Terrorism and the Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Terrorism and the Law - Essay Example As amended by IRTPA in December 2004 AEDPA section 2339B(a) defines material support as â€Å"any property, tangible or intangible or service, including money, financial services, lodging, training, expert advice or assistance, safehouses, false documentation or identification, communication equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substance, explosives, personnel, transportation, and with the exemption of medicine or religious materials (Samaha 468). The government must be able to prove that the â€Å"donor defendant acted with culpable intent knowledge† so as it is safe to say that such individual has provided material support to a terrorist organization (Samaha 468). 2. Terrorism is defined by at least four different kinds of laws. Name at least three kinds of laws. There are varying definitions of terrorism which makes it controversial and it is defined by different kinds of laws such as the following: International criminal law, National criminal law (e.g. United States La w Code), and general insurance policies. 3. The United Nations, The Arab Convention and European Convention define terrorism differently. Explain each definition. The United Nations The United Nations and the council on the suppression of terrorism seek to define it by adopting general legislative measures against it which results in serious legal consequences. As a result of this, the United Nations is encouraging every state to define terrorism in the context of National Law (Saul 141). The Arab Convention, On the other hand, the Arab Convention is very particular in excluding armed struggle against oppression from the definition of terrorism and its suppression. The threat to the right of securing self-determination and independence which can be counteracted by an armed struggle in whatever means is particularly excluded in the definition of terrorism (Williamson 59). This, therefore, paves the way for the difficulty in coming up with a universal definition of terrorism. European Convention European Convention on the other hand on its suppression of terrorism encourages States to consider terrorism and its acts not as political offenses or as being inspired by political motives (Dumitriu 587). 4. Yunis, Noriega, and Yousef were progressive rulings on extraterritorial jurisdiction. In a few sentences, what does each case stand for? Why are they considered progressive rulings? The US District Court decision of United States vs. Yunis case stands for the acceptance of certain principles of extraterritorial jurisdiction allowing prosecution of terrorists in the United States (Wegner). In other words, the said case has become the model for the prosecution of terrorists in the US courts. The Noriega case depicts how the head of the state can be brought before trials in the US courts. In the midst of this trial, Noriega case can substantially apply three types of immunity: foreign sovereign immunity, head of state immunity, and the act of state immunity. The case of Yousef, on the other hand, depicts the clash between the Iran Penal Code and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These two have certain principles that at some point would bring substantial consideration to the progress of the case. These three are considered progressive rulings because from time to time, various modifications, amendments or changes have been implemented on various laws in the world.  

Historical cost accounting is meaningless in todays complex business Essay

Historical cost accounting is meaningless in todays complex business environment - Essay Example Historical cost accounting and its alternatives have uses for different firms, markets, management and investment strategy, and auditing approaches, and there is no reason why they cannot both be used even within the same financial report! Historical Cost Accounting Summary Historical cost accounting is the process of accounting based on the historical value of an asset at the time of purchase after taking into account depreciation (Williamson, 2003; National Audit Office, 2009, 88). Historical cost accounting was once a near-universal standard, but now many different standards may threaten coherence (Cao). Disadvantages Historical cost accountings do have serious limits, and they deserve to be addressed. First: Depreciation is arbitrary because it's based on out-of-date values and estimations rather than any real benchmark (Greuning and Koen, 2001, p. 47). The depreciation charges don't end up making a realistic estimation of the actual replacement cost either. However, aside from t he advantage of keeping the information all self-contained, historical cost accounting also tends to report information from the firms' perspective: This asset was bought at price X and term Y. Second: Profits will be exaggerated because actual trading will involve replacing assets, which means giving up old assets which are undervalued (Gruening and Koen, 2001, p. 47). However, not all assets are fungible at full price. Historical cost accounting has the advantage that it lets the company recall what the product was worth at any given time. Third: There are possible negative tax implications (Gruening and Koen, 2001, p. 47). Overstating profits by undercharging the depreciation value (e.g. if I buy land twenty years ago, the depreciation isn't on the market value at that time but the value of the land currently as it depreciates or appreciates) and charging cost based on the historical costs of inventories can cause higher tax charges. The value of labor is also not included or dev eloped by historical cost accounting (Stovall, 2001, p. 2-4). Traditional accounting theories, in line with neoclassical economic theory, tend to view everything that is quantifiable as all that makes up an economy (Stovall, 2001, 2-4). Human capital, which is harder to measure and has growth rates which are not easily predictable, do not easily fit into the model and thus are jettisoned. Then again, Stovall (2001, p. 2-4) makes clear that fair value, current purchasing power and net present value accounting do not do this either. The failure to account for inflation, aside from the other problems already discussed, means that the firm may not be protecting its capital base (Gruening and Koen, 2001, 47). It also makes it hard to benchmark performance because different market conditions aren't being accounted for, allowing management to sit on their laurels since it's difficult to see if the company's value is really growing even after controlling for inflation. That having been said , inflation-keyed metrics can lull investors into a false sense of security (Fukui, 2003, p. 2). In fact, it may not be fair to measure executives against inflation of the market in general, given that the market is a cross-section which includes a mixture of high and low risk growths whereas individual firms are not. Another issue

