Why Christmas Trees Smell So Good

Is there anything more wonderful than the smell of a Christmas tree? Of course, Im talking about a real Christmas tree rather than an artificial tree. The fake tree may have an odor, but its not coming from a healthy mix of chemicals. Artificial trees release residues from flame retardants and plasticizers. Contrast this with the aroma of a freshly cut tree, which may not be all that healthy either, but certainly smells nice. Curious about the chemical composition of Christmas tree aroma? Here are some of the key molecules responsible for the smell Key Takeaways: Christmas Tree Smell The aroma of a live Christmas tree depends on the tree species. Three of the key fragrance molecules found in many conifers are alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, and bornyl acetate.Other molecules include the terpenes limonene, myrcene, camphene, and alpha-phellandrene.Other plants produce some of these chemicals. Examples include peppermint, thyme, citrus, and hops. ÃŽ ±-Pinene and ÃŽ ²-Pinene Pinene (C10H16) occurs in two enantiomers, which are molecules that are mirror images of each other. Pinene belongs to a class of hydrocarbons known as terpenes. Terpenes are released by all trees, although conifers are particularly rich in pinene. ÃŽ ²-pinene has a fresh, woody fragrance, while ÃŽ ±-pinene smells a bit more like turpentine. Both forms of the molecule are flammable, which is part of why Christmas trees are incredibly easy to burn. These molecules are volatile liquids at room temperature, releasing most of the characteristic Christmas tree smell. Alpha-pinene is an organic molecule produced by conifers. LAGUNA DESIGN / Getty Images An interesting side note about pinene and other terpenes is that plants partially control their environment using these chemicals. The compounds react with air to produce aerosols that act as nucleation points or seeds for water, promoting cloud formation and conferring a cooling effect. The aerosols are visible. Have you ever wondered why the Smoky Mountains actually appear smoky? Its from the living trees, not campfires! The presence of terpenes from trees also affects weather and cloud formation over other forests and around lakes and rivers. Bornyl Acetate Bornyl acetate (C12H20O2) is sometimes called heart of pine because it produces a rich odor, described as balsamic or camphorous. The compound is an ester found in pine and fir trees. Balsam firs and silver pines are two types of fragrant species rich in bornyl acetate that are often used for Christmas trees. Other Chemicals in Christmas Tree Smell The cocktail of chemicals that produces Christmas tree smell depends on the species of tree, but many conifers used for Christmas trees also waft odors from limonene (a citrus scent), myrcene (a terpene partly responsible for the aroma of hops, thyme, and cannabis), camphene (a camphor smell), and ÃŽ ±-phellandrene (peppermint and citrus-smelling monoterpene). Why Doesnt My Christmas Tree Smell? Just having a real tree doesnt guarantee your Christmas tree will smell Christmas-y! The fragrance of the tree depends primarily on two factors. The first is the health and hydration level of the tree. A freshly cut tree is typically more fragrant than one that was cut some time ago. If the tree isnt taking up water, its sap wont be moving, so very little scent will be released. Ambient temperature matters, too, so a tree outdoors in the cold wont be as fragrant as one at room temperature. The second factor is the species of tree. Different types of tree produce different scents, plus some kinds of tree retain their fragrance after being cut better than others. Pine, cedar, and hemlock all retain a strong, pleasing smell after they have been cut. A fir or spruce tree may not have as strong a smell or may lose its scent more quickly. In fact, some people strongly dislike the odor of spruce. Others are downright allergic to the oils from cedar trees. If youre able to select the species of your Christmas tree and the smell of the tree is important, you might want to review tree descriptions by the National Christmas Tree Association, which includes characteristics such as odor. If you have a living (potted) Christmas tree, it wont produce a strong smell. Less odor is released because the tree has an undamaged trunk and branches. You can spritz the room with Christmas tree fragrance if you want to add that special aroma to your holiday celebration.

