Рубрика: Математика

Опубликовано в Молодой учёный №19 (99) октябрь-1 2015 г.

Дата публикации: 22.09.2015

Статья просмотрена: 22 раза

Библиографическое описание:

Ал Хазражи А. С. Traffic flow models with Anticipation of movement of the car Ahead // Молодой ученый. — 2015. — №19. — С. 1-6. — URL https://moluch.ru/archive/99/22172/ (дата обращения: 23.04.2018).

Our models are based upon the fukui & Ishibashi (FI) traffic flow mrodel in which cars are allowed to move amaximum of (M) sited in each time step if spacing permits, together with aprobilstic delay for the cars moving out the maximum speed.

We propose & study now vehicular traffic flow models, incorporating the anticipation of the change in the car spacings ahead in the determinetion account the anticipation in each timestep. By taking in to account the change of car spacing due to moment of the car ahead, the present models give an enhanced traffic flux as compared to the fukui & Ishibashi model. The present model also afundamental diagram consisting of there phases — afeature consistent with traffic flow observations.

Key words: trffic flow, ceunlan automation automation models.

Vehicular traffic flow problems have attracted much attention in the physics community in recent years.(1–4) Fundamentally, these problems are related to a general class of problems in physics called driven diffusive systems.(4–5) Practically, recent developments in cellular automaton (CA) models of traffic, flow provide a novel approach to the complicated problems of vehicular traffic flows. Nagel and Schreckenberg (NS)6 proposed a CA model for traffic flow in one dimension in which cars are allowed, to accelerate gradually up to a maximum speed with a built-in probabilistic delay to model the complexity in the drivers' behavior. The model gives a fundamental diagram, i.e., flux as a function of car density, similar to that observed in traffic flow data3–7 As a CA model, the NS model can be readily studied via numerical simulations. CA models for one lane form the basic components in building a CA model for traffic flow in cities. Nowadays, large projects have been set up to simulate traffic flow in cities,2–8 for example, in Dallas and in Seattle. This new approach complements the conventional approaches based on kinetic theory and the fluid dynamical approach.3–4-9 The NS model, while attracting much attention due to its simplicity and nontrivial features, does not present all the features observed in real traffic flow. For example, there are observations indicating a hysteresis effect in which the speed may take on different values with respect to car concentration depending on whether the car density is increasing from a dilute phase or decreasing from a concentrated phase.10–11 In addition, there are empirical results showing that there are three phases in the fundamental diagram3 namely, the free-flow phase for low car densities, the stop-and-go phase at high densities, and the synchronized phase at intermediate densities. The NS model does not reproduce these features clearly. Moreover, even with the optimized value of the speed limit of 5 sites per time step corresponding to the best fit to empirical results,3 the flux in the NS model is found to be lower than that in real traffic flow.

Fukui and Lshibashi (FI)2 proposed a slightly simpler CA traffic flow model in which the cars are allowed to accelerate rapidly instead of gradually as in the NS model. In addition, probabilistic delay only applies to the cars moving at the highest allowed speed so as to model the fact that drivers tend to apply the brake more often when they are travelling near the speed limit. The model.gives a fundamental diagram similar to that of the NS model. As both of the changes in the FI model tend to increase 'the speed, the maximum flux is therefore higher. With the simplified CA rules, the FI models can be treated analytically by mean hield theories. Wang and co-workers have developed mean field theories based on the time evolution on the occupancy of the sites on the road3 and on the car spacings. These theories give results in good agreement with those obtained by numerical simulations. The NS model has also been studied by mean field theories.15–16

Recently. Li et al.17 proposed and studied numerically a modified NS model in which the anticipated movement of the car in front is incorporated. Interestingly, the maximum traffic flux was found to be higher than that of the basic NS model, thus the modified model better represents the empirical results obtained from observations. The modified model also gives the hysteresis effect in the fundamental diagram when no probabilistic delay effect is imposed. It is, therefore, interesting to study how the consideration of the anticipated movement of the car ahead affects the features in the FI model. In this work, we study numerically the dependence of the traffic flux as a function of car density for modified FI models in which the anticipated change in the car spacing is incorporated. Results are compared with those obtained in the basic FI model. With a conservative anticipation scheme, the fundamental diagram is found to have three distinguishable phases. The low-density phase gives a linear dependence of the flux on the density.

The high-density phase gives a decrease of the flux on the density similar to the basic FI model, as the effect of changing car spacing 'diminishes when the car density is high. At intermediate densities, the flux drops more rapidly with density when compared with the high-density phase. The maximum flux is higher than that in the FI model. A more aggressive anticipation scheme gives an enhanced flux for a wide range of car densities.

Our models basically follow that of Fukui and Ishibashi. Consider a one-dimensional road with a single lane consisting of L sites. Let.V be the number of cats on the road. The cars are assumed to be travelling to the right. The cars'are labelled (n=1,2,-N)v> from right to left. Hence the number density of cars is given by p = N/L. In a CA model, the motions of the cars follow a set. of parallel updating rules. A car is allowed to move a maximum of M sites in a time step if the spacing in front of the car permits. Thus M. serves as the speed limit in' the model. In the FI model, the spacing;s simply determined by the spacing at the current time step, without consideration of the fact that the car in front would also move in the next time step. In the present models. drivers anticipate the motion of the car ahead and decide the speed according to the spacing at the current time step and the anticipated motion. At each time step, the anticipated motion of the car ahead is predicted using the basic FI model. To avoid collisions, the anticipated motion is only allowed to take on at most (M — 1) sites. The actual motion of the car ahead, of course, could be different from the anticipated motion. This predicted motion has the effect of enhancing the car spacing in front so that the driver can take advantage of it and travel at a higher speed. For a car with a spacing that allows it to actually travel at the maximum speed M, there is a probability f that it will travel at a speed M — 1. The parameter/ thus gives a probabilistic delay for fast moving cars, as in the FI model. It models the feature that drivers travelling at maximum speed are more cautious, for safety reasons or simply to avoid speeding.

Let.xn(t) and vn(t) be the position and speed of the n-bh car at time respectively. The spacing at time t is. therefore, given by

dn(t) = xn-1(+)-xn(4)-1                                                                                (1)

Model A: A more conservative anticipation scheme is given by the following steps.

Step 1: Anticipation of motion — The anticipated motion of the in — l)-th car in front of the n-th car is represented by an anticipated speed vn-1(t+1), which is determined by the basic FI model. To avoid collisions and to allow for wider spacing between cars, an anticipated motion up to only (m-1) sites is allowed. Thus.

Vn-1 (t+1) =min (m-18 max (odn-1(t)-1)                                                                      (2)

Step 2: Deteiwiination of actual speed — The actual speed of the n-th car is determined by the current spacing and the anticipated motion of the car in front. Probabilistic delay is applied only to cars that are allowed to move at the speed limit. Therefore, with probability (1 —f),

Vn(t+1)=min)m,dn (t) +vn-1(t-1)                                                                                (3)

With probability f, vn(t+1) =min (m-1, dn(t)+vn-r(t+1).                                               (4)

Step 3: Position Update — The position of each car is then updated according to

x(t + 1) = Xn(t) + Vn                                                                                (5)

Equations (3), (4), and (5) give'a set of equations for the time evolution of Model A.

Model B: To avoid collisions, it would be sufficient to replace the anticipated speed in eq. (2) by

Vn-1(t+1) = min {m-1,max{0,dn -1(t)}}                                                                      (6)

Equation (6) would in general lead to a higher speed in Model B than'in Model A. Equations (3), (4). (5) with vn- (t+1)) as defined in eq. (6) constitute the set of equations for the time evolution of Mode! B.

In both the NS and FI models, each site models the minimum length that a car occupies on the road.It has been shown that taking M = 5 gives the best description of real traffic flow as it reasonably models the speed limit. In traffic flow problems, the most interesting relation to study is the fundamental diagram, which gives the traffic flux as a function of car density. The traffic flux is the average number of cars passing through a location in a unit time and is'simply given by the product of the average speed and the car density. Figure 1 shows the fundamental diagram obtained by numerical simulations for Model A with M = 1.2,..., 5 and a random delay probability of f = 0.3. We used a lane of 1000 sites, with periodic boundary conditions imposed. The results are obtained in the long time limit when the flow approaches its steady state. For comparison, we include the results for the basic FI model with the same sets of parameters in Fig. 1. The distinguishable features, as compared to the FI model, are that the present model allows a higher maximum traffic flux and there exist three ranges of car densities corresponding to different flux behavior.

