Physics of the Human Eye Essay - 2076 Words

Physics of the human eye. The human eye, what a complex but fascinating organ. It has the ability to see past the horizon and observe the different colors of a rainbow. The eye can be quicker then a race car but slow enough to witness a snail crawling across a beach. The eye can capture objects at various different angles, such as birds flying overhead or a person walking right beside you. Yes indeed, the eye is probably the greatest sense a person can have. The eye is so vast and complex. To try and write everything about the eye would take a very long time. Compiling all the information and then putting it down on paper, a person could write another book. The eyeball it self weighs about 7gm., the volume 6.5cc., and its specific†¦show more content†¦(Fig 1.) Normally when we see an image, it is because light passes through the cornea, pupil and lens. Both the cornea and lens work in conjunction to focus the image on the retina. The lens is actual flexible so that it may become flatter or more rounded, so that is able to focus the image on the retina. In normal healthy eyes, the light that passes through the eye and that is focused on the retina. This light has the right focal point. This means that the eye converges parallel light rays from distant objects to a point that is focused on the retina. (6) This focal point is located directly in the back of the eyeball on which the image is formed. (1) (Fig. 2) When light enters the eye, the lens forms an image that is inverted (similar to a camera). This means that the retinas in our eyes interpret the image as being right side up by our eye-brain system. Fig. 1 Fig. 2 (Eye anatomy) (Normal eye) If an individual was experiencing any loss in vision, it would be a good idea to test your vision. A eye chart (see fig 3. Pg.3) could be placed in a well illuminated area and the person would stand about 6 meters from the chart. The lowest line that you can read correctly is you visual acuity. If the chart printed is the correct size, the calibrated line should measure 100mm. If so, the calibration should be multiplied by 2.26. An example, the calibration line is 100 mm, 100 * 2.36 = 236 inches, or 19 feet, 8 inches (which is about 20Show MoreRelatedEssay on Physics in Everyday Life1684 Words   |  7 PagesPhysics in Everyday Life 1 Just about everything you do from moving to eating to listening to music involves physics. Now that I have really explored them I think it is hard to go about our day and not do something that involves physics. Some of the things I will talk about are getting out of bed, the eye and how eye glasses help a person see better, speakers, the Frisbee, sailing, and the pulleys I use to get my jeep unstuck in the mud when I ride in the woods. All of theseRead MorePhysics in Cameras713 Words   |  3 Pagesto do this is through physics. Cameras are relatable to physics because they involve visible light, light refraction, light reflections, and electromagnetic fields in the motor. Cameras are involved with physics because they use visible light to capture a picture. Visible light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum contains different wavelengths and frequencies. The visible light spectrum is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum that humans can see. Specific wavelengthsRead MoreReflection Essay902 Words   |  4 Pages My eyes are transfixed by the numbers, equations, and words on the page–a beautiful work of art– they emanate before me with a brilliant radiance. I am relentlessly compelled to turn the page. Whether I am studying the orbital motion of celestial objects, calculating the work required to move electric charges, analyzing the static equilibrium of a complex system, determining the motion of fluids using Archimedes’s and Bernoulli’s principles, or deriving a differential equation for the motion ofRead More colour physics Essay701 Words   |  3 Pages Colour Physics 712 words 1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Colour physics, dispersion of sunlight into colours of the spectrum. (Sir Isaac Newton 1676) Discuss and illustrate Newton’s experiments and beyond, from particle to wave theory. 2.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Research, identify and illustrate how the eye sees colour, reference to light emitted, transmitted and reflected. 1. Sir Isaac Newton, held the theory that light was made up of tiny particles. Around the same period, ChristiaanRead MoreWhat I Want With My Life781 Words   |  4 Pages† It seems a natural human characteristic to assign greater importance to our past experiences than to our aspirations for the future. In order to achieve what I want with my life I know that I must not dwell on the past but focus on the future. It is human nature to question our reality in an attempt to better understand our surroundings. Science, for me, is the devotion to better understand the world we live in, rooted in the natural and inevitable questions that all humans ask themselves. I believeRead MoreThe Inhumanity of Death Penalty892 Words   |  4 PagesCrime of the Century, Griswold mention that Indonesia has been known as a democratic country which chooseto the human rights as the priority for the prosperous of the citizen. The question that becomes an issue is â€Å"what about the prisoner who gets the death penalty? Are they worth it? Do they still deserve for the human rights?