Thursday, December 19, 2019

American Political Scientist Samuel Huntington - 1401 Words

American political scientist Samuel Huntington once pointed out that although modernity breeds stability it is modernization that breeds instability. Many of the world’s greatest economists forecast that China will overtake the United States as the world’s economic powerhouse in the near future. However, that will largely depend on how well the Chinese government can control its modernization both politically and economically. China’s rapid ascension through its distorted economic reforms has undermined the United States’ economic interests and can lead to the potential usurpation of America’s role as the world’s leading political power. China’s modernization is of great concern because if it does end successfully then political scientists†¦show more content†¦Stalin’s goal was to not only catch up to the West, but to overtake it. Under a communist regime, all economic decisions are made by the state, for the greater go od of the community. Private ownership is virtually nonexistent and there are no classes. Under Stalin the Soviet Union focused its economy on militaristic production. In fact, it accounted for approximately 30% of national production toward the end of Stalin’s regime. The economy even sustained growth for the next several decades. However, their military policies set a dangerous precedent for the nation as by the mid 1980s that number rose up to 70% under Gorbachev. Such a high number created a shortage of industrial goods for the rest of the economy which resulted in stagnation and eventual decline. On the opposite side of the world, the United States’ military spending sat at about half that of their Soviet counterparts. The Soviets’ goal of maintaining parity with their American rivals, resulted in massive shortages in the agricultural sector. In order to feed its people, the Soviet government had two options: it could borrow money from the west, or reduce military spending. If they borrowed from the West, they knew they would not be able to put down any rebellions since the West could retaliate by suspending their funding. However, if they reduced military production surely it would have meant the demise of the Soviet state and the failure of Communism. The American

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Do Computers Think Essay Example For Students

Do Computers Think? Essay Do Computers Think?Can or will computers ever think? Wellthis has been a subject of much debate between even the greatest minds,and yet there is still no answer. First of all I have would like you toanswer a question. What is 413? Did you have to think to answer that?Yes? Well does that mean that a computer can think because it can answerthat question. Well that is what we are going to set to answer and I thinkyes, depending on your definition of thinking. First off lets get something straight. When I refer to computers in this essay I am not referring only to themicroprocessor sitting on your desk but to microprocessors that controlrobots of various structure. Well as I said we first must define ?tothink. What does that mean? Websters New Compact Dictionary defines ?thinkas 1. Have a mind. 2. Believe. 3. Employ the mind.. It defines mind as?to think. So does this mean that if you can think does this mean youhave a mind? My opinion is that, according to this definition, computerscan think. A computer can give you an answer to the question ?What is 413?,so it can think. Whats that? You say its just programmed to do that,if no one programmed it wouldnt be able to do that. Well how did you knowhow to answer the question? Your teacher or parents or someone taughtit to you. So you were programmed, same as the computer was. So you think that programing is differentthan learning. You might think the same as my grandma that programing issomething where things are just drilled into you like people who are membersof cults. Well when your teacher stood over you desk in elementary anddo drilled you on the multiplication tables was that not programming? Wouldyou know that 15 does not equal 10 if everyone you ever met said thatit did. Another argument my grandma used was my little cousin and how whenhe runs into a wall he learns that it hurts so he doesnt do it again. (Well actually he does it because he has a hard head). Yet a professorin Calgary builds robots that do not even contain a microprocessor yetit can learn. He builds them out of spare part from broken electronicssuch as walkmans. They have multiple legs and when one leg gets stuck,say on a piece of tape, the strain on the motor causes the motor to changethe twisting motion of the leg and this feedback system continues untilit gets free, but the second time it takes less time to get free becausesome how it knows, what to do to get free. So it has learned and thereforemust be able to think according to that definition of think. My mother says that what makes it thatcomputers cant think is they can not handle situations they have not beenprogrammed to handle. Well there are now robots that can navigate througha room where they have not been programmed to handle but they can navigatethrough it without bumping into anything. They cant do it with the efficiencyof a human but they can do it. So once again they can think according toa definition of ?to think. My dad felt that a computer would not beable to think because if you put it in a room and never used it, it wouldntbe able to think. Well would you be able to think if you could not hear,touch, see, smell, or taste anything and as such could receive no information. .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca , .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .postImageUrl , .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca , .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca:hover , .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca:visited , .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca:active { border:0!important; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca:active , .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uff0a68f3d179bb0318d147cdde7b23ca:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Articles of Confederation vs. Constitution EssayWhat would you have to think about. Another couple of definition brought upin a conversation was that in order to survive something must be able tothink and that the ability to come up with original ideas was proof thatsomething can think. The Calgary professor mentioned earlier also tookthese robots (without microprocessors) and gave them solar panels so theycould get their own energy. He also gave some a device that allowed itto disable other robots. These robots would wander around a room and theywould fight over the sunniest spots in the room because it was the spotthey stood the best chance of survival. If these robots disabled anotherone they used its ?remains along with others to form a barrier aroundthis sunny spot so it would be protected. Well if this behaviour is notproof of the fact that computers can survive and come up with originalideas I dont know what is. So as you can see by all the definitionsI have been able to come up with a computer can think. The most strongobjection I found was that we are living and that is what makes us thinkis just an objection to the fact that something may possibly some day becomesmarter than us.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Lecture 4-11.1 Essays - Linguistics, Historical Linguistics

Lecture 4-11.1 Early Modern English Continued Verbs: Strong Verb Classes 1. Of the original seven classes of strong verbs ? the number is greatly reduced, but some of the classes remain remarkably stable; class I and III stand out as survivors. 2. The double past tense forms of strong verbs are leveled to one: Thus old I sang and we sungen become I,we sang (have sung) I rood, we riden become I,we rode (have riden) 2. The -en is used unevenly: hence forgotten but got and gotten Weak Verb Classes Great increase in the number of weak verbs, although some weak verbs took on strong forms by analogy dive ? dived ? dived --* dive ? dove ? dived Personal Endings The endings of -est and -eth become just -s for 3rd per pres ind by the end of the period. Although in some sophisticated circle, such as Thomas Hobbes' philosophical text Leviathan the ?est endings remain. The thou forms reamin ?est, -st in the present and ?est, st in the past. Conjugation of Irregular Verbs (to be and modals) Always irregular, in Early Modern English, the forms of to be differed from contemporary use only in the th- forms (thou art, thou wast and thou wert) and in the odd use of be for plural present. Rub a dub dub / Three men in a tub / And who do you think they be? The powers that be. 2. The modals cause trouble: would and should are past tense version of will (variants of will are wull and woll) and shall. Could was developed by adding an l on analogy with would and should; otherwise, it should be coud.