Thursday, October 31, 2019

Critical Analysis of College is a Waste of Time and Money Essay

Critical Analysis of College is a Waste of Time and Money - Essay Example It is clearly identifiable from the article that Bird has not expressed her views about college based learning for shock value merely, rather she actually has a firm conviction at heart that colleges in majority of the cases turn out to be a mere waste of wads of cash and many hours and she actually makes every effort in her article to defend this viewpoint. Though this article managed in satiating the minds of many thinkers out there who believe that earning a bachelor’s degree by making big commitments to the colleges in terms of time and money is an ineffective and rather clumsy way to get the real training, still many teachers and students themselves have reacted strongly negatively to Bird’s take on college based learning which is quite understandable. Now, there are two important things worth considering before getting all judgmental in this regard. First, if we think about the established reality which projects that the kind of role played by a teacher or scholar holds monumental importance and value for behavioral modification and general wellbeing of a student, the approach used by Bird to assess the importance of colleges immediately gets discarded. Next, it cannot be said that Bird’s article should be totally condemned or agonized since it lacks ground because concerning the common practice active presently among parents and students to waste wads of cash only after colleges’ or universities’ names, the possibility of a college to turn out to be a waste of cash and time may arise. This is because many times the real purpose of learning is lost when more attention is paid to the college’s name than on a student’s individual personality. It is an undeniable reality that a student who has the tendency to maintain lazy or defiant attitude and bad habits will remain just the same and behave as pathetically as a student even if he/she be enrolled at some of the most prestigious institution. In such cases, go ing to college does turn out to be a futile effort and a college definitely becomes a waste of time and money for such students, but Bird does not antagonize the conventional method of college based learning on this basis alone as she is seen going to different lengths in her article to nullify the concept of colleges for acquiring knowledge. Now, a college is seen by the vast majority of people as the central pillar or the support system upon which the whole building of learning could be supported. Bird disagrees openly from all such thinkers here. The argument used by her to antagonize the established thinking approach is that most of the students enrolled at different colleges in the present times have absolutely no sense of purpose as to why they are there in the college in the first place. This means that a student personally rarely ever has any strong motivation about staying in a particular college to learn. Most of them are just there because their mothers or fathers wanted them to be there or because their families wanted to show off to other relatives or friends about their son or daughter learning in some prestigious institution. Now, this can be passed off as a justified point brought up by Bird because students should personally be strongly motivated for going to colleges to learn and not only should they acknowledge this motivation but should also know how to defend their choice of going to colleges for learning. Next major point addressed by Bird in her article is that special attention should be paid to the real reason behind the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Network and Operating System Investigation Research Paper

Network and Operating System Investigation - Research Paper Example The Internet banking facilities consist of funds transfer, online shopping, credit card transactions, prepaid vouchers of different mobile phone companies and much more. Moreover, an Internet service provider (ISP) provides internet services to corporate organizations, home users, and small business. If the security of an ISP is compromised, then the hacker may be able to access all the systems that are ultimately the clients of the company. Likewise, ISP also provides site-to-site VPN connectivity from where all the classified data is encrypted from one end to the other. Furthermore, government based organizations also provide information services on the Internet along with defense agencies that are controlled and monitored by the military, once hacked, the impacts can be devastating if the hackers become vulnerable. This can also result in disrupting relations between the two countries. Similarly, a multi-national organization wants to be top of the competition by endearing the com petitive advantage, in order to make its presence stronger, several online features made available, providing more opportunities for hackers and cybercriminals. Why IDS As per network dictionary, IDS is defined as â€Å"Intrusion detection system (IDS) is a type of security management system for computers and networks. An IDS gathers and analyzes information from various areas within a computer or a network to identify possible security breaches, which include both intrusions and misuse†. IDS are of many types and organizations choose the best possible type that suits their prioritized mission-critical