Since “The Big Twist” Essay Example for Free

Since â€Å"The Big Twist† Essay Since â€Å"The Big Twist† failure that killed multiple people, an investigation of the wheel and rail deviations from the derailed car has been carried out in order to determine what course of action should be taken to prevent similar catastrophes from occurring. In order to achieve safety, the rails of the newly designed car were supposed to be composed of 4130 steel. A heat treatment process involving a water quench and tempering was also required to modify the rail to a desired balance between ductility and hardness. The final Rockwell C-scale hardness was supposed to be 35-40. The failed rail was found to have a Rockwell C hardness of only 4. 8. In our own reference experiment, we were able to produce specimens similar to the failed specimen, with a Rockwell C hardness of 3. 7. Our similar sample was austenized and air cooled, which leads to the conclusion that the failed rail was not quenched or tempered at all, but merely annealed and left to cool. The resulting pearlite crystal structure of the material was soft and ductile, bending easily under stress and causing the car to derail and plummet to the ground. Introduction A new roller coaster in Florida called â€Å"The Big Twist† killed four people when one of the cars separated from the track and fell to the ground 120 feet below. It was discovered that the outer left wheel assembly was bent more than 30 degrees from its normal vertical orientation due to twisting of the support beam that connected the wheels to the car. Our research was performed to discover why the rail was weak enough to bend. The characteristics of steel can be greatly modified by changing the phase (or crystal structure). The first step in heat treating steel is the process of annealing and austenizing. When the steel is heated to a high enough temperature (annealing), carbon is dissolved into the metal solution (austenizing) by fitting into the interstitial vacancies in the high temperature-induced face-centered cubic structure of iron (austenite). The next step in heat treating is to quench the steel in water or oil, quickly cooling the steel to room temperature in order to trap the carbon in the crystal structure (even at the reduced temperature). This new phase is called martensite, intermediate to the face-centered and body-centered cubic structures. The internal stress caused by the distorted crystal structure causes the metal to be extremely hard and brittle. Finally, the heat treating is completed by heating the material once again (tempering) to gain a balance between strength and ductility. During tempering, nucleation of cementite occurs along with a growth in grain size, both reducing internal stress and restoring ductility. The resulting metal can be both harder and stronger than it can be without treatment. Essentially, if the metal contains too much pearlite (it is only annealed or tempered too long or hot), it will be too ductile and soft to withstand the forces on the rail of the roller-coaster car, for example. Conversely, if the metal contains too much untempered martensite (it is only annealed and quenched without a tempering), it will be extremely hard but utterly brittle. Experimental Procedures and Results Using seven samples of 4130 steel as references, it was possible to determine what was wrong with the received sample of roller coaster rail with comparative analysis. Seven reference specimens were placed in an austenitizing furnace at 844 °C for one hour. After austenitizing, six of the samples were immediately quenched in water at room temperature and four of them were placed in tempering furnaces at 205 °C, 370 °C, 482 °C, and 677 °C for one hour. The other two were left at room temperature. The samples were next sanded with abrasive paper to remove surface discoloration and tested for Rockwell C-scale hardness, with three tests each to be averaged. After the hardness tests were completed, Charpy Impact Tests were performed on each specimen. A table of results can be seen below. Obviously the crashed car rail was not tempered correctly, if at all, since its properties are almost identical to the austenized, air-cooled sample of 4130 steel. Also, a crashed car rail specimen was prepared and examined under the microscope to study the microstructure. The preparation included cutting, hot mounting, rough and fine grinding, and polishing of the specimen. After the specimen was cut into two pieces of appropriate sizes, hot mounting was carried out using a press which molded a thermoplastic around the samples on three sides. Rough and fine grinding involved using a silicon carbide abrasive on a belt sander with 120, 240, 400, and 600 grit papers. Polishing was performed with rotating wheels covered by polishing cloths soaked in alumina slurrys (1mm, . 3? m, and . 05? m alumina respectively). Finally, the samples were chemically etched with nitric acid, one for 8 and one for 15 seconds. The samples were examined under a microscope at 400x, the images of which are shown below.