† The answer is every human being in Indonesia has their own human rights. It’s a barbaric act to take away a life from a person even though he already done a very serious crimeRead MoreAlbert Einstein Speech Essay998 Words   |  4 Pagescar. There were a collection of men most of them smoking cigars and talking and lau ghing and drinking. Joshua sat down at a table next to a table in which two men sat. One man had baggy clothes and was smoking a pipe. He had Brunette hair, brown eyes and about 33 years old. The other gentleman had brown hair a moustache, glasses and was wearing a suit. He was approximately 54. They were both speaking German, but Joshua was wearing his Universal Translator { * refer back to page 33.} JoshuaRead MoreSpeech As A Speech To Isaac Newtons Speech879 Words   |  4 PagesGreeting Earthling, this is your captain speaking, Haleigh DePalmer. I wish I had moon boots to commemorate this occasion, I hope these boots will do. Either way I’m shaking in them. My second time up here and I’m still imaging each one of your eyes shooting out space lasers of judgement. So this is one of the rare occasions where I can honestly say it’s you and not me. Kinda ironic, musician, John Mayer use to experience stage fright as well, while performing some of his major hits like his songRead MoreAristotles Teachings Essay examples799 Words   |  4 Pagesmathematics, physics, and even arts, he also had some very complex and advanced teachings on what we would today call psychology. Many of his teachings on ethics and politics would fall under the study of psychology as well. One of the most revolutionary ideas that Aristotle brought to the study of the mind, he also brought to many other studies. Ancient philosophers such as Plato relied heavily on intuition and pure speculation on topics ranging from physics to the study of human behavior.Read MoreRemote Sensing Essay844 Words   |  4 PagesRemote sensing is capturing images of an  object at some distance away in a bird-eye view with a sensor.  Ã‚  With the increasing popularity of satellites, automated data analysis is introduced. However, human beings must still be engaged  in the analysis process because they have the ability to understand the data, create concepts from it, make decisions and solve problems. With that being said, the analysis process requires experience, which improves perceptual learning. With experience and practice

The Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln Essay - 2382 Words

Abraham Lincoln paved a path of equality and freedom for slaves and people of the 1800s as well as having a major impact on society and government; Abraham Lincoln s engagement with the public people skyrocketed his career as being a president and a suitable leader to the people of the United States of America. Born on February 12th, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln in his later years would be known as one of the most influential leaders of all time. Abraham Lincoln was born into a poverty-stricken and illiterate family in the backwoods of Kentucky. Although the greater part of his family was uneducated, Lincoln strived to better educate himself regardless of his families finical and social situation. As a juvenile, Lincoln stood out among many. In his later years, Lincoln found himself in the town of New Salem with a job at a general store. Lincoln used many of his survival skills learned as a child, such as the capability to split trees and performing other hard work, this created a platform for himself and made a name for himself among the community of New Salem. At age twenty-three young Lincoln started his political career. The same year he moved to Salem, he began to run for the general assembly of New Salem. Soon after his announcement of running for general assembly, the infamous Black Hawk War began. While Lincoln was still in the running for general assembly, in place of campaigning, Lincoln turned his efforts in other directions. Lincoln joinedShow MoreRelatedThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1958 Words   |  8 PagesLeadership and Legacy: Background Research Paper Abraham Lincoln By:Audrey Knight Introduction Great leader and main topic Abraham Lincoln lived in the 1800’s where he accomplished many things in his 54 years of life. He lived in the U.S. through several major events in history and left a legacy that will never be forgotten. As the 16th president of the United States he brought about the emancipation of slavery, preserved the Union during the Civil War, and served the people. His heroic leadershipRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln933 Words   |  