African American Cultures Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

African American Cultures - Research Proposal Example Through the subtlety of the Black culture, the African Americans are helped to remember their past particularly during servitude. The bifurcations in the direction help the dark American people to remember their past and the conditions that join them (Anderson, 1977, p.4). The quality of the Black spirituals is likewise credited for joining the Blacks. The congregation likewise helped the way of life, imagination of the African American Music, corresponding to Huggins (2007, p.xiv â€xx) and the portrayals in African American sonnets (Graham and Vard, 2011, p.535). Anderson, E. (1977). The Use of the Black Folk Oral Tradition and Other Black Rhetorical and Verbal Strategies in the Teaching of Composition. Recovered on 2 August, 2012. From: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED145425.pdf Hamlet, J. (2011).Word! The African American Oral Tradition and its Rhetorical Impact on American Popular Culture, 74 (1), p27-31. Recovered on 2 August, 2012.

Movie Review Beyond the Nuclear Family

Today, the job and type of an advanced family are the most talked about inquiries. Regardless of the reality a family stays to be a significant social organization, the related angles and standards are changed significantly.Advertising We will compose a custom article test on Movie Review: Beyond the Nuclear Family explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such issues as the meaning of family, family structures and jobs, persuasive components for evolving families, and the group of things to come are examined in Beyond the Nuclear Family coordinated by Suzi Taylor (Beyond the Nuclear Family, 2008). These inquiries should be talked about on the grounds that the vision of the cutting edge family varies much from the cliché vision of a traditional family. As per the thoughts introduced in the film, family structures are assorted, and it is practically difficult to characterize the cutting edge family. Starting here, a family can be talked about as the solidarity of individ uals living respectively who are associated basing on their mutual qualities and convictions and the familial foundation; and today it isn't constantly a hetero couple with kids which fills in as the case of the customary family. The film centers around the conversation of the issue of standard and expectedness according to family. In this way, an advanced family can't be talked about from the point of view of these ideas in light of the fact that there are no restrictions in the assortment of the cutting edge family frames. Hetero and gay couples with or without youngsters just as single-parent families are the present-day standard, albeit a very long while prior these types of families were unaccepted, and these family relations were segregated. The individuals from the families talked about in the film express that the family structure doesn't make a difference, if there is support, love, solidarity, and agreeable climate (Beyond the Nuclear Family, 2008). Focusing on the variabl es which impact the adjustments in families and jobs, it is important to focus on the progressions of the female jobs, dynamic investment of ladies in the workforce, anti-conception medication, and decay of religion. The creators of the film underscore the way that ladies were housewives and played out the youngster raising job during the 1950s, yet then ladies became to take an interest effectively in the public activity while working and doing housework (Beyond the Nuclear Family, 2008). This circumstance added to declining the richness rates in light of the hostile workplaces. Today, numerous ladies pick vocation rather than parenthood or attempt to consolidate all the social capacities. The women’s decision depends on their craving, yet not on the positive social standards and stereotypes.Advertising Looking for paper on workmanship and structure? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A ton of social changes and mechan ical advancements, for example, women's activist developments, contraception strategies, and IVF methods alongside the expanded social resilience towards same-sex, single-parent, or childless families prompted the huge changes in the vision of the family and gave the chances to pick the family life as indicated by the individual needs and wants, without references to religion or preference. In spite of the fact that the group of things to come relies upon the thoughts of decent variety and adaptability, the fundamental standards of family stay to be unaltered. Therefore, family is the network of individuals who offer help, regard, and love for one another. In any case, it is the individual option to pick the time of making a family or arranging a youngster. The fundamental thoughts introduced in Beyond the Nuclear Family bolster the conclusion that a cutting edge family is liberated from generalizations, and it is increasingly adaptable in examination with the traditional family com mon for the 1950s. The structures and jobs are changed, however more prospects to fulfill the individual needs exist now with references to one side to pick. Reference Beyond the Nuclear Family. (2008). Web. This paper on Movie Review: Beyond the Nuclear Family was composed and put together by client Rylee Sears to help you with your own examinations. You are allowed to utilize it for research and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; be that as it may, you should refer to it as needs be. You can give your paper here.

