The Nature And Purpose Of Business Research

The Nature And Purpose Of Business Research Abstract: The paper seeks to demonstrate the importance of business research for the organizations in terms of marketing and collection of data. Various concepts of business research and its requirements have been thoroughly discussed in this paper. This research papers further explores the different methods and techniques for writing the business research. The classification of data and the limitations and reliability of each class has also been discussed. Finally, the other methods of data collection such as questionnaires, interviews and surveys are discussed to elaborate the concept of data collection. The paper, thus, seeks to identify the various ways of collecting data to carry out a business research in an effective and efficient manner. Introduction: A thorough, complete and well-organized research is the only tool for different organizations to get the overview of their targeted audience. Particularly in business related research, there are various research modules that are carried out in order to understand the marketing trends and patterns. For instance, what are the current needs and wants of the customers and clients in the market and how can the organization meet those needs in an easily accessible manner, the best prices for customers needs, how can you compete efficiently with your competitors and with whom you have to keep well collaborative terms (Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.33). Therefore, there are different research methods depending on the requirements of an individual organization: Planning a Research: The basic step in order to plan a research related to any purpose of any organization depends heavily on what are the requirements of that organization. Thus, you must know your primary objectives that would help you collect the relevant data and information and makes you design a well-organized and precisely targeted research plan. These objectives may include, a current frequent complaint by customers regarding a particular product or service, need to improve a particular service for customers, need to get a high amount of loan from a bank or a fund provider, and the like (Sumner, 2005). Thus, deciding your objectives at first will not only improve the efficiency of your research, but also save you lots of time that you might have spent researching random objectives. Here are the top ten factors that should be kept in mind in order to bring out the best possible plan for any research: You should be precise about the sole objective of the research. You should know before planning research that what goals you want to achieve, what objectives are there that you want to pursue through this research. The clearer you are in your approach, the better results you will most likely get. What will be the information regarding a particular product or service that will make you take the correct decision. For instance, the weakness and strength of a product or service, the failure of a particular product, etc. The audience of the research is another critical factor for carrying out any kind of research. You should be aware of what audience you are going to target for a particular research. The audience may include customers, employees, shareholders, fund provider, bankers, etc. The source of information is also a very crucial part of any research. The research that will provide you information can depend on your objects as it may have consumers, employees, managers, etc. You should also know the deadline for a particular research. As a deadline helps keep the research precise to a particular time only. You should also be aware about the sources that would collect the data and information from different audience. How much can you afford to conduct a research? How much time you are ready to spend in conducting the research? Last but certainly not the least, what will be the methods of collecting information or conducting the research itself. These methods may include, interviews, observation of the targeted audience, case studies, listening, surveys, and the like. Nature and purpose of business research: No hard and fast rules can be described in order to express the purpose of a business research. The reason is simple; each business research depends on the situation and the person or organization that is carrying out the research. However, only one thing is sure that the general purpose of any business research is to get success in the future. It is an undeniable fact that every individual or organization enters the market hoping to gain massive profits. Thus, the primary objective of any business research can be explained as an attempt to improve the sales and income ratio of the company (Hair et al, 2011, p. 82). In addition, it helps the government agencies in obtaining a sort of financial support (Gravetter and Forzano, 2008, p.495). Therefore, conducting a business research will let you understand the trend of the market and what are the needs of the markets and if you would be able to respond to those needs in an efficient manner. You will have to sell only such products or services that the market requires; otherwise, you will have no sale at all. As it is the first rule of entering any market along with your business that never enter a market without knowing each and everything about it. Hence, you should make sure that everything is planned out for even worse of the scenarios. However, if you have done a thorough research, then you can have massive gain in profit in near future. Methods of writing a research proposal: There are various types of research proposal depending on the needs of the research and its purpose. Writing a research proposal for a business is one of those proposals that require a great deal of skills in order to achieve the desired results. The exact research proposal of each organization is different according to its needs and objectives. However, the basic outline can stay the same for almost all the business research proposals (Gravetter and Forzano, 2008, p.495). Title The title of a business research proposal should be attractive enough to catch the attention of the readers in instance of a second and make them curious. However, it should be short and concise, but informative to give an overview picture of the research. Abstract Different sections of the research proposal should be summarized in 3-4 sentences that should relate to the general objective of the research. The key points and facts and figures of a research should be the part of this section. Introduction The introductory part of a research proposal is another important aspect of the proposal. It should state the research purpose in the business context. However, there are two important theses in the introduction. The opening thesis should state the problem properly for which the research is being conducted and expected to be resolved through the research. Meanwhile, the thesis statement should state the expected outcome and the measures that get decided as a result of the research. Features of literature review The literature review of a research proposal is the heart and soul of the research. The feature of literature review is that it justifies and gives arguments to conduct research in the future and shows the already possessed knowledge by the writer ((Bryman and Bell, 2007, p.94). Thus, the core purpose of literature review is that the writer of the research proposal have carried out an extensive research and grasped a large area of the knowledge regarding the research and that the writer is well-aware of the problems and have learned the new theories and patterns. On the other hand, literature review should be strong enough to show a massive gap between the theory or business practice. Methods This section of the research proposal should provide a thorough outline of the activities and methods that the writer have planned to carry out during the research. If the writer of the research wants to achieve success in a research proposal, the methods should be discussed and analyzed that can be used to collect data, information, facts and figures from different source. The top three primary activities for conducting a research are to do surveys, have face-to-face interviews and have focused groups. On the other hand, the sources for secondary activities may be market reports, financial and legal documents, executive publication, etc. Nevertheless, the focus on this section should be on the time to complete any particular activity, materials, script for interviews, etc. All in all, the more thorough and descriptive the data are, the better will be the research proposal. Conclusion The conclusion of a research proposal should state a brief review of all the aspects of the research including the problems, the activities going to be used to counter them and the methods that will benefit a business in theory and in practice (McNabb, 2010, p. 126). Planning a literature search It is always a tricky task to plan a literature search to grasp the relevant, adequate and up-to-date literature. Making sure this thing will actually help you compare your current literature search with the ones that has been conducted in the past. It can really be a time-consuming task for any student. However, if you plan well ahead, then the chance of wrapping it up quickly increases (Hart, 2001). Meanwhile, the best way to bring out everything out of your mind is to use the brainstorming technique. Thus, start your research without concentrating on a single objective and does the literature search from a broader aspect. You can then plan your strategy for the search and then reexamine it with friends or your tutor. Further, you should keep the following information with you, when you are going to discuss with your tutor: The parameters of the literature search should be well explained in an organized manner. The collected databases and the number of different search engines you used to carry out the search. The keywords that you