Technology in the film Contact essays

Technology in the film Contact essays The film Contact addresses the complex question of whether extraterrestrial life exists. In the beginning of the film, the idea that there could be any form of extra terrestrial life seemed ludicrous and Ellie was made a fool for believing in the possibility. Once Ellie and her fellow scientists receive a radio signal from the planet Vega, the government decided to take over the test site and the entire project. Without any information about the intent of the contact, the government made the assumption that it would be in their best interest to respond with violence. This response is not only true in the movie, the urge to respond to an unknown threat with violence can be seen in the way in which the United States solves world conflicts today. The quarrel between the United States and Iraq is an example of responding to the unknown with violence. Although the conflict between the United States and the extra terrestrial life on Vega is a very different from that of Iraq, there a re many similarities. Due to the lack of common laws or ideas, a sense of the unknown emerges between both parties and as this feeling increases a feeling of fear immerges. Unless the lines of communication are opened between the nations of this planet, the United States will always be on the verge of a third world war. The similarities between Contact and the Iraq versus US struggle can be displayed in Paul K Huth's model of deterrence (Huth, P (1999) Deterrence and International Conflict: Empirical Findings and Theoretical debates. Annual review of political science 2, (25-48)) This model demonstrates the connection of how anarchy leads to a security dilemma and evidently an arms race. The major similarity between the two is the idea that anarchy leads to and arms race and therefore a world war. The first point of the chart is that of anarchy. The definition of anarchy in this chart is the absence of any form of common political authority. An ex...

60 Writing Topics for Extended Definitions

60 Writing Topics for Extended Definitions Simply put, a definition is a statement of the meaning of a word or phrase. An extended definition goes beyond what can be found in a dictionary,  offering an expanded analysis and illustration  of a concept that might be abstract, controversial, unfamiliar, or frequently misunderstood. Take, for example, writings such as William James Pragmatic Theory of Truth or John Bergers The Meaning of Home. Approaching the Abstract Abstract concepts, including many of the broad terms in the list that follows, need to be brought to earth with an example to relate what they mean to your reader and to get your point or opinion across. You could illustrate the concepts with anecdotes from your personal life or examples from the news or current events, or write an opinion piece.  Theres no single method for  developing  and  organizing  a paragraph or essay by extended definition. The 60 concepts listed here can be defined in various ways and from different points of view. Brainstorming and Prewriting Start with brainstorming your topic. If you work well with lists, write the word at the top of the paper and fill the rest of the page with all the things that the word makes you think of, feel, see, or even smell, without stopping. Its OK to go off on tangents, as you might find a surprising connection that could make a powerful, insightful, or even humorous essay. Alternatively, brainstorm by writing the word in the middle of your paper and connect other related words to it and each other. As you develop your angle, think about the concepts background, features, characteristics, and parts. What is the concepts opposite? What are its effects on you or others? Something in your list or word map will spark a writing idea or theme to use to illustrate the abstract concept, and then its off to the races. If you run into a dead end the first time, go back to your list and pick another idea. Its possible that your first draft turns out to be prewriting and leads to a better idea that can be developed further and can possibly even incorporate the prewriting exercise. Time spent writing is time spent exploring and is never wasted, as sometimes it takes a bit of pursuit to discover the perfect idea. If seeing examples will help spark your essay, take a look at Gifts, by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gore Vidals Definition of Prettiness, or A Definition of Pantomime, by Julian Barnes. 60 Topic Suggestions Looking for a place to start? Here are 60 words and phrases so broad that writings on them could be infinite: TrustKindnessSexismGumptionRacismSportsmanshipHonorModestySelf-assuranceHumilityDedicationSensitivityPeace of mindRespectAmbitionRight to privacyGenerosityLazinessCharismaCommon senseTeam playerMaturityIntegrityHealthy appetiteFrustrationOptimismSense of humorLiberalConservativeA good (or bad) teacher or professorPhysical fitnessFeminismA happy marriageTrue friendshipCourageCitizenshipSuccessA good (or bad) coachIntelligencePersonalityA good (or bad) roommatePolitical correctnessPeer pressureLeadershipPersistenceResponsibilityHuman rightsSophisticationSelf-respectHeroismThriftSlothVanityPrideBeautyGreedVirtueProgressA good (or bad) bossA good (or bad) parent