Public Support for NASA Essay Example for Free

Public Support for NASA Essay Established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, NASA believes in these words of Abraham Lincoln: â€Å"With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed (â€Å"External Assessment;† â€Å"Public Opinion of the American Space Program†).†Ã‚   After all, NASA is dependent on public funding for its unspeakably expensive space programs.   Even though the government has spent an immense amount of money on the Iraq War, and it is common knowledge that at least forty seven million people in the United States, including at least eight million children cannot afford health insurance, NASA’s programs must continue. These space programs cost billions of dollars, while the cost of providing health care for a single American child is far less.   Therefore, public support for NASA must dwindle according to the times.   The American public is pretty wise as far as funding for NASA’s space programs is concerned.   This is the reason why public support for NASA slipped during the year 2001 after its rise in the 1990s (David).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the current trade deficit of the United States – a loud and clear message that American consumption is beyond control – as well as the health care failures confronting the country besides the overuse of public funding on the Iraq War; the famous Gallup Poll has revealed that the American public is by and large supportive of NASA at present (Jones).   Of course, the Gallup Poll is a survey conducted through the scientific method.   So therefore, its results are considered credible.   All the same, Bergin reports that there is an obvious gap in support for the prestigious space agency of the United States among the group of Americans aged 18 to 24.   Perhaps the Gallup Poll would be considered credible still.   Regardless, Bergin adds that the young people of the United States are the future voters and taxpayers whose support is crucial for NASA’s future planning.   Hence, the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications has assumed the responsibility of finding out whether the communications and public relations department of NASA is failing the young members of the American public (Bergin).   In other words, the young people of the United States must be inspired by the space programs of NASA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   NASA has plenty of supporters willing to convince the public about the value of its work.   The Citizens for Space Exploration, for example, is a â€Å"multi-state organization† comprising U.S. taxpayers who are supportive of the United States’ space exploration investment (Citizens for Space Exploration).   The organization describes itself thus: â€Å"We are private citizens, small business owners, students, teachers, space and non-space business representatives, and county and municipal officials (Citizens for Space Exploration).†Ã‚   Seeing that people from almost all walks of life are backing NASA today, there is no doubt that the United States’ space exploration investment is almost fully supported by the American public.   Moreover, it may very well be that the young people of the United States are taking the problems of Iraq as well as health care more seriously than the older Americans. This is making them disbelieve in the value of NASA to the American society.   The goals of NASA, after all, do not appear as serious as the problems confronting the nation.   According to the Presidents National Space Policy, NASA must achieve the following goals for the United States: (1) Enhancement of knowledge about the universe, the solar system, and the Earth through robotic as well as human exploration; (2) Strengthening and maintaining the security of the nation; (3) Enhancement of â€Å"economic competitiveness† in addition to â€Å"scientific and technical capabilities of the United States;† (4) Encouragement of private, local and state use of, and investment in space technologies; and (5) Promotion of â€Å"international cooperation to further U.S. domestic, national security, and foreign policies (â€Å"External Assessment†).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Apparently NASA did not help to secure the United States against the terrorist attacks on 9/11, which is why young people do not believe in the capabilities of the space agency.   Levin and Watson write that the majority of people in the United States had doubts about NASA even after it had managed to send man to the moon.   According to David, the American public is not very interested in sending people out of the Earth’s atmosphere in any case.   Hence, a survey conducted in the year 1971 by the Roper Organization revealed that two-thirds of the Americans were of the opinion that the government was spending far too much money on the exploration of space. However, the American public showed a great deal of support to NASA after the Columbia accident.   Although the accident entailed an increased need of public funding for NASA’s space programs – the number of Americans that had previously claimed that they wanted public funding for NASA to be reduced, declined.   As a matter of fact, soon after the Columbia accident, the National Opinion Research Center conducted its annual poll to discover that the number of people wanting a reduction of public funding for NASA had declined to thirty five percent (Levin and Watson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even so, the American public has consistently ranked the budget of NASA lower in importance than defense, health care and education.   When public funding for NASA fell during the 1990s – to the point of being halved – the space agency had little to spend on Research and Development, considering the massive amount of expenses it incurs on virtually all of its departments and programs.   After the Columbia disaster, the agency complained that the decline in public funding was indirectly responsible for the accident. As an example, NASA had cuts its budget for photographing the launches of shuttles.   Without vivid photographs of the patch of foam that had struck a wing of Columbia eighty two seconds after its launch, engineers at NASA had mistakenly concluded that Columbia was not in danger (Levi and Watson).   This may very well be the reason why public support for NASA increased after the accident.   After all, NASA cannot be shut down under the Presidents National Space Policy.   Thus, the American people must have gathered that they ought to support NASA as best as possible to ensure the safety of other Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, the people of the United States do not believe in the extravagance of NASA’s programs.   Educated Americans are more likely to assume that the benefits of NASA continue to exceed its costs.   The majority of the Americans, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the space program should be similar to the Centers for Disease Control in delivering practical benefits to their lives.   Rich Americans, mostly men and white, are known to support NASA much more than the others.   The others are not too confident that the space agency is â€Å"worth its price tag (David).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although NASA is not supported by eighty percent of the Americans at present, and only a little more than half of the population of the United States is known to believe that the benefits of NASA exceed its costs; it is possible for the space agency to raise public support for its programs by communicating with the Americans, especially the young Americans, more often.   The young people can be inspired to enjoy NASA’s creativity.   All the same, there are a number of concerns on the young American mind that must be addressed before NASA’s experiences can be thoroughly enjoyed by all. These concerns include the health care problems facing the nation, as well as the tremendous amount of money that has been spent by the U.S. government on the Iraq War.   Undoubtedly, young people are more likely to believe that the problems faced by their nation present them with a great responsibility.   Hence, NASA would have to be patient if it is not supported by the young people of America.   After all, nobody ever said that NASA was more important to the United States than its defense, health care and education.   The United States is also suffering from a trade deficit at present.   NASA should consider it a blessing, therefore, that even fifty percent of the Americans support its programs. Works Cited Bergin, Chris. â€Å"Constellation concerned by the gap in public support for NASA.† http://www.citizensforspaceexploration.org/index.htm. David, Leonard. â€Å"Poll: Public support for NASA slipping.†http://www.space.com/news/nasa_poll_020510.html. â€Å"External Assessment.† http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/nsp/assess.htm. Jones, Jeffrey M. â€Å"Americans continue to rate NASA positively.†   31 Oct 2007. 19 Novhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/102466/Americans-Continue-Rate-NASA-Positively.aspx. Levin, Alan, and Traci Watson. â€Å"Public Support Could Prove Crucial for NASA.† 18 Aug 2007. 19 Nov 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-08-18-inside-shuttle_x.htm. â€Å"Public Opinion of the American Space Program. Sep 2007. 19 Nov 2007. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/hqlibrary/pathfinders/opinion.htm.

