Wednesday, August 19, 2020

2 Classes For 0 Credit Beethoven to Mahler and Paradise Lost

2 Classes For 0 Credit Beethoven to Mahler and Paradise Lost Beethoven to Mahler Last semester, I took my first music class at MIT: 21M.235, or Monteverdi to Mozart. 21M.235 is offered in the fall, and as you might guess it focuses on music spanning from Monteverdi (ca. 1600) to Mozart (ca. 1800). In the spring, a class called 21M.250 (Beethoven to Mahler, for you words people) takes up the baton and covers music spanning from Beethoven (a Mozart contemporary) to Mahler (ca. 1910). I loved having a class that taught me to listen, and was all set to take 21M.250 this semester until I found out that it conflicts with one of my physics classes. My friend Ben H. 14 was in a similarly tragic situation: he took 21M.235 with me, wanted to take 21M.250, but had a conflict. What were two music nerds to do? We e-mailed Professor Neff, the WONDERFUL wonderful professor who in the past few years has taught 21M.011 (Introduction to Western Music), 21M.235, 21M.250, and 21M.295 (American Popular Music). Professor Neff! we (digitally) cried. We were hoping to take Beethoven to Mahler, since we really enjoyed Monteverdi to Mozart last semester. Unfortunately we both have class conflicts. We were wondering, we continued, whether there might be any opportunities to listen to the music ourselves and discuss it with you. Hello! Professor Neff replied, fewer than ten minutes later (I mentioned that shes wonderful, right?) That sounds wonderful to me! As a result of that e-mail exchange, I now spend one hour each Thursday afternoon with Ben and Prof. Neff. We meet in a little room in the Music Library, that has three comfy armchairs and a big TV. This week, I learned that to be a great composer in ~1800 Vienna you had to excel at writing symphonies, string quartets, AND operas. I was unsurprised to learn that Mozart made the cut, but was shocked to learn that Beethoven didnt. In Vienna, Prof. Neff told us, Beethoven was known as a pianist and not as a composer. I was also shocked to learn that Beethoven may have met Mozart. Im not sure how to describe why this seems so strange to me, but its something like this: each of those composers is, in my mind, an abstract idea and not a human being. The idea of them interacting is just bizarre. But yes, apparently Beethoven went to Vienna in order to work with Mozart. Theres controversy in the music history community about whether and for how long they actually met (an afternoon? a week?) but for some reason their partnership never took off. Beethoven went to study under Haydn instead (ahh! more weird spacetime collisions!) and theres a lot less controversy about the fact that their student-teacher relationship existed for years and was a complete disaster. Also a disaster, at least initially, was Beethovens one and only opera  Fidelio. Apparently insensitive to current events, Beethoven tried to produce an opera about wrongful imprisonment for a French-occupied Vienna. His primarily French soldier audience was not amused the first time he tried to put it on, and they were not amused the second time he tried to put it on. By the third attempt, Napoleon was gone and Fidelio was much more well-received. (Is there anyone else out there who had NO IDEA that Beethoven wrote an opera, or was that just me?) We spent the first ten minutes of class or so watching and listening to a scene from Fidelio (notable because four characters express four very different emotions using the exact same melody, in a round) and the last ten minutes listening to the Sonata Pathétique. I didnt recognize the name of the piece, but my ears recognized the melody and apparently my fingers did, too: I had the ghostly experience of feeling them begin to move on their own accord. I was suddenly very certain that I played that piece as a kid. Muscle memory is a magical phenomenon, and so are professors who are happy and excited to do an extra hour of teaching per week, just for fun. Paradise Lost I will always remember John Miltons 400th birthday: December 9, 2008. I was a junior in High School. In the morning, Mr. Potchatek got up on a table in the English pod with an apple in one hand and a copy of  Paradise Lost in the other, and I dont think he got down again until he had read the entire book  out loud from start to finish. Here at MIT, Professor Mary Fuller teaches a renown Paradise Lost seminar in the spring. Every spring, I try to fit Paradise Lost into my schedule, and every spring I fail. The thing is, its very difficult to get through any literature class without stumbling across a reference to Paradise Lost and feeling embarrassed about the fact that you havent read the original text. Tragically,  my Old English class  conflicts with Prof. Fullers course this semester. Thats tragic, Anna! Professor Bahr replied, fewer than ten minutes later, and then: Id be happy to read it with you. As a result of that e-mail exchange, I now spend one hour each Thursday afternoon with Prof. Bahr (immediately after hanging out with Prof. Neff and Ben). We meet in his office. This week, I learned that Milton was actually something of a rebel: he was a powerful influence during the English Revolution that lost King Charles I his head, and held office (he was basically the Secretary of State) in Cromwells protectorate. When the English monarchy regained power, many of Miltons friends were executed for treason. Being an acclaimed poet saved Miltons life. Milton was revolutionary in other ways: he wrote a treatise advocating for divorce and freedom of speech, one or both of which might sound completely normal to you but were about as revolutionary as 1600s England could be. By the time Milton wrote Paradise Lost, he was completely blind. So far Ive only read Book One of the poem, but its impossible to read all his descriptions about Darkness in Hell and Light in Heaven without wondering what it would be like to live in complete darkness on Earth. On the 22nd line of the poem, Milton calls on God to bless his work: What in me is dark Illumine, what is low raise and support, That to the heighth of this great argument I may assert Eternal Providence And justify the ways of God to men. and one cant read that passage without wondering whether he meant it literally. I promise that Im actually taking some science classes this semester, so stay tuned for a description of those. For now, Ill leave you with my favorite passage so far from Paradise Lost: The mind is its own place and in itself Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. (254-5)

