Nikola Tesla Essays - Wireless Energy Transfer,

Nikola Tesla My great grandmother was born on September 30, 1895 in Strum, Wisconsin, and used to tell us the most important invention for the home, in her lifetime, was the clothes washing machine. Now history always seems to make the present era seem more civilized, when in fact, it is probably only cleaner, thanks to my grandmother's favorite invention. But, I wonder if it is easier. Certainly, there were many patents issued in the 1880's for inventions that truly would change the lives of future generations, and a handful of these amazing contrivances would have a great impact on that which is truly important to an industrialized nation: the machinery that speeds business, business being the true backbone of a country, but to a country girl whose family depended on farming, the clothes washing machine still stands out as the one that saved her the most time. So this essay will delve into the era of the 1880's and focus on one of the most important inventors that ever lived, Nikola Tesla. Many business machines were patented before Nikola Tesla patented the alternating-current electromagnetic motor in 1888 (while the popular Thomas Edison was stubbornly clinging to direct-current motors), but soon more and more inventors were realizing this new source of harnessed power could bring glorious miracles to business, thus providing them with even more glorious profits. But first, the washing machine, truly in honor of my great grandmother, who will be 105 years old this year. Before the days of washing machines, people got dirt out of their clothes by pounding them on rocks and washing the dirt away in streams. Sand was used as an abrasive to free the dirt. Soap was discovered at Rome's Sapo Hill where ashes containing the fat of sacrificial animals were found to have good cleaning powers. The earliest washing machine - the scrub board - was invented in 1797. In 1874 William Blackstone, a Bluffton, Indiana merchant and manufacturer of corn planters, built a birthday present for his wife. It was a machine that removed and washed away dirt from clothes. It consisted of a wooden tub in which there was a flat piece of wood containing six small wooden pegs. The inner mechanism looked something like a small milking stool. It was moved back and forth by means of a handle and an arrangement of gears. Dirty clothes were snagged on the wooden pegs and swished about in hot soapy water. Mr. Blackstone began to build and sell his washers for $2.50 each. Five years later he moved his company to Jamestown, New York where it is located today and where it still produces washing machines. Competitors moved in quickly - there have been more than 200 washing machine manufacturers in the U.S. in the past century. Competition has kept keep prices down. Many early washing machines cost less than $10. A wringer, invented in 1861, was added to the washer. Metal tubs replaced wooden types around 1900. Drive belts made possible use of steam or gasoline engines in the early 1900s and electric motor power for the first time in 1906. A rotary handle and a flywheel underneath operated Maytag's first washer, built in 1907. In 1875 there had been more than 2,000 patents issued for various washing devices. Not every idea worked, of course. One company built a machine designed to wash only one item at a time. What may have been the first laundromat was opened in 1851 by a gold miner and a carpenter in California. 10 donkeys powered their 12-shirt machine. Earliest washers were hand powered by means of a wheel, pump handle, or similar device. One was driven by twisted ropes that powered the washer by unwinding somewhat like the use of a rubber band to power model airplanes. One washer contained rollers that were pushed back and forth by hand to squeeze out dirt. Several featured stomping devices and one - called a Loca-motive was moved rapidly back and forth on a track washing the clothes by slamming them against the walls of the tub. Now, a little about that inventor, Nikola Tesla: NikolaTesla was born in Smijlan, Croatia in 1856. He had an extraordinary memory and spoke

Mapusaurus - Facts and Figures

Mapusaurus - Facts and Figures Name: Mapusaurus (indigenous/Greek for earth lizard); pronounced MAP-oo-SORE-us Habitat: Woodlands of South America Historical Period: Middle Cretaceous (100 million years ago) Size and Weight: About 40 feet long and three tons Diet: Meat Distinguishing Characteristics: Large size; serrated teeth; powerful legs and tail About Mapusaurus Mapusaurus was discovered all at once, and in a big heapan excavation in South America in 1995 that yielded hundreds of jumbled bones, which required years of work by paleontologists to sort out and analyze. It wasnt until 2006 that the official diagnosis of Mapusaurus was released to the press: this middle Cretaceous menace was a 40-foot-long, three-ton theropod (i.e., meat-eating dinosaur) closely related to the even bigger Giganotosaurus. (Technically, both Mapusaurus and Giganotosaurus are classified as carcharodontosaurid theropods, meaning theyre both also related to Carcharodontosaurus, the great white shark lizard of middle Cretaceous Africa.) Interestingly, the fact that so many Mapusaurus bones were discovered jumbled together (amounting to seven individuals of different ages) can be taken as evidence of herd, or pack, behaviorthat is, this meat-eater may have hunted cooperatively in order to take down the huge titanosaurs that shared its South American habitat (or at least the juveniles of these titanosaurs, since a fully grown, 100-ton Argentinosaurus would have been virtually immune from predation). On the other hand, a flash flood or other natural disaster could also have resulted in a significant accumulation of unrelated Mapusaurus individuals, so this pack-hunting hypothesis should be taken with a big grain of prehistoric salt!

