Plate Tectonics Explained Essay -- essays research papers fc

The interior structure of Earth is chemically divided into an outer solid crust, the mantle, a liquid outer core, and a solid inner core. The core is largely composed of iron, along with nickel and silicon. Other lighter elements are usually in the crust. The core is divided into two parts, the solid inner core and the liquid outer core. The inner core is thought to be solid and primarily made up of iron and some nickel. The outer core is all around the inner core and is believed to be made up of liquid iron mixed with liquid nickel. The outer core is about 2890 to 5100km. The inner core is 5100 to 6378km. Earths mantle is mainly composed of substances high in iron and magnesium. The melting point of every substance depends on the pressure and the deeper we go the higher the pressure becomes. Because of this the upper mantle is said to be semi-molten and the lower mantle solid. The upper mantle iron-substances are semi-molten because it is hot and they are under little pressure, lower mantles iron-substances are solid because they are under a lot of pressure. The mantle is 35 to 2890km. Earths crust ranges from 5 to 70 km in depth. The thinnest parts are the oceanic crust made of dense iron magnesium silicate rocks and underlie the ocean basins. The thicker crust is continental crust, composed of sodium potassium aluminum silicate rocks. The crust varies from 0 to 35 km or 5 to 70km. Convection currents occur because the density of a fluid is related to its temperature. Hot rocks lower in the mantle are less dense than the cooler rocks above. The hot rocks rise and the cooler rocks sink because of gravity. Convection currents are thought to be the driving mechanism of plate movement. Convection currents cause convergent and divergent movements. When the rising part of the convection current rises it causes the upper mantle to move upward and in a lateral direction. This causes the mantle to split and new material to rise creating new ocean crust. The downward motion of the convection current pulls the mantle crust downward at convergent boundaries. When part of the mantle crust is uplifted the weight of the lifted part, pushes the sinking mantle down, causing motion in the tectonic plates. A convergent boundary is where two tectonic plates move towards each other. And when they collide they form either a subduction zone with its associated island arc or an... ...ld Ocean. They are somewhat divided by the continents into the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. The World Ocean is 361 million km ² in area, the volume is 1370 million km ³, and its average depth is 3790 m. The landmasses are divided into seven continents. They are Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, North America, South America and Europe. But before there were seven it was said to be just one giant landmass called Pangaea. Supposedly this super continent began to break up about 225-200 million years ago, eventually coming into the position the continents are today. Similar fossils of several different animals and plants that once lived on land had been found widely separated on the continents. There would be no way that these could have gotten where they were found if the continents were then as they are now. Works cited 1.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  History of Plate Tectonics -http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html 2.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Earth Structure http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vwlessons/lessons/Earths_layers/Earths_layears4.html 3.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Earth Science Book -copyright 2002 by the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Colonial history of the United States Essay

Test Review Chapters 1-3 Day 1 Review (Monday) * Website review: themes and learning objectives from Chapter 1 * http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072424362/student_view0/chapter1/ * includes review Multiple choice and essay questions Topics to review: * Summarize the changes in European society that led to the era of exploration between 1400 and 1700. (pg. 9-12, 23-28) * Describe the Spanish Empire in the New World during the 1500s. Include political, military, economic, social, and cultural considerations. (pg. 11-20) * Discuss the economic and religious motivations that led to the establishment of English colonies in North America. (pg. 23-27) * Explain the French process of colonization and interaction with the natives. (pg. 27) Day 2 Review (Tuesday) * Website review: major themes and learning objectives from Chapter 2 * http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072424362/student_view0/chapter2/ * Includes review Multiple choice and essay questions Topics to Review: * Compare and contrast the development of Virginia with that of New England. Consider social, economic, political, and religious differences (Page: 34–49) * Explain the underlying causes and the unfortunate consequences of Bacon’s Rebellion. (pg. 39-40) * Contrast the early years of Pennsylvania with the early years of Georgia. (Page: 52–54, 58–59) * Compare and contrast the religious, economic, and social cultures of the Puritans and Quakers. (Page: 40–49, 52–54) Day 3 Review (Wednesday) * Website review: major themes and learning objectives from Chapter 3 * http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072424362/student_view0/chapter3/ * includes review multiple choice and essay questions Topics to Review: * Compare and contrast the institutions of white indentured servitude and African slavery in