In our daily life we pass by many things, sometimes we give them attention by observing then in a way that our minds are set to and sometimes we don’t even bother to look. We might see and find the beauty in these things using the ways of knowledge such as reason, emotion and languages. When I think of these things I come to conclusion that they must belong to a certain area of knowledge such as science, religion, arts and mathematics. However in order to examine these things we need the ways of knowledge, so after all the areas of knowledge depends on the ways of knowledge.  Most of the times it turns out that not every person on earth looks at the things as others do. As it is said in the claim ‘we see and understand things not as they are but as we are’. I believe there is more than one vision for each thing.

As it is said ‘Beauty is in the eye of the beholder’.

On the other side when it comes to maths there is always an answer that we are certain off which we can’t disregard and we can’t argue about such as 5+5=10, it is well known that the result is 10 to everyone and no one can come up with a different answer, which means that we see things as they are. But when it is about the methods we used to reach the theories which might differ from one person to another, allowing the person to think of theories as what he is not as others.  When I want to do bunji jumping I Choose to experience it because to me I think that it is not a risky thing to do, while to many other people it might look to them as the most dangerous experience of life. So in that case I would be following my emotions about this certain things and destroy the doubts of others. A way of knowledge is the reason by which we observe and look at all things. For example in the area of the knowledge , we sometimes look at the art work and try to understand it the way the artist explained it but deep inside what really  matters  is the first impression about it weather it’s good or not and we try to think of it as it appears in front of our eyes. In addition to that we can use our emotions to look at the painting and understand it, what does it mean to us? What do you feel about the colours? For example when I look at a painting where it is full of blue colors I would feel extremely lonely and as a result I will feel the anger in the painting. On the other side the artist might have used the color blue to portray the feel of peacefulness.

So it is our emotions that help us to understand the world in a different way than others.  My mood can play a major role in understanding the painting because when I am in a good mood I would see the colors in a cheerful way while I am in a bad mood I would see them as outrageous thing which will somehow effect my opinion in the paining .In conclusion my feelings and my mood can greatly effect my opinion about the painting.Our culture can play a great role in our understanding of the painting and in the way we see this painting, for example I am a girl who lives in a preservative family where my parents have taught me not to look at nude painting. So when I look at a nude painting I would find it very interesting no matter how bad the artist was because I have never seen a naked body before, so for me the idea of such a painting draws my attention to the max, so my judgment on the painting would differ from the judgment of others. The language can also affect my opinion a painting because the way that I communicate with others in order to understand their ideas can be effective, for example I can never understand what the artist exactly mean by her painting if I didn’t understand the language she is speaking to me with. Cultures: I might not think the same way as the artist and people think about the painting if I am from a different culture than theirs. For example in a certain culture the white dress means wedding while in my culture it doesn’t mean so,if the painting consisted of a white dress I wouldn’t understand that the artist is talking about a wedding. When it comes to colors it’s scientifically approved that every person sees the color at different shades which allow us to have different views of the painting. The mental state of a person can affect his view about things, for example a mentally sick person can look at an apple as a red ball but to us as healthy people we would recognize the ball when seeing it.

Factors affecting the mind such as drugs can also affect the way a person under drugs sees things. For instance if he looks at a tree it might be like an illusion to him or like a giant person standing in front of him but to us we can see and know that it’s a tree nothing else than a tree. But if you think of our case we look at a tree as a tree, as anyone else see it; we don’t try to think of it as something else. The field of specialization for every person effects the way he thinks observe and look at things. For example a scientist will look at the leaf of the tree as a source of food for the plant because the photosynthesis occurs there but t a fashion designer he would look like it as a material for his clothes productions. Accordingly to housewives she will look at it as a decoration, a farmer will look at it as source of living. To a mathematician he will look at it as a geometrical shape with different angels. An artist will look at it as a mixture of colors mixing with each other. As the end of the day a leaf is a leaf no matter how we look at it. An elevator’s ding sound may seem to a musician as an initial of a music chain of a song that would be completed by other sounds in the surrounding; on the other hand for us it may seem much less meaningful.  Moods also can effect in your way of treating and thinking about ancidents like if somebody pushed you accidently or got into your way while you are in a bad mood you may explain it as if that person did it on purpose and make a big deal out of it, in contrast if I was in a good mood and this situation occurred intentionally I may think that it was by accident and ignore it or I wouldn’t have paid any attention to it.

If a writer was present in a seen it may be printed in his mind with full details including its varied aspects, while others may remember it generally with poor details or neither as if it is a daily normal seen. Blind may depend on his of touch instead of his non-existing sight ,he will touch a lot of things and his instinct will help him to see things and feel things much more than what a normal person do so a lot of times you see them have certain talents that differs them and extinguish them from others.

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The rational mind’s profound and abstract speculations since time immemorial has been the nature of truth, a deeply rooted philosophical conundrum[1], whose thought itself has revolutionized the realistic value possessed by the areas of knowledge. Truth itself preoccupies a substantial role in our daily conversations, but its multi-dimensional nature has perplexed even the most profound thinkers like Plato and Aristotle as well as recent philosophers who have failed in uncovering this mystery lying at the heart of human culture.  Although the word ‘truth’ is tagged with the purpose of a utilitarian role, we humans mould it into a form recognized by the conceptual framework of our human mind, otherwise known as a schema. Hence the question of the value of truth involved in any statement is believed to be a consequence of the social constructivism based on beliefs and our rearing. Over the past years, truth has been dealt with individually in terms of its approach towards an array of knowledge areas. The ‘extent’ is an underpinning of the diverse perspectives that truth holds in a variety of areas of knowledge. Thus, it indicates not only a difference in the form of truth but also a similarity involved in deciphering the existence of truth. My essay ventures to explain the extent to which truth has been given varied significance in three distinct areas of knowledge; mathematics, arts and ethics in terms of the characteristics which define them.

