Bill McKibben: American Environmental Policies and Saying No to Big Oil Today and in 2014

Paul Fischer

11/10/2015

Bill McKibben: American Environmental Policies and

Saying No to Big Oil Today and in 2014

Bill McKibben is a regular contributor to many publications including the New York Times. His work has been steadfast and consistent in protecting the environment from corporate and at times even government institutions which threaten ourselves and the world we are surrounded by. Looking at an interview from 2014 with Bill Moyers brings to light some particularly important issues which are in the national headlines today, such as the Keystone pipeline and the impact of Big Oil in politics today. McKibben’s own activism goes beyond steady writing and academic work, however, but is instead rooted in political work which has even been criminal in nature. Shortly before the interview, he had been arrested after chaining himself to the White House in an environmental protest, an action which created national headlines and drew attention to the work of environmental activists.

The two met on a canoe trip, which holds significance one of the potentially greatest threats to the environment from the new pipeline are the vital waterways which sustain our nation culturally and have historically provided the backbone of economic systems in the nation. A potential target in this area has certain risks in times of peace; in the event of a war on the home-front, the cost of providing security for such a monument could prove, well, monumental. Then the potential catastrophes which are warned against would be a certainty.

More importantly, it could destroy the nation’s ability to protect itself without self-inflicting permanent and persistent damage on America’s greatest resources, economically and environmentally. An example of a similar situation in another wartime which threatened to reach American shores was in the Manhattan project carried out by American scientists. While Albert Einstein was able to organize a widely diverse collection of ethnically and even linguistically separate experts and professionals into completing the nuclear race in time to save Allied military efforts, original plans included disposing of the waste into major American waterways in the mid and northwest.

Fortunately this plan was squashed by the once powerful fishing interests in these waterways out of fears it might impact in the long run their productive output. Given modern information about the nature of radioactive materials, it is likely that such disposal could have not only exposed tens of millions of Americans to lethal amounts of radiation, but also destroyed the agricultural output of the entirety of what was once called the Louisiana Purchase. This is an example of the precautionary principle successful by accident only; it was not until recently that the full effect of radioactive exposure has been determined and revealed on plant and animal lifeforms. Unfortunately, inappropriate weapons testing and disposal techniques contributed or caused extensive damage to American ecosystems and health concerns following that effort, and the arms race with the Soviet Union exacerbated those harms.

Following this with debate on the pipeline is critical. Not only must a dangerous proposal be defeated, but it must also be defeated for the right reasons and by the correct interests. Understanding the full potential effects of such construction, as well as that of an economic depression or recession such as that which recently occurred, on security costs and the viability of maintenance of the undertaking is necessary in order to not only prevent the great disaster, but also smaller ones to follow. In the interview, this is the crux of the argument delivered by Bill McKibbens.

Rather than focusing on the short-term effects of the construction and damage that may be done by bad maintenance or in the event of economic disaster, his focus in the interview is on what happens when things proceed properly. The global warming effects of the carbon released from 800 thousand barrels of oil a day, or nearly a quarter billion barrels a year, could change the emissions released by the United States by a factor of ten percent. As the USA begins negotiations next month in Paris in which there is an effort to show commitment to environmental protection and energy independence through renewable sources, there will be an effort to quantify the effect of American pollutants on other countries, as well as the global warming disasters which greenhouse gases will predicate if not properly understood and regulated.

This is not an individual who survived the dust-bowl sands of the 1930's, in which American prospects simply dried up and cornfields turned to storms and death, but it is clear that he has a specific understanding of the seriousness of failure to control economic development and of global industrial development on the environment and productivity. What then cost billions and breadlines in America (along with some interdependent nations), today would mean global starvation and the destruction of American international hegemony in a way that not only could no nation possibly step in to fill the gap, but in fact warfare on a scale unprecedented, this time likely nuclear, could be initiated. While Bill Moyers estimates the costs of action at twenty trillion dollars (no time frame was given), he fails to point out what President Obama and Bill McKibben instinctively emphasize: this is the mutually assured destruction of our time. That is, America was faced with the same question in the past, and invested tens of trillions of dollars in deterrent nuclear weapons and understanding the consequences and actions both of doing so and in not doing so. The investment initiated and prolonged the Cold War, in the long run critical information on the nature of carcinogens in huge numbers of products was discovered and mandatory age limits or recommendations have been set on products from cigarettes and cosmetics to carpets and landfills which otherwise could have contributed to trillions in excessive health care costs.

