Polysar Limited Essay Example for Free

Polysar Limited Essay Executive Summary This report seeks to explain the key differences between the NASA (North American South American) and EROW (Europe and rest of world) sales performance over the past nine months. There are several reasons causing the sales performance figures currently stemming from NASA to be incomparable with the EROW numbers, including the current practice of transferring large quantities of regular butyl rubber from the Sarnia to the Antwerp production facilities. As Polysar operates globally, it is also important to consider certain international aspects and specific risks. These include, foreign currency exchange fluctuations, potentially creating gains or losses, as well as international taxes and tariffs. The decisions made regarding allocation of profits between the two geographic centers will directly impact the taxes paid in either location. ADD ON WITH SPECIFICS Introduction A high-level overview of Polysar Limited provides an all-encompassing image of the nature of this case, necessary to later effectively focus in on specific financial details and problems. Polysar is Canada’s largest chemical company, with the North American production facility located in Sarnia Ontario. The company splits into 3 main groups including petrochemicals, diversified products, and rubber, of which the latter is the largest representing 46% of sales. This rubber division is the core of the report, as its success is vital to Polysar. The rubber division is split into two geographic centers, in Sarnia Ontario and Antwerp Belgium respectively. (See Appendix 1 for graphical representation). Both geographic centers produce both regular butyl and halobutyl rubbers. In 1985, Sarnia opened a second production facility that has not yet reached capacity. By comparison, Antwerp has only one facility operating at full capacity and still unable to meet demand for regular butyl rubber. To cope with this, the Sarnia transfers large quantities of its production to Antwerp at cost. The inability of the Sarnia facility to earn a profit from these transferred units represents one of the main causes of concern regarding sales performance figures. In order to correctly and efficiently asses the current situation, we will be reviewing a number of criteria, and from there introduce and analyze several alternatives presented by these assessments. Further Recommendations Transfer Pricing As you are aware, the NASA segment is currently charging EROW for the butyl rubber being transferred in order to meet the European demand. This charge is currently calculated on the basis of NASA’s cost. This is only one of three possible approaches that are used to set to transfer prices internally within Polysar Limited. The three options that may be considered are: 1. Set transfer prices at cost 2. Set transfer prices at a negotiated mutually agreed upon level 3. Set transfer prices at the market value  Currently, as the first option is implemented, this is causing the two major problems. The first is in regards to the product mix produced within the Sarnia production facilities. As no profit is recorded for the units that are transferred, the product mix may be decided on a sub-optimal basis. Our team recommends further investigation to determine the necessary information as to if the costs to produce the halobutyl and butyl rubbers within both NASA and EROW. This could lead to decisions of specialization in the Sarnia plants or Antwerp plant for one type of rubber produced if cost savings for that product line is higher than transportation costs of shipping to the other facility. Additionally, another problem being experienced through the current transfer pricing approach is that the NASA does not show any profit on the Polysar internal transfer of rubber. Consequently, the EROW segment may record this profit without the same having the additional fixed costs pertaining to the costly initial investment of the second Sarnia plant amounting $550 million and the associated depreciation. This leads to an unfair representation of profitability for the two cost centers. In terms of which to use for Polysar Limited’s Rubber Segment, setting prices at cost hereby benefits the EROW center, whereas using market price would benefit the NASA segment. This is because then NASA is recording revenue for the units transferred, whereas EROW will not, (provided that the prices in both markets are similar – international arbitrage). With Polysar’s company wide profitability in mind, as well as spirit of fairness in representation for both segments using a de-centralized approach, our recommendation is the use of negotiated transfer pricing. This occurs when the NASA and EROW segments collaborate to agree on a selling/purchasing price for the internationally transferred butyl supply. Implementing this will cause both segments to have better information of the costs and benefits associated with the transfer. To narrow down on what this transfer price should specifically be, a range of acceptable transfer prices will provide an estimate.  