History of olympic games Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

History of olympic games - Term Paper Example The system in vogue then was, the Spartan messages were particularly carried by naked runners and they ran between the city-states. Travel light was one of the purposes of their nakedness and also to prove that they did not carry anything unlawful except the message. Thus they were able to run one hundred miles in one day, ensuring the speedy delivery of the messages. Training athletes began with gymnastic exercises a month before the Olympics were to commence. Total nakedness was considered as homage to the gods and gratitude for the male form. It was sort of a security check that women camouflaged as males did not participate in the games. The procedure at the starting point of the race differed much as compared to the present practice in vogue. Twenty contenders stood erect with their arms extended in front of them. The race would be re-run, if the first resulted in a tie. Peace was the watchword during the ancient Olympic Games. It was known as â€Å"ekecheiria†, meaning à ¢â‚¬Å"holding of hands.† Safety of the competitors and spectators was assured and all wars, mutual threats and capital punishment stood suspended during the course of games. The ancient Olympic Games were linked to warfare as per the specially adopted procedure. The participants would run 800 yards in full body armor. Thus it was a competition of strength clubbed with speed. That was also to remind all concerned about the physical demands of warfare. In the 3nd century AD, virgins were allowed entry to the Olympic Games as spectators. But for the married women traced watching the game, it was inviting death. They would be thrown off the cliff at Mount Trypeum. Punishment for cheating was almost instant. Judges carried a switch to beat the frauds they were able to catch. Those who indulged in malpractices were fined and bribery and fixing of bets were punishable offences. Complaints regarding corruption were properly investigated and punishment was severe. The participating ath letes mostly did not receive any monetary rewards but were hailed as the proud boys of the city. Sometimes, olive oil, and vases were given as prizes. Star athletes received special favors from the state. Politicians of the state met the expenses of the participating athletes. The ancient Olympics were abolished in 393 A.D. The Olympic Games were revived in 1896.A Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, is considered as the father of the modern Olympics and he founded the International Olympic Committee. The Olympic flag, and its five rings, was first flown at the 1920 games in Antwerp, Belgium. After that launch, the flag has been flown at every Olympic event, both summer and winter, ever since. This icon is one of the most widely recognized signs in the word today. The place to hold the first Olympic Games was Athens, Greece. The Games became truly international when for the first time in 1912, for the Games in Stockholm, Sweden, athletes representing five continents participated. World W ar I interrupted the Olympics in 1916. But in 1920, Games were held in Antwerp, Belgium. The significance of Olympic Rings The five rings signify the five continents that take part in the Olympic Games

Impacts of Technology on Human Creativity Introduction Research Paper

Impacts of Technology on Human Creativity Introduction - Research Paper Example Technology has made it too easy for human to acquire the different necessities automatically without taking time to think of how different machineries work. However, technology entails inventing new designs and models, thus it requires some creativity. Additionally, advancement in technology results in emergence of new problems whose resolution requires application of creativity. For example, invention of a new machinery involves coming up with new ideas and it upkeep requires some sense of creativity. This paper will focus on the positive and negative impacts of technology on the human creativity. Use of technology enable us to multitask thus achieve several accomplishments in a limited period. Technology entails using different senses especially visual audio and perceptual at a go. For example, a simple task like typing a creative piece of work requires vision, use of hands, and rationality. Use of technology for purpose such as advertisement and digital imagery require creativity. For example, coming up with a catchy product advert require one to think of new ideas of making it appealing so that it can have a competitive advantage over other similar products (Boden, 2012). Another positive impact of technology is that it enables humans to combine several ideas at a go encouraging increased creativity. For example, a program like JAPE, which processes jokes, requires the user to be creative enough to combine different templates (Boden, 2012). Technology helps us save time that can be used to enhance creativity. A good example is in designing by mechanical engineering. Before the invention of computers, mechanical engineers had to use pencils and paper to draw designs. Designing a simple 3-dimensiom widget design required one to take not less than five hours. With the invention of CAD software in addition to the PC’s, designing the same process takes less than an hour giving mechanical engineers at least four extra hours to be creative (Desrochers, 2002 ). Technology has enabled first and easy access of a wide range of information and resources making creativity less costly. A good example is writing a manuscript or a book. Previously, doing such an activity require a lot of time doing the writing, editing, publishing, printing, and publicizing the material. However, using computer and printing technology requires less effort and time making it possible for writers to air their creative view and ideas efficiently (Boden, 2012). Technology has also enabled collaborative teamwork across different professionals. This enables sharing of ideas creating room for more creativity. For example, development of ultrasonic instruments for surgery required combining ideologies in medicine and engendering (Desrochers, 2002). Technology has also had it negative impacts. It has increasingly made students less creative, lethargic, and irrational. Most teachers and lecturers post their notes and assignments online and expect the students to give the ir feedback online. Students no longer go to libraries or refer to textbook but prefer taking the shortcut of copy and paste. In such cases, the technology does not help students learn more or come up with new ideas thus they end up becoming less creative as compared to using textbooks which requires attentiveness and rationality (Boden, 2012). Additionally, technological inventions such as mini cameras, graphing