Evolution theory teaches that survival is for the fittest living organism.

What is life? What is fit? And what does it mean to survive?

Well, there are many definitions of course. A useful definition, in scientific perspective, is the one that allow us to analyze myriads things with fewest principles. So here they are.

A living organism is a class of objects that share 3 traits.

1. Reproduce. Living organism can make copies.

2. Inherit. Living organism, in the process of reproducing, will inherit traits to the offspring.

3. Mutate. Living organism, in the process of inheriting, will make small mistakes.

That seems like a reasonable definition. If we look most living things around us, like dogs, cats, pigs, birds, fido, virus, etc., they all share those traits.

However, based on those definitions, God is not alive, while computer virus, religious doctrines, ideologies, and ideas are alive.

I don’t think God will mind though. It’s just a definition.

The practical aspect is that we can use evolution theory to explain the sort of humans, cats, dogs, germs, doctrines, ideologies, and ideas that are common nowadays.

Different living organism performs those 3 traits differently. Those living organism that reproduces a lot becomes plenty. Those that reproduced a lot, become common.

That’s the basic of evolution theory.

For example, we see that peacocks tend to have long elaborated tails. From this, we can guess peacocks with long elaborate tail must have made more peachicks. Perhaps, peahen love peacocks with long elaborate tails. It’s true.

Suppose it were true. Then peacocks with longer tails will mate with more peahens. Those happy couples will then produce more peachicks.

Male peachicks will inherit long tails. Female peachicks will inherit preferences for long tail. So, peahens like peacocks with long tail.

It looks like a circular argument. It is. The truth is we don’t really know for sure, at least just from the reasoning, why peacocks have long tail.

However, we do know that traits that lead to gene pool survival through sexual selection tend to be positive feedback.

Those are traits that either enhance gene pool survival through regular means or signal capability to survive on the females. Samples of the former are Cheetah’s speed and men’s wealth. Samples of the latter are peacock’s tail and sport cars.

The more peacocks have longer tail, the more peacocks in the future, will have even longer tails. The more peahens in the future will get turned on by long tail even more.

Now, most males are poor. Does that mean women like the poor? Does being poor serve gene pool survival?

The answer to the first question is no. The answer to the second is, well, sort of due to various unnatural sex laws against consensual sex. It’s tricky.

From selecting the right instrument to learning to read music, being in band can enhance a student’s education. Even children with no musical background can join their school’s band. How is this possible? It’s because all the basic aspects of playing a musical instrument and reading musical notation are taught at school. No one can predict whether a child will have musical ability, but even those whose parents are not musical have a chance of success. The most important factors in whether a child will do well are regular practicing and desire.

Finding an instrument

Selecting the right instrument is an important part of joining a band class. Band directors will consider the student’s preferences, musical aptitude and physical characteristics before recommending the most appropriate band instruments for each student. The flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, french horn, trombone, baritone, tuba and percussion are good choices for beginners.

Band instruments can be purchased from local musical instrument dealers or online. Prices vary widely depending on the level of quality. Beginners should select lower priced, entry level instruments. Upgrading to better quality instruments should the students have a gift for music can always be done later. Those with a strong interest in improving their skills can take private music lessons to supplement the school instruction.

Band can be time consuming

Students who also wish to participate in sports may experience schedule conflicts if they sign up for band. Both sports and band are time consuming activities. Before a student registers for band, his or her parents need to consider the child’s other needs and activities, including studying and time for fun. Like other music courses, band is an elective. In addition to the time spent in class, students will also be expected to attend rehearsals and performances outside of school hours.

Sheet music is the road map

Learning to read music is an important part of the band experience. The songs to be played are written in musical notation on paper which is called sheet music. The way the information is put on the page determines what notes will be played, for how long and how loudly.

The composer records his intentions on the sheet music and the conductor leads the musicians in the proper interpretation of those intentions. Not every conductor sees the music the same way. Recordings of the same music by different conductors will have subtle variations in the way the music is played even though the sheet music used was the same.

While musicians may have their own ideas about how to play the music, when they are in a band, they are expected to follow the directions of the conductor. If all the musicians went their own ways, the audience would hear a mishmash of sound instead of music.

