California University Links Prison Overcrowding And...

CALIFORNIA STUDY LINKS PRISON OVERCROWDING AND RECIDIVISM America has the highest rate of incarceration per capita of any other industrialized nation. That is an amazing fact. Don’t believe it? Then do some research. ASTOUNDING INCARCERATION RATES The World Prison Brief, a database hosted by the International Centre for Prison Studies, provides an online table* that list the world’s prison population broken down by nation. With a total population of over 320 million, the U.S. ranks at 698 prisoners per 100,000 people. That beats just about every nation in the world, including China and Russia combined. One nation, however, beats the U.S.—the Republic of Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 Islands lying off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean. Not known as an industrial powerhouse or technology giant, Seychelles still manages to rank at 799 prisoners per 100,000 citizens. That is quite an accomplishment for a nation lacking state-of-the-art technology, especially with a total population of less than 100,000. NUMBER 2 BUT TRYING HARDER By U.S. standards, that’s merely a small city, such as South Bend or Evansville (though both of those cities boast a larger population). But imagine a small city like South Bend having an arrest rate of that magnitude. That would require some serious effort by law enforcement and the rest of the criminal justice system. Busy, busy, busy! It would also probably garner unflattering headlines and generate accusations ofShow MoreRelatedOvercrowded Jails and Prisons1821 Words   |  7 Pages Why are prison and jail so overcrowded? Could it be we need to establish a better program for rehabilitating the inmates? For many years now rehabilitation has been an issue within the Criminal Justice System. The debate of should these criminals be punished or should they be rehabilitated. What is the reason for our jails and prisons for becoming so full? Is it because we simply like to house criminals to keep them off the streets or do we truly not know how to rehabilitate them back in to societyRead MorePrison Reform Topic Paper : Prisons6604 Words   |  27 PagesPrison Reform Topic Paper Submitted By: Toni Nielson - CSU, Fullerton Unique Educational Opportunities Prisons are closed institutions. They are established and funded by governments to hold people against their will, but why punish (Zyl Smit, 2010)? What is the purpose of prison? This fundamental question stirs up a significant amount of debate. The government, citizens, educators, and even prisoners are divided about the right answers. There is disagreement in the US about the purpose ofRead MoreCritical Issues in the American Criminal Justice System - Sentencing Decisions and the Death Penalty4477 Words   |  18 PagesAllen Lowery CJ 6624 – Court Administration December 1, 2010 Abstract This paper discusses three critical issues in the criminal justice system. It touches on the general issues of punishment philosophies, sentence decision making, and prison overcrowding and focused more specifically on the negative effects of each. Highlighted in this informational paper is the interrelated nature of the issues; each issue affects and is affected by the others. Data and information has been gathered from theRead MoreLaw Enforcement in the 21st Century15936 Words   |  64 Pages 5 agency. Given the complexity of both the intelligence and law enforcement communities and their many overlapping jurisdictions, it was inevitable that key information would slip through the cracks between agencies. The inability to analyze and link critical information across (or even within an agency) is referred to as linkage blindness and will be a major theme throughout this book. In part, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and its reauthorization in 2005 were

Obesity and Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Essay

This disease was uncommon in the old days because it was unusual to accumulate enough fat to hurt livers. However, many people in the United States are now suffering from NAFLD and NASH. Before 1998, there was no case of NASH heard. In contrast, a statistics from a website called Partners In Liver Wellness provides an alarming information. The site says, â€Å"As a consequence of the on-going obesity epidemic in the U.S., fatty liver is a very common disorder with an estimated two thirds of obese adults and half of obese children having fat accumulation in the liver†8. It also mentions that up to 20% of those who are obese may suffer from NASH. This is a frightening number if this happened at, for example, West Anchorage High School. In high†¦show more content†¦It may take many years for NASH to become severe enough to cause symptoms. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) indeed says, â€Å"NASH is usually a silent disease with few or no symp toms†3. The article also says that as the symptoms get worse, patients might experience weight loss and weakness. Once a person feels fatigue, that means that the disease is advanced or cirrhosis is present. As the liver gets weakened into a condition of cirrhosis, liver enzymes increase because whenever a liver cell breaks down, it release its enzymes from itself. Also, as the liver a patient gets scarred, it starts to swell up to 3 times of its size. Because of these, NASH may be suspected if blood tests show high levels of liver enzymes or if scans show fatty liver. The website clarifies, â€Å"NASH is usually first suspected in a person who is found to have elevations in liver tests that are included in routine blood test panels, such as alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase†3. Both aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are types of enzyme from various tissues in the body, especially in liver.They are important in the production of various amino acids, and they catalyze the chemical reaction of an amino group from an amino acid to an alpha-keto acid. In order not to damage a person’s liver, trying best not to hurt the liver isShow MoreRelatedHigh Fructose Corn Syrup : Obesity, Diabetes, And Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease845 Words   |  4 PagesHealth concerns have been raised about high fructose corn syrup, which allege contribution to obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Critics of the extensive use of HFCS in food sweetening argue that the highly processed substance is more harmful to humans than regular sugar, contributing to weight gain by affecting normal appetite functions and that in some foods HFCS may be a source of mercury a known neurotoxin. Yeah, a NEUROTOXIN! And they are hidingRead MoreThe Function and Importance of the Liver in the Body793 Words   |  3 PagesHepar is the Greek term for liver, key organ which performs multiple functions in our body (Sowjanya, 2013). A foretime, the risk of liver intoxication is elevated due to some factors such as frequent use of pesticide agent, recurrent exposure to environmental toxins and regular use of chemotherapeutic agents. Meanwhile, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a pathological condition which occurs in individuals who do not consume large amount of alcohol ( 20g ethanol/d per day) with excessive accumulationRead MoreAlcohol Consumption And Metabolic Syndrome1361 Words   |  6 PagesBoth alcohol consumption and metabolic syndrome are risk factors for development of fatty liver diseases with similar pathology which ultimately can result in development of liver cancer.3, 4, 24-273, 4, 23-26 Using a two-stage mouse model in which tumor initiation by DEN was followed by a 35% high fat d iet, we have previously reported increased tumor incidence, suggestive of a diet-related promotional effect.11 Consistent with these findings, in the current study, we observed increased adenomaRead MoreNonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease1686 Words   |  7 Pages Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as accumulation of lipids, mainly triglycerides, due to causes other than viruses, alcohol, or genetics. The disease covers a wide spectrum of status, including simple steatosis, steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis, and is closely related to dyslipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus.1 Prevalence of NAFLD has been increasing gradually because of changes in lifestyles such as insufficient physical activities and westernizedRead MoreNutrition : My First Career Choice761 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent projects under supervision of my mentor. With insights about the complex molecular cascade of nutrient related pathways and knowing different techniques, I am working on understanding the role of gut microbiota in development of non alcoholic fatty liver disease in a mice model that does not accumulate fat in the body while on a high fat diet. As I gain experience in the realm of nutritional sciences, I also hope to be involved in improving the nutritional recommendations and nutrition relatedRead MoreEffects Of The Fast Food Industry On Canadians1263 Words   |  6 Pagesspecifically, the raise of obesity in Canada due to the wide availability of fast foods. This topic is covered by providing a background about obesity, examining the health consequences, the economic impact, and looking at the social impact and the psychosocial impact on individuals diagnosed as obese. The paper was researched by reading about the subject matter in peer-reviewed journals and grey literature. The search terms used were the following search terms: ‘obesity definition’; ‘obesity Canada’; ‘healthRead MoreThe Health Of The Youth Of Australia