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Analysis Of The First Circumnavigators - 1163 Words

Brent Sather Professor Halavais History 376 27 September 2017 Exploration of the World Throughout Harry Kelsey’s book, â€Å"The First Circumnavigators†, as well as, Roger Crowley’s book â€Å"Conquerors†, they both explain many misfortunes and hazards that the Spanish and Portuguese explorers faced during the various expeditions that set sail on. Many misfortunes that happened on the voyages included bad weather, scarce food, individual faults, as well as attacks and invasions. One of the major misfortunes that Harry Kelsey describes is the difficulty of the changing weather. For example, Magellan accounts on his voyage that, â€Å"On 6 April 1522, the Trinidad, after undergoing extensive repairs and with fifty-four men aboard, left Tidore and†¦show more content†¦All of this was the cause of death for many and serious illness for others. In particular, many men ate the great lizards-large shiny things-and only a few of them are still alive.† The survival of the crew was one of the biggest priorities. This was one of the bi ggest hazards that the crew had to deal with. On Magellan’s Voyage, â€Å"The next day was Easter Sunday, and Magellan ordered everyone to go ashore and attend Mass. After this he invited the officers to dine with him on the flagship. None of the conspirators accepted the invitation. Instead, they waited until nightfall, then quietly boarded the San Antonio and put Captain Mesquita in chains. The ship’s master, Juan de Elorriaga, was fatally stabbed when he tried to intervene.† These individual actions by traitors on the ship created many unfortunate situations between the crew members that could have been avoided. During another part of the Magellan Voyage, it was stated that, â€Å"Finally on 18 December, the vessels were ready to sail. The Victoria left first, waiting outside the harbor. But a dragging anchor on the Trinidad opened a seam in the hull, and water rushed in. Repairs were impossible without unloading the ship.† This was an individual action that could have been avoided. If the anchor was brought in before the boat was launched, it would have saved them more time for travel, as well as more room for the crew if they weren’t piled in one boat having to come back later for

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Augustus s Influence On Art And Architecture - 1930 Words

