The More I Learn, the More I Want to Know
Since as long ago as I can remember I have always been fascinated by the natural world. That childish fascination has not left me but deepened over the years. This interest has led me to my love of biology, ecology, animal behaviour and evolution.
Following my graduation from High School I studied Biological Sciences for two years at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. From March 1997 to November 1998 I was obliged to take a break from my studies at university as my father was moving from the city to a more remote rural area. While helping my father I was able to work closely with birds of prey among others and I was successful in breeding the endangered chinchillas. During my time away from university I continued to deepen my knowledge of my subject and studied evolutionary thinking and the biological basis of behaviour. I also worked for a brief time as a translator which made me think that perhaps my English was good enough o complete my studies in an English speaking country.
Since coming to Oxford and studying at OLT I have improved my written English a great deal. I am a member of The Natural History Museum (London) and recently attended a course called 'The History of Evolution'. The course was organised by Birkbeck College and took place at the Natural History museum in London each Wednesday. The course has been fascinating and has served to confirm my suspicion that the more I learn of this subject the more I want to know.
I am hopeful that my previous studies in Santiago, my maturity and my experience in this field will allow me to enter the second year of an undergraduate programme in the UK. After completing my undergraduate it is my wish to continue studying at postgraduate level and ultimately conduct my own research in this area.
My other academic interests include, Paleoanthropology, and the history and development of science. I am most interested in the writings of Darwin and Thomas and Henry Huxley.
For more than 200 years, the American flag has been a big part of the United States. Betsy Ross had been the first, reportedly, to make the American flag. It originally had thirteen stars, representing the first thirteen colonies, but later it ended up with fifty to represent the states in the Union. It is a symbol of our
Knowles, Thomas W. They Rode for the Lone Star:The Saga of the Texas Rangers. Dallas:
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz was born in Motier, Switzerland on May 28, 1807. Born the son of a Protestant pastor, Louis Agassiz was raised in a religious environment but clearly possessed a deep interest in natural history and science. “I spent most of the time I could spare…in hunting the neighboring woods and meadows for birds, insects, and land and fresh water shells” (Lurie 9). Throughout his childhood and adolescence, his curiosities about nature and its origins drove him to become a prominent figure in natural history, zoology, and ichthyology.
Currently, living in South London with his wife, Canadian photographer Charla Jones, Adam Foulds has come a long way in his thirty years on this planet. Born in 1974, on the border of London and Essex County, Foulds was a child of wonder. From an early age, Foulds found love in bird watching and natural history, believing he would grow up to become a zoologist (Wroe). Foulds attended Bancroft’s School in Woodford Green where at age fifteen he discovered his talent for writing, when a teacher suggested he wrote a piece for the school’s poetry club (Elgot; “Adam Foulds- UEA”). The teacher was so impressed by the work Foulds was producing that he encouraged him to keep hold of his drafts as one day scholars might be interested in him (Wroe).
There is much controversy surrounding the idea of patriotism and the iconography of the American flag in today’s society. Some believe patriotism is simply the act of supporting the decisions of the leaders of the country. Others say, to be patriotic, people should be outspoken and voice their oppositions to what is going on in the government. Opinions also differ on the idea of what the American flag represents. One opinion of the flags representation is that the flag represents our history, and the formerly mentioned idea of patriotism. Others believe the flag also represents our history as a nation, but these beliefs focus much more heavily on the negative aspects of our history; such as slavery and other injustices carried out by our nation. These people often believe we should find a new iconography for our country’s ideas of patriotism. As Barbara Kingsolver states in “And Our Flag Was Still There,” “Patriotism seems to be falling to whoever claims it loudest, and we’re left struggling to find a definition in a clamor of reaction” (Pg. 1). Therefore, every American’s duty is to define patriotism amongst the clamor of reaction, recapture the American flag’s representation, and create a new icon for the flag.
Keith Henson a writer in evolutionary psychology once said that “Evolution acts slowly. Our psychological characteristics today are those that promoted reproductive success in the ancestral environment.” Evolution was first introduced by a naturalist by the name of Charles Darwin. Darwin had written an autobiography, at the age of 50, On the Origin of Species (1859) explaining how species evolve through time by natural selection; this theory became known as Darwinism. “Verlyn Klinkenborg, who writes editorials and vignettes on science and nature for the “New York Times”” (Muller 706) questions Darwin’s theory in one of his essays he wrote called Darwin at 200: The Ongoing Force of His Unconventional Idea. Both articles talk about the theory of Darwinism, but the authors’ use different writing techniques and were written in different time periods. Darwin himself writes to inform us on what the theory is, where as Klinkenborg goes on to explain why Darwinism is just a theory. Today, evolution is still a very controversial topic among many. It comes up in several topics that are discussed everyday such as in politics, religion and education.
