Claude Shannon Genius Comparable To Einstein Philosophy Essay

Claude Shannon Genius Comparable To Einstein Philosophy Essay The world is filled with all types of technologies and information. There are computers that make normally tedious tasks simplier, phones that allows instant communication across the world, CDs that can store large amounts of information in a small area. In modern times, we take for granted how much easier our daily life is with these innovations. It truly is a large step from the candles centuries ago to flicking a switch to brighten up a room. Of course, this step couldnt have been taken without the work and studies by Claude Shannon. When described, Claude Shannon is said to have an ever lasting curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Shannon is even compared to Albert Einstein for his ability to come up with strange yet groundbreaking ideas. He came up with the idea of digital circuitry, found a way to represent human genetics with algebra, an important theory about information, and has done a lot of work in cryptology. Even then, that is just scratching the surface of what he has accomplished. Just one of these accomplishments could have forever written him into the textbooks. It is important to note that Shannon, while intelligent, was in no means the most knowledgeable person there is. Like Einstein, Shannons genius came from his drive to satisfy his curiosity and ability to think outside the box. Claude Shannons pursuit of knowledge led to large technological advancements that shaped America and the rest of the world. Throughout his entire life, Claude Shannon has achieved many accomplishments that effectively makes him forever remembered throughout America and, to a lesser degree, the world. Shannon was born in Petoskey, Michigan on April 30, 1916. While growing up, he was talented in the fields of science and mathematics and looked up to a famous distant relative, Thomas Edison. While his father made mathematics a hobby, it was his grandfather that helped influence Shannons love for science. Shannon built many small devices such as a telegraph or a remote controlled model boat in his free time as a child. This child like urge to invent and discover lasted throughout nearly his entire life. During 1932, Shannon graduated high school and then enrolled at the University of Michigan a short time later. Four years later in 1936, Shannon graduated with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering as well as a B.S. degree in Mathematics. After his graduation from the University of Michigan, he entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a research assistant to both further his studies towards a higher degree and work part time. It was during this time that he wrote his master thesis on digital circuitry as well as his doctorate thesis for representing genetics with algebra. In 1940 his earned his masters degree in electrical engineering and doctorate in mathematics. After his graduation, Shannon went on to work at Bell Telephone Laboratories. For over a year, he did numerous amounts of works such as creating a new design for switching circuits. In 1941, a committee was formed to design anti-aircraft detectors in order to improve the war effort. Shannon was invited to join, and helped finish the completed design. It was due to this that the bombing effort against England ended with less casualties than there could have been. For the next 15 years, Shannon spent his time amongst many successful and important mathematicians and engineers. This time period is also when Shannon developed his Information Theory, which was published in 1948. Claude Shannons contributions to America received a lot of recognition. For his theory on digital circuits, he received the Alfred Noble Prize reward in 1939. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented Shannon with the National Medal of Science in 1966, and in the same year he was given the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Medal of Honor. In 1985, Shannon also received the Kyoto Prize which is commonly compared to the Nobel Prize in America. Among many other rewards, Shannon also has nearly a dozen honorary doctorates in various universities and was inducted in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Even after he became an adult, Shannon maintained his childish personality, his passion for inventing, and drive to broaden his knowledge. In his life, he made numerous different small toys, many of which he felt were just as important, if not more so, than his theories that changed the world. John Horgan told his experience with interviewing Shannon, Im trying to get him to recall how he came up with the theory of information. But Shannonis tired of expounding on his past. Wouldnt I rather see his toys? (**) Shannon most likely felt that each of his toys were just as important as anything else he thought of. He just wasnt content with coming up with revolutionizing ideas, no, he went above and beyond to discover everything he could. This is why Shannon was immortalized as one of the greatest thinkers. It wasnt a matter of finding fame and fortune, he was just as content to create robots that can juggle as he was for creating his famous information theory. It is the fate of every living creature to eventually die, and although Shannons ideals will be forever immortalized, he too could not resist this fate. He died on February 24, 2001, after losing a battle against Alzheimers disease. Shannon is survived by his wife Mary Elizabeth Shannon, along with three children. In the 18th century, a genius mathematician named George Boole created a method to solve or model logical statements using algebraic expressions. Boole named his concept Booles system, and is more commonly known as boolean logic. This logic revolves around ones and zeroes along with logic gates that take input(s) and then give out an output. Another way to think of these ones and zeroes is true and false, or on and off. At the time of creation, George Boole received little to no praise for developing this system after all, there didnt seem to be any real use with it. While George Boole died without his system going anywhere, Claude Shannon found out the huge amount of potential George Booles idea had when applied to circuits. While at MIT, Claude Shannon worked with an associate named Vannevar Bush on studying an analog computer called a differential analyzer. This computer used wheel and disk mechanisms in order to solve equations typically encountered in calculus. Shannon noticed that the circuits used in the computer had