In that time period, the consequence was falling victim to a foreign nuclear strike and decades of cancer mortality and cultural slavery under the satellite system of a foreign superpower. Now we face our own generational questions with the same rewards and losses. Failure to act will not only spell disaster for American agricultural and infrastructural investments, but unlike the dust-bowl of the 1930's, will induce far more severe consequences for nations we are obligated to help. That means immediate repayment of our own debt in some nations, and loss of direct foreign investment which adds up to a cool trillion dollars every few years. This is a simple equation: failure to invest (or rather simply not exploit currently) these 20 trillion dollars now can cost American businesses, corporations, and taxpayers the opportunity to invest over 200 billion dollars in lucrative investments internationally every year and require some fraction of the nearly 20 trillion dollars in US debt currently held by other nations to be paid or to face severe global catastrophes. This can mean billions, such as Hurricane Katrina, Sandy, or here in Vermont, Irene, or trillions in the event of the worst-case scenarios presenting themselves.

Source: http://billmoyers.com/episode/bill-mckibben-to-obama-say-no-to-big-oil/

Abenaki of Canada and the Youth

Paul Fischer

11/10/2015

David Massell

Abenaki of Canada and the Youth

The Abenaki are a native peoples tribe, one of the original 100 recognized throughout Canada, as introduced by Suzie O’Bamsawin, the Director of the Territorial Consultations Department of the Territorial Grand Conseil de la Nation Waban-Aki. With recognition in American states such as New York, but not in Vermont, though there are Abenaki tribes people who call Vermont home, this is a point of some tension as there is only partial recognition in American states. There are many issues and points of activism which influence and impact their decision making processes, the most important of which, according to the lecture, has been the importance of elders. Among important issues addressed were Canadian and diplomatic relations, growing up among native peoples, and the decline of the native language and traditions.

Life on the reservation is simple, but there are not many jobs, technology, or legal structures. There are many social issues there; Pow Wows can be alternative in nature or traditional, but are frequently a place of reconciliation for members of tribes. At the age of 16, youth are given the choice to stay on the reservation or to leave and enter into the outside world. There is not much choice, though many return after some years to stay. For the Abenaki, many receive student loans and grants from the state of Quebec, and admission into Universities.

This tradition of integration into the general Canadian and American cultures has several advantages, and actually helps with alcohol and drug problems which can be rampant in communities. It also allows an outreach which affects the chronic unemployment extant on reservations. This was not presented as a criticism of the lifestyles there, but instead as a merging of two worlds. Indeed, many of the problems endemic in reservation lifestyles were a result of political friction and forced or inadequate educational measures which ignored the fierce adherence to different cultural norms within the nation.

O’Bamsawin has been witness and part of a great social movement as well. Politically, the tribe is involved like few others, and indeed few modern societies in the modern world. She has been privy to and central to negotiation with something like the equivalent of the Prime Minister of Quebec and gained experience with Canada’s modern system and politicians in these experiences as a representative of her people. The communication and connection is not just an exchange for rights and justice, but goes deeper culturally as well.

Her work has just been the most recent of a far greater movement towards the development of Indigenous peoples internationally. She was able to see this exchange first hand in Honduras, and provided some description of the history therein. The UN first recognized the rights of Indigenous Peoples as sovereign from governing and oppressing nations with its adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This was a major victory for international human rights and these communities were permitted to participate in drafting the document.

