How Scientists Estimate the Weight of Extinct Dinosaurs

How Scientists Estimate the Weight of Extinct Dinosaurs Imagine that youre a paleontologist examining the fossilized remains of a new genus of dinosaura hadrosaur, say, or a gigantic sauropod. After youve figured out how the specimens bones are put together, and what type of dinosaur youre dealing with, you eventually go on to estimate its weight. One good clue is how long the type fossil is, from the tip of its skull to the end of its tail; another is the estimated or published weight estimates for comparable types of dinosaurs. If youve discovered a huge titanosaur from late Cretaceous South America, for example, you might venture a guess of 80 to 120 tons for a full-grown adult, the approximate weight range of South American behemoths like Argentinosaurus and Futalognkosaurus. Now imagine that youre trying to estimate the weight not of a dinosaur, but of an obese stranger at a cocktail party. Even though youve been around human beings all of your life, of all shapes and sizes, your guess is more likely than not to be inaccurate: you might estimate 200 pounds when the person actually weighs 300 pounds, or vice-versa. (Of course, if youre a medical professional, your guess will be much closer to the mark, but still potentially off by 10 or 20 percent, thanks to the masking effect of the clothing the person is wearing.) Extrapolate this example to the 100-ton titanosaur mentioned above, and you can be off by as many as 10 or 20 tons. If guessing the weight of people is a challenge, how do you pull off this trick for a dinosaur thats been extinct for 100 million years? How Much Did Dinosaurs Really Weigh? As it turns out, recent research demonstrates that experts may have been drastically overestimating the weight of dinosaurs, for decades. Since 1985, paleontologists have used an equation involving various parameters (the total length of the individual specimen, the length of certain bones, etc.) to estimate the weight of all kinds of extinct animals. This equation produces reasonable results for small mammals and reptiles but veers sharply from reality when larger animals are involved. In 2009, a team of researchers applied the equation to still-extant mammals like elephants and hippopotamuses and found that it vastly overestimated their weight. So what does this mean for dinosaurs? At the scale of your typical sauropod, the difference is dramatic: whereas Apatosaurus (the dinosaur previously known as Brontosaurus) was once thought to weigh 40 or 50 tons, the corrected equation puts this plant-eater at a mere 15 to 25 tons (though, of course, it doesnt have any effect on its enormous length). Sauropods and titanosaurs, it seems, were much more slender than scientists have given them credit for, and the same probably applies to plus-sized duckbills like Shantungosaurus and horned, frilled dinosaurs like Triceratops. Sometimes, though, weight estimates veer off the tracks in the other direction. Recently, paleontologists examining the growth history of Tyrannosaurus Rex, by examining various fossil specimens at various growth stages, concluded that this fierce predator grew much more quickly than was previously believed, putting on as many as two tons per year during its teenaged spurt. Since we know female tyrannosaurs were bigger than males, this means that a full-grown T. Rex female may have weighed as much as 10 tons, two or three tons heftier than previous estimates. The More Dinosaurs Weigh, the Better Of course, part of the reason researchers impute enormous weights to dinosaurs (though they may not admit to it) is that these estimates give their findings more heft with the general public. When youre talking in terms of tons, rather than pounds, its easy to get carried away and carelessly attribute a weight of 100 tons to a newly discovered titanosaur, since 100 is such a nice, round, newspaper-friendly number. Even if a paleontologist is careful to tone down his weight estimates, the press is likely to exaggerate them, touting a given sauropod as the biggest ever when in fact it wasnt even close. People want their dinosaurs to be really, really big! The fact is, theres still a lot we dont know about how much dinosaurs weighed. The answer depends not only on measures of bone growth, but on other still-unresolved questions, such as what type of metabolism a given dinosaur possessed (weight estimates can be very different for warm-blooded and cold-blooded animals), what kind of climate it lived in, and what it ate on a daily basis. The bottom line is, you should take the weight estimate of any dinosaur with a big grain of Jurassic saltotherwise, youll be sorely disappointed when future research results in a slimmed-down Diplodocus.

