Friday, November 15, 2019

Security Issues Associated With Mobile Commerce Information Technology Essay

Security Issues Associated With Mobile Commerce Information Technology Essay The report investigates the current state of the Mobile-commerce based on its security and examines the predicted future developments of the system. A brief background of the M-commerce and its applications is initially outlined. The discussion will then focus on the security issues and solutions based on the five security objectives (standards): Confidentiality, Authentication, Authorisation, Integrity and Non-repudiation. The applications of these security standards will then be applied on two M-commerce applications, both involving mobile transaction: Mobile-Payment and Mobile-Banking. It is concluded that further technological development in M-commerce system will be required, in order to improve the quality of service and ensure the user that such a system is safe to use. Nestor Mfuamba Introduction The term M-commerce (mobile-commerce) derives from E-commerce (e-commerce) which denotes business transactions over the internet. The transactions could be buying and selling goods/services by accessing the internet. Both M-commerce and E-commerce are part of two districts business markets: B2B (Business to Business) and B2C (Business to Consumer), the two distinct from dealing with business for the first and dealing end consumer for the last. From these business concepts, we can see that a B2B market, is more like E-commerce, where a business / user, accessing the internet for business transactions from an unstated devices. The technology used for this system could either be wireline (home PC, end user devices) or wireless (via mobile phones, PDAs, end user devices). In fact the term M-commerce, is all about a wireless E-commerce that is where a mobile device is used to access the internet for business transactions either in B2B or B2C markets. With the ubiquitous availability of mobile phones (other end user devices), M-commerce services have a promising future, especially in the B2C market. Future development applications include buying over the phone, purchase and redemption of tickets and reward schemes, travel and weather information, and writing contracts on the move. However, the success of M-commerce today, very much depends on the security of the underlying technologies. For example, credit card charges for transactions on the internet are 15%, versus 1% for POS (Point-of-Sales) credit card transactions. The chargeback rates grow to 30% digital product are sold. For M-commerce to take off, fraud rates have to be reduced to an acceptable level. As much security can be regarded as an enabling factor for the success of M-commerce applications. In this report, I discuss the security issues associated with M-commerce and their solutions based on two existing M-commerce applications, namely: Mobile Payment Systems: business transactions on the internet require the payments of either goods or services. M-payment systems have different requirements and characteristics than E-payment systems (electronic-payment). Mobile-Banking Systems: types of execution of financial services in the course of which within an electronic procedure the consumer uses mobile communication techniques in conjunction with mobile devices for banking transactions. M-commerce Definition The term m-commerce can be defined in many ways. From own experience and research, m-commerce is just an electronic commerce system that is accessed from mobile phones. Both e-commerce and m-commerce are B2C (Business to Consumer) systems. According to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development), e-commerce follows two criteria that are: Automation of transaction Spatial separation of transactions and delivery By definition m-commerce is a business commerce system using mobile device for business transactions performed over a mobile telecommunication network, possibly involving the transfer of money. Based on research done by Kalkota Ravi and Robinson Maria, they have actually divided m-commerce into five descriptive phases: Messaging m-commerce (SMS)-based m-commerce) Info connectivity m-commerce (web based m-commerce) Transactions m-commerce (strategy for organisations in order to evolve revenue generating mcommerce) Transformation m-commerce (m-commerce is interconnected and implemented into business processes within and between organisations) Infusion -m-commerce (and m-commerce is a normal way to do business this means a culture change from one, in which technology is occasionally handed over to the other one where technology is an accepted part) Technology and Applications The technology of M-commerce is built on several key technologies. They distinguish by their common uses. Mobile phones have developed gradually, making significant changes to their standards, starting from the first generation (analogue phones) to the third generation (3G): first-generation or analogue phones good for voice calls second-generation phones use digital technology and are typical of the average phone in use today 2.5G digital phones support the transmission of data using general packet radio service (GPRS) third generation (3G) digital phones support voice and data transmission at greatly increased speeds 3G supports services that were not possible with earlier technologies: video calls can be made and received from other 3G users video and other types of media can be downloaded to play on your phone 3G phones often have cameras, so you can take and transmit digital pictures location-based services can be accessed in order to see a map of where you are, or find out the nearest garage, restaurant, bank, etc M-commerce developments are focused very strongly on the use of 3G phone technology. Wireless application protocol (WAP) enables mobile devices to browse the internet because the web browsers built into these devices support hypertext markup language (HTML) and extensible markup language (XML) the key languages used for internet content. WAP-enabled devices run microbrowsers. These are applications that suit the: small screen and small memory size of handheld devices low bandwidths that are a feature of wireless networks for handheld devices Another important m-commerce technology is short message service (SMS), also known as texting. This popular service allows short text messages of up to 160 characters to be sent from and to mobile devices at a low cost. This has a wide application in m-commerce technology. Improvements to the service, such as T9 predictive text to help you type faster, have helped to improve the service, and a number of enhancements such as enhanced messaging (EMS) led to multimedia messaging service (MMS) messaging. With an MMS-enabled phone, you can: take digital photographs and store photographs on the internet send and receive full color pictures add a text message to your picture send and receive voice clips purchase pictures and sounds from the internet have enhanced polyphonic ringtones Mobile Application Types Communications: E-mail Clients IM Clients Mobile Web and Internet Browsers News/Information Clients On-Device Portals (Java Portals) Social Network Clients Games: Puzzle/Strategy (e.g., Tetris, Sudoku, Mah-jong, Chess, Board Games) Cards/Casino (e.g., Solitaire, Blackjack, Roulette, Poker) Action/Adventure (e.g., Doom, Pirates of the Caribbean, Role-Playing Games) Sports (e.g., Football, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Racing, Boxing, Skiing) Leisure Sports (e.g., Bowling, Pool, Darts, Fishing, Air Hockey) Multimedia: Graphics/Image Viewers Presentation Viewers Video Players Audio Players Streaming Players (Audio/Video) Productivity: Calendars Calculators Diary Notepad/Memo/Word Processors Spreadsheets Directory Services (e.g., yellow pages) Banking/Finance Travel: City Guides Currency Converters Translators GPS/Maps Itineraries/Schedules Weather Mobile System Architecture The figure bellow shows the architecture of an m-commerce system: from the design, we can clearly see that a user/client access the web via an xml server connected to a database. Figure1. Proposed M-commerce system architecture Mobile devices The applications of M-commerce can be implemented on different kinds of end user devices other than only mobile phones: Mobile phones PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) Smart phone the smart phone combines mobile phone and PDA technology into one device Laptop Earpiece device such as Bluetooth (as part of a Personal Area Network) The choice of devices in M-commerce is mainly based on the device features, and network technology used for transmission, the last allows the bandwidth capacity to vary and influence the kind of services the end user is able to receive. In mobile phones, the technology differs from other end user devices by their ability to have internal smart cards that determine their memory capacities. Nowadays, three solutions exist: Single SIM widely used around the world and confidential