Evolution And Darwinism Essays - Biology, Evolutionary Biology

Evolution And Darwinism In The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin poetically entailed, There is grandeur in this view of life . . .. Personifying Nature as the ultimate breeder, Darwin infers and hypothesizes what is arguably the most fundamental and profound scientific manifesto that governs what we now know about modern science and the science of discovering our past. His two theories of Natural Selection and Sexual Selection effectively bridge the gap that his predecessors could not. These concepts are imperative as their implications paved the way for Darwin's explanation of Evolution. The term Survival of the Fittest has been made synonymous with Darwinian ideology, yet to fully understand this idea we need to know what it truly means to be fit. As discussed in class, being fit does not necessarily imply fitness on a physical or mental level. Rather, the principle entails how well-suited one is for its environment or a readiness for a species to adapt, whether to a new habitat or possibly changes in food, shelter, climate, etc. Through small, almost unnoticable change, over large periods of time, organisms develop physiological and/or anatomical features that invariably help the organism live or live easier. It is important to note that this does not infer that the process of adaptation takes place for the mere purpose of only bettering a species or self-improvement, rather modifications are a supplemental benefit. Darwin stated that, if they be in any degree profitable to the individuals of a species, in their indefinitely complex relations to the organic beings and to their physical conditions of life, will tend to the preservation of such individuals . . .. In some cases this modification can be a detriment to a species. Take for example a species of like-moths in England preceding and during the Industrial Revolution. Before the manufacture of goods in large quantities, two types of moths, white and gray would rest on the bark of trees where birds would prey upon them. The barks of trees were mainly white, which helped the white moths immensely in that they were camouflaged from their predators. Conversely, the gray moths were clearly noticeable and were thus preyed upon heavily. With the advent of machinery, dust and smoke turned the barks of trees from white to gray, which shifted the predatorial tendencies from gray moths to white. Thus we are able to infer that while the adaptation of color was beneficial to a group of species for a certain extent of time, it does not guarantee that Mother Nature will not shift her favor at some other point in time. Nature has an infinite supply of checks and balances at her disposal. The amount of food present in a location is key to determining how many organisms an environment can maintain. Those who may be better adapted to, for example, eat leaves on tall trees, such as giraffes, would have less difficulty surviving in a terrain containing tall trees. Climactic divergences of extreme frost or drought can severely wipe out a species ill adapted for that type of weather. Predation and epidemics can also scourge population when numbers of a species are too high. Darwin wisely noted in his work that, there must be much fortuitous destruction, which can have little or no influence on the course of natural selection, those who do invariably survive however, were statistically the best-adapted species for their environment. If these better species continued under the same conditions, where slight modifications in the structure or habits give it an advantage over another species, and they were able to pass down these modifications to their offspring, the weaker like-species would eventually die off or assimilate with the flock. Evolution, therefore, is a result of the passing on of traits, usually on a small scale, over gradual periods of time. We are able to see this timeline of Evolution through the Fossil Record, although some sections may have eroded or been destroyed over the lapse of time. Seventeenth century English author John Dunne stated No Man is an Island, and in a very literal and figurative definition it can be said that no single organism can survive without depending on something else. Yet, Nature dictates a precarious balance where no