As this is an international transfer, there are even more considerations that become relevant. For example, the corporate tax rate applied in North American versus Europe should be considered. Furthermore, management should look specifically into duties, tariffs, foreign exchange rates and risks, as well as governmental relationships. By this token, charging Antwerp a lower transfer price will result in fewer Custom Duty payments as the rubber crosses borders. Flexible Versus Static Budgetary Systems Currently Polysar employs a static budget system for their budgeted level of rubber sales. However, if more butyl or halobutyl rubber is produced and then sold these will cause a variance as composed to budgeted figures. For  example, variable costs will go up, however this may simply be in direct correlation to the increased rubber produced. It is important to be able to analyze if variances are based on volume or cost differences. By tracing the cost variances more closely after implementing this flexible budget system, a better evaluation of management’s performance may be achieved. This can be directly used when considering compensation for managers. INSERT NUMBERS. Employee Compensation Plan Polysar uses the participative budgetary system, which is directly linked to employee compensation. Although this bottom-up approach to budgeting allows for accurate estimates due to managers with specific rubber cost knowledge being involved, it can cause a conflict of interest that may be costly. It is essential, and highly recommended that the NASA rubber division establish a budgetary committee to review the estimates made to ensure the lower level management has not added in budgetary slack intentionally in an effort to achieve their compensation figures based on meeting these targets. However, even the top management currently possesses a huge conflict of interest influencing them in the direction of allowing for budgetary slack as their compensation is up to 50% for both meeting divisional profits, as well as exceeding corporate profit targets. These targets can clearly be met, if costs have been artificially manipulated to be higher than expected. As it is improbable to find members of the budgetary committee who will be completed impartial and not subject to a bonus on the premise of meeting profit targets, responsible accounting should be implemented. This system holds each manager responsible for the estimate of the individual cost and revenue basis for which he or she was in charge of deciding. This means, he or she is essentially responsible to explain the differences between the actual and budgeted results. In order to negate the previously mentioned conflict of interest, it is recommended to include the amount of variance in a manager’s estimate in the calculate of compensation, hereby eliminated large bonuses if the original estimate was not within a certain range of the actual value (extra-ordinary occurrences excluded). Hedging of Risk The nature of the Polysar’s business contains a certain degree of  specialized risk. First and foremost, operating internationally in various currency zones contributes to foreign exchange risk. This can be hedged through capital markets, resulting in lowering risk for the corporation. Also, as there is a great degree of risk for the variable costs of production in relation to the oil, it is imperative to hedge this risk as well. It is very possible to hedge market commodity price risks through capital markets or advance purchase of these oil inputs. This can provide more stability for Polysar Limited as a whole, particularly the key rubber division. Capacity Analysis Appendices Appendix 1 Polysar Rubber

Environmental Ethical Issues And Air Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay

Environmental Ethical Issues And Air Pollution Environmental Sciences Essay Environmental ethics is the ethical relationship between people and the environment in which we live. There are many ethical issues and decisions that people make, within the respect of the environment. Environmental quality is necessary for human life. People rebuild their environments every day. The environment is filled with artifacts, soil, air, water, and the different climates. Culture and nature all play a special role to the environment. (pg. 518 ethical issues). One of the environmental issues that most attracted my concern is air pollution. Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm to people and other living organisms, or damages the natural environment into the atmosphere. Air pollution is one of the significant causes of health problems all over the world. Outdoor environments contain infections, allergens, irritants, and chemical toxins. Every time we breathe, we risk inhaling dangerous chemicals that are in the air. Air pollution; have found their way into the atmosphere. These can harm the quality of life and cause many diseases. Pollution is inhaled by the throat, nose, and lungs. These pollutants enter the body and cause infections, such as; colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, and the lists go on and on. Air pollutants can be natural or human-based. Some of the natural pollutants are by natural gases that are released from the atmosphere. Human-based pollutants are from smoke from factories, carbon dioxide, and molds. Pollutants can be found outdoors and indoors. These pollutants can be trapped in