4 PagesSynopsis Regarded as one of the United States of America greatest heroes, Abraham Lincoln is famous for his unique appeal and incredible impact on the nation. He was the United States 16th president. His story is an astounding one rising from a humble background to become the most powerful man the land. However, at the time when his country needed him most, a tragic and sudden death strikes him. He is assassinated. He left a legacy that endured due to his unique humane personality as a leader of the unionRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln Essay2383 Words   |  10 PagesReport Name Abraham Lincoln paved a path of equality and freedom for slaves and people of the 1800s as well as having a major impact on society and government; Abraham Lincoln s engagement with the public people skyrocketed his career as being a president and a suitable leader to the people of the United States of America. Born on February 12th, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln in his later years would be known as one of the most influential leaders of all time. Abraham Lincoln was bornRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1217 Words   |  5 PagesAbraham Lincoln was born in the year 1809 on February 12th in the town of Hardin County, Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. Growing up Lincoln had no proper education, consequently he read books and educated himself. During Lincoln’s young adult years, he worked a various number of jobs as a shopkeeper, surveyor, and a postmaster. In 1832, Lincoln became a captain of the Hawk War against the Native Americans. Shortly after the war was over, he began his political career and was elected to theRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1817 Words   |  8 Pagesmore than any of these other men: Abraham Lincoln, the man who freed the slaves. Abraham Lincoln, born February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky, is widely considered to be one of the greatest presidents to have ever been in office. During the course of his presidency, Lincoln not only lead the Union during the Civil War and tried to unify the nation through a harsh time of crisis, conflict, and bloodshed: through his beliefs, his example and his legacy, Lincoln freed the slaves, gave them the rightRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1826 Words   |  8 Pages Abraham Lincoln’s victory in the 1860 presidential election, was a beacon of hope for many slaves in America. Becoming the 16th president of the United States serving from 1861 to 1865, Abraham Lincoln is one of America’s most celebrated heroes. Holding office during the years of the American Civil War, Lincoln preserved the Union, while creating a new era that consisted of emancipated African American slaves. After winning a victory at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, he issuedRead MoreLegacy Of Abraham Lincoln s Legacy Essay1582 Words   |  7 PagesLegacy Leader: Abraham Lincoln A legacy leader is someone who has left a positive and lasting impression in society due to his or her leadership qualities and/or traits. Abraham Lincoln is a prime example of a legacy leader due to the leadership traits he displayed throughout his presidency. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States. He exhibited great leadership qualities such as integrity, duty, and selfless service. Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and hisRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1500 Words   |  6 PagesAbraham Lincoln has been studied more than any other in American history. In fact, over 15,000 different books have been written about our 16th president. Throughout the pages of these books, President Lincoln is affectionately referred to by many different names, such as the Railsplitter, Honest Abe, and the Great Emancipator. A vast majority of these written works honor Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents. Not everyone feels that way, however. Charles Adams, in his book, When in the CourseRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1292 Words   |  6 PagesAbraham Lincoln has been called the greatest president in all of American history. His principles were dedicated to the survival of the United States during one of the most gruesome and bloody wars in the country s history, the American Civil War. During his presidency, he fought for the emancipation of slaves because he believed the institution of slavery was morally unjust. His ideals, which appealed to the founding principles of the country, energized and mobilized the union and kept it aliveRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln928 Words   |  4 PagesP. Thomas, Abraham Lincoln: A Biography (Southern Illinois University Press, 2008). †¢ David Herbert Donald, We Are Lincoln Men: Abraham Lincoln and His Friends (Simon Schuster, 2004). †¢ Roy Morris Jr., The Long Pursuit: Abraham Lincoln’s Thirty-Year Struggle with Stephen Douglas for the Heart and Soul of America (Bison Books, 2010). 5. Similar Articles: †¢ Mary Frances Berry, â€Å"Lincoln and Civil Rights for Blacks,† Volume 2, Issue 1, 1980, pp. 46-57 (Journal of The Abraham Lincoln Association)