It would be misleading to cast these groups as united in nature throughout the history of conflict, at times conflict can and has occurred over hunting grounds and more fundamental issues between tribes. These relations are often evolving, early conflict with the Mohawks has been cited and resolution through Pow Wow did occur, though frictions remain. From lecture in class, it is worth questioning whether this had anything to do with the armed conflict between the Mohawk and British-Canadian forces in Montreal, after which the Canadian government was forced to admit defeat, though not before dozens of casualties had been inflicted in small arms and automatic weapon fueled warfare. One method of resolution is in the Pow Wow: on the outskirts of the reservation or within the modern reservation, a cultural revolution has occurred to some extent as music groups such as A Tribe Called Red have developed traditional music and dance with techno norms. The lack of rules enjoyed by Abenaki children (culturally they learn by experience not by instruction) manifests itself in artistically unified beats and documentary film efforts to preserve the culture through change and adaptation.

There were several critical components to this work which were established in lecture which include the critical nature of education, of technological innovation and permeation into social culture, and the process of building bridges. For the Abenaki, education has been a key development: they have among the highest levels of University enrollment among native peoples in Canada. In the USA, however, they are not even nationally recognized as a native peoples. In Vermont this can reach something of a head as “self-proclaimed” Abenaki have had discourse for the sharing of use of Lake Champlain, which is split between the states of Vermont and New York, but no such Native American agreement exists. These tensions have given rise to three levels or groups of Abenaki in Vermont. Even in Canada, though, their rights are somewhat limited. Native language instruction will only occur for perhaps two hours a week.

Conquest and Defence, David Green Recounts the Hundred Years War from Every Perspective

Paul Fischer

10/30/2015

Charles Briggs

Conquest and Defence, David Green Recounts the Hundred Years War from Every Perspective

The role of the church can be easy to overlook in the defining national conflict between England and France which became, after broken peace treaties and ransoms, kidnappings, and massive slaughter, known as the 100 Years War, but this series of battles and intrigue is convincingly portrayed in The 100 Years War: A People’s History as a critically pivotal moment for the emerging Catholic Church. David Green is elusive in his use of a thesis in his book, which is structured as a generational analysis of various themes which are intended to coalesce into a final declaration of methodology and description. In order to review the intent of the research appropriately, it will be necessary to delineate between these themes and show in a concise manner how they are interrelated and in what basic construct they cast the evolution of Christendom into the true intercontinental empires which England, France, and other onlooking nations would become. Appearance of sourced material and the basic structure of the historical context in which the writing is based should then make itself quite apparent.

This is not to summarize the entirety of the material at hand, but instead to drive at the heart of what made this war pump, and the individual liberties which it extended to others. Firstly, the war was not one framed entirely around the concept of occupation, though by “the concluding years of Henry V’s reign what had been a war of raids and sieges became a war of occupation” (Green, 154), and the leaders on both sides of the English Channel, or for much of the war, in modern-day France, came to learn of the ineffectiveness of simple blockades or chevauchée raids. “As Jean Juvénal des Ursins noted in 1435, ‘For war is only made in order to have peace; make strong war and you will have peace by subjugating your enemies’” (92), this is an ironical statement as those raids had become a war of occupation, one which resounded culturally in Shakespearean literature and in the very threads of French nationalism, immortalized in primary sources artistic, carefully chosen for this historical work, and political. Indeed the nature of the French crown would change in this war: clambering to dislodge ineffective church leadership, the centralization of power and expansion of mercenary Patis forces redefined the fundamental belief of France in nationhood as “not only was victory or defeat an indication of divine judgement, but for many it might bring one decidedly closer to divine judgement of a very personal nature” (146). That which might have demolished French belief in their military capabilities instead became a varied system of mutual struggle, allowing an early separation of military and agricultural interests, not to overlook the many who were still pressed into service.

The progression being described here is quite delicate in nature. It is important to review the sources which are utilized in the book before expounding the grandeur of the impact of this war on later conflicts, such as the War of the Roses directly afterward in England or French absolutism in monarchy which developed following religious strife as conflicts in the Netherlands and other Spanish ambitions dominated. In this case, there is little doubt as to the professionalism of the work; primary sources are frequently cited and contemporary secondary sources consulted. Intermediary, or dependent, sources are appropriately dropped or their impact marginalized.