Depression. It’s that disorder that has become seemingly fashionable amongst celebrities, up there with ‘exhaustion.’ Because to put the label of ‘depressed’ on oneself is to excuse not wanting to get out of bed in the morning as something chemically based and therefore unavoidable. At the slightest hint of a struggle in life, “I’m depressed” is a license to reach for the Prozac and all is rosy once again.

But the haphazard way in which many practitioners are all too quick to write someone off as ‘depressed’ has left the disorder, which in its pure clinical sense is debilitating and soul-destroying, somewhat ridiculed such that “I’m depressed” will be received by most with “Yeah, yeah; go take your happy pills then.”

But one might ask, are the 14.8 million American adults diagnosed as depressed all genuine cases? Is it possible that such a colossal number of people can be feeling so hopeless?

With ever rising figures on the number of people diagnosed with depression each year, it seems that perhaps events in the world itself are having an effect on our biology. Cognitive behavioural therapy used to be heralded as an effective form of treatment for depression; changing the way somebody thought about themselves and their life could give them a new, brighter persepctive that motivated them to get their life back on track. But today, against a backdrop of war, terrorism, stabbings, gun crimes, poverty and disease, is it really possible for a counsellor to convince someone that there is a bright side? Depressing isn’t it?

It’s now well established that external events can alter the chemical activity of a person’s biology. So is it that the only way forward is to prescribe the drugs to change the biology that is being permeated by the doom and gloom of the news today? Or in a more humanistic approach, should we all live in a bubble, oblivious to the world around, and make the most of what we have inside our own little microcosms?

What is clear is that the ‘depression’ of past versions of the DSM are entirely different forms of what manifests as the cause and consequences of depression today. Future therapies need to address this change, before each and…(read the full article at the link below)

I am not into technologies, those that change so ever fast, and always. But I do observe technological trends, along which the development of scientific applications revolves.

And of all trends, perhaps disruptive technologies are the defining path of industrial implications, a linear passage that technological progress almost invariably follows. Though the concept of “disruptive technologies” is only popularized in 1997 by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen in his best-seller “The Innovator’s Dilemma”, the phenomenon was already evidenced back in 1663, when Edward Somerset published designs for, and might have installed, a steam engine.

As put forth by Clayton Christensen, disruptive technologies are initially low performers of poor profit margins, targeting only a minute sector of the market. However, they often develop faster than industry incumbents and eventually outpace the giants to capture significant market shares as their technologies, cheaper and more efficient, could better meet prevailing consumers’ demands.

In this case, the steam engines effectively displaced horse power. The demand for steam engines was not initially high, due to the then unfamiliarity to the invention, and the ease of usage and availability of horses. However, as soon as economic activities intensified, and societies prospered, a niche market for steam engines quickly developed as people wanted modernity and faster transportation.

One epitome of modern disruptive technologies is Napster, a free and easy music sharing program that allows users to distribute any piece of recording online. The disruptee here is conventional music producers. Napster relevantly identified the “non-market”, the few who wanted to share their own music recordings for little commercial purpose, and thus provided them with what they most wanted. Napster soon blossomed and even transformed the way the internet was utilized.

Nevertheless, there are more concerns in the attempt to define disruptive technologies than simply the definition itself.

One most commonly mistaken feature for disruptive technologies is sustaining technologies. While the former brings new technological innovation, the latter refers to “successive incremental improvements to performance” incorporated into existing products of market incumbents. Sustaining technologies could be radical, too; the new improvements could herald the demise of current states of production, like how music editor softwares convenience Napster users in music customization and sharing, thereby trumping over traditional whole-file transfers. The music editors are part of a sustaining technological to Napster, not a new disruptor. Thus, disruptive and sustaining technologies could thrive together, until the next wave of disruption comes.

See how music editors are linked to steam engines? Not too close, but each represents one aspect of the twin engines that drive progressive technologies; disruptors breed sustainers, and sustainers feed disruptors.