For concreteness, we focus our discussion on the case of M = 5. The maximum flux in this case is about 1.15, corresponding to a car number density of about 0.275. This implies that the average speed is about 4.18 sites per time step. The flux is significantly higher than the maxiumum flux of about 0.80 corresponding to a car number density of 0.20 for the basic FI model. The increase in the flux is due to the fact that with drivers anticipating the movement of the car ahead, the cars can attain a higher average speed in the present model. Figure 1 also shows that the effects of including the anticipation of car motion are only significant in an intermediate range of car densities. For low car densities, cars are well separated in the long time limit. If the density is sufficiently low so that the spacing between cars is larger than M, then anticipation becomes unneccessary as the cars can always travel at the speed limit. Hence the flux in Model A becomes identical to the FI model for a range of densities below 0.15 for M = 5. For high car densities, p > 0.5, some of the cars are blocked by the car in front. When a car is following another car that is blocked in front. the anticipation of motion does not change the speed of the car from that of the basic FI model since the car in front is anticipated to remain stationary. Hence for M ≥ 2, the flux in Model A is the same as that of the FI model for p > 0.5. i; should also be noted that for p > 0.5. the flux becomes independent of M for M ≥ 2. This is because for p > 0.5, the density is so high that the cars are either blocked in front or there is only one empty site in front. Therefore, the cars simply cannot move [see eq. (2)] at the allowed speed limit m these congested cases, and the results become insensitive to M. For the special case of M = 1, cars are only allowed to move one site at most in each time step. Therefore, anticipation cannot make the car move faster, and hence Model A and the FI model give identical results. It is found that Model B also gives similar features. The enhanced maximum flux is somewhat higher than the observed value.3 figure 2 shows the corresponding average speed of cars as a function of car number density for Model A for different values of M. As in the fundamental diagrams, the speed shows three different regimes of dependence on the number density, with the regimes in low and high densities exhibiting features similar to the basic FI model.

Fig. I. Fundamental diagram (lower panel) of Model A (symbols) showing the traffic flux as a function of car number density for different values of \t. The probability of random delay is taken to be / = 0.3. Results for the basic FI model (lines) are included for comparison. Model A shows a synchronized phase at a range of intermediate densities. The upper panel shows the distribution of speeds among the cars in M = 5 for three different densities corresponding to the free-flow phase (p = 0.10). the synchronized phase (p = 0.35), and the stop-and-go phase (p = 0.60). respectively.

The most interesting feature in the fundamental diagram (Fig. 1) is that there are three different ranges of car densities with different behavior. For small p, there is a range in which the flux increases almost linearly with car den: ity. In this range, the cars can attain a high speed and the flux is basically determined by the density. With anticipation, high speed is attained to a higher car density than in the FI model for A ≥ 2. In the upper panel of Fig. 1, we show the distribution of speeds among the cars for the case of M = 5. The distribution is normalized so that all the frequencies of occurrence of the speeds add up to unity. Thus, the bars in the figure give the probability of a'car having a certain speed. The distribution at low density {e.g., p = 0.10) shows that most of the cars move at the highest possible speed (M = 5) with a small fraction at the speed (m— 1) due to probabilistic delay. The ratio of the' occurrence of speeds M and' (M — 1) is 7/3. as expected for f = 0.3. Thus, the spacings between cars are always larger than M in this phase. This corresponds to the free-flow phases) in which there is no blockage of cars. The free-flow phase extends to a higher car density in Model A (up to p ~ 0.30) as cars can still move with speed.m/ at densities for which the basic FI model already exhibits a blockage of cars. In an intermediate range of densities, blockage between cars becomes more pronounced because of the higher speed of the cars • and the fact that anticipations depend on spacings. Both of these factors lead to a more sensitive dependence of the speed on car densities in this intermediate range.as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2: Average speed as afunction of deusty of car for model A for differed value of m-the probability of random delay is taken to be f = 03

The drop in flux with car density beyond the maximum flux is due to a steep drop in average speed. It should be noted that over this intermediate range of car densities, the flux is higher than the basic FI model. The appearance of the feature in the intermediate range can be recognized as the synchronized phase observed in real traffic flow. In the synchronized state, the drivers have self-organized themselves into a phase in which the cars are, in general, moving, but at a lower speed.3' The upper panel of Fig.1 shows the corresponding distribution of speeds for a density (p = 0.35) in the synchronized phase. The distinguished features are that there is a spread in the speeds ranging from 1 to (M — 1) and all the cars are constantly in motion. It should be noted that the basic FI model only shows a naiTow intermediate range of densities with this feature. For high car densities, anticipation becomes ineffective and the results obtained are identical to those of the FI model. Figure 1 (upper panel) also shows that, in the high-density regime (p > 0.5), some of the cars are blocked during the flow and some take on the low speed of 1.

This leads to the nonvanishing probability of having zero speed. Therefore, the high-density phase corresponds to stop-and-go traffic3 which is characterized by the occasional blockage of cars in the Bow. The fundamental diagram of the present modej is. Therefore, compatible with that observed empirically in real traffic flow.

Figure 3 shows the fundamental diagram of Model B, which corresponds to a more aggressive scheme of making use of the anticipated motion. Model B gives a- higher maximum flux than Model A at a slightly higher car density. From. eq. (6), it is expected that the flux becomes independent of M (M ≥ 2) only for p ≥ 2/3 when the blockage of cars becomes effective. In the high-density limit, the flux is given by 2(1 — p), which is twice that in the basic FI model.14 The upper panel in Fi.g. 3 shows the corresponding distributions of speeds typical of the three different phases.

Fig. 3. Fundamental diagram (lower panel) of Model B (symbols) for ferent values of M The probability of random delay is taken to be = 0.3. Results for the basic FI model (lines) are included for mparison. The high-density regime sets in for p > 2/3. The upper ncl shows the distribution of speeds among the cars in V/ = 5 for three '•-•rent densities corresponding to the free-flow phase (p = 0.10). the nchronizcd phase (p — 0.35). and the stop-and-go phase (p = 0.80).

The distributions of Model A and Model B are identical in the low-density regime. In the intermediate density range. Model B has a higher fraction of cars moving at the speed (M — 1), while Model A has a wider spread of speeds as a result of its more conservative anticipation scheme. In the high-density regime. Mode! B has a small fraction of cars moving at higher speeds (v >1) as.a result of anticipation, leading to the enhanced flux.. In summary..we presented numerical results of the. effects of anticipation of the movement of the car ahead on the FI model. The models are more realistic in that cars can move collectively at high speed on highways. The spacing between cars is usually governed by the stopping distance rather than the' speed limit. It is shown that with anticipation incorporated, the fundamental diagram clearly exhibits a free-flow phase at low car densities, a.synchronized phase a; intermediate densities, and a stop-and-go phase at hign densities. The results are consistent with features observed in real traffic flow.

1.      Traffic ami Granular Flow '97, ed. M. Schreckenberg and D. E. Wolf (Springer, Singapore, 1998).

2.      D. Helbing, H. j. Herrmann. M. Schreckenberg and D. If. Wolf: Traffic and Granular Flow '99: Social, Traffic and Granular Dynamic (Springer, Berlin, 2000).

3.      D. Chowdhury. L. Santcn and A. Schadschneidcr: Phys. Rep. 329 (2000) 199

4.      D Helbing: Rev. Mod. Phys. 73 (2001) 1067.

5.      B. Schmittmann and R. K. P. Zia: Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena, ed. C. Domb and). L. Lcibowilz (Academic Press. San Diego, 1995) Vol. 17.

6.      K. Nagel and M. Schreckenberg:) Phys. 1 (france) 2 i 1992) 2221

7.      F. L. Hall, B. L. Allen and M. A. Gunter: Transport. Res, A 20 (1986) 197.

8.      P. M. Simon and K. Nagel: Phys. Rev. E 58 (1998) 128b.

9.      Prigogine and R. Herman: Kinetic Theory of Vehicular Traffic (EJscrvier, Amsterdam, 1971).

10.  K. Nagel and M. Paczuski: Phys. Rev, If 51 11995) 2090.

11.  S. Krauss, P. Wagner and C. Gawron: Phys. Rev. E 55 (1997) 5597,

12.  M. Fukui and Y. Ishibashi: J. Phys. Soc.)pn. 65 (1996) 1868.

13.  B. H. Wang, Y. R. Kwong and P. M. Hui: Phys. Rev. E 57 (1998) 2568.

14.  B. H. Wang, L. Wang, P. M. Hui and B. Hu: Phys. Rev. E 58 (1998) 2876.

15.  A. Schadschneider and M. Schreckenberg: J, Phys, A 30 (1997) L69

16.  A. Schadschneider: Eur. Phys. J, B 10 (1999) 573.

17.  X. Li. Q. W'u and R. Jiang: Phys. Rev. E 64 (2001) 066128.

Основные термины (генерируются автоматически): basic FI model, traffic flow, fundamental diagram, car, real traffic flow, car densities, speed, car density, cars, flux, speed limit, traffic flux, low car densities, NS model, maximum flux, probabilistic delay, anticipated motion, car number density, higher car density, conservative anticipation scheme.

