Saturday, January 25, 2020

How to Read Body Languauge :: essays research papers

If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the body is the mirror of our feelings. If we are feeling great it shows in how we hold and use our body. Conversely, if we look at someone else’s body we can often tell how they are feeling by the signals their body is giving. So when it comes to dating, using/reading body language signals is a great tool. You can observe this by watching a couple flirting with each other. In case you don’t think learning how to read and use body language is not important, here are some statistics about the messages we receive from someone we meet. †¢ 7% of the information we receive is from what they actually say. †¢ 38% of information we receive is from the tone, inflection and speed of their voice. †¢ A staggering 55% of the information we receive is from their body language. These non-verbal signals will help you in dealing with the person but stay focussed on what the person is saying. If you focus too much on their body language signals, you and/or the other person may feel uncomfortable. It is useful to be able to read people’s body language, but it is equally useful to learn how to get your body to send the right signals and eliminate the wrong signals. See below for some body language signals. Be warned: body language is very much open to interpretation. Many signals have different meanings depending on the person/situation. Keep this mind when you assess a body language signal. Note: Look for 3 or 4 signals that convey a similar message or the oneoff inconsistent signal. Also, consciously practise reading/doing some of the signals as much as you can. Learning, as you practise, what works and what doesn’t work for you will help you gain confidence to use body language techniques consciously. How to Read Body Language 3 Body Language Signals: †¢ Open arms: o Energetically open and possibly feeling vulnerable o A good way to show you are approachable, especially when combined with open palms †¢ Palms up/open hands: o Defences down o An open heart †¢ Palms on chest – When a person uses open palms that occasionally touch their chest, they are signalling honesty †¢ Outward, upward hand movements – This conveys an open and positive message †¢ Folded arms: o A defence mechanism that shows the person is not open to what is being said or done o May mean rejection o Physically cold o Stubborn in their outlook †¢ Hands closed – A closed heart †¢ Doodling – Bored †¢ Fist: o Anger and to be avoided o Physically cold o Very tense How to Read Body Languauge :: essays research papers If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the body is the mirror of our feelings. If we are feeling great it shows in how we hold and use our body. Conversely, if we look at someone else’s body we can often tell how they are feeling by the signals their body is giving. So when it comes to dating, using/reading body language signals is a great tool. You can observe this by watching a couple flirting with each other. In case you don’t think learning how to read and use body language is not important, here are some statistics about the messages we receive from someone we meet. †¢ 7% of the information we receive is from what they actually say. †¢ 38% of information we receive is from the tone, inflection and speed of their voice. †¢ A staggering 55% of the information we receive is from their body language. These non-verbal signals will help you in dealing with the person but stay focussed on what the person is saying. If you focus too much on their body language signals, you and/or the other person may feel uncomfortable. It is useful to be able to read people’s body language, but it is equally useful to learn how to get your body to send the right signals and eliminate the wrong signals. See below for some body language signals. Be warned: body language is very much open to interpretation. Many signals have different meanings depending on the person/situation. Keep this mind when you assess a body language signal. Note: Look for 3 or 4 signals that convey a similar message or the oneoff inconsistent signal. Also, consciously practise reading/doing some of the signals as much as you can. Learning, as you practise, what works and what doesn’t work for you will help you gain confidence to use body language techniques consciously. How to Read Body Language 3 Body Language Signals: †¢ Open arms: o Energetically open and possibly feeling vulnerable o A good way to show you are approachable, especially when combined with open palms †¢ Palms up/open hands: o Defences down o An open heart †¢ Palms on chest – When a person uses open palms that occasionally touch their chest, they are signalling honesty †¢ Outward, upward hand movements – This conveys an open and positive message †¢ Folded arms: o A defence mechanism that shows the person is not open to what is being said or done o May mean rejection o Physically cold o Stubborn in their outlook †¢ Hands closed – A closed heart †¢ Doodling – Bored †¢ Fist: o Anger and to be avoided o Physically cold o Very tense