The History of Cable Cars and Electric Streetcars

The History of Cable Cars and Electric Streetcars San Franciscan Andrew Smith Hallidie patented the first cable car on January 17, 1861, sparing many horses the excruciating work of moving people up the citys steep roadways. Using metal ropes he had patented, Hallidie devised a mechanism by which cars were drawn by an endless cable running in a slot between the rails which passed over a steam-driven shaft in the powerhouse. The First Cable Railway After gathering financial backing, Hallidie and his associates constructed the first cable railway. The track ran from the intersection of Clay and Kearny Streets along 2,800 feet of track to the crest of a hill 307 feet above the starting point. At 5:00 on the morning of August 1, 1873, a few nervous men climbed aboard the cable car as it stood on the hilltop. With Hallidie at the controls, the car descended and arrived safely at the bottom. Given San Franciscos steep terrain, the cable car came to define the city. Writing in 1888, Harriet Harper declared: If anyone should ask me what I consider the most distinctive, progressive feature of California, I should answer promptly: its cable car system. And it is not alone its system which seems to have reached a point of perfection, but the amazing length of the ride that is given you for the chink of a nickel. I have circled this city of San Francisco, I have gone the length of three separate cable lines (by means of the proper transfers) for this smallest of Southern coins. The success of the San Francisco line led to the expansion of that system and the introduction of street railways in many other cities. Most U.S. municipalities had abandoned horse-drawn cars for electrically powered cars by the 1920s. The Omnibus The first mass transportation vehicle in America was an omnibus. It looked like a stagecoach and was pulled by horses. The first omnibus to operate in America began running up and down Broadway in New York City in 1827. It was owned by Abraham Brower, who also helped organize the first fire department in New York. There had long been horse-drawn carriages in America to take people where they wanted to go. What was new and different about the omnibus was that it ran along a certain designated route and charged a very low fare. People who wanted to get on would wave their hands in the air. The driver sat on a bench on top of the omnibus at the front, like a stagecoach driver. When people who were riding inside wanted to get off the omnibus, they pulled on a little leather strap. The leather strap was connected to the ankle of the person who was driving the omnibus. Horse-drawn omnibuses ran in America cities from 1826 until about 1905. The Streetcar The streetcar was the first important improvement over the omnibus. The first streetcars were also pulled by horses, but the streetcars rolled along special steel rails that were placed in the middle of the roadway instead of traveling along regular streets. The wheels of the streetcar were also made of steel, carefully manufactured in such a way so they would not roll off the rails. A horse-drawn streetcar was much more comfortable than an omnibus, and a single horse could pull a streetcar that was larger and carried more passengers. The first streetcar began service in 1832 and ran along Bowery Street in New York. It was owned John Mason, a wealthy banker, and built by John Stephenson, an Irishman.  Stephensons New York company would become the largest and most famous builder of horse-drawn streetcars. New Orleans became the second American city to offer streetcars in 1835. The typical American streetcar was operated by two crew members. One man, a driver, rode up front. His job was to drive the horse, controlled by a set of reigns. The driver also had a brake handle that he could use to stop the streetcar. When streetcars got bigger, sometimes two and three horses would be used to haul a single car. The second crew member was the conductor, who rode at the back of the car. His job was to help passengers get on and off the streetcar and to collect their fares. He gave the driver a signal when everyone was on board and it was safe to proceed, pulling on a rope that was attached to a bell that the driver could hear at the other end of the car.   Hallidie’s Cable Car The first major attempt to develop a machine that could replace horses on Americas streetcar lines was the cable car in 1873. Converting streetcar lines from horse cars to cable cars required digging a ditch between the rails and building a chamber under the track from one end of the line to the other. This chamber was called a vault. When the vault was finished, a small opening was left at the top. A long cable was placed inside the vault. The cable ran under city streets from one end of  the streetcar line to the other. The cable was spliced into a big loop and was kept moving by a huge steam engine with massive wheels and pulleys located in a powerhouse at the side of the street. The cable cars themselves were equipped with a device that extended down below the car into the vault and allowed the operator of the car to latch onto the moving cable when he wanted the car to go. He could release the cable when he wanted the car to stop. There were many pulleys and wheels inside the vault to make sure the cable was able to go around corners, as well as up and down hills. Although the first cable cars ran in San Francisco, the largest and busiest fleet of cable cars was in Chicago. Most large American cities had one or more cable car lines by 1890. Trolley Cars Frank Sprague  installed a complete system of electric streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, in 1888. This was the first large-scale and successful use of electricity to run a citys entire system of streetcars. Sprague was born in Connecticut in 1857. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1878 and began a career as a naval officer. He resigned from the navy in 1883 and went to work for Thomas Edison. Many cities turned to electric-powered streetcars after 1888. To get electricity to the streetcars from the powerhouse where it was generated, an overhead wire was installed over streets. A streetcar would touch this electric wire with a long pole on its roof. Back at the powerhouse, big steam engines would turn huge generators to produce the electricity needed to operate the streetcars. A new name was soon developed for streetcars powered by electricity: trolley cars.

