Using Technology to Motivate Students in the Science Classroom Essay Example for Free

Using Technology to Motivate Students in the Science Classroom Essay Each year, more students are dropping out of high school. Students are bored and feel that they are not learning anything that is useful in the real world. Teachers are finding an increasing number of students becoming less engaged in their academic studies. There are public schools willing to bribe students to pay attention and make better grades. Instead of bribery, educators need to make the curriculum more appealing to student interests, develop critical thinking skills to be able to adapt and/or solve real life problems. Today’s world is full of media and technology use that can be used in the classroom to spice things up. This paper focuses on the integration of WebQuests, virtual video games, and virtual dissections in the science curriculum. Using Technology to Motivate Students in the Science Classroom Today, a majority of students are either bored, frustrated, or feel like school is a waste of time. Many educators find that these students will not complete assignments, participate in classroom activities, or try their best. There are a number of reasons for the lack of motivation in students including they may have learning disabilities, have bad experiences in school, fear ridicule from their peers, and or they are not learning about a subject they are interested in. Many educators find that these students will not try, will not complete assignments, or participate in classroom discussions or activities. Some students who seem unmotivated may have learning disabilities, had bad experiences in school, fear ridicule, and or are not in a class or subject they are interested in. Some of these students just sit there and daydream. While others become discipline problems by disrupting class and hurting the learning chances of others. Educators are constantly assigning detention and in-school suspension to those with discipline issues. Students who misbehave or have given up tend to have this psychological perceptive that they are compensating for their belief that they are stupid (Mendler, 2000). There are number of public schools that seem to be desperate enough for students to make better grades that they are willing to bribe students, not with candy or homework passes, but with money. There are public schools around the country that have used or are currently using programs that pay students to make better grades. Students who participate in these programs may make better grades, temporarily; however, when the cash incentives are removed the grades tend to return to their normal range. Most educators agree with Sullo (2009) statement that giving students bribes like this only â€Å"devalues education and learning.† Rather than using these extrinsic rewards, educators need to use more intrinsic system that relies on students taking more interest in the topics or materials covered. Pederson’s William’s (2004) study states that the usage of more problem based learning would work better as an intrinsic motivator. In problem based learning students have to set up their own objectives in how to solve a problem given to them by the teacher. This student centered method gives students more ownership of their goals and gives more meaning to their work. In addition, using students centered assessment, where students are involve with their own evaluation, helps students to examine what and how they have performed their tasks. Using a WebQuest Some researchers say that the way to motivate students is to cover topics that relate to real life. One way to make a topic relevant to real life is to use a WebQuest. A WebQuests are inquiry-based activities that were developed in 1995 by Bernie Dodge (March, 2003). This type of activity uses a layered process in which the learner uses the internet to facilitate the acquisition, synthesis and analysis of information. It requires the learner to take charge of their own learning, resulting in better understanding and retention of knowledge. A WebQuest is made up for six critical components: an introduction, task, resources, a step-by-step process, an evaluation, and conclusion (Yoder, 1999). When implemented correctly, WebQuests not only challenges the learner to collect and gather information, but to take the knowledge and apply it to real-life scenarios, relationships and processes. The task itself can be modified in length of time it takes to complete and groups, individual or coll ective. One of the disadvantages of WebQuests is the time it takes a teacher to create or critique a pre-made task. But as with any other good teaching methods, planning and preparation is time-consuming. Most WebQuest are free to use online. Any teachers can create their own WebQuest or use an already made WebQuest. There are WebQuest wizards available online that can help a teacher through the creation process. When using a pre-made WebQuest the teacher must go