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транспортный поток, Модели автоматизации автоматизации ceunlan

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Plant Blindness Reflection

  1. Plant Blindness is about humans inability to recognize plants compared to animals for many different reasons. The botanists said that plants didn’t get this appreciation because animals move and act in so many different ways that attract the human eye much more. To me, Plant Blindness is people’s lack of attention to and appreciation of plants due to getting overshadowed by animals due to animals ability to act in so many diverse ways.
  2. Yes. I believe that I had Plant Blindness before I started this class. Animals have always been so interesting to me compared to plants because they are so diverse and can do so many more things than plants that it causes me to focus almost solely on animals. Watching an animal in its environment has always been much more interesting than watching a plant lay stationary.
  3. A cause of Plant Blindness that was described in the paper was #4. It talked about how since plants are mostly nonthreatening to humans, they can ignore them with little to no consequences . It also talked about how humans also scan over plants much faster in order to process the surrounding area easier (Wandersee). This cause is definitely one of the reasons for my Plant Blindness. There is very usually something else that captures my attention when plants are present. Other items in the environment cause me to scan over plants. Plants are really just never the most interesting thing to look at for most people because of their lack of movement.
  4. Yes. This paper is still applicable today. When you look on Netflix, there are shows such as Planet Earth that film a heavy percentage of their shots on animals over plants. The animals offer much more different types of footage to film compared to plants. However, they do a great job on the appreciation of plants in their videos.
  5. I accept that I have plant blindness and many of the people living today do too. However, I do not have the knowledge to compare it to the outlook that the population in 1998 had on Plant Blindness.
  6. Before this class, the only thing that I can vividly remember about plants is learning about pollination between bees and plants. However, I can remember much more about animals and doing projects on different animals when I was younger. We spent much more time talking about animals and my classmates were always more interested to learn about them compared to plants.
  7. This class will hopefully bring me to appreciate plants in a new way that many people do not take the time to do. They are important for the environment, world, humans, and all life so we should know more about them.


The Tarot Talks To The Emperor

On Remembrance Day, The Tarot reflects on The Emperor…

Emp legacy divine

The Tarot’s Emperor  flags up the spirit of Aries, the Ram, first fiery sign of the Zodiac, and with it the image of the Patriarch, for good or ill. Is is in many ways, the opposite number of Virgo and The Hermit, who walks alone, but who has learned many things, understands many things, and may shine a light so that others may follow and not lose their way in the dark. The difference is, they both must do a lot of their thinking alone, but the Hermit has to be sought out. The Emperor is also alone, but is surrounded by others, and in plain sight.

hermit legacy

You could be the Emperor yourself, whether male or female,for example, as a business owner, or in many other roles.

In an abstract sense this is a card of ‘rendering unto Caesar.’  But Emperors themselves owe duty. The regalia of power is in token of service. There is no loyalty without reciprocity.

Image by kind permission of Ciro Marchetti: The Gilded Tarot: Llewellyn.

English: Modern bronze statue of Julius Caesar...

The Emperor at his best is a chevalier, a sheltering tree, Rule with compassion, defender of the small and weak. Children and animals are drawn to him. Birds nesting in his branches, will feel themselves secure. He represents the path of reason and fair play and is ready to uphold it by word and deed.

He is active in order, and practices self discipline and damage limitation, reining in his strength at times, exercising it at others so that sanity prevails, and not everyone gets splattered with the filth of chaos.

Negatively aspected, that is to say. appearing in a spread with other cards such as The Tower or The Devil, there may be great tragedies and evils. The Emperor may be a tyrant or a coward. War is a Horseman of the Apocalypse. The Law may be an ass while historically, Emperors have over and over again been catastrophic for the peace and happiness of their fellow humans.

Marcus Antonius:
And Caesar’s spirit, raging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial.

Julius Caesar Act 3, scene 1, 270-275

Julius was a ruler, a killer, and a father who was on campaign when he received news of the death in childbirth of his only child, Julia,  and mourned alone in his tent.

In all the light and shade of his complexity, The Emperor represents ‘our’ own menfolk, the ones we honour and love and sometimes fight. My beloved father, gone now. A step-father, also beloved. A baby son, gone from us before he even lived a day, but still, I knew him on sight.  My husband, my brother. The truth of the masculine as distinct from the feminine. Each person has both. More joins us than divides us, male and female, but certain biological truths do distinguish the nature of physical experience.

Red earth of Adam.

Fathers or not,  all men are sons of ‘red earth’, born to strive, to quest, to come home and rest, to see and not to say all that he sees, and on account of this to suffer deep loneliness at times; un-throned Emperors, every one.

The winners as they say, write the history. But the losers also made that same history.

Betrayed by his brother

Begged wait by his mother

Echoes shrined in thread

A king still speaks

Of ships on shingle

Fields forever

Running red

ktln at home june 2015 1

Katie-Ellen Hazeldine:

In the Outcome position I drew:

‘What a crock of sh*t.’

Greetings to the Tarot’s Emperor.


Distance from to

Distance from Cayman Islands to Chad

Distance from Cayman Islands to Chad is 10,466 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 6,503 miles.

The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Cayman Islands and Chad is 10,466 km= 6,503 miles.

If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Cayman Islands to Chad, It takes 11.61 hours to arrive.

Cayman Islands

81° 15´ 16.5600'' W
Altitude6 m
CountryCayman Islands

Cayman Islands Distances to Countries

Cayman IslandsDistance
Distance from Falkland Islands to Cayman Islands8,184 km
Distance from Cayman Islands to Qatar12,867 km
Distance from Curacao to Cayman Islands1,533 km

GPS Coordinates15° 27´ 15.0120'' N
18° 43´ 55.9560'' E
Altitude334 m

Chad Distances to Countries

Distance from Lesotho to Chad5,114 km
Distance from Norfolk Island to Chad16,520 km
Distance from Faroe Islands to Chad5,546 km


Risk and Impact Analysis ITIL

what is the process of doing risk and impact assessment in a change record in  ITIL environment.
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Sir LearnalotConnect With a Mentor Commented:
Define the extent of the change proposed

        Determine key differences in the changed state (proposed) from a point of reference or the original state

        Focus on the possible effects of the key differences from step #2

        Sort and prioritize the possible effects (#3) from the key differences (#2) based on risk and possibility

        Make a decision using the results
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Narcissists As Leaders

Bill Eddy, LCSW, Esq. and Georgi DiStefano, LCSW
© 2015 High Conflict Institute

[Excerpt from Chapter 3 of the Axiom award-winning book It’s All Your Fault at Work: Managing Narcissists and Other High-Conflict People]

Whether in business, politics, or workgroups, there is a natural tendency to select narcissistic leaders. They are attracted to leadership roles as part of their personalities—their drive for extra respect and extra attention; their belief in their own ideas; their enjoyment of winning contests; their ability to charm and persuade people; and their ability to focus narrowly on a goal (getting chosen as the leader).

People looking for leaders are attracted to narcissists for similar reasons—we like being charmed and persuaded; we enjoy giving them our rapt attention; we like how hard they work to become our leaders; we are attracted to their stories of overcoming past challenges and their visions of future success; and the average person doesn’t want the headaches of being a leader (or competing with a narcissist to get there).

Narcissistic Personality Traits
So far, nothing I have said appears to be a problem. The attraction between narcissistic leaders and group members seems to be part of human nature—and may have helped us organize and survive as humans over thousands of years against endless adversity. It may be that a small dose of narcissism works—it helps people persevere in the face of incredible odds, to be unfazed by strong criticism, to get attention for unpopular (but sometimes good) ideas, and to draw together many different types of people (sometimes millions) around them and their ideas. This may be especially true in times of war and survival.

This also may be true in times of cultural revolutions, such as the popular entrepreneurs who have led incredible breakthroughs resulting in our high-tech lifestyles. These include fascinating figures, such as Bill Gates (Microsoft), Steve Jobs (Apple), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), and Jeff Bezos (Amazon)—all with some narcissistic traits, but also successful and effective management styles. News reports and commentators have referred to each of them as narcissists, yet they may just have some narcissistic personality traits. These traits may cause them to be difficult to the people around them, but they may still be manageable and productive. Steve Jobs famously said that he didn’t do market research, because people didn’t really know what they wanted—but he did! He was often right.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder
On the other hand, some leaders have narcissist personality disorder—which means that sooner or later, it will become obvious that they are very dysfunctional. They have many of the same appealing characteristics as those with just narcissistic traits—on the surface. Unfortunately, under the surface they meet the criteria for narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). They are “over the top.” The diagnostic manual for mental health professionals says that a personality disorder is a dysfunctional pattern of behavior that “leads to clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning” (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), 5th ed.).

The manual lists several criteria for a narcissistic personality disorder, including a “grandiose sense of self-importance,” preoccupied with “fantasies of unlimited success” and power, belief that he or she is uniquely “special,” “requires excessive admiration,” “has a sense of entitlement,” exploits relationships, “lacks empathy,” and is “envious” and “arrogant.”

Of course, only licensed mental health professionals can make a diagnosis after a thorough assessment for purposes of assisting a client. You should never tell someone you think he or she is a narcissist, and it would be arrogant of you to do so!