Management research methods Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management research methods - Assignment Example However, from the point of view of the consumers, it is of vital concern that the personal motivations that prompt them to make better use of the internet as shopping venue be ascertained. While many, if not all, the products sold online are also available from brick and mortar stores and other conventional venues such as through the televised home shopping network, the motivations for customers to purchase online appears to be influenced by a special set of factors which pertains exclusively to the online technology. The individual must have a strong sense of confidence in trusting the system, because (1) he/she has not physically examined the product he/she is actually buying, only being able to view a product replica on his/her monitor or screen; (2) he/she is transacting with a business entity he/she only sees onscreen, and which may be located elsewhere on the globe. Without a physical store to go to, he or she may not know how to reach the vendor if his/her claim is unsatisfied ; (3) the customer has to have his/her payment transmitted before delivery of the purchased item, thus sending the cash through electronic means is a leap of faith; and (4) release of the customer’s bank account or credit card number is a risky act which may be the source of identity fraud and electronic theft. These are significant issues to which high risks are attached, and savvy consumers will be usually cautious about engaging in these acts. It is therefore the result of strong motivational forces that consumers would agree to undertaking these risks in order to shop online. The survey conducted here therefore has the specific purpose of determining what the important factors are that influence an individual’s desire to purchase items online, despite the attendant risks. Design of the survey The survey is designed to be answered by respondents who have personally transacted a purchase over the internet. The respondents may be of any age, of either gender, and of a ny walk of life. The only disqualifying attribute is if the individual has not experienced purchasing something over the internet. In this sense, internet or online shopping includes all e-commerce facilities for retail customers online, from ordering merchandise from particular retailers, to buying something from other customers in online auctions such as the e-Bay site. The population thus includes everybody who has shopped online at least once. The size of the sample is ideally one that is representative; however, since internet shopping involves an indeterminate number of people, most likely running into the hundreds of thousands or millions with multiple transactions, then it is difficult to ascertain a representative number. The survey should therefore aim for a large number, and from observing the sample sizes shown in the different academic studies, a good number would be 250 to 350 respondents. It is also important to make sure that the locations surveyed represent as equal ly as possible all the area intended to be covered by the study. The sample selection method must ensure the highest chances of getting a representative sample, while ensuring that the intended respondents are reached and their existence and qualifications verified. Inasmuch as those who are qualified to respond to this survey are those who are exposed to and confident

Film analysis on the film a league of their own Research Paper

Film analysis on the film a league of their own - Research Paper Example In their absence baseball had no future and its suspension was on the cards. In this delirious time Philip K. Wrigley who was the owner of Chicago Cubs thought of a solution to keep baseball alive in America. He proposed an idea which was the All American Girls Softball League which would be a booster for the men coming home from war service. This league ended up being transformed into a pro baseball league for girls in America. 2 This film revolves around two sisters from Oregon who play baseball passionately. Then Ernie Capadino is sent to recruit players from various cities of America. Capadino visits a softball game in rural  Oregon and likes a catcher called Dottie (Genna Davis). The recruiter offers her a tryout, but she refuses as she is in favor of working in her family’s dairy farm. Kit who is an ambitious girl and little sister of Dottie is all up to try for the series. After a few debacles various recruited girls get to Chicago where Jimmy Duggan (Tom Hanks) is set to be their manager. This enthralling movie is a historical tale of two sisters that join the first women’s baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry. This movie provides a recap on various historical points. This film works brilliantly historically because it addresses quite a few things. The main historical points made in the movie are the setting of the movie, the ending of the men’s baseball league, the initiation of a women’s league, recruiting of women from various places and also the league’s popularity. The league began in 1943 during the ongoing World War II among the superpowers of the world. The absence of the men from the baseball circuit proved to be a threat to the game’s cessation in a country where the game was a favorite leisurely activity. The film also rightly describes the historical event of talented women being recruited from around the country.