American National Identity In Presidential Rhetoric Rhetorical Analys

Question: Describe about the American National Identity In Presidential Rhetoric for Rhetorical Analysis? Answer: Rhetorical Analysis of the Speech delivered by President Barrack Obama in Prague, April 5, 2009 The rhetorical analysis is the process by which an analyst defines, analyzes, evaluates and interprets the artifacts (Dam, Holmgreen and Strunck). The speech made by the US President Barrack Obama in Prague in 2009 is analyzed on rhetoric grounds with various approaches of ethos, pathos, logos and kairos. The presidential speech was aimed at bearing a moral responsibility for the launch of a new age of nuclear disarmament and thereby eliminating the nuclear stocks. The paper deals in analyzing the rhetoric situation and then implementing the different approaches to the analysis. The main focus of the speech made by Barrack Obama in Prague was aimed at the addressing the challenge of atomic power to which he assures that the advent and the use of nuclear weapons would be banned during his reign. There was urgency in the speech in order to maintain political stability as it was the expiration of the Treaty of Moscow (SORT). The speech was not on political grounds as there was no persuasion on a particular event or a situation where the audience would be required to vote for or against the restoration of the treaty (Weigand). The venue of this speech was selected to be Prague mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, it was the NATO anniversary at Czech and secondly, President Obama has recognizes the support by Czech regarding the military mission in Afghanistan. The narration of the President includes his pathos and rhetoric behavior which is lead to the achievement of his persuasive goals (Zagacki, Kenneth S). The ethos of the speech is reflected in the beginning of exordium. The ethos forms the ethical appeal which is described as the act of convincing the audience by the character of the speaker. The US President Barrack Obama holds that authoritative position where he is able to deliver his speech to tens of thousands of audience gathered in Prague. Some aspects of the ethos are fulfilled as the President had tried to convey the series of incidents, the characters in those incidents to make the audience understand his arguments for building nations free of nuclear weapons. The president clearly stated the long term goal to establish his motives. First, the United States will take concrete steps towards a world without nuclear weapons. To put an end to Cold War thinking, we will reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our national security strategy, and urge others to do the same. Out of three categories of ethos stated by Aristotle, eunoia fits this type of speech where the aim of the President is to render goodwill towards the audience as America tried to establish the commitment to ensure peace and security of a world by eliminating nuclear weapons (Whately and Ehninger). While there are many critics who expressed their review that this commitment could not be achieved considering the resistance imposed by seven countries that possess nuclear arms. As the president had been skeptical about this strategy when he stated that; Now, I know that there are some who will question whether we can act on such a broad agenda. There are those who doubt whether true international cooperation is possible, given inevitable differences among nations. And there are those who hear talk of a world without nuclear weapons and doubt whether it's worth setting a goal that seems impossible to achieve. This is in the form of a logical fallacy as it falls under the categories of Circular Reasoning and Bandwagon effect. The circular reasoning states that an argument that the speaker states something without any evidences as in the case of the resistance that would be imposed from the seven nations that have nuclear weapons. President Obama had stated to free the world from nuclear weapons which is also falls under bandwagon appeal as the statement is a result of the importance of large number of people who supports the argument (Stuckey, Mary E). The pathos of the speech by President Obama is represented by the constitutive rhetoric and rhetorical devices with the use of metaphors and repetitions. He induces and instills emotional responses through fear and anger by stating the unavoidable threat to nuclear attack. The president also states that the small nations never considered the international stages regarding the nuclear. The pathos is the emotional aspect of rhetoric analysis which occurs when the speaker is able to persuade the audience by appealing at the emotional level. The president is able to influence the audience by rendering them with plausible solution to the challenge of nuclear weapons and war. In this way, the audience