Face798 Words   |  4 Pages(Eckersley 2008). After thorough research into the health impediments the youth of Australia face, it was found that the most predominant biophysical and psychosocial issues that influence their quality of life and are subsequently correlated are: obesity, diabetes, anxiety and major depressive disorder. Though some mental disorders such as ADHD are more common than that of anxiety disorders, they do not have as much of an impact on quality of life, therefore these health issues will not be includedRead MoreNon-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease1779 Words   |  8 Pageschronic disease plaguing society’s young children. This chronic disease has spread worldwide with the numbers of diseased children is expected to increase in the next decade. This chronic disease is obesity. Along with the rise of obesity among youth, there is a new silent killer linked to childhood obesity. This new chronic disease, typically found in alcoholics, is now becoming prevalent in obese children and is called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is defined as a liver diseaseRead MoreThe Effects Of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Dis ease On Obese Pediatric Population985 Words   |  4 PagesNonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Obese Pediatric Population In the United States, increasing numbers of obesity in pediatric population is major concern in health care field. According to Center of Disease Control (CDC), in the United States obesity in children from 6 to 11 years of age in 1980 was seven percent. This rate about three times by 2008, to 20%. Adolescents’ obesity from 12 to 19 years of age in 1980 was five percent and this correspondingly rate more than three times byRead MoreBayesian Evidence Synthesis And Decision Modeling For Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Essay746 Words   |  3 PagesBayesian Evidence Synthesis and Decision Modeling for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Summary The World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) has recently declared NALFD as most common cause of liver disease. Obesity is an increasing problem not only in the UK but worldwide. An estimated 26% of the adults in the UK are considered to be obese 1, 2. Obesity induced metabolic syndrome may lead to NAFLD, which can progress to Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), and in turn to advanced fibrosis and

Angels Demons Chapter 16-19 Free Essays

16 Hundreds of miles from CERN, a voice crackled through a walkie-talkie. â€Å"Okay, I’m in the hallway.† The technician monitoring the video screens pressed the button on his transmitter. We will write a custom essay sample on Angels Demons Chapter 16-19 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"You’re looking for camera #86. It’s supposed to be at the far end.† There was a long silence on the radio. The waiting technician broke a light sweat. Finally his radio clicked. â€Å"The camera isn’t here,† the voice said. â€Å"I can see where it was mounted, though. Somebody must have removed it.† The technician exhaled heavily. â€Å"Thanks. Hold on a second, will you?† Sighing, he redirected his attention to the bank of video screens in front of him. Huge portions of the complex were open to the public, and wireless cameras had gone missing before, usually stolen by visiting pranksters looking for souvenirs. But as soon as a camera left the facility and was out of range, the signal was lost, and the screen went blank. Perplexed, the technician gazed up at the monitor. A crystal clear image was still coming from camera #86. If the camera was stolen, he wondered, why are we still getting a signal? He knew, of course, there was only one explanation. The camera was still inside the complex, and someone had simply moved it. But who? And why? He studied the monitor a long moment. Finally he picked up his walkie-talkie. â€Å"Are there any closets in that stairwell? Any cupboards or dark alcoves?† The voice replying sounded confused. â€Å"No. Why?† The technician frowned. â€Å"Never mind. Thanks for your help.† He turned off his walkie-talkie and pursed his lips. Considering the small size of the video camera and the fact that it was wireless, the technician knew that camera #86 could be transmitting from just about anywhere within the heavily guarded compound – a densely packed collection of thirty-two separate buildings covering a half-mile radius. The only clue was that the camera seemed to have been placed somewhere dark. Of course, that wasn’t much help. The complex contained endless dark locations – maintenance closets, heating ducts, gardening sheds, bedroom wardrobes, even a labyrinth of underground tunnels. Camera #86 could take weeks to locate. But that’s the least of my problems, he thought. Despite the dilemma posed by