The different approaches to leadership adopted by the characters Essay Example for Free

The different approaches to leadership adopted by the characters Essay Evaluate the different approaches to leadership adopted by the characters in the case study. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the leadership displayed at County General? The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the different approaches to leadership adopted by the characters at County General in the case study. I will apply appropriate leadership theory I will also explain what are the strengths and weaknesses of the leadership displayed within the Hospital. The essay will finish with a conclusion in which I will summarise all findings and clearly show all major factors to consider suggestions for improvement within the hospital administrative staff. According to Mullins (1999) Leadership can be defined it is a relationship through which one person influences the behaviour or actions of other people. Leadership is related to the process of communication, interpersonal behaviour and motivation. Successful leadership is a two way process which influences both individual and organisational performance and importantly reduces employees dissatisfaction. Leadership is vitally important at all levels within County General Hospital, being from the Admin Director (Bill Humphreys) to the junior Admin staff. There are various approaches to leadership that have been identified in the hospital. Daphne had worked herself up in the hierarchy, hence has roughly 30 years experience. As the Senior Administration Manager (SAM) for Surgury, she was feared and worshipped by her staff. If provoked she could be vicious and give you the most unpleasant time. On the contrary, she did run a quite efficient department. Under the Blake and Moutons leadership grid, the authority compliance management seems to relate to Daphne as she has a great concern in the efficiency of production and little concern for her staff. She also seems like the theory X manager as she controls, directs and threatens people with punishment through exercising authority to achieve objectives. Senior admin Manager (SAM) for Radiology Jack recognised that the admin staff need to be appreciated as they were undervalued Admin staff dont feel like they are valued by either the hospital or the public. The other senior employees had identified that Admin staffs dont feel either the hospital or the public values them. It was also identified when they deal directly with the public they are the ones who receive a verbal beating if things didnt go right. Earlier ideas of tacky certificates, a photocopied letter from the Chief Executive of the Hospital Trust which employed them or a photograph in the Hospital newsletter were unproductive and did not improve morale and team spirit as primarily the admin staff did not really benefit from these schemes they saw them as empty gestures. Therefore Where they help out above and beyond the call of duty the helping hands initiative was introduced as a reward scheme given to the administration staff for basically showing them how much the hospital appreciates them. Jacks admin staff liked him, and he believed that money wasnt everything through that he showed a strong sense of morality and duty. Due to this Jack gives the impression of a McGregors Theory Y manager as he has tried to create opportunity for his staff to develop their own responsibility through the idea of job enrichment and motivation. Blake and Mouton also suggest that managers with high concern for production and a high concern for people characterise the most effective leadership style. Jack also seems to be a structural leader featuring in the Four Framework Approach suggested by Bolman and Deal. As he focuses on structure, strategy, implementation, experimentation and adaptation of the Helping Hands Initiative for the workers. The types of leadership seemed different in every department, but As Daphne had a reputation for being able to keep calm in a crisis. It also appeared that as long as her department was running smoothly she wasnt concerned about the others. She says Dont be so melodramatic and states You just need to make sure you keep all you medics and PAMs in line like I do saying its an improvement for her staff as they can understand what to do in any given role within her department. Job rotation was firmly supported by staff as they thought it would give them a greater understanding of the departments operations Before admin staff reported to one manager but under the new reorganisation they were put into teams and were supported by all staff by a particular area of the departments. As a result the staff were responsive to whoever was in charge of the area. This could be anyone from a consultant to a PAM or an administrator. Accordingly the problem develop into reporting responsibilities, everyone thought that they were in charge. The junior admin staff are getting pulled in six different directions at once. staff unauthorised absences went up 20% and the best admin officers handed in their resignations. Furthermore the staff in the A E became so disorganised from the reorganisation that they were becoming experts in crisis management As stated by John Adair and his ideas of Action centred leadership; within the work group the three key areas that need to be met are the following: Task Team maintenance Individual needs The reward will motivate employees on two fronts as it will satisfy their needs in two forms their Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivations. It satisfies the extrinsic motivation because it is related to tangible rewards such as, the work environment, conditions of work, salary, security, promotion, and contract of service. These tangible rewards are often established at the organisational level and may be in principal outside the control of individual managers. It satisfies these to a lesser extent because they are given a rewarding benefit of a tangible reward i.e.weekend break at a health spa, or return flights for two in Paris, or Marks Spencer vouchers, or a subsidised night out for the section they work in, or any number of things. Intrinsic motivation is when an activity is satisfying or pleasurable in and of itself; it is linked to psychological rewards such as chance to use one ability, a sense of challenge and success, receiving appreciation, and positive recognition, and being treated in a caring and understanding manner. The psychological rewards are those that can generally be determined by the actions and behaviour of individual managers. Intrinsic rewards are available now through the recognition they will receive by winning the reward. The all feel excited by possibility and challenge of winning the award and receiving recognition for their caring work that they felt for so long they have not been receiving. Leadership was not organised enough as they now also started to include Central Services on to the reward as well. In the case of Brenda however she set a new precedent by deliberately choosing to ignore the social relationships within the department in return for a personal reward. Some of the staff now thought it would generate level of distrust within the teams and disrupt the team spirit that they sought hard to develop. Therefore this shows that others in her department thought she did not really deserve the award, she was also the first one to choosing the option of health spa for herself whilst the previous winners chose an option with their admin colleagues. Basically staff will not get motivated in their job roles if they believe that the award being handed to an undeserving person. Also the fact that previous award was shared and not this one may lead to team is isolating that member thus fragmenting the team. This will lead to the team morale and maintenance needs being affected in adverse way due to the initiative. Lastly I will summarise all findings and clearly show all major factors that will influence the motivation of the administrative team deriving from the initiative. My main findings are that leadership can only be improved with the hospital by better organisation and the leader will need to interrelate the demand of the task and the team as well as those of individual members. This means being directive when it is necessary; giving praise and constructive feedback when people need it; ensuring everyone and everything it operating to its full potential. This includes that they are clear about their objectives. The initiative works as a satisfier and gives staff the feeling of recognition and accomplishment it also motivates staff by rewarding them in a way, which improves employee morale. The feeling that staff gained by the award felt them will feeling of self-fulfilment.