is able to be under the control of President Obama and he is able to attain his persuasive goal of disarmament and joining forces with the US (whitehouse.gov). The notion of the speech emphasizes the importance of the eliminating nuclear weapons in a logical way. President Obama addresses his argument with the help of the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the time of the Second World War along with the rocket testing in North Korea. Obama is quite clear with his ideologies and have stated that the Iran and terrorist groups would have to face dire consequences if they do not abide by the norms set by the US. This is best explained by the Toulmin model where Obama has used logos (Fahnestock, Jeanne). The logos refer to the logical persuasion of the audience using appropriate reasoning (McCrisken, Trevor) which appears in his speech. Rules must be binding. Violations must be punished. Words must mean something. The world must stand together to prevent the spread of these weapons. Obamas reasoning for his disarmament decision was supported by the logical reasoning that nuclear weapons are destructive and dangerous and its existence meant elimination of living beings on earth. However, Obama also feared about the issue of terrorism and stated that if terrorist possess these harmful nuclear weapons then that will be the end of mankind. This would help US not only to achieve the persuasive goal of eliminating nuclear weapons but also to drive away the threat of terrorism. According to Aristotles rhetoric analysis, Kairos considers the time and space context in which the speech must be delivered. Obama has correctly utilized the time context of the speech delivery as the treaty of Moscow was on the verge of expiry as well as the ensuring the political stability. So basically the notion of Kairos has been represented by the very occurrence of the events that is regarded to be opportune moment (Rowland, Robert C., and John M. Jones). President Obama has also used various rhetorical devices and tools in the form of parallelism, personification and metaphor. The parallelism has been depicted when the president has expressed his global concern regarding safety, security of the society and the economy as a whole for the ultimate survival. The personification is represented when president stated that through the global effort the United States is ready to be the moral leader which implies that the country is personified like a character (Vanessa Beasley). Obama has also used metaphor like the single flash of flash by explaining the notion of explosion in a more dramatic way. Also the verb to combat is an evidence of the metaphorical language Thus, this analysis has proved that the goal of Obama in instilling the issue of disarmament in the minds of the audience has proved to be a sensitive issue. From line 207 to 209 President uses many metaphors which are addressed to Czech: Those are the voices that still echo through the streets of Prague. Those are the ghosts of 1968. Those were the joyful sounds of the Velvet Revolution. Those were the Czechs who helped bring down a nuclear-armed empire without firing a shot. The voices are like the forces of freedom of the Czechs during the reign of the Soviet Union; The Prague Spring is also referred to as the ghosts of 1968. In the words of President Obama, promises towards a secured world has been kept as America was the host of the first International Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010 which almost aimed at the notion of President Obama had stated in his speech in Prague. The rhetoric analysis yields that the three proofs of rhetoric which are ethos, pathos and logos along with kairos are established. References Beasley, Vanessa B.You, the people: American National Identity In Presidential Rhetoric. No. 10. Texas AM University Press, 2011. Dam, Lotte, Lise-Lotte Holmgreen, and Jeanne Strunck.Rhetorical Aspects Of Discourses In Present-Day Society. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars, 2008. Print. Fahnestock, Jeanne.Rhetorical style: The uses of language in persuasion. Oxford University Press, 2011. McCrisken, Trevor. "Ten years on: Obama's war on terrorism in rhetoric and practice."International Affairs87.4 (2011): 781-801. Rowland, Robert C., and John M. Jones. "One dream: Barack Obama, race, and the American dream."Rhetoric Public Affairs14.1 (2011): 125-154. Stuckey, Mary E. "Rethinking the Rhetorical Presidency and Presidential Rhetoric 1."Review of Communication10.1 (2010): 38-52. Weigand, Edda.Dialogue And Rhetoric. Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2008. Print. Whately, Richard, and Douglas Ehninger.Elements Of Rhetoric. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press, 2010. Print. whitehouse.gov,. 'Remarks By President Barack Obama In Prague As Delivered'. N.p., 2009. Web. 29 July 2015. Zagacki, Kenneth S. "Constitutive rhetoric reconsidered: Constitutive paradoxes in GW Bush's Iraq war speeches."Western Journal of Communication71.4 (2007): 272-293.