Miranda v. Arizona Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Miranda v. Arizona - Essay Example The jury found Miranda guilty of the kidnapping and rape charges, and a sentence of 20 to 30 years on each count was imposed on Miranda. Later, Miranda made an appeal to the Supreme Court of Arizona, which held that the constitutional rights of Miranda had not been violated by the police, at the time of procuring the confession. In this manner, the Supreme Court of Arizona upheld the decision of the lower court (MIRANDA V. ARIZONA: AN OVERVIEW AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS). In this case, the Supreme Court examined the statements of the police officers and the confession obtained from Miranda. It held that the police officers had failed to intimate Miranda that he had a right to council. It was also found that the police had not given any opportunity to Miranda to exercise his right to council during the questioning. The Court stated that the police had failed to inform Miranda of his legitimate right to not to be compelled to incriminate himself during the interrogation (Miranda v Arizona , 1966). Thus, the Supreme Court clearly held that in the absence of the fulfillment of these requirements, the statements procured from Miranda were inadmissible as evidence. The police should have followed the legal procedures, while obtaining evidence from Miranda, if it was to be admissible in the court. The Supreme Court held that the typed statement from Miranda that he had full knowledge of his constitutional rights, did not waive his constitutional rights (Case Brief Of Miranda Vs. Arizona 1966). In addition, the Supreme Court during its ruling emphasized that the process of interrogation, by its very nature was always intimidating. This can be offset by reading suspects their rights, prior to the commencement of interrogation. It is the duty of the police officer to read out these rights to the suspect before the interrogation. However, there is no need for a police officer to read these rights to a suspect, while arresting the latter (Case Brief Of Miranda

Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human Essay

Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience - Essay Example In summer 2009, my boyfriend physically abused me, and he injured me to an extent that I could not converse without breathing breaks. A physical therapist helped me recover from my condition, and I was able to learn the basic things that keep a person in good health. It was a challenging moment for me, and recovering was more of a miracle. From my experience, I have gained a desire to help people who are in similar conditions regain their movement. Once given the opportunity to study this course, I will work hard to gain the best knowledge to assist people. My inbuilt desire to perfect in physical therapy techniques will drive me into doing extensive research, which will be crucial in achievement of the APTA mission. After I am qualified as a physical therapist, I will research and develop better techniques, which will promote movement. In my career, I will be focused on restoration of function reduction of pain and prevention of disability, which are the core roles of physical therapists. Since I have experienced the feeling of disability, I will assist people to prevent loss of mobility through techniques such as devilment of wellness, fitness oriented health and active lifestyle programs. I will be flexible to work in different workplaces such as hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, sports, and fitness facilities, nursing homes, private practices, home health agencies and even in work settings. My flexibility to work in many areas will be beneficial to the society and will help in optimizing movement and improve the human experience I am very eager to maximum utilize the opportunity to study physical therapy so that I can gain more understanding on easing movement for people, and helping them recover from pain. In future, I also intend to join a master’s program in public health so that I can have a rigid educational background to actualize the vision of the APTA (APTA, 2014). Elevating my