Since the abstract nature of truth has posed to be a universal dilemma, various theories have been formulated to gauge the truth value of any statement. Mathematics is often considered the language of certainty[2]and well-known for its infallibility and abstract thought. What makes mathematicians and philosophers believe that mathematics is closest to the absolute truth is its logical structure of methodology and judgments, and its influence on solvability to achieve an absolutely correct or incorrect answer. The mathematical truth is bound by certain rules and barriers which encompass this area of knowledge, hence a more constrained approach built on pure logic, and deductive-reasoning influences the truth involved in a mathematical stand-point. “In mathematics a statement must be true or false” is a clichéd saying and reflects the overall understanding which defines the outcome. Most mathematicians agree the fact that the set theory forms the firm foundation upon which the complex structure of math has been erected. But what intrigues these mathematicians is that can such an abstract area have any real life applications? A glimpse into the history of mathematics would surely assert the above question. For example, a number of theories in the past were thought to be a mere theoretical phenomenon but today behold a firm position in the real world. The Non-Euclidian Geometry was first considered as an idealistic branch of mathematics, but today has carved its way into the theories of relativity. In the present global situation, the population of the world has crossed the six billion mark and threatens to exponentially make its’ way up through the population charts. For example in China, in order to curb the population rush in the country, the government has pressed upon having one baby per family. From the mathematical view-point, the objective truth lies in the fact that in order to restore the habitat around us it is vital to take such a step in the interest of the future generations. From the ethical stance, their version of truth is completely antipodal because the basis of a truth-value in this statement is a reflection of ones emotional self rather than a projection of a logical mind. In ethics, hence, an argument is a rhetoric affair where people need to be persuaded what I believe rather than proving the trueness involved in my proposition. I feel that my observation into this example is a projection of the extent to which one event holds a different stance from the spectacle of the truth value supporting the claim.  What defines a stark line of difference between math and ethics as deciphered from the above example is the conflicting nature of moral opinions and that there are no observable facts to base the truth value on in an ethical viewpoint. The difference in moral opinions amongst people may be lead by the cognitive apparatus of the individual. Since ethics is considered to be a matter of personal concern, influenced by previous knowledge and experiences of the individual, the moral differences would explain that in ethics, there is no underlying truth to be discovered. But what defines morality in ethics is the position of ethical relativism, the belief that ethical view-points are relative to one culture or another. One of the most indignant moral issues at hand is abortion. Every individual agrees the medical procedures which culminate into an abortion. But there seems to be an equally repulsive response when it comes to agreeing the morality of abortion. In short, the matter of abortion has its agreement on medical science but doesn’t touch upon the area of medical ethics. So, at all points of time, the entire scenario is a relative representation of a statement and it is an appearance but not the reality. I have always observed myself making hollow as well as emotionally driven promises and always have the statement “Promises ought to be kept” at the back of my mind. This seems to be a moral principle, but it cannot be categorized as a factual claim. But on close observation, the truth factor within the statement shows close relations between such a statement and a mathematical proposition. If the phenomenon of promise is known and the true essence of its obligation is understood, there exists a relation between ideas. Though relativism and subjectivism are parallel in certain terms, art as an area of knowledge has been considered as a representation of reality. Friedrich Nietzsche aphorism “We have art in order not to die of the truth”, self-consciously asserts the fact that this world has art in order to live the truth.

Though the ways of knowing have paved the path for the route to attaining truth in these three areas of knowledge, where reasoning, emotion and perception have dominated the approach to the ultimate reality in math, ethics and arts respectively, the truth value in each of its statements has a certain similarity. The form of assumptions which are utilized in proving a certain statement to be true is a recurring observation in all three areas of knowledge. The kind of truth that art is striving to convey to us may be completely different from the ay an individual may perceive it. Hence how do we judge a piece of art if it holds completely different opinions in the minds of 2 people? When viewing a work of art, it may evoke an emotion, and the recognition of this emotion may be an indication of the truth. However, there is a common view-point amongst people that photography has revolutionized the way truth is perceived since it portrays a much more accurate picture of the entire scenario. Since the photo is a mere observation and appearances are truly deceptive. It is established that the truth involved in a painting is not prejudiced but a projection of the individuals personal interpretation, hence speaks about the viewer. Truth in terms of art is a reflection of beauty and is completely devoid of any form of logic.

Truth has been shaped in numerous ways pertaining to the satisfaction of the individual contesting the truth in his mind. There is one single truth in relation to a statement and through the exploration into three distinct areas of knowledge, I have understood that the method of approaching the subject is what defines the truth involved in it. Plato himself argued to a great extent that there is a definite answer for anything to be considered good or bad, if one exercises his deductive reasoning skills as opposed to what the Sophists believed that such statements are a matter of subjective truth and is totally based on human interpretation and his desire.

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“We see and understand things not as they are but as we are.” Discuss this claim in at least two ways of knowing.

When the theory of knowledge teacher asked a student in the class to examine and describe a paper flower, he boldly described it as soft, weak and small. I also examined the same paper flower and came up with an understanding that the flower is small, weak and soft. This was because we both were observing the same thing. This observation leads to a hypothesis that the existence of knowledge without human minds is not possible. If in that instant of time one of us would unfold the paper flower and make a paper boat to run it on the water surface in a bucket, we both would have mentioned the differences.  This assertion points out our ways of acquiring knowledge. Is it worth saying that human mind understands the world and its phenomenon according to the knowledge being saved in to it earlier. Does culture has impacts in the way humans see and understand?  Do people of different religions experience the same reality? Through this essay I shall try to look at the above mentioned problems of knowing and come up with an argument that humans do see and understand things not as they (things) are but as we (humans) are.  Famously quoted by N. R. Hanson

“Two third of what we see is behind our eyes.”

I myself agree with the title of the essay that I see and understand things not as they are but as I am. But why? We wouldn’t have any knowledge of the outside world without our perception. For example a person from a different culture than ours would misunderstand the purpose of a finger bowl with a flower petal at a dining table and perceive it as a bowl of soup. The main issue here is that a same thing is perceived differently by different observers due to various aspects in their lives. These perceptions are often strongly influenced by our experiences and memories, religion, personality, culture and even gender. Plato defined knowledge as “Justified True Belief”. According to the definition, the more justification we can provide for a particular belief, the knowledge constructed from the fact will be easier to understand. Mostly the knowledge human value primarily is based on cultural backgrounds and past knowledge. For example dogs will always scare a man if he has been bitten by dog in the childhood while some people on the other hand have dogs as pets and loves them as their own children.

One of the main issues of knowledge in this context would be to explore the question that states that do emotions affect the way we see and understand things? First of all, I must mention that the ways of getting knowledge from emotions are facial expressions, tone of voice or tears. For example if I drag literature into the essay and take a look at the “Slumdog Millionaire”. There comes a point in the story when the character Jamal witnesses his girlfriend getting rapped. Jamal finds this act of violence more hurtful to himself instead of finding it hurting to his friend. Jamal sees himself as the victim because of the pain he is getting just by hearing the voices and runs from the scene. But in reality his refusal to help his friend makes him as accused of the crime as the perpetrator. The point of interest in this example is that Jamal saw the situation through his mind and his emotions did not let him see the actual reality. So he saw the whole situation as he was, not as the reality was.

Another example in this context could be a student who is very intelligent but is held down in the class because he is deemed to be selfish. In his point of view he is strong and independent and has great integrity that is why he never bows to altruism. But other students criticize him because of this attitude.  Sacrifice of self is highly appreciated in some cultures but in others self reliance is honored the most.  This also points me back to the question of the essay and concludes that culture plays a significant role in what we see and how we perceive it. Religion also plays a part in the perception of people. For example Muslims are not allowed to eat pork and they have religious justifications to prove their belief but for the rest of the world it is quite normal to eat pork and they serve it both at their national and holy events. Therefore a same event in time and space cannot be perceived by same point of view by particular group of people. These three examples led me to conclude that perception is so strongly influenced by emotions, culture and religion that people see the reality as they are not as the reality is.

Sometimes one comes across knowledge that seems authentic but that is not true. I will quote the 4^th century BCconcept that the earth is flat. Lack of equipment and modern technology lead ancient scientists to claim this hypothesis. The scientists justified this hypothesis by saying that if earth was not flat; rather sphere then the things on the curved surface of the earth would slide and fall down. Moreover they also justified that the earth appears to be flat even viewed from a high altitude. Since their conclusion (justifications) made sense to the people of that era, so they considered this knowledge valuable. But with the passage of time, scientists realized that earth is spherical instead of flat. “They justified this belief by showing the fact that if earth was flat then all the bodies in the sky should be visible at the same time for all parts of the surface”. Also when a ship disappears in the horizon justifies that the earth is sphere. These justifications were not enough for old believers of flat earth. Advancement in science and technology made humans land on moon. When astronauts showed pictures of earth taken from the surface of moon, people started believing the new knowledge. Pictures served as proof for the belief. Even in the presence of these strong reasoning some old religious scientists deny the fact and are still proving their old knowledge. They believe that in such cases pictures can serve as propaganda. Knowledge based on photographs could be biased or subjective. Thus this example shows that the knowledge that people value the most is the one with their own concrete justifications based on the circumstances or the previous knowledge. But how can we know what could be close to reality? Photographs are a ladder to reach knowledge, they don’t serve knowledge. They can be manipulated for various purposes as in this example; photographs taken from moon can be a source of propaganda for the country first reached at moon.

