Finding heritage at MIT

Finding heritage at MIT Ive been thinking about certain things a lot lately. I attribute this in part to Rush, in part to a slightly larger-than-usual number of crufty alums being around in the last serveral days, in part to various other things going on which I will not bother to ennumerate here. The point is, its funny how if you have major changes in your life, like going to college, they not only bring you what you expected (sometimes) but also what you didnt. I knew, of course, that MIT students got to pick where they lived, more or less. I thought that was cool. But I didnt have any way of knowing what it meant for me, or what it would come to mean to me. I was always sort of a rootless kid. Im a jumble of ethnicities, none of which has a prominent role in my psyche. I enjoyed or didnt enjoy the grade schools I was in to varying degrees, but I never felt entrenched in them maybe high school a little bit, but only to the degree that I wouldnt have wanted to switch high schools, since leaving it at graduation was pretty painless. My family doesnt have roots anywhere weve lived (my stepdad and stepbrother have, but not the rest of us), like some people do, with many generations living in the same place and it becoming a part of ones identity. I love my neighborhood back in Kentucky, and its culture, but not in the sense of knowing much about its history or being part of any sort of tradition within it, except maybe the politically-liberal-in-a-red-state part. Its probably the closest thing I had to really being part of a culture, but its not quite there. How strange that I came to college, of all places, to find a cultural identity, and a cultural heritage. It wasnt something I did purposefully, or expected to happen. But when I came here, I ended up on 5th East, a place with a decades-old culture that is itself part of the larger twinkie/hacker/builder/destroyer/geek culture that encompasses the connecting and overlapping social circles of many halls of East Campus, Random Hall, Senior Haus, a couple of FSILGs, and scattered others. Some hear me talk about the cruft (socially involved alums), and think its abnormal that people who have already graduated would hang out with college kids. I dont think its abnormal. My reply to those people is, do your parents, or the other adults you know, not have friends who are more than a couple of years younger or older than them? My dad plays trivia with a group of buddies who range from their early 30s to around 60. How is it any weirder that some of my friends are in their late 20s, or even their 30s? Or that theyd want to hang out with us after coming home from work or lab, or invite us to their houses to hang out? They have plenty in common, interest-wise and personality-wise, with us, and where but in the MIT community are they going to be able to LARP (or a regular basis, not just at Cons) or act in amateur musical theater shows or write Linux tools for fun or whatever it is thats unusual that they do? I think its the normal case thats more disturbing. You go to college, supposedly become part of this campus community that administrators everywhere harp on, and then four years later you just leave and its never part of your life again and the people who come after you have no sense of what happened before they came? The other day, one of our new freshmen was moving into her room, which happened to be a room with a history and not only that, but evidence of that history on the walls. The story is bizarre and not terribly positive, but its interesting and lots of people who are still around remember it. I told her the story as she moved in, and she was really interested, and thought it was cool that there was significance and history in her room. A lot of the rooms on hall contain history, history thats passed on through stories. People sit around in the hall and tell stories, or they sit around in a cruft house in Somerville and tell stories, and its Oh yeah, so-and-so started [moderately famous company] on his computer in that room and So-and-so lived in that room when he went crazy and [famous tragedy] happened there and Parts of Kerberos were developed in that lounge and [famous hack] was built in that room and [bizarre stuff-of-legends social politics event] happened there. I know my room has at least one interesting back-in-the-day story connected with it, and probably others. Storytelling is a great tradition here, and its a major way that cultural heritage is offered and received. Theres old half-true legends that get told to freshmen by people who were little kids, if that, when the events that inspired them actually happened. Theres the more personal stories that happened to the storytellers or people they knew. No matter what sort they are, theres stories. And the neat thing is, the repertoire of stories isnt static. Because the current students create new stories all the time. There are new charismatic personalities, new hacks, new budding entrepreneurs, new feuds, new triumphs and tragedies. I can listen to cruft tell stories for hours, but sometimes Im the one telling them the storiesor telling the stories, old and new, to younger students. I like knowing that Im making new stories, new parts of the history. It reinforces the good feelings that come with success and achievement. And it helps you get through rough times knowing that, even if theres no other good to come from them, at least theyll make good stories someday. The cultural identity, the cultural heritage, that I have here is a major motive for my work in student government. I was never a student government person in grade school, now Im a major figure. As I write this, Im listening to the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack. In general, Im not a fan of the character Simon, who talks the talk more than anyone but seems happy to let someone else do the work (funny how everyone knows a Simon). But I can relate to him in the moment that he sings We will win ourselves a home. Because thats how I feel when I really get going, only Im preserving and fostering more than winning. And not just for myself, but for the future students who will come to MIT. And hear the stories, and become the next storymakers and storytellers. The idea for this entry came to me a few days ago, somewhere in the midst of listening to a story told by someone who graduated when the current freshmen were in middle school. I hope youve enjoyed reading it.

