The American Crocodile Essays (2399 words) - Crocodylidae

The American Crocodile (Crocodiles acutus) Crocodylus acutus, or more commonly referred to as the American crocodile, ...is the second most widely distributed of the New World crocodiles, ranging from the southern tip of Florida, both the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts of Southern Mexico, as well as the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola (1 Species). These areas provide the perfect climate for these endangered species that have roamed the earth for over 200 million years. Florida is known for its large population of American alligators, which are often confused for the rare American crocodile. However, there are vast differences between the two species. Hunted for their hides and the changing of their habitat to beach front property is slowly pushing the American crocodile out of Florida, the only place it is found in the United States. For 190 million years before the first humans evolved, huge populations of crocodilians, in more or less their present form, inhabited the waters and shorelines of rivers, lakes, swamps, and estuaries of tropical and subtropical lands. Today they represent the last true survivors of the huge reptiles that once dominated the seas and landmasses of Earth for over 200 million years (6 Levy). However, ...It is inappropriate to treat crocodilians as living fossils whose inferiority forced them into a marginal ecological role as amphibious predators in a world now dominated by mammals. In fact, they are highly specialized for their particular mode of life and have undergone considerable changes during their long evolutionary history... (14 Ross). Among living vertebrates, crocodilians are most closely related to birds rather than to lizards (14). Even though these two groups are now adapted to different modes of life, they both have an elongate outer ear canal, a muscular gizzard, and comp lete separation of the ventricles of the heart. Crocodilians are the most advanced of all reptiles. They are elongated, armored, and lizard-like, with a muscular, laterally shaped tail used in swimming. The snout is also elongated, with the nostrils set to the end to allow breathing while most of the body remains submerged under water. The success of the Crocodile is evidenced by the relatively few changes that have occurred since crocodilians first appeared about 200 million years ago. The Crocodile belongs to the family Crocodylinae, which consists of those organisms sharing common crocodilian traits. This Family is further divided into three subfamilies: Alligatorinae (alligators), Gavialinae (gharial), and Crocodylinae (crocodiles). Very often the American alligator (Alligatorinae mississippiensis) is confused for an American crocodile, even though these two species are of the same family they are different in many ways. The alligator has a much broader snout and the crocodile a much narrower snout- ...narrower snouts usually indicating fish eating-species. Another characteristic seen in the American crocodile and not the alligator is the front two teeth that penetrate the upper jaw from below as they grow. These teeth are one of the major differences between crocodiles and alligators. A not so recognizable difference between the American crocodile and alligator is the crocodile's ability to regulate saltwater balance in their body. Crocodiles maintain salt concentrations in their body fluid at the typical level of other vertebrates, which is about one-third that of seawater. The osmoregulatory problems posed by life in fresh or saline waters are related to the amounts of water and salts exchanged across various body surfaces. Loss of salts and water occurs in feces and urine, through respiration, excretion from salt glands in the tongue, and through the skin. The ability of the American crocodile to tolerate salt water is related to their low rate of water loss, low rate of sodium uptake, the ability to excrete excess sodium, and their ability to osmoregulate regularly behaviorally by not drinking saline water or by seeking fresh water after feeding in saline areas. [The American crocodiles will not drink seawater even when they are dehydrated and the American all igator will. However, the alligator does not have the ability to excrete excess sodium]. While the American Crocodile is able to regulate its salinity it is not able to maintain a constant body temperature. Crocodiles, like all reptiles, are cold blooded or pokilothermic. Crocodiles utilize a complex series of physiological and behavioral mechanisms to maintain an even body

buy custom Essay on Sport Injury - Cerebral Concussion

buy custom Essay on Sport Injury - Cerebral Concussion Sport Injury Introduction Sport is one of the main aspects that are vital for the development of human beings. However, sports are associated with various complications like cerebral concussion. Cerebral concussion is one of the diseases that are considered to affect the brain. This disease is known to cause some traumatic effects to the brain of an individual. This disease is caused if the head is damaged. Any damage that is inflicted to the head may affect the brain. This may be caused if the impact makes the brain get into the contact with the skull. The skull is a part of the body that acts as the guard to the brain. If the head is smashed or if the head smashes an object, concussion may be suffered. Many of the scientists believe that this concussion has considerable effects to the brain. This concussion is known to cause an effect that is temporary and which may make some of the functions of the brain fail. This concussion also has considerable effects in terms of physical and emotional feelings of an i ndividual. According to many scientists, it is a state, when functions of the brain are stopped and affected temporarily (Shannon, 2010).