Berkeley :: essays research papers

Berkeley As man progressed through the various stages of evolution, it is assumed that at a certain point he began to ponder the world around him. Of course, these first attempts fell short of being scholarly, probably consisting of a few grunts and snorts at best. As time passed on, though, these ideas persisted and were eventually tackled by the more intellectual, so-called philosophers. Thus, excavation of "the external world" began. As the authoritarinism of the ancients gave way to the more liberal views of the modernists, two main positions concerning epistemology and the nature of the world arose. The first view was exemplified by the empiricists, who stated that all knowledge comes from the senses. In opposition, the rationalists maintained that knowledge comes purely from deduction, and that this knowledge is processed by certain innate schema in the mind. Those that belonged to the empiricist school of thought developed quite separate and distinct ideas concerning the nature of the substratum of sensible objects. John Locke and David Hume upheld the belief that sensible things were composed of material substance, the basic framework for the materialist position. The main figure who believed that material substance did not exist is George Berkeley. In truth, it is the immaterialist position that seems the most logical when placed under close scrutiny. The initial groundwork for Berkeley's position is the truism that the materialist is a skeptic. In the writing of his three dialogues, Berkeley develops two characters: Hylas (the materialist) and Philonous (Berkeley himself). Philonous draws upon one central supposition of the materialist to formulate his argument of skepticism against him; this idea is that one can never perceive the real essence of anything. In short, the materialist feels that the information received through sense experience gives a representative picture of the outside world (the representative theory of perception), and one can not penetrate to the true essece of an object. This makes logical sense, for the only way to perceive this real essence would be to become the object itself! Although the idea is logical, it does contain a certain grounding for agnosticism. Let the reader consider this: if there is no way to actually sense the true material essence of anything, and all knowledge in empiricism comes from the senses, then the real material essence can not be perceived and therefore it can not be posited. This deserves careful consideration, for the materialist has been self-proclaimed a skeptic! If the believer in this theory were asked if a mythical beast such as a cyclops existed he would most certainly say no. As part of his reply he might add that because it can not be sensed it

