Tourism is travel for predominantly leisure or relaxation purposes, and also refers to the prerequisite of services in support of this act. Tourists are people who ,travel to and stay in places outside their common environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to work out of an activity remunerated from within the place visited.
Tourism has become an enormously popular, global activity. As a service industry, tourism has frequent tangible and intangible elements. Major tangible elements include transportation, accommodation, and other apparatus of a hospitality industry. Major intangible elements relate to the purpose or inspiration for becoming a tourist, such as rest, relaxation, the opportunity to meet new people and experience other cultures, or simply to do something different and have an adventure.
Tourism is crucial for many countries, due to the income generated by the expenditure of goods and services by tourists, the taxes levied on businesses in the tourism industry, and the prospect for employment and economic advancement by working in the industry.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Artificial intelligence (Collective and non-human intelligence)
Some thinkers have explored the idea of combined intelligence, arising from the harmonization of many people. A battleship, for instance, cannot be operated by a single person's knowledge, actions and intelligence; it takes a equivalent and interacting crew. Similarly, the interesting behaviors of a bee colony are not exhibited in the aptitude and actions of any single bee, but rather manifest in the performance of the hive. These ideas are explored as a basis for human thought, with applications for artificial intelligence, by MIT AI pioneers Norbert Wiener and Marvin Musky. Artificial intelligence has emerged from Computer science as a area of expertise which seeks to make computers act in gradually more intelligent ways, and provides insights into human thought processes.
When bearing in mind animal intelligence, a more general definition of intelligence might be applied: the "ability to adapt efficiently to the environment, either by making a change in oneself or by changing the surroundings or finding a new one". Many people have also speculated about the possibility of outer space intelligence.
When bearing in mind animal intelligence, a more general definition of intelligence might be applied: the "ability to adapt efficiently to the environment, either by making a change in oneself or by changing the surroundings or finding a new one". Many people have also speculated about the possibility of outer space intelligence.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the recording of multiple sound sources, whether at the same time or at different times. This is probably the most common technique of recording popular music: Musicians or singers can be recorded independently, then these performances can be edited together to create a cohesive result. It is also called 'multitracking' or just 'tracking' for short.Multitrack recording devices are available with varying capacities. When recording a segment of audio, which is also known as a track, audio engineers and musicians may select which track or tracks on the device will be used.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Traffic calming
Traffic reassuring is a set of strategies used by urban planners and traffic engineers which aims to slow down traffic and improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, although some of these features can also be dangerous to cyclists. It is now relatively common in Europe, especially Northern Europe; less so in North America.
Traffic calming has traditionally been justified on the grounds of pedestrian security and reduction of noise and local air pollution which are side effects of the traffic. However, it has become increasingly apparent that streets have many social and recreational functions which are severely impaired by fast car traffic. For example, residents of streets with light traffic had, on average, three more friends and twice as many acquaintances as the people on streets with heavy traffic which were otherwise similar in dimensions, income, etc. For much of the twentieth century, streets were designed by engineers who were charged only with ensuring traffic flow and not with fostering the other functions of streets. The rationale for traffic calming is now broadening to include designing for these functions.
Displaced traffic is not fully pushed onto other routes, as some travelers may begin to walk or use other modes such as public transit and bicycles to get where they are going. Still, in most cases the affected motorists have few alternatives aside from either navigating the newly erected obstacles or finding a more palatable route. This happens because high traffic tends to be generated by motorists passing through the area and not by the local residents.
It should be noted the some of these measures have a tendency to irritate and annoy drivers rather than calm them and others can actually increase traffic throughput. Some drivers who slow down at calming points, however, accelerate and speed after passing them in order to "catch up for lost time". For this reason, more advanced methods integrated into the design of the street, which make slower speeds seem more natural to drivers and less of an artificial imposition, are now preferred - the goal is to slow down the driver through psychological, at least partly subconscious means instead of simply forcing him to do so.
One major side effect of traffic reassuring is the impedance to emergency services. A police car can easily navigate most traffic reassuring measures. The same cannot be said for fire trucks and ambulances, however. They often have to slow down to safely cross speed bumps or chicanes. In some locales, the law prohibits traffic calming measures along the routes used by the urgent situation services.