ACT Test day tips

SAT / ACT Test Day Tips - What to Do to Prep the Night Before the SAT / ACT SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips It's finally here! Your SAT / ACT is this Saturday! We atPrepScholarwant to make sure yourtestday goes well, so here are some tips.Feel free to forward this to your friends if you think it's helpful! Dealing with Pre-ACT / SAT Nervousness and Anxiety It's inevitable that you'll feel a little nervous before the test. After all, this is an important test. However, you definitely don't want to get into your own head. The best way to combat nervousness is to evaluate all the work you've done. If you've been working hard with a prep program, you'll already be way ahead. You'll know exactly what kinds of questions are going to appear, you'll know what your strengths are, and there will only be few surprises. Furthermore, if you're a junior or younger, it's likely that you'll have many more chances to take this test. Even if you don't do as well as you'd like on this test, you'll be able to take it again. Don't get nervous during the test, either. It's easy to get flustered when you get stuck on a question, or get a string of questions that you can't answer.This is how the ACT and SAT are designed.Theywantto trip you up like this so you start making mistakes. So don't let them win–don't get nervous. It's hard to predict how you're doing on the test overall based on a few questions. What's important is that you stay strong throughout the entire 4-hour test. Imagine yourselfcrushingthe ACT / SAT. Positive thoughts directly improve performance. The Day Before the ACT / SAT The day before thetest, you generally want to be relaxing. Sure, take some time to study lightly - review flashcards or lessons - but as a rule of thumb, don't study more than 2 hours. Instead, spend some time doing relaxing activities (think long bath, not intense video games). Also, make sure you get enough sleep, at least 7 hours but no more than 9 hours.This might mean getting to bed one to two hours earlier than normal, and letting your natural sleep cycle take over. Wake Up Early Set your alarm clock for two hours before thetesttime.If you want, set another backup clock for 5 minutes later.Your brain takes up to two hours to fully wake up, and you don't want to be starting theteston a cold engine. Do some jumping jacks to get the blood flowing, and then take a shower to be clean for thetest.Eat a full breakfast high in complex carbs like whole grain cereal or toast and low in sugars like maple syrup.Follow your normal coffee routine if you don't drink it most days, then you shouldn't today either. Wear Comfortable Layered Clothing Today's not the day for fashion.Wear practical clothing in layers, so you can take off layers if the room is too warm, or put more on if it's cold.A good set is t-shirt, pajama pants or jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt. Make Sure You Have Everything, Including Snacks What you need: your printed admissions ticket, multiple number 2 pencils, an raser, your photo ID, a calculator, a watch, a bottle of water, and a snack (I recommend a granola bar or trail mix). Put everything in a bag or your backpack the day before, so you have zero surprises the morning of the test. Warm up with a Few Problems If time allows before your test, try two problems from each section just to get used to doing problems. Get those juices flowing. Test Center Best Practices: Get there early, and focus on yourself Get there early aim to be there at least fifteen minutes earlier than the recommended time.You don't want the panic that comes with getting to your test late. Use Google Maps to find directions the day before, and if you're not driving yourself, make sure you and your driver (often a parent) coordinate on your schedule. When you get to the test center, you might see your friends. Say hello, but don't linger to chat. Often you'll make each other more nervous. Instead, say "I'd really like to focus now, let's chat after the test?" It might be weird in the moment, but you don't need distractions. Take the Breaks About halfway through, even if you don't feel the need to, take a break to use the restroom, drink a sip of water, and down your snack.You'll thank yourself later. Like this? Subscribe to our blog on the right hand side on top to get more great tips about what to do after you get your score back! Other links you might like: Future SAT Test Dates What to do in case you get a low SAT / ACT score Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Movie Comparison of Citizen Kane and Schindlers List Essay

Movie Comparison of Citizen Kane and Schindlers List - Essay Example The researcher of this essay contrasts and compares two significant and well-known movies, that are ‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘Citizen Kane’. There are two powerhouse films, that have made their mark as two of the greatest films in the world. The researcher mentiones in the essay that these movies stamped the names of their directors as forces to be reckoned with in their field. ‘Citizen Kane’ was Orson Welles in every essence of that statement. The researcher provides his opinion on the topic and states that plot was very interesting from beginning to end. It is one that makes the audience think and takes them into a journey. Essentially, as good films go the underlying theme centers on man and how you could easily lose grip of reality and how with all the money of the world you could remain unfulfilled. The story plays on the materialistic propensity prevalent in society, even in the 1940s. But what ‘Schindler’s List’ r elentlessly communicated was a far more humanistic tug on a person’s nature. This movie showed human beings at their worst and a man at his best. The emotional story and how Spielberg was able to transform it into heart wrenching film made it memorable and uplifting more than ‘Citizen Kane’ was able to do. The researcher then concluds that two films tackle wealth, power and influence but where one highlights a man’s fall and the subsequent inconsequentiality of his life because of greed, the other showcased how a man was able to save lives with the same virtues and transcend himself into being a person of hope.