targeted along with the terms or phrases you used for searching purpose. What are the criteria that you have used in search of your literature and the basis on which you collected different data and information? Different approaches to research There are different approaches to conduct a research related to any aspects of life. Few of the most important and crucial approaches to conduct a research are explained below: Primary Research: Primary research is the most widely used approach to conduct a research. It includes the construction and conduction of different surveys, interviews, questioners, etc. to the top-notch people of media and different industries having a diary of log of data. For instance, this research may be about observing what women or men have been doing on television for a whole week. Therefore, the research can be extensive, complex and difficult to conduct. Hence, it requires a much more committed and dedicated efforts to conduct the research. However, if your research is an extensive and thorough project or assignment, then these kinds of researches can be the best available option in terms of choosing a method to conduct a research (Norris and Ortega, 2006). Secondary Print and Multimedia Sources: This method of conducting a research is less complicated and easy to carry out. It deals with the collection of data and information from print media like newspapers, books. Printed statistics issued by different organizations, etc. and from multimedia like radio, television, etc. Hence, these sources can provide a very firm base for statistics, remarks, interviews, collected research details and so many of the other valuable information. Since, most of the part of the research in this approach is collected by these resources and hence makes the job fairly easy enough to just organize the information and present it in a professional manner. Secondary Online Sources: This kind of method of conducting a research can be a tricky one. Most of the people can do a thorough research online, but they will have to compare the information and the source of information as well. Since, most people believe whatever they see online, but it is not entirely true. A website stating a fact or figure does not mean it is true, as there are millions of fake websites roaming around online. Thus, only the official websites can provide the real fact and figures about different surveys and researches conducted at an official level. However, it can be difficult for people to differentiate between a fake and an official website, but the doubt can be put to rest by watching the URL. If a website ends up with an extension like .edu, .ac, .org, etc. then the website is of an official level. Meanwhile, any regular website or blog cannot be termed as an official until or unless confirmed by contacting them. However, these sources provide a good base for the data collection and it is relatively easier to collect the data through these sources (Kotler and Armstrong, 2008). Comparison: After collecting different data and information from different sources, you need to compare and analyze them. One cannot simply rely on something that he found on television, book or anywhere before getting any further information via different sources. Thus, comparison and analysis of the already collected information is an important part to conduct an efficient research. Therefore, we can conclude that the collection and evaluation of the secondary that is the first pre requisite for the collection of the primary data (Malhotra, 2008). Definition of Secondary Data: Secondary data is a form of data that is readily available from the internal and external sources of the organization. Due to the frequent availability of this data within or from outside the organization, this form of data is much cheaper to obtain as compared to the primary data which may involve a lot of resources for the collection of data (Saunders, 2003). Sources of Secondary Data: There are two main sources for the collection of secondary data which are discussed below: Internal Sources: The Internal sources may include the internal experts, the reports that have been put forward by the organizations and also the internal conditions of the organization. All these things greatly facilitate the researcher to carry on his research after having an overview of the internal factors and internal knowledge of the organization (Winer, 2007). External Sources: The external sources reside outside the organization and the collection of data from the external sources is much more difficult as compared to the internal sources. This is due to the fact that data is huge and is spread on a wider scale. Thus its not an easy task to select some particular sources that may be helpful for the completion of the research. The external sources may well include government and non government publications along with the syndicate services like survey and mail delivery panel (Winer, 2007). Advantages of Secondary data There are quite a few advantages that have been associated with the collection of the secondary data. As previously mentioned, it is not only economical but also save a lot of effort and time. It give the researcher a complete overview of his research and after the collection of the secondary data the user is well aware of the deficiencies in data that are still there which can be overcome with the help of primary sources. This data mainly concentrates on providing a way to the researcher to understand the problem statement in a more efficient and comprehensive way (Saunders, 2003). Limitations of Secondary Research Apart from the above mentioned disadvantages, there are some limitations of secondary data as well which are associated with the secondary researches that also need to be kept in mind. When going for the secondary data, the accuracy issue might be a substantial one. It is not really assured that the data obtained from the secondary research is of accurate nature. Thus one cannot go blindly on the results obtained from the secondary research. These results can be important but surely not the final one. It is also an issue that data from secondary research may be outdated due to the fact that the secondary data is generally obtained from the employees within or outside the organization. Thus there is a chance that the information can be obsolete. Keeping this in view, it is strongly recommended that secondary research should be carried out; however the results cannot be deduced by seeing the results of this research alone. The final results should be the combined effect of the secondar y as well as the primary research (Saunders, 2003). Evaluating the Secondary Data While evaluating the secondary data, there are some essential requirements that need to be satisfied before going for that particular secondary data. These are: Availability: It has to been seen that whether that secondary data for which one is going is easily accessible or not. Relevance: The data which one is going to use should meet the requirements of the research to be carried out. The concepts should be same as that of the proposed research and also the units used are not outdated. Accuracy: This is an important factor which should be considered before going for the secondary data. For finding the accuracy of the data the user can determine the margin of error, the dependability of that particular source and finally the authenticity of that data. If all these three conditions are satisfied then the data can be termed as accurate enough to be used for the research. Sufficiency: Finally there is a sufficiency factor. The data that is available should be sufficient enough to cover all the desired topics Sampling of Primary Data: The data which is never taken before and is collected by the researchers on the first hand is known as primary data. The data which is obtained as a result of primary research may be huge and needs to be filter out in order to make it more rational for the research. This process of filtering out is known as the sampling of the primary data. In the sampling process, one makes sure that which group will provide the best information. Obviously there are a lot of groups; thus sampling is important in the collection of the primary data (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). There are a large number of benefits that are associated with the process of sampling of the data. First of all accuracy is one of the main benefit that can be assured after the sampling of the primary data. One can also increase the scope of the data by this strategy. When sampling is being done, the researcher is supposed to question specific group of people as stated by the aims and objectives of the research. In this scenario, gathering the data from limited number of groups will provide a way to the user to better concentrate on his required objectives. Using of samples may also decrease the errors in the collected data as the researcher is now only focused towards specific community as a result of sampling. Thus the margin of error will be minimized in the process of sampling (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). The sampling frame is an important term in this regard which includes the list of all those people from which the sample is going to be taken. It is better to make a new list for the research as the already existing list which may include schools student lists, call center lists etc might be outdated and hence cant be used. The researcher needs to update the previously made list and add the new list of peoples to form a complete sampling frame (Hodges and Videto, 2010, p-98). Data Collection by Observation In the last couple of centuries, the collection of the data by observation is of particular interest especially in the collection of scientific data. The world of science is doing their research majorly on the basis of the observation of the scientists. Thus most of the scientists collect the relevant data on the basis of observation. However in the present age, the most of the research is