user information is stored one smart card. Dual Chip, means two smart cards in one mobile phone, as one used for user authentication to the network operator as the other, is used for value-added services such as m-payment or digital signature. Dual Slot, this type of mobile phones, has a SIM card and card slot for fully-sized external smart card. This solutions consists on using different cards one after the other. e.g. POS and ATM terminals. M-commerce vs. E-commerce This part of the report doesnt compare the two business systems. However, present advantages and disadvantages of M-commerce system over and E-commerce system. As defined in part 1.1., M-commerce is subset of the E-commerce but using end user devices as transaction platforms. The following list summarises, the advantages: Accessibility accessibility is related to ubiquity and means that the end user is accessible anywhere at any time. Accessibility is probably the major advantage by comparison with E-commerce applications involving a wired end user device. Ubiquity the end user device is mobile, that is, the user can access M-commerce applications in real time at any place. Security depending on the specific end user device, the device offers a certain level of inherent security. For example, the SIM card commonly employed in mobile phones is a smart card that stores confidential user information, such as the users secret authentication key. As such, the mobile phone can be regarded as a smart card reader with smart card. Localisation a network operator can localise registered users by using a positioning systems, such as GPS, or via GSM or UMTS network technology, and offer location- dependent services. Those services include local information services about hotels, restaurants, and amenities, travel information, emergency calls, and mobile office facilities. Personalisation mobile devices are usually not shared between users. This makes it possible to adjust a mobile device to the users needs and wishes (starting with the mobile phone housing and ringtones). On the other hand, a mobile operator can offer personalised services to its users, depending on specified user characteristics (e.g. a user may prefer Italian food) and the users location (see above). Convenience the size and weight of mobile devices and their ubiquity and accessibility makes them an ideal tool for performing personal tasks. Along with these advantages, we also have disadvantages, the following list summarises, the facts: Mobile devices offer limited capabilities between mobile devices these capabilities vary so much that end user services will need to be customised accordingly. The heterogeneity of devices, operating systems, and network technologies is a challenge for a uniform end user platform. For this reason, standardisation bodies consisting of telecommunication companies, device manufacturers, and value-added service providers integrate their work (see Section 4.5). For example, many current mobile devices implement an IP stack to provide standard network connectivity. At the application level, the Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) offers a standardized application platform for heterogeneous devices. Mobile devices are more prone to theft and destruction. According to a government report, more than 700000 mobile phones are stolen in the UK each year [12]. Since mobile phones are highly personalised and contain confidential user information, they need to be protected according to the highest security standards. The communication over the air interface between mobile device and network introduces additional security threats (e.g. eavesdropping, winds etc †¦). Security Concept and Challenges The concept of security in M-commerce is the most important aspect of a business that a mobile-system should respond to. There is no need to implement, such system without securing its environment, especially where transactions involve monetary value. Different views from participants in an M-commerce scenario, percept, security and privacy as major factors for markets breakthrough of the according system. Moving from participants point of views, I have defined five security objectives / standards that a system should respond to: Confidentiality: ensure privacy, the content of the transaction cannot be viewed by unauthorised persons and enables encryption. Authentication: ensure that the content of the transaction originates from the presumed sender/partner. Integrity: ensure that the content of transaction is not modified during the delivery and cannot be altered at any time. The technique used is called digital signatures. Authorisation: ensure that anyone involved in the transaction must be recognize and verified in order to authorize/allow the transaction to take place. It is more like digital certificates. Non-repudiation: no-one should be able to claim that any transaction on his/her behalf was made without their knowledge. The concept of digital signatures is applied. This standards dont just apply to end user devices, but to the whole systems involving device users, network (e.g. WAP, WEP), financial and administrative institutions (e.g. banks, governments etc.). I have identified, few security challenges related to the system: The mobile device confidential user data on the mobile device as well as the device itself should be protected from unauthorised use. The security mechanisms employed here include user authentication (e.g. PIN or password authentication), secure storage of confidential data (e.g. SIM card in mobile phones) and security of the operating system. The radio interface access to a telecommunication network requires the protection of transmitted data in terms of confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity. In particular, the users personal data should be protected from eavesdropping. Different security mechanisms for different mobile network technologies (i.e. in 2G, 3G, and other systems) were explained in part 2.2 The network operator infrastructure security mechanisms for the end user often terminate in the access network. This raises questions regarding the security of the users data within and beyond the access network. Moreover, the user receives certain services for which he/she has to pay. This often involves the network operator and he/she will want to be assured about correct charging and billing. The kind of M-commerce application m-commerce applications, especially those involving payment, need to be secured to assure customers, merchants, and network operators. For example, in a payment scenario both sides will want to authenticate each other before committing to a payment. Also, the customer will want assurance about the delivery of goods or services. In addition to the authenticity, confidentiality and integrity of sent payment information, non-repudiation is important. Threats scenarios In this part, I am going to present major threats to security based on the M-commerce security standards and address ideal scenarios, observed during each methods. The following list shows the threats: Money thefts: as long as, m-commerce involves transaction, driven by monetary values. The system will always attract hackers, crackers and anyone with the knowledge of exploiting and abusing the system. They often set fake websites, in order to extract customers personal data, credit card details etc. Threats to the system: mobile devices are not spared from those deceptive methods of stealing information. Viruses, Trojans, Worms are often planted by individuals for reasons known best to them alone, in order to compromise the credibility of all m-commerce system. Threats observed during authentication: Observation: An adversary can download the client on a laptop/desktop and use its insecurities for malicious purposes. An adversary can obtain the user credentials stored on the mobile phone by transferring the contents to pc/laptop from the phone or memory card. An adversary can register with valid details of a valid bank account holder and access his/her account details or make transactions. An adversary can access user credentials directly from the phones folders or from phones memory card. An adversary can obtain the new PIN for transacting using the weak forgot password feature or an adversary can change the password/PIN of a valid user without authentication/authorization. An adversary can use the auto-complete feature to access a valid users account. An adversary can guess weak passwords/PIN to retrieve customer information. Ideal scenario: An adversary can download the client on laptop/desktop and use its insecurities for malicious purposes. An adversary can use the auto-complete feature to access a valid users account. The customer has to first register with the bank. Customer details like full name, postal address, e-mail address, bank account details and mobile phone number should be provided. The bank would inform the vendor to push the mobile client application to the mobile number provided by the customer. This can be done through