Introduction: In 27 BC Augustus began his political career with a â€Å"new policy which embodied a national and Roman spirit† (Galinksy, 1996, 225) and â€Å"represented new heights in creativity and sophistication† (Galinksy, 1996, 225). Augustus created a new political propaganda campaign that used art and architecture to promote and enhance his regime. The most fundamental message can be regarded as to establish the legitimacy of his rule and to portray him as the natural successor of Rome, as this is consistently presented throughout the visual programme. Yet factors such as the restoration of the Republic, reviving the old religion, nationalism and militaristic triumph can also be seen to be communicated prominently through art and architecture. Legitimacy of Augustan Rule: The art and architecture in the Augustan regime fundamentally reflected the new order and glorified the position and power of Augustus. Initially, at the beginning of his political career, Augustus wished to portray himself appropriately, therefore devised a new image as the first leader of the restored Republic. The academics Walker and Burnett comment that this plan included the melting down of eighty silver statues of Augustus, as the metal was â€Å"considered inappropriate for images of living persons and should be reserved for gods† (Walker and Burnett, 1981, 17); the silver was then offered to the Temple of Apollo. Nevertheless, Augustus’ intention to limit the use of his image can appear to beShow MoreRelatedClassical Roman Art Vs Early Christian There are many similarities and differences between800 Words   |  4 PagesClassical Roman Art Vs Early Christian There are many similarities and differences between Classical Roman and Early Christian Art. What particularly stands out to me is how much these two cultures have in common when it comes to their art and architecture. Romans were geniuses when it came to engineering and we can see that in the monuments they left behind. Many early Christian architectural styles and ideas were adopted straight from the Romans. Their communities became organized geographicallyRead MoreGreek Epics873 Words   |  4 Pages(Aeneid, 2012). The Aeneid was written in a period that there was a major political change in Rome which was after the fall of the Republic (Aeneid, 2012). Augustus Caesar, the adopted son of Julius Caesar become the new emperor and he established a new era by reintroduce the traditional Roman moral value. According to Steimnbrenner (2012) â€Å"Augustus wished to cement his claim to power in every possible way, and he did this in part by having Virgil bring the legend of Aeneid back to the hearts of RomansRead MoreRoman Empire : The Greatest Social And Political Center Of Western Civilization1478 Words   |  6 Pagesin The Ancient Romans, â€Å"Ancient Rome has always been famous for its great achievements in architecture and engineering.† Roman architecture eventually became its own distinct style. Although Greek culture and architecture influenced the Roman style, the Roman love for socializing, business, and games had a greater impact in shaping the way Romans designed buildings and cities. Even though Roman architecture was heavily influenced by Roman society and values, the style also pulled many ideas fromRead MoreAncient Egypt : Ancient Egyptian Art1308 Words   |  6 PagesArchitechture in ancient Egypt Egyptian art has journeyed through the centuries as one of the most influential phenomenon in human civilization. From the Greeks to the Romans to the people of today, Egyptians and their beautiful representations in art and architecture have proven a legacy in the creations of certain landmarks, statues, and even advertisements. The Greeks derived many of their statues from Egyptian sculptures, such as the Kouros 600 B.C. The Roman emperor Augustus in expressing his rule alsoRead MoreThe Achievements Of Ancient Egypt1291 Words   |  6 PagesTemples, tombs and pyramids have all witnessed this earth for thousands of years. These architectural achievements show us that Egypt s greatest virtue lie in its architecture. One Ancient Egypt’s greatest cultural achievements was undoubtedly in their architecture associated with religion. If you were to travel to Egypt what would you expect to see? Pyramid after temple after tomb, each standing the test of time. They all stand out, the y are all associated with religious beliefs, they all haveRead MoreThe Eternal City1418 Words   |  6 Pagesto make him a dictator. After earning his new tittle Caesar set in motion numerous changes, for example, open work projects and offering area to poor people, and etc. As the story is told those in the senate who killed Caesar on March 15. Caesar s Grandnephew, Octavian, and Marc Anthony united to catch his executioners. However Caesar didn’t die in vain â€Å"Let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter.† (HomerRead MoreRoman Art Of Ancient Rome1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe art of Rome is considered completed art of ancient society. Legitimately argue that, although Roman masters continued the tradition of Hellenic, yet the art of ancient Rome - an independent phenomenon, determined by the course and the course of historical events, and living conditions, and the originality of religious beliefs, character traits of the Romans, and other factors. Roman art as a special artistic phenomenon began to study only in the twentieth century is essentially realized onlyRead MoreAugustan Art and Propaganda Essay1964 Words   |  8 PagesAugustan Art and Propaganda Julius Caesars reign was an unfavorable and chaotic period for Rome, and after his death, a large portion of the empire was handed down to his adopted son, Gaius Octavian. From the ashes of his father, Octavian was able to build an Empire unparalleled. Later, the name Augustus was given to him by Senate. Augustus ostensibly maintained the form of the Roman Republic while in actuality creating the Roman Empire. He introduced the administrative reforms that led to theRead MoreThe Importance Of Ancient Egypt1223 Words   |  5 Pagesof Egypt remains and culture. Evidence of a fascination with Egypt can be found in Rome itself dating back to before Augustus’ victory at Actium in 31 B.C. The Roman fascination with Egypt will be best explored by focusing on art and architecture within Rome at the temple of Isis at Pompeii that is influenced by Egypt. To understand how Egyptian influence over art and architecture came to be it is necessary to discuss the fact that Romans traveled to Egypt regularly and for a number of reasons.Read MoreReview Of Benvenuto Cellini 1591 Words   |  7 Pageswas born is considered to be the beginning of the Cinquecento period of the arts in Italy. By the end of Cellini’s life he was successful in many aspects of cinquecento arts. This paper gives highlights on Cellini’s life as a whole including descriptive examples of his various art works.(Cellini 128) The cinquecento period in which Cellini was born references the 16th century as a period of Italian art, architecture, or literature, with a reversion to classical forms. This is significant because