being done in the field of sociological sciences in which majority of the research is based on the other data collection methods. Data Collection by Interviews: Data collection with the help of interviews is an important strategy that is being used by most of the researchers. Interview is an effective mean of data collection which is well suited for assessing the behavioral characteristics. The interviews are of flexible nature and can be taken in variety of different scenarios. It is the only way that enables the researcher to have direct conversation. After having an interview the researcher comes in a better position to know more about the problems, challenges and the limitations of that particular organization. This will obviously assist him in carrying out the research in a better way (Brown, 2006, p.162). Semi-structured and in depth Interviews Semi-structured interview is a type of interview that is carried out by using an interview guide. The guide contains the questions that need to be discussed during the interview in order to have maximum benefit from the interview. This is actually a kind of pre-planned interview which is meant for short time. The interview is often considered to somehow superior than the survey due to the fact that the answerer is not restricted anymore to limit his answer whereas in case of survey there are specific options to choose from. Thus an interview gives a sense of freedom to a person to express his/her views in a more convincing way (Geerlings, J. n.d., p.28). Collecting Data by Questionnaires Data collection by questionnaires along with interviews is probably the most commonly used method for the data collection. The questionnaire is basically a set of different questions that is put forward by the researcher in order to gain maximum information about the subject. Some basic types of questionnaires that are being used are Postal questionnaires, Online, Face to face and also telephonic questionnaires. While carrying out the research it is important for the researcher to be aware of the fact that whether the questionnaire is the right mean for the collection of data or not. Questionnaires are usually appropriate for those scenarios where data required is relatively simple, quantitative in nature and required from large number of people (Gratton and Jones, 2010). Questionnaire design A questionnaire is an organized technique that is used to conduct research by collecting the primary data in a survey. Questionnaire can be of any form, i.e. verbal or written. However, the basic goal of designing a Questionnaire is to encourage the respondent to provide accurate and complete information (Brace, 2008). Although questionnaire is the primary tool for collecting data, but there are other components as well that make a research complete and accurate. These components may include, developing a reward system for the respondents, communication methods, field-work, and the like. Basic steps for designing a Questionnaire: The process of designing a questionnaire is a step by step method which should be carried out with a great care (Stevens, 2006, p. 139). No matter which research you are pursuing, but a well-organized and professionally design questionnaire should possess the following guidelines: The first and foremost thing that should be kept in mind before designing a questionnaire is that you should determine the actual information you are looking for and put that in front of you all the time to keep the track in check. The more target information you try to seek, the better will be the outcome of the whole questionnaire. You should determine which form of answers you will provide as an option in a questionnaire to the respondents. The sequence of the questions should make sense and form a fluent flow to keep the respondent interested in the questionnaire. General question material should be put aside and determined to obtain the desired information. One of the most important steps is to determine what kind of question structure and methods of administrating a questionnaire should be used. You should be collecting a set of questions that can bring out more and more information from a respondent without making them bored. Meanwhile, the medium of administrating a questionnaire is a crucial step as well. For instance, a long questionnaire over a telephone call will not give you any proper information, but annoy the respondent. Qualitative data and its reliability Reliability is one of the major characteristics for determining the quality of the data collected and observed. The idea is used in almost all kinds of research. Therefore, a good qualitative data can give a huge boost to the quality of the research. Similarly, a less reliable qualitative data will blur the real picture of the situation and can become immensely confusing. However, the different between the qualitative and the quantitative research that makes the concept of reliability irrelevant in the qualitative research (Silverman, 2006). Meanwhile, there were three questions by Patton (2001) for the credibility of the qualitative research; here are those questions that were raised against the reliability of the qualitative data: What assumptions are taken? What approach and strategy was used to keep the validity, accuracy and integrity of the findings in check? What experience and qualification does the researcher possess that could help the course of the survey? Presenting and analysing data Presenting and analyzing the collected data is the most crucial part of any research (Israel, 2008). Even if the data you collected is reliable and has a good credibility, but the analysis goes wrong, then the whole research will become of no use. Therefore, the data should be organized and the analysis should be made in a decent sequence. First, before you start the analyzing questionnaires, interviews, statistics, etc. you should review the basic reason behind carrying out the whole research itself. For instance, if the reason behind conducting research for you is to improve a particular product or service, then the analysis should be made accordingly, i.e. the strong points, weak points and the suggestions to improve the product or service. On the other hand, if the basic reason behind the survey is to analyze the mechanism of your program, then the customers, clients, employees, etc. should go through your program. Basic analysis presentation of data of Quantitative Information The basic analysis and presentation of Quantitative Information can be performed by the following guidelines: First of all, backup of information collected is a must. Make copies of the data and use the copied version of the data in order to make changes, edit or improve the data. Giving answers in range looks a more sophisticated way to present the data. For example, 10 of the 50 people were ranked on the 1st place. Calculating a mean or average of the data collected is a much more organized manner to show ratings and rankings. An average of 30.7 seems much more professional then quoting the exact figures four, five times. It is important to use tabular form to present the data in terms of ratings and rankings. However, a yes or a no answer should be placed next to each question. Basic analysis presentation of data of Qualitative Information The basic analysis and presentation of Qualitative Information can be performed by the following guidelines: Re-read the complete data and review if there are any mistakes. Strong point, weakness and suggestion should all be labeled accordingly to make it presentable. Once the qualitative data is collected, the next step is a very critical one that is to analyze the data. You should keep a close eye on the data and analyze it thoroughly to form different patterns, trends, similarity, association or any kind of relationships between the two terms. For instance, people of age 30 or less liked music more than the older ones, etc. Never discard the only conducted research, as you might need it for future references or research. The Final Analysis, Presentation and Interpretation of Data The final analysis presentation of data for conclusion is the heart and soul of a research. It shows what your goals were and what you achieved through conducting the research. Thus, a professional looking, well-organized evaluation of the research should be presented to the companys employees and managers to improve the products and service of the organization (If the survey was conducted for the evaluation of the products and services of a company). Show brief information about what results you expected and what was the result that you found? If it was a performance evaluation research, make sure to label the good and the bad of the performance according to the research. If it was a program evaluation, then give a proper place to the peoples experience section and try to learn the common findings from the experience of people who took part in the research. After the complete interpretation of the collected data and information, a reporting result should be presented expressing concerns, recommendations and the association of different facts and figures that could help the cause of the survey. Conclusion: In this modern era, the need of carrying out a business research to sort out different problems which an organization may face as well as to determine the reliability and effectiveness of a particular project has become extremely vital. Business research, however, need to be carried out in an effective and efficient manner to draw accurate results. The most important part of the business research is the data collection. Primary data and secondary data are the two categories in which the data can be classified. For accurate results, it is requisite that both primary data and secondary data should be considered. Data can be collected through various ways such as interviews, surveys and questionnaires. Whatever the method of data collection is, it should be ensured that the results are drawn out after the careful analysis of all the available data.