early colonial America. (Page: 66–67, 71–75) * Compare and contrast the lives of colonial women in the Chesapeake with those in New England. (Page: 69–71) * Compare and contrast the economies of the southern colonies with those of the northern colonies in the 1600s and 1700s. (Page: 77–89) * Compare and contrast the society found on a southern plantation of the late 1600s with that of a Puritan community of the same period. (Page: 83–87) * Explain how religion developed in the New England colonies during the 1600s and early 1700s. (Page: 89–91) * Compare the growth of education and organized religious thought in eighteenth-century colonial America. (Page: 89–94) Test Review Chapters 1-3 Day 1 Review (Monday) * Website review: themes and learning objectives from Chapter 1 * http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072424362/student_view0/chapter1/ * includes review Multiple choice and essay questions Topics to review: * Summarize the changes in European society that led to the era of exploration between 1400 and 1700. (pg. 9-12, 23-28) * Describe the Spanish Empire in the New World during the 1500s. Include political, military, economic, social, and cultural considerations. (pg. 11-20) * Discuss the economic and religious motivations that led to the establishment of English colonies in North America. (pg. 23-27) * Explain the French process of colonization and interaction with the natives. (pg. 27) Day 2 Review (Tuesday) * Website review: major themes and learning objectives from Chapter 2 * http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072424362/student_view0/chapter2/ * Includes review Multiple choice and essay questions Topics to Review: * Compare and contrast the development of Virginia with that of New England. Consider social, economic, political, and religious differences (Page: 34–49) * Explain the underlying causes and the unfortunate consequences of Bacon’s Rebellion. (pg. 39-40) * Contrast the early years of Pennsylvania with the early years of Georgia. (Page: 52–54, 58–59) * Compare and contrast the religious, economic, and social cultures of the Puritans and Quakers. (Page: 40–49, 52–54) Day 3 Review (Wednesday) * Website review: major themes and learning objectives from Chapter 3 * http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072424362/student_view0/chapter3/ * includes review multiple choice and essay questions Topics to Review: * Compare and contrast the institutions of white indentured servitude and African slavery in early colonial America. (Page: 66–67, 71–75) * Compare and contrast the lives of colonial women in the Chesapeake with those in New England. (Page: 69–71) * Compare and contrast the economies of the southern colonies with those of the northern colonies in the 1600s and 1700s. (Page: 77–89) * Compare and contrast the society found on a southern plantation of the late 1600s with that of a Puritan community of the same period. (Page: 83–87) * Explain how religion developed in the New England colonies during the 1600s and early 1700s. (Page: 89–91) * Compare the growth of education and organized religious thought in eighteenth-century colonial America. (Page: 89–94)

Psych Approach to Othello Essay

Approach of William Shakespeare’s Othello â€Å"Jealousy is bred in doubts. When those doubts change into certainties, then the passion either ceases or turns absolute madness,†- Francois De La Rochefoucauld. All people have the seed of jealousy inside them. However, the doubts of one’s self help grow the seed of jealousy. Othello was never what seemed to be a jealous man but when Iago led him to believe Desdemona was being unfaithful, Othello started to show his side of jealousy which ultimately led to his self destruction. Othello’s ego is shown through his indecisive decision and the wavering of his judgement. Othello’s primal instincts take over consuming his ego and superego leading him to his downfall. Finally, Othello superego prevails in his reasonable decisions throughout the play. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello starts off as a rational and moral character. As the play progresses, Othello becomes consumed by jealousy and he deteriorates resulting in his overactive ID and superego leading to his destruction. Othello appears as a fair and reasonable character from what the audience can see. His psyche is initially balanced and he does not seem like a character that would be despicable by Iago. Initaly, Othello’s ego becomes visible when he get brought to court and Brabantio is accusing Othello of â€Å"witchcraft† on his daughter Desdemona, to make her fall in love with him. Othello reacts calmly and says â€Å"hold your hands, both you of my fight, i should have known it without a prompter. Whither will you that i go to answer this your charge. † ( Shakespeare 1. 84-86 )Through the use of words, Othello is able to communicate reason towards the court showing his prevailing ego. In addition, Othello once again reveals his ego, when he’s in the court and allows Desdemona to speak on his behalf, showing his reasonable and mature actions. Othello says, â€Å"And till she come as truly as to heaven I do confess the vices of my blood†. ( Shakespeare 1. 