Can You Tell the Difference?
Since narcissists are repeatedly “distressed or impaired” by definition, it would be obvious that they are not good candidates as leaders in an organization. But since it is not easy to tell on the surface the difference between narcissistic traits and disorders, what can you do? One approach is to work to understand and then recognize the key differences between people with personality disorders and those who may just have some traits but are not “impaired.” There are three characteristics that distinguish people with personality disorders (any personality disorder):

Lack of self-awareness and self-reflection: They can’t see their part in the problem. This is similar to denial for an alcoholic or addict. They are defensive rather than insightful.
Lack of adaptation or change: Even though their behavior is dysfunctional, they don’t change it—because they don’t think they have a problem.
They believe the cause of all of their problems is outside of themselves: Since they don’t see their part and they don’t change, they either feel helpless or aggressively try to change other people to help themselves feel better. Those who have a target of blame are the ones we think of as high-conflict people—individuals who generate increasing conflicts as they attack or attempt to eliminate their targets.
If you are trying to decide who to promote into a leadership role, this information suggests that you want to find out how well the candidates accept feedback and whether they have ever tried to change or improve their own behavior. If the person is preoccupied with being right and with criticizing other people’s behavior, then he or she would appear to be less likely to be good leaders in most organizations. Especially in today’s world of rapid change and innovation, leaders need to be flexible and fast learners. Those with narcissistic personality disorder need not apply.

But since it’s hard to tell the difference between narcissist personality traits and narcissistic personality disorders on the surface, why not avoid selecting anyone who has narcissistic qualities in the first place? Let’s look at the research.

Narcissists in Work Groups
In their book The Narcissism Epidemic, authors Jean Twenge and Keith Campbell explain that narcissists in the workplace see themselves as great leaders and that they are more likely than other employees to be chosen as leaders by their peers. But then, over time, their peers see their “negative qualities and stop viewing them as leaders.” Studies have shown that narcissistic managers are generally rated as average for problem-solving skills but below average for “leadership skills, interpersonal skills and integrity.”

Twenge and Campbell add that narcissists in work groups, even when they aren’t the leaders, take credit for the work of others, tend to do less work than others, and blame their co-workers for problems even when they are friends. Even so, they impress those above them in the organization. In effect, narcissists are good at “kissing up” and “kicking down.”

Narcissists as Business Leaders
Popular belief says that the best business leaders have a lot of charisma: They can stand out, grab your attention, and sell you anything. Because they are seen as so outgoing, everyone is happy to follow them and work hard for them. Based on this belief, you would think narcissists make the best business leaders, the best CEOs. However, research tells us exactly the opposite—this belief is wrong!

In her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain discusses research on what the most effective leaders actually have in common—and it’s that they lack charisma! Many of the best leaders turn out to be those who pushed themselves to work hard—often alone—and to prove that they were good enough for the job. Many were known for their humility and their desire to bring out the best in their managers and employees. In other words, it was not all about them, but all about the business. Cain summarizes the findings: “We need leaders who build not their own egos, but the institutions they run.”

In The Narcissism Epidemic, Twenge and Campbell make a similar point: Narcissists may be good at rising to power within an organization, but their success doesn’t last long. They are overconfident and not good team players. They sell others on an inflated image of what they can do, but they can’t fulfill it. In looking at one hundred technology companies, the more narcissistic CEOs had dramatic moments of success, but overall their companies were more volatile and surpassed by companies with less narcissistic CEOs and more steady performances. Narcissists are risk takers and this threatens the value of a company rather than enhancing it. Some narcissists may create a great company—and then crash it!

Bill Eddy and L. Georgi DiStefano are trainers and consultants for the High Conflict Institute, based on San Diego, California. They are also the co-authors of New Ways for Work: Personal Skills for Productive Relationships: Coaching Manual and Workbook. For more information, books, videos or to set up a training or consultation, see


Religion: The Box Set

The Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have a lot in common. So much in common it’s hard to study one without studying the others. Often theologians and academics interested in religion will study all three religions and their respective texts at the same time to understand their commonalities and difference.

To illustrate these commonalities I will be working on a design for a box set of the Torah, The Bible, and the Quran. The set will use iconography common to all three texts as well as elements distinct within each faith to link and distinguish.

Specifically the imagery associated with heaven and Eden, the apple and vines of green will serve as a point of commonality that will reach between all of the books. the distinguishing marks will be a bit more challenging since i’d like to avoid the simple icons currently used to denote the faiths as the Star of David, the Cross and the Crescent Moon.

Images to come soon!

Salaat Bento Box, Part 2

So I’ve been working on developing the Salaat Bento Box idea a bit further, and the idea has evolved a bit.  I met with a former ITP alumni, Noah Waxman as well as with some classmates to get input regarding materials with embedded magnets and fabricating these objects and that conversation got me thinking about simplifying my original idea to concentrate more specifically on the Prayer Mat itself.

The Salaat Bento Box is an attempt at improving the lives of billions of Muslims through design, specifically taking a very Eastern design object, the Bento Box or the Tiffin and using that model to create a modular Prayer Kit that will make it easier for Muslims on the move to pray.

A colorful set of Tiffin tin lunch boxes.A designed wooden Tiffen lunch box from Design Republic by Neri & Hu

Like a lunch box, the kit will be modular, easy to clean and compact while comprehensive.

I wanted to build a prayer mat made specifically for the kit that would fold up easily according to a predetermined pattern and fit perfectly into the confined space. Magnets seemed like the natural starting point, since their subtle interaction can be hidden and embedded into the fabric, but at the same time would allow for a structured folding process.

But simply discussing the concept got me thinking about the mat more closely. A prayer mat is designed to both help point a Muslim as well as offer a comfortable and clean surface to bow upon. The plushness of the material cannot be overlooked, nor can the culture already associated  with the mats. The mats are typically ornate, embossed with beautiful designs that evoke images of mosques and Mecca. When Muslim’s pray in groups (as they often do) they lay out their mats side by side.

Prayer mats layed out side by side at a Mosque for prayer
Muslim’s often use multiple prayer mats side by side to pray together. Pius Lee /

The realization I came upon when trying to plan out the layout of the magnets was that the magnets can in fact be used to help link the mats as well, rather than simply help to fold up a mat.

Another point of inspiration was that the mat does not need to plush throughout, only where the knees and ankles touch the ground. That can help reduce the thickness of the material and allow for a smaller fold area. Utilizing fabrication techniques like those seen in Issey Miyake’s bag I can create a structure that inherently folds one way while at the same time offering a plush surface as well as a thin material.

Salaat Bento Box

Over 1 billion Muslims pray 5 times a day. They stop what they’re doing at the sound of the adhaan, a lyrical call to prayer and file into the streets and into the Mosques and point themselves towards Mecca and whisper the words of the Quran. Like any ritual, there are elements that have attached themselves to the process, though not required they’ve gained cultural significance.

All of these items function independently of each other and often a devout Muslim will pick and choose these items as they come across them from their travels. These items often have a sentimental value as well as their religious value.

To pray all a Muslim needs to do is to purify themselves, typically by washing their face and arms with water, but if water is not available sand would do. Then they should orient themselves by pointing themselves towards Mecca, and finally they need to perform the prayer if they are able, while reciting the verses. If they are not physically able to stand they can sit. If they are not physically able to sit they may lie down. The entire process is quite forgiving.

What you will notice is that many Muslims use a prayer rug, this is not necessary but it offers the Muslim a clean surface to bow upon. Shi’ite Muslims use a piece of clay known as a mohr to rest their forehead upon when they bow. Some Muslims like to add additional prayers using a tasbeeh, which looks a lot like a rosary. Some Muslims carry with them compasses and booklets with the directions you should pray in order to line up best with Mecca wherever you might be in the world. Muslim women might choose to cover themselves using a chador.

I propose to combine all or some of these artifacts into a single object, a Salaat bento box if you will. Compartmentalized and modular, a design minded devotee could purchase the modules they feel is important to them and carry it around in their bags like a lunchbox or camera.

Ideas taking shape


“I want to be an adult.” This is what I said when I was a kid.

“I want to be a kid.” This is what I’m saying now.

When I was a kid, I really wanted to grow faster to become an adult, because you can do more things than a kid. Your parents are your model, you want to be like them in the future. You don’t have your own thoughts, what you want is to follow your parents’ shadow; as time goes by, their shadow will leave far away from you. You have your own opening and thoughts.

Right now, I really want to turn back to become a kid again, because you can do more things than an adult. More freedom and no pressure. Dreaming about your parents and your future job, no pain at all. Didn’t have to make things hard for  yourself. Didn’t  have to choose between anything. Didn’t have to cry by yourself at night and wet your pillow. Your have your own freedom and thought.

By Rocky Cheung

The Real You

            When you’re ready to wake up you’re going to wake up and if you’re not ready then you’re going to stay, pretending ‘oh poor little me.’ But there comes a time in every person’s life when you do finally wake up. You often tease yourself with some kind of flirtation with waking up and so you never actually completely envelop it. Sometimes you stray away from it, holding yourself to the past. Holding yourself to death. Like you aren’t part of the bigger picture of the universe. When you see that in the way of waking up; what you do is something that the whole universe is doing here and now. You are something that the whole universe is doing in the same way, a wave is something that the whole ocean is doing. We are all remnants of the big bang, we are all grains of sand to the infinite landscape of the cosmos. In the same way our star is part of a galaxy of other stars. The real you is not a puppet which life pushes around. The real deep down you is the whole universe.