The Best Small Business Tax Tips And Deductions - 1486 Words

The Best Small Business Tax Tips and Deductions The Best Small Business Tax Tips and Deductions Small-to-medium-sized businesses can target a wealth of business opportunities in today s global markets, but many business owners and entrepreneurs fail to consider one of the greatest sources of real-world income available to them. Developing a proactive tax strategy and taking advantage of all your business deductions generate incredible profits that businesses or owners can use for any purpose. Unlike the proceeds of gross sales and even gross profits, the money that your business saves on taxes is the purest form of profit. Other income isn t necessarily available for spending or investing until the taxes are paid. Clever business owners†¦show more content†¦Taking Home Office Deduction The home office deduction is available to many SMB owners who work out of their homes exclusively or routinely meet clients and work at home. You can deduct a percentage of your home that s used exclusively for business and the same percentage of most of your household expenses like repairs, utilities, routine maintenance, insurance, mortgage interest, property taxes, rent, office supplies and many other costs. You can deduct actual expenses or take the recently approved standard deduction for home offices. Hiring Family Members Hiring family members is one of the most effective ways for business owners to reduce taxes and keep more of their wealth in the family. Employees can qualify for tax-free benefits, and your children can earn up to $6,200 tax-free. This money can be placed in a Roth IRA, which can be used to buy a home or pay for college. Children also qualify for lower tax rates on the income that they earn. Most business owners have real jobs around the office that family members can do; it s just a matter of matching the right child with the right job. Contributions to HSAs, providing health insurance and other employee benefits also keep your business income in the family without paying taxes. Reporting Actual vehicle Expenses The standard mileage rate has its appeal, but you could be

Define Marriage Essay - 1840 Words

Name: Chunxian Huang How might we usefully define marriage in universal cross cultural terms? Marriage, which is one of the most vital relationships of human beings, is a bewildering subject in people’s lives because it is hard to define, especially in the cross cultural terms. Cross cultural, according to the fourth edition of the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), is defined as â€Å"the interaction of differing cultures, or a comparison†. This means that people in cross cultural terms may need to find ways to respect other cultures. In such case, people have chances to understand the other civilization, to make acquaintances with people from multifarious†¦show more content†¦States Lucile (1977:64), â€Å"one very significant norm in our society holds that marriage is a permanent union with exclusive sex rights†. In other words, marriage enables people to have sex with their spouses stably rather than being blamed for having sex activities with others. Therefore, people have more stable and legal sexual relationship i n marriage than others. An example of this point is that usually sex is associated with marriage for the Nuer in Sudan and they play sexual games to imitate the daily life of marriage (Evans, 1990). This means that for the Nuer, stable sexual relationship is vital for their marriages. According to Opperheimer (1990), sexual relationships need stability and marriage provides the necessary stability. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that the stability of sexual relationship is one of the vital factors for marriage thus people can define marriage from the perspective of stability. Moreover, the social factors of marriage are family responsibilities and relationship in a family or between families. In Lucile (1977)’s opinion, â€Å"parenthood is usually expected to follow marriage†. Some people get married because they need to undertake the duties of procreation for their clan. In China, as an old saying goes, â€Å"There are three ways to be unfilial, the worst is not to produce offspring† (Mencius, 372-289B.C). It shows that the stability of the reproduction of families was very important.Show MoreRelatedWhat Does It Truly Mean? Essay1151 Words   |  5 Pages What is marriage? What does it truly mean? For me personally, marriage is best defined as a legal act of love between two people who vow to be as one until death do them part. It is a special day of celebrating an everlasting union between two people and their families. It is a life long commitment. It is loyalty, security, trust, and respect. Marriage is forever. To help me better define the meaning of the word †marriage†, I looked it up in several dictionaries. To my surprise, not one includedRead MoreDefinition Essay Marriage838 Words   |  4 PagesWhat is the Definition of Marriage? What is the definition of marriage? Over the years, the word marriage has been challenged from its current definition as listed in Merriam-Webster s Dictionary as an act of marrying or being married between a man and a woman. Marriage can also be defined in the Oxford Dictionary as the formal union of a man and a woman, typically recognized by law, by which they become husband and wife. The word marriage becomes a special type of bond between two people thatRead MoreA Happy Marriage By Fawn Weaver994 Words   |  4 Pages A Happy Marriage: New York Times Bestselling Author, Fawn Weaver, points out that The greatest marriages are built on teamwork. A mutual respect, a healthy dose of admiration, and a never-ending portion of love and grace† (Weaver). The quote helps give examples on what defines a happy marriage. According to the Oxford Dictionary, the word happy is defined as feeling or showing pleasure or contentment and the word marriage is defined in this context as The legally or formally recognized unionRead MoreRelationship Between China And China850 Words   |  4 Pagesin China are worried that they will not find the perfect husband by the time they get too and the choices become slim. The Western part of the world may view marriage and love differently than the standards of a married couple in China. Many people in the Western part of the world look for love in marriage while in China, the aim is marriage and not true love. Chinese’s parents fear a lot for their daughters as they too go out and t ry to connect their daughters with a future husband by connectingRead MoreThe Joy Luck Club By Amy Tan Essay913 Words   |  4 Pagesfour mothers and their daughters were impacted by their tradition and beliefs. In the traditional Asian family, parents define the law and the children are expected to follow their requests and demands; respect for one’s parents and elders is critically important. Traditions are very important because they allow us to remember the beliefs that marked a whole culture. Marriage arrangement is one of the Chinese traditions that we learn during the course of the movie. Lindo Woo said: I will meet myRead MoreThe Freedom Of The Free Love Movement Essay1582 Words   |  7 Pagesshould be up to that individual. Free lovers challenged the dominant ideology at that time and pushed boundaries of religion and politics. Marriage during the colonial period was closely linked to reproduction due to the heavy influence religion had on European settlers. However, as they became introduced to Native American cultural practices of marriage their once held beliefs shifted. This shift correlates with the change in a consumer/ industrial society. Religion moved out of the bedrooms andRead More Interview With Pakistani Essay1595 Words   |  7 Pagesfather. Through my interview of Moe I learned quite a bit about Moe, his culture and his religion. In our interview, Moe illustrated three important concepts of anthropology, 1) religion, 2) social structure and 3) enculturation. Anthropology defines religion as a set of rituals rationalized by myth that mobilizes supernatural powers to achieve or prevent transformation of state in the nature of people. Moe’s religion is that of Islam, and through our interview I learned that he is very proudRead MoreMarriage Is A Spiritual Act1282 Words   |  6 PagesMarriage is a Spiritual Act F irst, we must understand that marriage is a spiritual act. Two specific references in the Old Testament gives us proof that Israel was portrayed as God’s wife; see Jeremiah 2-3 and Hosea 1-3. Also, the Church is referenced heavily in the New Testament scriptures as the bride of Christ; see Ephesians 5:25-27 and Revelations 19:7-9, 21:1-2. Review these scriptures and view the spiritual act of marriage. Learn how God viewed Israel as His bride, how He treated HisRead MoreDecision Making1296 Words   |  6 Pagestwo perfect couples. with the 7 decision making process solve the problem.    