Modern Age Essay Example for Free

Modern Age Essay Our world is constantly changing and some say that its better, but some say that it is worse. A famous author, Lynn White Jr. is saying that since the modern age we have had an ecological crisis that is slowly worsening every year. Another author, Immanuel Wallerstein, is saying that our world economy is actually doing well since the modern age and that it is better than in the past. Janet Abu-Lughod is a famous author who disagrees with a lot of what Wallerstein says but agrees that our economy is doing better than the past. Lynda Norene Shafer is another author who tells us that the past did a lot of good for us, especially Southern India and China. All these authors have much to say but they are too focused on one part of their arguments. Immanuel Wallerstein is one author who makes a good argument and approach towards the modern age. He approaches the modern age by stating many facts and explaining as to what he believes our world system should be like. He states that since the sixteenth century, we have always had capitalist economies and world economies. Wallerstein believes that our economy has many political units inside that loosely tie together the system. He believes that we should have an economy that is bounded by one big political structure that is unitary. Wallerstein disagrees with people thinking towards what capitalism is. He says, â€Å"Capitalism is not the mere existence of persons or firms producing for sale on the market with the intention of obtaining a profit† (1-2). Wallerstein is telling us that man has been producing many things with the sole purpose of making a profit on those things. He totally disagrees with this statement as being a definition for capitalism since he believes that it is not true. Wallerstein also states the correlation between world economies and capitalist economies. He is telling us that, â€Å"Conversely, a capitalist economy cannot exist within a framework except that of a world economy† (2). What Wallerstein is saying to us is that world economies and capitalist economies go very well together. He says this because world economies are lacking a big, overall, unifying political structure that capitalism actually has. Finally, Wallerstein tells us that world systems before this modern one have always failed because of that lacking capitalistic structure. He says that, â€Å"What unifies the structure [world economy] most is the diversion of labor which is constituted within it† (1). Wallerstein says that the world systems never survived in the past, but only now because of the installment of capitalism in it. Overall, Wallerstein brings up many good points, but he is too focused on Europe and their responsibility on interconnecting world systems. Another author, Lynn White Jr. brings up many good points, but just as Wallerstein, is too Eurocentric. Lynn White Jr. is another great author who approaches the modern age. He brings up ecology and its relationship with religion in the modern age. He brings up a very strong point as to global warming and a big ecological crisis would happen if we do not change or adjust our main religion. White Jr. believes that Christianity has led to a scientific revolution. What he also states which is very important, is that it is extremely crucial for us to adjust or completely change Christianity. White Jr. believes that Christianity has led our ecology to such a crisis that it is already extremely difficult to help or even undo. Something very important that he says is, â€Å"More science and more technology are not going to get us out of the present ecological crisis until we find a new religion or rethink an old one† (11). He is suggesting that Christianity has been doing what it wants for the past centuries that it made our ecology terrible enough to put it in a crisis. White Jr. also says that â€Å"For nearly two millennia Christian missionaries have been chopping down sacred groves, which are idolatrous because they assume spirit in nature† (11). This quote is very vital to interpret because it tells us all about what Lynn White Jr. is arguing about. He is saying that for the past 2,000 years, Christian persons do as they wish, but no one has even made a good attempt to stop them. He is also putting Europe responsible for the crisis that they have caused because Christianity starts in Europe. Since no one has changed the ecological crisis that we have continuously, he says, â€Å"Hence we shall continue to having a worsening ecological crisis until we reject the Christian axiom that nature has no reason for existence save to serve man† (11). Lynn White Jr. is telling us that since no one is succeeding to stop Christianity from further worsening our crisis, we will fail in the future. We also have two  female authors, Janet Abu-Lughod, and Lynda Norene Shafer, who explain Southernization and the Rise of the West. Although many are familiar with the term Westernization, one might know that many centuries before, there has been what is called Southernization. Lynda Norene Shafer informs us of Southernization. She tells us that it basically means that there were many advances in southern parts of China and India. Southernization focused on advancements such as math and gold and most of these advancements come from India. Southernization also focused on trades when cotton was first domesticated. This allowed many trades to open up where Indians could trade cotton clothing. One said that India had â€Å"clothed the world† (13). Another author, Janet Abu-Lughod talks about world systems and a little on the rise of the west. She actually disagrees with Wallerstein. She believes that there have actually been world systems a long time before the start of the European hegemony. While Europe was as one might say, only a new start to an old life, there have been many agricultural exchanges such as crafts. Lughod believes that this was a global-made world system that took time before and during the thirteenth century. She says that world systems â€Å"Increased economic integration and cultural effervescence† (7). This disagrees with Wallerstein also because he thought the exact opposite. In conclusion, all these important authors say much but one might say not enough. Wallerstein and White Jr. are too Eurocentric. Abu-Lughod is very focused on world systems and not enough on the Rise of the West. One might say that although these authors make good points, they should also talk about how their argument affects other parts of the world or even counter their argument. // o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t=,o=0;o e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return studymoose.com},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf(http)==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

