Dr. Zimbardo s The Lucifer Effect - 1491 Words

For centuries we have found means of humiliating, demeaning, killing and torturing each other, and cited various reasons for the same: country, religion, law, war, race, superiority, superstition and various other reasons. Our history is overflowing with blood poured out sometimes for heroic deeds but often for a means to gain power. I have often speculated on the reason behind these violations of human dignity and killing, when every religion and social culture promotes good will and condemns evil. So what makes ‘good people’ turn the corner between good and evil? We often see evil as an outside force interrupting our lives! We consider evil an entity or quality that is inherent in some people, that turn people into monsters!†¦show more content†¦In 1971, Dr. Zimbardo as a young psychologist at Stanford University, CA conducted an experiment on prison behavior where normal, run of the mill liberal undergraduate students volunteers were divided into two group s, ‘prisoners’ and ‘guards’. Even though students knew, that it was an artificial situation, the guards, assumed a sense of power and tormented, tortured and sexually humiliated their prisoners regardless of the fact that they knew that the prisoners had done no wrong. The prisoners were brainwashed into a role of helplessness, dejection and acceptance of their faith. Zimbardo and his colleagues got so carried away with how well the experiment was turning out, that he did nothing to stop it! They had all lost their moral compass in this situation! It was probably dà ©jà   vu for Dr. Zimbardo when in April 2004, a news channel, 60 Minutes II, broke the story on Abu Ghraib and telecast shocking photographs as evidence of human cruelty and human rights violations carried out by American soldiers on Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison. The pictures included naked Iraqi captives piled in a human pyramid, prisoner’s lead around on a leash by guards , prisoners forced to engage in sexual acts, dogs intimidating prisoners, a hooded inmate balanced on a cardboard box and electric wires attached to his fingers to mention a few. In some photographs, the guards are seen posing,

Changes And Development Of The Aging Process - 1972 Words

Epigenetic changes are currently recognized as part of the aging process and have been implicated in many age-related chronic diseases such as AD (1–3). The term epigenetics includes a variety of processes known to regulate gene expression in a stable and potentially reversible way, without altering the primary DNA sequence (4). Since epigenetics allow for the integration of long-lasting non-genetic inputs in the genome, research on age-related disorders have recently focused in epigenetic mechanisms, and a growing number of epigenetic alterations in AD have been described recently (5). The best characterized epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, and non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNAs). It is becoming increasingly evident the interplay between these mechanisms to establish the epigenetic states and expression patterns of many mammalian genes (1–3). For instance, it has been described that trimethyla tion of histone 3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me3) by the histone methyl transferase SUV39H1 is required for recruiting the DNA methyl transferase DNMT3b to pericentromeric repeats in order to allow heterochromatin structure (both H3-K9 methylation and DNA methylation are considered hallmarks of mammalian heterochromatin) (4). In turn, miRNAs can also control other epigenetic mechanisms; for example, miR-204 can target histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) (5), while miR-148 and miR-152 are reported to influence DNA methylationShow MoreRelatedAging Is A Process Of A Disease Based On Genetic Makeup ( Schneider )1206 Words   |  5 PagesAging is a process through which organism’s functionality decline systematically. The decrease in human organism is due to genetic cellular and molecular modifications. The level of changes on the longevity of the plant can affect it in several ways in a gradual process as the age progresses with time. According to Finch, the process of aging can also have a d efinition that it is the accumulation of underlying molecular errors (Finch,2007). These errors with time eventually corrupt the adult stemRead MoreEssay on Development and Aging668 Words   |  3 Pagesfactors that are related to development and aging. First, I will talk about how getting older is not a time to sit out, and think life is over. Second, I will define primary and secondary aging. Third, I will talk about how a good healthy diet can help with many diseases in relation to development and old age. Lastly, I will talk about how technology will help many individuals to live a long and health life. Many times when people think of getting older and the aging process they tend to think of turningRead MoreSlowing the Biological Clock Essays1068 Words   |  5 Pagesas the person ages. There are several contributing factors to speeding up the aging process such as, stress, vitamin and mineral deficiency, or excessive food intakes. Reducing and or limiting these factors can play a major role in how the body continues to age. As an individual age his or her body is more susceptible to natural ways of slowing the biological clock rather than non-natural ways of change. The aging process is something that is inevitable, but people of today’s time tend to make an effortRead MoreLate Adulthood: The Areas of Development in Psychological Aspects1323 Words   |  5 PagesLate adulthood begins after the age of 65 and it is characterized by the areas of development in psychological aspects, cognitive aspects as well as emotional aspects. Not only have the physical changes begun to de monstrate the deterioration of a person and its bodily functions but also the mental changes begin to occur as soon as the person proceeds towards his culmination of life span. The concept of death is deeply connected with late adulthood as it culminates the life span of an adult whichRead MoreIn Living Organisms, There Is A Common Process That Occurs,1748 Words   |  7 PagesIn living organisms, there is a common process that occurs, that is known as aging. Aging is process that begins the day that we are born and only ends on the day that die (Woodrow, 2002). It involves gradual physical and psychological changes to the human body and mind, in addition to societal changes. Throughout one’s lifespan, adaptation plays a pivotal role in aging, as many are challenged with limitations throughout. In society today, it is common to hear people say that they want to ageRead MoreEffects of Aging on Cognitive Development898 Words   |  4 PagesEffects of Aging on Cognitive De velopment Daphney Walker PSYCH/640 May 5, 2014 Holly Berry Effects of Aging on Cognitive Development Aging is a natural process of life however, studies show that there are some age-related decline in cognitive development. As a person grows older some brain cell dies, shrink, or weaken and cause some decline in brain functions. Some cognitive processes include attention, working memory, long-term memory, perception, and executive control. The material willRead MoreEffects Of Aging On Aging And Aging1343 Words   |  6 Pagesageing, this is generally the process of becoming old. It is the in a way the opposite of immortality. In a broader aspect, it may occur to single cells in an organism also called cellular senescence or the population of a species, known as population ageing. This process primarily affects human beings and fungi. In humans, it signifies the accumulation of various changes which occur over time. The changes include physical, social and psychological changes. Causes of aging are very uncertain. BesidesRead MoreAging And Its Effects On The Aging1360 Words   |  6 Pagesageing, this is generally the process of becoming old. It is the in a way the opposite of immortality. In a broader aspect, it may occur to single cells in an organism also called cellular senescence or the population of a species, known as population ageing. This process primarily affects human beings and fungi. In humans, it signifies the accumulation of various changes which occur over time. The changes include physical, social and psychological changes. Causes of aging are very uncertain. BesidesRead MoreThe Signs Of Aging And Aging858 Words   |  4 PagesWhen a person thinks of aging, they can think of many things, from a baby getting taller, to an older person growing gray hair. A person’s body changes constantly throughout the span of their life. There is no helping it. While most people think of a person getting older as a person getting wrinkles, losing hair, and becoming more fragile, there are actually many other affects than just those. There are visible effects, and effects that are not visible by just looking at someone. In this paper, bothRead MoreWhat Can You Tell About A Population By Looking At Its Population Pyramid?1392 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"baby boomers† group is aging, they will require increased medical and financial support. According to the population pyramid there are more â€Å"baby boomers† than the individuals available to provide needed care to them. 2. Discuss the findings of at least one major longitudinal study of aging. Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA), began in 1958 by Nathan Shock, Ph.D. and William W. Peter, M.D. BLSA is the world’s most comprehensive and longest longitudinal study of aging in the world, which continues