The 7 decision making processes are:    1. Define the problem 2. Identify limiting factors 3. Develop potential alternatives 4. Analyze the alternatives 5. Select the best alternatives 6. Implement the decision 7. Establish a control and evaluation system Introduction A perfect marriage may be an illusion although the people involve may be perfect individual in their own right. This situation may arise becauseRead MoreEssay On Rites Of Passage1505 Words   |  7 Pagesperson passage from one identity to the next† (Robins, Cummings and McGarry 2016, 61). Marriage is the 15th and most important rite of passage in a Hindu’s life (Holme and Bowker 1994, 72). This rite of passage is known as â€Å"vivaha† and the rituals conducted during the ceremony vary from each region in India. â€Å"Satpadi† translates to â€Å"Seven Steps† and is the final ritual of the â€Å"vivaha†. This occurs during the marriage ceremony of one s life where the bride and groom tie a piece of their clothing together

Robotization of Human Workforce Free Essays

The Robotization of a Human Workforce Job satisfaction has been defined as â€Å"a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences. † It lists two different formulas for calculating job satisfaction: the Value Percept Theory, and the Job Characteristics Theory. This paper discusses the former and how it relates to Foxconn and its CEO, Terry Guo, whom writers Balfour and Culpan describe as a â€Å"ruthless taskmaster. We will write a custom essay sample on Robotization of Human Workforce or any similar topic only for you Order Now † The Value Percept Theory is essentially the workers’ WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) paradigm, describing how certain job elements affect employee satisfaction, and the ramifications of that satisfaction. It focuses on eight specific categories of employee values: how the salary compares to other employees in the same line of work; the frequency with which qualified people are promoted; supervisors’ conduct and recognition of employee efforts; the enjoyability and qualifications of co-workers; The â€Å"psychological pay† derived from the work itself, described by the text on page 106 as including â€Å"utilization of ability, freedom and independence, intellectual stimulation, creative expression, (and) sense of achievement†; to what extent the work has a positive impact on society; the level of prestige associated with the job; and the safety and comfort afforded on the job. Most people base their job satisfaction on five of those eight criteria. The magazine article discusses Chairman Gou’s business philosophy and response to twelve employee suicides during the first few months of last year. According to the authors, Gou realized there was a problem after the ninth employee jumped to his death from one of the company’s ubiquitous, crowded dormitories. Gou responded by stringing netting around the exterior of the dormitories at second-floor level and set up a 24-hour employee hotline. He also gave employees a 30% pay raise and promised another salary bump during 2011 – principally due to pressure by one of his biggest customers, Apple. These measures were almost certain to reduce the number of employees who sought their own demise by jumping from their dormitory windows – provided they did not land on one of the steel support braces – but it failed to address the real problem of why so many people became despondent enough to end their own lives. The reasons seem clear, using the Value Percept Theory. Among the top five job â€Å"satisfaction facets,† the rate of pay is lowest on the list. Far more important to most workers, according to figure 4-2 in the text, are the work itself and the conduct of supervisors. With respect to those two facets, interviews with employees were telling. One employee stated that supervisors and managers â€Å"aren’t nice to people,† and a spokesman for China Labour Bulletin, which seeks to uphold the rights of Chinese workers (clb. org), characterizes Foxconn as â€Å"repressive. † Another employee explained the high levels of stress she suffers while performing repetitive tasks that require intense concentration. Though Gou places little value on a college education, he would do well to read our textbook. How to cite Robotization of Human Workforce, Papers

Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay Essay Example

Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay Essay Jean Genet’s Le Balcon ( or The Balcony ) is an absurdist drama in which the chief construction is the â€Å"philosophical conflict between semblance and reality† ( Savona 1983: 76 ) and this essay will look into some of the degrees of world within an absurdist and existential philosopher context in Genet’s drama. The drama itself â€Å"offers a stunningly theatrical geographic expedition of the relationship between phantasy and reality† ( Patterson 2005: 32 ) whilst besides seeking â€Å"to negate world itself† ( Innes 2001: 438 ) . Whilst besides trying to transform world into a fantasy universe in which its characters can get away the discouragement of day-to-day life. it is â€Å"also designed to be a moving drama which†¦ keeps the audience aware that it is a play† they are watching and non leting them to acquire lost in the universe of semblance. phantasy and desire that the characters are trapped in ( Reck 1962: 23 ) . This echoes a technique used as portion of Brecht’s Verfremdungseffekt. and by maintaining the witness at a critical distance. they become perceivers and therefore can larn something about their ain lives and the universe in which they live. We will write a custom essay sample on Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Reality in Jean Genet’s ‘the Balcony’ Essay specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The drama is set in Madame Irma’s Maison d’illusions ( or house of semblances ) which to the witness is clearly a whorehouse. but non a whorehouse in the conventional sense. In the whorehouse. work forces of mundane walks of life ( for illustration a pipe fitter ) act out sexual phantasies with the adult females that work at that place. Their sexual phantasies are by no agencies conventional either. for illustration the ‘clients’ of the whorehouses take on the character of powerful work forces. viz. a bishop. an executioner. a justice and a general. From the expounding of the drama. it is ill-defined that the bishop isn’t really a bishop as the costume. duologue and action of the bishop are wholly reliable aside from the fact that the powerful characters â€Å"tower over all the other histrions every bit good as the audience† ( McMahon 1963: 110 ) . This is visually unrealistic and takes the witness off from pragmatism right from the oncoming. yet somehow pull them into this universe of semblance. The sexual Acts of the Apostless were intended by Genet to incorporate significance and non to be realistic. They are merely projections. a series of images of adult male trapped in a hall of mirrors. non trying to convey naturalism in the slightest ( McMahon 1963: 176 ) and the characters’ â€Å"performance becomes contemplations of reflections† ( Innes 2001: 438 ) . As Esslin provinces in his The Theatre of the Absurd. â€Å"there are no characters in the conventional sense†¦merely the images of basic impulses and impulses† ( Esslin 2001: 22 ) . Image is of cardinal importance in the drama ; it is everything â€Å"for the deeper one moves into images the less danger there will be of reality’s coming back to oppugn the veracity of the images† ( McMahon 1963: 162 ) . One of the cardinal subjects of the drama is the flight from world. and as T. S Eliot wrote â€Å"human sort can non bear much reality† ( 1964: 69 ) . one of the cardinal messages Genet is seeking to portray in his drama. There is a strong sense of the histrion unifying with the character in The Balcony ( Savona 1983: 86 ) . or the character unifying with the phantasy characters they attempt to portray in the whorehouse. or characters they so long to be. even for merely an hr or so. This unauthentic relationship between world and phantasy reflects human nature and life itself – we have all at some point aspired. or even wished that we could be person else. person with power or regard. However as McMahon suggests â€Å"there is no aspiration within the motive of these people to be bishop. justice or general ; the bound of their aspirations knows its scope. and the cutting off point†¦is the thin line between pretension and reality† ( 1963: 160 ) . The drama takes a bend when the clients of the whorehouse are forced to take on the characters they are feigning to be for existent. It is at this point that the semblance is destroyed and the