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How is Crake seen as a God in Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood?

The character of Crake, known in childhood as Glenn, is a genius geneticist whose plan is to create a new race of human-like creatures to replace the destructive and environmentally unfriendly Homo sapiens. Crake can be interpreted as playing god in the novel because he revels in the ability to create and destroy life. For example, when discussing extinction, he comments:

“All it takes... is the elimination of one generation. One generation of anything. Beetles,...

“All it takes... is the elimination of one generation. One generation of anything. Beetles, trees, microbes, scientists, speakers of French, whatever. Break the link in time between one generation and the next, and it’s game over forever.”

Crake is fixated on the apparent ease of destroying life, and his own ability to exercise control over nature. Additionally, the following exchange between Crake and Oryx shows how Crake serves as a god figure for the Crakers, the human-like creatures he creates.

“Today they asked who made them.”
“And?”
“And I told them the truth. I said it was Crake. I told them he was very clever and good.”

This exchange shows how Crake is elevated to god status among the Crakers. Between his obsession with his own ability to control who lives and who dies and his status as creator of an entire race of human-like creatures, Crake exhibits a clear desire to "play god" and control nature.

What impact does culture have on family planning with women who are on Medicaid? Are there interventions to deal with this?

Family planning is considered a mandatory benefit under Medicaid, which implies that all programs must cover family planning. Individuals of child-bearing, age including sexually active minors desiring such services, would be eligible.

Most states provide prescription contraceptives as part of their Medicaid programs and over time, the concept of family planning expanded to include related services such as testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, promotion of health education and fertility preservation.

However, certain cultural...

However, certain cultural factors influence the ability of some women to derive full benefits from family planning services provided under the Medicaid program. These factors include religious influences, gender role inequality, the belief that contraceptive use implies promiscuity, difficulties in engaging in open discussions on sexual health, beliefs that women must bear children, and a host of other preconceived notions.

These culture-based health beliefs about family planning must be addressed if all women must have access to family planning services under Medicaid that meet their personal values and diminish the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Cultural competency training must be given to service providers to ensure that they have the ability to acknowledge cultural differences and to give them the ability to view behavior within a cultural context. This is key, especially with family planning providers who engage with patients regarding very personal health issues.

Medicaid programs must ensure appropriate and timely referrals for women enrolled in faith-based health plans or provider networks that have religious objections to some contraceptive methods which may limit women's access to all the range of family planning services.

Other interventions to remove cultural barriers to having full access to family planning services under Medicaid may include involvement of men and women of influence in family planning and counseling procedures, involvement of religious leaders, and the provision of accurate information to dispel myths.

Solve cos^2(x)=sin(x)

First we must get everything in the same terms. Here I'll choose sin(X) because it is the easiest. So we need to use a trig identity to substitute for `cos^2(X).`

`Cos^2(X)=sin(X)`

`1-sin^2(X)=sin(X)`

Then we can treat this like a quadratic equation. So we will move all the terms to one side and have our equation equal to 0.

`1-sin^2(X)-sin(X)=0`

Now we can rearrange the equation so that it is in standard quadratic equation form. But instead of having the equation in terms of X, we have an equation in terms of sin(X).

`-sin^2(X)-sin(X)+1=0`

`-1(sin(X))^2-1(sin(X))+1=0`

Next, just as we could solve for x in a quadratic equation, we can solve for sin(X) in this equation using the quadratic formula.

`sin(X)=(+1+-sqrt((-1)^2-4(-1)(1)))/(2(-1))`

`sin(X)=(1+-sqrt(5))/-2`

`sin(X)~~-1.618 or 0.618`

As usual with the quadratic formula, we have two possible values. We will then need to find the degree measure X by finding the arcsine of the values we found above. But because sine values must fall between -1 and 1, we can throw out -1.618 as a possible value. Thus we only need to use the value 0.618 as our sine value.

`sin(X)~~0.618`

`X~~sin^-1(0.618)`

`X~~38.17^o`

Note that this is not the only degree measure that will give this sign value. There is also a degree measure in Quadrant II that will have the same sine value. We can find that value like so:

`X~~180-38.17=141.83^o`

There are also infinitely many other degree measures that will have this sign value. Every time you move around the unit circle and come upon these degree measures in Quadrants I and II, the sine value will be the same. So all possible values of X are:

`X~~38.17+-360n and X~~141.83+-360n`

Why was it important to be a virgin queen, like Queen Elizabeth I, in Renaissance times?