There also exists knowledge that has similar outcomes yet people do not agree with it. I will take ghosts as example. Spiritual scholars have played a key role in showing existence of ghosts. They showed religious references, pictures, videos and people who can approve their existence but majority of the people do not believe this because they are not able to show their justification to the rest of the world. If I consider myself, I personally believe in ghosts because my religion has strong justifications for that. But those justifications are very weak for the non believers. So when I see a person screaming at night or walking in sleep I consider it as influence of some ghost because this is what my religion and culture taught me. On the other hand modern science has showed evidence to many sicknesses in which a sleeping person might walk and even go to graveyard to remember the dead ones. So a doctor will see this situation completely differently than anyone from old South Asian society. This is also an example of different perception of the same event.

The whole discussion in this essay leads me to conclude than more the justifications, more reliable the belief is. But sometimes even justifications and proofs fail to convince people. Forexample we see  a toothpick is embedded in chocolate dipped strawberries. A person with good socio economic background knows the purpose of this toothpick that is lifting the strawberry without getting hands dirty. On the other hand a person with less social status might see the toothpick as a cleaning tool that is used right after one has eaten the strawberries.  So this whole discussion can be concluded by saying that knowledge that is most valuable depends on person to person. The knowledge that satisfies ones belief, emotions and actions is valued to him. Thus for him that particular knowledge is most valuable. But if we think logically, then there is no doubt that strong justifications (as in science) make the argument more valuable. As said by David Hume (1711-76)

“Reason is always and everywhere the slave of the passions”

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Robert-Marcel Duchamp was born July 28^th, 1887, near Blainville, France. He was one of six children born to Justin-Isidore and Marie-Caroline-Duchamp, four of which pursued careers in art despite the heated disapproval of their father. Nevertheless, Marcel had an artist precedent in Emile-Frederic-Nicolle, a maternal grandfather who painted and made prints (American Decades).  In the beginning, as a boy in the 1890’s, he was surrounded by art—and by artist; his grandfather as we mentioned, two brothers, and a sister were all artist. His childhood home was filled with seascapes, landscapes and etchings by his grandfather. When he was fifteen, Duchamp painted in the Impressionistic style, as witnessed by a painting from 1902, “Church at Blainville,” inspired by reproductions he had seen of the works of Claude Monet (International Dictionary). Also at 15, Duchamp painted his first oil, Landscape at Blainville, 1902. “When you see so many paintings,” said Duchamp, “you’ve got to paint.” In 1904, at the age of 17, he resolved to become an artist. He could not have chosen a more exciting time. Paris was reverberating from the first Cezanne retrospective show; Matisse was experimenting with the vivid colors that would soon give birth to Fauvism; a few years later, Picasso and Braque would create Cubism (Tomkins 16). No one knew at the time that he would become one of the most influential and controversial artists of the 20^th Century.

In 1904, Duchamp was graduated from the Ecole Boussuert in Rouenand moved to Paristo join his brothers. Like most young artist, Duchamp began by painting the subjects closest to him—his family and friends. It can best be seen in the captivating watercolor portraits of his sisters that he had a good grasp of conventional techniques. He received his only formal training at the Academie Julian in Paris, a sort of preparatory studio for the Ecole des Beaux – Arts. But he despised the academic atmosphere and dropped out after 18 months to pursue his own taste. He made a meager living in these years, through contacts from his brothers, selling cartoons for publication in Parisian magazines, including Le Rire and Le Courier francais (Authors and Artists). He also worked as a librarian for some time.

When he painted a portrait of his father he had adopted Cezanne’s planar color construction, a dynamic restructuring of landscapes and the human form that was to lead to Cubism. He was also experimenting with Fauvism, the art of the “wild beasts.” Like Matisse, the pioneer of Fauvism, Duchamp had no qualms about adopting arbitrary colors (Tomkins 18).  Duchamp’s first artistic works, according to Atlantic writer Kenneth Baker, were “facile but undistinguished Post-impressionist” paintings. “The Artist’s Father,” for example, which Duchamp exhibited in the 1910 Salon d’Automne, strongly reflects the influence of Paul Cezanne. Another work from this same time, “Chess Game,” shows his brothers and their wives relaxing in the garden of their home in aParis suburb. The painting does not only incorporate Cezanne’s brush-stroke technique, but also displays the vibrant colors of the Fauvist painters (Authors and Artists). Duchamp was an avid chess player as a child and thorough out his life later being Named Chess Champion by Haute Normandie (France), 1924; winner of Paris Chess Tournament, 1932 (Authors and Artists).

Duchamp became interested in machine forms and the representation of movement in the static terms of painting.” This interest was evident in his 1911 painting “Nude Descending a Staircase,” which employed cubism’s geometry and subtle tones. Exhibited in the 1911 Salon des Independents, “Nude Descending a Staircase” caused such a fury that Duchamp’s brothers asked him to withdraw from the show (Authors and Artists).  In 1913 a second version of the painting, “Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2″  was displayed at the Armory Show in New York which caused cries of dismay and was even seen as the ultimate Cubist madness. The painting, once described as “an explosion in a shingle factory,” has remained an inspiration to artists who use repetition and rhythm to express motion (Frank, 397-398). Duchamp’s work continued to attract both praise and criticism, and by late 1913 he was searching for greater freedom of artistic expression than that allowed by either cubism or futurism (Authors and Artists). After 1912, Duchamp would paint only a few more canvases. He was growing increasingly disillusioned with what he called “retinal” art – art that appeared only to the eye – he wanted to create a new kind of art, one which would engage the mind (Stafford).

Duchamp stirred public controversy again in 1917 when he submitted a ready-made porcelain urinal–turned upside down and signed R. Mutt–for exhibition by the Society of Independent Artists, of which he had been a founding member. After 1918 Duchamp gave up painting completely but continued to produce a variety of collages, sketches, and machine-constructions, much of which he signed Rose Selavy–the name of the female alter-ego he had created for himself (Authors and Artists). Bicycle Wheel was the first of a class of objects called his “readymades.” He created twenty-one of them between 1915 and 1923 (Stafford). In 1920 Duchamp exhibited his “Mona Lisa,” a ready-made aided with mustache and goatee, which he called “L.H.O.O.Q.”; roughly translated, the initials stand for “she is hot in the pants.”(Authors and Artists). Three years later, at the age of thirty-six, Duchamp formally retired as an artist. Following retirement Duchamp devoted much of his time to chess playing, an avid interest since his childhood. He found chess to be “purer, socially, than painting,” he told Chanin. Considered by experts to be a good match, Duchamp reached a level of proficiency that allowed him to enter championship competitions. At that point, however, he chose to stop playing in public Although he was no longer publicly producing art, Duchamp remained active in the art world as a dealer for other artists, a consultant to collectors, and an organizer of exhibits. Additionally, he continued to study and experiment in perspective and optics, an interest he started as early as 1918 (Authors and Artists).