This character of sustaining technologies brings us to another perspective of disruptive technologies: they not only change the way people do business, but also initiate a fresh wave of follow-up technologies that propel the disruptive technology to success. Sometimes, sustaining technologies manage to carve out a niche market for its own even when the disruptive initiator has already shut down. Music editor and maker softwares continue to healthily thrive, despite Napster’s breakdown (though many other file sharing services are functioning by that time), with products like the AV Music Morpher Gold and Sound Forge 8.

A disruptive technology is also different from a paradigm shift, which Thomas Kuhn used to describe “the process and result of a change in basic assumptions within the ruling theory of science”. In disruptive technologies, there are no assumptions, but only the rules of game of which the change is brought about by the behaviors of market incumbents and new entrants. They augment different markets that eventually merge. In Clayton Christensen’s words, newcomers to the industry almost invariably “crush the incumbents”.

While researching on disruptive technologies, I came across this one simple line that could adequately capture what these technologies are about, “A technology that no one in business wants but that goes on to be a trillion-dollar industry.” Interesting how a brand new technology that seemingly bears little value could shake up an entire industry, isn’t it?

You are probably asking, why then that no one wants it? Or how true is the money claim to these disruptive technologies? And if it is true, what are the implications to the business practice? How do market incumbents and new entrants behave?

The scope of this article could only let me take the first question. Well, it is not that dominating companies are not visionary to see a disruption is coming. They can’t. A disruptive technology is inherently not attractive initially; no one could see how Napster could boom and lead to the thriving market of audio softwares like the music editors and mixers, except the disruptors themselves. Even if one manages to foresee it, the “Innovator’s Dilemma” is there to keep them from acting.

And as the books show, technology has always evolved in waves of disruption.

Here’s a question for you:

Why do people think mind control is “bad”?

People shudder at the thought of mind control because they live under the belief that there is a “free will”. They are scared to think that they don’t have control. Yet the truth is we never have complete control.

Being the beasties that we are we’ve lived, died and evolved based on what gives us the most control. Control is important, vital to our survival, self image and self esteem. But, in many cases control is an illusion.

There are levels to how much control we do have and the things within our control. And while we don’t have control in many areas we will often deny that fact with a passion.

Being able to Control our own thoughts and emotions is one of the most difficult things anyone can do. But those individuals who know how people respond and react use that knowledge to control and manipulate us all the time. That’s why advertising is such a big industry.

While mind control may be an unpleasant fact it isn’t “bad” because as human beings wanting control we will resort to anything that gives themselves an advantage.

One factor in our evolution is determined by how much more in control we become. Perhaps the next level of evolution is to know that we can be controlled and are always under some subtle influence without our knowing.

How would we begin to evolve if instead of fighting the fact that we are subject to mind control we accepted it? This would be the difference between working to understand our limitations and denying them.

This is a fundamental difference between me and the PCT (Paranoid Conspiracy Theorists). For me that we are subject to mind control creates awe, not fear.

To make a personal evolution of sorts, the only thing you can do is know that people are using mind control on us all the time and try to be aware of it. We should also be aware that most of the mind control is so well executed it will likely pass right by us without even a warning.

On an individual level we should also use what we know of mind control to your advantage. This means making an effort to understand human psychology and our own personal psychology. Only then can we truly evolve beneath the omnipresent specter of mind control.

The right food to build muscle mass is absolutely necessary to allow you to get the maximum benefit from your gym work. Every bodybuilder needs to understand that taking in a large number of calories will not get the job done unless the correct nutrients are present in the food. Here we show you the right food to build muscle mass.

Lesson 1

The right food to build muscle mass needs to be rich in protein. Among the bodybuilder’s perennial favorites are tuna and chicken, good choices because they contain ample protein. Red meat and other similar proteins have lost ground in popularity due to their higher quantities of fat. Protein is the most essential nutrient of all for a bodybuilder, as without it the muscles cannot even grow.

Lesson 2

Although fat has a very bad reputation as a contributory factor in degenerative disease, which is for the most part well deserved, small quantities of fat are actually necessary and beneficial. Fat is part of the right food to build muscle, and not enough fat in the diet will hamper your bodybuilding efforts. Current estimates are that around 20% of you calorific intake needs to be made up of fats. This is a subject which requires further reading, as there are different types of fat, some of which are considerably better than others for the human body. A full analysis of different fats is outside the scope of this short article, so do use the search engines to uncover the information you need.

