"How did you know – Never mind. We’ll deal with that later. For now, this is your assignment, and you need to do it.† Eddie suddenly spoke up beside me, his voice filled with apprehension. I’d lost track of him earlier. â€Å"Look †¦ I don’t mind†¦. We can switch†¦.† Alberta turned her stony gaze from me to him. â€Å"No, you certainly cannot. Vasilisa Dragomir is your assignment.† She looked back at me. â€Å"And Christian Ozera is yours. End of discussion.† â€Å"This is stupid!† I repeated. â€Å"Why should I waste my time with Christian? Lissa’s the one I’m going to be with when I graduate. Seems like if you want me to be able to do a good job, you should have me practice with her.† â€Å"You will do a good job with her,† said Dimitri. â€Å"Because you know her. And you have your bond. But somewhere, someday, you could end up with a different Moroi. You need to learn how to guard someone with whom you have absolutely no experience.† â€Å"I have experience with Christian,† I grumbled. â€Å"That’s the problem. I hate him.† Okay, that was a huge exaggeration. Christian annoyed me, true, but I didn’t really hate him. As I’d said, working together against the Strigoi had changed a lot of things. Again, I felt like my lack of sleep and general irritability were cranking up the magnitude of everything. â€Å"So much the better,† said Alberta. â€Å"Not everyone you protect will be your friend. Not everyone you protect will be someone you like. You need to learn this.† â€Å"I need to learn how to fight Strigoi,† I said. â€Å"I’ve learned that in class.† I fixed them with a sharp look, ready to play my trump card. â€Å"And I’ve done it in person.† â€Å"There’s more to this job than the technicalities, Miss Hathaway. There’s a whole personal aspect – a bedside manner, if you will – that we don’t touch on much in class. We teach you how to deal with the Strigoi. You need to learn how to deal with the Moroi yourselves. And you in particular need to deal with someone who has not been your best friend for years.† â€Å"You also need to learn what it’s like to work with someone when you can’t instantly sense that they’re in danger,† added Dimitri. â€Å"Right,† agreed Alberta. â€Å"That’s a handicap. If you want to be a good guardian – if you want to be an excellent guardian – then you need to do as we say.† I opened my mouth to fight this, to argue that having someone I was so close to would train me up faster and make me a better guardian for any other Moroi. Dimitri cut me off. â€Å"Working with another Moroi will also help keep Lissa alive,† he said. That shut me down. It was pretty much the only thing that could have, and damn him, he knew it. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"Lissa’s got a handicap too – you. If she never has a chance to learn what it’s like to be guarded by someone without a psychic connection, she could be at greater risk if attacked. Guarding someone is really a two-person relationship. This assignment for your field experience is as much for her as for you.† I stayed silent as I processed his words. They almost made sense. â€Å"And,† added Alberta, â€Å"it’s the only assignment you’re going to get. If you don’t take it, then you opt out of the field experience.† Opt out? Was she crazy? It wasn’t like a class I could sit out from for one day. If I didn’t do my field experience, I didn’t graduate. I wanted to explode about unfairness, but Dimitri stopped me without saying a word. The constant, calm look in his dark eyes held me back, encouraging me to accept this gracefully – or as close as I could manage. Reluctantly I picked up the packet. â€Å"Fine,† I said icily. â€Å"I’ll do this. But I want it noted that I’m doing this against my will.† â€Å"I think we already figured that out, Miss Hathaway,† remarked Alberta dryly. â€Å"Whatever. I still think it’s a horrible idea, and you eventually will too.† I turned and stormed off across the gym before any of them could respond. In doing so, I fully realized what a bitchy little brat I sounded like. But if they’d just endured their best friend’s sex life, seen a ghost, and hardly gotten any sleep, they’d have been bitchy too. Plus, I was about to spend six weeks with Christian Ozera. He was sarcastic, difficult, and made jokes about everything. Actually, he was a lot like me. It was going to be a long six weeks. How to cite Shadow Kiss Chapter 2, Essay examples