Jadore Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jadore - Essay Example Applying merely a light portion of it could last the whole day. My neighbor received lots of accolades on the scent of the perfume and many individuals ask for it time and again since it is lovely. The bottle is of oz nature and could last for over one and a half years. The perfume is of diverse versions, one has a silver top and the subsequent one has a gold top. Merely, the one with the gold top is perceived to contain a superior parfum content denoting that the fragrance is undiluted and could be used for long. The sellers habitually give gift sets in special holidays and occasions giving out a set comprising of body wash and oil for almost the similar cost as the real perfume. Ladies are seen travelling around with their perfumes every time in their makeup kits, on airplanes, journeys, et cetera., and its container is incredibly strong and never breaks easily or leak the perfume. The bottle has been designed in a pretty way, and everyone believes it would make a great gift or ham per (Bendix, 2005, 73). A friend of my bought hers from Macy’s except of course it could be bought in merely any shopping store. The stores typically have tiny tasters in a vial for people to try and smell it out. Many people of male gender have been spotted commenting on it and in reality got in love with the smell articulating it as a wonderful scent. Many people never notice or even give attention to adverts in the streets. However, this does not apply to perfume adverts since they are pleasant and attractive. Watching an advert frequently on TV makes it stick in people’s minds. Basically, perfume adverts are usually in Magazines and in an in-store ad. Perfume adverts are by far so trendy compared to other products hence attracting the youth so much. Having articulated this, these adverts could be seen everywhere there is youth attention. Conversely, one person tried the J’Adore parfum, spraying a little in the air and on her clothes and was not pleased with it (Lexisnexis, 2003, 78). She proclaimed that its scent was like chemical and metallic in nature. This smelled like drugstore fragrances and body smells coming from bathing Works J’Adore scented to her like it was a truthful but failed endeavor to craft something that had the scent of fresh blossoms and humid skin. She was annoyed at the fake odor of the â€Å"feel what’s real† cologne, and ejected it very resolutely off her list.   The new fragrance is mainly intended for women. Being launched in 2011, the cologne possesses top notes of citruses in addition to mandarin orange; the cologne’s middle notes are made of jasmine, African orange blossom, ylang-ylang not forgetting the pleasant rose. Moreover, the base notes comprise of woodsy notes in addition to vanille. This is extremely pretty, not as exhilarating as EDP, not accordingly sharp also. It is somewhat lighter, silent and quite floral, well implemented, with a lavish sense to it. It gives the user an uncommon scent and feels of merely being characteristic similar to many fragrances. It is not perhaps as soft as one would deem it to be, but it is genuinely superb! The parfum is womanly and stylish with a contemporary touch giving it a beautiful creation. This perfume is liked by many females since it smells very classy and gorgeous. However, it is very common among the trendy individuals globally. This does not necessarily mean that numerous other perfumes have the same scent but it denotes that many individuals have and use this fragrance. This is not primarily a bad thing, other than individuals who like being unique will rather avoid using it to keep their personality unique. The perfume has an extremely graceful scent which sticks

Crossâ€Cultural Management in Albania

Cross–Cultural Management in Albania Brunilda Mucollari Daniela Hallaci Jona Likskendaj Arli Barxhani Eraldo Bode Date: 01/20/2014 Course: Organizational Behavior Leadership Instructor: Dr. Perparim Dervishi Part I â€Å"Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster.† (www.uscivilizatio.com) Globalization, the land on which Cross – Cultural Management was sawed Intro Globalization is now becoming the future of the world. Humanity is now walking on the path that leads to, what we call â€Å"Becoming One†. Technology innovation is the main factor of this process. It brings people and cultures up together and by doing so they learn and enjoy each other’s way of living. The process seems to be long and basically changing us and bringing in front what we can consider positive or negative effects. People from different cultures in fact might have conflicts when working together, or they might share experiences and improve their selves. Cultures intercept each other to exchange knowledge, traditions and experience and history has taught this to us. On the other hand has also taught us that cultures exchange goods. At this point we come to the creation of a distinct concept; Cross – Cultural Management. Cross-Cultural Management â€Å"Cross-cultural management explains the behavior of people in organizations around the world and shows them how to work in organizations with employees and client populations from many different cultures.