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Integrated Marketing Communications Plan - Essay Example As the paper declares marketing is the one function of management which has to be more concerned with activity that is external to the organisation, than that which is internal. Marketing activities are mainly conducted outside the organisation and are often undertaken by various managers, for instance, travel agents and web developers. The marketing process is also a social and managerial process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating, offering, and exchanging products of value with others. This essay stresses that in order to have a successful marketing strategy it is essential that the organisation understands and has the right balance of the marketing mix, which consists of four elements; product, price, promotion and place/distribution. The marketing mix is central to the organisations marketing tactics and once the market situation has been identified and evaluated, a decision is made to either penetrate or develop a particular market. Time is also an important factor in assessing the marketing mix to be offered as market situations are no longer stable, and instead can change rapidly over a short period of time. These changes can be brought on by global events such as natural disasters to industry changes, such as a major competitor suddenly leaving the scene from bankruptcy. By using the marketing mix as a tactical tool for planning marketing activities, it is quite possible to adapt in a timely manner and profitably to changes in the market environment. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) is one organisation that is seeking to expand its capacity despite an unfavourable operating environment. The economy of its home country, the United States is not performing well and serious risk to passenger safety have been posed in the form of the threat of terrorist attacks to health threats. This puts RCCL in a vulnerable position in terms of earnings and profits as a reduction in passenger numbers could jeopardise the future of its 27 300 employees. As marketing is almost solely responsible for generating sales and revenue, it is important for RCCL to consider a change in marketing activities, as well as undertake an environmental analysis

Green Street Hooligans Film Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Green Street Hooligans Film Review - Essay Example The first setting is the university, Harvard University. This college offers educational services to students. It is portrayed as a respectful environment that encourages students to be morally upright. This would be the reason that made Matt be expelled from the institution. He was found in possession of a classmate’s drugs. He is 'therefore' expelled wrongly. Harvard University portrays the learning institutions as being a decent place that mold characters of various students. This place is strict, and any breaking of rules would lead to expulsion. This was made Matt be expelled wrongly even without proper investigation to determine the source or the owner of the drugs. This act would be an example of a loophole that exists in institutions that have strict rules and regulations. In an effort to run away or avoid his parents, Matt takes flight to London to visit his sister who is married to Steve. This gives the film its second setting. This setting is based in London. Moreov er, the London setting encompasses a wide range of settings. From home, Matt goes to the pub where he drinks with colleagues. He goes on to watch a football match and later finds himself in the streets of a city in London where he is involved in a serious fight. This setting in London would be classified into three, the pubs, the football pitch and the streets where fighting occurs. In London that Matt joins a ‘Crew’ that are gangs which would be unofficial and are associated with various football teams. Matt joins new friends who drink a lot, smoke and use vulgar language. This would be associated with football fans in England in support of their teams (Rhodes). The pub where Matt goes to drink indicates a social place where people gather to drink or have their time just before going for football matches. The pubs within England are portrayed as being harbors of hooligans. It would also be reflected as an immoral place that encompasses chaos and evil company. This make s Matt a different person from what he was during his college time. He would now sing rousing within the streets of London. The other setting is the football pitch where fan gather to support their teams. This portrays a football culture in England where fans support their teams. This reflects a culture that is acceptable and has been practiced in England for a long time. The event itself is legitimate or moral, but the activities associated with it thereafter may be ugly. This is what happened in the case of Matt after the football match ended. The enemy team fans were up in arms against each other. This led to serious fights that involved Matt within friends against the fans of the enemy team in the streets. The football game is portrayed as an activity that aggravates hatred and hostility among team fans. Fans drink before going to the pitch to get psyched up so that they can cheer their teams. At times, cheering would affect the result of the game, and this would lead to shoutin g at each other. The result would be a serious fight as in the case of Matt and friends. Although he was initially afraid of violence, through drinking he soon becomes desensitized to Elite gang (Rhodes). The streets have been portrayed as places where fighting takes place. They are evil places that involve blood shedding. In this context, they would reflect dangerous area associated with hooligans, shouting, vulgar language, and painful experiences. This would be the reason why Shannon, her sister is worried and her husband