The symbolism of the Flag was thus interpreted by Washington: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty.”
In 1776 the United States of America became a great nation, free from Britain's rule. We became a nation full of freedom and opportunity, symbolized by many great icons. The Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, this great nations capitol, the District of Columbia, and the greatest of these icons, our American Flag. Our flag symbolizes to the world our strength, determination, and the rights and freedoms of our people. The very sight of it has given men the courage and willingness to sacrifice their own lives in order to protect what it symbolizes. But where did it come from? For more than a century it has been disputed by historians that the story of Betsy Ross, a widow from Philadelphia could be given the honor of handcrafting the first American Flag. So is it fact or a delightful fable that has weaved its way in as part of our American history?
First I would like to include some information about our american flag and how it came about. In the British colonies of North America before the Revolution, each of the 13 colonies had its flag. On Jan. 2, 1776, the first flag of the United States was raised at Cambridge, Mass., by George Washington. Known as the Grand Union flag, it consisted of 13 stripes, alternate red and white, with a blue canton bearing the crosses of St. George and St. Andrew. Congress, on June 14, 1777, enacted a resolution “that the Flag of the United States be 13 stripes alternate red and white, that the Union be 13 stars white in a blue field representing a new constellation.” On Jan. 13, 1794, Vermont and Kentucky having been admitted to the Union, Congress added a stripe and a star for each state. Congress in 1818 enacted that the 13 stripes, denoting the 13 original colonies, be restored and a star added to the blue canton for each state after its admission to the Union. All of the states and territories of the United States also have their own flags. Betsy Ross created the first flag. Betsy would often tell her children, grandchildren, relatives, and friends of the fateful day when three members of a secret committee from the Continental Congress came to call upon her. Those representatives, George Washington, Robert Morris, and George Ross, asked her to sew the first flag. This meeting occurred in her home some time late in May 1776. George Washington was then the head of the Continen...
What is the American flag and what does it represent? For many Americans the flag represents freedom, pride, and justice. Our flag stands for freedom because of the many lives that had to be lost throughout history for us to be the nation we are today. The American flag stands for pride because of the many American soldiers men and women who lost their lives for us. Lastly, our flag stands for justice because in the United States no matter what crime we do we have the right to a fair trial.
...o captivating. Additionally, it does make an extensive number of appearances at various ceremonies and great events, such as the opening ceremonies of sporting events and national holidays such as Independence and Memorial Day. However, “The Star Spangled Banner” embodies a much broader and more abstruse, cryptic connotation. It illustrates America’s attitude of perseverance when facing seemingly indomitable adversities or unachievable ambitions. It represents America’s unfaltering faith, traditional values, and ethical laws that have come to characterize America’s individuality. It signifies America’s past, a historic reminder that unites the people and instills, in their hearts, a profound sense of patriotism and glory. Most of all, “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes the truth of what America truly means–“the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
Many societies in the history of the world have undergone a period of development. Usually, an area goes from an underdeveloped region to a modern civilization. Outside influences are major contributors to a society's development. Their acceptance and appreciation of these foreign assets enhance their culture. Eventually developed societies can not cope with rapid changes. Their difficulty in changing leads to their demise. Nothing fails like success. Anthropologists have coined a term for such a situation. The Law of the Retarding Lead is when the most successful societies have problems in changing and retaining their lead in a period of transition. On the other hand, less successful societies benefit form this period of transition. They forge ahead and become a prominent society. The Law of the Retarding Lead is evident in a few societies. Its effects are staggering. The Law of the Retarding Lead affects each country in the same manner. Ultimately, this law can change an entire civilization.
Earlier, while musing about how I came to study the animal world, I had wished I could tell of some cataclysmic event—a revelation or burning bush—that had told me that this should be my path.
Since Socrates only taught by means of public conversation and oration, most of what we know about him we learned from his student; Plato. Unlike other philosophers of his era, Socrates didn’t concern himself with issues on how or why the world worked; he pondered things like how man should live and what morality means. Socrates was hailed as the inventor of the branch of philosophy known as ethics. It is exactly his concern with
I am aware of the hard work involved in acquiring the degree from an institution of international reputation and I am confident of succeeding in the course offered to me at the university.