† (Kawar, 2012) Multinational companies existed as early as 2 000 B.C.; the Assyrians, the Phoenicians, the Greeks and the Romans – they all had their own version of globalize trading. Multinational Management is getting more and more necessary for all kinds of branches as the global market is shrinking. In the past century operation between advanced industrial countries had it up and downs. Because of the two world wars this partnership came to a halt. This wars, on the other hand gave a boost later on to the global market. After and between the two wars the World Bank was Created, International Monetary Fund and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and after the Berlin Wall fall new markets were opened to the free trade. These new emerging markets gave chances and opportunities to the business sector to increase their revenues. In fact every country has its culture and makes them distinguishable from each other, as in fact every country has its middle class that was and is willing to buy more international products and services. The need to decrease the costs without affecting the revenue but on contrary increase them makes the global entrepreneurs to invest and construct th eir plants in locations that provide lower cost of production. While companies grow and enter the international trade, their size increases with their earnings. When this happens the companies need to established their activity overseas and after than monitoring their activities across the border. This is in fact where cross-cultural management enters on the stage. Under these circumstances more and more the need for management is needed in the operations abroad. Managers often are part of the shareholder’s nationality, in other words an American business in Albania will definitely send an America citizen to manage their operations in Albania. The cultures are different between the two countries and this diversification brings up its problems. Problems â€Å"Cross†?!?! Dealing with people from different cultures and nationalities has its own problems. The main problem that Cross-Cultural Management faces is barriers. Barriers complicate the ongoing of operations and processes and tend to create mostly misunderstandings. The main barriers are: Language Culture Company Culture Language is the first tool when interacting with people. English is accepted as the international language all around the world and business has embraced this idea, but every country uses its own language firstly when dealing and communicating. Having said so, people have to learn first English even though it is not enough. The problem here is that words can lose their meaning when translated and the thought also. Culture also creates a huge barrier by its set of values, language, behavior, business ethics, expected etiquette or expressions. So if a manager operating in a foreign culture does not know the differences in the hosting culture, his or her message can be misunderstood. Company Culture mainly is considered as the norms and expectations that a company implies. This includes policies and specific procedures, the basis of a company’s culture. When a company enlarges its operations it is needed to find a connection between the cultures in order for the company culture to be accepted by the hosting culture. Culture shape Cross-Cultural Management! The vast part of a culture is absorbed by people during their childhood by the interaction with the surrounding people and environment and by doing so it helps people live within their society. Culture can be found on four different levels: National Level has to do with the differences between cultures in a national point of view. It deals with the values that people learn during their early life that becomes unchangeable and saint for them. Organizational level is the culture that is created within an organization and that is superficial. This culture is different from the company culture because it can change from an organization to another within the same country. Occupational level deals with different cultures created within an organization. This means that different cultures can be created in all departments of an organization. Gender level has to do with the cultures men and women create within their gender. This level can be defined as the most common one. In fact all the upper paragraphs are a theoretical overview of Cross-Cultural Management and this is what generally happens around the world but will all this theory feet in the Albanian reality. To give an idea about this point an Albanian case is presented in the second part of the paper. Part II EDUCATIONAL CENTRE RESEARCH Presentation of the Problem There are differences in cultures in general between countries, in addition to this there are differences among working countries as well. The problem is how this affects the way of managing the organization. Educational Centre is a company that operates in six countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Rumania, Montenegro, and Serbia. It is a Greek company and it has succeeded well. It is interesting to see how the different Bookshops are dealing with culture differences. Educational Centre main office is placed in Thessaloniki, Greece and it has branches in six countries. We will concentrate our thoughts on the below: Are there any differences in how the six offices in the different countries are managed? If yes, are they a result of national business culture