3 124- 125) Othello responds very reasonably as he states his opinions rather than starting an argument. Therefore displaying his ability to control his ID like qualities. Finally, before Othello kills Desdemona, he experiences self conflict as he is trying to decide weather or not to act on this murder, thus displaying his ability to decipher between good and bad. Overall Othello demonstrates his ego because no one is manipulating him in the beginning of the play Othello is his own person, and his love for Desdemona is so strong that nothing is getting in the way. However this changes when Iago starts his lies into othello. Othello started off as the character that compassion could not shake but quickly his character took a turn for the worse and an immense character change occurred. Through out the middle of the play ID has overcome his character which ultimately causes his falling point. For instance, during the last acts of the play,Othello slaps Desdemona and says, â€Å"devil†¦. if that the earth could teem with women’s tears, each drop she falls would prove a crocodile. Out of my slight. â€Å"(Shakespeare 4. 1 231- ) His character looks horrific and this kind of violence was frown upon. Othello striking Desdemona shows his ID like qualities coming out and not being able to control his anger at all times. Towards the end of Othello, after he questions Emilia on Desdemona’s loyalty, Othello says to Desdemona, â€Å"oh, ay as summer flies are in the shambles, That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed, who art so lovely fair and smell’st so sweet that the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne’er been born! † ( Shakespeare 4. 2 69-73 ) Othello is stating that Desdemona is unfaithful and wishes she was never born, nonetheless Othello has lost all of his moral and values through his desires caused by Iago. In addition, Iago dominates over Othello’s psyche creating an ID behaviour by informing the idea that othello should kill his innocent wife. After Iago tells him about Cassio using the handkerchief this prevailed othello into killing him own naive wife, † get me some poison Iago this night, ill not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovided my mind- this night Iago†. (Shakespeare 4. 1 194-196) This demonstrates the ID behaviour for the reason that his desire overpowers his voice of restraint ultimately leading to him killing desdemona. Othello’s id is fuelled by Iago since his reputation and needs to not be seen as a fool are eventually more important to him than his own wife. In the last sense on the play Othello’s ID developed even stronger into an overactive Id this is shown when othello walks into the room when Desdemona is sleeping in her wedding sheets. Othello begins to speak to himself to justify his reason to preform an immoral action, † it is the cause, it is the cause my soul â€Å". ( Shakespeare 5. 2 1 ) Othello reputation is more essential to him because he is well liked in Cyprus ultimately leading him to killing Desdemona. Overall, Othello’s ID grew stronger as Iago fabrications became more believable and forced upon him. Othello’s strong conscience and internalized moral standards begin to take over Othello’s ego and ID which results into his downfall. His sense of morals are processed in the play when his voice of restraint becomes predominate over his desires and reputation. This is seen in the beginning of the play when Othello removes Cassio’s rank in cyprus. â€Å"†¦ Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio. Cassio I love thee, but never more be office of mine† ( Shakespeare 2. 3. 26-28), this is demonstrating his super ego because there is a slight voice of restraint when he says † i love thee†. In particular this proves his superego because although Cassio’s status is important it is the friendship between Cassio and himself that makes him feel guilt. Eventually this leads to his superego becoming more existent when Iago begins to plot that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Othello begins to believe it however, he demands proof showing his sense of right from wrong, â€Å"†¦.. i think that thou art just and think thou art not, ill have some proof† (Shakespeare 3. 3 392-394 ). His superego is shown because he is demonstrating that he has a sense of morals by telling Iago he will not believe it until he has proof. Although there might be slight truth on what Iago is saying he still believes his wife is faithful unless Iago provides him with the proof he needs because ultimately he does not want to believe that his wife would do such a thing. After killing his wife Desdemona, Othello realizes that he will never have her back again, he can’t regain his ego which ultimately leads to his suicide. Before committing suicide othello states, â€Å"†¦. of one that loved not wisely, but to well. Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme. Of one whose hand†. ( Shakespeare 5. 360-363) This eventually demonstrates his overactive superego because finally knowing the truth about Iago’s lies developed a heavy guilt leading to his death. His superego becomes predominant over the others which is eventually grown as a neurosis. Othello’s overactive superego is ultimately shown through his guilt of killing his wife since he now knows the truth of Iagoà ¢â‚¬â„¢s evil schemes. In the final analysis of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello starts of as a rational and moral character but as the play progresses his ID and superego result in his own destruction. Othello begins to be consumed by jealousy which ultimately leads to his decline within himself. In the beginning of the play Othello’s ego since is able to balance out his ID and superego. As the play continues on Othello’s ID becomes essential to him through Iago’s unethical lies, however at the end of the play it is his overactive superego and guilt that leads to his suicide. William Shakespeare is trying to state that those who have an ego and are able to withhold themselves will ultimately be okay, but if individual allows others to manipulate them it will lead to a downfall within one, this is proven in Othello.