buildings, houses and not even know they are there and most are odorless. Indoor air quality is a lack of ventilation indoors concentrates air pollution where people often spend the majority of their time. Radon gas, a carcinogen, is from the Earth in certain locations and trapped inside houses. Building materials including carpeting and plywood emit formaldehyde gas. Paint and solvents give off organic compounds as they dry. Lead paint can degenerate into dust and be inhaled. Intentional air pollution is introduced with the use of air fresheners, incense, and other scented items. Controlled wood fires in stoves and fireplaces can add significant amounts of smoke particulates into the air, inside and out. Indoor pollution may be caused by using pesticides and other chemical sprays indoors without proper ventilation. The World Health Organization states that 2.4 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution, with 1.5 million of these deaths due to indoor air pollution. Studies suggest that more than 500,000 Americans die each year from cardiopulmonary disease due to breathing fine particle air pollution (EPA). The health effects caused by air pollutants may range from biochemical and physiological changes to difficulty in breathing, wheezing, coughing and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac conditions. These effects can result in increased medication use, increased doctor or emergency room visits, hospital admissions and premature death. The effects of poor air quality are far reaching, but affect the bodys respiratory system and cardiovascular system. Reactions to air pollutants depend on the type of pollutant a person is exposed to, how bad the exposure is, a persons health status and their genetic genes. Why is air pollution dangerous? Health reasons: pollution has been linked to numerous types of illnesses, such as, strokes, heart disease, and breathing problems. 2) Global warming: air pollution is responsible for global warming. This leads to gradual, but persistent increase of the temperature of our planet. It affects ecosystems as well as the atmosphere. 3) Ozone layer: air pollution causes the ozone layer to shrink, reducing its ability to protect us from ultraviolet radiation. This not only causes skin cancer, but will also damage wildlife and plants. 4) Acid rain: certain pollutants can cause rain to turn to acid rain. This also has an impact on animals, fish, and plants that are soaked in the rain. Acid rain can also affect the ground making the soil toxic to many plants and animals. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there are six common air pollutants, and are found all over the United States. These are ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, lead, and particulate matter (also known as particle pollution). These all can harm your health and the environment, and also cause property damage. Of the six pollutants, particle pollution and ground ozone are the biggest health threats.(EPA) For each of the pollutants, (EPA) tracks two kinds of air pollution trends: air concentrations based on actual measurements of pollutant concentrations in the outside air at selected monitoring sites throughout the country, and emissions based on engineering estimates of the total tons of air pollutants released each year. Despite the progress made in the last thirty years, millions of people live in the countries with monitor data showing unhealthy air for one or more of the six common air pollutants. For (EPA) most recent evaluation of air pollution trends for these six pollutions. Another form of air pollution is caused from industrial farms. Confined animal feeding operations pollute the air in many ways, letting off foul odors, airborne particles, greenhouse gases, and numerous toxic chemicals. In the United States, industrial farms are the leading producers of substances such as nitrous oxide, and ammonia. US farms produce more than 400 different gases, in addition to dust and airborne particles, generated during the handling and disposal of manure. Air pollution from industrial farms can cause a lot of health problems in agricultural workers, in residents of neighboring communities, and in farm animals. Many industrial farms do little or nothing in this regard. People that live near hog farms often have increased respiratory problems. A number of studies have demonstrated that fatigue, depression, and mood disturbances occur in higher proportions in people living near such facilities. An environmental effect, of air pollution from farms directly affects, the environment, through the production of nitrogen and some of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming. About 80% of the U.S. ammonia emissions came from livestock manure. (EPA) Atmospheric ammonia and nitric oxide-both produced on farms, contribute to what is known as the nitrogen cascade, in which each ammonia molecule can in sequence, impact atmospheric visibility, soil acidity, forest productivity, terrestrial ecosystem biodiversity, stream acidity, and coastal productivity (National Academy of Sciences, retrieved 8/22). Conclusion: The only logical solution is that everybody needs to find a way to reduce air pollution in the hope that eventually, someday, is eliminated.