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Traffic Problems Free Essays

[pic] A research Report on Traffic problems in Big Cities (Islamabad) [pic] By: Aqsa Shahzadi (100827) Basharat Jamil (100811) Kaneez Amna (100869) Sidra Tul Muntaha (100809) Hamza Ashraf (100803) Submitted to: Mr. Naveed Ahsan Business communication BBA-3B [pic] Air University Islamabad [pic] Table of Content Contents Page No 1. Introduction3 1. We will write a custom essay sample on Traffic Problems or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1 Core issue:3 1. 2 Purpose:3 1. 3 Scope3 1. 4 Methodology3 1. 4. 1 Findings5 3. Traffic jams in different areas of Islamabad city8 4. Causes of Traffic Problem. 9 5. Solutions to Traffic Problems10 6. Limitations11 7. References11 8. Interview Questions. 12 [pic] 1. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 CORE ISSUE: Our core issue is traffic problems at the entrance areas of Islamabad. Why mostly traffic jams in these area and how traffic is controlled in those areas by the traffic police. 1. 2 PURPOSE: People suffer a lot of problem due to traffic jam. We must give solutions to control traffic and avoid traffic jams. Students, teachers, office workers face problems because sometimes due to coming late they miss their meetings and face other problems as well. 1. 3 SCOPE: We are working at the entrance areas of Islamabad i. e. Barakow and Golra. Sometimes due to heavy protocols people face traffic jams. Major traffic jams are at school and office timings. We also face traffic problem on Friday. We will give solutions to the problems to solve this issue. 1. 4 METHODOLOGY: We adopted two types of methodologies which are as follow: 1. Quantitative methodology. 2. Qualitative methodology. [pic] QUANTITATIVE METHODOLOGY: We collect data through questionnaire. Our sample space is 30. We distributed 30 questionnaires among the students of Air University. We collected data from both male and female students. 15 questionnaires were filled by female students and 15 were filled by male students. We will also give the analysis report of our survey. pic] [pic] 1. 4. 1 FINDINGS After survey the responses of male and female students with percentage is given below: |Â  Q. NO. |QUESTIONS |MALE |FEMALE | | | | YES | NO | YES | NO | |1. |Buses and trucks creating traffic problem. |93. 33% |6. 67% |86. 67% |13. 33% | |2. |Signals helping to control traffic. |86. 67% |13. 33% |93. 3% |6. 67% | |3. |Tr affic police performing his duty well. |80. 00% |20. 00% |53. 33% |46. 67% | |4. |Long routes creating a lot of problems. |33. 33% |66. 67% |46. 67% |53. 33% | |5. |Traffic problems are cause of accidents. |80. 00% |20. 00% |93. 33% |6. 67% | |6. |More roads reduce traffic jam. |80. 00% |20. 00% |80. 00% |20. 00% | |7. |Small roads and number of cars are the causes of traffic |100. 00% |0. 00% |80. 0% |20. 00% | | |problems. | | | | | |8. |Are you satisfied from the process of selecting players for |100. 00% |0. 00% |93. 33% |6. 67% | | |different games? | | | | | |9. |More cars due to bank financing are also causes of traffic |60. 00% |40. 00% |66. 67% |33. 33% | | |problem. | | | | | |10. Old cars and trucks are creating traffic problems. |66. 67% |33. 33% |66. 67% |33. 33% | |11. |Lack of traffic sense among people is also a cause of traffic |100. 00% |0. 00% |93. 33% |6. 67% | | |problems. | | | | | |12. |Government is taking steps to avoid traffic jams. |33. 33% |66. 67% |40. 0 0% |60. 00% | |13. |Government is creating awareness among people about traffic. |33. 33% |66. 7% |33. 33% |66. 67% | |14. |Civil administrations fail to solve traffic problems. |66. 67% |33. 33% |66. 67% |33. 33% | |15. |Non-custom vehicles contributing to increase traffic. |80. 00% |20. 00% |100. 00% |0. 00% | [pic] The following graph is showing the responses of males in Yes/No and also in percentage. [pic] [pic] The following graph is showing the responses of females in Yes/No and also in percentage. [pic] QUALITATIVE METHODOLOGY: We interviewed one of the police officers at Golra. The questions we asked from him are attached at the end of this report. [pic] 3. TRAFFIC JAMS IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF ISLAMABAD CITY [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] 4. CAUSES OF TRAFFIC PROBLEMS: 1. Small roads for the number of cars and motor cycles. 2. Broken roads in some areas as people don’t like to move from the broken part so traffic increases on rest of the road. 3. More cars due to bank financing. Now everyone can afford a car so more cars are there on the road. 4. Old cars and trucks. Government doesn’t have a clear policy about old cars and trucks. Even 30 years old cars are still running on roads like foxy Suzuki. . Lack of traffic sense amongst the people. People don’t have traffic sense. Traffic police and media should play their role in creating traffic sense amongst the people. [pic] [pic] 5. SOLUTIONS TO TRAFFIC PROBLEMS: 1. First we have to use more often the public transport. This is the best solution. Also we would recommend to walk a little more or to ride a bicycle. 2. Have a proper public transport system and it is in our hands to reduce the use of our car every day by using public transport. 3. Make the conditions of roads good, Make more lanes on the road and making alternative routes. 4. Create traffic awareness amongst the people though media and other sources. 5. Traffic problems can be reduced by either increasing road capacity (supply), or by reducing traffic (demand). 6. Different timing of starting and closings of offices and schools to avoid the rush in the morning, afternoon and evening on roads. 7. Make strict laws make them force able through traffic police. Government should put their best efforts to avoid traffic jams and other traffic problems. 8. Old cars should be scrapped and bank financing should be for commercial cars only. [pic] [pic] [pic] 6. LIMITATIONS: 1. Convince Problems. 2. Non availability of traffic police officer. 3. Hard university scheduled. 4. Police officer was not willing to give interview. 7. REFERENCES: ? www. google. com ? www. wikipedia. com ? Police officer [pic] 8. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS. 1. What difficulties do you face in controlling the traffic? 2. Do people follow the rules and regulations? 3. Do people cooperate? How is their behavior? 4. How do you manage the traffic when there is a rout? 5. How do you act when there is accident and what are your precautions? 6. Rush hours create a problem for you. How do you manage? How to cite Traffic Problems, Papers