Dred Scott vs John Sandford (the United States) Essay

The Scott vs. Sandford case was an extremely historical event in the United States because this was the first time a slave tried to sue his owner for his freedom. Like every other court case in the U.S. there was the Defendant, the Plaintiff, and the Judge. The issue was brought to court by the plaintiff, Dred Scott, a slave with a wife and two daughters, who argued that his service for his first owner, Dr. Emerson, in Illinois, a state from which slavery has been excluded by the Missouri Compromise, made him a free man with full rights as any other American citizen. But Dred didn’t stay in Illinois, he returned with his owner, Dr. Emerson, to Missouri where Plaintiff was sold to Sandford, the defendant in this case. Dred sued Sandford for his freedom, claiming to be a citizen of the United States. John Sandford, a slave owner in the 1800’s was also accused of beating his slave family for no reason and depriving Dred and his family of their liberty; Dred considering him self a citizen of the United States. The third important person in this case was the Chief Justice, which was judge Roger B. Taney. Both sides had laws to back their sides. Missouri for example has laws banning slavery in their state, so Dred Scott is basing his case on that fact. He also sued the United States for his freedom, claiming to be a citizen of Missouri, based on having obtained freedom by living there, in a free state, for a long period of time. In court, Sandford which was represented by The United States, denied the violent actions and said that he did not beat his slaves he just handled them in a firm but gentle way. He also argued Dred is still a slave because he was born and bought in the south and was considered property. Since he was moved as property to the North his status of property couldn’t change. Another problem Dred had to face because he was considered property was the fact that he couldn’t bring issues to court. Based on the way they were thinking back then, this whole case shouldn’t even exist in the first place. The important issue of the case was if it was possible for a slave to be considered a citizen because he lived in a free state. If he was still considered a slave, slavery could exist in the north, where they didn’t accept slavery, as long as the slave was born and bought in the south, where they were encouraging and still practicing slavery. In the Constitution it says that every citizen has the right to sue in court so another reason why this was such a big decision was that the Supreme Court had to decide if  Congress had the power to decide if a black man was a citizen. Did Congress have the power to prohibit slavery? No. Can a slave be considered a citizen and as such become entitled to all the rights, privileges and immunities granted to citizens under the United States Constitution? No, and Dred did not become free by going into a state, which prohibited slavery. Therefore the Supreme court decided that Sandford was not guilty and that Scott, as a slave, had no right to sue his owner since ‘it’ was his property. The court ended up having a vote 7-2 against Dred Scott implying that he was not a U.S. citizen. The decision the Supreme Court made was a violation of the Missouri Compromise, but their reasoning was that they said that it was unconstitutional. That caused anger in the North, which eventually led to the Civil War. This is the the reason why this case is also called the Case which started the Civil War.

Political films Essay

The research paper â€Å"The Timing of Presidential Cinema† discusses and analyzes social meaning of political films. Little research is done in this filed, although many films contain political and economic meaning. Interestingly, the release of presidential cinema is associated with the controlling party and with the ideology that the party has in the White House. Republican and Democratic administrations are characterized by the largest amount of political films. Moreover, more films are released during the second presidential term. Releases are more acute during presidential elections. The stronger the economies, the more films about presidents are released. The article â€Å"Quantitative analysis of Motion Picture Content† tends to measure the influence of films on American population. In particular, the emphasis is paid to providing an instrument to measure with scientific precision the content of each film. The cinema has long been accepted and the author argues that more than fifty million of American moviegoers are influenced by desire to seek entertainment when going to the cinema. Therefore, motion picture has become a profound influence on people and it is rather difficult to measure those influence. The role of Hollywood films in American society has not been yet questioned as researchers lack methods to summarize and analyze what the public is presented. The article â€Å"The Image of the Scientist in Science Fiction: A Content Analysis† reviews the social role of the scientists which is conveyed through the cinema. Scientists has undergone both criticism and appraisal, they has been presented as heroes and villains science-fiction magazines, stories and films. Of course, many scientists have been negligible. The social role of the scientist is addressed in terms of saving humanity, but after World War II such measurement has become problematic. Science fiction, therefore, is claimed to serve as vehicle to construct social utopias and to dethrone them. The article is of practical relevance as the USA experience shortage of scientists and engineers.