differences? If not, why are there no differences? Purpose The purpose of this research is to get an insight on how difficult is to manage a company across cultures. The purpose is to come up with a result that will reflect this or with a solution to dealing with differences. Countries of Study The countries in the study are the branches of Educational Centre in six countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Rumania, Montenegro, Serbia Research Method There are different approaches in developing a research paper. We have chosen the qualitative method which is more about having long interviews with a smaller amount of people in order to get more detailed information. The purpose of this method is to receive thorough descriptions and it is very useful when you do not know much of the phenomenon, or very small amounts of researches have already been done, as in the case of Educational Centre. Although the qualitative approach does not give any foundation, which can be used as a generalization for results. The purpose of the research is to get more thorough knowledge and understanding how Educational Centers in six countries , the qualitative approach will be used with a deductive approach. Six branch managers in six countries will be interviewed. The selective selection of the interviews has been on the purpose of getting in contact with people that have great insight on how things work in an Educational Centre. So the analysis of the Qualitative approach will consist: Type of Data: Qualitative data, text sections which illustrate theoretical variables or categories Flexibility: Big Data and analysis: Interpret , in consecutive order and integrated with data collection Use beyond the concrete examination: Transferability All the interviews were intended to be filled in an sent back by email but in the end we had to Skype called and filled in with the answers. What is culture? Culture is a set of basic values, perceptions, wants and behaviors, related to achievement and success, activity and involvement, efficiency and practicality, progress, comfort, individualism, freedom, humanitarianism, youthfulness, fitness and health. Culture is the most basic cause of a person’s wants and behavior, learned by a member of the society from the family, his own life experience and other important institutions; COMPANY CULTURE? Organizational Culture: is the set of values, norms, standards of behavior, and common expectations that control the ways individuals and groups in an organization interact with each other and work together to achieve the organizational goals. The History of Educational Centers The Educational Centers were first opened in Rumania and Bulgaria in 1992 (at that time known as Oxford Centers) providing the exclusivity of Oxford University Press in both ELT and Academic publications. Mr. Petros Papasarantoupoulos is their owner. Later on in 1994 they opened the offices in Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Moldova. The business has increased rapidly by the novelty it offered in six countries which before 1990 were all isolated to foreign publishing’s and were eager to leering foreign languages which was totally forbidden in communist times. In the coming years the business was going to expand to more than just an International Bookshop. It was going to Provide International Exams and International Qualifications for Teachers which was so much needed in order to meet the international standards. The Vision of Educational Centers Expand and the success of the business was due to a vision which Educational Centre followed: BETTER BOOKS, BETTER SERVICES. This was the philosophy everybody had to be focused how to be better. The Educational Centre Organization The company has such a flat structure. The Central Office is in Thessaloniki Greece and the branches are in the below countries directly depending on the Main office Thessaloniki: Educational Centre Albania Educational Centre Bulgaria Educational Centre Rumania Educational Centre Serbia Educational Centre Montenegro Educational Centre Moldova Results and Analysis It is important in analyzing the central office and the inspiration that this central office located in Thessaloniki is transmitting to its subordinate, Managers in six countries. Out of the questionnaire that is Appendix 1 at the end of this research paper resulted that , The global manager was a skilled one and he almost always took care of all the skills he is required to have in order to be successful. He paid too much attention of the regional differences in terms of subordinate and much more attention in terms of suppliers in international cultures. Attention was paid to his subordinates in terms of respect and always asked for the best possible to include all his managers in setting strategies and being involved in team decisions. So ethical values that they should respect in the company were central to the CEO of Educational Centers . Business Culture Due to the fact that almost all of these countries were mainly coming out of the Communism effects in the 1990s they were relatively quiet new to business culture. While people in Greece, from antiquity, have been quite skilled with business and trade. A new culture was imposed to these people in the all these countries. They were more than open to a new business and especially focused in