The Complexities of Love and Life- Connections in literature Essay

The Complexities of Love and Life- Connections in literature - Essay Example It is very difficult for a father to cry and they would often just take everything like funerals â€Å"in stride† but the mere fact that the father is visibly crying must have been such a moving scene. It is therefore a scene where one forgets about society’s conventions and just be true to one’s sentiments. The pain of the death of one’s child must have therefore been extraordinarily difficult even for a father. The mother is the same, her â€Å"angry tearless sighs† (13) indicating that she has no more tears to shed after perhaps crying terribly much. Moreover, the â€Å"hard blow† (6) and the fact that the boy is â€Å"paler† now (18) somehow illustrate both the painful and sentimental aspects of death. The boy must have been hit by a car and is now looking pale and lifeless. From the tears, one can see that this pain must have been extremely hard for the parents and the speaker to bear. In the same way, in Ransom’s poem, the imagery illustrates the pain of death, but rather in the form of vexation: â€Å"†¦we are ready/ In one house we are sternly stopped/ To say we are vexed at her brown study† (Ransom 17-19). This means that the people that the girl left behind may have been somehow pretending that she is still alive. Perhaps, they are too annoyed or â€Å"vexed† now because she remains stationary in her brown study or in hear dead state. Nevertheless, it is clear that the bereaved are merely in a state of denial, as they may still not be able to painfully digest the truth of their little girl’s death. Imagery of death and sadness also abounds in Robert West’s â€Å"Early snowdrops.† In the poem, after recounting the names of young people who died early in their lives, the speaker is worried about her own children for they might have an accident early and might die. In the poem, imagery denoting death includes the line â€Å"each day must stab with random

International financil markts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International financil markts - Essay Example The financial manager plays on a global stage and must comprehend how global financial markets function and how to assess overseas investments (Brealey and Myers, 2003, p.10). This study will address the theoretical justification as well as practical application of portfolio theory and capital asset pricing model with respect to an investor or fund manager. In order to identify with risk-return trade-off, we view risks of the asset returns of individuals. Risks in individual asset returns have 2 parts - systematic risks and non-systematic risk. Systematic risks are non-diversifiable whereas the non-systematic risks are diversifiable. To eliminate the non-systematic risks, one can form portfolios. Instead of single individual assets, the investors opt for portfolio diversification. The investors’ main concern is about the systematic risks. The return on assets pays off for systematic risks (Jiang, 2003, p. 3). A little diversification can present a considerable lessening in variability. Suppose one computes and evaluates the standard deviations of arbitrarily selected one-stock or two-stock portfolios. A high percentage of the investments would be in the stocks of small corporations and separately very risky. However, diversification can slash the unpredictability of returns by about fifty percent. Diversification works since prices of various stocks do not move perfectly together (Brealey and Myers, 2003, p.166). The problem of the investor is to select a portfolio. Let the payoff of his portfolio be ˆX, so its price or value is . He will consume . Thus, his problem is: The initial wealth constraint is satisfied by the Lagrange multiplier, ÃŽ ». The investor will invest less in high priced stock and invest more in the low priced stock. Risk aversion, or curvature of the utility function,

Salvation Army: Stakeholder Analysis

Salvation Army: Stakeholder Analysis EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This essay is basically about the stakeholders of the Salvation Army case study written by Alex Murdock. It involves a breakdown of the work of the Salvation Army and the different stakeholders involved in the organisation. The first section is an introduction on the works of the Salvation Army and then moves on to discuss the different stakeholders of the Salvation Army in terms of their interest and power in the organisation. The next section discusses the major stakeholders and what they expect from the Salvation Army in terms of how there handle things. The last section presents a critical review on the importance of stakeholder management to any organisation and how to maintain an effective stakeholder relationship. THE SALVATION ARMY, A GLOBAL NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION INTRODUCTION The Salvation Army can be described as an international movement and as an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. It is also seen as a global non-profit organisation which was founded by William Booth and his wife Catherine in 1865 in London and has spread to other parts of the world. The primary aim of the organisation is to preach the good news about Jesus Christ and persuade people to become his followers. The Salvation Army shows care and