There are 3 "E"'s that traffic engineers refer to when discussing traffic reassuring: engineering, education, and enforcement. Because neighborhood traffic management studies have shown that often it is the residents themselves that are largely contributing to the perceived speeding problem within the neighborhood, it is strained that the most effective traffic calming plans will entail all three components, and that engineering measures alone will not produce satisfactory results.
Traffic calming has traditionally been justified on the grounds of pedestrian security and reduction of noise and local air pollution which are side effects of the traffic. However, it has become increasingly apparent that streets have many social and recreational functions which are severely impaired by fast car traffic. For example, residents of streets with light traffic had, on average, three more friends and twice as many acquaintances as the people on streets with heavy traffic which were otherwise similar in dimensions, income, etc. For much of the twentieth century, streets were designed by engineers who were charged only with ensuring traffic flow and not with fostering the other functions of streets. The rationale for traffic calming is now broadening to include designing for these functions.
Displaced traffic is not fully pushed onto other routes, as some travelers may begin to walk or use other modes such as public transit and bicycles to get where they are going. Still, in most cases the affected motorists have few alternatives aside from either navigating the newly erected obstacles or finding a more palatable route. This happens because high traffic tends to be generated by motorists passing through the area and not by the local residents.
It should be noted the some of these measures have a tendency to irritate and annoy drivers rather than calm them and others can actually increase traffic throughput. Some drivers who slow down at calming points, however, accelerate and speed after passing them in order to "catch up for lost time". For this reason, more advanced methods integrated into the design of the street, which make slower speeds seem more natural to drivers and less of an artificial imposition, are now preferred - the goal is to slow down the driver through psychological, at least partly subconscious means instead of simply forcing him to do so.
One major side effect of traffic reassuring is the impedance to emergency services. A police car can easily navigate most traffic reassuring measures. The same cannot be said for fire trucks and ambulances, however. They often have to slow down to safely cross speed bumps or chicanes. In some locales, the law prohibits traffic calming measures along the routes used by the urgent situation services.
There are 3 "E"'s that traffic engineers refer to when discussing traffic reassuring: engineering, education, and enforcement. Because neighborhood traffic management studies have shown that often it is the residents themselves that are largely contributing to the perceived speeding problem within the neighborhood, it is strained that the most effective traffic calming plans will entail all three components, and that engineering measures alone will not produce satisfactory results.
Monday, April 02, 2007
Goshawk
The Goshawk is a average large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers.
It is a extensive species throughout the moderate parts of the northern hemisphere. In North America it is named as the Northern Goshawk. It is mostly resident, but birds from colder regions of north Asia and Canada wander south for the winter.
Goshawk in flight this kind nests in trees, building a new nest each year. It hunts birds and mammals in woodland, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch or hedge-hops to cruel circle its prey unaware. Animals as large as hares and Pheasant are taken. Its call is a ferocious shriek. Many older goshawks refuse to attack hares, if it was previously acutely kicked by a hare which it tried to catch.
In Eurasia, the male is confusable with a female Sparrow hawk, but is larger, much bulkier and has comparatively longer wings. In spring, he has a stunning roller-coaster display, and this is the best time to see this enigmatic forest bird.
It is a extensive species throughout the moderate parts of the northern hemisphere. In North America it is named as the Northern Goshawk. It is mostly resident, but birds from colder regions of north Asia and Canada wander south for the winter.
Goshawk in flight this kind nests in trees, building a new nest each year. It hunts birds and mammals in woodland, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch or hedge-hops to cruel circle its prey unaware. Animals as large as hares and Pheasant are taken. Its call is a ferocious shriek. Many older goshawks refuse to attack hares, if it was previously acutely kicked by a hare which it tried to catch.
In Eurasia, the male is confusable with a female Sparrow hawk, but is larger, much bulkier and has comparatively longer wings. In spring, he has a stunning roller-coaster display, and this is the best time to see this enigmatic forest bird.
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