Free Essays on Community Based Instruction

Running head: COMMUNITY-BASED INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION The Value of Community-Based Instruction for Students with Mental Retardation Community-based instruction is â€Å"teaching a skill to a student in the actual environment as opposed to teaching the skill in a classroom with the expectation of transference, generalization, and application of knowledge when skill use is required† (Beirne-Smith, Ittenbach, & Patton, 2002). The five major areas of community-referenced curriculum are work, leisure and play, consumer, education and rehabilitation, and transportation. Normalization is â€Å"the process of providing for, and to the maximum extent possible, treating an individual with special needs in the mainstream of society as if the individual has no special needs† (Beirne-Smith et al ., 2002). According to Beck, Broers, Hogue, Shipstead, and Knowlton (1994) normalization stresses environments and circumstances that are as culturally normal as possible to enhance behaviors that are culturally normal as possible. An example would be teaching the skills needed for daily living in the community. Practicing skills in the environment in which the skills are to be used gives the students with mental retardation a greater chance these skills will be remembered when it comes time to use them. Community-based instruction is most widely used by special education students with severe mental retardation. As reflected in Chapter 8 of Mental Retardation, students with mental retardation do not benefit from wasted time in the classroom learning unnecessary skills. The most useful learning activities are both functional and age appropriate. Learning for these students is most greatly enhanced through direct experience. According to Beirne-Smith et al. (2002) typically curriculum for students with severe mental retardation includes skill in the domains of self-help, domestic, leisure, communication, vocational,... Free Essays on Community Based Instruction Free Essays on Community Based Instruction Running head: COMMUNITY-BASED INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS WITH MENTAL RETARDATION The Value of Community-Based Instruction for Students with Mental Retardation Community-based instruction is â€Å"teaching a skill to a student in the actual environment as opposed to teaching the skill in a classroom with the expectation of transference, generalization, and application of knowledge when skill use is required† (Beirne-Smith, Ittenbach, & Patton, 2002). The five major areas of community-referenced curriculum are work, leisure and play, consumer, education and rehabilitation, and transportation. Normalization is â€Å"the process of providing for, and to the maximum extent possible, treating an individual with special needs in the mainstream of society as if the individual has no special needs† (Beirne-Smith et al ., 2002). According to Beck, Broers, Hogue, Shipstead, and Knowlton (1994) normalization stresses environments and circumstances that are as culturally normal as possible to enhance behaviors that are culturally normal as possible. An example would be teaching the skills needed for daily living in the community. Practicing skills in the environment in which the skills are to be used gives the students with mental retardation a greater chance these skills will be remembered when it comes time to use them. Community-based instruction is most widely used by special education students with severe mental retardation. As reflected in Chapter 8 of Mental Retardation, students with mental retardation do not benefit from wasted time in the classroom learning unnecessary skills. The most useful learning activities are both functional and age appropriate. Learning for these students is most greatly enhanced through direct experience. According to Beirne-Smith et al. (2002) typically curriculum for students with severe mental retardation includes skill in the domains of self-help, domestic, leisure, communication, vocational,...