Gender Differences of Communication :: Communicating Talking Speaking Relationships

Gender Differences of Communication How do men and women communicate clearly when most of their ways of communicating are so different? In today's society language plays a key role in defining gender by phraseology, vocabulary, and also their nonverbal vocabulary. Each one of these different types of ways of communicating is prominently different between men and women.Webster's defines phraseology as "a choice and pattern of words." Many studies have been done on the differences between men and women's phraseology. It has been noted in many different studies that men tend to talk much more than women do. This was proven true in a study that Lynette Hirshman did in 1974 (Glass 33). It has also been proven that women tend to speak faster than men; this is due to the fact that women tend to be interrupted more often than men are, and also have the ability to speak more clearly, precisely, and more quickly than men can. In one study it was found that women spoke for an average of three minutes describing a painting, as opposed to the thirteen-minute average it took men to describe it. (Glass 33) Women tend to be more detailed when describing events, persons, places or things. Linguist Robin Lakoff states in her book, Language and Woman's Place, women use greater description when describing colors. (Glass 31) Women notice more detail than men causing women to be more perceptive; they notice things such as tone of voice, facial expression, and body language. Being able to pick up on those three types of communicating helps women better understand what is actually being said in a conversation. Men and women's styles of communicating are close to being directly opposites of one another. Men tend to be louder more aggressive speakers; they mumble many of their words and tend to be sloppy in their pronunciation of words. Men tend to use loudness when emphasizing words instead of inflection and pitch to emphasize points. According to Webster's, inflection is "a change in the tone of the voice," or "the change of form in a word to indicate number, case, tense, etc." (Glass 51) Women tend to use pitch and inflection more so than men do. Men have a tendency to speak in a lower tone and rarely change from that tone to any others. Women on the other hand speak in five different tones, which makes them sound more emotional.

Stage of LIfe

Erik Erikson was a psychoanalytic theorist, who believed that all humans go through eight stages of development throughout their lifetime. The first stage is called Trust vs. Mistrust. The second stage is called Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt. Third stage is Initiative vs. Guilt. The fourth stage is Industry vs. Inferiority. Fifth stage is Identity vs. Confusion. Sixth stage is Intimacy vs. Isolation. Seventh stage is Generativity vs. Stagnation. The eighth and final stage is Integrity vs. Despair (Berger, 17).Each stage occurs at a specific time frame and requires achievement to obtain successful completion. The first stage occurs between birth and one year of age. During this stage, if one’s parents provide familiarity, consistency, and continuity, a feeling that the world is a safe place and people are reliable and loving will develop (Berger, 129). Also, the child learns to trust their body and biological urges that go with it. If the parents are inadequate and unreliable, o r the child is harmed or rejected, then mistrust is developed.This mistrust will result in fear and a belief that the world is inconsistent and unpredictable. If this stage is achieved successfully, children acquire hope, the belief that even when things aren’t going well they will work out well in the end. The second stage occurs in early childhood. The goal of this stage is to achieve autonomy while minimizing shame and doubt. If a toddler is allowed to explore and manipulate their environment they will develop a sense of independence. The child develops self-esteem and self-control (Berger, 129).If parents or caregivers come down hard on toddlers’ attempts to explore and be independent the toddler will give up and assume that they cannot and should not act on their own. Also, giving children no sense of limits, unrestricted freedom, and doing for children what they should do for themselves will lead them to conclude that they are not good for much and shouldnâ€℠¢t do for themselves. A little shame and doubt is beneficial because without it, one will develop a shameless willfulness that leads one to jump into things without proper consideration of one’s abilities.Too much shame and doubt leads to compulsiveness. If the proper balance at this stage is achieved the virtue of willpower is developed. The third stage occurs during preschool years. Goal is to learn initiative without too much guilt. Initiative means a positive response to the world’s challenges, taking on responsibilities, learning new skills, and feeling purposeful (Berger, 198). If parents encourage children to try out their ideas and accept and encourage fantasy, curiosity, and imagination. Capacity of moral judgment has begun.Parents have the responsibility to encourage the child to â€Å"grow up. † If this process is done too harshly or too abruptly, the child learns to feel guilty about their feelings. Too much initiative and too little guilt leads to r uthlessness, taking initiative and doing whatever it takes to achieve the goals. Extreme form of ruthlessness is sociopathy. On the other hand, too much guilt leads to inhibition. This person will not try things because not trying means nothing to feel guilty about. If a good balance is achieved during this stage a sense