So, it goes to show that when you die, it isn’t just a the fatal ending of everlasting non-existence. The world will still be here whether humans go extinct or not. Try and imagine going to sleep and never waking up. Death can be like our final sleep, yet it is similar to our first wake. That is when you were born. And when you are born you are put into a state of existence with all this strange and weird stuff happening. But you isolate yourself from all others. And so you define your own individuality, which is important, but you also fail to realize that all people are you. Only because you experience it one at a time. You are part of existence which makes you part of everything else, like a single grass thread to a forest. This shows that, almost without effort, you immediately know how to breathe, recognize your mother’s face, and you understand how to feel, cry, and whine.  All of this knowledge is gained immediately. Doesn’t it really astonish you that you are this fantastically complex thing, and that you’re doing all of this and you didn’t have any education on how to do it? We are not all separate individuals, we are the whole universe just scattered about. But if everything were once again in unity then we may even come to comprehend the meaning of god. However, with all the hatred and discrimination in the world, we become further apart. Spreading further and further into a world of loneliness. And then this is where all the pain in the world comes from. It is from the fact that we all see ourselves as superior and apart rather than one infinite race. Our hate is causing our own extinction and we will be left with nothing until we find love within our own hearts.

–Connor Mullin

Round Midnight

Calm breezy night. Small alleyways lit by lamp posts reveal a stray black cat. It spots me, stares for a brief moment, then continues on its way like nothing had ever happened. But during this so short-lived moment, I felt something I’d never felt before in a dark, shady alleyway in the middle of a suburban town full of bright neon signs and alcoholics passed out on the curb. It was the feeling of warmth, that which one feels on a snowy day, curled up by the fireplace with freshly made hot chocolate and fuzzy slippers. The warmth emanating from the cat faded, but I continued to smile. I found a friend in this old rundown place, or at least the comfort that comes with one; but it was brief. As I pondered, observing the bright lights beneath an endless sky glittered with more lights, I came to a realisation. All that is bright and alluring is not always what it’s built up to be, while feelings of warmth, peace, and happiness can come from the most unexpected places.

Ryan Ly

A Second Home Gone Unnoticed

By Shelbylynn Willson, June 2016

When you think community, what comes to your mind? Mr. Despotakis states that a school community is “about the students, the environment, what happens in the school, and intriguing students to want to try.”

What is a community? A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. It’s also a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests and goals.

A good community means membership. This means everyone is welcomed and should see the same options as others, no one should feel lower than another, nor should some feel on top.

School provides equality, and equity. Influence, integration and fulfilment of needs are provided by participants such as teachers, who don’t necessarily have a say in defining the school as a community. Mr Despotakis, a former teacher, has seen what it’s like to see a school as a community from a teacher’s point of view, as well as a vice principal’s. A teacher’s role is primarily to teach; to be able to hold the answers to questions asked by the young people they’re trying to mould into better, kinder, smart young adults.

“As a vice principal now, I’m able to see the school from the office view, which is a greater view, I get to see the little things in our school, the social separation, the kindness coming from simple individual acts.” It’s a whole new show from up there, where it’s easy to spot change, it’s easy to spot what’s needed to change, and the ways to approach this.

Can we become more of a community? In fact, this year at Brookswood Secondary, a committee meeting was held in regards to the next school year; we’ll notice new key words around the environment, so expectations may be high.

I’m only one person, brought onto this planet about seventeen years ago; I was put into the system at about age four, never prepared, nor did I ever practice to be a friend to these other wondering minds. I felt stupid. I woke up to my older brother, who started school four years before me, not only putting on his shoes for school but also his armour for he was going to need a lot of it everyday. For some reason these kids figured it was their place to taunt, make fun of and pick on my dream of a brother. They were picking on my everything that I looked up to. Every weekday morning around eight I’d see this, until I felt it for myself on the last day of my innocence. What would the others think of me?

When is it time to take action on an issue? Mr Despotakis states that “The most important factor would be to make sure it’s functional for safety, to be a safe and suitable environment for the minds and bodies of our school.”

Although the school’s website may seem too picture-perfect, Bobcats Den is a good source to view if you want to see how our school really is, on the inside and the outside, during and after hours. Mr. Despotakis finds that the school website is a great way to represent our school as a community. Bobcats Den is run by Principal Moino, who goes around the school weekly and will snap photos, capturing laughing faces, and hard work in the process. He’ll capture images of a community, for which we have ourselves to thank. We must also be mindful of the school agenda, and the information that goes unread. The school dress code, the bell schedules, dates of certain events and a lot more are all found within the first twenty pages.

Your education is something you can build on or fight towards. A good attitude can build a greater community. We’ve been together since 1973, as an apparent community. Each new generation adding to the last, adding to Brookswood as a community, going forward with their young lives, curiously living as much as they can yet still surviving. School’s the first peek at a community that we ever see, the first glimpse into other lives besides our own families. Realizing the many opportunities that can potentially await you, depending on how you treat your days and self. Searching the world for your kind of right. Before an individual leaves their school life behind, that school life has shaped them in one way or another, whether it be by the people they surrounded themselves with or the way school treated them. A life in high school is finished in four years, and depending on how you treat yourself, the school and the people in it, it’s providing an image for not only you, but for everyone in that school. You get a sense of the entire building, all the souls present, not just in one class.

From the time we are five years old, we’re almost suffocated by other clueless kids; now taking part in this learning environment. We’re taught to sit, stay quiet, to not be mean, and to put our garbage and recyclables in the appropriate places. To respect the school, and treat it as our own. We’re able to see the flaws in our actions, we’re wise enough to know better and we’re kind and generous enough to want to change. But are we still selfish? To have even known our behaviour wasn’t our greatest? Or are we only selfish if we don’t try to change?

It should be that simple; according to some though, it’s not. We go to a place where some are pushed home long enough to miss out on their education simply because kids who aren’t thinking of others, but only of themselves, are making an uncomfortable, pressuring, even taunting environment. They’ll be so fearful of the world, of other people, all because of some immature kids who were trying to act cool.

Are we that uncaring?

School acts as our first real glimpse into the “real” world. These are the years we meet people, potential friends, some like us, others not quite. We’re placed into an environment, and we’re told to be kind and gentle towards it. Is this environment my school, or my second home? I remember in elementary school, all of my friends, myself included, would go down to the resource room to get a pre-made lunch. We weren’t greedy kids; we felt comfort in knowing we had that reliable source of food at school when home was just too much. If this isn’t your second home, does that give it any less of a reason to be a second home to anyone else? Or even for a vast majority of kids who go to public school? Let’s be real, neither you, nor I will ever know the answer completely; we’ll never be able to read the other minds, or know how someone else feels. I wish I could ask every single person who they really are, just to know, but even that would be pointless. There’s no reasoning behind why people can’t be generous and kind. For instance, no one in the right mind would walk into someone else’s home and begin to litter, use inappropriate language, disrespect all the work put in by a family who worked hard to build that home, just like it takes years to build a community. I say asking would be pointless mainly because we shouldn’t have to know how others feel, we should have the logic, the brains to realize “Oh, maybe I’m a beneficiary of other people’s needs.”

The possibilities are endless when it comes to thinking of reasons as to why some people might look at school as their first home; and every single one of those reasons is a reasonable explanation as to why we should try harder as a community. The students of our school are the community of Brookswood; the teachers also reflect an image. When it comes to disrespecting the school, punishment is not looked at lightly. To strive for an image, you must have everyone on board. A fight with two participating bodies will lead to an automatic suspension, you may also need to talk to a counsellor. If the situation involves drugs, recreational or abusing of any kind, you’ll be asked to go to another school where this is treated more seriously.

It all comes down to how we, as individuals, treat our grounds. A lunch hour at Brookswood is always different depending on who’s in a good mood that day, who decides to clean up after themselves. Thankfully, most days it’s good, we have caring minds walking our schools, supporting it and bringing it to a higher community level. The janitors of Brookswood should be applauded for their hard work keeping up with cleaning up after our messes. Talking about being more green can also benefit our school significantly. Being green shows the reality of a “bad environment” and in this environment, are garbage-leaving humans, unaware that their actions are only destroying the community around them.

Simple actions can turn into habits; and if that action includes you walking to the trash can instead of you trying to toss it in, missing and leaving it on the ground for others to see, then you’ve already helped out a ton. The act of complimenting another person makes them happy, and happiness is contagious. What’s there to lose? We’re in here for the next four years, we might as well take care of it.


Sep 16, 2014

Hawking Warns About the Higgs: A Deeper Lurking Story?

Fascinating how mainstream science continually gives contradictory statements to the press, but no one calls them on it...