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

When Pigs Heads Talk Essay Example For Students

When Pigs Heads Talk Essay What are you doing out here all alone? Arent you afraid ofme? asks a pigs head on a stick, covered in flies. But its more that,its an entity, which is hidden within the depths of the book,concealed for the reader to discover. The book Lord of the Flies byWilliam Golding contains symbolism all throughout the text, eachsymbol to be interpreted in its own way. The main symbol in Lord of the Flies is quite obviously, the Lordof the Flies, which as aforementioned, is a pigs head on a stick,covered in flies. The symbol represents the evil within the boys thatreside on the island. Each one corrupt in his own, fearing whatresides within them. Jack with his macho attitude, while he is aleader, has actually took part in killing someone, but then again, sohas every boy there. This evil could also be interpreted as a loss ofinnocence, in which the boys spiral from helpless little tykes tovoracious savages, living only to kill. Another symbol, is just the flies residing upon the sows head. They seem to represent people that cling to evil, as though it wouldtheir only chance of survival. An example of that would be a cannibal,whose own desires have led him to feast upon flesh, and then, evenwhen he knows that what he has done is wrong, he continues to do ituntil his disgusting gorging has ended with his capture andpunishment. Oddly enough, the flies are feeding on rotting flesh aswell. Simon, the boy murdered by his peers, can be viewed as aChrist figure. While some may say it is Ralph, Simon seems more likea savior. He comes down from the mountain, bearing news of theboys salvation from the beast that torments him and he is persecutedby them, each one taking part in the frenzy of his death. He alsoseems to be knowledgeable about things the boys cant comprehend. He is always off in his own little world, pondering something thatmost boys wouldnt even consider thinking about. Yet another symbol in Lord of the Flies would the conch, whichRalph clings to so dearly. All of the boys see that as the upholding oforder, until Jack claims it not so. With the shattering of the conch,Ralph seems to plummet into a slight depression, wherein he hasnothing to remind of the upright and strict ways of his home. Withoutit he is nearly lost in a sea of his thoughts, buses as an example. The reader could also view Piggys glasses as a symbol ofsocieties unspoken rules. They bring fire, what started the rise ofcivilization as well as power, which in turn brings authority anddiscipline. Piggy though, seems unfit to hold that position of power,so the glasses are always used by those who deserve the power tolight the fire. Only when Jack, the power-grubbing boy, is gone, doesPiggy use his glasses to light the fire. This is also when Ralph is in anunfit leader attitude, he is moping about losing his followers. PerhapsPiggy was just trying to feel like he was needed, when in all reality,he was of no practical use to anyone at all. Lord of the Flies by William Golding is an excellent novel filledwith tons of symbolism. The reader truly gets an experience fromdeciphering each one, in his or her own way.Words/ Pages : 558 / 24