Global Warming Is False Essay Example

Global Warming Is False Essay Example Global Warming Is False Paper Global Warming Is False Paper The issue of global warming has become a hot topic in not only in American, but all over the world. For years, many politicians have evaded the issue of global warming. But now, all of a sudden, the Democratic Party vows to combat global warming. Now that the Democratic Party has majority in both houses on Congress, they have taken an emphasis over environmental issues, mostly involving global warming. On January 30th, 2007, Congress held its first hearing about global warming. What was concluded in that hearing was that global warming is a fact, and that it is caused by humans. AY Gore conveniently released a movie called Cute Inconvenient truth, a movie that showed AY Gore giving a speech about the Diffracts on global warming and its C]irrefutable repercussion. Just this past February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a summary that blamed global warming on CO released into the atmosphere by humans. With scientist backing claims that CO is causing global warming, the majority of Americans have made the decision that global warming is in fact true. But what Americans are not exposed is the scientist that claim climate change is part of Earths cycle, and that it right on schedule. The EPIC found that the amount of CO in the atmosphere is causing the rise in temperature on Earth. This, in effect, is causing polar ice caps to melt, flooding Oceans with fresh water. The EPIC says that the flood of freshwater in the Ocean is causing weather patterns to change. But claim that the amount of CO in the air is causing global warming is not correct. Last year, Carleton University Professor Tim Patterson appeared before the Commons : Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. He testified that there is no correlation between the CO levels and the Earths temperature. He states his findings that 450 million years ago the amount of CO in the atmosphere was over ten times greater than they are now, and during that time, the earth was experiencing its coldest period ever. How does the Earth heating have anything to do with the increase in CO if the Earth has been known to be cooling with high amounts of CO in the air? The EPIC and AY Gore have both stated that the polar ice caps are melting uh to global warming, noting that some scientist have never seen anything like this. In his movie, AY Gore shows a dramatic display of the ice caps in Antarctica melting and breaking off. Dry. Boris Windcheater, former marine researcher at the Geological Survey of F-inland says that the breaking of glacier walls in Antarctica is normal in the advance of a glacier. Windcheater explains, In Antarctica the temperature is low enough to prohibit melting of the ice front, so if the ice is grounded, it has to break off in beautiful ice cascades. If the water is deep enough icebergs will form. Another professor from the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology at Stockholm University, Dry. WIBNI Carlen, says that the temperature in Antarctica is indeed rising, but only slightly. But he also claims that more snow in accumulating than melting off. In The Inconvenient Truth, AY Gore claims that over 200 cities and towns in Western American have experience all time records for temperature and that this is caused by global warming. According to a new study released by Dry. Roy Spencer, Principal Research Scientist at the University of Alabama, it is not uncommon for many towns, out of the thousands, to experience record setting weather. His data reveals that recent temperatures in America were not unusual. A scientific group focusing on Climate Variability and Mechanisms conclude that the Earths climate in the past 1 0,000 years is, is now known to have been highly unstable and prone to major, rapid changes, especially warnings, that occurred briefly within a few decades or less.. The scientific community has made major strides in documenting the history of leaning-decal scale climate change. In a paper that was published in Science Magazine, seven scientists concluded that the Earth is on a 1 500 year cycle. They found evidence by testing the carbon and beryllium isotopes in sediments that suggests the changes In surface winds and surface temperatures are caused solar output. They also found that the Earth has experience drastic temperature changes r oughly ever 1 500 years, dating back 1000 A. D. Two other scientists, Wolfgang Berger and Lurch von Radar, retrieved a 5,000 year old sediment from the Arabian Sea. It revealed an unnamed cold period before the Roman Empire, the 1 1 50-year Roman cycle, the 900-year Medieval cycle, and the beginning of the Modern Cycle. This means that the Earth has cooling cycles and warming cycles. They concluded that the Earth has been warming since 1 680, the lowest point of a cooling period called the Little Ice Age. With all the evidence the Government has been relaying that proves global warming to be true, why has a lot of information been left out?

Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender Essays

Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender Essays Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender Essay Freedom Writers and the Economics of Race and Gender Essay The movie Freedom Writers is one of the most touching to have come out of Hollywood in recent years. Starring Hilary Swank in a lead role, the movie takes up a subject that is at the heart of American culture, namely juvenile delinquency and ways of dealing with it. It also touches upon the economics of race and gender. On a cursory viewing the story looks deceptively simple. But when the storyline, screenplay and other nuances in the film are observed, numerous interpretations are made available. Embedded within it are themes of economics, especially that applying to race and gender. Moreover, what comes through the narrative is the strength of character and commitment shown by Erin Gruwell as she undertakes to set right a challenging group of students. For example, â€Å"She encounters a diverse but segregated community so racially charged, hostile and potentially combustible that she likens it to Nazi Germany. Without the support of her administrators (played by Imelda Staunton and others) and the school system, which views teenagers more as threats than scholars, Miss Gruwell devises her own methods for reaching students. She begins educating them about other young people who’ve endured wars, like Anne Frank, and simultaneously gives them journals so that they can tell their own stories, thus, giving each person a voice and a sense of value.† (Mayo, 2007, p.43) Another test of character and commitment for Erin was the divisions within the classroom on the basis of race, ethnicity and class. The term ‘Economics of Gender and Race’ is usually employed by economists to talk about disparities in income and work opportunities among different races and the two genders. In the American context, these disparities are skewered in favor of white Americans, especially the White Anglo Saxon Protestant (WASP) group. The whites generally have a head-start in terms of standard of living they are born into, career opportunities they can avail of, neighborhoods they can inhabit, etc. Also, on average, whites earn more income than other minority groups. A similar disparity exists among the genders, where males are favored for both positions of high office and in the incomes they earn. In the movie Freedom Writers, the classroom under the charge of Erin Gruwell is a representative collage of these realities. There we see white pupils born to well-to-do parents (who also perform better in exams) contrasted against pupils from minority communities such as blacks and Hispanics, who are projected to be disorganized and less disciplined (indicative of their socio-economic backgrounds). The microcosm of the classroom is a reflection of larger realities in American society. The semblance to reality is all the more so because the movie was based on the real life story of an American teacher of the same name – Erin Gruwell; and the school she works for Wilson High School. (Pimentel, 2010, p.51) Hence only a person of impeccable force of character and commitment could have overcome these many disparities and bring out the creative energies. Any other ordinary teacher in Erin’s place would have utterly failed in uniting and pacifying the group of students. : What moves the story forward are a) a racially motivated shoot-out involving members of the class and b) the interception by Erin of a racially-loaded drawing in the classroom board. This is a crucial juncture in the movie from where the students will embark on a creative, developmental journey. Instead of indulging themselves in gang-wars and wasting their lives, by recording and exchanging their experiences they would gain insights into other perspectives and viewpoints. Erin struggles to procure necessary stationary for students’ writing projects – since the class is largely comprised of minority students, their lower socio-economic background meant that they cannot buy stationary supplies with their own money. Erin’s out-of-the-box thinking helps her to transform the attitude of her pupils. The proof of her methods is that every one of her original 150 students went on to graduate from high school, and then to university, she says, and that every one of t hem has put their life as a gang member behind them. Beyond the movie, Erin Gruwell has also advocated a more compassionate approach toward juvenile delinquency. The following words from her truly capture her steadfast commitment and purposeful character: â€Å"We have to stop expecting disaffected teenagers to fit into the traditional education system, and instead tailor the system so they can connect to it. We need to show how every great piece of literature – essentially about the triumph of the human spirit over adversity – is their story, every journey their journey. And we have to free them as writers – letting them tell their story without worrying about spelling, grammar or it being graded. Writing validates what they’ve been through – just like it did for Anne Frank – and can help pull kids out of a spiral of violence.† (Gruwell, as quoted in Cohen, 2007, p.4) I personally admire the fact that Erin has continued to advocate her liberal and compassionate methods of teaching. She also strongly believes that government policy both in countries such as the UK and US is â€Å"failing disaffected teenagers because it’s reactive rather than proactive. The idea of putting more police on the streets and making membership of a gang an aggravating factor in prosecutions is not the solution. In America it costs $40,000 a year to incarcerate someone and just $8,000 a year to educate them, and the relative costs are similar in the UK. It’s a shame, because after they’re incarcerated, they become hardened criminals.