Duchamp worked on his most monumental piece, The Large Glass, for eight years until 1923, when he abandoned it in what he called a “definitively unfinished” state. Years later a network of cracks was accidentally added when it shattered while being moved (Stafford). His twenty canvases and glass panels, sold to friends during his lifetime, found their way by bequest as he wished to the Philadelphia Museum, where is concentrated the greatest collection of his works. It comprises the material evidence of a genius who, more than any other recognized the self-contained capacity of mundane objects to be exploited for publicity purposes, and for altering outworn interpretations of art in a context of changing social and philosophical standards (International Dictionary of Art and Artists). By 1914, as a result of the war, the political and cultural landscape was changed forever. Governments assumed new powers to mobilize people and material, to dictate economic life, to censor public expression, and by controlling information, to manipulate the way people thought. Writers, photographers, and artists were prevented by the government and the self-censoring press from communicating the horror of the war. It was not until after the war had ended that those artists and writers who survived were able to express their perceptions of the catastrophe that shaped the world (Frank, 399). As Canaday suggested, it was perhaps “the insane spectacle of World War I” that ultimately turned Duchamp “away from the rational processes of cubism . . . and led him to the anarchic movement of Dada.” (Authors and Artists). Dada began in protest against the horrors of World War I as an assault on corrupt values by an international group of young artist and writers. In the eyes of the Dadaists, the destructive absurdity of war was caused by traditional, narrow-minded values, which they set out to overturn (Frank, 399). To make a new beginning, the Dadaists rejected most moral, social, political, and aesthetic values. They thought it was pointless to try and find order and meaning in a world in which so-called rational behavior had produced only chaos and destruction. They sought to shock art viewers into seeing the absurdity of the Western world’s social and political situation. For Marcel Duchamp, mechanically produced things were a reservoir of unselfconscious art objects. In his view, a reproduction of the MONA LISA was a ready-made object, in the same class as bicycle wheels, kitchen stools, and snow shovels. L.H.O.O.Q. is an “assisted readymade” by Duchamp, expressing his view that art had become simply a precious commodity. He poked fun with his “corrections,” a penciled moustache and goatee and a new title. The unusual title is a vulgar pun in French, loosely translated in English it reads, “She has a hot tail.” Duchamp’s outrageous irreverence towards one of the world’s most revered paintings was an attempt to shake people out of their unthinking acceptance of dominant values (Frank, 400).

Works Cited

American Decades. GaleFarmington Hills,Mich.: Gale Research, 1998. Web.21 Mar. 2010.

Reproduced in Biography Resource Center., 2010.

Andrew Stafford. Making Sense of Marcel Duchamp, Web.25 Mar. 2010

Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Volume 47. Gale Group, 2003. Web.24 Mar. 2010

Reproduced in Biography Resource Center.Farmington Hills,Mich.: Gale, 2010.

Contemporary Artists, 4th ed.St. James Press, 1996. Web.21 Mar. 2010. Reproduced in

Biography Resource Center.Farmington Hills,Mich.: Gale, 2010.

Frank, Patrick. Prebles’ Artforms.Upper Saddle River,NJ. Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009. Print

International Dictionary of Art and Artists.St. James Press, 1990. Web.23 Mar. 2010

Reproduced in Biography Resource Center.Farmington Hills,Mich.: Gale, 2010.

Tomkins, Calvin, et al. The World of Marcel Duchamp. New York: Time Inc., 1966. Print

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Tobago is situated in the south direction of Caribbean Sea. The total area of Tobago is about 300 square kilometers that is located in land and the remaining portion consists of water. The total population of Tobago is about 54084 according to the survey that was conducted in the year of 2000. The capital of this wonderful island is Scarborough whose population is around 17000. The land of Tobago consists of 7 parishes whose names are Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint David, Saint Mary,Saint Paul,Saint John and Saint Patrick.Tobago is a very beautiful island that has a natural beauty which can not be seen in any other part of the world. There are large number of amazing rainforests, amazing historical places and beautiful beaches. A large number of New-Zealanders really like to visit this beautiful island of Tobago to see this unique island.

Coco Reef:

There are also very much fascinating and amazing restaurants Tobago near the beautiful beaches. One of the most famous and largest hotels of Tobago is Coco Reef. This hotel is very much beautiful and amazing for its location, unique services and other outstanding facilities. This hotel is spread around 10 acres of wonderful tropical gardens. This place is suitable for those who want leisure, relaxation and enjoyment. The staff of this splendid hotel is really cooperative and friendly. That’s why almost all New-Zealanders and other foreigner who come here prefer to stay in this amazing hotel.

Famous for Fishing:

Tobago Islands full of natural beauty and marine life. A large number of people come here to fulfill their dream of fishing. Especially during the season of fishing that begins from the month of October and finishes at the month of June. During this season, a huge rush of people comes here for fishing and it’s really an amazing sight to watch. So many people try their luck to catch the fishes in this beautiful island. But people come here the whole year for the purpose of Coastal Fishing.

During the fishing season, there are also held many events related to the sport fishing. These events also consist of the fishing of big fishes like whales, sharks and many others. These competitions are really thrilling and amazing to watch. There are also a many special grounds for the competitions of fishing in this beautiful island of Tobago.  Large number of people from different part of the world comes here to participate in these fantastic fishing sports events. Like other foreigners, a large number of New-Zealanders also come here to participate in these sports fishing events.

Nylon Pool of Tobago:

Nylon Pool of Tobago is one of the famous and most beautiful places of Tobago. This is so much famous for its wonderful location, greenery, atmosphere and amazing water. Special glass Boat trip is one of the amazing things to do in this beautiful Nylon Pool of Tobago. Through this boat trip, you can easily visit the whole Nylon Pool of Tobago. Large number of New-Zealanders also comes here to enjoy from this Nylon Pool of Tobago.

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The Theory of Constraints (TOC) and throughput accounting1 (Throughput accounting) have been identified as potentially important developments in management accounting research and practice (Noreen et al, 1995; Dugdale & Jones, 1998; Jones & Dugdale, 1998). More specifically Dugdale & Jones (1998) identified several areas for research, including the implications for accounting  systems in companies which had undergone a “paradigm shift” in perceptions  and values relating to manufacturing following the implementation of TOC, the role of critical success factors in the design of accounting systems, and the development of accounting measures to support TOC. Despite this, few studies of Throughput accounting have been published in accounting journals. This paper argues that it is timely for management accounting researchers to re-visit Throughput accounting and make it the focus of scholarly research. There are rare examples of studies that incorporate Throughput accounting; however these have been mainly published in the production management literature and these studies give little insight into the use or value of Throughput accounting systems. The common theme of this body of literature is the use of Throughput accounting to support decision-making (Long, Castellano & Roehm, 2002; Boyd & Cox, 2002: Corbett, 2006) in particular product-mix decisions (Himola, 2001; Souren, Ahn & Schmitz, 2005; Hilmola, 2005), the blending of TOC and activity-based costing (ABC) (Gupta, 2001; Gupta, Baxendale & Raju, 2002; Lea & Min, 2003; Kirche, Kadipasaoglu & Khumawala, 2005) and performance measurement (Lockamy & Spencer, 1998).

In a traditional cost accounting environment, the accountant is trained to focus on product costs, usually in extraordinary detail, rather than on the ability of the company to generate profits. Conversely, throughput accounting is least concerned with costs and most concerned with using the existing system (and the costs built into it) to generate the largest possible amount of profit. Which concept is right?