concern for the needs of people despite their sex, age, race, status or colour. The mission statement of the Salvation Army (2004) The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by love for God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination. The movement works in 109 countries and provides services in 175 different languages. The army also has some distinctive characteristics which set it apart from other Christian organisations one of which is its adoption of a quasi-military structure which is derived from spiritual warfare and reflects in the use of ranks, uniforms and flags. The actual work of the Salvation Army is not just evangelistic but is deeply focused on the relief of poverty and the provision of practical, cost-effective and skilled services. The Salvation Army provides a variety of programme-based services worldwide and their social service has become very important to the extent that the UK annual report affirmed that it was the second largest provider of social service after the government. One of the major services they provide is the residential service which is widely provided in different forms and the largest form is the facility for homeless people. They also provide residential accommodation for eve ry possible individual ranging from mother and baby to elderly and disabled and in 2003, there were altogether over 600 separate facilities with a total capacity of nearly 32,000. Mostly for the elderly people, they provide remand homes and day care for the little ones. Due to the armys focus on addiction dependency, lots of residential and day care resources have been developed to help extensively in addiction problems. The Salvation Army has been very helpful in a lot of other aspects apart from providing structures there provided counselling services for clients whom other agencies are reluctant to assist such as alcoholics, drug addicts. In especially the UK, the Salvation Army has been fully involved in the missing person services. The Salvation Army is a holiness movement and says that Salvationists should: Earnestly strive to become wholly devoted and obedient to God, strong and upright, true, pure, kind, loving and humble in one word, holy, like Jesus. Salvation Army (2009) IDENTIFY ALL STAKEHOLDERS AND CONSTRUCT A POWER/ INTEREST MATRIX A stakeholder is any entity, internal or external, who could directly or indirectly affect your organization or be affected by your organisation (Romeo 2008). This means any person or organisation that can positively or negatively impact the actions of a company, government or organisations. They are people that have shares or interest in an organisation and are also involved in the control and decision making of the organisation. There different types of stakeholders are: Primary Stakeholders these are people that are ultimately affected either positively or negatively by an organisations actions. Secondary Stakeholders these are intermediaries i.e. those indirectly affected by the organisations actions. Key Stakeholders people that have significant influence within the organisation and there can belong to the two groups above. The stakeholders of the Salvation Army are listed below: Employees, Government, Volunteers, Donors, Board Members, Other Non Profit Organisations, Funders, Church and Members, Media, Armed Forces, UK National Lottery, The Public, Competitors, Clients/ Consumers, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Religious Groups, Individual Government bodies, The Councils. When looking at the stakeholder analysis, we need to consider the level of interest and the level of power the stakeholders have. Power depends on how much the stakeholder can bring to promote the army and Interest depends on how important the stakeholder sees the army. A stakeholder analysis is a process of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account when developing and implementing a policy or program (Best 2007: 2). It is useful in identifying key actors and assessing their knowledge, interests and power in relation to the organisation. These stakeholders or interested parties can usually be grouped into the following categories: international, public, national political, commercial/private, nongovernmental organization (NGO)/civil society, labour, and users/ consumers (Schmeer, 2000 cited in Best 2007: 2). STAKEHOLDER POWER/INTEREST MATRIX A matrix is used to organise or classify the stakeholder data. It provides a short analysis of which stakeholder will gain or lose from the organisation. Low Level of Interest High B Keep Informed A Minimal EffortLow D Key Players C Keep Satisfiedpower High This map is divided into four sections: low interest/low power, high interest/low power, high power/low interest and high power/high interest. Group A- low power and low interest in the Salvation Army so there require little or no effort and attention e.g. people, UK national lottery which has no interest or power in the organisation. Group B- low power and high interest in the organisation so there need to be kept informed by the Salvation Army because there have high interest but little power to control what goes on in the organisation e.g. volunteers, armed forces Group C- high power and low interest so the Salvation Army has to keep them informed on a regular basis and satisfied e.g. NGOs, media Group