of purpose is developed.The fourth stage occurs approximately 5-11 years of age. During this stage parents must encourage, teachers must care, peers must accept. Children must learn that there is pleasure in conceiving a plan and carrying it out (Berger, 272). They must learn the feeling of success. If a child is allowed too little success they will develop a sense of inferiority or incompetence. They may never develop social skills. If this stage is achieved children will develop the virtue of competence and the belief in our own abilities to handle the tasks set before them. Stage five occurs in adolescence.The task is to achieve ego identity and to avoid role con fusion. They learn who they are and how they fit into the rest of society (Berger, 348). Through receiving proper encouragement and reinforcement through personal exploration adolescents emerge with a strong sense of self and a feeling of independence and control. Those who are unsure of their beliefs and desires will feel insecure and confused about themselves and their future. Completing this stage successfully leads to fidelity, the ability to live by society’s standards and expectations. Stage six occurs during early adulthood.Erikson believed that a strong sense of personal identity was important for developing intimate relationships (Berger, 456). Those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression. Successful resolution of this stage results in the virtue known as love, marked by the ability to form lasting, meaningful relationships with other people. Stage seven occurs in adulthood. The focus is on career and family. Success in this stage leads to a feeling of contributing to the world by being active in the home and community (Berger, 473).Failure to attain this skill leads to feelings of unproductivity and non-involvement in the world. Successful handling of this stage leads to the virtue of care, being proud of one’s accomplishments, watching children grow into adults, develop a sense of unity with your life partner are important accomplishments. Stage eight occurs in old age. Those unsuccessful in this stage feel that their life has been wasted and will experience many regrets. They are left with feelings of bitterness and despair (Berger, 530). Those who are successful feel proud of their accomplishments and a sense of integrity.Successful completion means looking back with few regrets, a general feeling of satisfaction, and attaining wisdom even when confronting death. My most favorite stage I have experienced so far is stage seven, G eneratively vs. stagnation. This is true because I feel that I have found a job that allows me to contribute to my society and the world in a positive, helpful way. I am able to watch my children grow into wonderful adults. I am proud of all my accomplishments in school, work, and raising my children. I feel a strong sense of productivity that I have not had before. My least favorite stage was adolescence.It was tough having to discover who I was and what I wanted to be. Peers were very important and it was tough trying to fit in and be a part of a group. I would change my stage six, Intimacy vs. Isolation. My father passed away during this time and I was very close to him. So much of me and my sense of self was related to my father and when he died it was like I lost a big part of me as well. It was a very difficult time for me and I felt a great sense of loss. I believe that it has had an impact on my ability to form close, secure, committed relationships with other people.I am mo st looking forward to continuing in stage seven, Generatively vs, Stagnation. I am enjoying all of my accomplishments and watching my children grow so much that I am looking forward to continuing in this stage. I am dreading stage eight, Integrity vs. Despair because I know there are things and decisions that I will regret as I reflect back on my life. I have learned much and am happy with the majority of my life. Also, during this stage is usually when death occurs and I am not ready to give up my life just yet, I still have some things I would like to accomplish and I want to be around for my children and grandchildren.

Biography of Jeffrey Dahmer, Serial Killer

Jeffrey Dahmer (May 21, 1960–November 28, 1994) was responsible for a series of gruesome murders of 17 young men from 1988 until he was caught on July 22, 1991, in Milwaukee. Fast Facts: Jeffrey Dahmer Known For: Convicted serial killer of 17 peopleAlso Known As: Milwaukee Cannibal, Milwaukee MonsterBorn: May 21, 1960 in  Milwaukee, WisconsinParents: Lionel Dahmer,  Joyce DahmerDied: November 28, 1994 at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Portage, WisconsinNotable Quote:  The only motive that there ever was was to completely control a person; a person I found physically attractive. And keep them with me as long as possible, even if it meant just keeping a part of them. Early Life Dahmer was born on May 21, 1960, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Lionel and Joyce Dahmer. From all accounts, Dahmer was a happy child who enjoyed typical toddler activities. It was not until the age of 6, after he underwent hernia surgery, that his personality began to change from a jubilant social child to a loner who was uncommunicative and withdrawn. His facial expressions transformed from sweet, childish smiles to a blank, emotionless stare—a look that remained with him throughout his life. Pre-Teen Years In 1966, the Dahmers moved to Bath, Ohio. Dahmers insecurities grew after the move and his shyness kept him from making many friends. While his peers were busy listening to the latest songs, Dahmer was busy collecting road kill and stripping the animal