through the activity and make sure the information if correct and that all the web links are working. A science teacher could create a WebQuest that would have students look at water pollution in an area. The students task would be to research ways to prevent water pollution and ways to clean it up. A few examples of pre-made WebQuest can be found on the sites listed in listed in Table 1. Place Table 1 about here Virtual Games Current and past studies on student motivation have found that traditional instruction lacks researched strategies that could promote motivation in students (Dantonio Beisenherz; 1990). Most educators tend to stick to traditional methods of teaching to the text and having students memorizing facts. Instead, teachers need to use a combination of text, activities, and projects to better engage students. Discovery learning allows students to pursue their own answers to explain an event of what happens during a laboratory experiment is an intrinsic motivational technique. What is today’s perceived mind-waster could be one of tomorrow’s educational solutions. According to an article written by Greenemeir (2009), several educators are advocating that schools use video games because it promotes discovery learning via development of critical thinking skills that students can apply to real-life situations and enhances their understanding in math and science. Video games provide multiple modes and means that can be adapted to different learning styles. They often challenge the learner competitively in order to boost motivation and learning goals. Virtual games allow the learner to take small steps to accomplish complex tasks. Learners are often in charge of their own learning and are given feedback frequently. The Director of Future Learning Initiatives at Kauffman Foundation, Merrilea Mayo, cites studies that show a 7 to 40 percent improvement in learning when using virtual games versus the traditional lecture format (Greenemeier 2009). One of the drawbacks to using video games in an educational setting is finding quality games. Many games tout being educational, but just use superficial elements that do not actually teach content (Dewar, 2010). Educators need to make sure that winning is based on thorough knowledge of material. When creating an educational virtual game the game needs to be relevant and meaningful to the student, show that what is learned can be used in other situations, such as in real life. In addition, games need to involve the student in each aspect, motivate students by piquing their interests. Some games may require a fee, but there are also some quality activities that are free. Whyville, for example, is a virtual world that engages and teaches the learner through various constructional games, role playing and activities. Other examples of virtual games are listed in Table 2. Place Table 2 about here Virtual Dissection Another way to make the topic more interesting and students willing to do an activity would be to use virtual dissections instead of real, hands on dissections in the classroom. There are some students and/or parents that refuse to dissect a real animal for the sake of a science class. One way to get around this problem is to use a virtual dissection program. In a study (Lalley et al. 2010) performed on the virtual dissection software, V-Frog ©, the researchers found that students using the software did not learn more than students who did the actual hands on dissection. However, the advantages to using a virtual dissection can out-weigh any of the possible disadvantages. In the science class, students are able to do an in-depth study of the anatomy of both an invertebrate and vertebrate animals through dissection. Within a virtual dissection, students are able to repeat their dissection as a review; no one would have to deal with the smell, and of the decomposing specimens. In addition, by using a virtual dissection, students are not handling sharp objects or going to their next class like their specimen. There are multiple virtual dissections programs available via software and through different websites, from dissecting mammals, reptiles, owl pellets, to flowers. In addition, there are several free to use, online websites with pictures of the different dissected parts visible (see Table 3). By using online websites, a school can save money on not having to buy new specimens each year per class. In addition, students can review the material in places outside of school. Place Table 3 about here Conclusion It can be hard to motivate students, especially when educators have not been train in how to actually motivate students. Educators not only need to know how to motivate students but also in managing and coping with students who come to class with the plan to create as much disruption as possible in order to entertain themselves. More and more students are dropping out of high school because they are bored and feel that they are not learning anything that is useful in the real world. Educators need to make the curriculum more appealing to student interests, to real life events and problems. If students are interested in the topic and engaged in classroom activities there will be less discipline issues which might lead to less student dropouts. Reference Dantonio, M. Beisenherg, P. (1990). Don’t just demonstrate – motivate! The science teacher, 57(2), 27-29. Dewar, G. (2010). Educational video games. Retrieved from http://www.parenting science.com/educational-video-games.html Greenemeier, L. (2009, January 1). Using virtual worlds and video games to teach the lessons of reality. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/60- second-science/post.cfm?id=using-virtual-worlds-and-video-game-2009-01-01 Lalley, J.P., Piotrowski, P.S. Battaglia, B., Brophy, K. Chugh, K. (2010). A comparison of V- Frog © to physical frog dissection. International Journal of Environmental Science Education, 5(2), 189-200. March, T. (2003). In What WebQuests Are (Really). Retrieved from http://bestwebquests.com/ what_webquests_are.asp Mendler, A. N. (2000). Motivating students who do not care: Successful techniques for educators. Bloomington, Indiana: National Education Services, 7. Patrick, H., Yoon, C. (2004). Early adolescents’ motivation during science investigation. The Journal of educational research, 97(6), 319-338. Pedersen, S., Williams, D. (2004). Comparison of assessment on effects of learning and motivation in student centered classroom. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 13(3), 283-306. Sullo, B. (2009). The motivated student: Unlocking the enthusiasm for learning. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD. Yoder, M.B. (1999). The student WebQuest: A productive and thought provoking use of the internet. Learning and Leading with Technology, 26(7), 6-9. Table 1. WebQuest Web Resources |Internet4Classrooms |http://www.internet4classrooms.com | |WebQuest.org |http://webquest.org | |teAchnology |http://www.teach-nology.com | Table 2. Virtual Game Web Resources |Whyville |http://www.whyville.net | |Kinetic City |http://www.kineticcity.com | |Planet Science |http://www.planet-science.com | Table 3. Examples of Free Virtual Dissection Web Resources |Cow Eye Dissection |http://www.exploratorium.edu/learning_studio/cow_eye/index.html | |Frog Dissection |http://www.cumberland.k12.il.us/schools/chs/starwalt%20projects/Frog%20Dissection/frog_dissection.htm | | |http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs/BL_16/BL_16.html | |Fetal Pig Dissection |http://www.whitman.edu/biology/vpd/main.html

Wanted and Unwanted Sounds and Their Affects on the Psychological and P

Wanted and Unwanted Sounds and Their Affects on the Psychological and Physiological Performance Research Question: How does â€Å"unwanted† sound affect the physiological and psychological performance differently than â€Å"wanted† sound? Thesis statement: â€Å"Wanted† and â€Å"unwanted† sounds have the same physiological effects on the human body but effect its psychological performance differently. Introduction: Sound is a particular auditory impression perceived by the sense of hearing. The presence of unwanted sound is called noise pollution. This unwanted sound can seriously damage and effect physiological and psychological health. For instance, noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, and other harmful effects depending on the level of sound, or how loud it is. Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to heart problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe depression and at times panic attacks. Everything from the sound of an alarm clock in the morning to the sound of an airplane passing by to the sound of your friend screaming at you can cause noise pollution, and leave you effected for a short period, or for the rest of your life. But not all sound is â€Å"unwanted†. Many people listen to music, and go out to clubs and parties without suffering from any of the negative symptoms of â€Å"unwanted† sound. Many people enjoy playing instruments like the piano or the trumpet. â€Å"Wanted† sound, unlike â€Å"unwanted† sound can relief stress, and relaxation and the calming of a person. However on the physiological aspects, â€Å"wanted† sound can be just as harmful as â€Å"unwanted sound†. There are many misconceptions about sound and hearing, and the greatest misconception is about loud sound not being harmful as long as it is wanted. Literature Review: The human body perceives sound through the sensory organ called the ear. Humans have two ears, where sound waves enter and transform into signals that can be perceived as â€Å"hearing†. Hearing is a complicated process. Everything that moves makes a sound. Sound consists of vibrations that travel in waves which enter the ear and are changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. The brain interprets the signals as sounds. Sound is measured in decibels (dB), where zero is the lower limit of audibility, and 130... ...cago. 6. Wagman, Richard J. The New Complete Medical and Health Encyclopedia. Volume Two. J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company: Chicago. 