the camera’s relocation, there was another far more unsettling matter at hand. The technician gazed up at the image the lost camera was transmitting. It was a stationary object. A modern-looking device like nothing the technician had ever seen. He studied the blinking electronic display at its base. Although the guard had undergone rigorous training preparing him for tense situations, he still sensed his pulse rising. He told himself not to panic. There had to be an explanation. The object appeared too small to be of significant danger. Then again, its presence inside the complex was troubling. Very troubling, indeed. Today of all days, he thought. Security was always a top priority for his employer, but today, more than any other day in the past twelve years, security was of the utmost importance. The technician stared at the object for a long time and sensed the rumblings of a distant gathering storm. Then, sweating, he dialed his superior. 17 Not many children could say they remembered the day they met their father, but Vittoria Vetra could. She was eight years old, living where she always had, Orfanotrofio di Siena, a Catholic orphanage near Florence, deserted by parents she never knew. It was raining that day. The nuns had called for her twice to come to dinner, but as always she pretended not to hear. She lay outside in the courtyard, staring up at the raindrops†¦ feeling them hit her body†¦ trying to guess where one would land next. The nuns called again, threatening that pneumonia might make an insufferably headstrong child a lot less curious about nature. I can’t hear you, Vittoria thought. She was soaked to the bone when the young priest came out to get her. She didn’t know him. He was new there. Vittoria waited for him to grab her and drag her back inside. But he didn’t. Instead, to her wonder, he lay down beside her, soaking his robes in a puddle. â€Å"They say you ask a lot of questions,† the young man said. Vittoria scowled. â€Å"Are questions bad?† He laughed. â€Å"Guess they were right.† â€Å"What are you doing out here?† â€Å"Same thing you’re doing†¦ wondering why raindrops fall.† â€Å"I’m not wondering why they fall! I already know!† The priest gave her an astonished look. â€Å"You do?† â€Å"Sister Francisca says raindrops are angels’ tears coming down to wash away our sins.† â€Å"Wow!† he said, sounding amazed. â€Å"So that explains it.† â€Å"No it doesn’t!† the girl fired back. â€Å"Raindrops fall because everything falls! Everything falls! Not just rain!† The priest scratched his head, looking perplexed. â€Å"You know, young lady, you’re right. Everything does fall. It must be gravity.† â€Å"It must be what?† He gave her an astonished look. â€Å"You haven’t heard of gravity?† â€Å"No.† The priest shrugged sadly. â€Å"Too bad. Gravity answers a lot of questions.† Vittoria sat up. â€Å"What’s gravity?† she demanded. â€Å"Tell me!† The priest gave her a wink. â€Å"What do you say I tell you over dinner.† The young priest was Leonardo Vetra. Although he had been an award-winning physics student while in university, he’d heard another call and gone into the seminary. Leonardo and Vittoria became unlikely best friends in the lonely world of nuns and regulations. Vittoria made Leonardo laugh, and he took her under his wing, teaching her that beautiful things like rainbows and the rivers had many explanations. He told her about light, planets, stars, and all of nature through the eyes of both God and science. Vittoria’s innate intellect and curiosity made her a captivating student. Leonardo protected her like a daughter. Vittoria was happy too. She had never known the joy of having a father. When every other adult answered her questions with a slap on the wrist, Leonardo spent hours showing her books. He even asked what her ideas were. Vittoria prayed Leonardo would stay with her forever. Then one day, her worst nightmare came true. Father Leonardo told her he was leaving the orphanage. â€Å"I’m moving to Switzerland,† Leonardo said. â€Å"I have a grant to study physics at the University of Geneva.† â€Å"Physics?† Vittoria cried. â€Å"I thought you loved God!† â€Å"I do, very much. Which is why I want to study his divine rules. The laws of physics are the canvas God laid down on which to paint his masterpiece.† Vittoria was devastated. But Father Leonardo had some other news. He told Vittoria he had spoken to his superiors, and they said it was okay if Father Leonardo adopted her. â€Å"Would you like me to adopt you?† Leonardo asked. â€Å"What’s adopt mean?† Vittoria said. Father Leonardo told her. Vittoria hugged him for five minutes, crying tears of joy. â€Å"Oh yes! Yes!† Leonardo told her he had to leave for a while and get their new home settled in Switzerland, but he promised to send for her in six months. It was the longest wait of Vittoria’s life, but Leonardo kept his word. Five days before her ninth birthday, Vittoria moved to Geneva. She attended Geneva International School during the day and learned from her father at night. Three years later Leonardo Vetra was hired by CERN. Vittoria and Leonardo relocated to a wonderland the likes of which the young Vittoria had never imagined. Vittoria Vetra’s body felt numb as she strode down the LHC tunnel. She saw her muted reflection in the LHC and sensed her father’s absence. Normally she existed in a state of deep calm, in harmony with the world around her. But now, very suddenly, nothing made sense. The last three hours had been a blur. It had been 10 A.M. in the Balearic Islands when Kohler’s call came through. Your father has been murdered. Come home immediately. Despite the sweltering heat on the deck of the dive boat, the words had chilled her to the bone, Kohler’s emotionless tone hurting as much as the news. Now she had returned home. But home to what? CERN, her world since she was twelve, seemed suddenly foreign. Her father, the man who had made it magical, was gone. Deep breaths, she told herself, but she couldn’t calm her mind. The questions circled faster and faster. Who killed her father? And why? Who was this American â€Å"specialist†? Why was Kohler insisting on seeing the lab? Kohler had said there was evidence that her father’s murder was related to the current project. What evidence? Nobody knew what we were working on! And even if someone found out, why would they kill him? As she moved down the LHC tunnel toward her father’s lab, Vittoria realized she was about to unveil her father’s greatest achievement without him there. She had pictured this moment much differently. She had imagined her father calling CERN’s top scientists to his lab, showing them his discovery, watching their awestruck faces. Then he would beam with fatherly pride as he explained to them how it had been one of Vittoria’s ideas that had helped him make the project a reality†¦ that his daughter had been integral in his breakthrough. Vittoria felt a lump in her throat. My father and I were supposed to share this moment together. But here she was alone. No colleagues. No happy faces. Just an American stranger and Maximilian Kohler. Maximilian Kohler. Der Konig. Even as a child, Vittoria had disliked the man. Although she eventually came to respect his potent intellect, his icy demeanor always seemed inhuman, the exact antithesis of her father’s warmth. Kohler pursued science for its immaculate logic†¦ her father for its spiritual wonder. And yet oddly there had always seemed to be an unspoken respect between the two men. Genius, someone had once explained to her, accepts genius unconditionally. Genius, she thought. My father†¦ Dad. Dead. The entry to Leonardo Vetra’s lab was a long sterile hallway paved entirely in white tile. Langdon felt like he was entering some kind of underground insane asylum. Lining the corridor were dozens of framed, black-and-white images. Although Langdon had made a career of studying images, these were entirely alien to him. They looked like chaotic negatives of random streaks and spirals. Modern art? he mused. Jackson Pollock on amphetamines? â€Å"Scatter plots,† Vittoria said, apparently noting Langdon’s interest. â€Å"Computer representations of particle collisions. That’s the Z-particle,† she said, pointing to a faint track that was almost invisible in the confusion. â€Å"My father discovered it five years ago. Pure energy – no mass at all. It may well be the smallest building block in nature. Matter is nothing but trapped energy.† Matter is energy? Langdon cocked his head. Sounds pretty Zen. He gazed at the tiny streak in the photograph and wondered what his buddies in the Harvard physics department would say when he told them he’d spent the weekend hanging out in a Large Hadron Collider admiring Z-particles. â€Å"Vittoria,† Kohler said, as they approached the lab’s imposing steel door, â€Å"I should mention that I came down here this morning looking for your father.† Vittoria flushed slightly. â€Å"You did?† â€Å"Yes. And imagine my surprise when I discovered he had replaced CERN’s standard keypad security with something else.† Kohler motioned to an intricate electronic device mounted beside the door. â€Å"I apologize,† she said. â€Å"You know how he was about privacy. He didn’t want anyone but the two of us to have access.† Kohler said, â€Å"Fine. Open the door.† Vittoria stood a long moment. Then, pulling a deep breath, she walked to the mechanism on the wall. Langdon was in no way prepared for what happened next. Vittoria stepped up to the device and carefully aligned her right eye with a protruding lens that looked like a telescope. Then she pressed a button. Inside the machine, something clicked. A shaft of light oscillated back and forth, scanning her eyeball like a copy machine. â€Å"It’s a retina scan,† she said. â€Å"Infallible security. Authorized for two retina patterns only. Mine and my father’s.