The International Business Machines Corporation - 2503 Words

The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is an American multinational technology and consulting company. IBM holds a highly diversified product and service portfolio and despite that some of its operations breach into different industries - ranging from global business services to global financing business - its core business lies within the information technology services industry. Within its core business the firm manufactures and markets computer hardware, software and offers infrastructure and consulting services in vast areas such as nanotechnology and cloud computing. The company was founded in 1911 through a merger of three companies and now has its headquarters in Armonk, New York. IBM holds 435,000 employees†¦show more content†¦The newly crafted business model shed commodity business and instead centered around high-margin opportunities, resulting in pervading divestment of low-margin industries. The company regained business initiative by building upon the decision to keep the company whole, IBM unleashed a global services business that rapidly became a leading technology integrator and also invested heavily in software development. (DiCarlo, â€Å"How Lou Gerstner†) On later years IBM have struggled with declining revenues and only met profitability goals by cutting its operational costs. The weak revenue growth has affected the price-levels of the firms stock negatively. To maintain the price of its stock IBM has implemented several large-scale buyback plans reducing the numbers of shares outstanding, a strategy used to boost stock price in the short-term. The number of shares outstanding as of Q1 2015 was 988.42m, which could be contrasted with the 1.675bn shares outstanding as of Q2 2004 to emphasize the extent of the firms’ stock repurchases. As a result, the IBM stock has fluctuated steadily around its current price level of $180 over the last four years. This period was preceded by two years (2009-2011) where the stock price rose heavily from prices around $100, levels which it had fluctuated around since the early 2000’s. This synthetic way of controlling the stock

Einstein for Aspergers free essay sample

Einstein a Case Study for Aspergers Christina Parker PSY 410 February 6, 2012 Dr. Melda Jones Einstein a Case Study for Aspergers Mental illness has existed as long as humans have, but only in the last hundred years or so have psychologist started to truly understand mental illness. There is still much, that is unknown about mental illness and human behavior. One mental disorder that was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994 is Asperger’s Disorder. This disorder is usually diagnosed in early childhood, but in Albert Einstein’s time Asperger’s Disorder was unknown. Einstein had many of the diagnostic criteria for Asperger’s Disorder but was not diagnosed. Einstein was quiet and withdrawn, but had an amazing mind for mathematics. In comparison, Temple Grandin was diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder and has many of the same mannerisms as Einstein. Overview of Asperger’s Disorder’s History Dr. Hans Asperger studied children that acted differently from others in the 1940s. Dr. Asperger called these children â€Å"Little Professors† because they were so interesting. In 1980s Dr. Lorna Wing called children with Asperger’s (AS) high-functioning autism individuals. In 1994, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) added AS. Asperger’s Syndrome (ASD) is a distinct group of neurological conditions characterized by greater or lesser degrees of impairment in language and communication skills with repetitive or restrictive patterns of thoughts and behaviors. There is no known cause or treatment for AS. The parents of children with AS often by or before the child’s third birthday sense that something is amiss in his or her child’s behavior or developmental skills. Two out of 10,000 children statistically diagnosed with AS or ASD. Boys are three to four times more likely than girls to have AS or ASD. The children exhibit delayed psychomotor skills (crawling and walking), and have problems with communicating and socializing with other children. AS children have an obsession with one topic or interests excluding other topics and interests. AS children have a formal speech that lacks rhythm and modulation. AS children appear clumsy when they walk and may have delayed motor skills (catching a ball, pedaling a bike, and other skills). The cause of AS or ASD is unknown but is thought to be genetic because AS tends to run in families. The part of the brain that controls social behavior functions differently or develops differently from other children without AS. The part of the brain that controls body movements and balance are also different in AS children than other children. ASD is a high-functioning autism disorder. Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome Explained There is no known cause of autism. Research today is using MRI imaging to determine how the Autism brain is structured. Dr. Grandin explains her condition like this: The brain is an office; the frontal lobe is the office manager. The other compartments of the brain are like the many departments in an office. The office departments do not communicate well between the other offices such as sales, product development, management, and so on. The autistic brain has to be understood and trained in a way that works best for the individual. No one treatment works for every autistic individual. Finding what motivates the individual’s fear and helping the individual to overcome or change the environment to a less chaotic one will help the individual to learn and progress. Autistic individuals do not understand facial expressions or tone changes in voices. Behavioral issues such as defecation and twitching are common with Asperger’s and Autism. Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome are high-end functioning Autistic individuals. To understand Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, Dr. Grandin suggests that people move away from language. The nonverbal child does not understand language. The nonverbal child is sensory-based and has a complex disorder that is based on sights, sounds, smells, and touch. Cultivating the way the individual’s method of thinking will prevent fear that causes anxieties will help the individual progress. Autistic individuals have high IQs and the ability to concentrate on one subject for a long time. Most autistic individuals are gifted in math, sciences, computers, tables, astrology, and other nonsocial areas that rely on thinking skills. A Look at Einstein and Grandin Albert Einstein Albert Einstein was born in 1879 to Hermann and Pauline Einstein (a middle-class German-Jewish family). Einstein scarcely spoke and was quiet more than backward as a young child. His sister remembers his concentration and ability to build tall houses and multiple storied levels of playing card houses. At age 4 or 5 Einstein marveled at how a magnetic compass needle invariably swung northward. This caused Einstein to conclude that something invisible was behind everything sparking his interest in Physics at a young age. As late as age nine Einstein was hesitant to speak, and did so pausing to select his words carefully. His parents feared that he was below average in intelligence. At the age of 12 Einstein’s love for mathematics and physics was sparked by a booklet on Euclidian Plane Geometry. This booklet proved to Einstein that there was a lucidity and certainty in theory and made an impression on him permanently. School depended on memorization and arbitrary authority of the teachers and faculty and was not conducive to Einstein’s way of learning. At 15 Einstein quit school and moved to Italy with his family where his family was trying to start a business. He studied Mathematics, Physics, and Philosophy at home. His uncle, an engineer, and a medical student who ate with his family once a week are credited with stimulating Einstein’s young mind. Was Einstein’s brain different? Einstein died in 1955 and gave his brain to science. A pathologist named Thomas Harvey quickly preserved his brain, and made samples, and sections. Pathologists Harvey concluded that other than Einstein’s brain seeming smaller than most brains, his was not unusual. Sandra F. Witelson and colleagues studied Einstein’s brain again in 1999, and discovered that it lacked a wrinkle found in other brains (the parietal operculum), and other regions on each side of Einstein’s brain appeared to be larger and unusual features in the inferior parietal lobes thought to be the area of visual imagery and mathematical thinking. This concludes that Einstein’s brain was more equipped by this region than most individuals. Does this prove or disprove that Einstein had Asperger’s? There is no conclusive historical evidence to determine if Einstein had Asperger’s. What we do know is Einstein was capable of deep concentration, and had perseverance. He graduated without distinction, his learning style and the school learning system of his time did not get along. He sought physics because he could seek out paths that led to the depths. In other words Einstein preferred to be free to think on the invisible things behind things. It was Einstein’s ability to think deeply on physics that put him first in the race to the theory in relativity. Einstein made friends with colleagues like Marcel Grossman, Michele Besso, Paul Ehrenfest, and Freidrich Adler. His wife Mileva Maric was the only female in his physics class. Even though Einstein renounced his German citizenship when he left Germany for Italy, he could not resist the invitation to Berlin’s Prussian Academy of Sciences, he had no teaching duties and access to the greatest scientific minds of his day. Fame in physics starved and destroyed his marriage to his wife Mileva, and then divorced in 1919. The same year of his divorce Einstein married his cousin whom he had an affair with since 1914 and settled with Elsa Lowenthal and her two daughters until his death in 1955. Einstein as a young boy, a young teen, a young man, and an older man (Image  © The Albert Einstein Archives, The Jewish National University Library, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. ) Temple Grandin Dr. Temple Grandin was thought to be different by her Mother from a very early age. At two Dr. Grandin could not speak and exhibited behavioral issues. Her Father and consulted doctors wanted to put Dr. Grandin in an institution. Dr. Grandin’s Mother would not have her daughter put in an institution. Instead, Dr. Grandin’s Mother sent her daughter to private schools and to private speech therapy. Dr. Grandin was teased as a child in school. Dr. Temple states that early intervention is vital to best outcomes in autistic children. According to Dr. Grandin there are three types