a system which communicates between the server at vendor end and bank end. The vendor enters the mobile number of the customer and the client application is pushed to it. This ensures that the client is not downloaded to a pc or laptop and misused. In case the push is not possible, the customer has to be informed and the client application installed by the vendor. The application has to ensure that during installation a few checks are done Transfer the banks and vendors public key for encryption purposes. There can be two keys generated for the vendor; one for storage and one for data transmission. The client files/folders are installed on the phone and not in the memory card. The files and folders should be restricted from being transferred to a memory card or pc/laptop. The access to these files should only be through the executable and not directly. The installer should be removed after installation. Application should not allow auto-complete feature. Threats observed during transactions Observation: Based on the services provided to the customer the following threats can be observed: An adversary can sniff the contents of transaction and obtain confidential information. An adversary can bypass authentication controls. An adversary can make bogus shopping or purchase transactions for another valid customer. An adversary can view the account details of another user. An adversary can modify the from account and amount field during a fund transfer process. An adversary can predict the session id and perform transactions as a valid user. An adversary can access a valid account using an active session which has not been terminated after a long time of inactivity. An adversary can login using his credentials and view/modify the details of another valid customer. Illegal/Invalid transactions can be performed without continuous authentication process for each transaction. Ideal scenario An adversary can sniff the contents of transaction and obtain confidential information. All transactions should be through a secured connection. Data transmitted between the client application and the vendor server should be through HTTPS or another secured channel and also encrypted through the vendors transport public key. The data flowing back from vendor sever to the client should be through HTTPS or a secured channel. The data flowing between the vendor server and bank server should be through HTTPS. Also the customer details, which are not required by the vendor, should be encrypted using the banks public key. The return should be through HTTPS. Any data flowing between bank/vendor to other third parties or merchants like for mobile shopping should be through a secured payment gateway. An adversary can bypass authentication controls, Illegal/Invalid transactions can be performed without continuous authentication process for each transaction and view the account details of another user. Each transaction or operation should be authenticated either using a single layer or a dual layer. The vendor side application should authenticate the customer using the PIN for non-critical operations. Validation checks should be in place to ensure that this authentication control is not bypassed. For critical transactions, there can be dual authentication mechanism, one using the PIN at the vendor and other using the Internet banking ID at the bank side. Validation checks should be in place to ensure that this authentication control is not bypassed. An adversary can make bogus shopping or purchase transactions for another valid customer. An adversary can modify the from account and amount field during a fund transfer process. For example, in a fund transfer operation the bank should ask for the Internet banking credentials from the customer for authentication and verification. Also checks need to be in place to ensure that the from account field cannot be modified or the amount field is not negative. An adversary can predict the session id and perform transactions as a valid user. For example, an adversary can access a valid account using an active session which has not been terminated after a long time of inactivity and login using his credentials and view/modify the details of another valid customer.In mobile shopping operation, the payment should be through a secured payment gateway. Ideally, the vendor should not store the details of the shopping done by the customer. In case the vendor performs the payment for the customer for his/her purchases, then only the details need to be stored at the vendor. Then the customer authorizes the bank to transfer the amount to the vendors account for making the payment to the merchant for his/her item. Having a good session management mechanism ensures that attackers dont use a valid session id for login purposes. Also the application should ensure that users are not able to change the data and view another customers details. Other possible threats: An adversary can upload malicious files to the server/application. Ideally, a mobile banking scenario would not require a customer to upload files to the server. Hence the same can be disabled for customers. An adversary can obtain the confidential customer data and source code from the server. All customer data and application source code at the vendor server should be protected not only from the outside attackers, but from internal users/developers also. Malicious activities are undetected. Audit trails and logging need to be maintained for the application which mentions the customer name, bank details and transaction performed with time and date for future reference. An adversary can obtain the details of the server or error messages provide information for the adversary to perform specific attacks. The application should ensure no messages are provided to the outside world which would reveal information about the system. An adversary can obtain the vendor private key from the server to perform man-in-the-middle attacks. The private keys should be stored securely and access should only be given to the application to use the keys during any kind of operations. Security Technology This part of my report focuses on the network technologies, which are relevant to a secure M-commerce system. The security itself focuses on three aspects, studied in the IST SHAMAN project: M-commerce network security, Transport layer security and Service security. The IST SHAMAN has studied the security architecture of current and potential future mobile systems. Here, they are discussed: M-commerce Network Security GSM (General System for Mobile Communication): established in the early 1990s, the GSM is the first generation mobile phones and major device for M-commerce. The devices presented strong limitations with respect to their capabilities other than telephony. In term of data service, the dial-in data sessions over circuit switched connections were possible but relatively slow, at 9, 6 Kbits/s and required a separate device such a computer, which reduced its mobility. As the GSM core network extended, a number of data services where established such as: The Short Message Service (SMS) The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) allowing internet access The High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) providing higher data rates The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) extends GSM with packet oriented services The figure, below shows an architecture of GSM, including GPRS, IN (Intelligent Network) and SMS. Figure 2: GSM Architecture What is the scenario in this architecture and what does the GSM provides as security features? The mobile station communicates over the wireless interface with a base transceiver station (BTS) which is part of a base station subsystem (BSS). The base station controller (BSC) is connected with a MSC (Mobile Switching Centre) and a SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node). The latter two are the central switching components for circuit and packet switched data. When a customer subscribes, the GSM home network assigns the mobile station a unique identifier, the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and an authentication key Ki. The IMSI and the secret authentication key Ki of the mobile station (MS) are stored in the SIM (subscriber identity module), which is assumed to be tamper proof. On the network side, the IMSI, Ki and other information are stored in the HLR (Home Location Register) and AuC (Authentication Centre). GSM provides the following security features for the link between the mobile station and the network: †¢ IMSI confidentiality †¢ IMSI authentication †¢ User data confidentiality on physical connections †¢ Connectionless user data confidentiality †¢ Signaling information element confidentiality In general, the security architecture of GSM, presents basic security mechanisms for M-commerce systems. The authentication towards the network, from a mobile customer is based on a secret ki that will derive to a symmetric key, used to encrypt the link between the mobile station and the BTS. The secret key ki is never sent over the network. From there, we can say that GSM presents two weaknesses, Authentication and Encryption as it is optional. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System): the security architecture of UMTS is designed to fix the security weaknesses of GMS. In UMTS, authentication is mutual, and encryption is mandatory unless the mobile station and the network agree on an unciphered connection. In addition, integrity protection is always mandatory and protects against replay or modification of signaling messages. UMTS introduces new cipher algorithms and longer encryption keys. Thus, UMTS doesnt seem to have any security weaknesses. The architecture of this technology is depicted below: Figure 3  : UTRAN system WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network): The IEEE standard 802.11 specifies families of WLANs which operate in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz band. The standards specify the physical layer (PHY) and the medium access control layer (MAC). When operated in the infrastructure mode, the mobile station attaches to an AP which provides connectivity to fixed net IP networks (e.g. the internet) or to other mobile stations. While, in the default mode, WLAN is not secured, this means: there is a possibility of an eavesdrop attack. In order to provide a measure of security, the IEEE and IETF, have defined the WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) and the VPN (Virtual Privacy Network). WEP was designed to provide: Authentication to protect the association to an AP Integrity protection on MAC frames Confidentiality on MAC frames In comparison to other network technologies, the WEP is insecure. Based on its secret key, that serves as input for the RC4 stream cipher, the authentication and integrity protection is completely insecure and encryption at least partly insecure. There is a possibility for an attacker to intercept a single successful authentication transaction between a mobile station and the AP and be able to authenticate without knowing the secret keys. Furthermore, since a CRC checksum is used for integrity protection, an attacker can modify the data and adapt the checksum accordingly. For example, if the position of commercially sensitive information (e.g. an amount) within a datagram is known, the corresponding bits can be ex-ored with any value. With a large number of intercepted frames, the WEP keys can even be recovered, breaking the encryption. Furthermore, since the WEP keys are network keys, preserving their secrecy is difficult for private networks and impossible for public WLAN hotspots. In recent work of the IEEE Task group on security (TgI), the new security standard IEEE 802.1X has been adopted. 802.1X is a framework for authentication and key management which employs the Extensible Authentication Protocol for a variety of authentication mechanisms, e.g. certificate based TLS. But the weaknesses of WEP cannot be remedied by the new authentication and key management schemes in 802.1X. The IEEE is currently working towards a new standard (WEP2), and a number of proposals are in circulation. VPN: the technology is employ to particular IPsec, in order to establish network layer security. The IPsec protocol (or more specifically the ESP Tunnel protocol) is an internet s

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Theories of Justice in Medieval Philosophy :: German Philosophy Papers

Theories of Justice in Medieval Philosophy ABSTRACT: I discuss the reception of the classical definitions of "the just" in the philosophy of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero and Ulpian by the authors of Latin Medieval philosophy. In the twelfth century we can see an emerging differentiation between philosophical and theological discourse, for example in the work of Peter Abelard. In the thirteenth century, in the philosophical writing of Thomas Aquinas, we find the most important philosophical definition of "the just." Aquinas avoids some of the aporias in which the Aristotelian theory on justice was involved. 1.) Ich gehe im Anschluß an die Thesen von Charles Haskins von der Beobachtung aus, daß sich im Zuge der Herausbildung der scholastischen Methode als einer Tendenz zur "Verwissenschaftlichung aller Theorie" entscheidende Umbrà ¼che in der geistigen Welt des Mittelalters vollziehen, die die Zeitgenossen veranlassen, die à ¼berlieferten Konzepte der Weltinterpretation einer Revision zu unterziehen; in deren Verlauf bilden sich die tragenden Begriffe und die sozialen Organisationsmuster heraus, die wir rà ¼ckblickend als die Bestandteile des Prozesses der okzidentalen Rationalisierung und Aufklà ¤rung identifizieren kà ¶nnen. Diese Zusammenhà ¤nge sollen hier nur illustrativ verdeutlicht werden durch den Hinweis auf die Entstehung der Kathedralschulen und die Neugrà ¼ndung der Università ¤ten, auf die Ablà ¶sung der Methodik der "artes liberales" durch die Wiederentdeckung des Konzepts der "scientia" sowie auf die eindeutige Tendenz zur Entsakralisierung der Sicht der pol itischen Herrschaft. Das sich in den Bahnen der Scholastik artikulierende Interesse an Rationalità ¤t verà ¤ndert von Grund auf das Selbstverstà ¤ndnis des Bildungssystems; ein Prozeß, der sich im 12. und 13. Jhdt. deutlich bemerkbar macht. Dieses betrifft alle à ¼berlieferten Wissensformen: Von der neuen Gestalt der Medizin in der Schule von Salerno bis zur "Entdeckung der Natur" in der Schule von Chartre (Thierry von Chartre, Wilhelm von Conches), von der methodisch neue Wege gehenden Bearbeitung der "Digesten" in der Schule von Bologna (Gratian) bis zur Entfaltung der rationalen Theologie eines Anselm von Canterbury oder Peter Abaelard). Dies schließt auch im 13. Jhdt. inmitten der Artistenfakultà ¤t in Paris das Erwachen eines neuen Konzepts von Philosophie als Wissenschaft eigenen Rechts ein. Nicht eigentlich ausgelà ¶st, aber begleitet und verstà ¤rkt wird dieser Wandlungsprozeß durch die Wiederentdeckung bzw. Neulektà ¼re von Texten der griechischen und latei nischen Antike, allen voran Aristoteles materiale Schriften, die nicht unerheblich zur Entfaltung einer akademischen Kultur der Disputation und der intellektuellen Suche nach Auflà ¶sung von Widersprà ¼chen beitragen. Im Zuge dieser Verà ¤nderungen kà ¶nnen wir unschwer auch eine neue Weise der Behandlung des Begriffs des

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Compelling Motives of European Imperialism Essay -- European Histo

The Compelling Motives of Imperialism The presence of Europe in Africa in the late nineteenth century was one of extreme power. The countries of France, Britain, and Germany had especially large claims to the African continent during this time. The motives of imperialism for these countries greatly define Europe at this time. Insatiable desires for economic markets, power and political struggles, the motivating belief in Social Darwinism, and the European idea of superiority were the driving forces at the European home front in the late nineteenth century. Many of the causes for imperialism in Africa were evident in Joseph Conrad’s turn of the century novel, Heart of Darkness. Successful domination of Africa was not attainable prior to the eighteen hundreds. The obstacles of travel and disease were too powerful to overcome. However, with the development of the steamship and the protection from malaria in the form of quinine, Europeans tackled Africa with a renewed energy (Sanderson â€Å"Imperialism notes†). A European council congregated in 1885 and drew up the Berlin Act, which was responsible for the carving of Africa into pieces of land for the major imperialistic powers in Europe (Lehmann â€Å"The Scramble for Africa†). Political and nationalistic rivals were fueled and each European power desired to prosper greater than their competitors did. Political goals were often achieved through imperialism. Countries competed for â€Å"strategic passages† and â€Å"overseas bases† in locations throughout Africa (Lehmann â€Å"European Imperialism). The goals of achieving the most power and wealth from various regions throu gh imperialistic measures were realized during the age of imperialism. A new source of economic resources for eve... ...rialism in the nineteenth century. Links and Works Cited: http://www.usd.edu/honors/HWB/1999/1999f/index.htm Clayton Miles Lehmann compiled this website. It is based upon Imperialism, with my attention to â€Å"European Imperialism† and â€Å"The Scramble for Africa†. There is also a map depicting the carving of Africa. http://www.angelfire.com/tx/sandersonAP/NotesImp.htm This website provides note-like structured description of European imperialism by Dr. Sanderson. It highlights reasons for imperialism and different areas that were imperialized. http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/~patrick/151/africa.htm Patrick M. Patterson designed this website. A description of Africa before European imperialism is provided here. There are also explanations of the delay of imperialism and some causes of it. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: The Modern Library, 1999.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Yeast and Fermentation