only two states of being, namely on and off. Reminded of Booles system from his math courses, Shannon thought about the possibility of applying that logic to circuits and realized it could open up a wide range of new possibilities and usages. Shannon used this discovery for his master thesis at MIT, called A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits. H. H. Goldstine, in his book The Computer from Pascal to Von Neumann, called Shannons these one of the most worlds important masters thesis ever written (6). Digital circuitry is based heavily on Booles system. Yet, instead of theoretical ones and zeroes, it uses two states of being on and off. Think of a button that was pressed, will send electricity to a light, thus lighting it up. Now, this doesnt have much variety. Press the button and the light goes on, release it and the light goes off. If a logic gate from boolean logic is borrowed, say the AND gate, then there is a large amount of possibilties that open up. An AND gate would only give out electricity to the light if and only if it has two sources of electricity flowing into it. If there are two buttons that each lead to the AND gate, than the light would only go on when both buttons are pushed or rather when both buttons give electricity to the AND gate. While this is a simple example of how digital circuitry works, there are plenty of other more useful examples including lightning quick mathematical calculations or permanent data storage that can be read and editted. Of course, those are rather complex designs to complete. No matter where one looks, digital circuitry is prevalent. It forms of the core of every digital device ranging from something as simple as a bedside lamp to the digital computers used to browse the internet. Without the idea of digital circuitry, the world would be a vastly different place than what it currently is. Electrical engineers immediately adapted his ideas on digital circuitry for their use in World War II. The creation of pocket calculators were made, removing the necassity for slide rules in many jobs. The home computer started to come into existance a couple decades afterwards. Just about everything that was invented decades afterwards and used electricity relied on Shannons thesis. Even technology that was invented before Shannons thesis was published could be refurbished into a device far more efficient, accurate, and of a higher quality overall. Communication across distances didnt always start out with crystal clear messages, nor was communication properly understood. Before the mid 20th century, the idea of telegraphs, telephones, television, and similar devices were rigid and unadaptable. It was thought that telephones could only send signals that represent voices, and only that. As such, a situation such as sending a video over a phone line would be dismissed as fantasy back then, even though its done currently. This all changed with the publishing of Shannons information theory in his paper, Mathematical Theory of Communication. Claude Shannon didnt just pop out a theory after thinking for a little while. Although he can claim to have developed the information theory fully, he did have help from research a few decades previously. Harry Nyquists paper in 1924, Certain Factors Affecting Telegraph Speed, has multiple important ideas inscribed in it. For instance, he started to stray from the idea of focusing on the content of the signals, and instead focused on the fact that the signals are information. Nyquist also developed a formula to determine that max amount of intelligence that can be described in a message. Of course, it still had its flaws for it only worked on a telegraph wires. Four laters later, in 1928, another engineer named R.V.L. Hartley wrote a paper that improved on Nyquists rule to work on more systems of transmission. This paper emphasised that transmitting information should only depend on making sure the transmission from start to end is distinguished, without outside signals intruding nor one worry about the meaning of the information. Shannon cited the works of both Nyquist and Hartley in his paper, and when interviewed decades later, he mentioned the importance of their ideas to his own (**). Now what is this all important information theory that keeps being mentioned? In its most basic form, it contains two parts. First, it gives the general idea of on the definition and measurement of information. Information is based on the logarithm of possible symbols availaible. Shannon used the logarithm base of 2, which mean that the smallest unit of information is represented by either a zero or a one, which was called a bit. Sound familiar? The second part of the information theory contains details on the limits of information being sent, as well as the effect of outside interference, also called noise, on the information. In the past, engineers were limited by how much information could be sent, often thinking it depended on factors like frequency. Shannon use his theory to prove that by using the concept of entropy, or randomness, along with statistical probability to get the maximum amount of information possible. Shannon was also proved how to transmit information error free , despite however much noise there may be. The information theory itself can be complex to understand, yet it is simple to understand its many benefits. These benefits that exist solely due to the existance of the information theory are diverse. Not only is the information theory used in communication and computing, but also in psychology, linguistics, and even thermal physics. Many plagiarism detection programs use the information theory in order to measure shared information. There is the coding theory, which is in its simplest terms error detection and correction. Computer programmers, for example, are assisted in debugging glitches in software using the coding theory. More important however, is that its the reason why CDs can still function properly even when scratched. The information theory led to data compression techniques, which in turn led to new useful file types such as ZIP and MP3. The theory was also crucial for the function of the internet. Even the success of space exploration programs depended on the informat ion theory to reduce the problems of noise and static caused from the enourmous distance between planets. The accomplishments made by Claude Shannon had a large impact on how the United States developed as well as how the world lives today. Just about anything in the world that uses information exists due to Claude Shannons work. Electronics, ranging from