of Autism thinkers: Visual, Pattern, and Word. Visual thinkers are terrible at algebra and good at geometry. Pattern thinkers have difficulty with reading. Word thinkers are good with facts in favorite subjects. Dr. Grandin thinks in pictures, sees a series of slides like a search engine. During her lecture Dr. Grandin was tired from air travel and this caused her to lose train of thought if movement or noises were made by audience. Dr. Grandin explained that she cannot screen out the sensory issues that trigger her distractions. Dr. Grandin admits to having panic attacks, and anxiety. Anti-depressants help autistic individuals overcome anxiety, panic attacks, and OCD issues. Dr. Grandin correlates animal behaviors and fears with autism and how people handle animals also can be used to handle autistic individuals. When Dr. Grandin was born her parents were told she had infantile schizophrenia. Since her birth two Doctors one in the United States named Dr. Leo Canner and one in Canada named Dr. Asperger began studying children who displayed certain characteristics: no facial expression, lack of social skills, the ability to concentrate on one subject, and certain other emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components. Dr. Grandin was born in Boston, Mass. on August 29, 1947. Dr. Grandin has earned degrees from Franklin Pierce College, Arizona State University, University of Illinois, and has earned Honorary Doctorates from McGill University, University of Illinois, and Duke University. The United States and Canada Meat Plants use Dr. Grandin’s equipment designs developed for Animal Welfare Guidelines. Dr. Grandin’s focus of study is in alleviating anxiety of intense fear and hypersensitivities to sound in Human and Animal populations. Dr. Grandin wrote autobiographies of her life with autism, which amazed the autistic community (Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports from My Life with Autism- 1995, and Emergence: Labeled Autistic – 1986). Dr. Grandin, has acquired many awards, lectures all over the United States, was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame and is a member of the board of directors Autism Society of America. Dr. Grandin has developed her own website: www. grandin. com to communicate with people on the subject of autism, and animal handling. Humane groups recognize Dr. Grandin’s work to alleviate animal fears, and her biography featured on HBO has won several Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe, and Peabody Award in 2011. Dr. Grandin has written several books, chapter books, journals, and other publications proving that people with Asperger’s and Autism can succeed. Conclusion There is so much that humanity does not know about human behavior and mental illness, but psychology continues to make advancements in the area. Asperger’s Disorder is just one example of how psychology has advanced. In Einstein’s time there was not a name for his â€Å"weird quirks†, but by the time Temple Grandin was born these similar â€Å"quirks† were known as Asperger’s Disorder. Einstein was brilliant in mathematics and similar fields of study, but could not form true intimate bonds with other people. Dr. Grandin was also brilliant but in another area of study and she also cannot form true intimate bonds with people.

Speech analysis Freedom or Death free essay sample

This speech is an argumentative discourse, pronounced by Emmeline Pankhurst, in November 1913, to present and intensify the need that women have to keep a combative spirit in order to give their free viewpoint and being part of public affairs on American society. The analyse is going to consider the historical significance of the speech and it is setting up the meaning or significance of it by clarifying for what specific reasons the speech was intended. In addition to this, it is analysing the goals of Pankhurst, the speech value, emotional appeals or morphosyntactic structure among others characteristics. It takes place in Hartford, Connecticut, located next to Boston, cradle of American Revolution where had sparked first revolt which broke from British Empire, in 1783. She exploits that to suggest they should use this historical fact to evoke a successful reference which could be applied to the womens suffragette struggle. At the end of 1913, when the speech is given, womens vote is not yet obtained in England, it would have to wait fifteen years for granting all women the vote in the same terms as men. We will write a custom essay sample on Speech analysis: Freedom or Death or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In a similar way, this is not going to happen before 1920 in the United States of America with the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which provided the right of vote shall not be denied on account of sex. Before that takes effect, at the beginning of 1913, British suffrage movement had inspired The Woman Suffrage Parade which brought the issue of voting rights for women to the forefront of national discussion. At this time, suffragettes had many detractors. Emmeline Pankhurst was a woman from upper-class whose public activity began after founding Womens Social and Political Union in favour of women rights as citizens. She makes this speech after she had been released from prison a few days before in England after having been in jail because of the Cat and Mouse Act. Despite this opposition she kept going. It had been one of