D- high power and high interest in the Salvation Army so there require loads of attention and effort because of their importance e.g. government, councils. The Salvation Army needs to be aware of a key player with a strong opposition. The analysis consists of the identified stakeholders bring arranged in a table according to the extent and level of power and interest there have in the organisation. According to Johnson and Scholes (2002:208), power/interest matrix imply the political priorities for managing stakeholders relationships by assessing the level of interest and power for each stakeholder. ASSESS THE EXPECTATIONS OF EACH GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS Non profit organisations are often thought of as seeking effectiveness and efficiency in equal measure (Drucker 1990). The donors, public agencies funding this organisations, employees and managers who work for these organisations often have high expectations about their ability to make an impact on the areas in which there are involved. The extent to which there provide services and affect community issues is an important measure of the effectiveness of these organisations. There are difficulties when trying to identify stakeholder expectations in not- for- profit organisations (Fletcher et al 2003). The decisions about the purpose and strategy of an organisation are influenced by the expectations of stakeholders (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2008). This could be a challenge because of the possibility of many stakeholders having different expectations which could lead to conflict especially in a large organisation like the Salvation Army. MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR EXPECTATIONS In this Salvation Army case, the major stakeholders are mostly those with high interest and high power which are: the church, donors, the government, army officers (uniformed and non- uniformed), media, individual government bodies, the high council, the generals consultative council, the international management council. Church The church could be seen as the major stakeholder because as the founder of the Salvation Army, they are in charge of most of the activities and services that the Salvation Army does. Media The media highlighted the governments views and added to the banning of the Salvation Army e.g. the press made attempts by the government to ban Salvation Army in Russia. Donors the Salvation Army is a non-profit organisation so it depends largely on donations and grants. The resourcing needs of the salvation army will likely increase as the demands increase so the donors support the organisation by making donations and there expect it to be put to good use e.g. Joan Kroc made a donation of 1.5billion dollars which was the worlds largest single charity donation. This donation however raised some questions and caused a bit of conflict between the donor and the organisation on the limits of acceptability. Government The government has supported the organisation and has attempted to support its needs. They have major expectations there want to see manifested in the Salvation Army. The government have high power and high interest because they are in charge of certain standards, and if these standards are not met, they carry out their penalties. Individual Government Bodies The government assists the Salvation Army in their fund raising campaigns. Some of these individual government bodies include social services like the Red Cross and various health organisations and they provide assistance when the Salvation Army needs it. This group of people are key stakeholders that can influence and affect the work of the organisation so it is important that their expectations are met. In the case study, the government body in Russia had the power to ban the Salvation Army from their country because they did not like the way things were going on and this brought about some problems. In the UK and USA, the Salvation Army is recognised and strongly supported which allows them to operate much easier. The individual government bodies have a certain ways things are done in their countries and expect the Salvation Army to adhere to it or it could lead to lack of support from the body which could hinder the work of the organisation. Army Officers These are employees of the organisation (professionals and non-professionals) who are paid very little for the work there do. There are expected to be very dedicated to the organisation and achieve their objectives. The High Council: The High Council consists of all active territorial commissioners and their major responsibility was to elect a new general when the present one who is the head of the army is unfit to continue. The second in command who is the chief executive has the responsibility of executing the policy decisions of the general and produce a relationship between departments. They meet anywhere convenient for them in the UK. The Generals Consultative Council: This council is made up of qualified people responsible for making sure policies are consistent on a national scale and advice on the mission, strategy and policies of the Salvation Army. They meet regularly and work electronically through the use of lotus notes, emails. The International Management Council: this council focuses on how effective and efficient the international headquarters