While the similarities between the various national mindsets are drawn again and again, it can be easy to forget that of the many allies who were involved in the war, “each had their own agendas and antipathies that required resolution” (86). In trajectory at least, it cannot be forgotten that there is nothing shared between Britain and France, least of all that corner of once barbarian then British and now French farms and fishing grounds, Calais. While an entire chapter is devoted to peace, and “by the later 14th century a social climate had developed in which calls for a diplomatic solution to the Hundred Years war resounded” (85), they did so at different times which was emblematized as “a welter of propaganda proclaimed the justice of each side’s cause” (234). Fighting for this piece of land not only drew starkly these differences, but emphasized them as “conceptions of royal power differed in England and France, certainly when the war began, and these differences grew as the struggle unfolded” (114). 

Without the ideation that the reformation was somehow sparked by this series of raids and occupation, or that it would have anywhere near as great an effect on absolutism and contemporary to the time, ideals of monarchy, the soundest of conclusions drawn from many premises proffered by this work is that the 100 Years War defined Britain as an island nation, and showed that France was able to continentally defend itself without crying to the Pope for a Holy Crusade, not to say that this was not attempted at some point; France became a nation and England would follow suit in coming centuries, though the latter would certainly take a slightly more wiley route, necessitating the survival of a pseudo-invasion by Spain and significant expansion of naval prowess. In other words it took a bit more than the high walled caravels and a simple speech by King Richard II to establish England as a major imperial power.

David Green: Bibliographical Synopsis

Paul Andreas Fischer

10/21/2015

Professor Briggs

David Green: Bibliographical Synopsis

David Green has written four books, which are published through Pearson PLC or subsidiary publishing companies. These are monographs which may be considered scholarly in nature, complete with indexes, acknowledgements, and appendices. His first book, however, proved difficult to find and was co-authored with two other authors, however, as a non-fiction work published by the University of Nottingham may also be considered a scholarly monograph, though it is short and is only 40 pages in length.

With eleven articles published, David Green has also contributed in a significant manner to ten academic journals which focus on his field of study. In addition, though this is not directly pertinent, he has written 22 encyclopedic entries for three different encyclopedias and two dictionaries. Historical review of his work, however, varies somewhat from his own account of what his work actually consists of.

The International Medieval Bibliography lists only seven publications from David Green, comprising of six articles and one scholarly monograph, all of which are noted as publications on his academic website. The Iter bibliography lists seven essays which were written for the International Encyclopedia of Military History published in Routledge, New York, of which all but The Conquest of Wales are acknowledged on his website. Finally, on the Bibliography of British and Irish History, a full fourteen scholarly articles, books, and essays can be found, all of which are among those listed on his professional page, though “Medicine and Masculinity: Thomas Walsingham and the death of the Black Prince” contains a typographical error or potentially intentional change in title, possibly to avoid conflict with a similarly themed or titled book.

These resources are individually intended for different audiences, and there is the intention for historical work to be easily accessible as well as appropriately divisible. In addition, there may be certain standards for quality or quantity of work provided which factor in as various bibliographical resources decide which materials to include. In addition timing can play a large role in publication. For example, it is likely that some of these books received boosts from trends, whether as global as war in the Middle East and renewed interest in medieval warfare tactics or as local as a series of historic fairs and festivals at which the book may be presented.

Ori Shavit, Vegans on Top, and the Vegan/Vegetarian Revolution - Lecture at the Hillel House at UVM

Paul Andreas Fischer

10/20/2015

Environmental Studies

        This Monday Ori Shavit came to the Hillel House at UVM and gave a lecture on the vegan lifestyle based on her writing on “Vegans on Top” which raises awareness for the vegan “revolution” that has occurred in Israel in the last decade. Her first order of business was to describe the necessity to change to a vegan lifestyle and to describe her own realization that an all-vegan lifestyle was a choice which she could and did want to make. This was once a, as she described, “fringe phenomenon” and now in America and Israel, the decision to eat vegan foods has become a mainstream one. In Israel, 100’s of thousands have now changed their diet. The change is not limited to Israel, but is global and in the United States there are around half as many vegans per capita.