Life or Death Free Essays

The death penalty is the center of a highly publicized controversy. The sentencing of the 18-year-old American Michael Fay to a caning in Singapore and Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun’s unequivocal public renunciation of capital punishment have intensified current debate over punishment in general and capital punishment in particular—the topic of this essay. The Fay controversy and the Blackmun declaration raise deep questions about how to get â€Å"the punishment to fit the crime† (Bedau 67). We will write a custom essay sample on Life or Death or any similar topic only for you Order Now This is a difficult issue. Why do, or should, we seek the death of some criminals? How might we define death punishment, the justification of which is being debated here? The argument of this paper is that punishment must involve unpleasant consequences for the one being punished of capital crimes – death. The myth persists that by sanctioning â€Å"an eye for an eye† the Bible is calling for the death sentence. Take a careful look. The same Mosaic laws (to be found principally in Exodus XXI and Deuteronomy XIX) that are all too commonly assumed to condone capital punishment also call for death. The Hebrew text, â€Å"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,† was meant to prohibit mass killings (Bedau 240). Is it justifiable for an authorized representative of society to inflict death on those found guilty of committing capital crimes? On the issue of capital punishment, there is as clear a clash of moral intuitions. Justice requires payment in kind and thus that murderers should die. Surely, the most convincing argument for the death penalty is that it protects innocent people by stopping convicted murderers from committing murder again. The death penalty is marginally necessary to deter crimes better than less severe penalties. More significant results come from the capital punishment’s restraining effect on the much larger population where can be future killers—what criminologists name as general deterrence. Testimony for death penalty’s general deterrent effect is found in three sources: logic, firsthand reports, and social science research. Logic presents the conclusion that the capital punishment is the most effective deterrent for some kinds of killers. As Professor James Q. Wilson has said: â€Å"People are governed in their daily lives by rewards and penalties of every sort. We shop for bargain prices, praise our children for good behavior and scold them for bad, expect lower interest rates to stimulate home building and fear that higher ones will depress it, and conduct ourselves in public in ways that lead our friends and neighbors to form good opinions of us. To assert that ‘deterrence doesn’t work’ is tantamount to either denying the plainest facts of everyday life or claiming that would-be criminals are utterly different from the rest of us† (Bedau 189). Many murderers on death row declare that they did not think of the death penalty when they killed people. This is surely true. That is exactly the point. If they had thought of future death penalty, they would not have committed their horrible murders. The death penalty for the murderers makes a number of assumptions about the relationship between death punishment and the well being of those who suffered loss as a result of the crime. It is assumed that there is a â€Å"zerosum† relationship between the welfare of the victim’s relative and that of the offender: the greater the suffering to be inflicted on the offender, the better the victim’s loved ones should feel (Bedau 231). Perhaps a linkage of the selected penalty to the feelings of satisfaction of the victim’s relatives becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, with the relatives feeling rewarded by the jury’s choice of death penalty. The death penalty serves to release tensions in people, that it makes them feel that justice is being done. However, the imposition of the death penalty must be constitutional which imposes a dual procedure for the death penalty: first, conviction beyond a reasonable doubt for the act(s); and second, a separate sentencing hearing in which evidence relevant to personal culpability is admissible. The court, prior to imposition of the death penalty, have to find the existence of certain aggravating factors and the absence of relevant mitigating factors (for example, age, psychiatric history, family background, and the like); the death penalty judgment, in turn, is subject to appellate review as its fairness and the absence of invidious factors. Works Cited Bedau, Hugo Adam. Debating the Death Penalty: Should America Have Capital Punishment? The Experts on Both Sides Make Their Best Case. Oxford University Press: New York. Publication Year: 2004.    How to cite Life or Death, Essay examples