EMAAR PJSC Financial Company Analysis Term Paper

EMAAR PJSC Financial Company Analysis - Term Paper Example The present study would focus on the Emaar Properties PJSC that was incorporated in Dubai in 1997. The company is involved in property investment and development. It also transits property management services, along with engagement in investment in providers of financial service. The company is also engaged in development and sale of condominiums, commercially viable assets such as leasing and management of land, malls, villas and hotels. It was ranked 462nd in the 11th Financial Times Global 500 and was assigned A- and A3 ratings by Standard & Poor and Moody’s Investor services. The company scale of operations is spread internationally in 17 countries namely Syria, Jordan, India, Pakistan, China, US, Canada, UK. The company currently has a market capitalization of AED 15.3 B with 6.1 B shares outstanding. The group is basically divided into three business segments, namely, real estate (develop and sells condominiums, villas, commercial units and plots of land), leasing and re lated activities (develop, lease and manage malls, retail, commercial and residential space) and hospitality (develop, own and/or manage hotels, service apartments and leisure activities). The group has been witnessing a decline in their key performance indicators in the past five years but FY 2010 turned out to be prosperous as the profitability has grown to a respectable state as compared to the last two years. They are ranked just above average in the industry but the future prospects look bright as UAE has started to recover from the massacre of recession. The construction business will see a boom in the near future and company’s market position will glue back to the one in the year 2007.The company has achieved the recent rise in profitability by improving efficiency and squeezing their expense block. Trend Analysis Trend analysis show positive signs for Emaar Properties. The revenue account has seen a U-curve as it fell from AED 10,717,000 in 2008 to 8413,000 in 2009 bu t it increased by 13.37% in 2010 in comparison to the base year. The y-o-y growth would look more attractive in this case. The company increased its investment in hospitality services which led to the rise in revenues this year. (Khan & Jain, 2007) Gross Profit margin has seen a decline in the last two years. The margin dropped by 21.6% from 2008 in 2009 but increase marginally in 2010. The overall gross profit declined by 13.05% in 2010 as compared to the base year. The cost of revenue has been surging which led to the detrimental decrease. The net income has been the highlight of Emaar Properties’ financial statements. The net income has jumped by a staggering 97.64 in 2009 and jumped by more than a multiple of ten in 2010 as compared to the base year. This rise is primarily attributed to the squeezing selling, administrative and general expenses as compared to the sales (Emaar, 2010). The expenses have risen by a minute proportion as compared to the handsome jump in the sa les. Total assets have shown a marginal fall of 3.8% and 6.26% in 2009 and 2010 respectively. This fall is attributed to the reduction in investments, receivables and intangible assets. Total Liabilities have seen a fall as well. It dropped by 7.39% and 18% in 2009 and 2010 as compared to the base year. Although, the group took up various debt financing facilities but, it was mainly due to restructuring of their previous debt. The market price has surged in the past two years by 70.8% and 57% in 2009 and 2010. The fundamentals in 2007 were better and AED 2.27 justified the price at that time. The market has developed since then but due to weak profitability in the last two years, the price has not jumped to a level which is satisfactory for the group. The price as of

Immigration history Essay Example for Free

Immigration history Essay It was in the early 19th century when immigration of Chinese started in US and the history witnesses both hardship and success for them. In the early years Chinese could get employment as laborers for construction of railroads and in mining industry. But these immigrants had to face the racial discrimination by the local people always. There had been lot of changes in the law of Chinese immigration and there were times when mixed marriages were also banned. There were all kinds of people in society but most of them were against these immigrants as they thought they have come to snatch their job pportunities. Those who were in need of cheap labor favored these immigrants and it was again in 1940s that Chinese immigrants started to come to US. Now the situation is that they are almost 1% of the total population although majority lives the life of middle class there. Most of the Americans treated Chinese as aliens and this discrimination made Chinese live with a distance from them They wore their traditional dress along with the little round hats. Usually these immigrants were poor farmers and in order to work and make money they left their wives and children in China and came to US. They even borrowed money from relatives or moneylenders to pay for the voyage to US. Some of the agencies that needed labors paid for their voyage and that was deducted from their wages later. In this way these immigrants reached US only for the need of a job to fulfill the requirements