War and Peaceful Fables :: Stories War Peace Essays

War and Peaceful Fables War stories, fantasy stories, sci-fi and simplistic fable stories, the list trails on like fans behind a famous actor. From books or movies to computer games and music videos, the element of story penetrates a broad array of interests; the public longs for engaging stories and seeks them in any form they can. Keeping this in mind, please do not be shocked when I state that gruesome war stories and simple fables are, in principle, one in the same. Of course, I dont deny that one form of story may be more preferable for readers. However, we can know that the meaning of story (a written work that shows character and the motivations that spring from it) puts such extremely different stories and genres on the same plane. In The Things They Carried, Tim OBriens mastery of the concept of character comes through to us clearly. He portrays Lieutenant Jimmy Crosss inner struggles and unpredictable actions in such a way that we can identify with himeven though the lieutenants character comes out under the stress of war, and ours may not. Just like many an average person, Lieutenant Cross adds to his burden, physical and mental, by carrying pictures and letters from his love, Martha. He knows she really doesnt love him, but, from the pressure of war, he turns by default to the comfort of his far away love, countering the harsh reality. The second sentence of the selection of The Things They Carried begins with, They were not love letters, but Lieutenant Cross was hoping (706). This quote shows what the letters meant to Cross, and why he carried them. He and the other men cling to material things in this mannerwhether it be love or dope, tranquilizers or too much ammunition, or even slingshots and comic book s. Doesnt this seem a silly thing for soldiers to do? Maybe. But their reactions to war are certainly realistic. OBrien continues to expand character throughout the piece. In the lieutenants mind, the pressure and even pointlessness of war grows with its morbidity and loss. But it was not a battle, just an endless march without purpose (713). OBrien continues this prose with revealing that the men would often discard things. Purely for comfort they would throw away rations (713). But no matter how they discarded the objects that they needed physically, it was so difficult to shed the emotional weight They carried all the baggage of men who might die (716).