Unconditional Love in E.B. Whites Charlottes Web Essay -- English Li

Unconditional Love in E.B. White's Charlotte's Web In fantasy like Charlotte's Web, the animals are true to their natures, yet similar to people. They think and worry and love and hurt and laugh and needle one another as people do. In Charlotte's Web, human truths of friendship and love are revealed. I strongly agree with the statement that Charlotte is truly the ideal role model of unconditional love and will support my stand by highlighting Charlotte's selfless acts, contrasting her with Templeton, showing why he is the complete opposite of her, comparing her with other models of love such as Fern, Mrs. Arable and the goose and lastly, proving that Wilbur's change is a result of her unconditional love. We know Charlotte's nature very well. She was Wilbur's best friend and saviour; beautiful and intelligent. As White put it, "It's not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both." She is not only motherly, but hardworking, and her web words prove it. She is the same wise and selfless character at the end of the story that she was at the beginning, which makes her the ideal model of unconditional love. In Wilbur's first conversation with Charlotte, Wilbur's discovery of how Charlotte survives impedes their new friendship, "Charlotteis fierce, brutal, scheming, bloodthirsty- everything I don't like. How can I learn to like her, even though she is pretty and, of course, clever?" The friendship looked questionable. But White reassures us by saying "she has a kind heart, and she was to prove loyal to the very end." The development of what seemed like an impossible relationship reveals and defines unconditional love. Charlotte's profound love for Wilbur ... ... and contrasting Charlotte with the other characters in Charlotte's Web has shown that the degree of Charlotte's love is incomparable and irreplaceable. She is indeed the ideal role model of unconditional love. Bibliography Book - White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte's Web. Hamish Hamilton. - White, E. B. (1999). Salutations! Wit and Wisdom from Charlotte's Web. HarperCollins Publishers - Lukens, R. J. (1995). A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. New York: HarperCollins College Publishers Journal - Marion, G. (1973). E.B. White's Unexpected Items of Enchantment. Children's Literature in Education, 11, 104-115. Internet Resource - Huntley, C., Phillips, M.A. (1994). Storytelling Output Report for Charlotte's Web. Retrieved February 29, 2004, from http://www.dramatica.com/story/analyses/analyses/charlottesweb.html