Foreign Literature. But there was needed a knowhow to settle it in a conservative market. The imposed culture in all these countries has been almost similar but being adapted in the way it could have been most successful. The results given in this table are coming as an analysis of the questionnaire given to the Managers in all these countries, revealed in the Appendix 2 in the end. In the analysis you will see that there are some slight changes between management in some countries due to the slight cultural differences. The Analysis In all these countries as we may see there are a lot of similarities. First of all the structure is flat and the people are freely invited to talk to local managers and express their opinions. Every company uses first name based communications, which makes the atmosphere more warm and human based. The employee seems to be trusted only 10% turnover seems to be present in some countries, which means that people feel comfortable and happy to work for the company. The company pays attention to the worked by organizing trips and meetings which helps so much in building the team spirit. An important impact from the analysis is also the values inside the company. People from the selection phase before entering the job are requested to be honest, responsible, loyal which are important in building a team spirit inside the companies. Although may be slight changes in the order and qualities requested as the most important in a company. But they all are important and they all respect an inspired top management atmosphere. Cross Cultural differences There may be seen slight changes in the way people from these different countries see their colleagues in the other countries concerning the way they express their emotions. Some countries are more open than the others, but what is important is that they all pay attention in respecting their colleagues in other countries. We may also have to take into consideration if these is all the work of them or is an inspired leader to dictate their way? If we base our self at Appendix 1 analysis we will see that the figure of the Top Management shows how much are taken in to consideration the differences between cultures before making a decision and all the skills required to be a good manager in a cross cultural environment. Being a successful manager means: Gather information information about other cultures Have an open-minded approach to different cultures and values Show cultural differences and make the others aware of them and understand and gain valid experiences from them Learn from other cultural experiences and train people to attend cross cultural training and sessions All the above points are some of the most important noticed at the Educational Centre Top Management characteristics, which make him a skilled Global Manager. Results The noticeable result out of the research was that between Educational Centers in these countries tried hard to keep a unique culture, norms and values. The way that this is shown is that in every Educational Centre, everyone is participating in team building activities. The way they are all coping with cultural differences is very inspiring; it may seem somehow restricted to the Top management way. It is how they are working on preserving their own values and norms that are remarkable. From the very first day as an employee you will feel the culture and values within the institution, if you are not in tune with them they will be enforced upon you. So a newcomer will by rule follow the company trainings and then the sister companies trainings until being part of a trained team. The managers also participate in routine checkups to ensure that the staff is living by these norms, the staff answers questions regarding if the managers are working by them as well. You could say that Educational Centre does not fail on the aspect of taking in mind other countries’ cultures. They know about the different cultures in the countries where they enter, in order not to offend anyone. But they go on by imposing a similar culture. It is almost impossible for Educational Centers to offer what market offers, they have to be unique in what offer and their concept – it has been a winning concept so far. The main concerns for these companies, such as Educational centers, are to make sure they have strong culture on their own. They should have clear values and norms and this should be diffused throughout the entire organization. It is also necessary that everyone feels comfortable making their voice heard working in an environment with differences in cultures. If they would not be so open in the organization and having such a flat hierarchy there probably would be a lot more complications. References Publishing References Cross Cultural Management, Ray French , second edition, cipd Ajohannssen and P.A.Tufte 2003 Hofstede , Geert and Hofstede , Gerty Jan 2005 Interviews: B. Mucollari – Educational Centre Albania(Manager) R. Saric- Educational Centre Serbia(Manager) G. Puerda – Educational Centre Romania(Manager) T. Cernoc- Educational Centre Moldova (Manager) Bogovac – Educational Centre Montenegro (Manager) K. Tetova – Educational Centre Bulgaria (Manager) http://uscivilization.wordpress.com/2011/10/08/01/ Kawar, T.I (2012). Cross-cultural Difference in Management.Journal of Business and Social Science , 3(6), 107.