work forces of mundane life no longer want the functions they are playing. For them. the functions are now excessively realistic and there is no flight from them – the relationship between world and phantasy has become reliable. When the characters are moving out their functions in the existent universe. they are no longer comforted by their imaginativeness ; they are faced with the rough world of life. the one thing that they have sought to get away in the first topographic point. This is reinforced by the fact the characters are loath to help the head of constabulary and be â€Å"dragged from their dream universe into the abrasiveness and dangers of reality† ( Thody 1970: 186-187 ) . The revolution outside can be seen as a symbol of existent life. â€Å"Were it non for the revolution. the assorted characters could go on to play their games in the enclosed a-historical ambiance provided for them†¦but the revolution is at that place. and threatens at any minute to destruct their universe of semblance completely† ( Thody 1970: 179 ) . During the drama. assorted sounds of gunshot can be heard in the background of the scenes – A menace from the existent universe outside reminding the characters they have tried to get away life and whilst this may be successful for the hr they are in the whorehouse. existent life is still traveling out outdoors. â€Å"Machine gun fire efforts to sabotage the thaumaturgy of semblance created and reflects Brecht’s distancing effect† ( Savona 1983: 89 ) . Once once more Genet forces the witness to retrieve that they are watching a drama. but besides when we all hide behind the frontage of life. or seek and get away world. the existent universe is still really much at big in the background and we can’t ignore this! â€Å"The subject of semblance reaches its flood tide at the very terminal of the action. when Madame Irma comes to the forepart of the phase to remind the audience that they have. after all. merely been watching a play† ( Thody 1970: 185 ) . The witness is all of a sudden brought back to ‘the existent word’ holding witnessed histrions playing characters. characters playing characters. characters playing people. The audience has taken the journey through Madam Irma’s ‘house of illusions’ . and has been presented with a theatrical projection of humanity through many planes of world. She tells the audience â€Å"you must now travel place. where everything – you can be rather certain – will be falser than here†¦You must now go† ( Genet 1966: 96 ) . She has highlighted that as worlds we have a inclination to conceal behind the frontage of life. to travel along with what we are told and what we see. therefore taking life for granted. We so think back to the characters in the drama and gain how they are merely projections of ourselves. â€Å"Genet proclaims the semblance of world and the world of illusion† ( Nelson 1963: 61 ) . For the witness and the characters â€Å"reality has become indiscernible from illusion† ( Nelson 1963: 65 ) and the audience must inquire themselves where does reality stop and pretension Begins. BIBLIOGRAPHY Eliot. T. S. . Murder in the Cathedral ( Fort Washington PA: Harvest Books. 1964 ) Esslin. Martin. The Theatre of the Absurd. 3rd Edition ( London: Metheun. 2001 ) . Genet. Jean. The Balcony ( New York: Grove Press. 1966 ) Innes. Christopher. ‘Theatre After Two World Wars’ . in The Oxford Illustrated History of the Theatre. erectile dysfunction. by John Russell Brown ( Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2001 ) . pp. 380-444. Macquarrie. John. Existentialism ( Baltimore: Pelican Books. 1972 ) McMahon. Joseph H. . The Imagination of Jean Genet ( New Haven: Yale University Press. 1963 ) Nelson. Banjamin. ‘The Balcony and Parisian Existentialism’ . The Tulane Drama Review. 7:3 ( 1963 ) . 60-79. Oswald. Laura. Jean Genet and the Semiotics of Performance ( Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. 1989 ) Patterson. Michael. The Oxford Dictionary of Plays ( Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2005 ) Reck. Rima Drell. ‘Appearance and Reality in Genet’s Le Balcon’ . The New Dramatists. 29:1 ( 1962 ) . 20-25. Savona. Jeannette L. . Jean Genet ( London and Basingstoke: The Macmillan Press. 1983 ) Styan. J. L. . The English Stage ( Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1996 ) Thody. Philip. Jean Genet: A Survey of His Novels and Plays ( New York: Stein and Day. 1970 ) .