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 2 Flight

TRANTOR-†¦ The capital of the First Galactic Empire†¦ Under Cleon I, it had its â€Å"twilight glow.† To all appearances, it was then at its peak. Its land surface of 200 million square kilometers was entirely domed (except for the Imperial Palace area) and underlaid with an endless city that extended beneath the continental shelves. The population was 40 billion and although the signs were plentiful (and clearly visible in hindsight) that there were gathering problems, those who lived on Trantor undoubtedly found it still the Eternal World of legend and did not expect it would ever†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 6. Seldon looked up. A young man was standing before him, looking down at him with an expression of amused contempt. Next to him was another young man-a bit younger, perhaps. Both were large and appeared to be strong. They were dressed in an extreme of Trantorian fashion, Seldon judged-boldly clashing colors, broad fringed belts, round hats with wide brims all about and the two ends of a bright pink ribbon extending from the brim to the back of the neck. In Seldon's eyes, it was amusing and he smiled. The young man before him snapped, â€Å"What're you grinning at, misfit?† Seldon ignored the manner of address and said gently, â€Å"Please pardon my smile. I was merely enjoying your costume.† â€Å"My costume? So? And what are you wearing? What's that awful offal you call clothes?† His hand went out and his finger flicked at the lapel of Seldon's jacket-disgracefully heavy and dull, Seldon himself thought, in comparison to the other's lighthearted colors. Seldon said, â€Å"I'm afraid it's my Outworlder clothes. They're all I have.† He couldn't help notice that the few others who were sitting in the small park were rising to their feet and walking off. It was as though they were expecting trouble and had no desire to remain in the vicinity. Seldon wondered if his new friend, Hummin, was leaving too, but he felt it injudicious to take his eyes away from the young man who was confronting him. He teetered back on his chair slightly. The young man said, â€Å"You an Outworlder?† â€Å"That's right. Hence my clothes.† â€Å"Hence? What kind of word's that? Outworld word?† â€Å"What I meant was, that was why my clothes seem peculiar to you. I'm a visitor here.† â€Å"From what planet?† â€Å"Helicon.† The young man's eyebrows drew together. â€Å"Never heard of it.† â€Å"It's not a large planet.† â€Å"Why don't you go back there?† â€Å"I intend to. I'm leaving tomorrow.† â€Å"Sooner! Now!† The young man looked at his partner. Seldon followed the look and caught a glimpse of Hummin. He had not left, but the park was now empty except for himself, Hummin, and the two young men. Seldon said, â€Å"I'd thought I'd spend today sight-seeing.† â€Å"No. You don't want to do that. You go home now.† Seldon smiled. â€Å"Sorry. I won't.† The young man said to his partner. â€Å"You like his clothes, Marbie?† Marbie spoke for the first time. â€Å"No. Disgusting. Turns the stomach.† â€Å"Can't let him go around turning stomachs, Marbie. Not good for people's health.† â€Å"No, not by no means, Alem,† said Marbie. Alem grinned. â€Å"Well now. You heard what Marbie said.† And now Hummin spoke. He said, â€Å"Look, you two, Alem, Marbie, whatever your names are. You've had your fun. Why don't you go away?† Alem, who had been leaning slightly toward Seldon, straightened and turned. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"That's not your business,† snapped Hummin. â€Å"You're Trantorian?† asked Alem. â€Å"Also not your business.† Alem frowned and said, â€Å"You're dressed Trantorian. We're not interested in you, so don't go looking for problems.† â€Å"I intend to stay. That means there are two of us. Two against two doesn't sound like your kind of fight. Why don't you go away and get some friends so you can handle two people?† Seldon said, â€Å"I really think you ought to get away if you can, Hummin. It's kind of you to try to protect me, but I don't want you harmed.† â€Å"These are not dangerous people, Seldon. Just half-credit lackeys.† â€Å"Lackeys!† The word seemed to infuriate Alem, so that Seldon thought it must have a more insulting meaning on Trantor than it had on Helicon. â€Å"Here, Marbie,† said Alem with a growl. â€Å"You take care of that other motherlackey and I'll rip the clothes off this Seldon. He's the one we want. Now-â€Å" His hands came down sharply to seize Seldon's lapels and jerk him upright. Seldon pushed away, instinctively it would seem, and his chair tipped backward. He seized the hands stretched toward him, his foot went up, and his chair went down. Somehow Alem streaked overhead, turning as he did so, and came down hard on his neck and back behind Seldon. Seldon twisted as his chair went down and was quickly on his feet, staring down at Alem, then looking sharply to one side for Marbie. Alem lay unmoving, his face twisted in agony. He had two badly sprained thumbs, excruciating pain in his groin, and a backbone that had been badly jarred. Hummin's left arm had grabbed Marbie's neck from behind and his right arm had pulled the other's right arm backward at a vicious angle. Marbie's face was red as he labored uselessly for breath. A knife, glittering with a small laser inset, lay on the ground beside them. Hummin eased his grip slightly and said, with an air of honest concern, â€Å"You've hurt that one badly.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'm afraid so. If he had fallen a little differently, he would have snapped his neck.† Hummin said, â€Å"What kind of a mathematician are you?† â€Å"A Heliconian one.† He stooped to pick up the knife and, after examining it, said, â€Å"Disgusting-and deadly.† Hummin said, â€Å"An ordinary blade would do the job without requiring a power source.-But let's let these two go. I doubt they want to continue any further.† He released Marbie, who rubbed first his shoulder then his neck. Gasping for air, he turned hate-filled eyes on the two men. Hummin said sharply, â€Å"You two had better get out of here. Otherwise we'll have to give evidence against you for assault and attempted murder. This knife can surely be traced to you.† Seldon and Hummin watched while Marbie dragged Alem to his feet and then helped him stagger away, still bent in pain. They looked back once or twice, but Seldon and Hummin watched impassively. Seldon held out his hand. â€Å"How do I thank you for coming to the aid of a stranger against two attackers? I doubt I would have been able to handle them both on my own.† Hummin raised his hand in a deprecatory manner. â€Å"I wasn't afraid of them. They're just street-brawling lackeys. All I had to do was get my hands on them-and yours, too, of course.† â€Å"That's a pretty deadly grip you have,† Seldon mused. Hummin shrugged. â€Å"You too.† Then, without changing his tone of voice, he said, â€Å"Come on, we'd better get out of here. We're wasting time.† Seldon said, â€Å"Why do we have to get away? Are you afraid those two will come back?† â€Å"Not in their lifetime. But some of those brave people who cleared out of the park so quickly in their eagerness to spare themselves a disagreeable sight may have alerted the police.† â€Å"Fine. We have the hoodlums' names. And we can describe them fairly well.† â€Å"Describe them? Why would the police want them?† â€Å"They committed an assault-â€Å" â€Å"Don't be foolish. We don't have a scratch. They're virtually hospital bait, especially Alem. We're the ones who will be charged.† â€Å"But that's impossible. Those people witnessed the fact that-â€Å" â€Å"No people will be called.-Seldon, get this into your head. Those two came to find you-specifically you. They were told you were wearing Heliconian clothes and you must have been described precisely. Perhaps they were even shown a holograph. I suspect they were sent by the people who happen to control the police, so let's not wait any longer.† Hummin hurried off, his hand gripping Seldon's upper arm. Seldon found the grip impossible to shake and, feeling like a child in the hands of an impetuous nurse, followed. They plunged into an arcade and, before Seldon's eyes grew accustomed to the dimmer light, they heard the burring sound of a ground-car's brakes. â€Å"There they are,† muttered Hummin. â€Å"Faster, Seldon.† They hopped onto a moving corridor and lost themselves in the crowd. 7. Seldon had tried to persuade Hummin to take him to his hotel room, but Hummin would have none of that. â€Å"Are you mad?† he half-whispered. â€Å"They'll be waiting for you there.† â€Å"But all my belongings are waiting for me there too.† â€Å"They'll just have to wait.† And now they were in a small room in a pleasant apartment structure that might be anywhere for all that Seldon could tell. He looked about the one-room unit. Most of it was taken up by a desk and chair, a bed, and a computer outlet. There were no dining facilities or washstand of any kind, though Hummin had directed him to a communal washroom down the hall. Someone had entered before Seldon was quite through. He had cast one brief and curious look at Seldon's clothes, rather than at Seldon himself, and had then looked away. Seldon mentioned this to Hummin, who shook his head and said, â€Å"We'll have to get rid of your clothes. Too bad Helicon is so far out of fashion-â€Å" Seldon said impatiently, â€Å"How much of this might just be your imagination, Hummin? You've got me half-convinced and yet it may be merely a kind of†¦ of-â€Å" â€Å"Are you groping for the word ‘paranoia'?