A Whale of a Passion for Psychology :: Graduate Admissions Essays

A Whale of a Passion for Psychology    A beluga whale helped me first realize my true academic passion. I spent my high school summers and weekends volunteering at the New York Aquarium, first in the education department, and later in the training department. It was there, through casual and research-oriented observations of cetaceans, that I began to wonder about animal and human minds. I later had the opportunity to participate in an observational research project, helping to record data on the behaviors of new whale calves and mothers. My informal and formal observations fed my interest in the phylogenetic and ontogenetic bases of cognition and language. As a psychology student at [my school], I had numerous opportunities to research and observe human psychology, both in and out of the classroom. As a sophomore, along with a professor and fellow students in a seminar class, I helped design and run a study on categorization and user's intentions. Later that year we presented our findings at the annual American Psycholog ical Society meeting. In that same year I also assisted a professor in conducting a study on the effects of familiar and unfamiliar music on reading comprehension. I spent the summer following my sophomore year (1997) as a research assistant in the [my school] Psychology Department, funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Foundation. I collaborated with a professor, a fellow undergraduate student, and a visiting high school student to research, design, and run a study on attitudes towards germs and illness. This included conducting an extensive literature review, specifying research questions, and designing questionnaires that would help us effectively answer our research questions. In addition to strengthening my research abilities, this experience gave me the invaluable opportunity to interact with fellow researchers as a student, a peer, and a mentor. My extracurricular research experience during my sophomore and junior years of college gave me the tools to independently develop and carry out research projects. During my senior year at [my school], I completed a long term library-based research project on the evolution of the human linguistic ability. As a person who tends to look at the big picture when conducting research, this project was the perfect opportunity for me to integrate research from numerous fields and subfields in order to answer a psychologically based question.       Through the study of anthropology, paleoneurology, neuropsychology, linguistics, and psycholinguistics, I explored theories debating the neurological and behavioral bases for language evolution. A Whale of a Passion for Psychology :: Graduate Admissions Essays A Whale of a Passion for Psychology    A beluga whale helped me first realize my true academic passion. I spent my high school summers and weekends volunteering at the New York Aquarium, first in the education department, and later in the training department. It was there, through casual and research-oriented observations of cetaceans, that I began to wonder about animal and human minds. I later had the opportunity to participate in an observational research project, helping to record data on the behaviors of new whale calves and mothers. My informal and formal observations fed my interest in the phylogenetic and ontogenetic bases of cognition and language. As a psychology student at [my school], I had numerous opportunities to research and observe human psychology, both in and out of the classroom. As a sophomore, along with a professor and fellow students in a seminar class, I helped design and run a study on categorization and user's intentions. Later that year we presented our findings at the annual American Psycholog ical Society meeting. In that same year I also assisted a professor in conducting a study on the effects of familiar and unfamiliar music on reading comprehension. I spent the summer following my sophomore year (1997) as a research assistant in the [my school] Psychology Department, funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Foundation. I collaborated with a professor, a fellow undergraduate student, and a visiting high school student to research, design, and run a study on attitudes towards germs and illness. This included conducting an extensive literature review, specifying research questions, and designing questionnaires that would help us effectively answer our research questions. In addition to strengthening my research abilities, this experience gave me the invaluable opportunity to interact with fellow researchers as a student, a peer, and a mentor. My extracurricular research experience during my sophomore and junior years of college gave me the tools to independently develop and carry out research projects. During my senior year at [my school], I completed a long term library-based research project on the evolution of the human linguistic ability. As a person who tends to look at the big picture when conducting research, this project was the perfect opportunity for me to integrate research from numerous fields and subfields in order to answer a psychologically based question.       Through the study of anthropology, paleoneurology, neuropsychology, linguistics, and psycholinguistics, I explored theories debating the neurological and behavioral bases for language evolution.

Vietnams economy :: essays research papers

The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated by Communist forces under Ho Chi MINH, who took control of the North. US economic and military aid to South Vietnam grew through the 1960s in an attempt to bolster the government, but US armed forces were withdrawn following a cease-fire agreement in 1973. Two years later, North Vietnamese forces overran the South. Despite the return of peace, for over two decades the country experienced little economic growth because of conservative leadership policies. Since 2001, Vietnamese authorities have committed to economic liberalization and enacted structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more competitive, export-driven industries. The country continues to experience protests from the Montagnard ethnic minority population of the Central Highlands over loss of land to Vietnamese settlers and religious persecution. Vietnam is a densely-populated, developing country that in the last 30 years has had to recover from the ravages of war, the loss of financial support from the old Soviet Bloc, and the rigidities of a centrally planned economy. Substantial progress was achieved from 1986 to 1997 in moving forward from an extremely low level of development and significantly reducing poverty. Growth averaged around 9% per year from 1993 to 1997. The 1997 Asian financial crisis highlighted the problems in the Vietnamese economy and temporarily allowed opponents of reform to slow progress towards a market oriented economy. GDP growth of 8.5% in 1997 fell to 6% in 1998 and 5% in 1999. Growth then rose to 7% in 2000-04 even against the background of global recession. Since 2001, however, Vietnamese authorities have reaffirmed their commitment to economic liberalization and international integration. They have moved to implement the structural reforms needed to modernize the economy and to produce more comp etitive, export-driven industries. However, equitization of state-owned enterprises and reduction in the proportion of non-performing loans has fallen behind schedule. Vietnam's membership in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and entry into force of the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade in December 2001 have led to even more rapid changes in Vietnam's trade and economic regime.