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Bias in the Media essays

Bias in the Media essays News broadcasters have a basic job , that of supplying their viewers with the facts. With this occupation news anchors and reporters can remain seen as human beings, humans with feelings and opinions. However, their job is not to reveal these to the public. Viewers should be able to feel confident that a program will be sharing factual information on subjects and then they will be able to form their own opinions and judgments. Unfortunately with many of todays newsmakers this ideal can not always be made possible. The number of democratic party members is very high in journalism. In fact in a 1996 survey, as reported in a book titled Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News by Bernard Goldberg, a considerable eighty nine percent of journalists voted for Bill Clinton in the presidential election compared to only a forty-three percent vote from the general American population. In particular primary news sources, CNN, CBS, NBC and ABC have long been viewed my many people as possessing and distributing a liberal tone (1). Many viewers are easily swayed to more liberal ways of thinking due to the structure of the reporting by these newscast stations. Many viewers however can realize that the women and men of television are political partisans. They take the facial expressions, aside comments and tone of voice, used by these professionals light heartedly and it has been accepted. However it becomes unaccepted when their political opinions bring about falsities delivered to the public as facts. On September 8th of this year CBS news anchor, Dan Rather, reported documents concerning President George W. Bushs Air National Guard service during his nightly show 60 minutes. Details of the documents included that Bush had been receiving requested special treatment in order to avoid his service commitments. Mr. Rather spent most of the following week defending his sources and the l...