of their family members. As these were from rural China they faced many kinds of difficulties like language problem, as they didn’t even understand English along with the racial discrimination. The trade relationship of China with New York in the beginning of the nineteenth century rought many Chinese traders in US. The discovery of gold in California caught the main attraction and Wei Long, a small farmer set on a voyage to US. The first thing that came into Wei’s mind was to collect money for his voyage and for this he tried his relatives. Most of them had their own family problems or were already in debt. Lastly Wei had to go to a moneylender and borrow money for his voyage with a promise to repay him as soon as he gets a job. He left his wife with a small child in the village and went to California on the ship that sailed with many more Chinese men. Wei had a dream of aving his own gold mines and become rich as soon as he can. He dreamt of returning back to China with lots of money and solving all the problems in his family. When he reached California, he had to find any kind of work so that to support his living and also thought of saving some for his dream. After peripatetic search for job he got one in Central Pacific Railroad Company. Since the Union Pacific Railroad Company, the chief rival of Central Pacific, was heading fast and prospering, the Central Pacific started hiring Chinese laborers and this is how Wei got a job to carry on. He along with other Chinese laborers were paid quite less than the white laborers but no one had another choice than to accept the most difficult jobs that were offered to them. Wei was quite scared when he first saw the job but with the power of his dream collected and started working. He had to stand in wicker baskets that were lowered with the help of ropes and he had to drill holes in the granite rocks. Then put dynamite in the hole lit the fuse and immediately after this he was lifted up. So many times he thought if there was a few econds of mishandling or late in pulling him up he would have been blown into pieces with the rocks. He had seen many of his fellow workers who either died or lived handicapped. Days and months passed and Wei got employment because Chinese immigrants used to work hard in quite less money and they moved faster than the expectations of their employers. Wei was able to save some money and tried business many times but due to racial discrimination he lost all his money. After trying and loosing his money he thought of just saving some money and go back to his hometown. But this was a difficult task as he immigrants had to face a lot of difficulty to get legal permission for returning back home. However he had started living in Chinatown and was feeling a little bit comfortable with the feeling that he was with his countrymen. It was more than five years and he desperately wanted to go back to his family and his home in Guangdong. He could not buy a house apart from Chinatowns. It was not because there was any kind of law against it but the social discrimination never let him do so. He somehow managed to return back home but he had to sign on papers that he would come back and work for the man who helped him in returning.

Claude Shannon Genius Comparable To Einstein Philosophy Essay

Claude Shannon Genius Comparable To Einstein Philosophy Essay The world is filled with all types of technologies and information. There are computers that make normally tedious tasks simplier, phones that allows instant communication across the world, CDs that can store large amounts of information in a small area. In modern times, we take for granted how much easier our daily life is with these innovations. It truly is a large step from the candles centuries ago to flicking a switch to brighten up a room. Of course, this step couldnt have been taken without the work and studies by Claude Shannon. When described, Claude Shannon is said to have an ever lasting curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. Shannon is even compared to Albert Einstein for his ability to come up with strange yet groundbreaking ideas. He came up with the idea of digital circuitry, found a way to represent human genetics with algebra, an important theory about information, and has done a lot of work in cryptology. Even then, that is just scratching the surface of what he has accomplished. Just one of these accomplishments could have forever written him into the textbooks. It is important to note that Shannon, while intelligent, was in no means the most knowledgeable person there is. Like Einstein, Shannons genius came from his drive to satisfy his curiosity and ability to think outside the box. Claude Shannons pursuit of knowledge led to large technological advancements that shaped America and the rest of the world. Throughout his entire life, Claude Shannon has achieved many accomplishments that effectively makes him forever remembered throughout America and, to a lesser degree, the world. Shannon was born in Petoskey, Michigan on April 30, 1916. While growing up, he was talented in the fields of science and mathematics and looked up to a famous distant relative, Thomas Edison. While his father made mathematics a hobby, it was his grandfather that helped influence Shannons love for science. Shannon built many small devices such as a telegraph or a remote controlled model boat in his free time as a child. This child like urge to invent and discover lasted throughout nearly his entire life. During 1932, Shannon graduated high school and then enrolled at the University of Michigan a short time later. Four years later in 1936, Shannon graduated with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering as well as a B.S. degree in Mathematics. After his graduation from the University of Michigan, he entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a research assistant to both further his studies towards a higher degree and work part time. It was during this time that he wrote his master thesis on digital circuitry as well as his doctorate thesis for representing genetics with