7. Wagman, Richard J. The New Complete Medical and Health Encyclopedia. Volume Three. J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company: Chicago. 8. World Book 1998 Multimedia Encyclopedia. â€Å"Ear† 9. World Book 1998 Multimedia Encyclopedia. â€Å"Hearing† 10. World Book 1998 Multimedia Encyclopedia. â€Å"Deafness(Types of hearing loss) 11. Readers Digest. ABC’s of the Human Body: â€Å"The Ear, Nose, and Throat†, pages 208-209 12. Murray, John.Introduction to Human And Social Biology. Little, Brown and Company. 13. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. Ninth Edition:1980, pages 108-109 14. The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book, Inc. Chicago:1989. Volume 14, pages 455-456. 15. The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book, Inc. Chicago:1989. Volume 18, pages 599-606. 16. Fay, Thomas H. Noise & Health. The New York Academy of Medicine: 1991. 17. Casa de Maria Research Center. â€Å"Sound Therapy† 18. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary 19. Carassava, Anthee.Mad About the Noise. Time Magazine: July 27, 1998. 20. Dr. Damluji (Interview). Wanted and Unwanted Sounds and Their Affects on the Psychological and P Wanted and Unwanted Sounds and Their Affects on the Psychological and Physiological Performance Research Question: How does â€Å"unwanted† sound affect the physiological and psychological performance differently than â€Å"wanted† sound? Thesis statement: â€Å"Wanted† and â€Å"unwanted† sounds have the same physiological effects on the human body but effect its psychological performance differently. Introduction: Sound is a particular auditory impression perceived by the sense of hearing. The presence of unwanted sound is called noise pollution. This unwanted sound can seriously damage and effect physiological and psychological health. For instance, noise pollution can cause annoyance and aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss, and other harmful effects depending on the level of sound, or how loud it is. Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to heart problems, whereas tinnitus can lead to forgetfulness, severe depression and at times panic attacks. Everything from the sound of an alarm clock in the morning to the sound of an airplane passing by to the sound of your friend screaming at you can cause noise pollution, and leave you effected for a short period, or for the rest of your life. But not all sound is â€Å"unwanted†. Many people listen to music, and go out to clubs and parties without suffering from any of the negative symptoms of â€Å"unwanted† sound. Many people enjoy playing instruments like the piano or the trumpet. â€Å"Wanted† sound, unlike â€Å"unwanted† sound can relief stress, and relaxation and the calming of a person. However on the physiological aspects, â€Å"wanted† sound can be just as harmful as â€Å"unwanted sound†. There are many misconceptions about sound and hearing, and the greatest misconception is about loud sound not being harmful as long as it is wanted. Literature Review: The human body perceives sound through the sensory organ called the ear. Humans have two ears, where sound waves enter and transform into signals that can be perceived as â€Å"hearing†. Hearing is a complicated process. Everything that moves makes a sound. Sound consists of vibrations that travel in waves which enter the ear and are changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. The brain interprets the signals as sounds. Sound is measured in decibels (dB), where zero is the lower limit of audibility, and 130... ...cago. 6. Wagman, Richard J. The New Complete Medical and Health Encyclopedia. Volume Two. J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company: Chicago. 7. Wagman, Richard J. The New Complete Medical and Health Encyclopedia. Volume Three. J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company: Chicago. 8. World Book 1998 Multimedia Encyclopedia. â€Å"Ear† 9. World Book 1998 Multimedia Encyclopedia. â€Å"Hearing† 10. World Book 1998 Multimedia Encyclopedia. â€Å"Deafness(Types of hearing loss) 11. Readers Digest. ABC’s of the Human Body: â€Å"The Ear, Nose, and Throat†, pages 208-209 12. Murray, John.Introduction to Human And Social Biology. Little, Brown and Company. 13. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine. Ninth Edition:1980, pages 108-109 14. The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book, Inc. Chicago:1989. Volume 14, pages 455-456. 15. The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book, Inc. Chicago:1989. Volume 18, pages 599-606. 16. Fay, Thomas H. Noise & Health. The New York Academy of Medicine: 1991. 17. Casa de Maria Research Center. â€Å"Sound Therapy† 18. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary 19. Carassava, Anthee.Mad About the Noise. Time Magazine: July 27, 1998. 20. Dr. Damluji (Interview).