systems. The types include network-based IDS, host-based IDS, and software-based IDS. These types are further categorized into signature-based IDS which is also referred to as misuse detection, and Anomaly Detection. The functionality of ‘signature-based IDS’ is dependent on known signatures. The word ‘known’ is important because threats that are detec ting so far are categorized as known threats and are called signatures. Signature-based IDS only detect threats similar to the defined available signatures and do not comply with any new threat. Whereas, Anomaly-based IDS detect unknown activities within the network and detect them as threats and vulnerabilities. Defining Computing Forensics Discussing computer forensics in the context of law enforcement agencies or incorporate security, it will lead to a conclusion of a subject that covers the utilization of computers to catalog physical evidence that is analyzed in other forensics techniques including biometric identification, analyzing DNA and dental evidence. Current technological trends have revolutionized the methods of storing data along with different advanced access mechanisms. These systems facilitate law enforcement agencies by providing instant access to these characteristics. Although, computer forensics also facilitates the investigation of crimes within themselves in order to gather evidence associated with criminal activities that breach the violation of an organizations policy. The data can be extracted from storage devices including hard drives, flash drives, and memory cards etc. (Computer Forensics – a Critical Need in Computer. (n.d.)) Digital Forensics for a Database In order to conduct data forensics, some of the particular methods are mentioned below: Data dictionary extraction is achievable in flat files and ‘redo’ log files.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Assessment of Cadmium levels in Chocolate

Assessment of Cadmium levels in Chocolate Research Proposal Assessment of Cadmium levels in chocolate commercialized in Lebanon Josiane Haddad 1- Background and significance Cadmium (Cd) as an element is a soft silver-white transition metal. It is not usually present in the environment as a pure metal, but is most often present in the form of oxides, sulfides, and carbonates. It does not have a taste or odor. Cadmium sulfate and cadmium chloride are quite soluble in water, whereas metal Cd, cadmium oxide and cadmium sulfide are almost insoluble (International Program on Chemical safety [IPCS], 2007). Cd is released from several sources in nature: mobilization of Cd from the Earths crust and mantle due to volcanic activity, mobilization of Cd impurities in extracted raw materials such as phosphate minerals and fossil fuels, release of Cd from products and processes resulting from the use, disposal, recycling, open burning or incineration, releases from municipal installations and release of Cd previously deposited in soils, sediments, landfills and waste or tailings piles (United Nations Environment Program [UNEP], 2010). It is a toxic metal to humans and classified as a carcinogen by the National Toxicology Program (Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry [ATSDR], 2004]. In the human body, Cd is mainly stored in the liver and kidneys. Hence, an early effect indicator of Cd toxicity is increased excretion of proteins in urine, kidney proteinuria, which is the result of proximal tubular cell damage. Several other side effects occur depending on the duration and magnitude of exposure. Skeletal damage is another critical effect of chronic Cd exposure at high levels. Cd concentrations in most tissues increase with age since excretion is normally slow, and the biological half-life is very long (10 to 15 years) (Jin T., Lu J. Nordberg M., 1998) in the muscles, kidneys, liver and whole body. In exposed people with renal damage, urinary excretion of Cd increases and so the whole body half-life is shortened. The kidney burden resulting from cumulative exposure to Cd can be assessed by measuring Cd in urine (UNEP, 2010). Epidemiological and experimental studies have associated occupational Cd exposure with several types of cancers including lung, prostate, renal, liver, hematopoietic system, urinary bladder, pancreatic, testis and stomach cancers (Journal of Inorganic biochemistry, 2000; Joseph P. et al., 2001). Exposure to this toxic metal also severely affects the function of the nervous system (L’opez E. et al., 2003; Cao Y. et al., 2009), with symptoms including headache and vertigo, olfactory dysfunction, Parkinson-like symptoms, slowing of vasomotor functioning, peripheral neuropathy, decreased equilibrium, decreased ability to concentrate and learning disabilities (Cao Y. et al., 2009; Phil R.O. Parkes M., 1977). Presence of Cd was also detected in hair and higher concentrations of hair Cd were reported in children with mental retardation (Marlowe M., Errera J. Jacobs J., 1983) and learning difficulties or dyslexia (Phil R.O. Parkes M., 1977; Capel I. et al., 1981). There are several sources of human exposure to Cd including employment in metal industries, production of certain batteries, some electroplating processes and consumption of tobacco products (International Agency for Research on Cancer [IARC], 1993). However, food accounts for approximately 90% of the Cd intake in the general, non-smoking population since this metal is found in the soil. The quantity absorbed