† (Gruwell, as quoted in Cohen, 2007, p.4) As I watched the movie, I was able to reflect the relevance of the Holocaust in the plot. It then occurred to me that her employment of the Holocaust itself can be seen as the result of historical economic disparities leading up to Weimar Germany. That is, the systematic rounding up and extermination of millions of Jews by the Third Reich was in part economically motivated (for folklore and religious dogma portray Jews as the usurpers of wealth in which ever region they inhabit) and in part racially motivated (for Jews are also perceived to be of an inferior race to the Aryans). So within the main cinematic theme of economics of race and gender, the Holocaust provides us with a thematically consistent sub-plot as well. Adding poignancy to Erin’s allusions of the Holocaust is the usage of The Diary of Anne Frank as a model for students’ exercises. Erin Gruwell inspires her students to follow the example of 13-year old Anne Frank, the heroic historical figure, who r esorted to writing down her feelings and thoughts, when forced to live in an attic for fear of being rounded up by the Nazis. (Mayo, 2007, p.43)

Can Jurors Ask Questions During Trials

Can Jurors Ask Questions During Trials The trend of jurors asking questions while a trial is going on is becoming more popular in courtrooms across the country. There are some states that now require it by law, including Arizona, Colorado, and Indiana. Many times highly technical testimony may alienate the average juror to the point where they stop paying attention and begin faking that they understand what is being said. Because of this, lawyers have become more reluctant to take cases where they risk verdicts that are derived from uninformed and bored jurors who do not understand the applicable laws. Case studies of trials that have been reviewed have shown that when jurors could ask questions during the trial, there were fewer incidents of verdicts that lacked a sound understanding of the evidence that was presented.​ CEATS Inc. v. Continental Airlines Experimentation has been done to gauge the effectiveness of permitting jurors to ask questions during trial. An example was in the CEATS Inc. v. Continental Airlines trial. Chief Judge Leonard Davis asked jurors to write down questions that they had after each witness testified. Out of earshot of the jury, the lawyers and judge then reviewed each question, which did not identify which jury member asked it. The judge, with attorney input, selected the questions to ask and informed the jurors that the selected questions were decided by him, not the lawyers, to avoid a juror getting insulted or holding a grudge because their question was not selected. The attorneys could then expound on the questions, but were specifically asked not to include the jurors questions during their closing arguments. One of the major concerns of allowing jurors to ask questions was the amount of time it would take to review, select, and answer the questions. According to Alison K. Bennett, MS, in the article Eastern District of Texas Experiments with Jurors Questions During Trial, Judge Davis said that the additional time added about 15 minutes to the testimony of each witness. He also said that the jurors appeared more engaged and invested in the proceedings and that the questions asked showed a level of sophistication and understanding from the jury that was encouraging. The Pros of Allowing Jurors to Ask Questions Most jurors want to render a fair verdict based on their understanding of the testimony. If jurors are unable to obtain all the information that they need to make that decision, they may become frustrated with the process and ignore the evidence and testimony that they could not decipher. By becoming active participants in the courtroom, jurors get a more in-depth understanding of courtroom procedures, are less likely to misunderstand the facts of a case and develop a clearer perspective on which laws apply or do not apply to the case. Jurors questions can also help lawyers get a feel for what they are thinking and can influence how lawyers continue to present their cases. It is also a good tool to reference when preparing for future cases. The Cons of Allowing Jurors to Ask Questions The risks of allowing a jury to ask questions can mostly be controlled by how the procedure is handled, although there are still other problems that may arise. They include: A juror who wants to display their superior understanding of the case or one that talks too much could become taxing and annoying to other jurors as well as add unnecessary time to the trial proceedings. It also puts lawyers and judges at risk if they display signs of fatigue or annoyance with trying to control someone with these characteristics. The fallout could result in the juror feeling alienated and resentful which could have a harmful effect on jury deliberations.A question could be asked that jurors feel essential, but in reality, has little legal significance to the outcome of the trial. Such a question could end up carrying too much weight when jurors begin their deliberations.There is also a risk that the questions not asked by a jury could imply that they do not understand the evidence being presented or realize the significance of the evidence presented. Alternatively, it may mean that they do not have additional questions because they completely understand what has been presented. This could put lawyers at a disadvantage. If the jury does not understand the evidence enough to ask questions, a lawyer may change their strategy and spend more time with testimony that helps explain the evidence. However, if the jury does have a full understanding of the evidence, additional time spent on the same information could be viewed as repetitive and boring and the lawyer