Computers in Sports Essay

Computers in Games and Sports Practically everybody has played sports video games on a computer. It’s fun to pick a team and see how well you can play against a â€Å"virtual† rival. However, the uses for computers in various games and sports go far beyond video games. If you ask a cricket bowler how he throws a ball, he may not be able to tell you. He may say it’s just â€Å"instinct. † It’s something that comes naturally to him. The fact is that there are ways to help bowlers become better bowlers and batsmen become better hitters. And computers are important in making this happen. Cricket players from the major leagues down to city and school teams can now have their batting and pitching analyzed. First, the player’s movements are videotaped. Then, these videotaped images are transferred into a computer. Special application software analyzes the images. It measures the exact angle at which the player is holding his arms and legs. The speed and efficiency of each body movement is measured. This process is called motion analysis. One pitch can be compared with another. This can be useful because the bowler can see how changes in movement affect the result (such as how fast a ball travels). Some systems can even measure pitching and hitting motions during an actual game. This allows coaches to give immediate feedback to players. These computer applications also can be used to compare the movements of two different players. These comparisons, for example, can help explain why different players tend to hit the ball in different directions. There are also computer applications that help coaches keep track of exactly where each ball crosses the pitch. A radar gun can be attached to the computer to measure a pitch’s speed. This information is stored in the computer so that the bowler and coach can study it later. While motion analysis applications are important tools, it still takes a good coach to know how to interpret the results. The coach must look at the information the application provides and then use it to help the player improve. Everybody knows how important statistics (or stats) are in sports. How many games has your favourite batsman played this year? Which player on the Kolkata Knight Riders has the best batting average? The quantity of statistics used in sports is enormous. Without computers, it would be very difficult to keep these statistics up-to-date. Not only are there team statistics, but there are also statistics on each individual player. For example, statistics on an individual cricket player might include times at bat, batting average, and number of runs scored b him. Spreadsheet applications are often used to keep track of statistics. Spreadsheet applications are computer programs that can store and manipulate numbers. For example, they can find the average of a list of twenty numbers. Even small league teams often use spreadsheet applications to keep track of player statistics. Going to a cricket stadium is almost like going to the circus. There are hotdogs, popcorn, and a scoreboard complete with a gigantic TV-like screen. Stadiums, such as the Eden Gardens Kolkata, have very complex scoreboards. The new scoreboard is 56 feet tall and 180 feet wide. It includes a giant screen to add to the excitement. The best-known type of giant screen is the Sony Jumbotron. The pictures on these screens move from the players to the crowd. They show cartoons of the team’s mascot. They may display the words to â€Å"Time Is Up† so that everybody can join in the singing. These scoreboards and giant screens are controlled by an entire group of computers. Each computer supplies the scoreboard with different information. One computer might keep track of statistics on particular players, while another might contain commercial advertisements. These giant screens can even be used for educational purposes. In 2000, the University of Tennessee’s athletics and physics departments joined together to create a group of 60-second videos. These videos were shown on the school’s Jumbotron during home games. The purpose of the videos was to teach fans about the science of football. This was a fun way to join together sports and education. Athletes who depend on speed to win will stop at nothing to reduce their times. Some Olympic swimmers wear full-body â€Å"skinsuits† so they can glide through the water more easily. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that they use computer applications to improve their speeds. At the U. S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado, coaches use a computer application to develop perfect swimming strokes. This simulation software attempts to copy the way water flows around parts of the swimmer’s body, such as the arms and hands. The swimmer’s goal is to move through the water as smoothly as possible. Water turbulence can slow a swimmer down. The application allows the user to change the positions of the swimmer’s hands and arms. The user can then see how these changes affect the amount of water turbulence. This information is used to design the best swimming stroke. Coaches can then teach swimmers to use this stroke to obtain their greatest speed. Simulation software has also been used to design racing yachts. It can help in determining how to shape the yacht’s hull so that it moves through the water with the least amount of resistance. Computers have many other uses at the Olympics. At the 2010 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, tiny computer chips were used to track skiers. A chip was strapped to each skier’s ankle. Electronic devices were buried in the snow along the track. When a skier passed over one of the devices, his or his chip sent information to the device. This information included the skier’s location, speed, and number. This information was sent to a central computer. Judges and other Olympic officials could then look at it. Do you want to know if the Kolkata Knight Riders have a home game on July 14? Or who the Sri Lanka is playing next Wednesday? Just go to their Web site. Professional, college, and even some high school sports teams have their own WEB SITES. The information available on sports teams’ Web sites is amazing. Some of it includes:†¢ Schedules. Game dates and locations are available. †¢ Statistics. Up-to-the-minute information on teams and individual players is ready whenever you want it. †¢ Team News. Web sites contain coach and player interviews, information on injuries, and so forth.