Under the traditional cost accounting approach, if the accountant is solely reporting on the cost of operations, then it is reasonable for management’s attention to be skewed in the direction of cost management, since this is the only information they see. However, nearly all costs fall into the operating expenses category of costs, and the primary purpose of that cost category is to support the ability of the company to produce throughput. Thus, an excessive degree of attention to cost reduction will eventually impact a company’s ability to produce throughput, so that profits may decline even faster than any cost reductions that have been achieved. This problem is especially difficult to perceive when the accountant identifies an excessive level of capacity in a non-constraint area, and proposes that the company save money by eliminating some portion of the excess capacity. What the accountant misses is how important that excess capacity may be. The total capacity at each center should be divided into three parts (Steven Bragg, 2007). The first is productive capacity, which is that portion of the total work center capacity needed to process currently scheduled production. The second part is protective capacity, which is that additional portion of capacity that must be held in reserve to ensure that a sufficient quantity of parts can be manufactured to adequately feed the bottleneck operation. Any remaining capacity is called idle capacity. Only idle capacity can be eliminated from a work center. If the eliminated capacity is the protective capacity, then the constraint resource will not have any inventory on which to work, and must shut down until its inventory inflow can be replenished .Thus, the reduction in capacity in order to cut costs may seem like a reasonable decision in the short term, until such time as a sufficiently large manufacturing problem results in a throughput drop precisely because of the missing capacity.

Throughput accounting has a very direct relationship with decision making and performance management. It begins by focusing on what an organization’s purpose is – its goal – and seeks to help organizations attain their purpose by increasing their ‘goal units’. The approach can be applied to both profit-seeking and not-for-profit organizations, provided meaningful goal units can be identified.

Throughput accounting first found by dr . Eliyahu M. Goldratt 1984 to help organizations achieve  their goal and gain more profits. First

Simplified accounting and measurement for the complicated world of global business seems like a dream that could never be true Relevance Lost (Johnson and Kaplan) and relevance regained (Johnson) provide a clear discussion on accounting’s rule in how business has suffered from the top-down management syndrome. This approach utilizes cost management data  in an attempt to control and manage costs in contrast to allowing empowered employees to improve business processes. Goldratt also picked up on the theme of misleading and useless cost accounting thinking and its disastrous impact on business operations and management thinking. The Theory of Constraints (TOC) answer to Relevance lost is throughput accounting. Throughput accounting has three main key elements

1- Throughput

2- Operating Expenses

3- Assets

Throughput is defined as the rate that a system generates money (i.e., incremental cash flow through sales that correlates to sales less direct material using traditional accounting terminology. Operating expenses are defined as the money the system spends to convert inventory into throughput. Direct labor is included under operating expenses and is assumed to be fixed expense. Assets in Throughput accounting are identical to assets in conventional accounting except for inventory. Inventory is defined as the money that the system spends on things it intends to convert into throughput.

Throughput accounting is very similar to variable costing. The table below compares Throughput accounting and variables costing

Throughput Accounting identified the keys to achieving and maintaining a competitive edge at :

• Superior quality
• Better Engineering
• High profit margins
• Lower investment
• On-time delivery
• Shorter lead times

Throughput accounting is focused on the goal of optimizing profitability and linking the relationship to the three components necessary for its achievement. The goal was written at a time when maximum utilization of productive capacity was a key issue. Throughput is defined as sales less direct materials, so the emphasize was to maximize it in contrast to the :cost world” approach that focused on cost reduction. Throughput accounting is predicated on managing constraints to optimize inventory levels and control operating expenses, resulting in higher net profit and achievement of higher returns on investment.

Throughput accounting by Thomas Corbett defines the basic elements of Throughput accounting and describes fallacies of applying product costs associated with product mix and making bad decision.

The Measurement Nightmare by Debra smith provides an excellent description that explains the mess associated with applying GAAP to Throughput accounting and how to bridge the gap. Each effort provides understanding of a little-understood concept that offer great possibilities.

One of the driving forces of Throughput accounting is its predications on maximizing throughput and how it accomplish its objectives. Primary obstacles to maximizing throughput are scheduling and identifying constraints. Goldratt has provided us with some tools that are truly potent once we gain understanding and know where to apply focus and how to gain leverage.

Goldratt  has truly tried to help us not only to recognize problems associated with the “cost” world, but also he has provided a new decision process that was missing between the available data and the information that was needed.

Throughput accounting recognize that throughput is the highest priority. It is no different than Jack Welch of GE saying “the only real security we have is satisfied and loyal customers”. There have been extensive efforts to reduce costs, but increasing sales of the right products will produce greater profit than all the effort in the world to control and cut costs

Throughput accounting places its priority on maximizing throughput and minimizing any delay of throughput. It is not a sale until the product is delivered and ultimately not until it is paid for.

Throughput accounting is designed to answer three questions regarding management decisions, which are:

• What is the decision’s impact on throughput ?
• What is the decision’s impact on investment?
• What is the decision’s impact on operating expenses?

References

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”There is no difference in principle between sharpening perception with an external instrument, such as a microscope, and sharpening it with an internal instrument, such as one of these…drugs. If they are an affront to the dignity of the mind, the microscope is an affront to the dignity of the eye and the telephone to the dignity of the ear. Strictly speaking, these drugs do not impart wisdom at all, any more than the microscope alone gives knowledge. They provide the raw materials of wisdom, and are useful to the extent that the individual can integrate what they reveal into the whole pattern of his behavior and the whole system of his knowledge.” Alan Watts in The Joyus Cosmology

The third eye, also known as the inner eye is a mystical and mysterious concept referring partly to the ajna chakara in some Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. It is also known as the gate that leads to inner realms and spaces of higher conciousness. In newer forms of spirituality the third eye may symbolize a state of enlightenment and is often associated with visions and clairvoyance. People who have said to be able to utilize their third eyes are commenly known as seers

In Buddhism and Hinduism the third eye represents enlightenment, being in nirvana. In Indian cultures this is refered to as the gyananakashu, the eye of knowledge. The third eye is the anja chakra also known as the brow chakra. This is marked with a dot, eye or mark on the forhead od deities or enlightened beings such as Shiva or Buddha. This symbol is called the third eye or eye of wisdom, or the urna in Buddhism. In Hindu belefs it is said that the opening of Shiva’s third eye causes the the eventual destruction of the physical universe.

Writers and researchers such as HP Blavatsky and Rick Strassman, have said that the third eye is party dormant, and sits between the 2 hemispheres of the brain. The pineal gland secretes dimethyltryptamine also known as DMT, which induces dreams, meditation, hallucinations and near death experiences. Many different lower vertebrates such as amphibians and reptiles can actully sense light through a third parietal eye, which is associated with the pineal gland. This gland is used to regulate their daily rhythms, sensing the polarization of light and also for navigation.

It is said that when the pineal gland is has awakened, you are able to see beyond space time into time space. It raises the frequency on which one operates and moves one into a higher consciousness. All forms of out-of-body travel coincide with the third eye.

When the pineal gland has been turned on, one will have the ability to communicate with the spiritual world. The crown chakra is said to move in a vortex down towards the pineal gland. When the vortex touches the pineal gland, what is received is pure energy. This energy is known as Prana. The more the astral body is trained one will be able to completely seperetate from the physical body. Both the positive and negative forces join and creates a ”light in the head” thus the pineal gland is activated. You should start to feel a withdrawal from all senses as well as a withdrawal from ones physical self, people visualize their physical body escaping through a door in the brain, they carry this light into any realm they decide to go. also flashes of memory and knowledge of the astral plane will begin start to unfold. Universal knowledge will be aquired the stronger the third eye becomes. After time worldly needs and the ego begin to dissapear. This is called the ‘theta’ state which is when you are still conscious yet resting while feeling at peace with ourselves and the world. As the brain enters deeper states of consciousness, we begin to become less concerned with the physical world.