Dinah Gibson Ms. Lunsford Honors Chemistry 12/6/2011 Abstract Yeast is widely used for making bread, beer, and wine. People all over the world drink and eat those products. This projects looks at which fruit juice with a higher percentage of sugar will produce more fermentation. The original purpose of this experiment was to determine the amount of fermentation of 3 different fruit juices after adding a certain amount of yeast. By measuring the type of fruit juice (independent variable) the amount of fermentation as shown by the reduction of sugar (dependent variable). My hypothesis my hypothesis is that the fruit juice with a higher percentage of sugar will produce more fermentation. The experimental results supported my hypothesis by showing that the results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted, because the orange juice, which had the highest sugar content, produced the most fermentation. Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if using more yeast would produce more fermentation or if using another type of juice with two of them mixed together like the cranberry-grape juice, would produce less fermentation. The Effect of Yeast on Different Fruit Juices Question: what’s the effect of different juice on yeast? Variable: The manipulated variable was the type of fruit juice. The responding variable was the amount of fermentation as shown by the reduction of sugar. Hypothesis: That the fruit juice with a higher percentage of sugar will produce more fermentation. Research Report Introduction Fermentation has been around for a very long time. People have used it for making bread, beer, wine and other products. There have been scientists and chemists who have discovered new things about fermentation. There are many types of fermentation including fermentation of fruit juices, malted grain and other sugars. Fermentation Fermentation is a chemical process that breaks down organic matter. Microbes like bacteria carry out this process. Mold and yeast act upon molasses and mineral salts to create penicillin. Yeast breaks down sugar taken from malted grain and turns it into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide gas to make beer. French Scientist Louis Pasteur discovered that microbes ferment beer and wine. Fermentation is also used to make bread, cheese and yogurt. Sometimes fermentation can be unhealthy; for example milk that has been fermented turns sour. There are 1900 other types of fermentation found. Fermentation is also used to make certain drugs, vitamins and some chemicals. Fungi Fungi are organisms that lack chlorophyll, the green matter that plants use to make their food. Fungi cannot make their own food, instead they absorb it from around them. According to mycologists there are over 100,000 species of fungi. Yeasts and other one-celled fungi are too small to be seen without a microscope. Most types can be seen with the unaided eye. Some of the most common fungi are mildews, molds, mushrooms and plant rusts. Fungi break down complex animal and plant materials into simple compounds. This process of decomposition enriches the soil and makes essential substances available to pants in a form they can use. Through decomposition, fungi also return carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, where green plants reuse it to make food. Yeast Yeast is a single celled organism. Yeast is a fungus that exists almost everywhere in nature, including the air. Bakers use yeast to make bread rise. Yeast is used for making beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages. It consists of masses of microscopic organisms. There are 600 species of yeast, but only a few are used commercially. Yeast grows fast, and it grows best in sugar. Yeast cells reproduce by fission and budding. Bud swelling forms on a yeast cell wall, and then it breaks off to form a new single cell. In the early times yeast was used for bread, beer, wine and other products. In the 1600’s Dutch Scientist Anton Van Leeuwenhoek discovered yeast cells. In 1860 French Scientist Louis Pasteur confirmed that live yeast organisms cause fermentation of beer and wine. How Yeast Is Used Since yeast fungi lack chlorophyll, yeast relies on other plants to supply their food. They eat sugar from sources like fruit, grain, nectar and molasses. Yeast cells produce a chemical called enzymes and ferments that break down their food. Some yeast break down sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas, this process is called fermentation. Bakers yeast is used as a leavening, a substance that makes bread rise. Sugar is needed for fermentation. Bakers may add sugar to the dough to hasten fermentation. Yeast breaks down sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. A substance in the dough called gluten traps the bubbles from the gas. As the gas bubbles expand, the gluten stretches causing the bread to rise. The alcohol produced by fermentation evaporates when the bread is baking. When being baked, the bread yeast is destroyed. Yeast used in wine acts on the sugar in grapes and other fruits to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide gas through fermentation. Most wines allow the gas to escape into the air. In some champagnes and sparkly wines the gas remains to provide the drink’s natural bubbles. Brewers yeast cannot act directly on the grain used for beer, so brewers convert the starch in the grain into sugar by means of a process called malting. Yeast is then added to convert the sugar into alcohol. The gas formed during fermentation is pumped off the beer and then added again to carbonate it. Yeast is also used for the production of a dietary supplement called single cell protein. Yeast produces large amounts of particular vitamins and is used in the commercial production of vitamins. Yeast used in brewing can absorb and store vitamins from their food. People eat these yeasts as vitamin supplements. Certain yeast fungus can produce large amounts of useful substances such as fat, glycerol, industrial alcohol and various enzymes. The yeast is used in the commercial production of these substances. How Yeast Is Made Before the commercial production of yeast in the 1890’s, yeast fungi from the air leavened the bread that people baked. Homemakers prepared dough and left it uncovered and yeasts landed on it and began the fermentation process. Later excess yeast from the beer and winemaking industries was used in bread making. This yeast is called barm. When bakers yeast first became an industry, manufacturers grew yeast fungi on malted grain. Today bakers yeast is produced on molasses, which consists mostly of sugar. Bakers yeast is manufactured in two forms, dried grains and moist cakes. Cakes of yeast are made up of live, active cells. Yeast cells in dried grains are live but not active. Dried yeast must be mixed with warm water before yeast fungi can grow. Yeast cakes must be refrigerated, but they spoil after about six weeks. Dried yeast doesn’t need to be refrigerated but it will last longer. Sugar Green plants produce sugar, but most table sugar comes from sugar cane or beets. Other sources of sugar are cornstarch, milk, maple syrup and honey. Sugar belongs to the class of foods called carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide energy for plants and animals. There are two kinds of sugar monosaccharaides and disaccharides. Monosaccharaides are the simplest carbohydrates, include glucose and fructose. Glucose is the most important carbohydrate in the blood. Fructose is found in fruits and vegetables. Common disaccharides include lactose and maltose. Lactose is found in milk and is used in the production of some medications. Maltose is formed from starch and it is used in the production of bread and baby food. Summary There are many different things needed for fermentation including, yeast, fruit juice or malted grain, and sugar. Fermentation produces many products like bread, cheese, yogurt, wine and beer. One unhealthy product of fermentation is fermented milk. Material list: 16 transparent containers 12g Yeast 25000ml Orange juice 1250ml Apple juice 1250ml Cranberry-grape juice 1 Cylinder 1 Gram scale 1 Thermometer PROCEDURES 1. Gather materials. 2. Label four containers OJ control 1, 2, 3 and 4. 3. Label four containers as oj1, oj2, oj3, and oj4. 4. Label four containers as ap1, ap2, ap3, and ap4. 5. Label four containers as cgr1, cgr2, cgr3, and cgr4. 6. Add 250ml of orange juice to each of the containers labeled OJ control 1, 2, 3 and 4. . Add 250ml of orange juice to each of the containers labeled OJ 1, 2, 3 and 4. 8. Add 250ml of apple juice to each of the containers labeled AP 1, 2, 3 and 4. 9. Add 250ml of cranberry-grape juice to each of the containers labeled cgr 1, 2,3and4. 10. Measure the sugar in each of the juices before adding the yeast, record results. 