† Robert Langdon stood in horrified revelation. The image of Leonardo Vetra came back in grisly detail – the bloody face, the solitary hazel eye staring back, and the empty eye socket. He tried to reject the obvious truth, but then he saw it†¦ beneath the scanner on the white tile floor†¦ faint droplets of crimson. Dried blood. Vittoria, thankfully, did not notice. The steel door slid open and she walked through. Kohler fixed Langdon with an adamant stare. His message was clear: As I told you†¦ the missing eye serves a higher purpose. 18 The woman’s hands were tied, her wrists now purple and swollen from chafing. The mahogany-skinned Hassassin lay beside her, spent, admiring his naked prize. He wondered if her current slumber was just a deception, a pathetic attempt to avoid further service to him. He did not care. He had reaped sufficient reward. Sated, he sat up in bed. In his country women were possessions. Weak. Tools of pleasure. Chattel to be traded like livestock. And they understood their place. But here, in Europe, women feigned a strength and independence that both amused and excited him. Forcing them into physical submission was a gratification he always enjoyed. Now, despite the contentment in his loins, the Hassassin sensed another appetite growing within him. He had killed last night, killed and mutilated, and for him killing was like heroin†¦ each encounter satisfying only temporarily before increasing his longing for more. The exhilaration had worn off. The craving had returned. He studied the sleeping woman beside him. Running his palm across her neck, he felt aroused with the knowledge that he could end her life in an instant. What would it matter? She was subhuman, a vehicle only of pleasure and service. His strong fingers encircled her throat, savoring her delicate pulse. Then, fighting desire, he removed his hand. There was work to do. Service to a higher cause than his own desire. As he got out of bed, he reveled in the honor of the job before him. He still could not fathom the influence of this man named Janus and the ancient brotherhood he commanded. Wondrously, the brotherhood had chosen him. Somehow they had learned of his loathing†¦ and of his skills. How, he would never know. Their roots reach wide. Now they had bestowed on him the ultimate honor. He would be their hands and their voice. Their assassin and their messenger. The one his people knew as Malak al-haq – the Angel of Truth. 19 Vetra’s lab was wildly futuristic. Stark white and bounded on all sides by computers and specialized electronic equipment, it looked like some sort of operating room. Langdon wondered what secrets this place could possibly hold to justify cutting out someone’s eye to gain entrance. Kohler looked uneasy as they entered, his eyes seeming to dart about for signs of an intruder. But the lab was deserted. Vittoria moved slowly too†¦ as if the lab felt unknown without her father there. Langdon’s gaze landed immediately in the center of the room, where a series of short pillars rose from the floor. Like a miniature Stonehenge, a dozen or so columns of polished steel stood in a circle in the middle of the room. The pillars were about three feet tall, reminding Langdon of museum displays for valuable gems. These pillars, however, were clearly not for precious stones. Each supported a thick, transparent canister about the size of a tennis ball can. They appeared empty. Kohler eyed the canisters, looking puzzled. He apparently decided to ignore them for the time being. He turned to Vittoria. â€Å"Has anything been stolen?† â€Å"Stolen? How?† she argued. â€Å"The retina scan only allows entry to us.† â€Å"Just look around.† Vittoria sighed and surveyed the room for a few moments. She shrugged. â€Å"Everything looks as my father always leaves it. Ordered chaos.† Langdon sensed Kohler weighing his options, as if wondering how far to push Vittoria†¦ how much to tell her. Apparently he decided to leave it for the moment. Moving his wheelchair toward the center of the room, he surveyed the mysterious cluster of seemingly empty canisters. â€Å"Secrets,† Kohler finally said, â€Å"are a luxury we can no longer afford.† Vittoria nodded in acquiescence, looking suddenly emotional, as if being here brought with it a torrent of memories. Give her a minute, Langdon thought. As though preparing for what she was about to reveal, Vittoria closed her eyes and breathed. Then she breathed again. And again. And again†¦ Langdon watched her, suddenly concerned. Is she okay? He glanced at Kohler, who appeared unfazed, apparently having seen this ritual before. Ten seconds passed before Vittoria opened her eyes. Langdon could not believe the metamorphosis. Vittoria Vetra had been transformed. Her full lips were lax, her shoulders down, and her eyes soft and assenting. It was as though she had realigned every muscle in her body to accept the situation. The resentful fire and personal anguish had been quelled somehow beneath a deeper, watery cool. â€Å"Where to begin†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she said, her accent unruffled. â€Å"At the beginning,† Kohler said. â€Å"Tell us about your father’s experiment.