many political arrests she lives during her militancy because of the defence of gender equality. She address mainly American women by urging her to struggle in the purpose of making audible their claims. Women long to emancipation but in a male-dominated society where women were often brought up to identify with men, to see mens views and rights as paramount, and so its not surprising that many women oppose their own liberation. By the same token,there were a number of thriving anti-suffrage groups, she makes an unmistakable statement aimed at her opponents. She threaten them with not giving up on their objectives to death if that was necessary. She express disapproval of this law because of over the course of the militant campaign, around 1000 suffragettes were imprisoned in the United Kingdom and many went on hunger strike and had to contend with the torturous process of force feeding. Throughout the speech, it is being discussed the belief that women, as human beings, should not be excluded from political system. Moreover, she justifies violent actions should be regarded and taking into account as a result of several government repressions. She shares more of her personal opinions in order to better express the importance of the American womens participation to reach a particular goal, such as a change in laws and politics. It is a persuasive speech which try to change women attitude from a static position to a dynamic behaviour. It is recognizable that Pankhurst is willing to convince the hearer of her point of view. Thus, she constructs a discourse by stating the problem, describing the current solution to the problem and offering her alternative solution. Furthermore, it is clear she have found out about the audience and their historical circumstances which help her to maintain some links between her speech and audience interests. According to technical analysis to persuade or influence the hearer, it could be considered the following tools used by Pankhurst: Rhythm is patterned for many keys. She uses long and subordinate sentences to speak about subjective opinions and feelings , for instance, at the beginning of the speech, when she is making her position clear inside the suffragette movement. Nevertheless, she takes care of using short sentences which gives a fast-paced rhythm and avoids the dispersion and monotony, such as â€Å"They couldnt vote the legislature out. They would have to choose. † She uses short as well as long argumentative paragraphs which provide a varied rhythm. It is not used many of coordinating conjunction (and,but) to support the long sentences. Instead of this, she tends to use relative pronouns which help to develop reasoning around her ideas, such as â€Å"I want to say to you who think women cannot succeed† or â€Å"there is a good deal of warfare for which men take a great deal of glorification which has involved more practical sacrifice on women than it has on any man. It always has been so â€Å" She makes a great use of copulative verbs, e. g. â€Å"I am here†, â€Å"I do not come here†, â€Å"It has become†. which give it a declarative character. Most of the discourse is told in the first person by making her own use of dialectic, she express quite clearly her own opinion with the pronoun I, equally, she uses we because it supports her aim about a more united movement. Also, it has been used the second person in order to make more personal involvements. It is remarkable that it is not used many adjectives which are used are objective and descriptive, having a tendency to specific adjectives like â€Å"British soil† Pankhurst uses the speech to compare the womens vote movement to other national and international uprisings unrelated to her topic. Consequently, she mentions the non-violent political protest such as the Boston Tea Party or the Chartism, a working-class movement for political reform in Britain. Otherwise, she uses powerful metaphors to lead the hearer to conclude that they should view suffering as an inevitable part of the battle, for instance, she identify the struggle as a noisy baby who wants to be fed. In the same way, she urges women to be clamorous with their own resources. Also, she applies a simile when she says â€Å"you cannont make omelettes without breaking eggs† with which she explains they can not accomplish in battle if they do not damage to something. She uses a wide, cultivate and easy to understand vocabulary. With reference to express ideas, it is a distinctive speech which keep coherence. Every idea is strictly developed in every paragraph. In the speech, there are sentences that evoke strong emotions and feelings such as the headline â€Å"Freedom or death† or â€Å"they will have to choose between giving us freedom or giving us death† which want to inspire women to make a positive change despite radical oppositions . In the conclusion, she achieve by the speech to make perfectly understandable why a current sacrifice is so important for the future women generations, even if it is ended in disaster. She also says that no matter how fierce struggle could be or how many times they were sabotaged, they have to keep going and succeed. After hearing the speech, you feel that it has been gained a hopeful and optimistic idea; there will be many of possibilities for women if they reach this rewarding objective in spite of enemies. This is a great war between any social class women against a legislation which wants to exclude women rights from laws.