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Rainbows and Blue Skies

Rainbows and Blue Skies Introduction When we look around, there are many questions one would want to ask. Although most of the answers are found through academic approaches, the truth is that the broadness of this discipline makes it challenging to exhaust every natural phenomenon. Among the many questions asked is the explanation for the color of the sky. Have you ever imagined why the sky is not another color but blue? Is it natural or there are contributing factors which make it blue?Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Rainbows and Blue Skies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Could it be as a result of our natural color blindness that makes us perceive it to be blue? Definitely the questions are countless. This research paper explores reasons, findings, theories and the truth, which surrounds the blue color of the sky and the occurrence of rainbows. In order to achieve this, the research mainly analyses findings, gathered from reput able sources, including but not limited to online articles and books. Blue sky When observed on a clear day, without clouds, mist or dust, the sky always appears blue. Although there are several theories, which explain this concept, it is believed that the blue color is as a result of atoms of oxygen and nitrogen found in the atmosphere (Jacobs 1). Due to the presence of these particles, the white light from the sun is separated into several colors, which are then scattered all over in the atmosphere. Additionally, based on scattering properties of these colors, it has been found that blue light has a wavelength that scatters in the atmosphere better than any other color. This means that blue light dominates the atmosphere, making the sky to appear blue when observed by the human eye (Rea 10). On the other hand, the sun appears orange and red during sunset because the blue light is usually scattered far away from the visible line. This scientific phenomenon that explains light scatt ering and the appearance of the sky is commonly referred to as the Tyndall effect or the Rayleigh scattering. Tyndall effect This theory was put forth by John Tyndall in 1859, explaining the color of the sky. According to his discovery, blue wavelength is shorter and gets scattered better than other wavelengths, when light is passed through a fluid with particles. From a real life perspective, this can be illustrated by shining white light through water that has soap or milk. When observed from the side of the container holding the water, it is possible to observe the beam of white light by the blue light, which is scattered (Mara 23). However, the light that is observed at the end of such an experiment appears red after the beam has passed through the entire vessel of water.Advertising Looking for research paper on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A filter of polarized light can also be applied to i nvestigate the scattering nature of light. This can be compared to the deep-blue appearance of the sky, when viewed through sun glasses. Although the concept is commonly known as the Tyndall effect, many physicists refer to it as the Rayleigh scattering, based on the studies that were done by Lord Rayleigh a few years after it was proposed by John Tyndall in 1859 (Rea 10). In their explanations, Rayleigh and Tyndall argue that the blue color of the sky is attributed to the presence of water droplets in form of vapor and dust particles in the atmosphere. However, if this were true, color variation in the sky would be a common occurrence due to ever-changing humidity. Based on this argument, it was agreed that the presence of nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere is the most appropriate explanation for the blue color of the sky (Jacobs 1). This was fully backed by Einstein in 1911 when he developed a formula applied in determination of scattering light in different molecules. The resu lts were acceptable as they had experimental evidence. From this discovery, it was also observed that the scattering of light by molecules is made possible because light waves have an electromagnetic field, responsible for dipole moments in these molecules. Even though the sky is blue, it is clear that clouds appear white in color when observed. This is based on the fact that they contain particles, which are believed to be greater than the wavelength of light (Mara 23). As a result, all wavelengths are scattered equally, a concept that is commonly known as the Mie scattering. However, the possibility of smaller particles in the atmosphere cannot be ruled out. This explains why some regions are famously