It seems that Stephen Hawking has crunched some numbers and concluded that at a certain threshold the Higgs boson could destroy…well…the entire universe:
Finding the ‘God’ particle could destroy the universe, warns Stephen Hawking
Now, fortunately, Professor Hawkings reassures us that no one has built a planetary-sized particle accelerator big enough to set this boson baking “big bang” into motion:
“The professor did add sarcastically, however, that such an event is unlikely in the near future.
“He said: ‘A particle accelerator that reaches 100bn GeV would be larger than Earth, and is unlikely to be funded in the present economic climate.’”
But there’s a problem here and I hope the reader will have caught it, for a few weeks ago I reported on another development in the wonderful world of fairy tale physics that some physicists have been dismayed over the results of the Large Hadron Collider experiments, and their inability to find not only the Higgs, but several other particles predicted by the theory.
In fact, you’ll recall that some physicists are upset enough that they are starting to propose even more radical theories, by removing dimensionality from their equations, particularly where length and gravity are concerned. Again, imagine removing the four-dimensional Einstein-Minkowski dimensional metric(measure) from General Relativity, or the Planck Length from quantum mechanics, and you get the idea of how radical some of these proposals really are. (see THE HUNT FOR THE HIGGS: REVIEWING THE STANDARD MODEL).
You’ll recall from that blog the following statements:
 “The new scale symmetry approach rewrites the beginning of that story. ‘The idea is that maybe even the Higgs mass is not really there,’ said Alessandro Strumia, a particle physicist at the University of Pisa in Italy. “It can be understood with some dynamics.”
Let’s go further back in LHC history to the period just before they “turned it on.” You’ll recall that some concern was voiced in Germany about the whole experiment, predicting similar dire consequences if they “turned it on.” The concerns were overridden of course, and the device was indeed turned on…
… then just as quickly turned off. We were told at the time that the LHC had experienced a rupture in one of the cooling wraps around the large magnets. At the time, I publicly expressed some doubts about this explanation (on George Ann Hughes’ The Byte Show) and proposed that the LHC scientists may have encountered some phenomenon that starkly challenged some of their assumptions, a view perhaps corroborated to some extent by the developments outlined in my blog THE HUNT FOR THE HIGGS: REVIEWING THE STANDARD MODEL.
So what do we have? It appears at the minimum we have an obfuscated story, one beginning with vaguely expressed misgivings prior to the LHC being activated(see for example If The Large Hadron Collider Produced A Microscopic Black Hole, It Probably Wouldn’t Matter, or an even more strange and bizarre list of pre-activation concerns here: German court rules that Large Hadron Collider cannot produce black holes, physics agrees), then quickly turned on, and then back off, and a story that is obfuscated thereafter: did they find the Higgs, or not? Some say yes, some say no, but even on a “yes’ interpretation, there remains the thorny problem that they have not found a lot of other things predicted by the standard model.
So hence my high octane speculation of the day. What if, for example, Professor Hawking’s threshold of Higgs instability is much lower? Or, as the THE HUNT FOR THE HIGGS: REVIEWING THE STANDARD MODEL story suggests, what if they discovered something (which they’re not yet talking about) which suggests to some scientists that the equations of their standard model need to be recast without things like “dimensionality” and metrics being a factor. What if the “tear” in the coolant mechanism in the LHC that was reported as the reason it was so quickly shut down after its initial activation was a tear of a very different sort? Then there was the strange case of the science fiction series Flash Forward which seems to have been based, in part, on these types of ideas. In the series, a large particle accelerator (and  in the book of the same title upon which the original series is based, precisely the LHC), is turned on, and the entire world population, with a few significant exceptions, blacks out for 137 seconds (fine structure constant enthusiasts take note!), causes chaos and upheaval around the planet, and most people jump forward in time while blacked out to see their future. The series – in this blogger’s opinion an entertaining one – was cancelled after only one year due to low ratings.
These are all “what ifs”… and huge ones at that. The bottom line for me is that the recent stories surrounding the LHC, the Higgs, and the new theories convince me that CERN has clamped a large veil of security over at least some aspects of what they’ve been finding. Either that, or the scientists involved in any degree are not entirely forthcoming, floating this balloon and that theory, while the real concerns may all be being quietly voiced by huddled heads over coffees in the cafeterias. And maybe we’ve been given some glimpses of the concerns from Hawkings et al.
There may be, in other words, a murkier story going on behind the scenes.


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Pablo Vercruysse
Alco Bio Fuel
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Cylinder Refurbishment

All types of cylinder, from welded steel to seamless steel cylinders, can be fully refurbished.

Cylinders are shot-blasted to remove old paintwork, and then given a protective base layer of primer, with your choice of colour finish.

The outcome is a cylinder looking brand new, and ready for another 10 years’ service. Flameskill can match any RAL colour finish.

Cylinders that can be refurbished include: fire suppression cylinders, breathing cylinders, and liferaft cylinders.


A 3-week exhibition of modern art in Birmingham town hall included a piece by a previously unknown artist, Jan Michel, which won praise for its picassolike features. Only as the show was closing did Ronald Allin, a musician with the Birmingham city orchestra, reveal that "Jan Michel" was actually his 8-year-old son Michael. The father had told his son to paint "anything he liked" and then secretly included the result in the exhibition. He titled the piece "Mermaid" because the image bore a vague resemblance to that mythical creature. The exhibition director said it was a pity the joke was only revealed on the last day because "it might have attracted more people."

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Home / Medicine / Diseases / LARYNGITIS: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention

LARYNGITIS: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention

Laryngitis is an inflammatory process of the mucosa and submucosa of the trachea and throat.

Laryngitis occurs, as a result of other diseases, for example, tonsillitis or rhinitis, and independently.

How is laryngitis manifested?

  1. Pain when swallowing
  2. Pershenie, dryness and sore throat
  3. Missing voice or becoming hoarse
  4. Headache
  5. Increased body temperature
  6. Dry cough

The laryngitis passes in 2 weeks. But if the symptoms do not go away, you need to go through the treatment again. An untreated laryngitis can pass into a chronic form, which is characterized by hoarseness, constant coughing and fast fatigue.

Diagnosis of laryngitis

To clarify the diagnosis use laryngoscopy (examination of the larynx by special mirrors). Laboratory diagnosis of laryngitis is performed to confirm signs of inflammation.

Treatment of laryngitis

Disease of laryngitis does not require stationaryTreatment. The patient is not allowed to talk for a week. Do not take spicy food, take alcohol and smoke. At a high temperature and an identified pathogen an antibiotic is prescribed. When coughing, antitussive drugs are used.

Prophylaxis of laryngitis

Prophylaxis of laryngitis is a prevention of colds. Do not contact sick people, do not overcool, visit the air more often.

LARYNGITIS: symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, prevention Was last modified: June 21st, 2017 By Wiywyajh
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Wells Fargo Advisors

1300 SW 5th Ave Ste 500 PortlandOR97201

Open Map

Located downtown near city hall, The Wells Fargo History Museum highlights the venerable company's rich history in Oregon. Enjoy an original stagecoach built in 1854, and a "stagecoach ride" experience. Send a telegram, and discover how Wells Fargo connected Oregon's communities in the 19th century. The museum offers school groups a hands-on experience through education programs and exhibits...
by localguides on March 24, 2016 from localguides


Remembering Vincent Chin, whose murder sparked a movement

Jun 27, 2017

It's been 35 years this month since the murder of a young Chinese American man named Vincent Chin, who was beaten to death by two white men in Detroit.

His death, and the lenient sentences the killers received, sparked an Asian-American activist movement with protests in cities across the U.S.

The BBC’s Farhana Haider has been speaking to Helen Zia, one of the activists leading the fight for justice.

Hear her story above.


Carbon dating is false

12 Feb

It liquefies upon compression to 75 kg per square centimetre (1,071 pounds per square inch) at 31 °C (87.4 °F) or to 16–24 kg per sq cm (230–345 lb per sq in.) at −23 to −12 °C (−10 to 10 °F).By the mid-20th century, most carbon dioxide was sold as the liquid.How can one tell the difference between a true conspiracy and a false one?Do you know someone who has had a mind altering experience? They are one of the foundations of widespread belief in the paranormal.Carbon 14 is used for this example:, which was put out by Dr. is presently only 1/3 of the way to an equilibrium value which will be reached in 30,000 years. Knowing how faulty creationist "facts" can be, let's do a little research of our own.This nullifies the carbon-14 method as well as demonstrating that the earth is less than 10,000 years old. One suspects that the scientific world would not be using the carbon-14 method if it were so obviously flawed.Natural climate variability over recent geological time is greater than reasonable estimates of potential human-induced greenhouse gas changes.Because no tool is available to test the supposition of human-induced climate change and the range of natural variability is so great, there is no discernible human influence on global climate at this time. Is it because they are, as Gore and the “consensus” charge, in the pay of the oil industry?

carbon dating is false-1carbon dating is false-35carbon dating is false-33carbon dating is false-56

This argument was popularized by Henry Morris (1974, p.164), who used some calculations done in 1968 by Melvin Cook to get the 10,000-year figure. Whitelaw, using a greater ratio of carbon-14 production to decay, concluded that only 5000 years passed since carbon-14 started forming in the atmosphere!There are several salient points about our earth that the greenhouse theorists overlook (or are not aware of).The first of these is that the planet has never been this cool.) is only 5,730 years—that is, every 5,730 years, half of it decays away.After two half lives, a quarter is left; after three half lives, only an eighth; after 10 half lives, less than a thousandth is left.