rye :: essays research papers

It is in the early hours of Monday morning when Holden returns Grand Central Station. He decides to sleep on one of the benches in the waiting room because he has nowhere else to go. He wakes around nine, as the hustle and bustle of the working day begins. He thinks about the night before and the incident with Mr. Antolini; he wonders if he has misinterpreted Antolini’s touch. Disturbed by these though, he tries to think of something else. He reads a magazine someone has left behind. It is some kind of health magazine, however, and Holden gets more depressed, certain he has cancer and is dying. Holden decides to go out and buy himself an inexpensive breakfast. He does not want to spend too much of Phoebe’s money. Since his stomach is upset, he just drinks coffee. He leaves the train station and walks out to Fifth Avenue. All around him, people seem to be in the Christmas spirit, which is depressing to Holden. He begins to imagine he is disappearing, becoming invisible. He thinks the distance it takes to cross the street keeps growing and fears he will never reach the other side; it is like a death dream. He then begins to talk to his dead brother, asking him to help him cross the street. Each time Holden makes it across another street, he thanks Allie. After a while, Holden sits down on a bench to formulate a plan of action. He decides he will hitchhike "way out west". However, he decides to meet Phoebe one last time and say good-bye. He goes to her school and delivers a note asking her to meet him in the Metropolitan Museum of Art for lunch. Since he has nothing else to do, he goes to the museum to wait. While Holden waits, he meets two young boys and helps them locate the display of Egyptian mummies. The tomb-like structure makes Holden ill, and he goes to the bathroom and faints. Once he revives, he goes out to wait for Phoebe.

Possible Community Health Hesi Topics

Potential Community Health HESI Topic Areas These are some additional areas you may want to considering being familiar with: Ancathosis nigricans A skin condition characterized by dark, thick, velvety skin in body folds and creases. Most often, acanthosis nigricans affects your armpits, groin and neck. There's no specific treatment for acanthosis nigricans † but treating any underlying conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, may cause the changes in your skin changes to fade Characteristics of acanthosis nigricans include: Skin changes. Skin changes are the only signs of acanthosis nigricans.You'll notice dark, thick, velvety skin in body folds and creases † typically in your armpits, groin and neck. Sometimes the lips, palms or soles of the feet are affected as well. Slow progression. The skin changes appear slowly, sometimes over months or years. Possible itching. Rarely, the affected areas may itch. Acanthosis nigricans is often associated with conditions that increa se your insulin level, such as type 2 diabetes or being overweight. If your insulin level is too high, the extra insulin may trigger activity in your skin cells. This may cause the characteristic kin changes.Question pertained to nurse checking for lice and noticing dark patch of skin on neck. Advisor role Antepartum – risk factors Anthrax incubation and exposure Assess trends and patterns Assessing income Assessment – validation Assignments – home care; Make sure students know how to prioritize home health clients (i. e. which ones to see/call back first. ) When given the choice between a patient with COPD who is short of breath, a terminally ill pt who refuses to eat or drink, or a pt with congestive heart failure who has gained 3 lbs, choose the last one. Asthma triageBattering-communication If the question pertains to a nurse suspecting a female patient has been abused and the woman has her child in the room with her, the nurse should ask the child to leave the room and question the woman about the abuse. The question does not pe rtain to the child being abused. Breast cancer-risk (who is at greatest risk) Calculate rate – population COBRA-cost (client still has to pay for expenses) When the question asks what would be a concern for a person who has lost their Job but has COBRA, the answer is paying for health care/expenses.Communicable disease (pertussis) Community – assessment Community Assessment – TB Community data source Community education – evaluate Community resource – elderly Community resources-population age Community resources – rural Community strategies – mental deficiencies Cultural competence Cultural -lactose intolerant Cultural – Native American (Native Americans are at high risk for diabetes – have the highest rates, so the nurse needs to screen for and educate about this).Culturally sensitive teaching CV disease – African American Diabetes AIC If a nurse is working in a community with high rates of diabetes and implements a rogram, at the end of 1 year (or whatever evaluation period is stated) the nurse will want to evaluate hemoglobin A1 C levels to determine effectiveness of program.Disaster – Cholera (Priority for treating those with cholera: fluid and electrolytes) Disaster- Professional Disaster – red tag triage Disaster planning Disaster Preparedness – START Disaster triage – color system Elder abuse-Home setting Elder health – assessment Employee health Epidemiological triad host Epidemiological triad agent Fall in home Family assistance – ophthalmic meds Family ecomapFlu vaccine-priority Gatekeeper Genetic risk – assessment Geriatrics – home nutrition Geriatric syndrome – home health GTD-hCG values Health Promotion Program – Planning Heart healthy diet – limit Heat stroke If an adolescent is playing sports at school and goes to the school nu rse with red, dry skin and other symptoms of heat stroke, the first thing the nurse should do is call for emergency personnel (not assess). Hepatitis A – risk Hep B vaccine – pregnancy Hepatovax B allergy Home care referral Home Health – Management Home health – PT Home safety – post arthroplastyHypertension-BP measure Immunize – 3rd world country Immunization rates Increase vaccination rates Infant mortality rate Influenza -prophylactic Relenza Lillian Wald – Henry Street (she established the Henry Street Settlement) Lipid screening Long-term care-infection Long-term car – fall prevention Meals-on-wheels Medicare Menomune vaccine Migrant worker risks Morbidity data – gather Morbidity data-glaucoma If a nurse is working with an elderly population and most of them are choosing to get a surgery that will CURE glaucoma, then the nurse will be concerned with assessing revalence of glaucoma (not morbidity).Needs assessment Ne ighborhood safe houses Neuman model – line of defense Obese children-parent involvement Occupational health – smoking Occupational nurse practitioner role Oral contraceptives – smokers Osteoporosis – prevention Outcome evaluation Polypharmacy – GERI Post vaccination teaching Primary prevention – adolescents Primary prevention – WIC Priority – HF lab results Program goal setting ty Care – nursing nome Quality Care – public clinic management Quality health – bicycle safety Rash with fever – PEDI (chicken pox)Ritalin evaluation – adolescent Assessing intervention with ADHD in an adolescent: get their feedback on improvement, as their self-esteem is priority School age screen (obesity) School nurse role If an adolescent comes to a school nurse and tells her she is pregnant, the nurse will want to implement measures to ensure the teen and her baby are healthy. These things include referral to prena tal care, encouraging prenatal vitamins, etc.The nurse will NOT tell the parents and things like arranging childcare or teaching breastfeeding are not something the school nurse will be involved in. creening – DM – PEDI Screening priority Question regarding hypothyroidism and the nurse recognizes that mental dysfunction is a long-term consequence. What is screening priority? Answers included screening for T3 in preschoolers or children (? ), iodine screening in people over 60, TSH in women over 45, and T4 in newborns. The answer is T4 in newborns.Seat belt safety-adolescents Secondary prevention – tobacco Secondary prevention – children Sensitivity of tests Social organization Stakeholder If a community health nurse is going into a community to try to develop or implement n intervention, remember one of the key things he/she must do is form a relationship with someone who would be identified as the stakeholder. Stakeholders will be someone who is invested in the health of the community and will be invested in the program to be implemented.They will be vital in the nurse gaining access into the community, the success of the program, and ensuring the sustainability of the program. STD-Reporting If an adolescent goes to the health dept and is diagnosed with chlamydia, the nurse must report this. It is a reportable disease that is monitored by the state and the CDC, and the disease intervention specialist must be informed to do contact tracing.