risks being audibly muted by jurors. The risk of a witness answering a jurors question that has been rendered inadmissible.Jurors may take the position of being an adversary of a witness rather than being interested in all of the facts of the case.Jurors may rate the importance of testimony if a judge does not elect to ask a witness a jurors question. They may feel it is not important testimony because it was not worthy of additional time spent to review it.A question may be allowed by a judge by mistake and become the reason the verdict is later appealed.Lawyers fear losing control over their case and trial strategy, especially if a question is asked by a juror that lawyers have purposely avoided mentioning during a trial. There is a concern that jurors with questions may decide on their verdict too early. Procedure Determines Success of Jury Questions Most of the problems that could develop from jurors asking questions can be controlled by a strong judge, through careful review of the questions and through using a proactive process through which jurors can submit questions. If the judge is reading the questions, and not the jurors, a garrulous juror can then be controlled. Questions that do not have significant importance to the overall outcome of the trial can be skipped. Questions that appear to appear bias or are argumentative can be reworded or discarded. However, it does give the judge an opportunity to review the importance to jurors of remaining impartial until the trial is over. Cases Studies of Jurors Asking Questions Professor Nancy Marder, director of IIT Chicago-Kents Jury Center and author of the book The Jury Process, researched the effectiveness of juror questions and determined that the justice is fully served when a jury is informed and understands all the mechanisms that go into their role as juror, including testimony given, evidence shown and how laws should or should not be applied. She goes on to emphasize that judges and lawyers can benefit by taking a more jury-centric approach to court proceedings, which means considering questions that jurors may have through the jurors perspective rather through their own. By doing so will improve the performance of the jury as a whole. It can also enable a jury to remain present and focused on what is going on, rather than have them obsess on an unanswered question. Unanswered questions could promote a feeling of apathy towards the remainder of the trial if they fear that they have failed to understand important testimony. Understanding the Dynamics of a Jury In Marders article, Answering Jurors Questions: Next Steps in Illinois, she looks at the pros and cons of several examples of what can happen when jurors are permitted or legally bound to ask questions, and one major point that she mentions is in regards to the dynamics that occur among a jury. She discusses how within groups of jurors there is a tendency for those who failed to understand testimony to look to other jurors who they deem as being better informed. That person ultimately becomes an authority figure in the room. Often their opinions carry more weight and will have more influence over what the jurors decide. When jurors questions are answered, it helps create an environment of equality and each juror can participate and contribute to the deliberations rather than being dictated to by those who appear to have all the answers. If a debate does arise, all jurors can inject their knowledge into the discussion without feeling uninformed. By doing this, jurors are more likely to vote independently, rather than to be overly influenced by a single juror. According to Marders research, the positive results of jurors moving out of passive roles of observers to active roles which allow them to ask questions has far outweighed the more negative concerns of lawyers and judges.​​​

DETECTING MEDIA BIAS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DETECTING MEDIA BIAS - Essay Example There was even a story about a toddler who was found in a car seat but whose connection to the previous story remained unclear. Since there was very little information to go by at the time of the reporting, I firmly believe that this article lacked the depth and breadth of an accurate news report. It reported unconfirmed information and relied on hearsay rather than verified data from the police and mall authorities. It would appear that the facts as reported in the story were only based upon the little information that the reporter could either verify from the authorities or heard from some witnesses on the ground. Therefore, it is hard to say if the writer actually had an inclination to report the story in one particular way or if he had intentionally or unintentionally misreported facts in the story. There were certainly questionable assumptions made within the story as the reporter questioned a particular witness about what he thought he heard and saw prior to and during the suicide. I find it disturbing that he took the word of an untrained bystander when reporting about the kind of gun and bullet that was used in the successful suicide attempt. He took the witnesses word for it when he said that there was little to no blood on the scene. The man was simply having a meal at McDonalds when the event occurred. He was not identified as any sort of medical professional, coroner, or member of the police force who had the authority to make such pronouncements about the victims. The emphasis of the story was supposed to be on the double suicide that took place. The news reporting was so scattered that it was really difficult for readers to identify what story the beat reported was trying to tell. He ended up maximizing his word count without informing the readers about what really happened, who those people where, why they committed suicide, and if they were related to the abandoned child that was