The Collection of Intelligence Information in the Current World Essay Example

The Collection of Intelligence Information in the Current World Essay â€Å"So much information is now available on the Internet (even if some of it is inaccurate) that intelligence collection in the traditional sense is now no longer necessary†. Do you agree? What kinds of information might or might not be available? As a decision-maker would you agree to give up intelligence sources? Introduction Governments â€Å"run â€Å" on information. They need to be constantly aware of what is occurring around them, and how this could affect their interests, in order to take the right decisions at the right time. However not all the information they need is publicly available, which is why intelligence agencies were created with the objective of collecting, analysing and using confidential information, obtained secretly, to advise decision-makers. The collection process takes place after certain tasks have been assigned by the decision-makers, and consists of acquiring the necessary information which will then be treated at a later stage of the intelligence cycle. Traditionally, the collecting process of such agencies comes from either human intelligence, meaning information directly transmitted from a trustworthy person to an intelligence officer, or technical intelligence, which uses technology and machines to obtain this information. Today, however, the collection process of all information-seeking organizations has been transformed with the Internet. It is the largest, fastest-expanding source of information worldwide, where anybody on any point of the globe can post or have access to information. We will write a custom essay sample on The Collection of Intelligence Information in the Current World specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Collection of Intelligence Information in the Current World specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Collection of Intelligence Information in the Current World specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The impact of the Internet on Intelligence agencies is undoubtable, and it has become a major component of open-source intelligence (OSINT, the process of acquiring information from public sources to be treated and put in use for intelligence purposes). It provides information which is cheaper, more accessible, more timely and easier to disseminate in a shorter time. This has lead some people to believe that: â€Å"So much information is now available on the Internet (even if some of it is inaccurate) that intelligence collection in the traditional sense is now no onger necessary†. Has the Internet revolutionized the information collection process to the point of making the traditional methods obsolete? In this paper, I will defend the view that it has not, thus disagreeing with the statement above[1]. I will discuss that information available on the Internet is no replacement to information collected in the traditional sense, both theoretically (I) and in practice (II), even though it is a useful instrument which can also be used to guide decision-makers (III). I) The theoretical distinction between information available on the Internet and traditional intelligence collection In 2005, General Michael Hayden, from the US Open Source Centre, stated that â€Å"just because information is stolen, it does not make it better†[2]. This is true, however, what if the information was â€Å"stolen† because it was not available anywhere else? One must not confuse the terms information and intelligence. Information is made up of the facts agencies seek; intelligence is the process of acquiring and making use of confidential information which responds to the governments interests. Of course, if this information was available on the Internet, no rational organization would prefer to spend more money, more resources and a greater effort on high-risk operations, which is what information collection implies in the intelligence domain. The problem is that the information intelligence agencies seek is voluntarily hidden by the entity that controls it, which is why it is confidential, and for obvious reasons not posted on the Internet. Moreover, the more people that have a piece of information, the harder it is to have control over it, which incites organizations detaining information to keep it to themselves. By definition, intelligence information is therefore unavailable elsewhere. Consequently, the information on the Internet has a different content to information coming from intelligence, hence it cannot replace it. Furthermore, the definition of intelligence does not only regard the content of the information, it also concerns how the information is collected. According to David Chuter’s definition, intelligence means that the entity from which information is obtained does not want you to have it, and does not realize you have acquired it. On the contrary, the person posting information on the Internet wants you to have access to it and is aware anybody could acquire it. [3] Therefore, in both aspects of the definition of intelligence, there is a clear distinction between information coming from intelligence and from the Internet, and because of their difference in nature, one cannot replace the other. However, in practice, this theoretical distinction is blurred due to the fact that anybody can post on the Internet, including holders of confidential information. They could, for example, want to harm the person or organization they work for by making such information public through the Internet. II) In practice, the Internet is no replacement to traditional information collection The Commandant of the Marine Corps in 1988, General Alfred Gray Jr. , said that â€Å"most of the intelligence which needs to be known could be obtained via open-source information†[4], which the Internet is a major source of. Undoubtedly, with the huge amount of information available on the Internet, this must be true. There are examples of confidential information been publicly made available through the internet, such as the major Wikileaks information release on confidential subjects- the war in Afghanistan and in Iraq, amongst others. We could then ask ourselves: what if confidential information has been canalized through the Internet and we no longer need intelligence to retrieve it? The information intelligence agencies search for must be important and useful, or it would be irrelevant to the governments that need it. This means it must go through numerous filters and a high discrimination process. The Internet, while it may provide useful facts, has such an enormous amount of information that it impedes this selection process from being efficient. John McLaughlin, a former deputy CIA director, says In the Cold War, we struggled to get data. Today, the problem is that there is too much data–more than we can handle. [5] This can result in an information overload, meaning huge amounts of