The 5 Principles of Adult Learning Pioneered by Malcolm Knowles

The 5 Principles of Adult Learning Pioneered by Malcolm Knowles The teacher of adults has a different job from the one who teaches children. If youre teaching adult students, for the best results its important to understand and practice five principles espoused by Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the study of adult learning. He observed that adults learn best when: They understand why something is important to know or do.They have the freedom to learn in their own way.Learning is experiential.The time is right for them to learn.The process is positive and encouraging. Make Sure Your Adult Students Understand â€Å"Why† Most adult students are in your classroom because they want to be. Some of them are there because they have continuing education requirements to keep a certificate current, but most are there because they’ve chosen to learn something new. This principle is not about why your students are in your classroom, but about why each thing you teach them is an important part of the learning. For example, imagine you are teaching a group how to make pickles. It would be important for students to understand why each step in the pickle-making process is important: It’s important to soak the cucumbers in ice water overnight. This helps make the pickles crisp.If you put a towel under the jars in the canner, they won’t bounce against each other and break.When sterilizing the jars, it’s important to fill each at least halfway with water, AND fill the canner they’re sitting in with water. Too little water and the towel mentioned in the previous bullet will catch on fire. You know this kind of information comes from experience. Respect that Your Students Have Different Learning Styles There are three general learning styles: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual learners rely on pictures. They love graphs, diagrams, and illustrations. â€Å"Show me,† is their motto. They often sit in the front of the classroom to avoid visual obstructions and to watch you, the teacher. They want to know what the subject looks like. You can best communicate with them by providing handouts, writing on the whiteboard, and using phrases like, â€Å"Do you see how this works?†Auditory learners listen carefully to all sounds associated with the learning. â€Å"Tell me,† is their motto. They will pay close attention to the sound of your voice and all of its subtle messages, and they will actively participate in discussions. You can best communicate with them by speaking clearly, asking questions, and using phrases like, â€Å"How does that sound to you?†Tactile or kinesthetic learners need to physically do something to understand it. Their motto is â€Å"Let me do it.† They trust their feelings and emotions about what theyà ¢â‚¬â„¢re learning and how you’re teaching it. They want to actually touch what they’re learning. They are the ones who will get up and help you with role-playing. You can best communicate with them by involving volunteers, allowing them to practice what they’re learning, and using phrases like, â€Å"How do you feel about that?† Most people use all three styles while they’re learning, and of course, this is logical since we all have five senses, barring any disabilities, but one style almost always is preferred. The big question is, â€Å"How do you, as the teacher, know which student has which learning style?† Without training in neuro-linguistics, it might be difficult, but conducting a short learning style assessment at the beginning of your class would benefit you and the students. This information is as valuable to the student as it is to you. There are several learning style assessments available online, some better than others. A good choice is the one at Ageless Learner. Allow Your Students to Experience What They’re Learning Experience can take many forms. Any activity that gets your students involved makes the learning experiential. This includes small group discussions, experiments, role playing, skits, building something at their table or desk, writing or drawing something specific – activity of any kind. Activities also keep people energized, especially activities that involve getting up and moving about. The other aspect of this principle is honoring the life experiences your students bring to the classroom. Be sure to tap into that wealth of wisdom whenever it’s appropriate. You’ll have to be a good timekeeper because people can talk for hours when asked for personal experiences, but the extra facilitation needed will be well worth the gems your students have to share. When the Student Is Ready, the Teacher Appears â€Å"When the student is ready, the teacher appears† is a Buddhist proverb packed with wisdom. No matter how hard a teacher tries, if the student isn’t ready to learn, chances are good he or she won’t. What does this mean for you as a teacher of adults? Luckily, your students are in your classroom because they want to be. They’ve already determined that the time is right. It’s your job to listen carefully for teaching moments and take advantage of them. When a student says or does something that triggers a topic on your agenda, be flexible and teach it right then. If that would wreak havoc on your schedule, which is often the case, teach a bit about it rather than saying flat out that they’ll have to wait until later in the program. By then, you may have lost their interest. Principle 5: Encourage Your Adult Students For most adults, being out of the classroom for even a few years can make going back to school intimidating. If they haven’t taken a class in decades, it’s understandable that they would have some degree of apprehension about what it will be like and how well they’ll do. It can be tough to be a rookie when you’ve been an expert in your field for many, many years. Nobody enjoys feeling foolish. Your job as a teacher of adult students includes being positive and encouraging. Patience helps too. Give your older students time to respond when you ask a question. They may need a few moments to consider their answer. Recognize the contributions they make, even when small. Give them words of encouragement whenever the opportunity arises. Most adults will rise to your expectations if you’re clear about them. A word of caution here. Being positive and encouraging is not the same as being condescending. Always remember that your students are adults. Speaking to them in the tone of voice you might use with a child is offensive, and the damage can be very difficult to overcome. Genuine encouragement from one person to another, regardless of age, is a wonderful point of human interaction. This is your challenge as a teacher of adults. Beyond teaching your subject, you have the opportunity to inspire confidence and passion in another human being. That kind of teaching changes lives.

Effect of Film on Political Sensibilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effect of Film on Political Sensibilities - Essay Example The agents of socialization are those aspects that are responsible for the transmission of information through which people can acquire the socialization knowledge. Films contribute significantly to the political awareness in many individuals. The Disney Corporation is one entity that has been known to produce movies that embed personal messages that are aimed at nurturing the political sensibilities in the target audience. One particular film that appeals to my political sense is â€Å"Pocahontas.† The film that was done in 1995 and had a basis in a tale of a love affair that brews between a Native American princess and an English colonial sea captain. The film puts the harmonious values that are found in the indigenous cultures against the barbaric tendencies of the civilized cultures.The movie helps the audience in appreciating the core values of the indigenous cultures. The audience can identify with the film and raise its political sense in terms of integrating different cultures into the society. Some films can also be said to be transmitters of political messages. In â€Å"Salvador† which was done by Oliver Stone in 1986 is a critique of the American foreign policy in Central America. The movie also raises our political awareness in terms of understanding the diplomatic relations between America and allied Ð ½Ã °Ã'‚Ð ¸Ã ¾Ã ½Ã' . Most movies may not portray the message directly, but would rather convey a particular sort of values. The audience picks from these values and develops their political sensibilities.