† â€Å"Rectifying science with religion has been my father’s life dream,† Vittoria said. â€Å"He hoped to prove that science and religion are two totally compatible fields – two different approaches to finding the same truth.† She paused as if unable to believe what she was about to say. â€Å"And recently†¦ he conceived of a way to do that.† Kohler said nothing. â€Å"He devised an experiment, one he hoped would settle one of the most bitter conflicts in the history of science and religion.† Langdon wondered which conflict she could mean. There were so many. â€Å"Creationism,† Vittoria declared. â€Å"The battle over how the universe came to be.† Oh, Langdon thought. The debate. â€Å"The Bible, of course, states that God created the universe,† she explained. â€Å"God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and everything we see appeared out of a vast emptiness. Unfortunately, one of the fundamental laws of physics states that matter cannot be created out of nothing.† Langdon had read about this stalemate. The idea that God allegedly created â€Å"something from nothing† was totally contrary to accepted laws of modern physics and therefore, scientists claimed, Genesis was scientifically absurd. â€Å"Mr. Langdon,† Vittoria said, turning, â€Å"I assume you are familiar with the Big Bang Theory?† Langdon shrugged. â€Å"More or less.† The Big Bang, he knew, was the scientifically accepted model for the creation of the universe. He didn’t really understand it, but according to the theory, a single point of intensely focused energy erupted in a cataclysmic explosion, expanding outward to form the universe. Or something like that. Vittoria continued. â€Å"When the Catholic Church first proposed the Big Bang Theory in 1927, the – â€Å" â€Å"I’m sorry?† Langdon interrupted, before he could stop himself. â€Å"You say the Big Bang was a Catholic idea?† Vittoria looked surprised by his question â€Å"Of course. Proposed by a Catholic monk, Georges Lematre in 1927.† â€Å"But, I thought†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he hesitated. â€Å"Wasn’t the Big Bang proposed by Harvard astronomer Edwin Hubble?† Kohler glowered. â€Å"Again, American scientific arrogance. Hubble published in 1929, two years after Lematre.† Langdon scowled. It’s called the Hubble Telescope, sir – I’ve never heard of any Lematre Telescope! â€Å"Mr. Kohler is right,† Vittoria said, â€Å"the idea belonged to Lematre. Hubble only confirmed it by gathering the hard evidence that proved the Big Bang was scientifically probable.† â€Å"Oh,† Langdon said, wondering if the Hubble-fanatics in the Harvard Astronomy Department ever mentioned Lematre in their lectures. â€Å"When Lematre first proposed the Big Bang Theory,† Vittoria continued, â€Å"scientists claimed it was utterly ridiculous. Matter, science said, could not be created out of nothing. So, when Hubble shocked the world by scientifically proving the Big Bang was accurate, the church claimed victory, heralding this as proof that the Bible was scientifically accurate. The divine truth.† Langdon nodded, focusing intently now. â€Å"Of course scientists did not appreciate having their discoveries used by the church to promote religion, so they immediately mathematicized the Big Bang Theory, removed all religious overtones, and claimed it as their own. Unfortunately for science, however, their equations, even today, have one serious deficiency that the church likes to point out.† Kohler grunted. â€Å"The singularity.† He spoke the word as if it were the bane of his existence. â€Å"Yes, the singularity,† Vittoria said. â€Å"The exact moment of creation. Time zero.† She looked at Langdon. â€Å"Even today, science cannot grasp the initial moment of creation. Our equations explain the early universe quite effectively, but as we move back in time, approaching time zero, suddenly our mathematics disintegrates, and everything becomes meaningless.† â€Å"Correct,† Kohler said, his voice edgy, â€Å"and the church holds up this deficiency as proof of God’s miraculous involvement. Come to your point.† Vittoria’s expression became distant. â€Å"My point is that my father had always believed in God’s involvement in the Big Bang. Even though science was unable to comprehend the divine moment of creation, he believed someday it would.† She motioned sadly to a laser-printed memo tacked over her father’s work area. â€Å"My dad used to wave that in my face every time I had doubts.