algebra. In 1940 his earned his masters degree in electrical engineering and doctorate in mathematics. After his graduation, Shannon went on to work at Bell Telephone Laboratories. For over a year, he did numerous amounts of works such as creating a new design for switching circuits. In 1941, a committee was formed to design anti-aircraft detectors in order to improve the war effort. Shannon was invited to join, and helped finish the completed design. It was due to this that the bombing effort against England ended with less casualties than there could have been. For the next 15 years, Shannon spent his time amongst many successful and important mathematicians and engineers. This time period is also when Shannon developed his Information Theory, which was published in 1948. Claude Shannons contributions to America received a lot of recognition. For his theory on digital circuits, he received the Alfred Noble Prize reward in 1939. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented Shannon with the National Medal of Science in 1966, and in the same year he was given the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Medal of Honor. In 1985, Shannon also received the Kyoto Prize which is commonly compared to the Nobel Prize in America. Among many other rewards, Shannon also has nearly a dozen honorary doctorates in various universities and was inducted in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Even after he became an adult, Shannon maintained his childish personality, his passion for inventing, and drive to broaden his knowledge. In his life, he made numerous different small toys, many of which he felt were just as important, if not more so, than his theories that changed the world. John Horgan told his experience with interviewing Shannon, Im trying to get him to recall how he came up with the theory of information. But Shannonis tired of expounding on his past. Wouldnt I rather see his toys? (**) Shannon most likely felt that each of his toys were just as important as anything else he thought of. He just wasnt content with coming up with revolutionizing ideas, no, he went above and beyond to discover everything he could. This is why Shannon was immortalized as one of the greatest thinkers. It wasnt a matter of finding fame and fortune, he was just as content to create robots that can juggle as he was for creating his famous information theory. It is the fate of every living creature to eventually die, and although Shannons ideals will be forever immortalized, he too could not resist this fate. He died on February 24, 2001, after losing a battle against Alzheimers disease. Shannon is survived by his wife Mary Elizabeth Shannon, along with three children. In the 18th century, a genius mathematician named George Boole created a method to solve or model logical statements using algebraic expressions. Boole named his concept Booles system, and is more commonly known as boolean logic. This logic revolves around ones and zeroes along with logic gates that take input(s) and then give out an output. Another way to think of these ones and zeroes is true and false, or on and off. At the time of creation, George Boole received little to no praise for developing this system after all, there didnt seem to be any real use with it. While George Boole died without his system going anywhere, Claude Shannon found out the huge amount of potential George Booles idea had when applied to circuits. While at MIT, Claude Shannon worked with an associate named Vannevar Bush on studying an analog computer called a differential analyzer. This computer used wheel and disk mechanisms in order to solve equations typically encountered in calculus. Shannon noticed that the circuits used in the computer had only two states of being, namely on and off. Reminded of Booles system from his math courses, Shannon thought about the possibility of applying that logic to circuits and realized it could open up a wide range of new possibilities and usages. Shannon used this discovery for his master thesis at MIT, called A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits. H. H. Goldstine, in his book The Computer from Pascal to Von Neumann, called Shannons these one of the most worlds important masters thesis ever written (6). Digital circuitry is based heavily on Booles system. Yet, instead of theoretical ones and zeroes, it uses two states of being on and off. Think of a button that was pressed, will send electricity to a light, thus lighting it up. Now, this doesnt have much variety. Press the button and the light goes on, release it and the light goes off. If a logic gate from boolean logic is borrowed, say the AND gate, then there is a large amount of possibilties that open up. An AND gate would only give out electricity to the light if and only if it has two sources of electricity flowing into it. If there are two buttons that each lead to the AND gate, than the light would only go on when both buttons are pushed or rather when both buttons give electricity to the AND gate. While this is a simple example of how digital circuitry works, there are plenty of other more useful examples including lightning quick mathematical calculations or permanent data storage that can be read and editted. Of course, those are rather complex designs to complete. No matter where one looks, digital circuitry is prevalent. It forms of the core of every digital device ranging from something as simple as a bedside lamp to the digital computers used to browse the internet. Without the idea of digital circuitry, the world would be a vastly different place than what it currently is. Electrical engineers immediately adapted his ideas on digital circuitry for their use in World War II. The creation of pocket calculators were made, removing the necassity for slide rules in many jobs. The home computer started to come into existance a couple decades afterwards. Just about everything that was invented decades afterwards and used electricity relied on Shannons thesis. Even technology that was invented before Shannons thesis was published could be refurbished into a