Thirty Minutes Later: Are You Smarter Yet?

Each and every night millions upon millions of people turn on their televisions and tune in to their favorite programs. Most people think that this behavior is perfectly normal and that nothing is either exceptionally good or detrimentally bad about doing so. Others actually think that watching television can and sometimes does make you smarter. I feel that the general statement â€Å"tv makes you smarter† is not specific enough when talking about such an issue. I think that some television programs can help you gain some knowledge but I do not believe that all television makes you smarter.So, does watching television make you smarter, dumber, or does it have no affect at all? In Steven Johnson’s essay â€Å"Watching TV Makes You Smarter† he argues that watching television â€Å"alters the mental development of young people for the better (291)†. Meaning that when young people watch television it can aide in the development of their minds. In a nutshell, h e is saying that watching television can actually make a person smarter. In his essay, Johnson uses the popular show 24 to support his claim. He states that â€Å"to make sense of an episode of 24 you have to pay attention, make inferences, and track social relationships†(279).Johnson refers to this as part of what he calls the Sleeper Curve. Johnson believes that the Sleeper Curve is the single most important new force altering the mental development of young people today, and it is largely a force for good†(279). He agrees that the media may indeed contain more negative messages but he doesn't think that is the only way to evaluate whether our television shows are having a positive impact or not. In one part of his essay, Johnson compares the intellectual strain of watching shows like Frasier, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show to the physical strain of watching Monday Night Football.With that comparison he is basically saying that the viewer doesn't have to think about th e content of the show in order to follow the storyline the same way a person doesn't have to actually play football in order to enjoy a game. Throughout his essay, Johnson even goes as far as to say that even â€Å"bad† television has gotten better. To validate this point he talks about Joe Millionaire and The Apprentice.He discusses how in order how in order to win the show contestants had to overcome certain obstacles, figure out â€Å"weak spots† in the game, and use everything they learned to complete the last  challenge which usually contained a twist. This goes to say that on the surface it may seem like these shows are easy to follow but they contain surprises that may interrupt what the viewer thought was going to happen. Johnson states that â€Å"traditional narrative also trigger emotional connections to the characters† (291). He explains this by talking about the largely popular show Survivor, and how because our emotions are involved it becomes eas y to vote someone off the island as opposed to someone else.I think that only certain types of television shows makes you smarter, so part of me agrees with Steven Johnson’s argument. I think that people can learn things from certain kinds of shows. When a person watches show on the Food Network, the person will most likely learn how to prepare a new dish, or improve upon a technique that they are having trouble with. Another example would be when children watch â€Å"Dora the Explorer†. Some people might only see a show like this as way to keep children quiet and occupied.What they would realize if they actually sat down and watched an episode or two is that children can earn many things like; shapes, colors, numbers, letters and even some Spanish, all within the thirty minute runtime of the show. There may be some sitcoms or reality shows out there that you can learn from but I have yet to find one that I learned a lesson from. The reason I don't fully agree with his argument that television makes you smarter is because I think only certain types of shows make you smarter. I think in his essay he is referring to all television shows and genres.I think he is referring to all genres in his argument because he doesn’t say that any specific genre or show is excluded. I don't think a person can learn anything from a football game, or an episode of Family Guy because, in my opinion, these shows have the sole purpose of entertaining the people that watch them. Family Guy is an animated series about a family and all of the crazy situations they get themselves in to. By the way, one member of the family is a talking baby. In Dana Stevens’ essay, Thinking Outside the Idiot Box, she blatantly disagrees with Johnson.She even goes as far as to mock him saying, â€Å"If watching television really make you smarter, as Steven Johnson argued in an article†¦ then I guess I need to watch a lot more television†¦because†¦I could make n o sense of Johnson’s piece†(295). I think this comment used logos because she is saying that since she wasn’t able to understand Johnson’s argument maybe she doesn’t watch enough television. Of course this comment was a sarcastic one. In order to make this point clearer she references the popular children’s show Teletubbies, saying that it is â€Å"essentially a tutorial instructing toddlers the basics of vegging out† (Stevens 296).She thinks that the show 24 teaches you nothing except to watch further episodes of the show. Stevens also states that Johnson’s claim for television as a tool for brain enhancement seems deeply and hilariously bogus (297). So, clearly Stevens is a part of the group of people that do not think television makes you smarter. I don’t think Stevens is totally watching television. I think instead she is