simple lamps to supercomputers, are all based upon digital circuitry. While it is arguable that someone would have came up with a similar idea of digital circuitry in the next decade, the United States benefited most from its immediate discovery. Shannon has also worked on cryptology during World War II, managing to help decode enemy transmissions and played a large role in the encryption of US messages. Even presently Claude Shannons influence is felt, new inventions are being created that depend on his ideas. It is much like a tree, where Shannon is the trunk with new innovations being the branches that continue to grow outward. Much of Shannons success is due to his insatiable hunger for knowledge. Most of the worlds population would be content to have done even a tenth of what Shannon has done, yet Shannon himself never was. This is likely because of Shannons child like personality. In his spare time, he developed numerous small trinkets. Not because his goal was fame and fortune, but simply because he wanted to. Why talk about his ground breaking information theory, when his juggling robots are just as important to him? Shannon just didnt want to stop thinking, even at an old age, because inventing and theorizing was fun for him. In an interview he stated, I am more interested in the elegance of a problem. Is it a good problem, an interesting problem? [66] Near the end of his life, he worked on artificial intelligences. Computers that could match the best chess players was an intriguing idea, just like his mouse that could adapt to solve any maze, or a rubix cube solver. While others his age were relaxing in retirement, Shannon enjoyed thinking of new ideas, theories, and discoveries. Talent or genius isnt determined by the efforts or intelligence of a person, but rather their ability to pursue their options whole heartedly.

How We Punish Offenders in Our System

Our correctional system punishes offenders, by putting them in jail, or in prison. In the early times, before prisons punishments were often cruel and torturous. The unsettling description of a man broken in half on a rack in the early 1700’s is just one of the ways crimes were punished at that time. Flogging was another. The last flogging was in Delaware on June 16,1952. When a burglar got 20 lashes. Workhouses, were an early form of prisons in the sixteenth century Europe. The Penitentiary Era, from 1790-1825, is when the first prison was started in the USA. They started with the Quakers in Philadelphia. The mass prison era started in the 1800’s and has gotten stronger today, beginning in the 1960’s overcrowding and a renewed faith in humanity inspired a movement away from institutionalized corrections and toward a creation of reformation within local communities. Prisons today, there are about 1,325 state prisons, 84, federal prisons in operation in the US. Today. America’s prison population has quadrupled since 1980. We also punish people by putting them in halfway houses, or group homes. The Federal Prison system is used for the civilians convicted of violating federal laws. Leavenworth, in Leavenworth Kansas. Today the federal systems consist of 103 institutions, six regional offices, two staff training centers, and 28 community corrections offices. Jails are another way of punishing the criminal. We can put them in a jail and hold them up to one year, before they either, get probation, or go on to a prison.

The Bean Trees- Outsider

In The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver, being an outsider is not just one main theme, but it is one theme that is reoccurring throughout the whole book. When someone is an outsider, they are different from everyone else, and somewhat stand out. Right off the bat, outsiders don't fit into commonly used stereotypes. Kingsolver uses Taylor, Turtle, Esperanza, and Estevan to portray this theme. Taylor is an outsider because she is just not a typical girl. Unlike many other girls in her town, Taylor does not want to become pregnant. In fact, she wants to graduate from high-school, or at least intended to, and wants to have a good future.Even though Taylor doesn't want to get pregnant, she gets stuck with being a mother anyways. Taylor travels to find a more meaningful life, but she still feel like she doesn't fit in, or even belong. Because Taylor doesn't share any specific ‘bond' with anyone, she is an outsider. Later on in the novel, she meets Esperanza and Estevan, who share com mon values as her. Turtle, Taylor's adoptive daughter is as well an outsider. As Turtle was abused, she suffers to be an outsiders to her own body. Because of this, Turtle will never develop mentally as quick as other children her age. For the first half of The Bean Trees, Turtle is silent.She cannot communicate with others, as her own words are trapped inside of her body, causing her to be an outsider from the ones who love and surround her. Kingsolver converts the message that many different barriers can cause people to become outsiders, as Turtle's is a language barrier. When turtle finally overcomes these barriers and finds someone who shares common strengths and weaknesses, she is finally an insider. Esperanza is living in a country where she is not welcomes because of her culture. She was forced to give up her own child, and does not express herself because of a language barrier.Everyday, she lives holding her emotions inside, feeling as an outsider, thinking she doesn't even belong here, which eventually bottles up, and leads her to try and kill herself. Although she is married, she is still missing a puzzle piece, her daughter. Estevan is clearly an outsider, as well is his wife, Esperanza, because they are immigrants. Estevan is used to all of the hate against immigrants, and he becomes accustomed to being an outsider. Estevan states â€Å"What I really hate is not belonging in any place. To be unwanted everywhere. † Conveying these thoughts, Estevan believes him nor his wife, Esperanza, have a place in society.Later in the novel, Taylor, Esperanza, and Estevan become insiders as they find outsiders who they share common morals and bonds with. In life, everyone has numerous obstacles and barriers they think they may never overcome, but once they do, they are finally able to communicate to the world and create friendships with people who have similar interests. When everyone comes together as a family, each and every person is finally appreciate d for every attribute that makes them unique. Being an outsider is not particularly a bad thing, as it might just be what keeps one human and especially different from everyone else.