by crops in different locations is influenced by factors such as soil pH, salinity, crop species and varieties and the presence of other elements (e.g., zinc). Less than 10% of the total exposure occurs due to inhalation of Cd in ambient air or ingestion with drinking water (UNEP, 2010). Since Cd is dangerous to humans, a provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) or provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) had to be established. PTWI is an estimate of the amount of the chemical that can be ingested weekly over a lifetime without appreciable health risk (Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO] World Health Organization [WHO], 1988). The European Union recommends a PTWI of 2.5 ÃŽ ¼g/kg of body weight (European Union [EU], 2014). The PTMI for Cd recommended by the FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (ECFA) is 25 ÃŽ ¼g/kg of body weight (FAO WHO, 2014). In 2010, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommended that the acceptable daily intake level of 0.1 à °Ã‚ Ã…“†¡g kg−1 body weight per day for chronic exposure (Mead N., 2010). Studies in several European countries have demonstrated high levels of Cd in agricultural topsoil due to the use of Cd in fertilizers and atmospheric deposition. Over the last 100 years, the increase in soil Cd concentration in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom was estimated to be 7 to 43 percent (UNEP, 2010). Hence, the risk is in continuous increase and further investigation on the quality of the crops and food consumed has to be pursued. Out of the possible crops carrying Cd, cocoa, the seed of the Theobroma cacao tree (Watson R., Preedy V. Zibadi S., 2013; Lee F., 1983), is one of the most consumed by all age groups worldwide, especially by children. The large consumption of cocoa and chocolate products derived from cocoa is due to its pleasant flavor and the feeling of well-being that it gives (Watson R., Preedy V. Zibadi S., 2013). Several studies revealed the benefits of chocolate consumption due to the high levels of flavonoids and antioxidants present in cocoa based foods (Grivetti L. Shapiro H., 2009; Crozier S. al., 2011; Buitrago-Lopez A. et al., 2011). They are an important source of minerals such as Ca, P, Fe, Mg, Cu, Zn, K, and Mn (Grivetti L. Shapiro H., 2009; Peixoto R., Oliveira E. Cadore S., 2012; Pedro N., Oliveira E. Cadore S., 2006). In addition, they may prevent harmful effects caused by free radicals in the human body, contributing to the reduction of cardiovascular disease and cancer risk (Fernandez-Murga L. et al., 2011; Yao H., 2011). However, the presence of potentially toxic elements has also been reported (Rehman S. Husnain M., 2013; Yanus R. et al., 2014), particularly lead and Cd (Dahiya S. et al., 2005; Jalbani N. et al., 2009). Previous studies have been performed to test the presence of Cd in chocolate samples in several countries and the results revealed the presence of this heavy metal with a large margin of variation. In turkey 20-30 ppb were observed, in India 1 to 2730 ppb were reported, in Malaysia 280 to 420 ppb and in Pakistan 4.3 to 190 ppb were observed (Dahiya S. et al., 2005; da Silva A. et al., 2006; Dos Santos A. et al., 2005; Guldas M. et al., 2008; Lee P. and Low T., 1985; Leggli C.et al., 2011). In Oakland, California, the non-profit organization As You Sow (AYS) tested Cd levels in 42 products, 26 of which contained lead and/or Cd level above what the state of California considers safe. The organization sent legal notices in the context of holding more heavy metals than allowed under the Golden State’s Proposition 65 toxic chemical warning law to 16 manufacturers including Hershey’s, See’s, Mars, Godiva, Ghirardelli, Lindt, Green and Black’s, Kroger, Whole Food s, Trader Joe’s, Earth Circle Organics, Moonstruck, Theo, and Vosges (AYS, 2015; The Washington Post, 2015). In this study, given that some of the brands commercialized worldwide are found in Lebanon, cocoa and chocolate derivatives will be tested for their Cd content. Specific Aim Various brands of chocolate, whether local or imported brands, are largely consumed in Lebanon. The main ingredients in chocolate consist of cocoa, milk and fats, each of which is a potential source of Cd. No study has been conducted till now to assess the quantity of toxic metals present in the products on the market. Hence, a study to determine Cd levels is important for chocolate consumers and manufacturers. The aim of this study is to assess Cd levels in chocolate samples mostly consumed by the Lebanese population and compare those levels to the values issued by global health organizations. Research design and methods Sample collection Different brands of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa powder are collected from different stores according to the most sold brand. The shelf life of most milk chocolate samples is one year, and 2 years for dark chocolate. Samples will be labeled and stored at a temperature between 15 and 17à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C. Samples will be kept wrapped in foil and placed inside a Ziploc plastic bag so that they do not absorb the odors and moisture from the refrigerator (Subarmanian P., 1998). Microwave digestion In order to detect heavy metals in cocoa, the samples have to be digested since the matrices are organic. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), microwave digestion can be followed on chocolate samples where up to 0.5g are digested in 5mL of concentrated nitric acid and up to 2mL hydrogen peroxide (Onianwa P.C. et al. 1999; Mounicou S. et al., 2002), which can also be substituted by nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid (Gà ¼ldaÃ…Å ¸ M., Adnan F.D., Biricik F.B., 2008). The digestion is run in PTFE vessels at approximately 180 ±5à ¢Ã‚ Ã‚ °C for 15 minutes (Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2004). The time and temperature are subject to variation in order to find the most convenient parameters for the samples tested. Wet digestion method can also be applied in the digestion of chocolate samples. The two methods are comparable in results (Jalbani N. et al., 2009). However, wet digestion requires a greater use of chemicals and causes a greater risk of contamination (Jalbani N. et al., 2009). As the samples will be used to assess both lead (Pb) and Cd, each sample is spiked with an internal standard of Pb and Cd prior to digestion (FDA, 2014). Obtained samples after digestion are reconstituted to 25mL with ultrapure distilled water in volumetric flasks then placed in vials and stored in the refrigerator (EPA, 2004; Jalbani N. et al., 2009). Atomic absorption analysis For quantitation, stock Cd and lead standard solutions of 1000mg/L each are diluted to different concentrations and a standard addition method is followed to prepare a calibration curve. Diluted Cd and lead stock standards with 1% nitric acid will be placed in nitric acid rinsed volumetric flask and stored in plastic bottles (Teflon ® FEP or HDPE bottles recommended). Both elements can be combined in the same solution (Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2010). The heavy metal is detected by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (GFAAS). Electrodeless discharge lamps for Cd and Pb are operated, alternatively. Cd will be detected at a wavelength of 228.8 nm (FDA, 2010). Pure argon (99.999%) is used as the purge and protective gas. Different chemical modifiers will be tried to find the most convenient one such as ammonium phosphate, magnesium nitrate, phosphoric acid or others. Statistical analysis Statistical analysis will be done in two different stages. First, the mean Cd concentration of each brand of chocolate will be calculated and proportion differences for independent samples will be tested by comparing the calculated mean values to the permitted ones by Global Health Organizations. If significant differences are observed, a second step of analysis will be performed in which the studied brands are subcategorized forming a contingency table. The differences can be identified by a χ ² test thus allowing the formation of an ANOVA study to check in depth for the differences within the categories and between them. Using these methods, the most diverging categories from the norm will be identified. Expected results This study will most likely reveal the presence of Cd in chocolate samples as it has been the case in other similar studies. Some samples might have values higher than the tolerable intake specified by global health organizations. Potential problems Cd is toxic at low doses (FAO WHO, 1988; Mead N., 2010; EU, 2014; FAO WHO, 2014) and may be found in low doses in some samples as shown in previous studies (Dahiya S. et al., 2005; da Silva A. et al., 2006; Dos Santos A. et al., 2005; Guldas M. et al., 2008; Lee P. and Low T., 1985; Leggli C. et al., 2011). Accordingly, the selection of an appropriate chemical modifier for AAS analysis is very important. Several trials will be attempted in order to select the optimal type. In addition, the order and receipt of chemicals will be time consuming. Time frame Completion of the proposed aim requires duration of 3 to 4 months in order to allow for the collection of samples, sample digestion, graphite furnace analysis, evaluation and statistical analysis of the results obtained.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Progression of the Medium Change between the Painting with the Digi

The Progression of the Medium Change between the Painting with the Digital Image Albert Borgmann, in his Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life, devises the â€Å"device paradigm† as an illustration of the pattern into which the stuff that defines technological existence falls. Even though Borgmann writes his book in 1984, it is of value to examine the paradigm in context of current developments of technological society. It becomes a question of whether the device paradigm is still applicable to the current technological setting, or if it is truer now than even before. It is thus taken into consideration in light of the specific instance of the thing, as Borgmann uses it, that is a painting prior to the modern period. The specific thing of a painting is contrasted to the technological device of a digital image. The progression of the medium change between the painting to the digital image will be examined as well as the skill it takes to produce them. Availability of these is observed, along with the consequence of such a metamorphosis in the essence of the thing and device. First, however, Borgmann states the thing as a pretechnological object in the Heideggerian sense. The thing gathers the fourfold, being earth, sky, mortals, and divinity. Thus it is something which reveals the world in all its aspects. In this case, a painting of the medieval