Humans have been evolving from physical matter ever sience the dawn of man and are still evolving further and further. We went from spirit to matter, and now have said to be moving back into spirit. After time the third eye will eventually bring to humans spiritual abilities and astral capacities.

It is possible that this will take place in the next few years when the fifth sun age ends in 2012? Will the coming Age of Aquarius will bring be truth and brotherhood to the world? December 21st, 2012 AD is when the Earth’s equatorial plane aligns exactly with the galactic center. The Ages are a purely planetary phenomenon based on the planet’s wobble. As a result, around every 2160 years, the constellation visible on the early morning of the spring equinox changes

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one.” Albert Einstein

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 CHAPTER 1: ABSTRACT

 This project is designed using the user interface program to control the metal detector robotic vehicle through RF communication technology. The movement of robotic vehicle can be controlled up to particular destination through the RF control circuitry. Wireless data transmission unit that attached on computer communicate with user interface program through parallel communication port. This wireless data transmission unit having an encoder for converting command key data into RF signal communication data. The RF signal communication data is then send to RF signals receiver circuitry through RF signal transmitter module. A reception unit which is attached on the vehicle having a RF signal receiver, a decoder for decoding RF signal communication data and the H-bridge circuit which is then using to control the motor movement of the robotic vehicle when received the signal.  Besides that, a metal detector unit is built on the robotic vehicle to detect the metallic object present along the moving way of the robotic vehicle and a RF signal will be generate and sending back to the computer to notify the user when the metal is found. A wireless camera is mounted on the top of the robotic vehicle and act as a monitoring system which provides feedback image so that the movement of the robotic vehicle can be monitored by the user through the computer.

  CHAPTER 2: INTRODUCTION

 Robot is one of the greatest achievements in the field of engineering technology. Many robots have been designed and built for sophisticated uses. They are ready to replacing human being working in the area of surveillance or defense, working in the deep ocean, and even to perform dangerous or unhealthy mission such as military operations and navigation in hazardous environment.  “Metal detector used the principle of electromagnetic induction to detect metallic object” [1]. In normal application, the metal detector is carrying by human being to perform the metal tracking jobs. But, in order to put the metal detecting operation in the dangerously or polluted environments such as chemical spills and radioactive, a robotic vehicle that built with the metal detector is designed. Guided remotely using video cameras is needed so that the robot movements can be monitored from the computer through a graphical user interface and the operation can be done with more precisely.  Today, RF (radio frequency) are widely used in communications and remote control due to the ability to communicate from far distance compare with the Bluetooth and also infrared wireless technology which have limited range in wireless signal. By applying the RF wireless communication technology, the metal detector robotic vehicle can be controlled from behind so that the robot is able to carry out the dangerous task or the jobs that is too difficult for humans.

CHAPTER 3: OBJECTIVE

The project aims is to study and develop a robotic vehicle which have a metal detector function and can be dedicate in various applications purpose such as navigation in hazardous environments and security operations purpose. The research will focus on monitoring and control system by using graphical user interface for the remote control metal detector robotic vehicle. The main considerations involved in developing the system including apply the RF technology and microcontroller in controlling the robotic vehicle movement, displaying the result when the robot successful detect the metallic object and to ensure that the integration between the hardware and software were successful.

CHAPTER 4: INTEGRATED SYSTEM

 This project mainly consists of two sections, which are the controller part and RC (remote control) vehicle part as shown in figure1.0 below.  The user can control the movement of the robotic vehicle by keyboard or mouse through software interface. The signal will send to the encoder IC through parallel port. The encoder IC receives the coded and transforms them into the serial data before send to first RF transmitter module. The transmitter will generate a corresponding RF signal based on the user input. The first RF Receiver module at the robotic vehicle platform received the data signal in serial manner. The data is then converted back to parallel output by decoder IC. The output data signal is then used to active the H- Bridge circuit which will control the 2 DC motors turning direction to drive the vehicle movement. A metal detector is mounted on the robotic vehicle platform to detect the metals present along the way. When the metallic object is detected, a data signal will be send to PIC16F84A microcontroller via port A. The microcontroller would response by sending a signal to second encoder IC and at the same time trigger the buzzer which will act as notify alarm. These functions are programmed using the PIC assembly language. The program code can be troubleshooting by using PIC simulator program before burn into the microcontroller. The second encoder IC is then transforms the coded data into serial data and send to the second RF transmitter module. The second RF receiver module received the serial data and converted back to parallel output by the second decoder IC. This output data signal will then send to user interface program to notify user through parallel port. The computer will receives video signal from the camera that mounted on the robotic vehicle via the USB port to provide the live view function.

CHAPTER 5: PLATFORM

 The project is designed with two separate platforms. One is controller platform and the other one is robotic platform.

5.1: Controller platform

 The controller platform is simply a rectangular box that will be used to keep the remote controller circuitry on it. The box built with connector which is used to connect with computer.

5.2: Robotic platform

 The robotic vehicle is designed with 4 wheels. The two front wheels are used to turn direction either left or right while the 2 back wheels are used to move the vehicle forward or backward. The vehicle is designed with a single flat surface static platform which is dedicated to hold the controller board. The flat designed gave more space so that the controller board and also the wireless camera can be mounted on it. The platform has an extended part in front of the robotic vehicle which is used to hold the metal detector sensor so the metal detector can detect the metallic object present a long the vehicle moving way.

CHAPTER 6: ACTUATION

 H-Bridge circuit:

In this project, two 6V DC motors are required to drive the vehicle movement. The DC motor is selected because it is cheap in price compare to servo motor. One motor is used to control the direction of vehicle either left o right, while the other motor is used to drive the vehicle forward and backward. In order for DC motor able to turn in difference direction, the h-bridge circuit is required in the circuitry design. A solid state switching device such as transistor is needed to form an h-bridge circuit. Figure 1.1 above is a basic circuitry design of H- bridge circuit which contain of 2 NPN transistors and 2 PNP transistors. This circuit design enables a voltage to be flow across the motor in either direction. When the transistor Q1 and Q4 are switching ON, a positive voltage will applied to motor and cause the motor to turn in one direction. When the transistors Q2 and Q3 are switching ON and the Q1 and Q4 are switching OFF, a revered operation of motor is occurring due to reverse voltage flow across the motor. The following table summarizes the H-bridge operation. Logic 1 represents “HIGH” or turn ON while logic 0 represent “LOW” or turn OFF. Diodes D1 to D4 are used to prevent the back voltage EMF (electromotive force) that is generate by the motor coil when the motor coil is turning on and off.

CHAPTER 7: SENSOR

 The metal detector sensor is used in this project to detect metallic object. Metal detector is basically design with one or more coil inductor that will be used to interact with the metallic object. “When a metal is present near the coil, some of the magnetic flux produce by coil will pass into the metal object and create eddy current. This phenomenon causing some of the magnetic flux disappears and thus the coil with less flux are then producing the low power output’ [9].  Figure 1.2 below is the schematic for metal detector that will apply in this project. Q1 and Q2 are connected to produce a frequency of around 150 KHz fed to L1 and C1. When the LC circuit is oscillates it will induce power to L2 which causes Q2 to switch the collector at the frequency of the collector at Q1. When the metal is near to L1, it will interact with it and reduce the inductance at L2, Q2 therefore is slowly turned off and there will be more power at the collector of Q2. This will allow Q3 and Q4 to power on the LED. At the same time Q5, Q6 and Q7 will be active. Q5 and Q6 generate the frequency which is fed to Q7 to drive the buzzer. VR1 (variable resistor) is used to adjust the circuit’s sensitivity level to the metal.