Proper Disposal of Batteries

Proper Disposal of Batteries Today’s common household batteries - those ubiquitous AAs, AAAs, Cs, Ds, and 9-volts from Duracell, Energizer, and others - are not thought to pose as great a threat to properly equipped modern landfills as they used to because they contain much less mercury than their predecessors. As a result, most municipalities now recommend simply throwing such batteries away with your trash. Common household batteries are also called alkaline batteries; the chemical type is important in choosing proper disposal options. Battery Disposal or Recycling? Nevertheless, environmentally concerned consumers might feel better recycling such batteries anyway, as they still do contain trace amounts of mercury and other potentially toxic stuff. Some municipalities will accept these batteries (as well as older, more toxic ones) at household hazardous waste facilities, from which they will most likely be sent elsewhere to be processed and recycled as components in new batteries, or incinerated in a dedicated hazardous waste processing facility. How to Recycle Batteries Other options abound, such as the mail-order service, Battery Solutions, which will recycle your spent batteries at a low cost, calculated by the pound. Meanwhile, the national chain, Batteries Plus, is happy to take back disposable batteries for recycling at any of its 255 retail stores coast-to-coast. Older Batteries Should Always Be Recycled Consumers should note that any old batteries they may find buried in their closets that were made before 1997- when Congress mandated a widespread mercury phase-out in batteries of all types- should most surely be recycled and not discarded with the trash, as they may contain as much as 10 times the mercury of newer versions. Check with your municipality; they may have a program for this type of waste, such as a yearly hazardous waste drop off day. Lithium batteries, these small, round ones used for hearing aids, watches, and car key fobs, are toxic and should not be thrown in the trash. Treat them like you would any other household hazardous waste. Car batteries are recyclable, and in fact are quite valuable. Auto part stores will gladly take them back, and so will many residential waste transfer stations. The Problem of Rechargeable Batteries Perhaps of greater concern nowadays is what’s happening to spent rechargeable batteries from cell phones, laptops, and other portable electronic equipment. Such items contain potentially toxic heavy metals sealed up inside, and if thrown out with the regular garbage can jeopardize the environmental integrity of both landfills and incinerator emissions. Luckily, the battery industry sponsors the operations of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC), which facilitates the collection of used rechargeable batteries in an industry-wide â€Å"take back† program for recycling. Your big-box hardware store chain (like Home Depot and Lowes) likely has a booth where you can drop off rechargeable batteries for recycling. Additional Battery Recycling Options Consumers can help by limiting their electronics purchases to items that carry the RBRC logo on their packaging. Furthermore, they can find out where to drop off old rechargeable batteries (and even old cell phones) by checking RBRC’s website. Also, many electronics stores will take back rechargeable batteries and deliver them to RBRC free-of-charge,  check with your favorite retailer. RBRC then processes the batteries via a thermal recovery technology that reclaims metals such as nickel, iron, cadmium, lead, and cobalt, repurposing them for use in new batteries.

The Complete Guide to Conic Sections on ACT Math

The Complete Guide to Conic Sections on ACT Math SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips You will usually see one conic section question (though no more than one) on any given ACT, but just what is a conic section and how do you solve it? Luckily for us, though conic section questions are rare, they are generally straightforward and can get you an easy point if you take a few minutes to study them. This will be your complete guide to conic sections- what they are, how you'll see them on the test, and the best way to approach these types of ACT math questions. What Are Conic Sections? A conic section is any intersection of a cone (a three dimensional figure) and a plane (a flat, infinite surface). Depending on how the plane slices the cone, the intersection will create: A circle A parabola An ellipse A hyperbola Picture: Magister Mathematicae/Wikimedia For the ACT, you will only need to know about circles and parabolas. And the only parabola knowledge you'll need are covered by your quadratic functions. The ACT will never test you on ellipses or hyperbolas. What You'll Need to Know About Conic Sections The only piece of information you really need to understand to master conic sections on the ACT is the equation of a circle. Every ACT conic section question will ask you information about this equation and you must either find the proper equation from given information or identify the individual pieces that make up this equation. Equation of a Circle $$(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$$ This is the equation of a circle. $h$ and $k$ are the coordinates for the center of the circle. $h$ stands in place of the $x$-coordinate and $k$stands in place of the $y$-coordinate. The center will, therefore, be at $(h, k)$. $r$ is the radius of the circle. â™ ª Love (and the equation of a circle) is all you need. â™ ª Picture: byronv2/Flickr Typical ACT Conic Section Questions Though you will only have to know