        Some vegans worry about fitting in socially, and there is a book for this which includes many alternative dishes and some that are nearly identical to non-vegan options called “So You’re Dating a Vegan.” Those who are uncomfortable with their choice publicly may also look to numerous celebrities and important figures who have adopted this lifestyle. Many are athletes, such as Marc Danzig, Ariel Rosenfeld, and even a former weightlifting champion who has maintained a vegan lifestyle for over 25 years. One suggestion she provides to encourage vegans to make their meals more accessible to guests and others who have not made the change completely is to incorporate corn cream into meals and to make use of pates.

        While the presentation was not one which was laden with factual details, the audience was encouraged to seek out the scientific basis for the choices themselves. There were key health, environmental, and social facts are presented. For example, industrial farming techniques involve the electric killing of baby chicks which do not lay enough eggs. This is a way in which the true cost of a dish is hidden. How does this translate into actual savings on a national scale? Among the 5% of Israelis who have become vegan, their food intake has decreased markedly, in fact even commercial chains which have not been historically friendly to vegans now have vegan options including Dominos.

        There are some boundaries which are established early on, which include the convenience and taste of vegan-ism which make adopting this lifestyle easier. Normally, vegans refuse all foods with meat, eggs, cheese, and milk but now many people who are not “fully” vegan supplement their diet with vegan food, a practice which confers many of the benefits that a vegan diet provides. Understanding where the food comes from can be quite as important as deciding where and to whom it will go. While a study from 2014 has shown that Alzheimer’s is actually the leading cause of death in the USA, heart disease is a major cause of mortality. Among vegetarians, heart attack mortality decreased by 24% and in vegans by 57% as shown in a study published by the American Dietetic Association.

        Other ways the true cost of eating traditional agricultural products can be hidden includes the substitution values of agricultural inputs. In Environmental Studies we have learned that the United States is among the greatest contributors to greenhouse gases, and by far the greatest contributor per capita. Part of this negative trend is related to the dietary choices which American have made, which may be sustainable, but also may be limiting growth. Importantly as well, cattle and other animals suffer unnecessary cruelty for the sake of what one chef describes as “a few colors on his pallet.” Seeing this vegan blogger was inspiring. We were able to see the meals, lifestyles, and positive consequences of this difficult and possibly overwhelming change. Investigation of research on this topic proved quite fruitful, and at the end of the evening, it was even worth it for this student to make a pledge to eat vegan daily. Even if unsuccessful, this pledge captures a fair amount of the social, health, and environmental benefits while still maintaining a fair amount of flexibility in dietary choices.

C$50 Vacation Online Class Notes:

“everyone should learn how to program a computer… because it teaches you how to think”

>>Everyone should learn how to think so they can use computers haha.

binary sufficiently large alphabet to describe data, the decimal system extends from this.

description of binary

binary digit - bit

application programming interface

pseudocode:

analytical deconstruction of coding mechanisms in everyday situations, e.g. finding someone’s name in a phone book.

Scrats - graphical programming language

Cryptography - scrambling of information

breakout - implementation of coding skills in game

efficiency in programming - mb and other considerations

finance - application of cs50 to websites

_____________________________________________________

use of 3d printing in plastic and biological endeavors

32 halves of a 4 billion integer set will find any given integer

formalization of algorithms and contemporary nomenclature

use of conditions or branches to increase efficiency in coding, aka corner cases

variables store integers

Conditions handle corner cases

pseudocode use to handle problems

necessity for specificity in computer programming

Use of Scratch 2 for the purpose of familiarization with code structure

Boolean expressions - true or false questions

____________________________________________________________________

Moving from scratch to C

Loops - repetition

conditions - if.. else

BASIC and public accessibility to programming - pseudocode

source code - english like syntax more properly defined and formatted than pseudo code