CHAPTER 8: BEHAVIOR

 The main behavior of the metal detector robotic vehicle is to search for the metallic object using its metal detector sensor. Once the metallic object is found, a corresponding signal will be sent out. This process is ongoing until there is not metallic object near to the sensor. The routine is control by the PIC16F84A microcontroller and the code is written in PIC assembly language which is then convert to HEX file before load the code to microcontroller.

 CHAPTER 9: DESIGN METHODOLOGY

 The design methodology is needed in a project design in order to complete the project successfully

CHAPTER 10: EXPERIMENTAL AND RESULT

 Several experiments have been performing before come to final circuit design.

The project circuit design used a lot of NPN and PNP transistor as a switching device.

10.1: Transistor circuit

To determine the approximate base resistor value for the transistor to “switch on”, the following formula is apply.

“R_B = (V_C × h_FE ) ÷ (5 × I_C )”  [10]

Choose the nearest standard value for the R_B.

Example, if R_B = 97KΩ, the 10KΩ resistor is selected.

10.2: RF communication

 Testing the transmitter and receiver module to ensure that the RF is able to communicate and decoded back to 4 bits signal. Figure 1.3 and 1.4 shows the wiring diagram of RF module.  During the circuit testing, pin TE of  HT600 is connected to logic “high” which means that the encoder is in transmit enable mode. When switch 1 is closed, LED (D1) at decoder HT604L will turn on and at the same time, LED (D0) that is connected at pin VT (valid transmit) will also turn on to indicate that the signal is received. The same methode is apply to test other bits of data signal. Table below show the test results for the RF module.

CHAPTER 11: CONCLUSION

In the past few months, most of the theoretical and the practical information have been research and carry out to ensure that the project progress is up to date as per planning. In the following time, more research will be focus on develop the graphical user interface controller program before proceed to final circuit assembly of the project. Hopefully with the guide and monitoring by the project supervisor and also well time planning for the project management, the project goal can be archive.

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Modern organizations are constantly trying to incorporate a humanistic approach in order to keep their employees happy.  Organizational behavior is greatly affected by changes that occur inside the company.  One that is seen as most important is that of the changes in organizational structures.  The old way of doing things with bureaucratic models have given way to modern models using project and matrix designs.  Every organization has objectives and goals that it strives to achieve.  In order to do so, the people in the organization must work together.  The activities of each of these individuals are broken down by authority-responsibility relationships.  These relationships are often formed on the basis of the job hierarchy (Organizational behavior and basics, n.d.).

An organization is a group of individuals that are broken down into different levels of authority and segments based on specialty for the intention of achieving the goals and objectives that have been set by the organization.  When objectives are established for these groups a process is used to identifying and group the work that is to be performed.  Responsibility and authority roles are also defined and delegated while relationships are established for the purpose of enabling the people to work most effectively together (Organizational behavior and basics, n.d.).

Administration of an effective organization determines the goals that the company as a whole strives towards.  Organizations often evolve out of a need clear, well defined system or structure, that allows people to execute their work responsibilities.  This structure helps employees to relate to each other, organize their activities, and achieve the goals or objectives that have been set by the organization.  It helps to minimize confusion, maintain an ideal environment and maximizes effectiveness (Organizational behavior and basics, n.d.).

Hewlett-Packard is an example of a company that uses modern organizational behavior in order to emphasize productivity and good employee relations.  In 2000, Hewlett-Packard was one of five winners of the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership.  This company was founded in 1939 by Bill Hewlett and David Packard.  Early on this company has a good philosophy that encouraged good employee relations.  David Packard fashioned the concept of management by walking around as a means to achieve a high involvement and open work culture.  HP has been both a leader in technology and in human resource management practices.  As a leader in technology HP designed and produced the first handheld scientific calculator.  As a management innovator HP introduced the radical notion of flexible work hours and removed time clocks as a way to show respect for and trust in its employees (Organizational Behavior in Changing Times, n.d.).

HP is a $41-billion-a-year business that consists of seven major product lines and three service lines.  HP products include computer desktops and workstations, mobile products, printing and digital imaging products, storage products, servers, networking products, and software.  The services lines include e-services, personal services, and business services.  HP has approximately 88,500 employees and was one of the first companies to formalize telecommuting policies for its employees. The company has more than 540 sales and support offices and distributorships in 120 countries worldwide (Organizational Behavior in Changing Times, n.d.).

The Santa Rosa Systems Division of Hewlett Packard (SRSD) was created in 1992 in order to target a new systems integration opportunity in the ever growing communication business sector.  In 1994 SRSD faced many challenges that threatened its success as well as that of its leadership team.  Those in the organization saw the following things as major issues:

• There were two competing strategies that were threatening to divide the organization
• There were problems between two functions that were competing for common engineering resources.  This problem was caused by a functional structure that had very poorly designed cross-functional business teams
• The cross-functional teams that were not effectively led or managed and did not produce any needed coordination
• There was a top team that was not effective.
• There was a general manager who was not confronting and resolving key strategic and organizational issues.
• There was low trust throughout the organization that prevented organizational problems from being discussed and managed.
• There was underperformance in the rate of growth and profitability as well as low morale and turnover of key technical people (Beer, 2002).

In order to help address these issues HP used a technique know as Organizational Fitness Profiling (OFP).  This process enabled the leadership team to bring these problems to the surface and make changes that allowed the business unit to capitalize on many market opportunities.  The leadership team and many of the key managers in theSanta Rosadivision had grown up in Hewlett Packard’s traditional business environment.  Fitness Profiling enabled the leadership team to have an honest organizational conversation about the behaviors that were silent killers and diagnose the root causes (Beer, 2002).

HP is a technology company that operates in more than 170 countries worldwide.  They explore how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems and challenges while pursing their own possibilities, aspirations and dreams.  They apply new thinking and ideas to create more simple, valuable and trusted experiences with technology.  They are continuously improving the way that their customers live and work (Hewlett-Packard, 2009).

Not many other companies offer as complete a technology product portfolio as HP does.  They provide infrastructure and business offerings that range from handheld devices to some of the world’s most powerful supercomputers.  They offer consumers a wide range of products and services from digital photography to digital entertainment and from computing to home printing. This comprehensive portfolio helps them match the right products, services and solutions to their customers’ specific needs (Hewlett-Packard, 2009).

Hewlett Packard’s motto for their employees consists of Stretch. Strive. Succeed.  This is a standard that they demand not only from themselves but from their employees as well.  When a person goes to work at HP, they are given every opportunity to stretch their talents, strive for new solutions and succeed beyond what they thought was possible.  And when the employee does this they are recognized and rewarded as they grow with the company (Hewlett-Packard, 2009).

This approach is what has made HP the world’s leading information Technology Company and keeps them moving in new and interesting directions.  This is how they have been able to provide ideas that help people around the world connect, create and accomplish amazing things.  It’s why their people are experts in so many areas including marketing, finance, HR, sales, IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, business technology solutions, global services, and imaging and printing for consumers, enterprises, and small and medium businesses.  They believe that when you bring great minds together in over 170 countries, each person has a hand in driving the innovations that make the world a better place (Hewlett-Packard, 2009).