Ethics in Criminal Justice - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 728 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/02/20 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Criminal Justice Essay Did you like this example? Daily people encounter various ethical dilemmas, which are analyzed with the help of ethical principles. Still, while resolving ethical challenges, it is important to take into consideration all peculiarities of the case in the perspective of present time. Undoubtedly, current approaches of dealing with ethical dilemmas are different from those, which were relevant 100 years ago. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Ethics in Criminal Justice" essay for you Create order The twenty-first century dictates the necessity of new effective approaches. Ethical principles of well-famous philosophers Aristotle, Kant, and Mills are peculiar in their methods of dealing with ethical dilemmas. The task of the essay is to define which one of these three ethical principles is the most appropriate approach to ethical challenges in the twenty-first century. For completing this task, it is necessary to analyze the nature of the mentioned principles and their effectiveness in present conditions. The Greek philosopher Aristotle developed the notion of virtuous person, who acts in a kind way in the majority of lifetime situations not for reasons of moral or social duty but for personal choice. According to Aristotle, well reasoning as a distinctive feature of humans makes them pay attention to the way their actions affect other people. At the same time, virtue ethics does not provide people with guidance of how they should act but emphasizes the importance of developing the excellent conduct, which can bring good to a person himself and people around him (Nussbaum, 1988). John Mill developed the notion of utility, according to which actions are considered right if they promote the overall human happiness. Therefore, the activity should be based on the desire to achieve the greatest pleasure to the greatest number of people. Achieving the stance of happiness, which is considered to be the absolute good, should be higher than narrow self-interest (Mill, 2016). In general, even i f a deed itself is not morally good, the final consequence of an action is the only things which matters. Immanuel Kant is focused on the notion of duty as the most effective method for dealing with ethical dilemmas. According to his theory, people are bound by duty to behave and act according to categorical imperatives despite of her personal intentions and desires. It is a well-known truth that ethical dilemmas require making a difficult choice between two alternatives, in case of which obeying one side usually leads to transgressing another. In my opinion, the virtue ethics by Aristotle is the most effective approach for dealing with such paradoxes. As it was mentioned above, the core principles of virtue ethics is the importance of conscious choice of moral conduct, which is made by each single person (Nussbaum, 1988). Namely, people should act good not out of obligation or duty but guided by the inner intention to improve their conduct. This theory claims that perfection of the whole world is possible only if every person in particular makes a choice in favor of good. Therefore, if every individual is attentive to the way his actions affect the world and other people, there will be no need in regulations and imperatives. In my point of view, the trouble of selfishness is especially relevant for the 21th century. The majority of people are or iented at self-satisfaction regardless of consequences it provides on other people lives. In order to improve this situation, each member of the society should change inside and make a conscious choice for good conduct for the benefit of himself and other peoples well-being. In my opinion, philosophies by Kant and Mill would not work as well as the ethics of virtue in todays world. Reaching the stance of overall human happiness is practically impossible task, as it is hardly probable to satisfy all members of the society with so different understanding of happiness and pleasure. Besides, it is wrong to pay attention only to results of an action leaving aside its morality, as it can lead to wrongful understanding of appropriate conduct. The same refers to the notion of duty expressed by Kant, according to which people should obey categorical imperatives acceptable in the society. In my opinion, blind adherence of regulative orders without inner morality can hardly lead to the overall well-being. On the contrary, Aristotelian ethics of virtue claims that global changes for the good start from the conscious inner transformation of every single person, which is more effective than strict performance of duties or reaching the absolute happiness of the largest number of people.