Friday, January 17, 2020

Sustainable Quebec

In a world in which we are always depleting our natural resources further and further every day, countries need to develop ways in which they can heavily reduce, or eliminate, their dependence on these limited resources. Studies show that the world's supply of conventional oil will only last another 42 to 93 years; we need to develop plans to eliminate our dependence on this fossil fuel before we run out. In order to accomplish this task, a country needs to find ways to create, harvest, or discover new sources of energy that can be used to power our communities. Along with using new technology to create new sources of energy, we also need to work towards cutting back on current energy usage. One great way to figure out such a plan is to look at cities that are already on their way to accomplishing this task. One such city is Quebec, Canada. Quebec, Canada is the 7th largest city in Canada. It's population as of 2006 is 715,515 residents. It's located just over 500 miles north of New York City. Quebec is one of the most sustainable countries in all of North America. This is primarily due to one of its largest companies; Hydro-Quebec. Hydro-Quebec is an electric company that primarily relies on hydropower to create its energy. It has managed to accomplish an amazing feat by reducing its dependence on fossil fuels. Hydro-Quebec is a big believer in environmental sustainability. They have considered all aspects involved, including air quality, water quality, vegetation control, bio-diversity, eliminating contamination, improving the quality of life, managing electric and magnetic fields, managing nuclear power, using resources wisely, overseeing environmental initiatives, and ensuring environmental acceptability, all while still striving to be as independent as possible from the use of fossil fuels. I will be talking about just a few of these in order to convey their efforts and dedication to the environment. Hydro-Quebec has accomplished something remarkable. Quebec's main source of power is hydro-power making up a whopping 94% of its total energy supply. Only 4% of Quebec is powered by oil, 1.8% by nuclear power, and 0.2% is powered by other means of energy. This is simply amazing as hydro-power is a completely renewable source of energy. The way that water is used to create electricity is a very simple process. Hydro-Quebec has made good use of many of its surrounding rivers. Turbines are placed along these rivers which use the constant flow of the water to turn them. The turbines are hooked up to a gear system which through the turning of these turbines create energy which is then fed into the power grid and delivered back to businesses and households. One may think that this would create eyesores at all of Quebec's rivers, but in all actuality Hydro-Quebec only uses 2% of all of Quebec's rivers in order to produce this electricity. Now that you know how Hydro-Quebec creates its energ y, let's look at how it ensures sustainability. Air quality is one of the biggest issues when it comes to sustainability. Almost every form of power generation emits green house gases (GHG). These gases destroy our air quality and contribute to destruction of the Ozone layer, and an increase to global temperatures worldwide. By using hydro-power, Hydro-Quebec has cut their GHG emissions by a great deal. Every resident of Quebec produces one-half the GHG emissions of the average Canadian citizen, and one-sixth of Alberta's citizens. When comparing Hydro-Quebec's atmospheric emissions to that of its neighboring systems (New England, NY State, Ontario, and New Brunswick) it is drastically lower. Using the measurement of tons per terawatt hours, Hydro-Quebec emits 16,104 of carbon dioxide (CO2) compared to the neighboring system with 366,660. When it comes to sulphur dioxide (SO2), Hydro-Quebec emits 75, with the neighboring system emitting 1,271. And finally for nitrogen oxides (NOx), Hydro-Quebec emits, 29 compared to the systems, 455. These results clearly speak for themselves and show Hydro-Quebec's dedication to promoting high air quality. Another very important aspect of achieving sustainability is bio-diversity. With the use of natural rivers and streams there is obviously the risk of affecting aquatic wildlife. Hydro-Quebec has made valiant efforts to ensure minimal impact on these plants and animals. To operate their company Hydro-Quebec must build dams, generation stations, power lines, and substations, and in doing so wildlife protection must be considered. This is why Hydro-Quebec has taken measures to build and maintain their facilities in a way that has the least impact on fauna, flora and habitats. They also carry out initiatives to preserve biodiversity on their properties. Specific examples include creating solutions to benefit the following animals: Bald Eagle, Brook Trout, Eels, Lake Sturgeon, Mayapple, Shad, and Water Fowl. By protecting, and promoting the growth of these animals, Hydro-Quebec is playing a major part in increasing its city's bio-diversity, and getting just one step closer to a fully sust ainable city. Now that we have discussed how Hydro-Quebec is leading the way in Quebec to sustainability, we need to look at what the rest of the city is doing. Quebec's government as a whole is also doing their part to ensure the success of their future. Plans are in the works with Transportation-Quebec to improve all public means of transportation while ensuring public safety and convenience. Quebec has also partnered with the World Tourism Organization (WTO) to promote eco-tourism amongst its visitors. Along with their transportation industry, Loto-Quebec (Quebec's lottery program) is also doing their social part of having sustainability plans in place. There are many more companies, and organizations within Quebec that contribute to their sustainability, however I would have to go on for days in order to touch bases on all of them. It is rather apparent that Quebec has sustainability high in their priorities. Between running a full scale hydro-powered electric plant, and through organizing numerous projects with every aspect of Quebec's government and businesses, as a city, they are one of the most sustainable in North America. Considering all their results and performance, other cities looking to further their sustainability, should look to Quebec for ideas, guidance, and motivation.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Wernickes Area in the Brain