known because of their blue haze. It is believed that the interaction between terpenes and ozone leads to the formation of tiny molecules that are approximately 200nm in diameter (Jacobs 2). Importantly, these particles give an explanation for the blue color. Nevertheless, an eruptio n or forest fire may emit particles into the atmosphere, which end up scattering the red light. In such cases, the results would depict the opposite of the Tyndall effect. Consequently, the moon may appear blue since red light is commonly scattered out. However, it is important to note that blue moon is a very rare phenomenon (Rea 10). Rainbows Besides observing a clear blue sky or clouds, human beings equally get fascinated by rainbows. How are rainbows formed? From Greek mythology, rainbows were believed to be the path for a messenger of gods known as Iris. On the other hand, Norse mythology proposed that a rainbow acted as a link between human beings and their gods (Lee and Fraser 33).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Rainbows and Blue Skies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More All these myths make the understanding of the rainbow quite fascinating to human beings. Are they natural in existence or they are fo rmed? These questions have been answered by scientists who spent their time analyzing the scientific explanation for the existence of the rainbow. A rainbow can be described as arc that appears in the sky with colored light. A fact to note is that rainbows have a relationship with water droplets and light. It is believed that this arc forms due to reflection and refraction of light, mainly from water droplets, arising from rain or mist in the atmosphere (Lee and Fraser 322). In other words, rainbows occur when there is splitting of white light into different colors, caused by water. In this line of thought, it is important to underscore the fact that when light falls on a drop of water, it enters into the drop. This penetration allows refraction of various light colors, depending on their respective wavelengths (Dwyer 4). Additionally, this separation of refracted light is similar to the analogy of the glass prism effect. Furthermore, the position of a rainbow is very important with regard to its relationship with the sun. Under whatever circumstances, a rainbow naturally occurs on the opposite direction of the sun as viewed by an observer (Dwyer 10). This position is crucial in explaining why rainbows mostly appear in the afternoon, when the sun is slightly low in the sky. If this occurs in the afternoon, the arc usually appears to the east of the person observing it and to the west if it occurs in the morning. On the other hand, the shadow of the observer is always at the center of the arc, with the rainbow forming the upper segment of the circle. Besides the position of the rainbow, it is worth noting that the angle of reflection of its light to the eye is 42o to the initial ray of light. Its bow-shape is believed to be a portion of the cone of light that is blocked by the horizon (Dwyer 10). Another important fact about rainbows is that no one can move ahead of it. If you tried to overtake the rainbow to be on the other side, it would appear moving, thus m aking it impossible to see the end of a rainbow. Moreover, every person sees a different rainbow since the angle measured is based on the observer’s eye contact with the refracted light from the sun through a drop of water (Lee and Fraser 322). This therefore means that every rainbow observer is usually at the center of the cone formed by colored light. It is sometimes possible to observe a complete circle of the rainbow when flying or at the top of a mountain.Advertising Looking for research paper on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From the above analysis, it is clear that the blue sky and the rainbow are fascinating natural phenomena, whose existence has an array of scientific and traditional explanations. However, the two are closely linked to properties of light, with regard to the scattering effect. Nonetheless, contributions of John Tyndall, Lord Rayleigh and Einstein remain paramount in the understanding of this concept. Dwyer, Jacqueline. Rainbows. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2001. Print. Jacobs, Marian. Why Is the Sky Blue? New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 1999. Print. Lee, Raymond, and Fraser Alistair. The rainbow bridge: rainbows in art, myth, and science. Pennsylvania: Penn State Press, 2001. Print. Mara, Wil. Why Is the Sky Blue? Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2006. Print. Rea, Thelma. I Wonder Why the Sky Is Blue. New York: Rosen Classroom, 2000. Print.