† â€Å"All right, I am. This may be some strange paranoid notion of yours.† Hummin said, â€Å"Think about it, will you? I can't argue it out mathematically, but you've seen the Emperor. Don't deny it. He wanted something from you and you didn't give it to him. Don't deny that either. I suspect that details of the future are what he wants and you refused. Perhaps Demerzel thinks you're only pretending not to have the details-that you're holding out for a higher price or that someone else is bidding for it too. Who knows? I told you that if Demerzel wants you, he'll get you wherever you are. I told you that before those two splitheads ever appeared on the scene. I'm a journalist and a Trantorian. I know how these things go. At one point, Alem said, ‘He's the one we want.' Do you remember that?† â€Å"As it happens,† said Seldon. â€Å"I do.† â€Å"To him I was only the ‘other motherlackey' to be kept off, while he went about the real job of assaulting you.† Hummin sat down in the chair and pointed to the bed. â€Å"Stretch out, Seldon. Make yourself comfortable. Whoever sent those two-it must have been Demerzel, in my opinion-can send others, so we'll have to get rid of those clothes of yours. I think any other Heliconian in this sector caught in his own world's garb is going to have trouble until he can prove he isn't you.† â€Å"Oh come on.† â€Å"I mean it. You'll have to take off the clothes and we'll have to atomize them-if we can get close enough to a disposal unit without being seen. And before we can do that I'll have to get you a Trantorian outfit. You're smaller than I am and I'll take that into account. It won't matter if it doesn't fit exactly-â€Å" Seldon shook his head. â€Å"I don't have the credits to pay for it. Not on me. What credits I have-and they aren't much-are in my hotel safe.† â€Å"We'll worry about that another time. You'll have to stay here for an hour or two while I go out in search of the necessary clothing.† Seldon spread his hands and sighed resignedly. â€Å"All right. If it's that important, I'll stay.† â€Å"You won't try to get back to your hotel? Word of honor?† â€Å"My word as a mathematician. But I'm really embarrassed by all the trouble you're taking for me. And expense too. After all, despite all this talk about Demerzel, they weren't really out to hurt me or carry me off. All I was threatened with was the removal of my clothes.† â€Å"Not all. They were also going to take you to the spaceport and put you on a hypership to Helicon.† â€Å"That was a silly threat-not to be taken seriously.† â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"I'm going to Helicon. I told them so. I'm going tomorrow.† â€Å"And you still plan to go tomorrow?† asked Hummin. â€Å"Certainly. Why not?† â€Å"There are enormous reasons why not.† Seldon suddenly felt angry. â€Å"Come on, Hummin, I can't play this game any further. I'm finished here and I want to go home. My tickets are in the hotel room. Otherwise I'd try to exchange them for a trip today. I mean it.† â€Å"You can't go back to Helicon.† Seldon flushed. â€Å"Why not? Are they waiting for me there too?† Hummin nodded. â€Å"Don't fire up, Seldon. They would be waiting for you there too. Listen to me. If you go to Helicon, you are as good as in Demerzel's hands. Helicon is good, safe Imperial territory. Has Helicon ever rebelled, ever fallen into step behind the banner of an anti-Emperor?† â€Å"No, it hasn't-and for good reason. It's surrounded by larger worlds. It depends on the Imperial peace for security.† â€Å"Exactly! Imperial forces on Helicon can therefore count on the full cooperation of the local government. You would be under constant surveillance at all times. Any time Demerzel wants you, he will be able to have you. And, except for the fact that I am now warning you, you would have no knowledge of this and you would be working in the open, filled with a false security.† â€Å"That's ridiculous. If he wanted me in Helicon, why didn't he simply leave me to myself? I was going there tomorrow. Why would he send those two hoodlums simply to hasten the matter by a few hours and risk putting me on my guard?† â€Å"Why should he think you would be put on your guard? He didn't know I'd be with you, immersing you in what you call my paranoia.† â€Å"Even without the question of warning me, why all the fuss to hurry me by a few hours?† â€Å"Perhaps because he was afraid you would change your mind.† â€Å"And go where, if not home? If he could pick me up on Helicon, he could pick me up anywhere. He could pick me up on†¦ on Anacreon, a good ten thousand parsecs away-if it should fall into my head to go there. What's distance to hyperspatial ships? Even if I find a world that's not quite as subservient to the Imperial forces as Helicon is, what world is in actual rebellion? The Empire is at peace. Even if some worlds are still resentful of injustices in the past, none are going to defy the Imperial armed forces to protect me. Moreover, anywhere but on Helicon I won't be a local citizen and there won't even be that matter of principle to help keep the Empire at bay.† Hummin listened patiently, nodding slightly, but looking as grave and as imperturbable as ever. He said, â€Å"You're right, as far as you go, but there's one world that is not really under the Emperor's control. That, I think, is what must be disturbing Demerzel.† Seldon thought a while, reviewing recent history and finding himself unable to choose a world on which the Imperial forces might be helpless. He said at last, â€Å"What world is that?† Hummin said, â€Å"You're on it, which is what makes the matter so dangerous in Demerzel's eyes, I imagine. It is not so much that he is anxious to have you go to Helicon, as that he is anxious to have you leave Trantor before it occurs to you, for any reason-even if only tourist's mania-to stay.† The two men sat in silence until Seldon finally said sardonically, â€Å"Trantor! The capital of the Empire, with the home base of the fleet on a space station in orbit about it, with the best units of the army quartered here. If you believe that it is Trantor that is the safe world, you're progressing from paranoia to outright fantasy.† â€Å"No! You're an Outworlder, Seldon. You don't know what Trantor is like. It's forty billion people and there are few other worlds with even a tenth of its population. It is of unimaginable technological and cultural complexity. Where we are now is the Imperial Sector-with the highest standard of living in the Galaxy and populated entirely by Imperial functionaries. Elsewhere on the planet, however, are over eight hundred other sectors, some of them with subcultures totally different from what we have here and most of them untouchable by Imperial forces.† â€Å"Why untouchable?† â€Å"The Empire cannot seriously exert force against Trantor. To do so would be bound to shake some facet or other of the technology on which the whole planet depends. The technology is so interrelated that to snap one of the interconnections is to cripple the whole. Believe me, Seldon, we on Trantor observe what happens when there is an earthquake that manages to escape being damped out, a volcanic eruption that is not vented in time, a storm that is not defused, or just some human error that escapes notice. The planet totters and every effort must be made to restore the balance at once.† â€Å"I have never heard of such a thing.† A small smile flickered its way across Hummin's face. â€Å"Of course not. Do you want the Empire to advertise the weakness at its core? However, as a journalist, I know what happens even when the Outworlds don't, even when much of Trantor itself doesn't, even when the Imperial pressure is interested in concealing events. Believe me! The Emperor knows-and Eto Demerzel knows-even if you don't, that to disturb Trantor may destroy the Empire.† â€Å"Then are you suggesting I stay on Trantor for that reason?† â€Å"Yes. I can take you to a place on Trantor where you will be absolutely safe from Demerzel. You won't have to change your name and you will be able to operate entirely in the open and he won't be able to touch you. That's why he wanted to force you off Trantor at once and if it hadn't been for the quirk of fate that brought us together and for your surprising ability to defend yourself, he would have succeeded in doing so.† â€Å"But how long will I have to remain on Trantor?† â€Å"For as long as your safety requires it, Seldon. For the rest of your life, perhaps.† 8. Hari Seldon looked at the holograph of himself cast by Hummin's projector. It was more dramatic and useful than a mirror would have been. In fact, it seemed as though there were two of him in the room. Seldon studied the sleeve of his new tunic. His Heliconian attitudes made him wish the colors were less vibrant, but he was thankful that, as it was, Hummin had chosen softer colors than were customary here on this world. (Seldon thought of the clothing worn by their two assailants and shuddered inwardly.) He said, â€Å"And I suppose I must wear this hat.