operates and usually meet monthly. The councils expectations are somewhat the same and even though the headquarters of the Salvation Army is in London, there is autonomy in each territory and no interference from each of them. Regardless of this, there always put the mission of the Salvation Army first before they make their decisions. WHY IS STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT SO CRUCIAL TO ANY ORGANISATION? A stakeholder is basically an individual or a group of people that has one or more different kinds of stakes in the organisation and this makes their management very important (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). Managers have recognised that different stakeholder groups in an organisation have to be satisfied in other to meet their goals (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). Stakeholder management has long been recognised as an essential part of the effectiveness of an organisation whether public/private sector or profit making/non- profit making. It involves building and maintaining the active support and commitment of the stakeholders to facilitate the timely implementation of change in an organisation (OGC 2005). The important functions of stakeholder management are to describe, to analyze, to understand and finally to manage (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). Preston and Donaldson (1999) argue that stakeholder management can enhance organizational wealth and that economic benefits can be generated by positive relationships between an organization and its stakeholders. OGC (2005) is of the opinion that stakeholder management includes four things: stakeholder assessment and stakeholder mapping, identification of key concerns, risks and mitigating actions, monitoring stakeholder plan and using output of stakeholder mapping for communications and other interventions. It enables managers to ensure that the strategic and operational direction of an organization addresses stakeholder perceptions (Fletcher 2003). Stakeholder Management is very crucial to any organisation because it helps us to understand the important role of managing and informing stakeholders. It will ensure that key stakeholders and their interests are identified and strategies are developed to engage with them (NHS) Managers and organisations developed a set of principles of stakeholder management to provide managers with ways to treat stakeholders (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009: 111). These principles are known as the Clarkson Principles and in other to build an effective stakeholder relationship; managers need to adopt the following characteristics: acknowledge, monitor, listen, communicate, adopt, recognize, work, avoid and acknowledge conflicts (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). It helps to integrate a variety of perspectives and provides a guide to organisations on how to manage their stakeholders (Donaldson 2002). Stakeholders are recognised as very important people in public and non-profit orgs which commonly have a more diverse group of stakeholders than private for profit organisations making it more difficult to identify strategic issues (Bryson 1995). Having a good relationship with stakeholders unites organisations, fosters partnership working, helps organisations to prioritise and meet their aims. The three important elements necessary for effective stakeholder relationships are leadership, communication and staff (MORI 2009). Stakeholder management involves identifying and classifying stakeholders and as a result of this facilitates an engagement with them in a coordinated manner. This engagement involves identifying different categories of stakeholders, gathering information about them, identifying their missions in a project, determining their strengths and weaknesses, identifying their strategies, predicting their behaviour and developing and implementing a strategy for managing the se stakeholders (Cleland 2002 cited in Chinyio and Olomolaiye 2010). In conclusion, the stakeholder management is seen as a two way interaction or exchange of influence because just as the strategies, policies, decisions and actions of the organisation can affect stakeholders, so can the stakeholders affect the organisation (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). The key to managing stakeholders is a good understanding of their current circumstances and which factors influence them over others. This then allows the approach to managing stakeholders to be tailored to achieve maximum benefit. In particular feedback channels are crucial as this allows distinct management techniques to be utilized dependant on the feedback being received. One criticism of stakeholder management is that it is a very demanding and time consuming process to attend to each stakeholder needs and ensure their satisfaction. Also, it could be very complex when classifying each stakeholder and trying to determine whose claims takes priority in any situation (Carroll and Buchholtz 2009). In the case of the Salvation Army, it is important to maintain a good relationship with the stakeholders because they play a very essential role to the organisation. Organisations need to plan for the future which is what the Salvation Army has done and is still doing to ensure that the poor and needy are well catered to.