Ethical Consumption of Cell Phones Essay

1. INTRODUCTION In just 30 years, mobile telephony has grown into a major global industry, with an estimated 5 billion users around the world, compared with a total world population of around 7 billion people. While new subscriber growth has slowed somewhat in recent years, product turnover remains high, with over 1 billion new mobile phones shipped in 2009 alone. This paper firstly examines the life cycle of a cell phone, describing its stages from the extraction of the materials to its disposal or re-usage possibilities. It also discussed the ethical issues that impact the environment and society. Lastly, two cell phone manufactures (Apple and Nokia) are being compared in terms of how they deal with environmental impacts. 2. LIFE CYCLE OF A CELL PHONE Stage One: Extraction of Materials Mobile phones generally comprise approximately 40% metals and 40% plastics, with the remainder made up of glass, ceramic and other miscellaneous materials. The parts of a cell phone include the circuit board, the liquid crystal display (LCD) and the rechargeable battery. The circuit board, which controls all of the phone’s functions, consists of copper, gold, silver, lead, nickel, tin, coltan, and zinc. The LCD, which is a flat-panel display where all the information and images appear, is made of glass or plastic. Batteries power the cell phone and, depending on the type of battery, may contain nickel, cobalt, zinc, cadmium and copper. Many of these materials are so called â€Å"persistent toxins† that remain in the environment for a long period of time, even after disposal. Furthermore, an important life cycle consideration is the energy required to extract metals from their respective ores. From an energy perspective, precious metals gold and silver and exceed the impact of copper. In addition, the energy content of glass also has a significant energy footprint, due to the high melt temperatures that are required during manufacturing. Stage Two: Materials Processing Raw materials that go into making cell phones must first be processed before manufacturers can use them. For example, to make the plastic casing, crude oil needs to be combined with natural gas and chemicals. The copper used to make the circuit board and batteries has to be mined from the ground, heated and treated with chemicals and electricity before it can be formed into wires and sheets. Stage Three: Manufacturing The individual parts of a cell phone each go through a manufacturing process. The circuit board is shaped using plastics and fibreglass and then coated with gold plating. The circuits and wires of the circuit board are soldered, glued and coated. The LCD is made with liquid crystals layered between glass or plastic. These layers include two polarized panels, with a liquid crystal solution between them. Light is projected through the layer of liquid crystals and is colorized, which produces the visible image. Batteries have two electrodes (both made from a different metal) and each electrode is touched by a liquid material called electrolytes. When an outlet or another outside electrical source is applied, a chemical reaction between the electrodes and the electrolytes causes an electric current to flow and powers the battery. Stage Four: Packaging and Transportation The transportation process and packaging of cell phones is seen as harmful to the environment. Transporting cell phones for distribution requires the use of fossil fuels for energy, which can contribute to global climate change. While packaging protects products from damage, identifies contents, and provides information, excessive or decorative packaging contributes to the waste that we produce. Packaging consumes valuable natural resources, such as paper (from trees), plastic (from crude oil in the earth), aluminium (from ore), or other materials, all of which use energy to produce and can result in waste. Some packaging, however, can be made from recycled materials. Stage Five: Useful Life You can extend the use of your cell phone by taking good care of it as in protecting it from damage by storing it in a case, avoiding dropping it, and keeping it out of extreme heat and cold and away from water and other liquids. However, the materials that are used to make cell phones can potentially damage the environment and harm people. Therefore, it is important to reuse, recycle or properly dispose cell phones. Reuse: Many organizations, including recyclers, charities, and electronics manufacturers, accept working cell phones and offer them to schools, community organizations, and individuals in need. Reuse gives people, who could not otherwise afford them, free or reduced cost access to new phones and this also extends the useful lifetime of a phone. Recycle: Nowadays, many stores, manufacturers, and recycling centres accept cell phones for recycling. Some cell phones can be fixed and sold as refurbished phones, or parts can be used to fix phones. Some rechargeable batteries can also be recycled, as this way the recovered materials can be used to make new batteries and stainless steel products. Disposal: However, about 40% of cell phones can’t be sold as refurbished cell phones. These cell phones are shredded as well as smelted at a copper refiner. Many metals actually go back to their natural state. This process helps replenish some natural resources and it is called above ground mining. Still, many cell phones are simply thrown in the trash and end up in landfills (buried in the ground) or incinerators (burned). Because cell phones contain metals, plastics, chemicals, and other potentially hazardous substances, they should always be recycled or properly disposed. Phones that are thrown away waste energy and result in the loss of valuable resources. This figure shows the cell phone recycling rate from 2007 to 2010 in the United Stated. Even though sales were the highest in 2010, the recycling rate did not correspond to the sales. 