11. Add one gram of yeast to each of th e containers labeled OJ 1, 2, 3, and 4. 12. Add one gram of yeast to each of the containers labeled AP 1, 2, 3, and4. 13. Add one gram of yeast to each of the containers labeled cgr 1, 2, 3, and4. 14. Allow the juice to ferment for 72 hours. 15. Use the brix meter to measure the sugar after the fermentation process, record results. 16. Subtract first measurement from the second measurement, record results 17. Compare which fruit juice produced the most fermentation, record results. Data In this graph you can see the amount of sugar in each group for all three trials. It shows that the orange juice and control group contained the most sugar. In this graph you can see the amount of sugar that each group had after fermentation. This shows that all the groups except the control group, lost a lot of sugar. In this graph you can see how much sugar each group lost. It shows that the orange juice contained the most sugar (meaning it produced the most fermentation). Conclusion My hypothesis was that fruit juices with a higher percentage of sugar would produce more fermentation: The results indicate that this hypothesis should be accepted, because the orange juice, which had the highest sugar content, produced the most fermentation. Because of the results of this experiment, I wonder if using more yeast would produce more fermentation or if using another type of juice with two of them mixed together like the cranberry-grape juice, would produce less fermentation. My findings should be useful to wineries because I found that the juices I used produced a large amount of fermentation therefore might make good wine. If I were to conduct this project again I would do more trials, do a replication of the entire experiment, use more varieties of juices and use a better method of measurement. Bibliography â€Å"Fermentation. † Utah State University: Intermountain Herbarium. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. . â€Å"Yeast Fermentation. † NEWTON, Ask a Scientist at Argonne National Labs! Web. 27 Oct. 2011. lt;http://www. newton. dep. anl. gov/askasci/mole00/mole00195. htm>. Katz, Sandor Ellix. Wild Fermentation: the Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-culture Foods. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Pub. , 2003. Print. Acknowledgements I would like to thank the following people. Without their help, my project would not have been possible: My mom for getting all of my materials needed and helping me with the broad design. My Honors Chemistry Teach er (Ms. Lunsfords) for helping me understand the concept of fermentation. My Aunt for getting me a Brix Meter from her job.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

American Involvment in World War I Essay

This investigation assesses American involvement in World War I before military intervention, and how this led to military intervention. In order to assess these causes, one must examine America’s involvement in the war before combat, the events that launched America’s military intervention in the war, American sentiments about the war before military intervention, and Woodrow Wilson’s actions before the war. Two sources used in the essay, America’s Great War: World War One and the American Experience by Robert H.  Ziegler and Woodrow Wilson’s speech to congress on April 2nd, 1917 are evaluated for their origins, values, purposes and limitations. The investigation does not asses the pre-war situations of any countries but the United States, and does not asses American military involvement during the First World War Summary Of Evidence Prior to 1917, America was already deeply involved in the First World War, though they did not have troops fighting in the trenches overseas. First, American involvement in the war was purely as a producer and creditor to the Allied Powers. The war, while catastrophic for the countries involved in its atrophied trench battles, provided America with an astronomical boost to its economy, from 2 billion dollars in exported materials in 1913 to nearly 6 billion dollars in exports in 1916. This economic boom was mainly brought on by Britain’s dependency on American foodstuffs and manufactured goods.. The economic ties between America and Britain tightened with public subscription loans. By 1917, Britain had borrowed 2. 7 billion dollars from American creditors. Historian Paul Koistinen wrote â€Å"Without American supplies, Britain could not continue the war; without American financing of almost 10$ million a day †¦ Britain would exhaust its reserves of gold and securities by March 1917. Its dependence was total. Cutting back procurement . . . would produce disaster in England† Originally, America did nothing but reap the reward of â€Å"neutrality†. When Americas turned their eyes to the stage of war in Europe, they were truly terrified. One Chicago newspaper joked â€Å"A hearty vote of thanks to Columbus for having discovered America†. This sentiment was echoed by many American citizens, who showed pride in President Woodrow Wilson’s decision to declare America a neutral state in the war. Americans thoughts on the war lied in their bloodlines, as a majority of Americans were descendants from either Allied or Central Powers nations. Most Americans, early in the war at least, didn’t understand the war or why it was being fought, and were glad that America wasn’t involved. However, these robust Anti-Involvement sentiments began to fade after May 7 1915, the day of the Lusitania crisis. German U-Boats torpedoed and sunk a passenger liner in British waters, killing nearly 1,200 civilians, including 128 American citizens. The murder of these innocents set off the first widespread pro war feelings in Americans. This outrage was justified, but was also heightened by yellow journalism that demonized Germans as barbarians and deranged killers. President Woodrow Wilson, taking note of this event and the outrage it caused, warned the Germans that any further violation of American rights would result in â€Å"Strict Accountability† for these actions. This, as well as the bloody war dragging on in Europe, brought up the question of military preparedness in the United States. By 1916, pro-preparedness sentiment was widespread, as 135,000 supporters of expanding the military marched on New York City’s 5th Avenue, for 12 hours. In Chicago, 130,000 telephone operators moved in the shape of an American flag, goose-stepping down State Street. In the election of 1916, Woodrow Wilson ran against Charles E. Hughes, who was backed by Theodore Roosevelt, former president and staunch Allied Powers supporter, as well as an advocate for military preparedness. Woodrow Wilson won the election by only about 600,000 popular votes. However, these sentiments were met with an equally strong anti-militarism force, saying that in a chaotic world, America must be a beacon and resist entrance into war, and resist building an enormous military. Strong anti-militaristic sentiments began to fade when British intelligence officers intercepted a telegram sent from Foreign Secretary of the German Empire Arthur Zimmermann to the German ambassador of Mexico, Heinrich von Eckardt. This infamous proposal, known as the Zimmermann note, proposed that Mexico wage war against the United States. Throughout America’s neutrality in World War 1, President Wilson had acted as a mediator, but with tension building to a terminal level and with the Zimmermann note, Wilson was forced to ask congress to bolster America’s military forces on April 2nd 1917. Later in the same year, America sent its first military forces oversees Evaluation Of Sources Robert H Zieger: America’s Great War: World War One and the American Experience Origins- (2000) Zieger is a respected labor historian Purpose- Provides an in-depth look at American involvement in the war. Value- The economic statistics and quotations from various primary and secondary sources allow the reader to evaluate the validity of the claims Zieger makes. Limitations- does not provide any new opinions or claims Woodrow Wilson, April 2nd 1917 to congress to persuade congress to bring the United States Origin- German hostile actions towards the United States Purpose- Persuade congress to declare war on Germany and the Central Powers Value- clearly outlined Wilson’s reason’s for entering war Limitations- doesn’t explain the underlying causes of military intervention or pressure from big business to declare war for entry  Analysis America’s involvement in World War One began with producing vital weapons and foodstuffs for the Allied Powers, as well as economically supporting the Allied nation’s governments. Throughout the war, the German Empire repeatedly acted belligerently towards the neutral United States, sinking passenger lines, killing Amer ican civilians. Tension with Germany also rose after the proposal to Mexico asking the Mexican army to wage war on the United States. These belligerent German acts, however, would not have held as much effect as they did if American political opinions had not been shifted by the German actions, the economic pressure of close ties to the Allied nations, or social pressure brought along by shifting political attitudes. These all contributed to tensions growing regarding American military involvement I World War One President Woodrow Wilson was a stalwart proponent of American neutrality in the First World War for the almost all of the war, but the American political climate at the time forced his hand.. He was able to win this election because most voters at the time had pro-neutrality sentiments. However, Wilson took into account his slim margin of victory, and the Republican’s yearning for a prepared military. These yearnings were brought on mainly by the Lusitania sinking. A major proponent for intervention, the previously mentioned Theodore Roosevelt, denounced these acts of the German Empire as acts of piracy. Roosevelt’s popularity made these statements extremely well heard. This shift in public opinion helped force President Wilson’s hand. America’s involvement in World War One before it entry in combat was extremely vital, producing millions of dollars’ worth of material for Britain and France, as well as financing the war through small loans. This dependency was built by J. P Morgan, who traded nearly 3 billion dollars’ worth of goods with the allied powers. By 1917, America had invested 2. 