Lord of the Flies Essay example -- Lord of the Flies Essays

INTELLIGENCE, CIVILIZATION, AND INSTINCTS   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Often times, authors use characters in their novels and stories as symbols. The characters may be symbolic of the tangible as well as the non-tangible. In addition, characters can often be looked at with a psychological approach to literature in order to better determine or understand their symbolic significance. In William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, special symbolic significance may be found in the characters, Piggy, Ralph, and Jack.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Piggy, the heavy, asthmatic, nearsighted boy, was often teased and ridiculed, however Golding made it obvious to the reader that Piggy was indeed the super ego. Piggy symbolizes all the hate and discrimination in the world. If it was not for Piggy’s bizarre appearance, he may have been made ruler of the island, and he certainly was the most suited for the job. He also symbolizes intelligence. He was analogous to sanity and reason. â€Å"Piggy’s role as a man’s reasoning faculties him as a father† (Rosenfield 264). Piggy always used ideal judgment and was the island’s only adult-like figure. He demonstrated this at a tribal meeting after the boys nearly burned down the island: â€Å"I got the conch! Just you listen! The first thing we ought to have made was shelters down there by the beach. It wasn’t half cold there in the night but the first time Ralph says ‘fire’ you goes howling and screaming up this here mountain. Like a pack of kids!†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  By now they were listening to the tirade. â€Å"How can you expect to be rescued if you don’t put first things first and act proper?† He took off his glasses and made as if to put down the conch; but the sudden motion towards it of most of the older boys changed his mind. He tucked the shell under his arm, and crouched back on a rock. â€Å"Then when you get here you build a bonfire that isn’t no use. Now you been and set the whole island on fire. Won’t we look funny if the whole island burns up? Cooked fruit, that’s what we’ll have to eat, and roast pork. And that’s nothing to laugh at! You said Ralph was chief and you don’t give him time to think. Then when he says something you rush off, like, like—â€Å"   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He paused for breath, and the fire growled at them. â€Å"And that’s not all. Them kids. The ... ...he id is also associated with basic human instincts. This further identifies the symbolic significance linked with Jack. After reading Lord of the Flies, it is obvious to one that Jack symbolizes natural human instincts.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading this essay and Golding’s novel, one now has a better understanding of the symbolic significance or the characters: Piggy, Ralph, and Jack. Piggy, symbolic of intelligence and prejudice, can be most closely compared to a modern-day â€Å"geek.† The geek may not seem to be of importance because of their awkwardness, but may be extremely intelligent. Ralph is the chief, leader, and symbol of civilization. He is the President of United States. He leads the society and governs the people. Finally, Jack, the barbaric hunter who symbolized human instincts is like the ancient cave man that hunted the wholly mammoth. Both survived solely on instinctive motives. When one understands the symbolic significance in a novel, they are able to better interpret the novel and understand it to a much fuller and broader extent. WORKS CITED Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Perigee Books, 1954. Rosenfield. â€Å"Men of a Smaller Growth.†

Make Probability Real

Probability plays a crucial and important role in many things: industries, recreation, etc. Let's see how many we can think of. I know that we will all be amazed at how much our every day life is influenced by probability. †¢ Identify at least one example of probability encountered in everyday life which has not previously been mentioned. I am the â€Å"chef† in the house and work most of my hours in the afternoon.As I am the one who is the most creative in the kitchen and the evening hours at work prevents me form cooking dinner during a normal time, the probability of me cooking and having dinner prepared before noon, to be heated up later is very high. If my family is to eat a home cooked meal, I am the one to create it. The probability is between 95-97%. †¢ †¢ Explain how probability is used in that situation. Probability is used in the above situation because nobody in my home can cook a homemade meal. They love to eat, but they are terrible in the kitchen. The only way that they will eat a home cooked meal in our home is if I cook it earlier in the day and they re-heat it at dinner time. If something had come up during the day, and I am unable to cook a meal, then the probability that anyone in the house would cook would be zero; because as I stated earlier I am the only cook in our home. †¢ †¢ Identify the type of probability your example best fits by explaining whether it is an independent event or dependent upon something else. This situation described could be either a dependent or independent event.In the case of a dependent event, I would be available during the day, with all of the ingredients to prepare the meal and nothing comes up during the day that would preclude me from cooking the meal. In the event that something came up, this would become an independent event because then I would not be available to cook because I was not at the house able to cook. The greater probability of me being available early in the da y is greater than me not being available to cook; because without me cooking my family would have to go out to eat and we are a family who loves to have a different home made creation daily.