Lesson 3

Include a lot of carbohydrate in your diet! These form a large part of the right food to build muscles because if your diet is lacking in carbohydrates, your body will not have enough energy to maintain your bodybuilding schedule. This is rarely a problem for bodybuilders who listen to the needs of their own bodies, as hunger will naturally entice you to eat more filling food, more often.

Lesson-4

Another vital part of the right food to build muscle is water. So many athletes in all sports put a great emphasis on hydration, and this is not without good reason. Water helps keep your energy levels up for your training program, and it is also an important nutrient for muscle growth. Bodybuilders should cut down their consumption of alcohol, tea and coffee, as these always have a dehydrating effect.

Taking the time to learn about the right food to build muscle will pay off handsomely as your training program progresses. This guide will give you a solid start.

These five tips will help you get A’s. Read each tip carefully an start applying them today.

1. Create a timeline. Once you determine the day of the test work backwards. Budget a specific amount of time every day. Consider other homework, projects and time needed to study for other classes as you create your schedule.

2. Review a little each night. Do not wait until a test is announced to begin preparing for your test. Consider what would be easier &ndash reviewing for 5-10 minutes a night or cramming for three hours the night before a test and only remembering a fraction of what you studied?

3. Don’t just re-read notes or the text. Ask questions. Create flash-cards. Redo assignments. Create time-lines. Play games. Re-write your notes. Get someone to quiz you. Find websites online that review the same material. Make up questions that you think will be on the test. Create new outlines of the material by writing some specific topics and filling in the details from memory. Studying should be an active process, not just time spent re-reading something.

4. Ask the teacher what the format for the test will be. Will it contain multiple choice, true-false, short answer, essay, diagrams, graphs, equations, etc.? Will any information such as a periodic table or equations be provided for you on the day of the test? Do you need to bring a calculator?

5. Visit your teacher or tutor for extra help. Bring questions that you may have or ask for ideas regarding the best way to study for a particular assessment.

Go to .live-etutor.com to learn more about online tutoring and watch a virtual tour inside of our online classroom. All tutors are screened, qualified and ready to help your child get better grades!

It was on July 20, 1969 that “Eagle”, the lunar module landed on the moon and American Astronaut Neil Armstrong took “that one small step” paving way for “a giant leap for mankind” .

In 2007-08, India will launch Chandrayan I, which will be closely followed by China’s CHANGE-I. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is spear-heading all the activities in the field.

Chandrayan I, India’s first unmanned mission to moon was announced on August 15, 2003. The Chandrayan I mission envisages placing a 525 kg satellite in a polar orbit 100 km above the moon and it will be launched using a modified version of India’s indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

The main objectives of the Chandrayan include obtaining imagery of the moon’s surface using a high resolution remote sensing instruments in the visible, near infrared, low and high energy X-ray region.

Considering the interest shown by the international scientific community, a provision has also been made to accommodate instruments from other countries, on Chandrayan-1. ISRO signed an agreement with ESA for including European instruments on board Chandrayan-1. The European Instruments are to complement the main India experiments. The US is also considering placing up two instruments on Chandrayan-1.

Whether India should embark on a manned mission or not is a subject of national debate since sending a man to the moon is a very costly affair.

A manned mission would take seven to ten years to accomplish and would cost at least$2.2 billion.

