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.
In Johnny Cash’s song, The Ragged Old Flag it says, “In her own good land here she’s been abused. She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.” To me this means that people have stopped honoring all that it stands for. The flag stands for all of the battles and sacrifices the United States has had to make to get it to where it is today. People
Stripes and stars forever, right? Well, what exactly does that mean? The American Flag can be seen almost anywhere. From the high-school, to the ball park, and even in our homes, the American flag stands as a symbol of all that is good and true in America. When one thinks of the flag, they usually think of the blood that was shed for this country. It was shed so that we could have liberties, such as, freedom of speech and expression, which fall under the first amendment rights of the Constitution. However, when you think of a burning flag, what comes to mind? One might say it shows disrespect and hatred to a country that has given so much. In the case of Texas v. Johnson, Gregory Lee Johnson was accused of desecrating a sacred object, but, his actions were protected by the First Amendment. Although his actions may have been offensive, he did not utter fighting words. By burning the flag, Johnson did not infringe upon another's natural human rights. He was simply expressing his outrage towards the government, which is within the jurisdiction of the First Amendment.
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).
Have you ever believed that Betsy Ross designed the first flag of the United States? Well, that old childhood tale is false and a congressman names Francis Hopkinson created the first flag. The flag is an emblem of the U.S and shall never be disrespected. The flag, for some people, can just mean a piece of fabric, but for others the flag symbolizes much much more.
Every country has icons that specify objects that represent beliefs, values, or tradition that make that country unique. As the United States of America has many such as, Statue of Liberty and the American Flag. Yasmin Sabina Khan shows in her book "Enlightening the World: The Creation of the Statue of Liberty” why the Statue of Liberty was built, how each part of the statue describes everything and how it represents U.S today. In “Capture The Flag: The Stars And Stripes In American History”, Scot M Guenter talks about how the American flag is seen everywhere and how the flag has remained strong throughout many incidents. In the Barbara Kingsolver essay “And Our Flag Was Still There”, she writes about the meaning of the American flag and how it represents our country in different ways. And at last, Dave Barry shows us in his “Red, White and Beer”, the strong effects that patriotism can have on the sales and advertising of products. All of these icons
There have been the fights for our freedom and fights against each other. Through all of the battles, the American flag stood strong and proud. There have been many sacrificed deaths for our freedom. The flag stands for every person that ever gave up their life for the good of our country. The people that were at the front line standing proud for our nation are the real heros. That is what the flag really stands for. The everyday citizens that continue to fight while we continue our normal lives. Many people may not think of the American flag as much but it stands for so much more than just what our eyes can
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.
...ag and mine is that I will always look up to our flag and never disrespect a single thing about it. There is a lot of respect for the flag in all kinds of ways. Whether it’s at a funeral, on the battlefield, in museums, on postage stamps, on uniforms, or even on vehicles. No one disrespects the United States Flag or ever has. I think this showing of respect just shows how far we have come as a country. The United States Flag is a shows that we are in fact “one nation, under god”. We have many things to look forward to just because of the protection of our flag. I will always look up to our flag with pride and joy at how far we have come today because of it. The flag brings man people peace at heart, joy of the next day, and pride in our country. One thing I can say is that all americans have one thing in common and that is the respect for our nations flag.
City mayor, once said, “The flag stands for the right to believe what you want and speak as you must. Its design conveys its real meaning. There wouldn’t be individual stars and individual stripes if we were all suppose to think the same.”
democratic leader by his followers. Although he was known as a frontiersman, Jackson was personally
In order to help answer this question let’s being by defining what a flag is. The proponents (veterans, Citizens Flag Alliance, and other organizations of this type) of the amendment for protection of the flag define the flag as a “cultural artifact with meaning significance, and usage determined by the particular system employing it (Guenter 18).” Some flag historians have recognized the impact of culture on the shifting significance and usage of the national banner, although no one has ventured a full-scale probe of the subject (Guenter 16). The flag in the beginning was a symbol of freedom and enlightenment. The flag design has even changed. The very first flag contained thirteen stars that were in a circle with the red and white stripes. As the nation grew so did the flag, until the flag became what we know of it today.
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.
Anyone with even a moderate background in science has heard of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Since the publishing of his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, Darwin’s ideas have been debated by everyone from scientists to theologians to ordinary lay-people. Today, though there is still severe opposition, evolution is regarded as fact by most of the scientific community and Darwin’s book remains one of the most influential ever written.
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.