Leaving a Conversation When You Have Social Anxiety

Leaving a Conversation When You Have Social Anxiety Social Anxiety Disorder Treatment and Therapy Social Skills Print How to Leave a Conversation When You Have Social Anxiety By Arlin Cuncic Arlin Cuncic, MA, is the author of Therapy in Focus: What to Expect from CBT for Social Anxiety Disorder and 7 Weeks to Reduce Anxiety. Learn about our editorial policy Arlin Cuncic Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on November 08, 2015 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on September 11, 2018 Social Anxiety Disorder Overview Symptoms & Diagnosis Causes Treatment Living With In Children Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images People with social anxiety sometimes have trouble leaving conversations. Some of the problems you might experience include: Abruptly leaving due to high anxiety  Staying much longer than you want to because you dont know how to excuse yourself  Generally feeling anxious about the etiquette involved in leaving a conversation Knowing how to leave a conversation can sometimes be just as important as knowing how to join one. Some of the reasons you might want to leave a conversation could include Wanting to excuse yourself to talk with someone elseWanting to  get away from someone who is rudeNeeding to use the bathroom or move on to some other taskWanting to gracefully end a conversation that is winding down anyway There are also numerous settings in which you could find yourself in conversation including: Work or school settingsPartiesCasual gatheringsChance meetings with acquaintancesTelephone conversations Below are steps to successfully leave a conversation. How to Leave a Conversation First, distance yourself physically from the  group or individual. Turn yourself partially away and begin to pull back while still listening to what is being said. Stand up if you have been sitting down and start to use shorter responses to what is being said.Wait for a break in the conversation  and then give your reason for leaving. A trip to the bathroom or to get another drink are good excuses if you dont have another reason to leave.To more easily transition into leaving, you could first summarize what has just been said before you mention that you are leaving. For example, you could say Sounds like you had an amazing trip! Id like to see the photos soon. Unfortunately, Ive got a deadline looming and need to get back to work.Turn and leave. Do not wait for anyone to give you permission and do not look back after you leave. What to Say Perhaps youve got a handle on the steps to end a conversation but still arent sure what exactly to say. Below are some examples of what you might say to end a conversation. Ive got to get going, but its been nice talking. Well, Ill let you get back to your shopping. Take care! Great chatting with you! Im going to try and catch Dave before he heads home. Thanks for the chat. Talk soon (on the phone) I am just going to excuse myself to use the restroom. Maybe we can chat later? Tips Do not feel bad about leaving a conversation. Someone has to do it eventually, and when done right there will be no hurt feelings.In a business setting, make concrete plans about when you will be in contact if appropriate  and shake hands before you leave.If you want to leave because of what the other person is saying, consider taking charge. Ask questions that lead to other areas of conversation. If you are in a group, others may be relieved that someone has changed the topic.In general, it helps to have an idea of how long conversations usually last. While talking with a good friend could go on for hours, most conversations with people you dont know will last less than 10 minutes. Dont feel bad about moving on.If you are really stuck in a one-on-one conversation, consider introducing that person to someone else in the hopes that they will hit it off.Sometimes it is okay to ghost or just leave a conversation quietly without saying anything. This works in a group setting with a large number of people. Research on Social Anxiety and Conversation In a 2015 study of the conversations of individuals with social anxiety, it was shown that deficits in joint action led to being less well-liked. What does this mean? In essence, people with social anxiety tend to contribute less to conversations, specifically by not sharing in the conversation when another person is telling a story. Although you may find yourself itching to walk away from a social encounter, try to slow yourself down before making an exit. Be genuinely interested in what the other person has to say. Ask questions, tell related stories about yourself, and find common ground with the other person.

Synthesis Essay - 1782 Words

Megan Garber Professor Keltner Composition 1 3 November 2013 The Ways Media Portrays Women Throughout today’s society, media contributes to almost everyone’s daily life. From informative news channels to comical television shows, media proves to be effective in advertisement, releasing messages and informing the audience. Although media proves to be wildly effective in advertising, releasing messages and informing the audience, periodically destructive and misleading messages are provided to the audience and directly influencing women. Cultural critics widely agree that media tends to negatively influence women and all the critics point to research which supports the belief that women are portrayed as subordinate to men, having no†¦show more content†¦Siering states this in her article as she is breaking down female sexuality in the novel, Twilight. The simple fact in her statement is that Bella cannot resist Edward and cannot control her sexuality and lust for him. Both Siering and Kilbourne relate to each other through different forms of writing by implicitly agreeing that media portrays women as if they cannot make their own decisions and that women have no self control. Although the media generates the idea that women have no self control, the media also provokes the misleading idea that women have no self confidence in themselves. Through the various messages and ideas that advertisement, television shows, cartoons and even books sell- women tend to lose self confidence in themselves, but the media tends to send the message that women already have no self confidence. In â€Å"Love My Neighbors, Hate Myself: The Vicissitudes of Affect in Cosmetic Surgery,† Virginia Blum opens up her articles with an observation about the sudden rise in the number of popular television shows about plastic surgery and the shift of increasing numbers of women that receive plastic surgery. In her article regarding the reasons women desire plastic surgery, Blum states, â€Å"...certain conventional cultural values had to be recruited on behalf of representing these surgeries not as vain and superficial but as a route toward glowing self improvement, not as acts of self-Show MoreRelatedSynthesis Essay : 25 Di ( 2h 1886 Words   |  4 Pages4-d]thiazoles and antimicrobial activity. INTRODUCTION Benzothiazoles are heterocyclic compounds with multiple application and although they have been known from long ago to be biologically active.1-3 Recently, Racane et al4 have described the synthesis of bis-subsituted amidinobenzothiazoles as potential anti-HIV agents. The condensation of dithio-oxamide with aromatic aldehyde was described by Ephraim.5 More recently, Johnson and Ketcham6 studied the reaction and established the structure ofRead MoreEssay about Acoustic Theory and Synthesis1158 Words   |  5 PagesAcoustic Theory and Synthesis Frequency: Frequency means the number of cycles per second and depending on the amount of cycles per second determines how high or low pitched the sound is and the time that it takes to complete one cycle is called the period. Frequency is measured in Hertz (Hz). And An average human is able to hear sounds between 20Hz and 20,000Hz. As the cycles per second increases, the smaller the wavelengths become, therefore there is a higher frequency which will causeRead MoreSynthesis Essay : Synthesis Process Essay Essay1680 Words   |  7 PagesSarai Michel APLC, Period 1 Mrs. Galvan September 23, 2015 Synthesis Process Essay To whom may be concerned: It has recently been brought to my attention that our school is looking to adopt a sustainable menu into our meal program and I would like to give my viewpoint on the matter. As one many students here at Oxford Academy this change will affect me directly. Although people may at first oppose this conversion I think if we are able to overcome the first obstacles, this change would bring aRead MoreSynthesis Essay : Synthesis Of Articles1290 Words   |  6 PagesSynthesis of Articles I currently work for a university that built an entire Adult Program based on the premise that their market would be the mid-level manager that already had a job. Most of the employers paid for the students to attend college in order to earn a degree. They were not going to earn a promotion, they already had the promotion and needed the degree to solidify their current position. As the job market has changed, the university had to change also and so has the enrollment of theRead MoreSynthesis Essays1243 Words   |  5 PagesGay/Lesbian Families Adoption is an extremely sensitive subject,(insert dash) especially for individuals who are Gay or Lesbian. There is much controversy on the topic. There are a variety of ways to which it isn’t possible for a couple to adopt. Infertility is becoming a greater problem in our time. In Gerald P. Mallon’s article, â€Å"Assessing Lesbian and Gay Prospective Foster and Adoptive Families: A Focus on the Home Study Process,† in 2007. He introduces a few different ways gay men and lesbianRead MoreProtein Synthesis Essay847 Words   |  4 Pagesbe further expanded through the incorporation of non-standard amino acids (nsAAs) into proteins featuring novel functional sidegroups. Investigating these efforts to exploit the protein synthesis machinery forms the basis of this review. PURPOSE: The authors first examined the development of the protein synthesis machinery for genetic code expansion. Next, they investigated the recent advances in exploiting this machinery to expand the chemistry of protein function via nsAA incorporation throughRead MoreBda Synthesis Essay817 Words   |  4 PagesCurrently, the FDA holds the firm perspective that BPA exposure is safe at the current levels occurring in foods. This is considering and based on the FDA’s ongoing safety review of scientific evidence. The available information continues to support the safety of BPA for the currently approved uses in food containers and packaging. On the other hand, the European Union and California have found exposure to BPA leading to serious reproductive health problems. Even more, the European Union states BPARead MoreMultistep Synthesis Essay670 Words   |  3 PagesResults: Limiting Reactant: Eq 1 Limiting reactant = Benzoin Theoretical yield of Benzil: Eq 2 Theoretical Yield Benzil | 0.296 g | Mass of Crude Benzil | 0.188 g | Mass of Final Benzil | 0.127 g | % Yield | 43% | % Recovery | 66% | Table 1: Mass of crude/final Benzil, % yield, and % recovery Percent Yield: % Yield = (Final product/Theoretical product) x 100 Eq 3 = (0.127 g/0.296 g) x 100 = 43% yield Percent Recovery Read More Protein Synthesis Essay679 Words   |  3 Pages Protein Synthesis Protein Synthesis is the process whereby DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) codes for the production of essential proteins, such as enzymes and hormones. Proteins are long chains of molecules called amino acids. Different proteins are made by using different sequences and varying numbers of amino acids. The smallest protein consists of fifty amino acids and the largest is about three thousand amino acids long. Protein synthesis occurs on ribosomes in theRead MoreIfrs Synthesis Essay1281 Words   |  6 PagesFor nearly half a century, a movement has been underway to establish a high-quality, comprehensive set of international accounting standards, with the goal of facilitating international trade and investment. In the global capital market, differences in the rules of accounting for the purposes of recognition, measurement, and reporting of financial results have impaired the smooth transfer of information across borders. Given that it accounts for nearly a third of the global market, there is considerable

Creating Madness in The Yellow Wallpaper - 2777 Words

As summer progresses in the story The Yellow Wallpaper, Johns treatment of the narrator as though she were a helpless docile child becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; she sheds the skin of her adult self and gives birth to her inner child via the wallpaper. From the moment she implies she is sick, his behavior becomes more and more parental and authoritarian. Under this guise he slowly disintegrates any resemblance of an adult wife he had. At the end hes victorious because he does beget a child. Simultaneously, hes a loser because the behavior of this childlike being mirrors his own attitude toward his wife: shes defiant and assertive and runs right over him. The tables have reversed. In the beginning of the story, John†¦show more content†¦As Conrad Shumaker writes, John wants to deal only with physical causes and effects: if his wifes symptoms are nervousness and weight loss, the treatment must be undisturbed tranquility and good nutrition (591). He knows how to treat the physical body but not the soul. John takes her sensitivity as a sign of lacking proper self-control (Gilman 179). Because of his callous opinion, she must hide parts of herself. This reminds the reader of a parent telling a child to grow up. The colorful, sensitive side of her psyche is being pushed aside for his more black-and-white male perspective. His view is one of a colorless world that is cut, dried, and neatly organized with no room for varying shades. If he cant see or touch it, then it doesnt exist. Beverly Hume writes, John is mechanistic, rigid, predictable, and sexist; he combines as Rachael Duplesis notes the professional authority of the physician with the legal and emotional authority of the husband (478). Not only does John not sleep with her, but he decides they will take the nursery at the top of the house (Gilman 179). The words barred windows (181) and gate at the head of the stairs (181) have nursery analogies such as the spindles of a crib and the gates in the doorways of nurseries. When she timidly requests that they sleep downstairs, her preference means nothing to him in the matter. He is the authoritarian father figure whose word is law.Show MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wall Paper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1107 Words   |  5 PagesIn January of 1892, author Charlotte Perkins Gilman published her short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wall-paper† in The New England Magazine. Gilman’s work illustrates the public perception of woman’s health in the 19th century and is considered to be an important part of early American feminist literature. During the 19th century, women were confined to the idea of the â€Å"ideal† woman and the â€Å"domestic sphere.† Ac cording to Barbara Welter, in her 1966 paper entitled â€Å"The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860,†Read MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman846 Words   |  4 PagesThe dignified journey of the admirable story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† created by Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s, gave the thought whether or not the outcome was influenced by female oppression and feminism. Female oppression and feminist encouraged a series of women to have the freedom to oppose for their equal rights. Signified events in the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† resulted of inequality justice for women. Charlotte Perkins Gilman gave the reader different literary analysis to join the unjustifiableRead MoreHaunted Houses By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1705 Words   |  7 PagesWar, slavery ended and the plantation homes fell into ruin. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1892, short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† while the story does not take place in a ty pical haunted plantation house, it does take place in a vacation home that is revealed to be haunted. The short story follows the female narrator as she succumbs to the paranoia of seeing things in the wallpaper as she descends into insanity. The haunted house in this short story represents the coming decline of the power menRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper Essay : Importance Of Identity And Self Expression1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe Importance of Identity and Self Expression in The Yellow Wallpaper In the article â€Å"‘Too Terribly Good to Be Printed’: Charlotte Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’† Conrad Shumaker explains the genius of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and how its themes reflect the patriarchal society of the time period. Shumaker identifies one theme as the detriment of suppressing the narrator’s sense of self and that â€Å"by trying to ignore and repress her imagination, in short, John eventually brings about the very circumstanceRead MoreThe Weird Is An Essential Horror Component1231 Words   |  5 PagesThe Yellow Wallpaper is her take on the world through the semi-autobiographical lens of a woman put on â€Å"rest cure†. Rest cures are a form of sensory deprivation used extensively in the early 20th century to try and cure nervous breakdowns, and Gilman herself was prescribed one herself. She followed the treatment (which stresses as little mental stimulation as possible) and â€Å"came so near the borderline of utter mental ruin that I could see over.† This inspired her to write The Yellow Wallpaper, asRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper and the Tell Tale Heart Analysis1189 Words   |  5 PagesHawkins 1 Deidre Professor Connors English 102-15 March 12, 2011 Narrative Unreliability and Symbolisms in â€Å"The Tell -Tale Heart† and â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† â€Å"The Tell -Tale Heart† by Edgar Allan Poe, was released in 1843. It is one of Poe’s shortest stories and provides a look into paranoia and mental deterioration. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was released in 1899. This story also provides a look into mental deterioration and had been misinterpreted when it wasRead MoreNarrative Voice Of The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1706 Words   |  7 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman aptly used narrative voice to shape the meaning of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† by writing a first-person narrative about a woman who slowly loses herself to madness. This voice is one of a woman who may possibly have post-partum depression or some other form of manic depression, and her unheard cries for help. She slowly draws within herself, and allows the insanity to take over. Within the first few paragraphs we learn general characteristics about the narrator: she is middleRead MoreThe Yell ow Wallpaper, By Perkins Gilman1658 Words   |  7 PagesPerkins Gilman aptly used narrative voice to shape the meaning of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† by writing a first-person narrative about a woman who slowly loses herself to madness. This voice is one of a woman who may possibly have post-partum depression or some other form of manic depression, and her unheard cries for help. She slowly draws within herself, and allows the insanity to take over. Within the first few paragraphs we learn general characteristics about the narrator: she is middle class, asRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1442 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one of the most prominent feminists of her century. She brilliantly created a haunting and gothic allegory in her short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper.† It was difficult for women to express themselves in a male dominant society, and they would often try to seek greater fulfillment. Gilman takes her audience through her unnamed character’s journey of emotional deterioration, and her quest for control over her own life. The author’s allegory for theRead MoreThere Have Been Multiple Conceptions About â€Å"The Yellow1510 Words   |  7 Pages There have been multiple conceptions about â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† over the true significance of the story and it has been evaluated by many scholarly writers for several generations. The story was written by the poet Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the nineteenth-century and it conveyed ideas about symbolism, feminism and individualism. It provides the reader with her viewpoint on soci ety’s subjugation of women by the patriarchal model that reserved power for men. The gender ideology stressed that women

Traveling by Plane and by Train Free Essays

Traveling by plane and by train When traveling over states or over countries there are three main ways of doing so, a flight, a train ride, or driving yourself. I guess you could walk or run but, I’m talking about cross country travel. There are expensive and inexpensive ways of travel, some fast, some slow, most fun, others boring. We will write a custom essay sample on Traveling by Plane and by Train or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the developed countries, traveling by trains and traveling by planes are more popular than other transportations because they are convenient. However, traveling by train also has some differences from traveling by planes in some aspects: speed, cost and comfort. The fastest way of travel would be by plane, if time is a major issue. A flight can also be easier to schedule, there are hundreds of flights leaving every half-hour, in every direction to and from almost every airport in the world. For example if you choose a plane to go to San Francisco from Sea-Tac, it takes two hours to get there. In contrast, it would take a couple of days to go a cross country by train. If you choose a train from Seattle to San Francisco it takes almost twenty-two hours to arrive there. Also trains are slow, sometimes even slower than a car. So trains are not a good choice when timing is an issue. Moreover, it is harder to schedule for riding a train, because trains are not available any hour you want them, for instance if you choose a train to go to Vancouver the train are available on specific times, early in the morning (about 8. 30 AM), in the afternoon (about 3. 25 PM) and at night (about 7. 40 PM). The down fall is that a flight is also the most expensive way to travel. A flight from California to New York (round trip) could cost anywhere from $500. 00 to $2,500. 00+, depending on which class (or section) you purchase your ticket for. On most commercial planes there are three sections of seating, and where you sit depends on what you are willing to pay. The best section is first class; which is very luxurious. This is the most expensive section to sit in. It has more leg room, larger and softer chairs, better service, and hand prepared meals instead of the processed food the rest of the plane gets. Next is coach or business class; which is the middle section, it is somewhat luxurious. You get some leg room, descent service but, you still get processed food. For anyone who wants real food better spend a little extra money and fly first class. At the back of the plane you will find the economy class; which is one of the cheaper ways to fly. The service is not great, the leg room is non-existent, and you are one of the last people to get off of the plane when it lands. So, you are one of the last ones to get to the baggage claim, by the time you get there either your bags have passed by, or you are stuck behind thirty people who have no clue about what they are supposed to do, so it takes you that much longer to retrieve your bags. On the other hand, when you travel by train on a cross country trip you would have sleeping quarters; which would have a bed and bathrooms for yourself. During the ride you could stay in your room or roam around to the different cars; which have various uses. Traveling by train can be very relaxing because you can sit by a window while having a meal or snack and enjoy the view of the countryside, or engage in conversation with another passenger at the bar while having a drink. You can enjoy your trip with a very cheaper deal. Traveling by trains and by planes both have advantage and disadvantages. If we just want to save money, we will travel by train; but if we want to save time, we will turn to the plane. It is up to yourself to choose the right one by keeping comfort, cost and timing all in your mind. How to cite Traveling by Plane and by Train, Essay examples

The Heresy Of Galileo Essays - Galileo Affair, Copernican Revolution

The Heresy Of Galileo THE HERESY OF GALILEO Galileo was condemned by the Inquisition, not for his own brilliant theories, but because he stood up for his belief in Copernicus's theory that the earth was not, as the Church insisted, the center of the universe, but that rather, the universe is heliocentric. Galileo was a man of tremendous intellect and imagination living in a era dominated by the Catholic Church, which attempted to control the people by dictating their own version of reality. Any person who publicly questioned Church doctrine ran the chance of condemnation and punishment. If man could think, man could question, and the Church could lose its authority over the masses. This could not be tolerated in the 17th century, when the Church had the power to dictate reality. Copernicus probably avoided a similar fate by confining his opinions to his students and the university milieu, and in fact his theories were not published until the time of his death. To be tried by the Inquisition was something that nobody could take lightly. Although in Galileo's time the Inquisition was becoming more and more lenient, it was known to have used torture in the past and to have sent many heretics to burn at the stake. As late as 1600, this fate had befallen the Italian thinker Giordano Bruno, a one-time Dominican friar who had adopted a pantheistic philosophy of nature. From the summer of 1605, Galileo was private tutor of mathematics to young Prince Cosimo de' Medici, son of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Teacher and pupil became sincerely attached to each other by mutual affection and deference, and this bond lasted to the end of Galileo's life. Galileo remained a good friend of the Grand Duke as well. In the summer of 1611, the Grand Duke invited Galileo to a dinner party at his court. The Duke liked to gather great scholars around him, especially when he had illustrious guests, to hear them talk about issues of interest to the learned world. At this dinner the discussion centered on floating bodies. Galileo maintained that bodies can float only if their specific gravity is less than that of water. Among the dinner guests there were, however, some followers of Aristotle's philosophies, and they argued that bodies float if their shape is wide and smooth so they cannot cut through the resistance of the water. Floating bodies were a topic on which Galileo was especially knowledgeable, as he had been interested in the subject since, when as a student, he had read Archimedes. He was able to support his point so brilliantly that one of the guests of honor, Maffeo Cardinal Barberini, sided with him. Years later, Cardinal Barberini became Pope Urban VIII and turned against Galileo, becoming one of his bitter enemies, but at that moment he was as congenial as one could be, sincerely admiring Galileo's dialectical skill. Perhaps to please the Cardinal, the Grand Duke asked Galileo to put his argument into writing, which he did. The result was The Discourse on Floating Bodies. Galileo's sharp, almost sarcastic wit made him especially suited to arguments and debates, of which he was to have many in the following years. Some of these resulted in famous writings that added to his lasting glory; many antagonized people of his time and turned many of them into enemies. The Peripatetics at the Grand Duke's table were not very dangerous as potential enemies, but his next adversary was. Even before the Discourse on Floating Bodies was published in 1612, Galileo was engaged in a conflict with an astronomer whose name he did not know and was not to find out for over a year -- the Jesuit father Christopher Scheiner (1575-1650). In 1610, Galileo had claimed to be the first discoverer of sunspots; so had Father Scheiner, and the two had entered into a bitter dispute. Father Scheiner had communicated his opinions on his observations of sunspots in several letters to Mark Welser, a German patron of science. Perhaps to avoid direct criticism, Scheiner wrote under a pen name. Mark Welser published Scheiner's letters and sent them to Galileo for comment without revealing the name of the author. Galileo replied in three Letters on Sunspots addressed to Welser (in Italian, which Scheiner could not read and had to have translated, while Scheiner had not written in his native German, but in Latin). In his letters, Galileo severely criticized Scheiner's views. The greatest significance of these Letters on Sunspots, as