against people watching television all the time and thinking it will make them smarter. She think s that adults should monitor the amount of television they watch, the same way they monitor the number f alcoholic drinks they consume at a bar.Stevens ends her essay by giving readers a way to test Johnson’s theory: â€Å"National Television Turnoff Week† (298). Even if the participant’s IQ doesn’t drop from not watching television, it would still give people’s minds a break from watching television and give them the opportunity to tune back in with real people, real problems, and real life. She also mentions a handheld device that can switch off any television set within twenty to twenty-five feet. The difference between this remote and any other remote already on the market is that this remote would have the ability to control all television sets within its radius.Like with any new technology there are both proponents and opponents. Proponents think that this device will restore peace and calmness to public places such as airports and bus statio ns. Opponents think this just another way for people to try to control their lives. I think the device is very invasive and controlling. If people want to watch television for twenty-four hours straight, they are adults and they should be able to do that. This device relates to the debate about television because people that think television is watched too much would want this remote to be used.But for people that think television is useful as well as entertaining, the use of this device would seem like an invasion of privacy. I am personally on the fence of this issue. I think some television programs have educational value. I also think people should watch less television, and perhaps pick up a book- which are proven to make you smarter. I think shows such as Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire make you smarter because you can’t help but immerse yourself in the show and try to get the answers right.Even if you get the answers wrong, or never use the information you gained, you sill learned something. On the other hand, I don’t think reality television shows can teach you anything at all. Think of your favorite reality show, now take a few seconds to make a mental list of the things you have learned from watching that show. If you can think of anything at all, the list is probably very short. This is ok because the sole purpose of television is not to educate people. I think television is supposed to be watched for entertainment purposes.If you were to take a poll of the television shows people watch on a regular basis, most of the answers would probably be; Scandal, Teen Mom, and NCIS. These shows I would have to say contain very little to nothing to teach a person. Some shows can even encourage bad behaviors and influence people to do bad things. Let’s take the popular MTV show Teen Mom for instance; before the show first premiered, when teens would get pregnant they didn’t think it was cool, or cute, and they definitely were not posting pictures on Facebook with their pregnant friends.When teenage girls saw all of the fame the stars of the show were getting, it somehow registered in their minds that if they got pregnant at a young age they would somehow become the star of a show, get paid for it, and live a happy life. What they don’t realize until it’s too late is that most of the stuff on â€Å"reality† shows are staged and fake. One of my personal favorite shows was Jersey Shore, which was a reality show about a group of strangers living in a house together for a number of months.The show followed all of the drinking, smoking, drama, and sex that went on in that house. What young teens seemed to forget was that the people on that show were of legal drinking age that were held accountable for their own actions, so when they went out trying to mimic the cast members behavior they and their parents ended up in trouble. This supports my claim that some telev ision programs are for entertainment purposes because when things are imitated that shouldn’t be the consequences are much worse in real life than they are on the show.I also feel as though the time people spend watching television could be spent doing more productive things such as exercising, working, reading, or having and actual conversation with someone. If people sent half as much time doing things like that as they do watching and recording their favorite shows I think people would be a lot healthier and happier. In my opinion watching television is like a double-edged sword. Watching television sometimes for entertainment purposes is a good way to relax and connect with friends and family.I think the trouble happens when people become consumed with their favorite shows and totally disconnect from the real world. I admit. There have been a few times when I have been doing something and I just dropped everything because I knew the season premiere of my favorite show wou ld be starting son. But some people drop everything for every episode of their favorite show. That kind of behavior can actually hurt relationships because no one wants to be constantly tuned out by a show that will most likely come on multiple times within the next few days.I think until someone does some sort of definitive research on whether or not watching television makes a person smarter, this will be an ongoing debate. Things like remote devices that can control any television aren’t going to change people’s opinions. If anything it will only make them feel angry towards the people trying to control a part of their lives. Television just like anything else in the world has its positive and negative points. I just don’t think one of those positives is making people smarter.