time and effort to be used to scan the information and select which is actually important. The difficulties in collecting information from the Internet go further than the quantitative issue. Because the information available on the Internet is what the person publishing it wants others to see, it can be dangerous because depending on this persons interests the information could be contradictory, misleading or even false, hampering the whole intelligence cycle. To avoid this, and as with any information collection, the source must be considered trustworthy, and this is always a difficult matter. On the Internet it is even more so: information is often anonymous, and meta-data (such as the circumstances surrounding the piece of information or the motivations of the person providing it) is extremely limited. Just like Jorge Luis Borges illustrates in his short story The Library of Babel, if one cannot tell what is true from what is false, the information is useless. Consequently, further sources are needed to prove the truthfulness of information and avoid being mislead. This means returning to traditional intelligence collection methods, in which case the Internet cannot be considered a source of information in itself. It can be seen, however, as inspiration for a further investigation. Moreover, the immensity of information available on the Internet incites certain types of behaviour in the information collectors, linked to their subjectiveness, that are also counter-productive for information collection. Political pressure is a potential source of error because it encourages agents to search in a certain direction, which the Internet, with its near-infinite information, is sure to justify. Firstly, it must be noted that not all information an agency looks for is necessarily available, however, the large amounts of information available on the Internet encourage people to believe such information exists. Secondly, misleading sources can exaggerate and create non-existent threats, which is sometimes what intelligence agencies are looking for in order to justify their utility. Thirdly, it is part of human behaviour to struggle to admit you are wrong, especially after investing effort in trying to prove the opposite. Once again, of all the information available on the Internet, that which proves you are in the right direction is likely to be picked, and the rest avoided, encouraging wish-fulfilment behaviour and confirmation bias. With these practical issues concerning information collected from the Internet, it can therefore be considered dangerous for it to be considered a source of information in itself. Nevertheless, it should not altogether be denied a role in information collection. The usefulness of the Internet and its place in the decision-making process If not a trustworthy source by itself, the Internet certainly contributes to a better information collection. Firstly, it directly facilitates the collection of open-source information which is then used for intelligence purposes. Such is the case, for example, with radio or television broadcasts which are now available online. In this example, it means monitors no longer have to be near the broadcast source, nor is complex equipment needed (antennas ) to obtain these broadcasts. [6] The Internet has an incredible logistical advantage, providing cheaper sources in real time all around the globe. Open-source information is useful in providing complementary information to the confidential one. It helps determine the context and the circumstances in which the information is transmitted; it serves to â€Å"fill in the gaps†. This is essential, seen as a piece of information taken out of context makes no sense or cannot be used efficiently. Intelligence failures often come from an inability to understand â€Å"the bigger picture† or the general context of a given situation. For example, during the Vietnam war, the strategic concept of the conflict was misunderstood: the US believed it was mainly a Soviet-Chinese supported conflict and ignored the major influence of Vietnamese communists and nationalists. Moreover, information coming from he Internet is in real-time, so it can help those who collect the information assimilate new situations which arise from social or economic change for instance, and to do so quickly. It is therefore important source of collateral information, which enhances traditional information collection and enables it to be understood and interpreted. From a decision-makers point of view, most confidential information is not available on the Internet (despite some examples whi ch today are still very limited), which signifies traditional intelligence sources of information can by no means be given up on. The Internet is however an essential tool which must be integrated in the collection process, and in the other stages of the intelligence cycle, in order for the information provided to be pertinent. It can also serve as inspiration for further investigation, as long as its potential dangers are understood, for it is easy for decision-makers, who are under political power, to get carried away by misleading available on the Internet. Conclusion In summary, on one hand, most of the information available on the Internet is not the one which interests intelligence services because they seek mainly confidential information. On the other hand, some of the information on the Internet hampers information collection because it can be misleading, contradictory, or even false and can lead to counter-productive behaviour from the intelligence agents. Consequently, the information available is not always the one intelligence services are looking for. In addition, there is a theoretical distinction linked to the fact information coming from intelligence must be unavailable elsewhere, which means information from the Internet cannot replace traditional intelligence. This does not imply the Internet should be avoided by intelligence services, on the contrary, it can provide essential information in complement to that obtained by intelligence services. It simply means the dangers of the Internet should be kept in the mind of decision-makers who must find the balance between these two sources of information. [1] Only the collection stage of the intelligence cycle will be discussed concerning the impact of the Internet, as this is what the statement points to. [2]http://www. usnews. om/news/national/articles/2008/09/12/spy-agencies-turn-to-newspapers-npr-and-wikipedia-for-information. [3]According to this definition, open-source intelligence is not a actually a source of intelligence, the concept open-source information in use for intelligence purposes is therefore more appropriate. [4]Global Intelligence Challenges in the 1990s, American Intelligence Journal (Winter 1989–1990) [5] http://www. usnews. com/usnews/news/articles/061103/3dni. an alysts. htm [6]https://www. cia. gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol48no3/article05. html