device far more efficient, accurate, and of a higher quality overall. Communication across distances didnt always start out with crystal clear messages, nor was communication properly understood. Before the mid 20th century, the idea of telegraphs, telephones, television, and similar devices were rigid and unadaptable. It was thought that telephones could only send signals that represent voices, and only that. As such, a situation such as sending a video over a phone line would be dismissed as fantasy back then, even though its done currently. This all changed with the publishing of Shannons information theory in his paper, Mathematical Theory of Communication. Claude Shannon didnt just pop out a theory after thinking for a little while. Although he can claim to have developed the information theory fully, he did have help from research a few decades previously. Harry Nyquists paper in 1924, Certain Factors Affecting Telegraph Speed, has multiple important ideas inscribed in it. For instance, he started to stray from the idea of focusing on the content of the signals, and instead focused on the fact that the signals are information. Nyquist also developed a formula to determine that max amount of intelligence that can be described in a message. Of course, it still had its flaws for it only worked on a telegraph wires. Four laters later, in 1928, another engineer named R.V.L. Hartley wrote a paper that improved on Nyquists rule to work on more systems of transmission. This paper emphasised that transmitting information should only depend on making sure the transmission from start to end is distinguished, without outside signals intruding nor one worry about the meaning of the information. Shannon cited the works of both Nyquist and Hartley in his paper, and when interviewed decades later, he mentioned the importance of their ideas to his own (**). Now what is this all important information theory that keeps being mentioned? In its most basic form, it contains two parts. First, it gives the general idea of on the definition and measurement of information. Information is based on the logarithm of possible symbols availaible. Shannon used the logarithm base of 2, which mean that the smallest unit of information is represented by either a zero or a one, which was called a bit. Sound familiar? The second part of the information theory contains details on the limits of information being sent, as well as the effect of outside interference, also called noise, on the information. In the past, engineers were limited by how much information could be sent, often thinking it depended on factors like frequency. Shannon use his theory to prove that by using the concept of entropy, or randomness, along with statistical probability to get the maximum amount of information possible. Shannon was also proved how to transmit information error free , despite however much noise there may be. The information theory itself can be complex to understand, yet it is simple to understand its many benefits. These benefits that exist solely due to the existance of the information theory are diverse. Not only is the information theory used in communication and computing, but also in psychology, linguistics, and even thermal physics. Many plagiarism detection programs use the information theory in order to measure shared information. There is the coding theory, which is in its simplest terms error detection and correction. Computer programmers, for example, are assisted in debugging glitches in software using the coding theory. More important however, is that its the reason why CDs can still function properly even when scratched. The information theory led to data compression techniques, which in turn led to new useful file types such as ZIP and MP3. The theory was also crucial for the function of the internet. Even the success of space exploration programs depended on the informat ion theory to reduce the problems of noise and static caused from the enourmous distance between planets. The accomplishments made by Claude Shannon had a large impact on how the United States developed as well as how the world lives today. Just about anything in the world that uses information exists due to Claude Shannons work. Electronics, ranging from simple lamps to supercomputers, are all based upon digital circuitry. While it is arguable that someone would have came up with a similar idea of digital circuitry in the next decade, the United States benefited most from its immediate discovery. Shannon has also worked on cryptology during World War II, managing to help decode enemy transmissions and played a large role in the encryption of US messages. Even presently Claude Shannons influence is felt, new inventions are being created that depend on his ideas. It is much like a tree, where Shannon is the trunk with new innovations being the branches that continue to grow outward. Much of Shannons success is due to his insatiable hunger for knowledge. Most of the worlds population would be content to have done even a tenth of what Shannon has done, yet Shannon himself never was. This is likely because of Shannons child like personality. In his spare time, he developed numerous small trinkets. Not because his goal was fame and fortune, but simply because he wanted to. Why talk about his ground breaking information theory, when his juggling robots are just as important to him? Shannon just didnt want to stop thinking, even at an old age, because inventing and theorizing was fun for him. In an interview he stated, I am more interested in the elegance of a problem. Is it a good problem, an interesting problem? [66] Near the end of his life, he worked on artificial intelligences. Computers that could match the best chess players was an intriguing idea, just like his mouse that could adapt to solve any maze, or a rubix cube solver. While others his age were relaxing in retirement, Shannon enjoyed thinking of new ideas, theories, and discoveries. Talent or genius isnt determined by the efforts or intelligence of a person, but rather their ability to pursue their options whole heartedly.