Closed-Source Systems Essay

There are several differences and similarities when discussing open and closed source software or systems. Some operating systems that are currently in operating are closed source and some of them are open source. Both closed and open source software / systems have their place in the technical world. It is difficult to say which of these types is better, because it will usually be based on numerous factors. Possible factors could be cost, convenience, flexibility, maintenance, and accessibility. The comparison will always be made when discussing open and open closed source software / systems, but it will always be a person-to-person situation based on necessity. Closed Source Software / Systems Closed source software is defined as software that contains a hidden source code or a non-visible source code. It is usually developed by a single person or a company. Once a final copy of the closed source software is developed and completed, it is sold to the public. This final copy is what end-users will find available to them. According to (Grant, 2004), â€Å"Closed source software is normally copyrighted or patented and is legally protected as intellectual property. † He also mentions that legally, â€Å"A user cannot give it away, copy it, or modify it in any way unless the user has a special license or permission to do it† (Grant, 2004). There are incentives for producing closed source software. It can be sold by the developers and it is intangible. What is meant here is, the developers or company that produced it can replicate it numerous times over. In order for companies to make a profit the software is generally rushed out the door. When this happens, the software can have issues in terms of functionality, maintenance, and support. Due to these issues, the producing companies are the only ones with the authority to produce patches to fix problems. Ultimately, after a patch is made the responsibility will rely on the end user to apply it and resolve the problem. This is where a security issue is involved. Grant mentions in his article, â€Å"Users have a poor record for applying patches resulting in thousands of computers around the world being left vulnerable every time a flaw is discovered† (Grant, 2004). Cost is a major factor with open and closed source software / systems. Closed source types generally cost more and this is due to licensing, patents, copyrights, registration, and manufacturer or company name. Maintenance, updates, and support are basic complimentary features when buying a closed source type. An example of a closed source software / system is Microsoft’s Windows and Office. Open Source Software / Systems As previously mentioned, closed source software / systems have their source code â€Å"hidden† from the public. Open source software / systems have their source code â€Å"visible† to the public. The same type of developers who create closed source software can create open source software. Grant states, â€Å"The reasons for writing open source software range from those who have a passion for computing and who want to contribute to make a difference, to those who do not like having to rely on any single company to produce what is needed† (Grant, 2004). Open source software / systems and the authors who create them are legally protected by the General Public License, or GPL. Since it is published under the GPL, users can use it for free and give it to as many people as they want to as long as they do not pretend they wrote it. According to Grant, â€Å"Users can make changes to open source software as long as what was modified is availably known to the public (Grant, 2004). That is one aspect that makes open source software / systems so grand, is that users can change the source code. This continues to the next aspect, which is; updates, patches and/or fixes. Users, or the public, can apply these factors straight to the open source software which is unlike closed source types. One of the downsides to open source software / systems is there is no warranty. If the software malfunction or does not perform well the users will have no recourse. Some other factors that Grant mentions with open source software / systems are, â€Å"There is no guarantee of good documentation or support, (Grant, 2004)† which is different than closed source types. Obviously, cost will always be an issue. Open source is free! Closed source is not. On the record, open source software packages have had better security that closed source types. A couple examples of open source type software / systems are; Linux and Open Office. Summary Overall, there are no perfect software / systems in the world. Some people might say that closed source software is for novice users and open source software is more for an advanced user base. Both types have a place in the technical world and serve a purpose. Their differences in maintenance, cost, functionality, support, flexibility, and availability will only make a difference in a person to person scenario. It can also come down to convenience and personal preference. Closed source and open source software / systems might have their differences, but where one might outweigh the other they tend to maintain a certain balance.

Yoke and Yolk - Commonly Confused Words

The words yoke and yolk are homophones (or near-homophones): words that sound alike but have different meanings. Definitions The noun yoke refers to bondage, servitude, or something that binds or connects (people, animals, ideas, or things). As a verb, yoke means to join together. The noun yolk refers to the yellow part of an egg. Examples During the 1960s, many  territories in Africa and Asia emerged as new nations, freed from the  yoke of colonialism.Priam told his sons to yoke the mules to the wagon, while he went to the chamber paneled with fragrant cedar-wood.Joseph watched as bright yellow yolk dripped off the vibrant-pink processed meat product onto Wilsons T-shirt.(Mark Haskell Smith, Delicious. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005)From the two gritty windows a listless whitish light fell upon the stained green wallpaper with its yolk-colored floral design.(Fred Chappell, Moments of Light. Boson, 1996) Practice (a) [T]he  lead boys ran to _____ the oxen in pairs and bring them in from the veld where they had been grazing. (Wilbur Smith, Blue Horizon. St. Martins Press, 2003) (b) The _____ contains most of the known vitamins, with the exception of vitamin C. (c) Dame Gillian Beer urged women writers to free themselves from the _____ of romantic obsession. Answers to Practice Questions (a) [T]he   lead boys ran to  yoke  the oxen in pairs and bring them in from the veld where they had been grazing. (Wilbur Smith,  Blue Horizon. St. Martins Press, 2003) (b) The  yolk  contains most of the known vitamins, with the exception of vitamin C. (c) Dame Gillian Beer urged women writers to free themselves from the  yoke  of romantic obsession.