The function of a part of the human brain known as Wernickes area is to enable us to comprehend written and spoken language. It is located posterior to the primary auditory complex in the left temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain where information processing of all kinds takes place. Wernickes area  is connected to another brain region involved in language processing known as Brocas area. Located in the lower portion of the left frontal lobe, Brocas area controls motor functions involved with speech production. Together, these two brain areas help us to speak as well as to interpret, process, and understand spoken and written language. Discovery German neurologist Carl Wernicke is credited with discovering the function of this brain region in 1873. He did so while observing individuals with damage to the posterior temporal lobe of the brain. He noticed that one of his stroke patients, while able speak and hear, was not able to comprehend what was being said to him. Nor could he understand written words. After the man died, Wernicke studied his brain and discovered a lesion in the rear parietal/temporal region of the left hemisphere of the patients brain, located close to the auditory region. He concluded that this section had to be responsible for language comprehension. Function Wernickes Area of the brain is responsible for multiple functions. According to various studies, including the 2016 publication The Role of Wernicke’s Area in Language Comprehension by Alfredo Ardila, Byron Bernal, and Monica Rosselli, these functions seem to contribute to language understanding by allowing us to interpret the meaning of individual words and using them in their proper context. Wernicke's Aphasia A condition called Wernickes aphasia, or fluent aphasia, in which patients with damage to their temporal lobe region have difficulty comprehending language and communicating ideas, bolsters the thesis that Wernickes area primarily governs word comprehension. While they are able to speak words and form sentences that are grammatically correct, these patients cannot form sentences that make sense. They may include unrelated words or words that have no meaning in their sentences. These individuals lose the ability to connect words with their appropriate meanings. They are often unaware that what they are saying does not make sense. Processing the symbols that we call words, encoding their meanings into our brains, and then using them in context is what forms the very basis of language comprehension. A Three-Part Process Speech and language processing are complex functions that involve several parts of the cerebral cortex. Wernickes area, Brocas area, and the angular gyrus are three regions vital to language processing and speech. Wernickes area is connected to Brocas area by a group of nerve fiber bundles called the arcuate fascilicus. While Wernickes area helps us to understand language, Brocas area helps us to accurately communicate our ideas to others through speech. The angular gyrus, located in the parietal lobe, is a region of the brain that helps us to utilize different types of sensory information to comprehend language. Sources: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Aphasia. NIH Pub. No. 97-4257. Updated June 1, 2016. Retrieved from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/aphasia.National Aphasia Foundation. (n.d.). Wernickes aphasia. Retrieved from http://www.aphasia.org/aphasia-resources/wernickes-aphasia/