7 billion dollars in Britain alone. Historian Paul Koistinen’s quote regarding British dependency on American trade shows how deeply entrenched America was with the war’s affairs pre involvement. These statistics show that the allied powers were completely dependent on American economic support American corporations had an immense amount of wealth in the war, and if they Allied powers lost the war, all of their investments would be worth nothing, because the countries that had been responsible for repaying these debts would no longer exist. The war was taking a detrimental toll on the populations of the warring nations, and the war was almost completely atrophied. It was only a matter of time before one side lost, and it was essential to American business that it was the Allied Powers. Had the allied powers lost to the central powers, American financers would have lost 2. 7 billion dollars as a whole, 2. 7 billion dollars that were needed to give to American business, 2. 7 billion dollars that banks needed to stay in business. Throughout pre-involvement America, as early as the dawn of the war, so called â€Å"hyphenated Americans†, had opinions on what side of the war to support, dependent on their country of origin. German-Americans, the largest ethnic group at the time , supported what they thought of as their motherland, Germany, therefore supported the Central Powers. The second largest ethnic group, Irish-Americans, saw Great Britain as an oppressor, therefore were also supporters of the central powers. However, most Americans at the time were still pro-neutrality. A Chicago newspaper, expressing thanks to Columbus, wrote an article on the blessing of the Atlantic Ocean. This was a popular sentiment at the time, and many Americans were proud of Wilson’s decision to be neutral. After the sinking of American ocean liner Lusitania the support of neutrality began to fade. Before the Lusitania disaster, however, 92 ships had been sunken by aggressive German action. None of these attacks had gained as much publicity, partially due to the fact that the previous sinking’s hadn’t been as destructive. But this was also due to the fact that the Lusitania sinking was grabbed onto by yellow journalists. â€Å"The blood of these murdered victims cries for vengeance. If that cry is unheard, the people of the United States will always bear upon them the stigma of the greatest humiliation ever put upon a nation. Writes a reporter from the Toronto Telegram. President Wilson demanded that German U-Boats stop sinking civilian liners, and if they continued to do so, they would be met with military retaliation. This didn’t stop Germans from sinking boats, and Wilson’s failure to take action against them infuriated Americans. Observing the protests in American cities at the time, one can judge that huge masses of people were strongly in favo r of interventionism. Conclusion The process of the American military joining the Allied Powers seemed inevitable from the start of the war, but still took hostile action and over reaction to spark military involvement. America’s pre-war economic ties to Europe and America’s reliance on trade with these nations during the war made America’s involvement with these nations too deep to let them lose the war, therefore forcing combat. Woodrow Wilson’s strong stance on neutrality couldn’t stand up to the enormous pressure he faced from the people of the United States.

Restaurant Report Essay

Cut pork into  ½ in. squares and with the pork bones fry over low heat until brown and the meat is slightly dry. If pork is very fatty, pour off all but 4 or 5 tablespoons of the grease. Using a colander, strain tomatoes into an 8-quart saucepan and coarsely chop tomatoes. Combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, hot water, cooked pork, and bones in the same saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes. Add spices, chopped hot peppers and chopped chilies (including jalapeà ±o). Continue boiling for another 20 minutes. Finish by cooking on medium heat until desired thickness, usually about another 20 minutes. Remove bones before serving. Serve in deep bowls with tortilla if desired. The recipe for green chili comes from the La Bolos restaurant in Denver, CO. My mother gave me the recipe, which she acquired from the restaurant in the 1980’s. She first started going to the restaurant with her best friend Debbee when she was in graduate school. My mother has always told me that  she loved the recipe because even though graduate school was grueling and tiresome, her and Debbee would make time to go to La Bolos. At La Bolos they would wait in line just to get their table in the back then they would both order the smothered bean burrito with their signature green chili. Although eventually my mother and Debbee graduated, my mother got the recipe for green chili and continued to make it on her own. When my mother first started to make the green chili she followed the recipe to the â€Å"t†. However after decades of taste testing her and I have tweaked the recipe to increase the amount of green chili peppers and jalapeà ±o peppers. We have also replaced the sugar with Splenda in order to cut down calories. My mother started to make green chili for my grandpa when he came to visit her after graduate school and he fell in love with it. Since he enjoyed the chili so much my mother began to make it every time my grandpa visited. It became a tradition that green chili would be made every time grandpa came to visit. When I was a young girl my grandpa always taught me that the chili wasn’t hot enough if he wasn’t red in the face and sweating; Hence the addition of jalapeà ±os. Usually the dish is served in the mid-afternoon after my grandpa has walked around the house making minor fixes to the various appliances. Everyone sits around the table and has a bowl of green chili while we inquire into my grandpa’s fascinating history. The main ingredient in the green chili is pork shoulder, which comes from the pig. Pigs originated from the wild boar, Sus scrofa, which originated from the Middle East and the Mediterranean sometime between 7000-5000 BCE. Archaeologists have also found remnants of domesticated pigs in Palestine, Iraq, Turkey, and Greece (Gade). They have also found pigs were the oldest domesticated animal besides dogs. Other archaeologists have found that pigs may have originated in Southeast Asia then migrated to China. Since archaeologists have come to different conclusions as to where the pig originated, it has been suggested that the pig may have domesticated in multiple places. In addition pigs may have made the conscious choice to move to places where were humans present, since pigs could feed off of humans waste (Gade). Waste was a good source of food for pigs because they are able to eat plants and animals. In the Middle Ages people began to breed and sell  pigs as a source of income. Breeding of pigs became more intricate at this time because now there were laws and regulations that needed to be followed in order to be a pig farmer. In the modern world there are still many restrictions on how pigs can be raised and slaughtered for consumption such as how large the living area must be and how many antibiotics can be given to the pigs. Another key ingredient to the green chili is diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Tomatoes can be dated back to 900 BCE and were originally from the Americas, specifically the Andes region. However due to their distinct smell when on the vine people in the Americas believed that the tomato was poisonous and a part of the nightshade family so people did not use then for food. Instead people used tomato plants as decoration for their gardens, due to