3. ETHICAL ISSUES 1. Energy Conservation The quantity of mobile phone usage increases any environmental impact of this product. Life-cycle analysis conducted by the European Commission shows that energy consumption is the greatest impact, both during manufacture of components and during their usage. Nokia estimated that if 10% of worldwide subscribers would unplug their chargers once their phone is fully charged, the energy saved could to supply 60,000 European homes for one year. Issues like wastage of energy due to overcharging and or mobiles left unplugged even after being fully charged needs to be addressed more. 2. Exploitation & Illegal Trading The material used in the manufacturing of the mobile phones is coltan, a heat resistant material found in the Republic of Congo. In the Coltan, mines there are children that have to work instead of going to school and many reputable companies buy this mineral. Companies have to resort to material provided by controversial circumstances. What is Coltan? Coltan, short for columbite-tantalite is a metallic ore comprising niobium and tantalum. The niobium-dominant mineral in coltan is columbite, and the tantalum-dominant mineral is tantalite. Niobium, whose leading producer in Brazil, is mostly found in the mineral pyrochlore whereas tantalum is extracted from the ore, tantalite and is created by smelting and tin mining in some places. Tantalum mineral is mainly mined in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, China, Ethiopia, Mozambique and other central African countries. Coltan is important for manufacturing cell phones because it is in the capacitors that control current flow in the cell phone’s circuit board. When refined, coltan becomes a heat resistant powder, metallic tantalum which has unique properties for storing electrical charge. Mining Coltan In the Coltan is mined by hand in the Congo by groups of men digging basins in streams by scrapping off the surface mud. They then â€Å"slosh† the water around the crater, which causes the Coltan ore to settle at the bottom of the crater where it is retrieved by the miners. A team can â€Å"mine† one kilo of Coltan per day. Most of these miners are children which are subjected to extreme conditions. Therefore, awareness has to be brought to these terrible working conditions by which these child workers are affected. Coltan financing war A recent report by the UN has claimed that all the parties involved in the local civil war have been involved in the mining and sale of Coltan. One report suggested that the neighbouring Rwandan army made US$250 million from selling Coltan in less than 18 months, despite there being no Coltan in Rwanda to mine. The military forces of Uganda and Burundi are also implicated in smuggling Coltan out of Congo for resale in Belgium. A report to the United Nations Security Council has called for a moratorium on purchase and import of resources from the Democratic Republic of Congo, due to the ongoing civil war that has dragged in the surrounding countries. 3. Toxics Waste disposal & Environmental Impact Persistent Bio accumulative toxins Persistent Bio accumulative toxins (PBTs) PBTs are particularly dangerous because they do not degrade over long periods of time, and can easily spread and move between air, water, and soil, resulting in the accumulation of toxins far from the original point source of pollution. Because PBTs accumulate in fatty issue of humans and animals, the toxins are gradually concentrated and are of great risk. Cell phone batteries Rechargeable batteries are rapidly changing as technological advances improve new power sources. Already 60% of rechargeable Batteries sold worldwide are used in cell phones. However, rechargeable currently have toxic constituents such as cadmium, as well as brominated flame-retardants. The total environmental impact from cell phone batteries depends on a batteries material composition as well as on the time cell phones are used before they are discarded. Therefore, many cell phone users replace their batteries at least once before retiring their phones Lead Lead is a highly poisonous metal affecting almost every organ and system in the body. It has been widely used in electronics as the primary method of attaching components to the printed wiring boards. Lead is a toxin to both humans and the environment. It is a common contaminant and can impact entire ecosystems. In humans, it affects the central nervous system, immune and vascular systems, kidneys, and the endocrine system, with serious effects on the development of children’s brains. Lead is also a possible carcinogen. It accumulates in the environment and has very high chronic and acute effects on microorganisms, plants, and animals. 