† â€Å"In the Imperial Sector, yes. To go bareheaded here is a sign of low breeding. Elsewhere, the rules are different.† Seldon sighed. The round hat was made of soft material and molded itself to his head when he put it on. The brim was evenly wide all around, but it was narrower than on the hats his attackers had worn. Seldon consoled himself by noticing that when he wore the hat the brim curved rather gracefully. â€Å"It doesn't have a strap under the chin.† â€Å"Of course not. That's advanced fashion for young lanks.† â€Å"For young what?† â€Å"A lank is someone who wears things for their shock value. I'm sure you have such people on Helicon.† Seldon snorted. â€Å"There are those who wear their hair shoulder-length on one side and shave the other.† He laughed at the memory. Hummin's mouth twisted slightly. â€Å"I imagine it looks uncommonly ugly.† â€Å"Worse. There are lefties and righties, apparently, and each finds the other version highly offensive. The two groups often engage in street brawls.† â€Å"Then I think you can stand the hat, especially without the strap.† Seldon said, â€Å"I'll get used to it.† â€Å"It will attract some attention. It's subdued for one thing and makes you look as if you're in mourning. And it doesn't quite fit. Then, too, you wear it with obvious discomfort. However, we won't be in the Imperial Sector long.-Seen enough?† And the holograph flickered out. Seldon said, â€Å"How much did this cost you?† â€Å"What's the difference?† â€Å"It bothers me to be in your debt.† â€Å"Don't worry about it. This is my choice. But we've been here long enough. I will have been described, I'm quite certain. They'll track me down and they'll come here.† â€Å"In that case,† said Seldon, â€Å"the credits you're spending are a minor matter. You're putting yourself into personal danger on my account. Personal danger!† â€Å"I know that. But it's my free choice and I can take care of myself.† â€Å"But why-â€Å" â€Å"We'll discuss the philosophy of it later.-I've atomized your clothes, by the way, and I don't think I was seen. There was an energy surge, of course, and that would be recorded. Someone might guess what happened from that-it's hard to obscure any action when probing eyes and mind are sharp enough. However, let us hope we'll be safely away before they put it all together.† 9. They traveled along walkways where the light was soft and yellow. Hummin's eyes moved this way and that, watchful, and he kept their pace at crowd speed, neither passing nor being passed. He kept up a mild but steady conversation on indifferent topics. Seldon, edgy and unable to do the same, said, â€Å"There seems to be a great deal of walking here. There are endless lines in both directions and along the crossovers.† â€Å"Why not?† said Hummin. â€Å"Walking is still the best form of short-distance transportation. It's the most convenient, the cheapest, and the most healthful. Countless years of technological advance have not changed that.-Are you acrophobic, Seldon?† Seldon looked over the railing on his right into a deep declivity that separated the two walking lanes-each in an opposite direction between the regularly spaced crossovers. He shuddered slightly. â€Å"If you mean fear of heights, not ordinarily. Still, looking down isn't pleasant. How far does it go down?† â€Å"Forty or fifty levels at this point, I think. This sort of thing is common in the Imperial Sector and a few other highly developed regions. In most places, one walks at what might be considered ground level.† â€Å"I should imagine this would encourage suicide attempts.† â€Å"Not often. There are far easier methods. Besides, suicide is not a matter of social obloquy on Trantor. One can end one's life by various recognized methods in centers that exist for the purpose-if one is willing to go through some psychotherapy at first. There are, occasional accidents, for that matter, but that's not why I was asking about acrophobia. We're heading for a taxi rental where they know me as a journalist. I've done favors for them occasionally and sometimes they do favors for me in return. They'll forget to record me and won't notice that I have a companion. Of course, I'll have to pay a premium and, again of course, if Demerzel's people lean on them hard enough, they'll have to tell the truth and put it down to slovenly accounting, but that may take considerable time.† â€Å"Where does the acrophobia come in?† â€Å"Well, we can get there a lot faster if we use a gravitic lift. Not many people use it and I must tell you that I'm not overjoyed at the idea myself, but if you think you can handle it, we had better.† â€Å"What's a gravitic lift?† â€Å"It's experimental. The time may come when it will be widespread over Trantor, provided it becomes psychologically acceptable-or can be made so to enough people. Then, maybe, it will spread to other worlds too. It's an elevator shaft without an elevator cab, so to speak. We just step into empty space and drop slowly-or rise slowly-under the influence of antigravity. It's about the only application of antigravity that's been established so far, largely because it's the simplest possible application.† â€Å"What happens if the power blinks out while we're in transit?† â€Å"Exactly what you would think. We fall and-unless we're quite near the bottom to begin with-we die. I haven't heard of it happening yet and, believe me, if it had happened I would know. We might not be able to give out the news for security reasons-that's the excuse they always advance for hiding bad news-but I would know. It's just up ahead. If you can't manage it, we won't do it, but the corridors are slow and tedious and many find them nauseating after a while.† Hummin turned down a crossover and into a large recess where a line of men and women were waiting, one or two with children. Seldon said in a low voice, â€Å"I heard nothing of this back home. Of course, our own news media are terribly local, but you'd think there'd be some mention that this sort of thing exists.† Hummin said. â€Å"It's strictly experimental and is confined to the Imperial Sector. It uses more energy than it's worth, so the government is not really anxious to push it right now by giving it publicity. The old Emperor, Stanel VI, the one before Cleon who amazed everyone by dying in his bed, insisted on having it installed in a few places. He wanted his name associated with antigravity, they say, because he was concerned with his place in history, as old men of no great attainments frequently are. As I said, the technique may spread, but, on the other hand, it is possible that nothing much more than the gravitic lift will ever come of it.† â€Å"What do they want to come of it?† asked Seldon. â€Å"Antigrav spaceflight. That, however, will require many breakthroughs and most physicists, as far as I know, are firmly convinced it is out of the question. But, then, most thought that even gravitic lifts were out of the question.† The line ahead was rapidly growing shorter and Seldon found himself standing with Hummin at the edge of the floor with an open gap before him. The air ahead faintly glittered. Automatically, he reached out his hand and felt a light shock. It didn't hurt, but he snatched his hand back quickly. Hummin grunted. â€Å"An elementary precaution to prevent anyone walking over the edge before activating the controls.† He punched some numbers on the control board and the glitter vanished. Seldon peered over the edge, down the deep shaft. â€Å"You might find it better-or easier,† said Hummin, â€Å"if we link arms and if you close your eyes. It won't take more than a few seconds.† He gave Seldon no choice, actually. He took his arm and once again there was no hanging back in that firm grip. Hummin stepped into nothingness and Seldon (who heard himself, to his own embarrassment, emit a small squeak) shuffled off with a lurch. He closed his eyes tightly and experienced no sense of falling, no feeling of air movement. A few seconds passed and he was pulled forward. He tripped slightly, caught his balance, and found himself on solid ground. He opened his eyes, â€Å"Did we make it?† Hummin said dryly, â€Å"We're not dead,† then walked away, his grip forcing Seldon to follow. â€Å"I mean, did we get to the right level?† â€Å"Of course.† â€Å"What would have happened if we were dropping down and someone else was moving upward?† â€Å"There are two separate lanes. In one lane everyone drops at the same speed; in the other everyone rises at the same speed. The shaft clears only when there are no people within ten meters of each other. There is no chance of a collision if all works well.† â€Å"I didn't feel a thing.† â€Å"Why should you? There was no acceleration. After the first tenth of a second, you were at constant speed and the air in your immediate vicinity was moving down with you at the same speed.† â€Å"Marvelous.† â€Å"Absolutely. But uneconomic. And there seems no great pressure to increase the efficiency of the procedure and make it worthwhile. Everywhere one hears the same refrain. ‘We can't do it. It can't be done.' It applies to everything.