Art Essays - Software, WordStar, Computing, Operating System, CPM

Art Essays - Software, WordStar, Computing, Operating System, CPM Art account for 90% of what I use regularly, the differences are miniscule between the current version of Microsoft Word that I use today under Windows and the Wordstar program I used in 1980 running on CP/M. There has been little increase in basic abilities or performance from the user perspective. In fact, todays application leviathans often take as much time to launch from our ultra-fast hard drives as those lean but effective programs of yesteryear loaded from pitifully slow 8-inch floppy disks. Ironically, even as hardware has become increasingly reliable and dependable, software has become far less so. It has been years since Ive had to deal with a disk crash, yet hardly a day passes without the operating system and application software conspiring to crash one or more of the machines in my office. A six-year-old machine that serves as our firewall sits with its disk spinning away 24/7 for years with nary a glitch, yet Windows goes brain-dead if it is not rebooted at least once a week. We have been peppered for decades with claims about the accelerating pace of change, yet many of the processes that shape the practices in computer science and software engineering grind glacially slow. Today, for instance, the core software engineering concepts of coupling and cohesion are cited in nearly every basic text and are taught in colleges and universities around the world, yet it took nearly a decade to get anything published in an academically respectable journal and another decade before significant academic adoptions occurred. Ultimately, the true pace of change is not dictated by the evolution of science or technology or of ideas, but by the capacities of humans and human social systems to accommodate change. A product, a service, a practice, or a perspective however new and innovativecan have no impact without acceptance; no significance without change in people and their institutions. Hiding in Hardware The true problem with software is hardware. We have been seduced by the promise of more and more and have become entranced under the spell of Moores Law. Continued progress in hardware is not a friend, but our nemesis. We have been shielded by hardware advances from confronting our own incompetence as software professionals and our immaturity as an engineering profession. Contemporary programmers will point to the operating systems and protest that programming environments today are enormously more complex than those of yesteryear, but the real problem is in how we deal with this situation, in the discipline or its lackthrough which we attempt to overcome complexity. Some years ago when one of the then-leading computing companies surveyed its own internal software engineering practices, the most mature, systematic, and disciplined programming processes were found among application programmers producing business software for internal consumption. Next in line were those creating engineering applications. On down the line and rock-bottom last were the so-called professionals writing the core operating system and its utilities. Where discipline counted for the most, it was least evident. The story has changed little today. Our profes

Strategic managemt internation expansion strategy Essay

Strategic managemt internation expansion strategy - Essay Example Dell Computer is headquartered in Round Rock, Texas, in the United States. The company manufactures computer components and provides service and support to individuals, businesses, educational and government organizations around the world. Dell computer has been in business for a relatively short period of time (since May of 1984) but has realized a global presence that accounts for 44% of its total revenue for the first (fiscal) quarter of 2007. (Dell, 2006) Dell's global presence includes operations in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The computer company has used its unique business model (direct model) to enter and compete in the global marketplace. Success for this company has been hard earned as Dell has had to adjust its model to accommodate market conditions in global markets it has entered. What has made Dell so successful is its focus on its direct model of customer service. According to Dell, Inc. "Dell listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services th ey trust and value. Uniquely enabled by its direct business model, Dell sells more systems globally than any computer company, placing it No. 25 on the Fortune 500. Company revenue for the past four quarters was $56.7 billion." (Dell Inc, 2006) Dell computer anticipates making changes to its business model in response to market indicators in foreign markets that may indicate that Dells' international strategies may not be working as well as anticipated. Each market, and Dell's performance in that market, will be critically analyzed. Dell plans to focus on three areas of concern to beef up its approach to market conditions. These three areas are: customer service, product leadership, and productivity and cost improvements. Dell's focus will be on "providing the broadest and highest quality product line in history" (Dell, 2007) 2. Core Competencies Dell's core competencies consist of a business model unique in the information technology industry. They use a customer direct model with a twelve day inventory on hand vs. the industry standard of 30 to 45 days of stock on hand. Dell puts great emphasis on lessons learned so as to not repeat mistakes made in the past. Dell claims its focus on its direct model and its virtually integrated organization as keys to its local and global successes. Dell has brought "customers and suppliers inside the business though the capabilities of evolving internet technology. The fundamental results were speed, efficiency, direct customer service, responsiveness to customer wishes, and a soaring stock price" (Finney, 2002). Michael Dell's core philosophies have become Dell's core philosophies. Some of these philosophies include (Finney, 2002): - Hiring Ahead of the Curve - Segmenting the CEO - Building a Company of Owners - Staying Allergic to Hierarchy - Mobilizing People Around a Singe Business Goal - Developing Products from the Customer's Viewpoint - Targeting a Customer of One - Adding Value "Beyond the Box" - Aligning Complementary Strengths for Success - Flipping the Demand/Supply Equation - Playing Judo with the Competition Dell's core compe