Humans As Rational Animals
Philosopher Daniel Dennet talks about the argument that humans are unique because we are rational. Professor Dennett points out examples of other animals which are also capable of taking actions based on rationality. The difference, he notes, is tha...
Scientific Method: From Bacon to Popper, The
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the impact of Sir Francis Bacon and Karl Popper on scientific inquiry. Ultimately, Professor Hacking concludes, science is neither all theory nor all experiment but, rather, an intimate interaction between what we...
Petroleum Production and Transportation: Avoiding Environmental Problems in Transportation of Oil
In 1989, a breakdown in communications and a lapse in procedure caused the Exxon Valdez to run aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound, spilling 11 million gallons of Alaska crude. In the wake of this costly disaster, Congress enacted the Oil...
Petroleum Production and Transportation: Extraction of Crude Oil
Oil production typically starts with exploration that uses seismology and drilling to locate geological formations that contain oil. To access an oil reservoir, a drilling platform is placed over the site. At the bottom of the rotating drill pipe l...
Petroleum Production and Transportation: Petroleum Production Waste Streams
Because petroleum sources can be found in vastly different regions, producers must mitigate the impact of crude oil production on its surrounding ecosystems. The principal waste stream from production at ARCO's Coles-Levee field in California is co...
Petroleum Production and Transportation: Transportation of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products
Transportation of crude and petroleum products via pipeline and marine vessels is an integral part of the oil industry. The products are also stored in large tank farms. Over land, pipelines handle most of this load, transporting crude oil (dark p...
Decade of Discord: Presidential Election of 1860, The
John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry is a divisive and controversial aspect of the politics leading to the 1860 election. Abraham Lincoln speaks out against slavery in an 1859 tour that launches his candidacy. Meanwhile the Democratic party splits in...
Decade of Discord: Mini Civil War Rages over Kansas Vote
Outsiders attempt to influence territorial elections in Kansas in 1855 and as a result a pro-slavery territorial legislature is fraudulently elected. President Pierce decides to accept election results rather than intervene and stir up trouble, but ...
Determined to be Heard: Challenging the Melting Pot Ideal
The determination of minority groups to forge a stronger cultural identity challenges the idea of the "melting pot" and becomes a threat to the idea of America for some citizens. Historian Gary Gerstle compares two very different Italian filmmakers:...
Decade of Discord: Transcontinental Railroad, The
Democrat Franklin Pierce wins the presidency in 1852 vowing to maintain national harmony. But as Western territories once considered unfit for cultivation begin to open up, questions of slave versus free again take center stage. Even the route of th...