carcasses and saving the bones. Other idle time was spent alone, buried deep inside his fantasies. His nonconfrontational attitude with his parents was considered an attribute, but in reality, it was his apathy toward the real world that made him appear obedient. High School and the Army Dahmer continued being a loner during his years at Revere High School. He had average grades, worked on the school newspaper, and developed a dangerous drinking problem. His parents, struggling with issues of their own, divorced when Jeffrey was almost 18. He remained living with his father who traveled often and was busy nurturing a relationship with his new wife. After high school, Dahmer enrolled at Ohio State University and spent most of his time skipping classes and getting drunk. He dropped out and returned home after two semesters. His father then issued him an ultimatum—get a job or join the Army. In 1979, Dahmer enlisted for six years in the Army, but his drinking continued and in 1981, after just two years, he was discharged because of his drunken behavior. First Kill Unknown to anyone, Jeffery Dahmer was mentally disintegrating. In June 1978, he was struggling with his own homosexual desires, mixed with his need to act out his sadistic fantasies. Perhaps this struggle is what pushed him to pick up a hitchhiker, 18-year-old Steven Hicks. He invited Hicks to his fathers home and the two drank alcohol. When Hicks was ready to leave, Dahmer bashed him in the head with a barbell and killed him. He then cut up the body, placing the parts in garbage bags, which he buried in the woods surrounding his fathers property. Years later, he returned and dug up the bags and crushed the bones and disbursed the remains around the woods. As insane as he had become, he had not lost sight of the need to cover his murderous tracks. Later, his explanation for killing Hicks was simply that he didnt want him to leave. Prison Time Dahmer spent the next six years living with his grandmother in West Allis, Wisconsin. He continued drinking heavily and often got into trouble with the police. In August 1982, he was arrested after exposing himself at a state fair. In September 1986, he was arrested and charged with public exposure after being accused of masturbating in public. He served 10 months in jail  but was arrested soon after his release after sexually fondling a 13-year-old boy in Milwaukee. He was given five years probation after convincing the judge that he needed therapy. His father, unable to understand what was happening to his son, continued to stand by him, making certain he had good legal counsel. He also began to accept that there was little he could do to help the demons that seemed to rule Dahmers behavior. He realized that his son was missing a basic human element: a conscience. Over the years, there was speculation that Jeffrey Dahmer may have been involved in the kidnapping and murder of Adam Walsh, son of later TV personality John Walsh. Murder Spree In September 1987, while on probation on the molestation charges, Dahmer met 26-year-old Steven Toumi and the two spent the night drinking heavily and cruising gay bars before going to a hotel room. When Dahmer awoke from his drunken stupor, he found Toumi dead. Dahmer put Toumis body into a suitcase, which he took to his grandmothers basement. There, he discarded the body in the garbage after dismembering it, but not before gratifying his sexual necrophilia desires. Unlike most serial killers, who kill then move on to find another victim, Dahmers fantasies included a series of crimes against the corpse of his victims, or what he referred to as passive sex. This became part of his regular pattern and possibly the one obsession that pushed him to kill. Killing his victims in his grandmothers basement was becoming increasingly difficult to hide. He was working as a mixer at Ambrosia Chocolate Factory and could afford a small apartment, so in September 1988, he got a one-bedroom apartment on North 24th St. in Milwaukee. Dahmers killing spree continued and for most of his victims, the scene was the same. He would meet them at a gay bar or a mall and entice them with free alcohol and money if they agreed to pose for photographs. Once alone, he would drug them, sometimes torture them, and then kill them usually by strangulation. He would then masturbate over the corpse or have sex with the corpse, cut the body up and get rid of the remains. He also kept parts of the bodies, including the skulls, which he would clean—much like he did with his childhood road kill collection—and often refrigerated organs, which he would occasionally eat. Known Victims Stephen Hicks, 18: June 1978Steven Tuomi, 26: September 1987Jamie Doxtator, 14: October 1987Richard Guerrero, 25: March 1988Anthony Sears, 24: February 1989Eddie Smith, 36: June 1990Ricky Beeks, 27: July 1990Ernest Miller, 22: September 1990David Thomas, 23: September 1990Curtis Straughter, 16: February 1991Errol Lindsey, 19: April 1991Tony Hughes, 31: May 24, 1991Konerak Sinthasomphone, 14: May 27, 1991Matt Turner, 20: June 30, 1991Jeremiah Weinberger, 23: July 5, 1991Oliver Lacy, 23: July 12, 1991Joseph Bradeholt, 25: July 19, 1991 The Dahmer Victim That Nearly Escaped Dahmers murdering activity continued uninterrupted until an incident on May 27, 1991. His 13th victim was 14-year-old Konerak  Sinthasomphone, who was also the younger brother of the boy Dahmer was convicted of molesting in 1989. Early in the morning, the young Sinthasomphone was seen wandering the streets nude and disoriented. When police arrived on the scene there were paramedics, two women who were standing close to the confused Sinthasomphone, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Dahmer