times is one which is created by a master. The master has undergone a lifetime of training under another master, and the business of the arts is under the guild system. A single painting would take many weeks to complete, and all instruments in its creation are known instinctively to the master. The pigments are hand ground and prepared, as are the brushes and th... ...into a commodity of affluence, and that is what produces disengagement. Affluent commodities disengage in their diversion from focal things, which result in detachment from reality and detachment from the world. As the world is revealed through technological devices, it is no longer a world of humanity, but a world of technology and its devices. Such an existence deteriorates into loneliness and depression, both of which are detrimental to the being of humanity. In truth, it can be said, by line of the preceding argument, that technological existence may well bring about the extinction of the human race, unless it is counteracted. This counteraction, may, as Borgmann claims, lie in a counterbalance of focal things and practices. Works Cited Borgmann, Albert. Technology and the Character of Contemporary Life. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 1984.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Educatinal Technology

1- ) Examine three (3) of the issues you feel are most important in shaping the role of technology in education. Analyze why they are most important ones The role of the education in this global world is increasing each day. There are a lot of ways, strategies and approaches to increase quality of education. One of most effective way is integrating technology in to the education. That is called educational technology.There are a lot of advantages of technology in the class but I will give information about three advantages of technology in the classes which are freedom, equality of the education and creativity. Technology in the education is giving more freedom to teachers and students. How? As a mathematics teacher in a public school I can give examples from my own experiences. I use smart board and smart pad in my classes. I prepare my lesson plan as software and I reflect on the board or on the screen. While I am walking around the class I can teach.I don’t have spent my ti me for writing the definitions or questions and cleaning the board. I don’t have turn my back to the students which is helping me for classroom management. As another example when I am teaching geometric figures even three dimensional figures now my drawing is not a problem anymore. With Mimio smart board I can visualize better. My students have more time to learn. And I put my class notes to website for students who missed the day or who couldn’t understand well. They still have chance review everything that they missed.I think this is the most important issue for role of the technology in the education. It is giving more time for teaching. It is another sole role of the technology in teaching, giving equal opportunity to all students. There are a lot of people who are seeking for education but they cannot reach it because of lack school or teacher . Maybe it is not common in U. S. A but around the world it is common. For these people technology is only hope. Or some people like me who have to support a family and want to get a degree; online education is the only way.With technology everybody has an opportunity to learn. For some special and minor issues technology is helping us so much too, for instance I have a student who is dyslexic. To make him focus to class and understand better tablet computers are very helpful. In my country Turkish Government is giving free tablets to all students. The last and I think most important benefit of the educational technology is increasing creativity. With standing front of the board and giving lecture we cannot individualize the education.It is a known fact every bodies learning way and level is different, from this perspective each person is unique. Especially if there is a big diversity in the class lecturing will not help. And if all students learn the same thing with same way it will not develop their creativity conversely it will decrease the creativity. To enhance students’ creativity we have to integrate technology in the education. With this way the students can learn with their own way and level. There is a web site that I use in my math applying classes (www. studyisland. om) , at the beginning of the year students are taking a diagnostic test and depends their results system is giving a unique way to each student, may be the system is not perfect but the idea is so beautiful. In twenty first century we are aware of that education is more complicated than we taught. Teachers are facing with different problems such as dyslexia, ADHD/ADD, asperger syndrome. To individualize education technology is very helpful. Increasing technology using will develop creativity ,freedom and opportunity in the education. ———————– Page | 1 Page | 1

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Science of Stars