-> compiler -> object code

compiler is a program which converts source code into object code which is in binary

printf - formatted printing, in C means that which is in parentheses will be printed to the screen

Functions

main, loops, 

int main(void) is normal initiation of general program coding

while (true) = forever

int counter = 0;

while (true)

{

printf(%d\n”, counter);

counter++;

}

a loop may use for: for (i=0, i>0, i<10, i=10)

variables

boolean expressions- use for greater than or less than statements

conditions - printing results from boolean expressions

hypervisor as a layering, allowing emulation of second operating system, in this class linux

Gedit - simple text editor 

Using C to make a program which can create a program

CD - change directory

ls- list

training wheels for the class are in cs50.h which is a header function

editing for errors: thinking about fundamental ideas

getchar- get command

getint- get integer

getstring- get word

equal sign will be equivalent to assign in the class

______________________________________________________________________

Outsourcing input in programming code

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)

{

printf(“Hello, world\n”);

}

*/ to: *//

#include <cs50.h>

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)

{

printf(“state your name\n”);

string s = GetString();     */ maybe? *//

printf(“Hello, world%s\n”, s);

}

UI- user interface

GUI - Graphical User Interface

header- including and downloading past functions stored on computer

default main - part of program which is executed first

printf- prints to screen

role of parentheses: surround inputs to the function

\n - new line

; - ends a statement

using DOS to move files and programs, access previous resources

escape sequence - begins with a “\” and initiates a specially procedure

%d, %i, %s, - place holder for decimal, integer, string

values can be stored

char - type of data

float is type of data

int is integer

long is for long long numbers

types of questions

bool - one or zero, yes or no

// is precursor to comment

loops: for, while, or do

variables: declaring variables and assigning values

int counter;

counter = 0;

#include <cs50.h>

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)

{

printf(“Give me an integer: “);

int x = GetInt();

printf(“Give me another integer: “);

int y = GetInt();

printf(“The sum of %1 and %2 is %1f/n f = x + y”);

}

#include <cs50.h>

#include <stdio.h>

int main(void)

{

printf(“Give me an integer: “);

int n = GetInt();

If (n<0)

{

printf(“You picked a negative number “);

}

Else

{

printf(“You picked a positive number”);

}

___________________________________________________________________

Bug - mistake in program

{

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)

{

printf(“*”);

printf(“\n”);

}

}

Curly brace are needed for function

Mac bug in implementation of SSL: one line error

double goto fail; second executes no matter what

abstractions - solving problems without solving problems

look for the main function and follow code logically from there

print-> getstring -> PrintName

PrintName is written within the code, not pre-prorammed into C

prints hello, comma, name

using int and void

void does not return anything, it may print something

int will return an integer, eg. input cubed

the variable must be declared outside of the curly braces in which it is used, anything else will return an error, as the variable is referenced in a section of code in which it does not exist

This is the same reason that header files should almost always be at the top of the code

Scope - local vs. global

extant in variables

representation of information:

types: char, int, float, double, long long

char - one byte, character, 8 bits

int - 4 bytes, or 32 bits, highest number that can be represented is 4 billion

float - 4 bytes, or 32 bits, only have a finite amount of precision

double - 8 bytes, but still finite, problematic in graphics or mathematical formulas

long long - 8 bytes, 2X an int

integer overflow

0 will come after 255

floating-point precision: will throw decimals away in the event an int is used 

use floating values instead, and the decimal will be returned

imprecision will occur at a certain point, however

this creates some severe and legitimate side effects 

Ariane rocket built for the ESA was too fast and overloaded the software which was not prepared to handle the problem

Patriot missile in first Gulf War, suffered the same problem

both iraqi wobble allowed failure of patriot system, as well as a software glitch which prevented tracking of incoming missiles when the radar system was in operation for a “long time”

a tenth of a second could not be expressed in binary

____________________________________________________________________________

Cryptography:

decoder ring and algorithm associated

strings - memory

|z|a|m|y|l|a|

structuring the string into a box^^^

{

string s = GetString();

for (int i = 0; i < strlen(s);  ++i)