told police that Sinthasomphone was his 19-year-old lover who was drunk and the two had quarreled. The police escorted Dahmer and the boy back to Dahmers apartment, much against the protest of the women, who had witnessed Sinthasomphone fighting off Dahmer before the police had arrived. The police found Dahmers apartment neat and other than noticing an unpleasant smell, nothing seemed amiss. They left Sinthasomphone under Dahmers care. Later, the police officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish joked with their dispatcher about reuniting the lovers. Within hours, Dahmer killed Sinthasomphone and performed his usual ritual on the body. The Killing Escalates In June and July 1991, Dahmers killing had escalated to one a week until July 22, when Dahmer was unable to hold captive his 18th victim, Tracy Edwards. According to Edwards, Dahmer tried to handcuff him and the two struggled. Edwards escaped and was spotted at around midnight by police, with the handcuff dangling from his wrist. Assuming he had somehow escaped from the authorities, the police stopped him. Edwards immediately told them about his encounter with Dahmer and led them to his apartment. Dahmer opened his door to the officers and answered their questions calmly. He agreed to turn over the key to unlock Edwardss handcuffs and moved to the bedroom to get it. One of the officers went with him and as he glanced around the room, he noticed photographs of what appeared to be parts of bodies and a refrigerator full of human skulls. They decided to place Dahmer under arrest and attempted to handcuff him, but his calm demeanor changed and he began to fight and struggle unsuccessfully to get away. With Dahmer under control, the police then began their initial search of the apartment and quickly discovered skulls and other various body parts, along with an extensive photo collection Dahmer had taken documenting his crimes. The Crime Scene The details of what was found in Dahmers apartment were horrific, matching only to his confessions as to what he did to his victims. Items found in Dahmers apartment included: A human head and three bags of organs, which included two hearts, were found in the refrigerator.Three heads, a torso, and various internal organs were inside a free-standing freezer.Chemicals, formaldehyde, ether, and chloroform plus two skulls, two hands and male genitalia were found in the closet.A filing cabinet that contained three painted skulls, a skeleton, a dried scalp, male genitalia, and various photographs of his victims.A box with two skulls inside.A 57-gallon vat filled with acid and three torsos.Victims identification.Bleach used to bleach the skulls and bones.Incense sticks. Neighbors often complained to Dahmer about the smell coming from his apartment.Tools:  Clawhammer, handsaw, 3/8 drill, 1/16 drill, drill bits.A hypodermic needle.Various videos, some pornographic.Blood soaked mattress and blood splatters.King James Bible. The Trial Jeffrey Dahmer  was indicted on 17 murder charges, which was later reduced to 15. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Much of the testimony was based on Dahmers 160-page confession and from various witnesses, who testified that Dahmers necrophilia urges were so strong that he was not in control of his actions. The defense sought to prove that he was in control and capable of planning, manipulating, and covering up his crimes. The jury deliberated for five hours and returned a verdict of guilty on 15 counts of murder. Dahmer was sentenced to 15 life terms, a total of 937 years in prison. At his sentencing, Dahmer calmly read his four-page statement to the court. He apologized for his crimes and ended with: I hated no one. I knew I was sick or evil or both. Now I believe I was sick. The doctors have told me about my sickness, and now I have some peace. I know how much harm I have caused...Thank God there will be no more harm that I can do. I believe that only the Lord Jesus Christ can save me from my sins...I ask for no consideration. Life Sentence Dahmer was sent to the Columbia Correctional Institute in Portage, Wisconsin. At first, he was separated from the general prison population for his own safety. But by all reports, he was considered a model prisoner who had adjusted well to prison life and was a self-proclaimed, born-again Christian. Gradually, he was permitted to have some contact with other inmates. Death On November 28, 1994, Dahmer and inmate Jesse Anderson were beaten to death by fellow inmate Christopher Scarver while on a work detail in the prison gym. Anderson was in prison for killing his wife and Scarver was a schizophrenic convicted of first-degree murder. For reasons unknown, the guards left the three alone for 20 minutes. They returned to find Anderson dead and Dahmer dying from severe head trauma. Dahmer died in the ambulance before reaching the hospital. Legacy In Dahmers will, he had requested upon his death that his body be cremated as soon as possible, but some medical researchers wanted his brain preserved so it could be studied. Lionel Dahmer wanted to respect his sons wishes and cremate all remains of his son. His mother felt his brain should go to research. The two parents went to court and a judge sided with Lionel. After more than a year, Dahmers body was released from being held as evidence and the remains were cremated. Sources â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer.†Ã‚  Biography.com, AE Networks Television, 18 Jan. 2019.â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer | Crime Library | Serial Killers.†Ã‚  Crime Museum.Jenkins, John Philip. â€Å"Jeffrey Dahmer.†Ã‚  Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 11 Feb. 2019.