Alibrandi essay free essay sample

In the movie Looking for Alibrandi, director Kate Woods uses many techniques to help you understand the main character, Josie. Some of these techniques are internal dialogue and voice-over narration, day-dream sequences and colour enhancement. All these techniques help viewers to have a better understanding of Josies character. The first technique that Woods uses that is very effective appears in an important part of the movie. Internal dialogue is used so that we can hear how Josie is feeling about the things she is going through. An example of this is in the opening scene when it is the Italian communitys â€Å"Tomato Day† and Italians get together to peel and stew tomatoes for tomato sauce. From voice-over narration we can hear Josies internal dialogue and understand that Josie doesnt identify with this old-fashioned get together at all. We hear exactly what Josie thinks of it: â€Å"You might think this is all quirky and cute, but I find it really embarrassing. We will write a custom essay sample on Alibrandi essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page You would think we were still in Sicilly, but they left there 50 years ago Ive got to get out of here! So therefore voice-over narration is a clever technique for helping viewers understand that Josie does not identify with her Italian-Australian heritage or the traditions they follow, and this is particularly useful in the opening scene because it explains what may lie at the heart of Josies challenges and conflicts to follow. The second technique used by the director to help us understand more about Josie is the day-dream sequence. Whenever Woods want the viewer to understand that Josie is having a day-dream the film is in slow motion and in sepia tones. An example of this is when Josie has a crush on John Barton, who is from a private boys school. She imagines herself standing beside John who is now the Premier of Australia and that she is Mrs Alibrandi-Barton. Cameras are snapping, tickertape is flying and reporters are wanting to speak to her. Another example of a day-dream sequence is when Josie is watching Carly, a very rich and spoiled daughter of a racist talk-back host, getting out of the car on the first day of school. We can tell its day-dream because suddenly Carly is walking very slowly and waving like a movie star. This scene shows us that Josie is very jealous of Carly because she is beautiful, rich and her family is friends with Johns. So therefore, Woods has helped viewers to understand that Josie has a strong imagination and how Josie feels about John Barton and Carly. Finally, Woods uses colour enhancement to help us understand more about Josie. This is when the director uses strong Sepia tonesto show us that Josie thinks what is happening is old-fashioned. At the very beginning of the opening scene viewers are presented with a panning shot of Josies Italian family busily making tomato sauce. We are given the impression that this is set some time in the past. When Josie starts talking the colour changes to full colour. From this technique we learn that Josie doesnt regard Tomato Day as part of her world, or the world of modern Australia. So therefore Woods use of strong sepia tonings right at the beginning of the opening scene helped us understand that Josie was straining against expressions of her Italian-Australian heritage. In the closing scene it is â€Å"Tomato Day† again but the whole thing is filmed in full-colour with Josie taking part in the stirring and dancing with Nona. Instead of escaping to the beach, she invites her friends in. This helps us understand that by the end of the movie, Josie is comfortable with her Italian-Australia heritage and has therefore overcome some major personal conflicts about her identity. In conclusion, in the movie Looking for Alibrandi, director Kate Woods was able to help viewers understand main character Josies opinions and conflicts through the verbal techniques of internal dialogue and voice-over narration, and visual techniques of day-dream sequences and strong sepia tones. The dialogue allowed us to understand what Josie was thinking and it lets you get into the frame of mind of the leading character of the movie. Day-dream sequences were important because they disclosed Josies fears and hopes for the future while strong sepia colour helped us to know that Josie thought that her family was old-fashioned.

Animal Testing Kills Essay Example For Students

Animal Testing Kills Essay Hundreds of animals are dying everyday, and it can be avoided. Animal testing in thousands of companies is killing animals every day. In the essay They Knew But Little , the Kentuckians didnt care much about the environment, and today, there are still too many people that dont see that animal testing is cruel and unnecessary. Toxicity tests are inconclusive. The Lethal Dose 50% test or LD-50 forces increasing amounts of a test product until half of the test group dies. Animals are fed or injected with cosmetic products As the dose increases internal organs become blocked, rupture, and cause animals organs to not function and they bleed on the inside. If the animals are not murdered in the test, they are killed afterwards. Toxicity tests determine the effective toxicity for animals but not humans. They determine the toxic level for mice, dogs, rabbits, cats and chimpanzees, but not for young or old men and women. Some animals die in the test as a result of the volume of material, not the toxicity of the material. Most important, is the number of animals that suffer unnecessarily: why pour drain cleaner down the throats of animals, when humans would never do such a thing?Eye irritancy tests are outdated. Companies use the Draize Test to determine the irritancy of household products and cosmetics including l aundry soap, toilet cleaner, perfumes and shampoos. The animal being tested on is tied up so that movement is restricted. They are not given any pain killers or anything. Substances are dripped into the eyes of the animal ( usually rabbits in eye tests), and results are recorded over a period of three to twenty days. Some bad reactions result in irritation or blindness. Rabbits eyes have thinner corneas, and are more sensitive to inflammation than humans eyes. That is why it doesnt make sense to test something on an eye that will react differently to a humans. Skin tests are also not very cute They shave the area that will be tested on the animal, and then rub the product on the shaved skin. If the skin reacts badly to the product, they break their necks, throw them away, change the product then test it on another animal! So you ask What if the skin doesnt react They kill the animal anyways because they say that if they tested another product on it, and the product reacted, it could just be reacting to the other product that was tested firstly on the skin. Animal testing It causes unnessessary pain to hundreds of animals. It is a waste of lives. Some people say that animals dont have feelings Of course they do Specially the feeling of pain. Everything does. Imagine being tied up with ropes or hanging from a metal device, and having drain cleaner poured down your throat Its what hundreds of animals go through every day. And companies continue to Animal Test