A Diamond is a mineral made of carbon that is crystallized. In fact a diamond is more than 99.95% pure carbon. The remaining 0.05 percent of the elements often influences the crystal’s color and shape. The diamond is also by far the hardest natural substance known to man. Diamonds form between 75 and 120 miles below the earth’s surface. Only at these great depths do the necessary temperature and pressure exist to form this unique gem. Diamonds were delivered to the surface by volcanic eruptions. These eruptions occurred over 50 million years ago. Geologists believe that the first delivery occurred more than 2.5 billion years ago. After reaching the surface, some diamonds settled back into their volcanic pipes. Other diamonds were washed hundreds of miles away by floods and rivers. Some diamonds reached the oceans and were washed back onto the beach. The first diamond mines were discovered in India before 500 BC. India has been the world’s major supplier of diamonds for over 2,000 years, producing some of the most famous diamonds. Today, India accounts for only a tiny percentage of the world’s diamond production. Today’s diamond production leaders are currently Australia, Botswana, Russia, South Africa, Zaire and Canada. Before being transformed into a beautiful piece of jewelry, the diamond must undergo several stages.

STAGE 1 - MINING

The diamonds that made it to the surface were forced up volcanically, through kimberlite pipes. A typical pipe mine consists of a large vertical shaft with tunnels running from the main pipe. The deepest mine runs about 3,500 feet down into the earth. More than 200 tons of rock, gravel and sand need to be blasted, crushed and processed to yield just one carat of gem quality diamonds. Finding diamonds and getting them out of the ground may require the use of jet engines to thaw the frozen ground or to endure the sweltering desert heat. Only about 20% of all rough diamonds are suitable for polishing; the rest are used for industrial purposes. Once the rough is found the diamond’s journey begins.

STAGE 2 - ROUGH REACHES THE MARKET

A large proportion of the world’s rough supply finds its way to De Beers’ Central Selling Organization (CSO). The rough the CSO buys is sorted into more than 5,000 different categories. Once the rough is sorted and priced, it is sold to manufacturers at sights. There are ten sights a year, each lasting a week. The chosen few afforded the chance to purchase at these sights are called sight holders. The balance of the world’s rough supply is sold to private buyers, and some through private auctions.

STAGE 3 - MANUFACTURING THE DIAMOND

Regardless of the source, all rough eventually finds its way to the cutting centers. Today, the major cutting centers are Antwerp, Israel, Bombay, Johannesburg, and New York. Upon reaching its destination the rough is carefully examined to decide how it should be cut to yield the greatest value. After the stone’s shape and size are determined, taking into consideration the rough’s shape, as well as the number and position of its internal inclusions, the stone is marked and usually sawed or cleaved.

The stone then goes through a series of cutters who each have their own specialty. Finally the diamond is polished and ready for sale.

STAGE 4 - THE FINAL JOURNEY

After a diamond is manufactured it needs to be sold. For decades diamond manufacturers have sold their cut diamonds to jewelry manufacturers and diamond wholesalers who in turn, sell to jewelry wholesalers and to retail jewelry stores. Today’s technology is changing the diamond pipeline. Diamond manufacturers now have a direct link to the final customer.

By learning the 4C’s and buying only certified diamonds it is possible to purchase the same quality diamond for a significantly lower price, over the internet.

Schools across the country have found new ways to make math add up for students-and the country’s most recent “report card” is showing the results of that hard work.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, a study called the Nation’s Report Card, which provides state-by-state educational data, shows across-the-board gains in mathematics. In fact, overall fourth-grade and eighth-grade math scores rose to all-time highs, according to the study. The news comes as many Americans have focussed on ways to help their children improve their math scores in an effort to help ensure that their children have more successful academic and financial futures.

To help, many schools have used new types of technology to teach kids math. For instance, an interactive computer program called Accelerated Math, by Renaissance Learning, Inc., helps educators personalize their lessons to each student in a classroom. The technology prints personalized math practice sheets for students, corrects their work and then reports their results. Detailed reports and record keeping functions give educators a daily snapshot of each student’s progress and mastery.

The process makes it easier for teachers to gauge each student’s individual strengths and weaknesses and to help kids meet state and federal test requirements.

Accelerated Math content is designed to work with existing math textbooks and is aligned to state standards. Teachers can learn more about how to use Accelerated Math by working with a specialist from the company.

The specialists advise on ways to use classroom-proven routines and best practices associated with the software, as well as ways to get the most time-saving benefits from the technology. For instance, teachers using the software need to grade fewer papers and develop fewer lesson plans, freeing them up to pay more attention to their students.

It’s thought such technology can help schools remain competitive in the global academic arena.