Inland freight

Airspeed invests in the best technologies and facilities ensuring that your cargo is handled and monitored efficiently. Airspeed guarantees on-time cargo delivery and distribution. Airspeed uses a barcoding and inventory system to properly segregate goods for efficient tracking and distribution. For specific storage requirement, Airspeed’s strong third-party warehouse facility network can accommodate your needs.


, Volume 44, Issue 3, pp 165–165 | Cite as

Discovery of genetic polymorphism: Richard Lewontin and Tomoko Ohta awarded the Crafoord Prize in Biosciences 2015

Richard Lewontin and Tomoko Ohta are awarded the 2015 Crafoord Prize for their pioneering analyses and fundamental contributions to the understanding of genetic polymorphism. Earlier Crafoord laureates in biosciences include Ilkka Hanski (2011), Robert L. Trivers (2007), Carl R. Woese (2003), John Maynard Smith, Ernst Mayr and George C. Williams (1999), Robert May (1996), Seymour Benzer and William T. Hamilton (1993), Paul R. Ehrlich and Edward O. Wilson (1990), Eugene P. Odum and Howard T. Odum (1987), and Daniel H. Janzen (1984). The scientific discoveries of Richard Lewontin and Tomoko Ohta are of great general significance in basic research but applied knowledge of genetic variation is highly relevant also in environmental and conservation sciences.

In ecology and conservation, it has led to a better understanding of population structure and genetic vulnerability among threatened populations. Another result has been new methods for estimating the size of natural populations using the DNA analysis of animal spoor, such as scat. In systematic biology, knowledge of genetic variation has resulted in new opportunities for understanding relationships between and within species. Furthermore, it is now possible to determine close relationships between individuals using DNA analysis. In many species, the females mate with more than one male, so that the offspring in one litter are often half-siblings.

Nowadays, it may seem obvious that our genetic makeup is as unique as our fingerprints, but this was a contradiction to the prevailing theories when it was discovered in the 1960s. The view of genetic variation up until then was entirely different: biologists believed that most individuals in a population were fairly similar, genetically speaking. This must, they assumed, be the result of natural selection, where every genetic variant that was less beneficial was eliminated. Richard Lewontin used a method that separated proteins based on their molecular characteristics, obtaining very surprising results. The genetic variation between individuals in a population was many times greater than expected. The pattern was repeated in every species examined. They all demonstrated a significant and unexpected genetic variation, appearing to contradict the principles of natural selection. A theory of neutral mutations was put forward, in which gene variants that neither improve nor worsen an individual’s fitness are created.

Geneticist Tomoko Ohta developed theory suggesting that almost all mutations in genes that affect the encoded proteins are somewhat harmful, but the effect of this is so small that these gene variants can remain in the population. They can thus be considered nearly neutral. Ohta also showed that the size of a population is decisive for the effectiveness of natural selection: the smaller the population, the greater the effect of chance, and natural selection will function more poorly.

Both Lewontin and Ohta have continued to study genetic variation and have, over a number of decades, made sizable contributions to the continuing development of knowledge in the field. Today, Lewontin and Ohta are Professors Emeriti at Harvard University, MA, USA and the National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan, respectively. During the autumn 2015, AMBIO will publish a Perspective with a more detailed account of the important work of these two pioneers and its relevance for environmental sciences.

Copyright information

© Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.The Royal Swedish Academy of SciencesStockholmSweden

Personalised recommendations


After years and years of studying English as a subject at school, you expect at the end to speak English fluently, right?

Unfortunately, many ESL students still don’t speak this language confidently. I remember that I was talking with a teacher and I asked him if after high school the students would be able to speak fluently, and he told me that the program wasn’t designed in that way, the purpose of teaching a second language at school was to help to the students to have a general knowledge of a foreign language.

Many people spend money attending to classes, but the problem is that the teacher is so busy with many students, teaching grammar, grading exams, preparing classes and he barely has time to help the students to get fluency.

Another problem is that in a classroom, the students are not able to practice their speaking skills; they usually learn grammar rules and how to translate into their native languages.

After we identified some of the common problems, let’s analyze how you can overcome these obstacles.

How to overcome common obstacles to improve your English skills

My advice would be that you also need to learn English outside the classroom, learn how to teach English to yourself, enjoy the learning process doing what you like.

The traditional way of teaching English is out-of-date; we can use technology to learn a second language. Schools have been using the same methods to teach for decades, but as you know we live in a digital age, and new generations learn in a new interactive way.

Grammar books make me fall asleep; I learn languages by downloading apps like Duolingo on my phone, reading books on my tablet using digital dictionaries.

The best way to learn how to use grammar in a real conversation is watching movies and TV shows, pay attention to the way that the actors speak and learn phrases and general slang.

Another way to learn how to build your own sentences is reading comics, there are some apps that you can download and enjoy reading your favorite comics in English; and if you read a book, make sure that has a lot of dialogues, and pick up phrases that you can use in a real conversation.

Do you like to listen to music in English? Download some apps to learn the song’s lyrics.

If you are not able to practice your speaking skills at school, get a friend to practice with.

You can use these websites:

You can practice by Skype, Google Hangouts, Oovoo, etc.

If you still think that you need some direction, get an English tutor to help you to improve your skills, he’ll provide you with the right tools and guide you need.

These are just some useful tips, there are more methods for learning by yourself, if you know some of them, please comment below.


Getting started

Metrics & Feedback

TRANSPARENCY - Measure & Reward the Value of Help

.com provides transparency with its unique, mentor marketplace™ process, where every interaction is like a “transaction”, that is valued, measured, recognized & rewarded; so you have real numbers to show who is mentoring, who is learning, what “know-how” we are capturing, how valuable is it, how well is it working, where is it helping, etc. High number wins! Values are shown in the user’s myLearning & myMentoring pages.

Mentor connections and mentor time allows people to provide mutual feedback and build each other’s reputations in the community. Feedback is also provided to all resources that you download and you can also participate in the discussion at the bottom of each resource page.

Combined the metrics and feedback enables the community to select what/who provides the most value.


Facebook Operations Manager, Community Operations, Turkish Market in Dublin, Ireland

Community Operations' focus is on supporting our users through both direct support interactions as well as scalable solutions, and on improving the health of our products by helping people understand how to use them. Those who join our teams are very passionate about solving people’s issues, and are strong advocates for the Facebook community. We need influencers who can align cross-functional partners to ensure the best possible experience for our platforms. If you like helping people, Community Operations is for you.

Required Skills:

  1. Provide mentorship, guidance and career development to members of your team

  2. Lead and enable a high-performing team to deliver on operational goals by providing superb 1:1 support, and enabling deeper, more scalable solutions.

  3. Establish team goals and work with direct reports on strategies for executing, measuring progress and sharing results

  4. Deliver projects involving quantitative analysis, industry research, and strategy development, working directly with global cross-functional teams to problem solve analytical approaches and develop solutions

  5. Identify actionable insights, suggest recommendations, and influence team strategy through effective communication

  6. Advocate for users within their market, partnering with global and cross-functional teams to develop global solutions

Minimum Qualifications:

  1. BA/BS degree

  2. Significant experience in a complex fast paced environment (e.g. Operations)

  3. Strong people management experience

  4. Strategic thinker with strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills

  5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

  6. Passion for ensuring a good user experience

Preferred Qualifications:

  1. Fluency in Turkish

  2. Prior experience with analytical tools (e.g. Excel, SQL, or R)

Industry: Internet


Innovative Research Methodology

Innovative Research Methodology

Ziska Fields (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-6371-8.ch004

The knowledge economy requires that social science researchers start questioning the type of knowledge they are producing and the type of methods they are using to produce this knowledge. This chapter explains how the knowledge economy is linked to creativity, innovation, and qualitative research. This chapter aims specifically to highlight the need and importance of innovative research methodologies in a knowledge economy. Emerging innovative qualitative research methodologies in social sciences are briefly identified, and arguments for and against methodological innovation are explored. The stages of creativity and phases of innovation are highlighted in a research environment to show social science researchers that innovative research methodologies can be generated and that barriers to creativity and innovation can be overcome using various techniques. After reading this chapter, the reader will be able to apply creativity and innovation to identify new and novel ways of undertaking qualitative research, as well as being able to integrate innovate methodologies with existing methodologies.
Chapter Preview

Researchers have various preferences when it comes to identifying and using suitable research strategies when they undertake research in social sciences. Often their preferences can be linked to the way they were taught by their research supervisors or the strategy they are most comfortable with, rather that the type of knowledge that the research will produce.

