With The Ever-increasing Problem Of Pest Control, It Is Clear That Som

With the ever-increasing problem of pest control, it is clear that some form biological must be implemented in order to help farmers. This biological control must be able to effectively control the pest population, this means not killing them but rather never letting the pest populations get too large. Through computer-simulated programs the Spider Division of Frankenstein, Inc. was able to genetically create a spider that genetically perfect for biological control. This paper will discuss the methods that were taken as well as the results of the Spider Divisions experiment. Introduction Biological control is an important factor if we are to protect and increase our crop production. This paper outlines an experiment that was done by the Spider division of Frankenstein, Inc, in their attempt to create a new and improved form of biological control. The experiment purpose is to genetically manufacture the perfect spider for biological control, the spider will be known as the Paine Killer Spider, which will be genetically perfect for its environment. The genetic factors of the spiders' eyesight, how fast it moves, and how fast it reproduces will be crucially important in its development. These three factors will set the parameters for how well the Paine Killer Spider will perform in its ecosystem. Besides the biological factors, how well the spider interact with other predators, as well as its natural enemies must also be taken in account. For this experiment, the Spider division of Frankenstein, Inc. did extensive research through Ecological journals with subjects on al l types of biological control. Through the Eco Beaker simulation the team at the Spider Division will show that a genetically created spider can and will be successful for biological control purposes. This Eco Beaker simulation effectively simulates the introduction of an insect into an ecosystem for biological control purposes. Materials and Methods In creating the Paine killer Spider, the Eco Beaker simulator proved to be a easy and useful way of a conducting the experiment. By randomly selecting parameters for the spiders' eyesight, speed, and reproduction the Spider Division was we able to come up with numbers that would stabilize the ecosystem and allow for the genetically produced spider and aphids to live together harmoniously. In a matter of hours the Spider Division was able to come up with a set of parameters for the Paine Killer Spider that would allow for perfect biological control. While there could be numerous different combinations that could work for the different parameters, the Spider division found that the Paine Killer Spiders' parameters should be set at; 1 meter for sight; 1.9 meters per day for speed; and a reproduction rate of 1 spider per 2.2 aphids. With these parameters the Paine Killer Spider will have a successful introduction into its ecosystem. Results The Eco Beaker system clearly demonstrated that the Spider Division is capable of producing the "perfect" spider. By mixing in different combinations if genetic parameter, the Eco Beaker system was able to show the negative effects of having to much or little speed, too much or too little eyesight, and too fast or too slow of a reproduction system. By coming up with the combination listed above, the Spider Division clearly demonstrated that the Paine Killer Spider would be able to adapt to its environment and control the aphid population. It will also be able for long periods of time. While this experiment was designed to examine a yearlong period, the Spider Division decided to extend it for three years. The chosen parameters enabled the Paine Killer Spider to control the environment for the whole three years on the Eco Beaker simulator. Through the simulator the spider was very successful in a large crop field, but is very feasible that the spider could be even more successful in a field that is broken up into small sections separated by streams or other barriers. Discussion Why don't farmers just use more pesticides? With aphids continually adapting to pesticides it just not cost effective for the farmers to rely on these pesticides. Framers find themselves losing money and crops in trying to beat the aphids to the punch. Therefore biological control can be a very effective way to control the aphid population. Clearly this experiment shows that genetically manufactured spider can