{

printf(“%c\n”, s[i]);

}

}

will not compile: needs header files

add: #include <stdio.h> for for and printf and <cs50.h> for string

strlen is in directory not included in header, short for string length

use man (for manual) strlen to find directory: #include <string.h>

if (s != NULL) should be added after GetString in order to prevent program crashing from improper input

!= - does not equal

to improve design, n should be substituted for strlen(s), this is more cumbersome in the program, but will use less cycles of the computer and is a superior design

i++ is the same as i +=1

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchanges

for (int i = 65; i <65 + 26; i++) //establishes a loop, which will continue for 26 cycles

It becomes necessary to then treat the i as a char, which allows transcription of the numeric value into a character or series of characters.

&& - and

if (s[i] >= ‘a’ && s[i] <= ‘z’)

{

*/ This allows the program to determine whether an input is a lower case letter or not, by adding 32 to the letter or subtracting 32 from the letter (char), this will change a lowercase letter to an uppercase letter or vice-versa, topper requires #include <ctype.h>*//

so this comes in : printf(“%s\c”, toupper(s[i]));

which simplifies the if and else statement somewhat, but this is where the function refers to, and what it looks like within the original directory

importance of planning in memory allocation:

rather than typing zamyla_|_| and depressing enter to begin on the next line, a computer will represent an end of a string in memory with a great number of zeros so zamyla\0belinda\0gabe\0daven\0

a string in a row of boxes in C is known as an array

array - contiguous sequence of similar data types

#include<cs50.h>

#include<stdio.h>

int main(void)

{

int age1 = GetInt();

int age2 = GetInt();

int age3 = GetInt();

//do something with those numbers

}

The program, however, is limited: if more than 3 or less than 3 ages show up, the program will crash, requiring a rewrite of the code every time it is posted

this can be avoided by declaring a variable each time, which will be saved, say, as i

command-line arguments

encryption algorithm, such as ROT-13, simply rotation 13

examples include caesar, vigenere, the latter of which is more secure and requires a different rotation for each letter

_______________________________________________________________________________
#includes
int main (void)
{
//todo
}
mkdir pset2 - creates a directory
so far main cannot take any arguments, it returns void
int argc, string argv[] can replace void, will allow understanding of what a string is under the hood
arrays use square brackets which are used to declare the size of the array
argv- argument vector, array of arguments, above it is used as a string of arguments
command line arguments:
argc is an int, can be any number
argv is an array, will have multiple values e.g.. argv[0], argv[1] etc…
argc will count the number of strings associated to argv, so cd hello: argc = 2 but hello.c argc =1
#include <cs50.h>
#include <stdio.h>
int main(int argc, string argv[])
{
printf(“hello, %s\n”, argv[1]);
}
by manipulating this number in the brackets, unfettered access may be gained into memory which should not be accessed
#include <cs50.h>
#include <stdio.h>
int main(int argc, string argv[])
{
if (argc == 2)
{
printf(“hello, %s\n”, argv[1]);
return 0;
}
else
{
return 1;
}
}
This serves as a sanity check, which will ensure that only the memory allocated to the program is accessed

string - array of chars

so in each indexes there are array of chars

%c is placeholder for char
syntax - argv[i][j] i denotes the string, j will denote the char within that string to display

CPU cycles necessary for integer order to be established
-bubblesort
-selectionsort
-insertionsort
all of the algorithms are fundamentally equally efficient, because there is a more efficient manner of carrying out the sorting:
others include
-mergesort
-gnomesort