In some ways, it was important NOT to be a “virgin queen” during this time. There were some who questioned whether a queen would have the ability to rule in her own right, without a man to help her. In addition, by not having children, a virgin queen put the succession into question. This could lead to conflict between people who wanted to succeed her when she died. These were issues that Queen Elizabeth I...

However, there were also some advantages to being a virgin queen. One of these advantages was religious. For one thing, virginity was equated with purity, particularly among women. Sex was seen as something that was necessary for most but not really good for the soul. A virgin queen could be seen, then, as something of a moral paragon who forewent the pleasures of the flesh to care for her realm rather than children of her body. Secondly, some would have connected a virgin queen to the Virgin Mary. This connection would have made people more likely to honor and venerate a virgin queen.

The other major advantage was political. At this time in Europe, marriages between royal families were an important political tool. Countries would form alliances by having marriages between members of their respective royal families. A virgin queen could, at least for a while, use the lure of a marriage as a bargaining chip with other countries. She could make them believe that she would contemplate marrying their king or some other royal. This would allow her to keep that country friendly with her own. An astute queen could use her status as a single woman to bolster her country’s position in the world.

For these reasons, you could argue that it was important to be a virgin queen, but we should be aware that there were also drawbacks to this status.

Why does Eckels travel with Time Safari in "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury?

Eckels travels with Time Safari, Inc. because he wants to go back in time to shoot a dinosaur.

Eckels is an expert hunter looking for a new challenge. He spends a lot of money to hire the time machine so that he can go back to shoot a dinosaur. Obviously, it is no longer possible to shoot a dinosaur on Earth since they are extinct. Therefore this company offers brave hunters the opportunity to...

Eckels travels with Time Safari, Inc. because he wants to go back in time to shoot a dinosaur.

Eckels is told that his safety is not guaranteed and that if he does not follow directions he will have to pay an exorbitant fine. The discussion with his guides is about a recent election, but they tell him not to worry about that. He is going back in time well before the election ever happened.

“All you got to worry about is-"

"Shooting my dinosaur," Eckels finished it for him.

"A Tyrannosaurus Rex. The Tyrant Lizard, the most incredible monster in history. Sign this release. Anything happens to you, we're not responsible. Those dinosaurs are hungry."

Eckels is told not to step off a special path, and not to shoot anything else. It is very important that he not change the future. Any little thing he does could do it, and that is why the rules are so strict. When Eckels comes to the point of actually shooting the dinosaur, he panicks.

It ran with a gliding ballet step, far too poised and balanced for its ten tons. It moved into a sunlit area warily, its beautifully reptilian hands feeling the air.

"Why, why," Eckels twitched his mouth. "It could reach up and grab the moon."

He is so frightened that he is unable to actually shoot. His guides end up doing it and during the commotion that follows he accidentally steps on and kills a butterfly. When they return to the present everything has changed, including the outcome of the election. Travis shoots Eckels.

What is the message of "All Summer in a Day"?

The message, to me, is about how someone who is "different" will always be singled out. Margot is different than the other children -- she's smarter, and more creative, but beyond that, she can actually remember living on Earth. She has memories of the sun, something the other children lack. In a sense, she is more authentically human than the others. This makes the other children jealous, and causes them to act out against her. When Margot is locked in a closet and forgotten about for the short time when the sun comes out, I think we have to consider this as more than simply a prank that has gone too far. The children are, in effect, appropriating (or even stealing) Margot's experience -- now everybody has the same memory of the sun as Margot. It's an attempt to erase what made her special. Kids will be kids, even on Venus.

In "The Sign of the Beaver" by Elizabeth George Speare, what is Matt's response when invited by Saknis and Attean to join them on the hunt?

When invited by Saknis and Attean to join them on the hunt, Matt is initially ecstatic. If he joins them on the hunt, he will not need to spend the long winter by himself.

However, Matt soon realizes that, if he chooses to leave, his father won't know of his whereabouts when he returns. Even though he wants to go with Saknis and Attean, Matt understands that he has given his word that he will...

When invited by Saknis and Attean to join them on the hunt, Matt is initially ecstatic. If he joins them on the hunt, he will not need to spend the long winter by himself.

When Saknis argues that Matt's father may not return at all, Matt defends his father. He tells Saknis that his father would surely send someone to let Matt know if he couldn't make it. Basically, Matt defends the integrity and loyalty of his father. Saknis then tells Matt that he is a good son and repeats his invitation, but Matt is resolute that he must stay.

So, Matt initially responds with great joy when Saknis and Attean extend their invitation, but he soon becomes sad when he realizes that he cannot in good conscience go with his beloved Indian friends.