The challenge is that people are the objects of social sciences and they are able to ascribe meaning to their environments(Schutz, 1962, cited in Bryman & Bell, 2011). Researchers need to view the social world through the peoples’ eyes to truly understand events and the social world. This understanding will lead to valuable social knowledge being produced, because researchers will get the ‘insider view’, be able to probe beneath surface appearances and gain deeper understanding due to the attempt to give people a voice (Casey, 1995 cited in Bryman & Bell, 2011). Power imbalances are also prevented if people actively participate in knowledge generation and knowledge production about themselves (Bless, Higson-Smith & Sithole, 2013). Participation in knowledge generation can lead to long-term solutions to social problems as well.

There is therefore a need that researchers critically look at the use of innovative research methodologies to generate social knowledge and to question the types of knowledge that results from any of their research activities. Qualitative research seems to be more suitable for innovative research methodologies because it aims to understand respondents’ lived experience; examine the way respondents construct meaning in their lives by studying people in their natural context; describe diverse respondents’ experiences and specifically amplify respondents’ voices (Bless et al., 2013).

Complete Chapter List

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Façade Music hall, Utrecht

The façade of the new music hall of the city of Utrecht is made of composite materials and has been engineered by Solico. The sandwich façade combines structural integrity with optimal insulation performance.

Holland Composites Industrials

The specific weight of composites varies between 1.5 and 2.0 compared to 2.7 to 7.8 for aluminium and steel.

Freedom of geometry

Double curved shapes are easily produced in composite materials at almost no extra cost. For production of limited series the relatively low moulding costs are an additional benefit.

Typical GRP lambda values are 1, compared to 50 for steel and 237 for aluminium, which results in excellent insulation properties.

Slender constructions and seamless façades are examples of aesthetics driven design. These type of structures are impossible to construct with traditional materials.

Contact form


Define absolute dating methods

define absolute dating methods-12

In relative dating, the temporal order of a sequence of events is determined, allowing the investigator to surmise whether a particular object or event is older or younger than, or occurred before or after, another object or event.

In absolute or chronometric dating, the investigator establishes the age of an object or event in calendar years.

Idea that something is older or younger relative to something else Expressed in terms of order.

Assignment of an age to a physical remain based on the association with other remains of known age.

A geologic map or report typically is only a summary of investigations that frequently involve the collecting and processing of hundreds of rock samples, followed by the evaluation and interpretation of data from a variety of analytical techniques.


Dracaena Weeved Marginata

(Dracaena spp

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Product Description

Dracaena (Dracaena spp.) is grown for its dramatic foliage and carefree nature. This large group of plants includes many species that can grow up to 6 feet tall with long, strap-like leaves, often with red and yellow variegation. Dracaena is an undemanding plant that tolerates low light and low humidity and it will forgive the occasional missed watering.


As knownLearning in 21st century focusing on few things, such as collaboration, communication, knowledge building, problem solving, and utilize IT devices. Some of these abilities can develop in learning process in the classroom, and using IT devices will make it more effective.Microsoft Innovation Center as a research organization who want to improve technology skill for academics was held Guru Inovatif Workshop as free event for teacher in Yogyakarta with themeDigital Creativity in 21stCentury Skill”. This event was held aims to provide an understanding of 21st century skills that students currently need to compete in a global environment, and improving teachers' creativity in creating innovative learning activities in the classroom to improve the quality of graduate students.

In this workshop “Digital Creativity in 21stCentury Skill” held with two schemes, offline and online workshop. Held on Tuesday, 23 January 2018 at the BalaiTekkomdik Yogyakarta followed by 39 participants as a teacher, and filled by two speakers, the first speaker is Mr. Yulian Adi Kristantoas PengembangLayanan Pendidikan ofBalaiTekkomdik, he was delivering about multiple scenarios of modern learning with technology, especially how toutilization of Office 365 account owned by BalaiTekkomdik. The second speaker isArya Adhitya as Learning Development Trainer of Microsoft Innovation Center he was delivering about IT devices that can to develop skill in 21st century such as OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Teams, OneNote, Word Online, and portal Microsoft Educator Community.

In the Guru Inovatif Workshop “Digital Creativity in 21stCentury Skill” participants are explained about technology that can utilize to develop skill in 21st century learning. Participants are explained in depth various technologies that can support learning. They was excited with explanation that have been speaker explained, they was practice all material that have given by speakers.Where in this workshop use interactive scheme with some activities done in it, such as hands on lab, creative session, creation stage, and online learning. The reason why it is given online learning it aims tofollowed up after the event is over, qualify 33 credits to publish certificates for teachers, and introducing portal Microsoft Educator Communityas part of the resources to support teachers in applying technology in the classroom.


Ranking Process Explained

In the light of the recent announcement by Microsoft that they are abandoning their stacked ranking system, our HR office has received a number of inquiries regarding our continued use of a stacked ranking system for our associates’ performance evaluations. We realize that a number our associates have had questions and concerns with respect to our use of a ranking system and want to take this opportunity to answer the easy ones.

What are the performance categories and what do they mean? In the past, we have used a numeric set of performance categories, but people were not clear on the meaning behind the numbers 1,2,3,4,and 5. That should have told us something right there. In our next iteration, we went to an alphabetic system but it turned out that “as easy as ABC” is a not always an accurate statement. In an attempt to make the performance categories perfectly clear we have assigned names and numbers to each performance category and provided brief explanations. They are:

  1. Exemplary – for the highest performers who consistently exceed expectations. These people are so good we don’t really understand why they are still here. Also see Relative Ranking discussion below.
  2. Pretty Darn Good – Not great by any means, but with some bragging rights and the ability to coast at least for a while. Still you should never expect to see a raise in this lifetime.
  3. Average – So bland that we fall asleep trying to write these performance evaluations. Managers are encouraged to use “cut and paste” as needed to expedite this process.
  4. Below Average – Do not put down a deposit on anything or make any long term plans.
  5. Barely Sentient – We do not typically write complete performance evaluations for this category since they will not be around long enough to read it.

Do we use “forced ranking”? The stacked ranking system we use can not be considered forced in any respect. Each manager is free to place their associates in any of the performance categories. Specifically, there is nothing that forces any manager to place any individual in the lowest bucket. Every manager is given the choice between placing the assigned number of associates in the lowest rank or placing their own name in as a substitute. No one is “forced” to do anything.

What is “relative ranking”? This term is applied when an associate is a son or daughter of a senior manager and receives a performance evaluation. The individual’s direct manager is free to use any of the five performance bands based on their best unbiased judgment and that manager’s personal career goals.

Does ranking really promote good teamwork? Absolutely. When combined with Peer Evaluation Forms, ranking encourages the members of a team to work together to decide who should be on the bottom. Remember, it is not bullying if you do it with a multiple-choice feedback form.

How does ranking improve the performance of a team? This takes a little explanation, but stay with us. In a stacked ranking system, it is clearly to a person’s advantage to find a group where they can outperform everyone else. If you are unfortunate and find yourself in a team where everyone is producing outstanding results, sooner or later you will be at the bottom of the pile. Your task then is to find a team of people who are all mediocre at best, so you can be the star. As this happens across the company, all of our poorly performing teams will be improved as our best people will migrate to those teams. There is an unfortunate side effect that all of our high performing teams quickly fall apart as the most clever people bail, but we hope think the net result is a gain.

What are the Benefits to using ranking?

  • Ranking allows us to have numbers applied to what is otherwise a completely subjective decision. This gives the appearance of objectivity and we know that appearances are everything. In addition, we like numbers more than squishy-soft explanations.
  • Managers are very busy or so they tell us. Ranking does not require a great deal of time so they are free to work on motivating each associate after they receive their ranking results.
  • Encourages associates to think outside the box because, well, it just does. Trust us.
  • Encourages employees to study statistics to achieve a better understanding of normal distributions and why the assumptions behind these distributions can never be questioned.

How do we know ranking works? Because the top ranked people consistently think that the system works and the lowest ranked people think it is unfair. Clearly we want to listen to the opinions of our top performers and not bother with people who, by definition, are likely to be sore losers.

In Conclusion – Now that you have read through this material, we are certain that you have a complete understanding of our ranking system and agree with it. If you do not agree that our system is the best one that there could ever be, please discuss this with your manager so that they can factor this into the upcoming ranking process.

Additional note: The ranking process does not apply to Vice Presidents and above. For our senior management team, we will continue to use a formula based on each individual’s golf score and average blood alcohol level. To insure equitable compensation, Executive salaries will be adjusted monthly based on the inflation rate in Argentina.

photo by: Claire Cook44

2 comments for “Ranking Process Explained

  1. James
    December 22, 2013 at 2:36 pm

    Speaking as an associate of NQP, I find the Stacked Ranking System (SRS) a superb motivational tool. My master’s thesis in Organizational Design (OD) researched the creation of the SRS by the Taliban in Iran (TiR). Their leaders were forward thinkers in the OD area and put SRS to effective use. My thesis was titled, “Using Terror to Drive Performance, OD and the TiR.”

    • admin
      December 22, 2013 at 4:09 pm

      Was your paper the one that introduced MBSA to the world?

      (MBSA = Management By Smacking Around)

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