_______________________________________________________________________________

“Shellshock” internet crash
Command line shell, allows programmers to launch programs and features, spying as well
2/3 of all web servers were placed at risk
action: matching, monitering web virals
“born again shell”
is also  a programming language: allows defining your own commands, hello() { echo “hello, world”; }
will create a shell program which prints hello, world
historically, present for over 20 years
in mac: env x=‘() { :; }; echo vulnerable’ bash -c :
this will return whether the computer is vulnerable to bash viruses
rm -rf * instead of vulnerable will delete all files in specified directory
Security requires complete coverage, attack requires only one entry point

reflections on trusting trust

breakout:
n log (n)
log base 2 of 8 is 3

on input of n elements
if in < 2
return
else
sort left half of elements
sort right half of elements
merge sorted halves
 T(n) = T(n/2)+T(n/2)+O(n)
ultimately equals O n log n
that pseudocode is recursive, that is to use cycling

sigma-0.c
adds numbers 1 through n

int sigma(int n);

int main(void)
{
int n;
do
{
printf(“Positive integer please: “;
n = GetInt();
}
while (n>0)
int answer = sigma(n);
printf (“%i\n”, answer);
}
//avoids risk of an infinite loop below
int sigma(int m)
{
if (m <= 1)
return 0;
else
return (m + sigma(m - 1));
}

int sum = 0;
for (int i =1; i <= m; i++)
{
sum += i;
}
return sum;
}

// necessity to access this outside of the loop

text
initialized data
initialized data
heap
|
v
^
|
stack
environment variables

this idea of recursion can cause some problems and will come back in later classes in which programs require hierarchy in trees: there is a necessity not to exceed available memory by allowing these trays of memory to pile on excessively

void swap(int a, int b)
{
int tmp = a;
a = b;
b = tmp;
}

shows necessity for a 3rd content, tmp, to enable a swap of two variables, a and b
when using in a program, the swap values must be returned to the main, and transferred to the original variables

gdb - a program which can be added before running programs to find bugs
syntax: (gdb) run or next or print (variable)

this can be manipulated to explore the program in full and find what the computer thinks is going on at various points and variables throughout the program, line by line

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Picky Eaters: the Plant or the Person?

This research published by Nancy Zucker at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Medical School in conjunction with a team of researchers through Duke University Press examines the mental stability of picky eaters in a careful manner. Evaluation of  current and prospective mental stability are both provided and family stability is also examined. This provides an insight into one of the most pervasive of human relations with botanical life: nutrition. Causality of the disorder is  examined or determined as severity of the disorder correlates appropriately with severity of associated mental illnesses and leaves logical deduction of coincidence slim; the success of early and aggressive intervention is highlighted, and the research suggests appropriate action while acknowledging the limitations provided by such a study.

Selective eating disorder has been chosen for the research because of its overwhelming prevalence, and with the data provided in the study, the overwhelming consequences of inaction. It is worth noting that 14-20% of young children suffer from the disorder and co-occurring psychological illness can be seen demonstrated in a medically appropriate manner. The crisis is apparent: nearly 2/3 of these parents who have afflicted children have reported that the disorder was not addressed appropriately by medical professionals. While the research is limited, it is also longitudinal and fills a scientific gap in investigation into the nature of this disorder, a gap which the authors attribute the inaction of medical professionals to.

While the research does not directly address the plant-based eating choices of the children themselves, a systematic evaluation of the families is also done: children with selective eating disorder were significantly more likely to have mothers with mental health histories and those with moderate selective eating disorder (about 3% of the sample) were significantly more likely to have mothers with substance abuse histories. This plays into the psychoactive role of many plant-based compounds which can create physical dependence and demonstrates their effects on the families and individuals around those who make these illegal choices. The research is critical to that of plant biology because both taste and texture of foods are identified as factors in the development of the disorder, and the crisis has been created in which some children may eat enough to sufficiently fit criteria of weight gain and avoid more traditional diagnosis while still not obtaining enough nutrients from plant or animal-based food and drink to maintain psychological or physical health. Finally, it should also be noted that children with severe selective eating disorder have more than twice the rate of depression or social anxiety as those without though those with moderate selective eating disorder, though these diagnoses were substituted with an association with, not necessarily causal, symptoms of ADHD and separation anxiety not seen in severe cases.

Works Cited:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2015/07/28/peds.2014-2386.full.pdf+html