† Hummin shrugged in obvious anger and said, â€Å"But we're here at the taxi rental. Let's get on with it.† 10. Seldon tried to look inconspicuous at the air-taxi rental terminus, which he found difficult. To look ostentatiously inconspicuous-to slink about, to turn his face away from all who passed, to study one of the vehicles overintently-was surely the way to invite attention. The way to behave was merely to assume an innocent normality. But what was normality? He felt uncomfortable in his clothes. There were no pockets, so he had no place to put his hands. The two pouches, which dangled from his belt on either side, distracted him by hitting against him as he moved, so that he was continually thinking someone had nudged him. He tried looking at women as they passed. They had no pouches, at least none dangling, but they carried little boxlike affairs that they occasionally clipped to one hip or another by some device he could not make out. It was probably pseudomagnetic, he decided. Their clothes were not particularly revealing, he noted regretfully, and not one had any sign of dcolletage, although some dresses seemed to be designed to emphasize the buttocks. Meanwhile, Hummin had been very businesslike, having presented the necessary credits and returned with the superconductive ceramic tile that would activate a specific air-taxi. Hummin said, â€Å"Get in, Seldon,† gesturing to a small two-seated vehicle. Seldon asked, â€Å"Did you have to sign your name, Hummin?† â€Å"Of course not. They know me here and don't stand on ceremony.† â€Å"What do they think you're doing?† â€Å"They didn't ask and I volunteered no information.† He inserted the tile and Seldon felt a slight vibration as the air-taxi came to life. â€Å"We're headed for D-7,† said Hummin, making conversation. Seldon didn't know what D-7 was, but he assumed it meant some route or other. The air-taxi found its way past and around other ground-cars and finally moved onto a smooth upward-slanting track and gained speed. Then it lifted upward with a slight jolt. Seldon, who had been automatically strapped in by a webbed restraint, felt himself pushed down into his seat and then up against the webbing. He said, â€Å"That didn't feel like antigravity.† â€Å"It wasn't,† said Hummin. â€Å"That was a small jet reaction. Just enough to take us up to the tubes.† What appeared before them now looked like a cliff patterned with cave openings, much like a checkerboard. Hummin maneuvered toward the D-7 opening, avoiding other air-taxis that were heading for other tunnels. â€Å"You could crash easily,† said Seldon, clearing his throat. â€Å"So I probably would if everything depended on my senses and reactions, but the taxi is computerized and the computer can overrule me without trouble. The same is true for the other taxis.-Here we go.† They slid into D-7 as if they had been sucked in and the bright light of the open plaza outside mellowed, turning a warmer yellow hue. Hummin released the controls and sat back. He drew a deep breath and said, â€Å"Well, that's one stage successfully carried through. We might have been stopped at the station. In here, we're fairly safe.† The ride was smooth and the walls of the tunnel slipped by rapidly. There was almost no sound, just a steady velvety whirr as the taxi sped along. â€Å"How fast are we going?† asked Seldon. Hummin cast an eye briefly at the controls. â€Å"Three hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.† â€Å"Magnetic propulsion?† â€Å"Yes. You have it on Helicon, I imagine.† â€Å"Yes. One line. I've never been on it myself, though I've always meant to. I don't think it's anything like this.† â€Å"I'm sure it isn't. Trantor has many thousands of kilometers of these tunnels honeycombing the land subsurface and a number that snake under the shallower extensions of the ocean. It's the chief method of long-distance travel.† â€Å"How long will it take us?† â€Å"To reach our immediate destination? A little over five hours.† â€Å"Five hours!† Seldon was dismayed. â€Å"Don't be disturbed. We pass rest areas every twenty minutes or so where we can stop, pull out of the tunnel, stretch our feet, eat, or relieve ourselves. I'd like to do that as few times as possible, of course.† They continued on in silence for a while and then Seldon started when a blaze of light flared at their right for a few seconds and, in the flash, he thought he saw two air-taxis. â€Å"That was a rest area,† said Hummin in answer to the unspoken question. Seldon said, â€Å"Am I really going to be safe wherever it is you are taking me?† Hummin said, â€Å"Quite safe from any open movement on the part of the Imperial forces. Of course, when it comes to the individual operator-the spy, the agent, the hired assassin-one must always be careful. Naturally, I will supply you with a bodyguard.† Seldon felt uneasy. â€Å"The hired assassin? Are you serious? Would they really want to kill me?† Hummin said, â€Å"I'm sure Demerzel doesn't. I suspect he wants to use you rather than kill you. Still, other enemies may turn up or there may be unfortunate concatenations of events. You can't go through life sleepwalking.† Seldon shook his head and turned his face away. To think, only forty-eight hours ago he had been just an insignificant, virtually unknown Outworld mathematician, content only to spend his remaining time on Trantor sight-seeing, gazing at the enormity of the great world with his provincial eye. And now, it was finally sinking in: He was a wanted man, hunted by Imperial forces. The enormity of the situation seized him and he shuddered. â€Å"And what about you and what you're doing right now?† Hummin said thoughtfully, â€Å"Well, they won't feel kindly toward me, I suppose. I might have my head laid open or my chest exploded by some mysterious and never-found assailant.† Hummin said it without a tremor in his voice or a change in his calm appearance, but Seldon winced. Seldon said, â€Å"I rather thought you would assume that might be in store for you. You don't seem to be†¦ bothered by it.† â€Å"I'm an old Trantorian. I know the planet as well as anybody can. I know many people and many of them are under obligation to me. I like to think that I am shrewd and not easy to outwit. In short, Seldon, I am quite confident that I can take care of myself.† â€Å"I'm glad you feel that way and I hope you're justified in thinking so, Hummin, but I can't get it through my head why you're taking this chance at all. What am I to you? Why should you take even the smallest risk for someone who is a stranger to you?† Hummin checked the controls in a preoccupied manner and then he faced Seldon squarely, eyes steady and serious. â€Å"I want to save you for the same reason that the Emperor wants to use you-for your predictive powers.† Seldon felt a deep pang of disappointment. This was not after all a question of being saved. He was merely the helpless and disputed prey of competing predators. He said angrily, â€Å"I will never live down that presentation at the Decennial Convention. I have ruined my life.† â€Å"No. Don't rush to conclusions, mathematician. The Emperor and his officers want you for one reason only, to make their own lives more secure. They are interested in your abilities only so far as they might be used to save the Emperor's rule, preserve that rule for his young son, maintain the positions, status, and power of his officials. I, on the other hand, want your powers for the good of the Galaxy.† â€Å"Is there a distinction?† spat Seldon acidly. And Hummin replied with the stern beginning of a frown, â€Å"If you do not see the distinction, then that is to your shame. The human occupants of the Galaxy existed before this Emperor who now rules, before the dynasty he represents, before the Empire itself. Humanity is far older than the Empire. It may even be far older than the twenty-five million worlds of the Galaxy. There are legends of a time when humanity inhabited a single world.† â€Å"Legends!† said Seldon, shrugging his shoulders. â€Å"Yes, legends, but I see no reason why that may not have been so in fact, twenty thousand years ago or more. I presume that humanity did not come into existence complete with knowledge of hyperspatial travel. Surely, there must have been a time when people could not travel at superluminal velocities and they must then have been imprisoned in a single planetary system. And if we look forward in time, the human beings of the worlds of the Galaxy will surely continue to exist after you and the Emperor are dead, after his whole line comes to an end, and after the institutions of the Empire itself unravel. In that case, it is not important to worry overmuch about individuals, about the Emperor and the young Prince Imperial. It is not important to worry even about the mechanics of Empire. What of the quadrillions of people that exist in the Galaxy? What of them?† Seldon said, â€Å"Worlds and people would continue, I presume.† â€Å"Don't you feel any serious need of probing the possible conditions under which they would continue to exist.† â€Å"One would assume they would exist much as they do now.† â€Å"One would assume. But could one know by this art of prediction that you speak of?† â€Å"Psychohistory is what I call it. In theory, one could.† â€Å"And you feel no pressure to turn that theory into practice.† â€Å"I would love to, Hummin, but the desire to do so doesn't automatically manufacture the ability to do so. I told the Emperor that psychohistory could not be turned into a practical technique and I am forced to tell you the same thing.† â€Å"And you have no intention of even trying to find the technique?† â€Å"No, I don't, any more than I would feel I ought to try to tackle a pile of pebbles the size of Trantor, count them one by one, and arrange them in order of decreasing mass. I would know it was not something I could accomplish in a lifetime and I would not be fool enough to make a pretense of trying.† â€Å"Would you try if you knew the truth about humanity's situation?† â€Å"That's an impossible question. What is the truth about humanity's situation? Do you claim to know it?† â€Å"Yes, I do. And in five words.† Hummin's eyes faced forward again, turning briefly toward the blank changelessness of the tunnel as it pushed toward them, expanding until it passed and then dwindling as it slipped away. He then spoke those five words grimly. He said, â€Å"The Galactic Empire is dying.†