Understanding Acculturation and Why It Happens

Understanding Acculturation and Why It Happens Acculturation is a process through which a person or group from one culture comes to adopt the practices and values of another culture, while still retaining their own distinct culture. This process is most commonly discussed regarding a minority culture adopting elements of the majority culture, as is typically the case with  immigrant groups that are culturally or ethnically distinct from the majority in the place to which they have immigrated. However, acculturation is a two-way process, so those within the majority culture often adopt elements of minority cultures with  which they come into contact. The process plays out between groups where neither is necessarily a majority or a minority. It can happen at both group and individual levels and can occur as a result of in-person contact or contact through art, literature, or media. Acculturation is not the same as the process of assimilation, though some people use the words interchangeably. Assimilation can be an eventual outcome of the acculturation process, but the process  can have other outcomes as well, including rejection, integration, marginalization, and transmutation. Acculturation Defined Acculturation is a process of cultural contact and exchange through which a person or group comes to adopt certain values and practices of a culture that is not originally their own, to a greater or lesser extent. The result is that the original culture of the  person or group remains, but it is changed by this process. When the process is at its most extreme, assimilation occurs wherein the original culture is wholly abandoned and the new culture adopted in its place. However, other outcomes can also occur that fall along a spectrum from minor  change to total change, and these include separation, integration, marginalization, and transmutation. The first known use of the term acculturation within the social sciences was by John Wesley Powell in a report for the U.S. Bureau of Ethnology in 1880. Powell later defined the term as the psychological changes that occur within a person due to cultural exchange that occurs as a result of extended contact between different cultures. Powell observed that, while they exchange cultural elements, each retains its own unique culture. Later, in the early 20th century, acculturation became a focus of American sociologists who used ethnography to study  the lives of immigrants and the extent to which they integrated into U.S. society. W.I Thomas and Florian Znaniecki examined this process with Polish immigrants in Chicago in their 1918 study The Polish Peasant in Europe and America. Others, including Robert E. Park and Ernest W. Burgess, focused their research and theories on the outcome of this process known as assimilation. While these early sociologists focused on the process of acculturation experienced by immigrants, and also by Black Americans within predominantly white society, sociologists today are more attuned to the two-way nature of cultural exchange and adoption that happens through the process of acculturation. Acculturation at Group and Individual Levels At the group level, acculturation  entails the widespread adoption of the values, practices, forms of art, and technologies of another culture. These can range from the adoption of ideas, beliefs, and ideology to  the large-scale inclusion of foods and styles of cuisines from other cultures. For example, the embrace of Mexican, Chinese, and Indian cuisines within the U.S. This includes the simultaneous adoption of mainstream American foods and meals by immigrant populations. Acculturation at the group level can also entail the cultural exchange of clothing and fashions, and of language. This happens when immigrant groups learn and adopt the language of their new home, or when certain phrases and words from a foreign language make their way into common usage. Sometimes, leaders within a culture make a conscious decision to adopt the technologies or practices of another for reasons associated with efficiency and progress. At the individual level, acculturation may involve all the same things that occur at the group level, but the motives and circumstances may differ. For example,  people who travel to foreign lands where the culture differs from their own, and who spend extended periods of time there, are likely to engage in the process of acculturation, whether intentionally or not, in order to learn and experience new things, enjoy their stay, and reduce the social friction that can arise from cultural differences. Similarly, first-generation immigrants often consciously engage in the process of acculturation as they settle into their new community in order to succeed socially and economically. In fact, immigrants are often compelled by law to acculturate in many places, with requirements to learn the language and the laws of society, and in some cases, with new laws that govern dress and covering of the body. People who move between social classes and the separate and different spaces they inhabit also often experience acculturation on both voluntary and required basis. This is the case for many first-generation college students who suddenly find themselves among peers who have been socialized already to understand the norms and culture of higher education, or for students from poor and working-class families who find themselves surrounded by wealthy peers at well-funded private colleges and universities. How Acculturation Differs from Assimilation Though they are often used interchangeably, acculturation and assimilation are two different things. Assimilation can be an eventual outcome of acculturation, but it doesnt have to be. Also, assimilation is often a largely one-way process, rather than the two-way process of cultural exchange that is acculturation. Assimilation is the process by which a person or group adopts a new culture that virtually replaces their original culture, leaving only trace elements behind, at most. The word means to make similar, and at the end of the process, the person or group will be culturally indistinguishable from those culturally native to the  society into which it has assimilated. Assimilation, as a process and an outcome, is common among immigrant populations that seek to blend in with the existing fabric of society. The process can be quick or gradual, unfolding over the years, depending on the context and circumstances. Consider, for example, how a third-generation Vietnamese American who grew up in Chicago differs culturally from a Vietnamese person living in rural Vietnam. Five Different Strategies and Outcomes of Acculturation Acculturation can take different forms and have different outcomes, depending on the strategy adopted by the people or groups involved in the exchange of culture. The strategy used will be determined by whether the person or group believes it is important to maintain their original culture, and how important it is to them to establish and maintain relationships with the greater community and society whose culture differs from their own. The four different combinations of answers to these questions lead to five different strategies and outcomes of acculturation. Assimilation. This strategy is used when little to no importance is placed on maintaining the original culture, and great importance is put on fitting in and developing relationships with the new culture. The outcome is that the person or group is, eventually, culturally indistinguishable from the culture into which they have assimilated. This type of acculturation is likely to occur in societies that are considered melting pots into which new members are absorbed.Separation. This strategy is used when little to no importance is placed on embracing the new culture, and high importance is placed on maintaining the original culture. The outcome is that the original culture is maintained while the new culture is rejected. This type of acculturation is likely to occur in culturally or racially segregated societies.Integration. This strategy is used when both maintaining the original culture and adapting to the new one are considered important. This is a common strategy of acculturation a nd can be observed among many immigrant communities and those with a high proportion of ethnic or racial minorities. Those who use this strategy might be thought of as bicultural and may be known to code-switch when moving between different cultural groups. This is the norm in what are considered multicultural societies. Marginalization. This strategy is used by those who place no importance on either maintaining their original culture or adopting the new one. The result is that the person or group is marginalized - pushed aside, overlooked, and forgotten by the rest of society. This can occur in societies where cultural exclusion is practiced, thus making it difficult or unappealing for a culturally different person to integrate.Transmutation. This strategy is used by those who place importance on both maintaining their original culture and on adopting the new culture - but rather than integrating two different cultures into their daily lives, those who do this create a third culture (a blend of the old and the new).