The Sociotechnical system (STS) redesign process that was used by HP in order to chronicle the process as it actually occurs includes documenting how changes in managers’ and employees’ beliefs and behaviors as they are produced.  STS redesign is not a new management trend but was first detailed by Eric Trist and his associates of the Tavistock Institute in 1963.   Central to STS redesign are two principles.  The first is that work is comprised of both social and technical components, while the second is that organizations are open systems.  The second concept is composed of two important concepts.  Organizations are open meaning that they are constantly interacting and negotiating with their environment.  Just as significant is the character of their system.  Real change occurs only with attention to all aspects of the organization.  In order to implement STS redesign, top management must sponsor and demonstrate commitment to the change and the redesign team must be composed of employees from all levels of the organization. This is a change process designed by the workers whose work is being redesigned.  Guiding principles include employee involvement, the reallocation of power and authority down the hierarchical ladder, open communications, and system wide transformation. Structurally, the result is an organization composed of self-managing teams (Besser, 1999).

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When it comes to the transportation of hazardous material by plane normal procedures of safety do not apply. There are very specific sets of rules and regulations that must be adhered to in order to be licensed to transport by an airliner any material that is classified as hazardous. Why do we need regulations? After all, aren’t regulations always a source of headache for most ethically ran properly maintained businesses? One would like to believe this, however, as planes come crashing down investigations can often times reveal negligence in the handling and transport of materials that cause cataclysmic devastation. In this paper we will explore what is classified as a hazardous material and then we will slide right into who regulates transportation and how transportation of these materials is regulated.

What is classified as a hazardous material? Any material that can be labeled radioactive, allergenic, poisonous, a biohazard, corrosive, toxic, asphyxiating (lack of oxygen to the brain), explosive, oxidizing, flammable, pathogenic (dangerous living organism usually a virus), or magnetic can be classified as a hazardous material and requires a highly trained professional to handle and transport for the safety of all those in close proximity to the material. Wait? Did I say magnetic? Yes. Magnetism inside an aircraft other than normal currents can adversely influence an aircrafts sensitive computer systems, gauges, and mechanical systems. This could cause the plane to fly in circles or, worst case scenario, cause a serious malfunction that would ultimately conclude with a fiery ball of flames and the demise of the flight crew and, quite possibly, other fatalities and casualties. Many materials fall into more than one of these categories. Poisonous and asphyxiation for example could be listed on a material that poisons the body and as a result asphyxiates the poor soul. But who has the authority to classify materials as such listed here?

The Department of Transportation was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966. It began operations on April 1, 1967. It is the purpose of the DOT to guarantee “a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future (DOT 1966).”  Inside the borders of the USA it is the DOT who regulate and enforce all laws that govern transportation in even its simplest form, walking. In respect to air transport of hazardous material they have a strict set of guidelines that must be adhered to that ensures they meet their motto. In later paragraphs in this essay we will examine a few of those guidelines. The Department of Transportation mandates that all employees who handle hazardous material will be required to participate in a training class that will entitle them at the end to receive a license to handle hazardous material. Outside the borders of the USA each country has its own department that regulates transport but each country has to adhere to the guidelines of both International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA). If a country utilizes air transportation to deliver any hazardous chemical or material to another country then it has to abide by a strict set of guidelines set forth by ICAO and IATA. However, if an American business wants to move materials considered hazardous as described above then it will adhere to the guidelines of the DOT.

As stated by DOT 49 “Sec. 175.79 Orientation of cargo. (a) A package containing hazardous materials marked “THIS SIDE UP” or “THIS END UP”, or with arrows to indicate the proper orientation of the package, must be stored and loaded aboard an aircraft in accordance with such markings. (b) A package containing liquid hazardous materials not marked as indicated in paragraph (a) of this section, must be stored and loaded with closures up (other than side closures in addition to top closures).” This means that if a box or container arrow pointing in any direction – up, down left or right – the container must be stood up or laid down according to the arrows. This is called material orientation. If the box says this end up then that end must be at the top. If a box is laid on its side when it should be standing up as indicated by the arrows and a hazardous material is contained inside the consequences of this error could be devastating. An example of a devastating consequence can be identified by the wreck of cargo jet shortly after taking off, killing three crew members and disintegrating the aircraft. The accident was due in part by a leaking container in the aft cargo hold. Zimbabwe is not governed by the Dept of Transportation so their rules and regulations for cargo transportation are slightly different from the United States. Apparently, a chemical leaked onto some of the important electrical wiring and sent the plane hurtling into the ground due to electrical failure. The rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation are designed to keep pilots, co-pilots, all personnel, whether they are on land or in the air, and innocent civilians safe from tragedies such as this. In the United States it is estimated that one cargo plane carrying a hazardous material will either be forced to land or will crash due to deviation from the rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation. Material orientation is easy compared to securing hazardous material.

Looking at a container and identifying its orientation is the easy part. When securing hazardous material it must be secured properly as to make no forward, backward, or sideways movements. If the hazardous material moves even in an inch it is no longer in compliance with is Title 49 Section 175.81 which states, “packages containing hazardous material must be secured in an aircraft in a manner that will prevent any movement in flight which would result in damage two or change in the orientation of the packages.” If a transportation agency is found to be in noncompliance the Dept of Transportation can fine the agency or can temporarily suspend or permanently revoke the agency’s license to haul hazardous material. If the noncompliance resulted in damage to hazardous material containers the hazardous material will be thoroughly inspected for damage and or leaks after being unloaded from the aircraft.

According to Title 49 Section 175.90 part B in the case of a package which is leaking the employee must ensure that the remaining packages in the delivery do not have leaks or contamination. According to part C of the same title the package identified as being damaged or contaminated will not be placed aboard an aircraft for further transport. Hypothetically, you are carrying a material that has a label saying, “dangerous when wet,” and the plane is also carrying barrels of water to the same destination you do not want the material marked “dangerous when wet” to come into contact with the barrels of water. Most likely, they plane will not be carrying both materials as a precaution however not all countries abide by American regulations and common sense. When the pilot performs an inspection of his cargo and finds a damaged container he will immediately remove the container according to regulations for the removal of hazardous material and he will ensure the rest of the shipment is unharmed. He will not risk the safety of his passengers and personnel by placing the damaged container back on board the aircraft. If the Dept of Transportation receives evidence that he has done so the pilot will have his license revoked and his wings stripped. He may even be slapped with a fine as determined by the offense. The rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation for the transportation of hazardous material are designed with safety in mind.

Many organizations believe that these rules and regulations are way too restrictive. Even so, many companies may actually lose money while trying to adhere to these rules and regulations. The necessity of rules and regulations such as these were designed to protect society from plane wrecks, explosions, system disorientation, birth defects caused by radiation, fatalities and casualties, chemical spills, radiation poisoning, poisonous gas plants causing asphyxiation, etc. The Dept of Transportation is not sympathetic to a company losing money trying to adhere to these regulations. The Dept of Transportation is a committee designed to protect society from the mission Giddings of bad business in transportation. It is their sole duty to uphold safety, efficiency, speed, reliability, convenience, and accessibility of all transportation. Any organization found to be in noncompliance with the rules and regulations of the Dept of Transportation can be fined or terminated by the department for noncompliance. There are many rules and regulations set forth by the Dept of Transportation for the transportation of hazardous materials that I have not covered but these are the basics. It is, in the United States, the Dept of Transportation and regulates all transportation. Internationally, it is ICAO and IATA.

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