Stars are well recognized astronomical objects in our solar system and represent building blocks of galaxies. The history and dynamics of a star in a galaxy depends on its age, distribution, and composition. The stars are responsible for elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. A star’s life begins very small, like many more things in the universe. They begin as, apart from anything else, particles in clouds of dust and gas. They remain cold for ages. The disturbance of a comet or other object that moves through the cloud will then make particles collide and clumps will begin to form. Over the course of a million years, clumps will grow into what we call â€Å"protostar† and draw in more gases and grow even hotter. This is how stars are formed and is a point in a star’s life. Astronomers determine composition, color, and temperature of stars and other distant objects with an essential tool called a spectroscopy. Astronomers have used this tool since the 1800’s to analyze emitted light spectra. When a star gives off light and the light splits by prism, the spectral pattern reflects a star’s composition. All stars are 95% hydrogen, so the variations in composition reveal its age, luminosity, and origin. Composition of gases can be determined by observing the light of a star. Astronomers can determine the temperature of a star from its color and its spectrum. All stars have different colors. They have different colors due to its light radiation. There are a few different ways astronomers can determine a star’s temperature. One way is to measure a star’s color. They use three filters that transmit light in three different wavelength ranges. Astronomers then take the intensity ratio of the light. Another way to determine the temperature of a star is to examine the spectral lines in the starlight. Science of Stars3 Astronomers also use a tool called the electromagnetic spectrum to determine the composition, temperature, speed, and rotation rate of stars and other distant objects. Rotation rates are measured by using telescopes or space probes. Astronomers pick a particular feature on an object and then determine how long the feature takes to move from one side to the other side. For an example, the Sun has a rotation rate of about 25 days. One planet in our solar system that is difficult for astronomers to observe rotation rate is Earth. That is because we live on Earth and rotate with it. As stars progress through their lives they move around in the H-R diagram since their properties change over a period of time. In the H-R diagram it plots luminosity, spectral type, and also temperature. If a star is plotted higher up on the diagram on the vertical plane, this means that the stars are brighter. If a star is plotted in the horizontal plane to the left, this means that these stars are the hottest. Stars spend most of their lifetime in what is known as the main sequence in the H-R diagram. In this phase of a star’s life, they burn hydrogen into helium. Also at this point, the star’s size and luminosity remain constant because their forces have reached a near-equilibrium. Stars will remain in the main sequence until they reach a certain mass. Stars that are called supergiants in the H-R diagram and lie along the top right are luminous and cool. The stars that are called white dwarfs and are plotted at the bottom left of the diagram are fainter, hotter stars. The red giant stars are the stars of great luminosity and size. They form a thick horizontal band that joins the main sequence. All the stars on the H-R diagram are plotted by their color horizontally and their luminosity vertically. All the colors are coded from O (blue), B (blue), A (blue-white), F (white), G (yellow), K (orange), and M (red). Science of Stars4 In the center of our solar system lies a star called â€Å"the Sun†. Its color is white, but appears to us on Earth as yellow and is considered a main sequence star. The life cycle of the Sun, just like any other star starts with a cloud of gas and dust composed mainly of hydrogen collapses under gravitational forces. It was formed about 4. 5 billion years ago determined by scientists using the Sun’s current main sequence age. Right now, the Sun is believed to be about halfway through its main sequence evolution. The Sun should spend about 10 billion years as a main sequence star. It will enter the red giant stage in about 5 billion years. By the time it reaches to be a giant star stage, the Sun will have lost about 30% of its mass due to a stellar wind. The orbits of the planets will move outward then. Eventually our Earth will be swallowed by the Sun. The Sun living in the main sequence is gradually becoming more luminous and its temperature is slowly rising. After the red giant stage, the Sun’s outer layers will be thrown off. It will cool and fade into the white dwarf stage. As of right now, the Sun’s life cycle is the main sequence stage. It is considered middle aged at 4. 5 billion years old. The Sun is currently fusing hydrogen in its core and has been for the last 5,000 million years, and it is expected to continue fusing hydrogen for at least another 4,000 million years. The main sequence stage is the longest and most stable phase of its existence and this stage lasts about 10 billion years for a star. The main sequence is also the first stage of a star after becoming a star, right after the protostar stage. The following stage after the main sequence stage would be the red giant stage. I have now discussed in this paper how astronomers determine composition, temperature, speed, and rotation rate of distant objects. I explained the properties of the stars in the H-R Science of Stars5 diagram, summarized the life cycle of the Sun, and also stated where the Sun is currently in its life cycle.