their bright green and red colors (Texas A&M). Europeans were the first people to realize that tomatoes were edible and began to spread the knowledge. Italians were the first Europeans to grow tomatoes in the 1550’s and people in Europe soon began to call tomatoes the â€Å"love apples† (Texas A&M). In North America the cultivation of tomatoes did not grow to the extent that it did in Europe until Thomas Jefferson included them in his massive garden. Jefferson was known for growing vegetables and taking notes on their growth, whic h allowed for farmers everywhere to learn when his discoveries became public. Nowadays tomatoes are cultivated all over the world and new varieties are being created and tested. The most essential ingredients to green chili, in my opinion, are the hot green chili peppers and jalapenos. Chili peppers are thought to have originated in 5000 BC in what is now Mexico. Christopher Columbus is credited for discovering Capsicum, but he incorrectly placed it in the pepper category with black pepper (Food Timeline). Columbus brought the chili pepper to Europe where it quickly spread to India and Asia through various trade routes. Many scholars note that the Portuguese were essential in the spread of the chili pepper throughout these trade routes. However specifics on these trade routes are unknown as they either were not documented or were destroyed over time. Eventually people began to expand upon the use of chilies besides just using them as a spice. Stuffed chilies,  stuffed peppers, and beef stewed with chilies became extremely popular in the 19th and 20th centuries and still are today. The other ingredients in the green chili that really bring it together are sugar, salt, and garlic. Although hardly detectable the chili would not be complete without these three items. Sugar originated in the Indies in 1200 BC and was used by the Egyptians and Phoenicians as a medicine (Food Timeline). However it wasn’t until 1000 BC that Arabs in Crete perfected the refinement of sugar. When explorers came to the New World they realized the potential to mass-produce sugar from the abundant sugar cane in the area. The British colonies became obsessed with production of sugar and devoted the colonies of Barbados and Jamaica to sugar production (Food Timeline). Their investments paid off as sugar continued to sell and be produced in colonies all over the New World. Since this time sugar has become further refined and mass produced in various forms including the highly controversial form of high fructose corn syrup. Salt has been present on Earth as an essential mineral since the Neolithic age. There are even salt mines in China dating back all the way to 2000 BC. People began to settle in areas where salt mines were and they began to take advantage of the natural habitat and mined the salt out of the earth. In addition to salt mining people boiled off water from salty lakes and springs. In the 4th century it was discovered that iodine deficiency was associated with overactive thyroid and in 1833 the French recommended iodized salt as the solution to overactive thyroid. This recommendation was not present in the United States until the 1920’s. One of the oldest foods known on the ingredient list for green chili is the garlic. Garlic dates back to 3000 BC and originated from Central Asia (Food Timeline). It was known, and still is, for its medicinal and therapeutic uses. In Ancient Rome and in the Middle Ages garlic was known to be â€Å"peasant food† and was not seen as appropriate for people in higher classes. Thankfully by the 19th century people recognized its flavorful value and it become the celebrated ingredient that is today in the modern world. The ingredients to green chili may all have different origins, but they are all prevalent in modern day Mexico. This chili has a distinctly Mexican flavor to it due to the tomatoes, garlic, and chili peppers. Although my family has no cultural ties to Mexico, my mother living in a predominately Mexican area of Denver allowed for green chili to become one of my families most loved recipes. It has become a dish that will always bring comfort and memories with my grandfather to my family and me. References The Food Timeline http://www.foodtimeline.org An online source Gade, Daniel W. â€Å"II.G.13. – Hogs.† The Cambridge World History of Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. . Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Texas A&M, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2014. .

Friday, November 8, 2019

The Theory Of Evolution Essays - Evolutionary Biology, Fossil

The Theory Of Evolution Essays - Evolutionary Biology, Fossil The Theory of Evolution The theory of evolution, as set forth by Charles Darwin in 1859, stated that all plant and animal life evolved over long periods of time from simple to more complicated forms through mutation and adaptation. He also taught that only the fittest of each species would survive. He further postulated that the first living cell evolved in a "warm warm little pond" and that it took billions of years for the present diversity of living things to evolve. At the time, it was thought that the few "missing links" in the fossil record would be soon filled.(Darwin, 1927 ). Today, however, there is today a considerable body of scientific evidence that refutes this entire theory. The findings of the last 50 years both deny the possibility of Darwin's theory and make a very good case for creationism. Creationism is the belief that all of life came into being suddenly, that it still exists in much the same form, and that the earth is much younger than Darwin thought. The Law of Biogen! esis states that life only comes from life. The Harvard University Nobel Prize winner (in physiology and medicine) George Wald wrote(1954) that "the reasonable view was to believe in spontaneous generation," (evolution). He said "the only alternative is to believe in a single, primary act of supernatural creation," and "there is no third position." He explains the impossible odds of spontaneous generation, and yet refuses to accept the alternative. Later, he attempted to find whether a single amino acid change in a hemoglobin mutation could be found that doesn't adversely affect the function of that hemoglobin. He was unable to find such an instance. He also explored the interactions between proteins, amino acids, and oxygen, with energy sources such as the earth's heat and the sun's radiation. He concluded that "the overwhelming tendency for chemical reactions to move in the direction opposite to that required for the evolution of life to be the most stubborn problem t! hat confronts us - the weakest link in our argument [for the origin of life]."(Wald,1967). Mendel's Laws explain most of the physical variations observed in living things. Genes, the genetic units of heredity, are merely reshuffled from one generation to another, but new genes are never formed. Different combinations create variations, but these variations are limited. Each cow, person, dog, etc. has variations, but the genetic units do not permit dog-people, or cow-dogs. Breeding experiments by competent biologists confirm that these boundaries exist.(Fix,1984). Since mutations are the only mechanism (according to Darwin) by which new genetic material becomes available, then mutations must have occurred regularly to have spawned all our present life forms, and further, mutation must consistently go from simple to complex to have gotten us out of the primordial ooze. However, many noted biologists, including C.P. Martin and Theodosius Dobzhansky (who mutated the fruit fly), consistently report that mutation does produce hereditary changes, but "invariably affec! t it (the organism) adversely."(Salisbury, 1969). All animals are born with complex organs (the human brain has over a hundred thousand billion electrical connections), and further, all animals are born with fully developed organs. If evolution were occurring, at some point people could expect to see a reptile whose leg was becoming a wing, but they never have. Darwin himself attempted to answer a question put to him by Harvard biology professor Asa Gray, regarding the eye, and whether the "inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, and for the correct ionospherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection. This seems..... absurd in the highest degree."(Darwin,1927). Genetic and molecular biologists can now measure the degree of similarity between most forms of life by examining the sequence of the components of a specific protein. Relationship is established by the number of changes required to convert a protein o! f one organism in to the corresponding protein of another - the fewer changes, the closer the relationship. This comparison can also be made using genetic material. There is NO evidence on the molecular level for evolution. Each of the many categories of organisms appear to be equally isolated. For example, by isolating one protein (cytochromec) from a snake and comparing it with