Diversity: Culture and America Essay

Beginning with the prospect of the American dream, diversity has been one of the most dominant characteristics of American society. During the nineteenth century, America was deemed a melting pot: a place where people of different ethnicities could co-exist. The idea of people being able to embrace commonalities without letting go of their culture has been the basis of the America that we live in today. This sense of collaboration, which comes with diversity, has created outlets for our citizens and opportunities for those foreign to our country. Diversity is one of the most beneficial aspects of not only America’s history, but its present and future. Diversity is what makes America unique. As said in Mirror on America by Leonard Pitts, â€Å"America is everyone else, a nation composed of other nations, a culture made of other cultures, a history built of other histories.† (Pitts, 82) Pitt’s statement clearly depicts the fact that although America is independent from other countries geographically, the integration of different ethnic groups defines American history. The acceptance of other cultures in America has not only brought over people from different countries, but also their: ideas, beliefs, and opinions. The rewards that we reap from foreign contributions are, but are not limited to, food variety, technological advances, open minded citizens and overall a more tolerant country. America is a place characterized as the land of the free; the diversity in our country is what keeps that statement relevant. Due to the effectiveness of diversity in the workplace, industries and organizations have spent an abundance of time incorporating diversity into their own companies. With the incorporation of diversity in advertisements, employees, and superior positions today’s workplace is more diverse than it has ever been. These implementations of diversity benefit companies by creating a comfortable environment for their buyers, thus stimulating the economy. Although some may argue that companies have not reached the goal of total equality, it has been said that immigrants do have a positive effect on America’s workplace. â€Å"Since the early days of the Republic, talented foreigners have streamed to our shores to till the soil, build industries, and turn the country into a scientific and technological powerhouse. They converted the U.S. into the first global nation, giving us adaptability, an intuitive feel for other cultures, and an innovative edge,† said David Gergen. ( Gergen, 93) In America, we have many immigrants who come here with the hope of becoming successful; those who strive to create a better America by working hard tend to achieve that goal. Those who are able to succeed in their endeavors have provided Americans with the adaptability that Gergen explains. Immigrants have been the brains and ideas of big named, American companies such as Intel, AT&T, Kraft, Google, Yahoo!, and eBay. To understand how immigrants make such an impact on America’s workforce and economy, one needs to think about why they come here in the first place. Immigrants leave their homelands to come to America because they think and believe that their skills will be put to the test. As also said by Gergen, â€Å"Talented foreigners are job creators, not job takers.† (Gergen, 94) Immigrants do bring new ideas and skills which can further create more, successful jobs. Based off of a June 2012 study published by the Fiscal Policy, they report that 18% of small business owners are immigrants. The same report found that among small businesses, for which at least half of the founders were immigrants, employed an estimated 4.7 million people. This diversity benefits America because it puts foreign skills and talents to the test in order to stimulate jobs as well as our economy. In conclusion, with allowing diversity to continue to be a part of America, we can encounter many things other countries cannot. We can continue to accept different people and their ideas to create new jobs and opportunities. We can also accept their opinions to allow America to grow and continue being a strong nation. Last but not least, we can give people from all around the world the â€Å"American dream.† Works Cited Gergen, David. â€Å"A Smart Exception.† Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture. 5th ed. Ed Mims, Joan T, and Nollen, Elizabeth M. Boston: Bedford St Martin’s, 2012. 93-94. Print Pitts, Leonard Jr. â€Å"History Tells Hard Stories of Ethnic Clashes.† Mirror on America: Essays and Images from Popular Culture. 5th ed. Ed Mims, Jonas T, and Nollen, Elizabeth M. Boston, Bedford, 2012. 81-82. Print Denhart, Michael. â€Å"The U.S. Needs More Immigrants to Grow the Economy and Create Jobs.† Huffington Post 26 September 2012. Web