the equation of a circle to solve your conic section questions, you may see conic section questions in a few different ways- as a word problem, as a diagram problem, and/or as a scenario problem. But no matter their form, it should be pretty straightforward to solve the problem if you remember your formula. Let's look at a typical ACT conic section problem. We can see, based on the graph, that our center coordinates for our circle are $(4, 0)$. This means that we can count from the circumference to the center to find that our radius is also 4. So if we replace these values with our $(h, k)$ and our $r$ in the equation for a circle, we would get: $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ $(x - 4)^2 + (y - 0)^2 = 4^2$ $(x - 4)^2 + y^2 = 16$ This means that our final answer is G. ACT Math Strategies for Conic Section Questions Though conic sections are generally fairly simple, you will be able to solve them more easily if you use strategy (especially if you forget your key information on test day). #1: Prioritize Your Time and Energy Conic sections are one of the least common ACT math topics. This type of question may or may not show up on your ACT, and even if it does, there will only be one question on circle equations per test. Though it is not a guarantee that you will see it, it is a useful formula for you to know if you're trying for every last math point. #2: Memorize the Circle Formula If you're going for every last point, then be sure to memorize your circle formula. On every ACT conic section question, you will be given a string of answer choices that all look incredibly similar. This is to muddy the waters for anyone who only has a passing recollection (or no recollection) of the formula. Your best bet for a near guaranteed point on all conic section questions is to simply memorize the formula and quiz yourself on it before test day to make sure you have it down. #3: Alternatively, Remember Just a Piece of the Formula and Guess Strategically If you're worried for any reason that you'll forget your formula or if you would just rather spend your time memorizing more common ACT math formulas like slopes and angles, then even remembering a piece of the circle formula is better than not memorizing any part of it at all. For instance, if you don't remember the $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2$ side of the formula, but you do remember that the other side is the radius squared (and not just the radius), you will often be able to eliminate two or three answer choices. Now you have between a 33% and a 50% of guessing the right answer, which is certainly better than a 20% blind guess. So pick just a piece of the circle formula and commit it to heart, even if you can't or won't for any reason memorize the whole thing. Ready to show 'em what you got? Test Your Knowledge So let's put your knowledge to the test on real ACT math problems about conic sections. 1. 2. 3. If a circle has a circumference that is tangent to the origin and a midpoint at $(0, -7)$, which of the following is the equation of that circle? A. $x^2 + (y - 7)^2 = 49$B. $x ^2 + (y + 7)^2 = 49$C. $(x - 7)^2 - y^2 = 49$D. $(x - 7)^2 + y^2 = 7$E. $x^2 - y^2 = 7$ Answers: E, F, B Answer Explanations: 1. For this problem, we know that our circle's midpoint is at the origin, which gives it the coordinates $(0,0)$. We can also see that the radius of the circle is 52. That means that our circle formula will be: $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ $(x - 0)^2 + (y - 0)^2 = 52^2$ $x^2 + y^2 = 52^2$ Our final answer is E, $x^2 + y^2 = 52^2$ 2. For this question, we are actually working backwards, but the principle of the circle formula hold true. We must simply use the values we are given and reverse engineer them to find what we need. We know that our circle formula is: $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ If our equation is then: $(x - 5)^2 + y ^2 = 38$, then we know that the radius must be the square root of 38 and the midpoint must be $(5, 0)$. Our final answer is F. 3. As usual when working without a diagram, let's draw a quick sketch of the scene. We know that the midpoint is at $(0, -7)$ and the circle is tangent to the origin, so this is the circle we're dealing with. We know that the radius is, therefore, 7 and we can plug the midpoint values into our equation. $(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 = r^2$ $(x - 0)^2 + (y - -7)^2 = 7^2$ $x^2 + (y + 7)^2 = 49$ Our final answer is B, $x^2 + (y + 7)^2 = 49$ The Take-Aways Though conic section questions are relatively rare, if you're going for every last point, it's a good idea to memorize your circle formula (or even just a piece of it) for a quick point. You will never be asked to do more than identify it when you see it or to identify its pieces, so go ahead and grab it if you can. What's Next? Want to brush up on any of your other math topics? Check out our individual math guides to get the walk-through on each and every topic on the ACT math test. You should also be sure to take a look at our articles on how to complete the square and the four different graph quadrants. Worried what the Ivy Leagues think of the ACT? Learn how some of the top schools in the United States feel about the ACT vs. the SAT. Running out of time on the ACT math section? We'll teach you how to beat the clock and maximize your ACT math score. Trying to get a perfect score? Check out our guide to getting a perfect 36 on ACT math, written by a perfect-scorer. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this Math lesson, you'll love our program. Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial: