Public Support for NASA Essay Example for Free

Public Support for NASA Essay Established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, NASA believes in these words of Abraham Lincoln: â€Å"With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed (â€Å"External Assessment;† â€Å"Public Opinion of the American Space Program†).†Ã‚   After all, NASA is dependent on public funding for its unspeakably expensive space programs.   Even though the government has spent an immense amount of money on the Iraq War, and it is common knowledge that at least forty seven million people in the United States, including at least eight million children cannot afford health insurance, NASA’s programs must continue. These space programs cost billions of dollars, while the cost of providing health care for a single American child is far less.   Therefore, public support for NASA must dwindle according to the times.   The American public is pretty wise as far as funding for NASA’s space programs is concerned.   This is the reason why public support for NASA slipped during the year 2001 after its rise in the 1990s (David).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite the current trade deficit of the United States – a loud and clear message that American consumption is beyond control – as well as the health care failures confronting the country besides the overuse of public funding on the Iraq War; the famous Gallup Poll has revealed that the American public is by and large supportive of NASA at present (Jones).   Of course, the Gallup Poll is a survey conducted through the scientific method.   So therefore, its results are considered credible.   All the same, Bergin reports that there is an obvious gap in support for the prestigious space agency of the United States among the group of Americans aged 18 to 24.   Perhaps the Gallup Poll would be considered credible still.   Regardless, Bergin adds that the young people of the United States are the future voters and taxpayers whose support is crucial for NASA’s future planning.   Hence, the Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications has assumed the responsibility of finding out whether the communications and public relations department of NASA is failing the young members of the American public (Bergin).   In other words, the young people of the United States must be inspired by the space programs of NASA.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   NASA has plenty of supporters willing to convince the public about the value of its work.   The Citizens for Space Exploration, for example, is a â€Å"multi-state organization† comprising U.S. taxpayers who are supportive of the United States’ space exploration investment (Citizens for Space Exploration).   The organization describes itself thus: â€Å"We are private citizens, small business owners, students, teachers, space and non-space business representatives, and county and municipal officials (Citizens for Space Exploration).†Ã‚   Seeing that people from almost all walks of life are backing NASA today, there is no doubt that the United States’ space exploration investment is almost fully supported by the American public.   Moreover, it may very well be that the young people of the United States are taking the problems of Iraq as well as health care more seriously than the older Americans. This is making them disbelieve in the value of NASA to the American society.   The goals of NASA, after all, do not appear as serious as the problems confronting the nation.   According to the Presidents National Space Policy, NASA must achieve the following goals for the United States: (1) Enhancement of knowledge about the universe, the solar system, and the Earth through robotic as well as human exploration; (2) Strengthening and maintaining the security of the nation; (3) Enhancement of â€Å"economic competitiveness† in addition to â€Å"scientific and technical capabilities of the United States;† (4) Encouragement of private, local and state use of, and investment in space technologies; and (5) Promotion of â€Å"international cooperation to further U.S. domestic, national security, and foreign policies (â€Å"External Assessment†).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Apparently NASA did not help to secure the United States against the terrorist attacks on 9/11, which is why young people do not believe in the capabilities of the space agency.   Levin and Watson write that the majority of people in the United States had doubts about NASA even after it had managed to send man to the moon.   According to David, the American public is not very interested in sending people out of the Earth’s atmosphere in any case.   Hence, a survey conducted in the year 1971 by the Roper Organization revealed that two-thirds of the Americans were of the opinion that the government was spending far too much money on the exploration of space. However, the American public showed a great deal of support to NASA after the Columbia accident.   Although the accident entailed an increased need of public funding for NASA’s space programs – the number of Americans that had previously claimed that they wanted public funding for NASA to be reduced, declined.   As a matter of fact, soon after the Columbia accident, the National Opinion Research Center conducted its annual poll to discover that the number of people wanting a reduction of public funding for NASA had declined to thirty five percent (Levin and Watson).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Even so, the American public has consistently ranked the budget of NASA lower in importance than defense, health care and education.   When public funding for NASA fell during the 1990s – to the point of being halved – the space agency had little to spend on Research and Development, considering the massive amount of expenses it incurs on virtually all of its departments and programs.   After the Columbia disaster, the agency complained that the decline in public funding was indirectly responsible for the accident. As an example, NASA had cuts its budget for photographing the launches of shuttles.   Without vivid photographs of the patch of foam that had struck a wing of Columbia eighty two seconds after its launch, engineers at NASA had mistakenly concluded that Columbia was not in danger (Levi and Watson).   This may very well be the reason why public support for NASA increased after the accident.   After all, NASA cannot be shut down under the Presidents National Space Policy.   Thus, the American people must have gathered that they ought to support NASA as best as possible to ensure the safety of other Americans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Still, the people of the United States do not believe in the extravagance of NASA’s programs.   Educated Americans are more likely to assume that the benefits of NASA continue to exceed its costs.   The majority of the Americans, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the space program should be similar to the Centers for Disease Control in delivering practical benefits to their lives.   Rich Americans, mostly men and white, are known to support NASA much more than the others.   The others are not too confident that the space agency is â€Å"worth its price tag (David).†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although NASA is not supported by eighty percent of the Americans at present, and only a little more than half of the population of the United States is known to believe that the benefits of NASA exceed its costs; it is possible for the space agency to raise public support for its programs by communicating with the Americans, especially the young Americans, more often.   The young people can be inspired to enjoy NASA’s creativity.   All the same, there are a number of concerns on the young American mind that must be addressed before NASA’s experiences can be thoroughly enjoyed by all. These concerns include the health care problems facing the nation, as well as the tremendous amount of money that has been spent by the U.S. government on the Iraq War.   Undoubtedly, young people are more likely to believe that the problems faced by their nation present them with a great responsibility.   Hence, NASA would have to be patient if it is not supported by the young people of America.   After all, nobody ever said that NASA was more important to the United States than its defense, health care and education.   The United States is also suffering from a trade deficit at present.   NASA should consider it a blessing, therefore, that even fifty percent of the Americans support its programs. Works Cited Bergin, Chris. â€Å"Constellation concerned by the gap in public support for NASA.† http://www.citizensforspaceexploration.org/index.htm. David, Leonard. â€Å"Poll: Public support for NASA slipping.†http://www.space.com/news/nasa_poll_020510.html. â€Å"External Assessment.† http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/nsp/assess.htm. Jones, Jeffrey M. â€Å"Americans continue to rate NASA positively.†   31 Oct 2007. 19 Novhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/102466/Americans-Continue-Rate-NASA-Positively.aspx. Levin, Alan, and Traci Watson. â€Å"Public Support Could Prove Crucial for NASA.† 18 Aug 2007. 19 Nov 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-08-18-inside-shuttle_x.htm. â€Å"Public Opinion of the American Space Program. Sep 2007. 19 Nov 2007. http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/hqlibrary/pathfinders/opinion.htm.

Cognitive Psychology Essay -- Papers Neurology Essays

Cognitive Psychology Psychology is defined as the study of mind, emotion and behaviour. One major perspective within psychology is known as cognitive psychology, which is primarily concerned with the explanation of thought processes through the development of theoretical mental systems. Cognitivism is somewhat broad in it’s approaches to psychology and only linked in it’s goal to create hypothetical mental structures to explain behaviour (â€Å"History & Scope Of Psychology†). The exact origins of cognitivism are difficult to pinpoint. Ideas that make up the perspective have been traced back to ancient Greece; however it is in modern times that it has developed to it’s prominent status of today. This period of time is referred to as the â€Å"cognitive revolution† of the 1960’s, lead by the work of those such as Piaget and Chomsky. Prior to this revolution, behaviourism (the study of cause and effect; environmental factors and their effect upon behaviour) was considered to be the dominant school of thought in psychology; however cognitivism soon emerged as the new dominant perspective. (â€Å"The History & Scope of Psychology†). It was in the 1967 publication of Cognitive Psychology by Neisser that a name was coined for the rising field of psychological science, and an outline of major research-to-date and significant concepts was offered. (Maclin & Solso, 2000) The goals of cognitivism are to attempt to understand the way in which the many processes of our minds work, through use of the scientific research method. It emphasises the importance of the mind in .. ...d adverse behaviour. Appleton Century Crofts: New York. Maclin, Otto H & Solso, Robert L. (2000) â€Å"Cognitive Psychology: History Of The Field† in Encyclopedia Of Psychology, Vol 2. American Psychological Association: New York. Neisser, U (1967) Cognitive Psychology. Appleton-Century-Crofts: New York. Piaget, J (1962) Play, Dreams & Imitation In Childhood. WW Norton: New York. Piaget, J (1970), Piaget's theory. In P. Mussen (ed) Handbook of child psychology, Vol.1. Wiley: New York. Ross, Suzanne L & Sharpe, Pete R. (1987) Living Psychology. Scribe Publications: Victoria Shannon, CE (1948) Mathematical Theory Of Communication in Bell System Tech. J. 27, 379-423, 623-656 Smith, E.E (2001) â€Å"Cognitive Psychology: History† in Encyclopedia of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol 3. Elsevier: Oxford

Schindlers List

â€Å"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference† Winston Churchill. This relates to the film Schindlers List as the main character Oskar Schindler has a major change in attitude towards the Jewish people. At the beginning of the film Schindler is introduced as a selfish man looking to exploit the Jews as workers. While he witnesses the liquidation of the Ghettos Schindler’s personality soon changes as he releases he can make a difference. This is shown using specific shots and lighting techniques.Through the use of hand-held cameras and camera shots used during the invasion of the Krakow Ghettos the chaos and fear makes an impact on the viewer. Hand-held cameras were used in amongst the crowds of Jews and Nazi soldiers to give the viewer an experience of what these people went through during this terrible time. The hand-held was used when we see an old lady walking in an alley when we see Nazi troops approaching. High angle shots are used to make the Jews l ook small and powerless during this scene. Whereas low angle shots are used to make the Nazi officials look powerful.The camera techniques help to make an impact on the viewer during this scene. Schindlers change was shown through the effects of colour and lighting techniques. Lighting was used to reveal Schindlers change. Lighting was used when we see that his face is shown fully lit whereas in the beginning of the film his face is only half lit to show that he was a selfish man. Colour was used to show how important a particular part of the scene was. This was shown when we see a little girl in red walking around the crowds of Jews being killed, while there is a children’s choir singing in the background.This scene had made Schindler finally realise what the Nazis were doing to the Jews was wrong. This shows that Schindler went through a change in attitude as he realises what the Jews have had to go through. The use of sound and music were used during the invasion when the Jews are in hiding. Sound was used amongst the people as it had been silent and one sudden move there is a. The sound was used to make the The uses of visual techniques during the liquidation were to show the change that Schindler had gone through after witnessing the events of the iquidation. The importance of this scene was to show the difference of Schindler from how he was in the beginning of the film to what he had been changed into at the end. The liquidation also gave us a sight on the importance of how Schindler had used specific techniques to show his face being fully lit. As Edward Evenetthale once said â€Å"I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something and I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. †

The Receivers Important Role in Clear Communication

In the communication process, the receiver is the listener, reader, or observer—that is, the  individual (or the group of individuals)  to whom a message is directed. The receiver is also called the audience  or decoder. The person who initiates a message in the communication process is called the sender. Put simply, an effective message is one thats received in the way that the sender intended. Problems can arise on both ends that prevent the intended message from getting through to the receiver. The Message and Potential Problems For example, Paige asks Bill a question verbally. The message travels through the air, the channel, to  Bills ears. He responds. Paige is the sender, the question is the message, and Bill is the receiver and gives Paige feedback by answering the question. Myriad areas and ways exist where problems could arise even in this short exchange. If Paige whispers, Bill might not hear it. Maybe he hears only a portion of it and responds to a question that wasnt actually asked, and so Paige is confused. Maybe theres background noise, or the question isnt clear. If Bill is distracted by something and not paying attention, he might miss some of the words and respond inappropriately—or he might miss the question entirely so that the exchange needs to begin again. If hes not looking at Paige when she asks the question, he would miss any body language that would provide subtext to the question. If Paige sends an email or text  message to Bill, problems might arise because Bill doesnt have Paiges body language or tone of voice to interpret, which could add  information to the message. Autocorrect might have inserted errors into the text, or a missing question mark might make a question seem like a statement. These are all hindrances to effective communication. The degree of effectiveness is determined by how much of the message is understood by the receiver. Decoding the Message In the book, Business Communication, authors Carol M. Lehman and Debbie D. DuFrene lay it out this way: The receivers task is to interpret the senders message, both verbal and nonverbal, with as little distortion as possible. The process of interpreting the message is known as decoding. Because words and nonverbal signals have different meanings to different people, countless problems can occur at this point in the communication process: The sender inadequately encodes the original message with words not present in the receivers vocabulary; ambiguous, nonspecific ideas; or nonverbal signals that distract the receiver or contradict the verbal message. The receiver is intimidated by the position or authority of the sender, resulting in a tension that prevents effective concentration on the message and failure to ask for needed clarification.The receiver prejudges the topic as too boring or difficult to understand and does not attempt to understand the message.The receiver is close-minded and unreceptive to new and different ideas. With the infinite number of breakdowns possible at each stage of the communication process, it is indeed a miracle that effective communication ever occurs. Even the environment or the receivers  emotional state can affect the decoding of the message, for example, distractions in the room, discomfort on the part of the receiver, or stress or anxiety that allow the receiver to insert subtext that the sender didnt intend. Knowledge of social or cultural contexts can hinder the receiver from picking up cues or responding appropriately as well. Relational contexts can color a message, too, as messages from close friends could be received differently than a message from a work supervisor. Importance of Feedback When its not clear to the sender that understanding has occurred on the part of the receiver, communication continues, for example, through follow-up questions from either party, further discussion, or the sender giving examples, rephrasing the information, or other means of clarification to get the sender and receiver on the same so-called wavelength. In a presentation, the sender might show charts or images to make a point more clear to the audience or reader. The more cues and channels that the receiver has and is open to receiving is often better; for example, it can be easy to misconstrue tone or subtext in an email or text message, while that same message would come through clearly if the receiver hears the persons voice or is speaking with them face to face.   In the book, Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Targeted Communication Programs, authors Gary W. Selnow and William D. Crano note that body language and tone arent just communication on the senders side: Feedback in the interpersonal setting provides a running account of a receivers reception of a message. Obvious cues such as direct questions show how well a receiver is processing the information. But subtle indicators also may provide information. For instance, a receivers yawn, silence when comments are expected, or expressions of boredom suggest that selective exposure gates may be in operation. A receiver also may have tone and subtext in the feedback given to the sender, such as responding with sarcasm or anger, which might be missed if the feedback is text-only  but likely would not be missed if the parties can either see or hear each other or both.