Pierre Curie - Biography and Achievements

Pierre Curie - Biography and Achievements Pierre Curie was a French physicist, physical chemist, and Nobel laureate. Most people are familiar with his wifes accomplishments (Marie Curie), yet dont realize the importance of Pierres work. He pioneered scientific research in the fields of magnetism, radioactivity, piezoelectricity, and crystallography. Heres a brief biography of this famous scientist and a list of his most notable achievements. Birth: May 15, 1859 in Paris, France, son of Eugene Curie and Sophie-Claire Depouilly Curie Death: April 19, 1906 in Paris, France in a street accident. Pierre was crossing a street in the rain, slipped, and fell under a horse-drawn cart. He died instantly from a skull fracture when a wheel ran over his head. It is said Pierre tended to be absent-minded and unaware of his surroundings when he was thinking. Claim to Fame: Pierre Curie and his wife  Marie  shared half the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with Henri Becquerel for their research into radiation.Pierre also received the Davy Medal in 1903. He was awarded the Matteucci Medal in 1904 and the Elliot Cresson Medal in 1909 (posthumously).Pierre and Marie also discovered the elements  radium  and  polonium.He also co-discovered the piezoelectric effect with his brother Jacques. The piezoelectric effect is where compressed crystals give off an electric field. In addition, Pierre and Jacques found crystals could deform when subjected to an electrical field. They invented the Piezoelectric Quartz Electrometer to aid in their investigations.Pierre developed a scientific instrument called the Curie Scale so that he might take accurate data.For his doctoral research, Pierre examined magnetism. He formulated a description of the relationship between temperature and magnetism that became known as Curies law, which uses a constant known as the Curie constant. He found there was a critical temperature above which ferromagnetic materials lose their behavior. That transition temperature is known as the Curie point. Pierres magnetism research is considered among his greatest contributions to science. Pierre Curie was a brilliant physicist. He is considered one of the founders of the field of modern physics.Pierre proposed the Curie Dissymmetry Principle, which states that a physical effect cannot have dissymmetry separate from its cause.The element curium, atomic number 96, is named in honor of Pierre and Marie Curie.Pierre and his student were the first to discover nuclear energy from heat emitted by radium. He observed radioactive particles might carry a positive, negative, or neutral charge. More Facts About Pierre Curie Pierres father, a doctor, provided his early education. Pierre earned a math degree at age 16 and had completed the requirements for a higher degree by age 18. He could not immediately afford to pursue his doctorate, so he worked as a lab instructor.Pierres friend, physicist Jozef Wierusz-Kowalski, introduced him to Marie Sklodowska. Marie became Pierres lab assistant and student. The first time Pierre proposed to Marie, she refused him, eventually agreeing to marry him on July 26, 1895.Pierre and Marie were the first to use the word radioactivity. A unit used to measure radioactivity, the Curie, is named in honor of either Marie or Pierre or both of them (a point of argument among historians).Pierre was interested in the paranormal, as he believed it might help him understand physics better and especially magnetism. He read books on spiritualism and attended seances, viewing them as scientific experiments. He took careful notes and measurements, concluding some phenomena he witnesse d did not appear to be faked and could not be explained. Pierre and Maries daughter Irene and son-in-law Frederic Joliot-Curie were physicists who studied radioactivity and also received Nobel prizes. The other daughter, Eve, was the only member of the family who was not a physicist. Eve wrote a biography about her mother, Marie. Pierre and Maries granddaughter Helene is a nuclear physics professor and grandson Pierre is a biochemist. Their parents were Irene and Frederic Joliot-Curie.  Pierre Joliot is named for Pierre Curie.