4. Society In past few years, the boom in the usage of mobile phones has tremendously increased, a large percentage of which are children. With the advancement of technology with faster data rate and streaming videos, the youth has been given unlimited access to any contents on web. Restrictions should be established to prohibit children from accessing adult content. Also, mobile phones have been restricted to be used during driving as it has been one of the factors of road accidents. 4. COMPANY COMPARISON: APLLE vs. NOKIA How do these companies deal with environmental impacts? This part of the paper compared two companies in the cellular industry, Apple and Nokia, and how these firms deal with environmental impacts. Although Apple is not entirely a mobile devices producer, its only mobile phone, the iPhone, is very popular and widely sold. Nokia is a well known mobile devices producer, which was dominating the industry for a very long time. However, in past couple years they have faced tremendous difficulties catching up with the technological changes, and did not produce a â€Å"smart phone† in time. Despite their rapid losses in revenues, they still operate in this market, and one of their latest smart phones, the LUMIA 800, is very similar to the iPhone 4S. Both phones have similar hardware preferences and are comprised of similar materials. Now let’s take a look at which company is better off when it comes to sustainable business. Apple iPhone 4S Apple generally says that their products are brominated flame retardant – free, PVC – free, mercury – free, and that the glass they use is arsenic – free. All of these factors conclude in a positive result for Apple. Also, the iPhone releases a minimum of CO2 -gases. In fact, it releases only 1.2g of CO2-gases per hour, whereas a light bulb produces 48.4g per hour. This performance is due to the LED screen, as LED produces the least CO2 of all light sources. Furthermore, Apple has reduced the size of their packages of iPhones by 42%, which not only rapidly reduces the amount of materials necessary, but they can also ship 80% more boxes in each airline shipping container. That saves one 747 flight for every 371,250 units they ship. If you count in the amounts of fuel that is saved and add every aspect of this change together, it is clear that Apple’s Environmental Management is doing incredibly well. Their whole portfolio regarding environment is a p erfect marketing strategy. They claim that all of their products are fully recyclable. This also includes the power conservation, which in this case is a Lithium-Ion battery. This battery is efficient and long lasting, which eliminated the necessity to replace the battery often. Despite this, there is no way the battery can be removed from the phone without unscrewing the body of the phone, for which you need ultra thin screw drivers. Therefore, nobody can actually recycle these batteries themselves, unless they return it to Apple or give their phones to a recycling company. Despite all of these positive factors, Apple still operates this business using very irrational sales policies. They replace their products with twice as strong hardware every year and adapt the software to the new hardware, which makes the old products very slow and ultimately unable to use. This forces the customers to always buy the newest models, which eventually produces a lot of waste. Nokia LUMIA 800 Although Nokia now has very strong environmental reporting, this whole process started only after the crisis the company went through. Despite this, the LUMIA 800 proves to be a very sustainable product. In Nokia’s reports, it is stated that the phone is BFR-free and PVC-free. The company also states that this phone produces 16kg of CO2 emissions per constant 3 years of usage. Equally divided this yields 0.6g per hour of use, however this is not very reliable because it depends on the way these emissions are measured. When it comes to packaging, Nokia still uses the big boxes. After almost 15 years, they still use the same size of the boxes loaded with papers which contribute to a large amount of material waste. All in all, both companies provide very detailed information about their business ethics, and both rank positively. Apple as well as Nokia lay a great emphasis on improving the environmental aspects of their products and processes in each phase of the product life cycl e, from raw material acquisition till the end of the product’s useful life. Both companies state to have reduced their carbon footprint, while introducing new features and constantly improving their products. To conclude, it cannot be said which company performs better as each of them has its advantages and disadvantages. Taking all the above mentioned points into consideration, this paper aims to highlight the ethical issues of mobile phones. When buying a cell phone, most consumers do not even think about what impacts their choice can have on the environment; the same applies to the disposal after the end of life. There are estimated 5 billion cell phone users which should be made more aware of the potential hazards of mobiles. They can cause environmental and health issues, causing CO2-emissions which increase the carbon footprint. Therefore, in conclusion, the choice which cell phone to buy should not only be based on cost and technical factors but also include environmental aspects.