† Langdon read the message: Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand. â€Å"My dad wanted to bring science to a higher level,† Vittoria said, â€Å"where science supported the concept of God.† She ran a hand through her long hair, looking melancholy. â€Å"He set out to do something no scientist had ever thought to do. Something that no one has ever had the technology to do.† She paused, as though uncertain how to speak the next words. â€Å"He designed an experiment to prove Genesis was possible.† Prove Genesis? Langdon wondered. Let there be light? Matter from nothing? Kohler’s dead gaze bore across the room. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"My father created a universe†¦ from nothing at all.† Kohler snapped his head around. â€Å"What!† â€Å"Better said, he recreated the Big Bang.† Kohler looked ready to jump to his feet. Langdon was officially lost. Creating a universe? Recreating the Big Bang? â€Å"It was done on a much smaller scale, of course,† Vittoria said, talking faster now. â€Å"The process was remarkably simple. He accelerated two ultrathin particle beams in opposite directions around the accelerator tube. The two beams collided head-on at enormous speeds, driving into one another and compressing all their energy into a single pinpoint. He achieved extreme energy densities.† She started rattling off a stream of units, and the director’s eyes grew wider. Langdon tried to keep up. So Leonardo Vetra was simulating the compressed point of energy from which the universe supposedly sprang. â€Å"The result,† Vittoria said, â€Å"was nothing short of wondrous. When it is published, it will shake the very foundation of modern physics.† She spoke slowly now, as though savoring the immensity of her news. â€Å"Without warning, inside the accelerator tube, at this point of highly focused energy, particles of matter began appearing out of nowhere.† Kohler made no reaction. He simply stared. â€Å"Matter,† Vittoria repeated. â€Å"Blossoming out of nothing. An incredible display of subatomic fireworks. A miniature universe springing to life. He proved not only that matter can be created from nothing, but that the Big Bang and Genesis can be explained simply by accepting the presence of an enormous source of energy.† â€Å"You mean God?† Kohler demanded. â€Å"God, Buddha, The Force, Yahweh, the singularity, the unicity point – call it whatever you like – the result is the same. Science and religion support the same truth – pure energy is the father of creation.† When Kohler finally spoke, his voice was somber. â€Å"Vittoria, you have me at a loss. It sounds like you’re telling me your father created matter†¦ out of nothing?† â€Å"Yes.† Vittoria motioned to the canisters. â€Å"And there is the proof. In those canisters are specimens of the matter he created.† Kohler coughed and moved toward the canisters like a wary animal circling something he instinctively sensed was wrong. â€Å"I’ve obviously missed something,† he said. â€Å"How do you expect anyone to believe these canisters contain particles of matter your father actually created? They could be particles from anywhere at all.† â€Å"Actually,† Vittoria said, sounding confident, â€Å"they couldn’t. These particles are unique. They are a type of matter that does not exist anywhere on earth†¦ hence they had to be created.† Kohler’s expression darkened. â€Å"Vittoria, what do you mean a certain type of matter? There is only one type of matter, and it – † Kohler stopped short. Vittoria’s expression was triumphant. â€Å"You’ve lectured on it yourself, director. The universe contains two kinds of matter. Scientific fact.† Vittoria turned to Langdon. â€Å"Mr. Langdon, what does the Bible say about the Creation? What did God create?† Langdon felt awkward, not sure what this had to do with anything. â€Å"Um, God created†¦ light and dark, heaven and hell – â€Å" â€Å"Exactly,† Vittoria said. â€Å"He created everything in opposites. Symmetry. Perfect balance.† She turned back to Kohler. â€Å"Director, science claims the same thing as religion, that the Big Bang created everything in the universe with an opposite.† â€Å"Including matter itself,† Kohler whispered, as if to himself. Vittoria nodded. â€Å"And when my father ran his experiment, sure enough, two kinds of matter appeared.† Langdon wondered what this meant. Leonardo Vetra created matter’s opposite? Kohler looked angry. â€Å"The substance you’re referring to only exists elsewhere in the universe. Certainly not on earth. And possibly not even in our galaxy!† â€Å"Exactly,† Vittoria replied, â€Å"which is proof that the particles in these canisters had to be created.† Kohler’s face hardened. â€Å"Vittoria, surely you can’t be saying those canisters contain actual specimens?† â€Å"I am.† She gazed proudly at the canisters. â€Å"Director, you are looking at the world’s first specimens of antimatter.† How to cite Angels Demons Chapter 16-19, Essay examples