The Essense of Nursing According to Imogene M. King

What is the essence of nursing? This is the question that Imogene M. King posed when she created a conceptual frame of reference for nursing. â€Å"King’s conceptual system included twelve concepts that were identified from her analysis of nursing literature – self, body image, role perception, communication, interaction, transaction, growth and development, power authority, organization, and decision making† (King, 1981). The concepts of self, perception, communication, interaction, transaction, role and decision making were selected to represent how individuals and groups in the health care system interact to achieve goals. This transaction model developed to represent the process whereby individuals interact to set goals that result in goal attainment† (King, 1981). The theory of goal attainment, developed by Imogene M. King, is based on the â€Å"assumption that human beings are the focus of nursing†¦. the goal of nursing is health: its promotion, maintenance, and/or restoration; the care of the sick or injured; and the care of the dying† (Khowaga, 2006). King's model consists of three interacting systems: personal, interpersonal, and social. The three interacting relationships involve the individual, nurse-client interaction and nursing. Nurse-client interactions are thought to be individual perceptions which influence the process of goal attainment. Nursing’s goal is to assist the individual and the communities achieve, preserve, and reclaim health. The theory emphasizes the importance of knowledge and information that the nurse and the client both bring to the relationship, working together to achieve goals. Imogene M. King’s conceptual framework is best described as a holistic view of the complexity in nursing and multiple health care systems. King stated, â€Å"This framework differs from other conceptual schema in that it is concerned not with fragmenting human beings and the environment but with human transactions in different types of environments† (King, 1995). The theory of goal attainment is in practice each time the nurse and patient interact throughout the course of treatment. King’s conceptual system has three systems that interact with each other. The first one being â€Å"The Personal Systems†, which is composed of the perception of self, growth and development, body image, space and time. The concepts within the personal system and fundamental in understanding human beings are perception, self, body image, growth and development, time, and space (King, 1981). King viewed perception as the most important variable because perception influences behavior. King stated that, individuals grow and develop through the life span; experiences with changes in structure and function of their bodies over time influence their perceptions of self. The second system is the â€Å"Interpersonal Systems†, which involves the interaction of a person, communication skills, role and stress. Interpersonal systems involve individuals interacting with one another. King refers to two individuals interacting as dyads, three individuals as triads, and four or more individuals as small or large groups (King, 1981). The concepts associated with interpersonal systems are interaction, transaction, communication, role and stress. The interactions and transactions that occur between the nurse and the client, or the dyad, represent an example of an interpersonal system. Communication between the nurse and the client can be classified as verbal or nonverbal. The third one is â€Å"The Social Systems†. This engages the process where a person is able to make decisions. The status of an individual is measured as well as authority. Social systems provide a framework for social interaction and relationships, and establish rules of behavior and courses of action (King, 1981). Examples of social systems include the family, the school, and the church. It is within these organizations that individual's beliefs, attitudes, values and customs are formed. The concepts that King identified as relating to social systems are organization, authority, power, status, and decision-making. These three systems interact with each other to make one mega system. This one system views the client as he/she relates to the environment. As a professional nurse, an assessment is needed of the client involved. It is necessary to have an initial baseline of how the client see himself/herself in relation to whatever the problem is. The nurse must make sure that the client(s) is ready to participate in his or her own health regime. Any concerns or misconceptions must be addressed. The nurse-client relationship must therapeutic. High levels of stress impede the client from having proper decisions technique. This theory of goal attainment can measure the outcomes of any client’s care. At the same it would also measure the nursing interventions implemented. King’s goal attainment brings two strangers to get the nurse whose offering the client help, and the client whose needs the help together for the purpose of reaching health. This theory can be used at any patient interview. Once the medical problem is presented a nurse can assess the client’s perception. Any fears or stressors can be addressed. The goal attainment theory develops good communication skills.

Sample Extraction Technique Is Necessary For Various Other...

Mel cepstral feature extraction technique is required in some or the other form in most of the latest speech and speaker recognition system. Here, first samples of speech are splitted into overlapping frames. Generally the length of frame is 25 ms and frame rate is 10 ms. Each and every frames are refined by pre-emphasis filter which amplifies higher frequencies. Next is to apply windowing so that Fourier spectrum for each windowing frame is achieved here Hamming window is used. To obtain vector of log energy, Mel spaced bank of filter is used which varies from 20 to 40 depending upon the requirement of particular application. The output of which is converted to give cepstral coefficients using DCT. Initially for computing the feature vector, 12 coefficients are obtained along with one energy make its 13 cepstral coefficient. The extended MFCC consist of triple differentiation. 1St order differentiation is known as Delta coefficient is denoted by _D which has 13 delta cepstral coefficients. 2Nd order differentiation is known as Acceleration coefficient is denoted by _A having 13 delta delta coefficients. 3Rd order differentiation is known as Third order (Triple delta) coefficient is denoted by _T which again has 13 triple delta coefficients. Its is said that standard MFCC is given by 39 feature vector and extended is given by 52 standard vector [1]. When training and testing is performed in noisy environment, there is severe mismatch which also effects the features.Show MoreRelatedContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pagesregistered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries Published in the United States by Oxford University Press Inc., New York ß Oxford University Press 2006 The moral rights of the author have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) First published 2006 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford UniversityRead MoreManaging Information Technology (7th Edition)239873 Words   |  960 PagesCONTENTS: CASE STUDIES CASE STUDY 1 Midsouth Chamber of Commerce (A): The Role of the Operating Manager in Information Systems CASE STUDY I-1 IMT Custom Machine Company, Inc.: Selection of an Information Technology Platform CASE STUDY I-2 VoIP2.biz, Inc.: Deciding on the Next Steps for a VoIP Supplier CASE STUDY I-3 The VoIP Adoption at Butler University CASE STUDY I-4 Supporting Mobile Health Clinics: The Children’s Health Fund of New York City CASE STUDY I-5