Predicting the Presidential Election with Baseball

Can the winner of the World Series predict who will become President of the United States? If the American League wins, will that mean a win for the Republican candidate? If the National League wins, does that mean a Democratic president for the next four years? A 24-Year Hot Streak Up until  the 1980 presidential election, it appeared that the World Series was an accurate predictor of the presidential race. From 1952 to 1976, whenever the  American League won the World Series, the President to win in that years election was a Republican. If the National League won, then the election went to the Democrat. However,  the Series hot streak ended with the 1980 election. That year, the Philadelphia Phillies, a National League team, won the Series and Ronald Reagan, a Republican, won the White House. Since then, the World Series has accurately predicted the presidential race 5 out of 9 times, giving is a batting average of 0.555 (or round it up to 0.556, if you must). Thats a very good average for baseball but otherwise is not much  better than flipping a coin. Seven-Game Sage The Series is a better predictor of presidents when it goes to seven games. In all of the following election years, the Series got it right. If an American League (AL) team won, so did the Republicans; if a National League (NL) team won, the next president was a Democrat. And the winners were... 1924: Washington Senators (AL) and Calvin Coolidge (R)1940: Cincinnati Reds (NL) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (D)1952 and 1956: New York Yankees (AL) and Dwight Eisenhower (R)1960: Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) and John F. Kennedy (D)1964: St. Louis Cardinals (NL) and Lyndon Johnson (D)1968 and 1972: Detroit Tigers (AL) and Richard Nixon (R) Another (Brief) Streak The Series got hot again in 2000 and accurately predicted the next four presidents, starting with George W. Bush. Actually, it was only two presidents--Bush and Obama, both of whom won reelection--but you cant fault the Series for that. In 2016, it was almost too close to call. The Cubs (National League) won, but so did Trump (Republican). Maybe the Series was banking on the popular vote, which was won by Democrat Hilary Clinton. Darn that electoral college! Other Sure Things? Many Americans swear by patterns and coincidences to help them predict presidential elections. Other examples of predictors from past and present years include the following: If the Washington Redskins win the week of the election, this means a win for the incumbent party. This has held true since 1936.Whichever candidates likeness is on the halloween mask that sells the most will be the next president.  When companies produce competing products, the one that sells the most is supposed to predict the winner. For example, if a company has cups with images of the Republican and Democratic candidates, the one that  outsells the other would be a predictor.If the Dow Jones Average goes up between  August and October, this predicts a win for the incumbent.If the Los Angeles Lakers win the the championship, then the Republican candidate will win. Obviously some of these predictors have a greater basis in reality than others. While most people would say that the Lakers or the Redskins winning is more chance than anything else, the state of the economy does have a huge impact on the presidential election. After all of these predictors, are we any closer to knowing who will win the next presidential election? The answer, of course, is no. However, one thing is fairly certain: to cover their bets, it is more than likely that the Republican candidate will be rooting for the American League team and the Democratic candidate will be cheering on the National League team when the first pitch is thrown in the 2020  World Series.