Scott Barrett to Join SIPA Faculty COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Scott Barrett to Join SIPA Faculty COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Scott Barrett, one of the world’s leading environmental policy economists, will join the SIPA faculty with a joint appointment in the Earth Institute in the fall of 2009 as the first Lenfest Professor of Natural Resource Economics. Since 1999, Professor Barrett has served on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Professor Barrett’s research focuses on interactions between changes in the environment (such as the climate or the ecology of a pathogen) and international institutions and regulatory regimes such as the Kyoto Protocol and the World Health Assembly’s efforts to eradicate polio.

Reflective Essay Reflective Practice Theoretical Essay

Reflective Practice Theoretical Essay Introduction(300) Rolfe (2011) state that reflection is a mental process which include thinking, feeling, imagining and learning about what was happening in the past and which could be considered as a personal experience. Reflection is a continuous debate on what might have happened differently and if this could affect differently the present and the future regarding the outcome if is positive or negative. Experience underpin the process of reflection. According to Nursing Midwifery Council Code NMC (2015) â€Å"Gather and reflect on feedback from a variety of sources, using it to improve your practice and performance† can be done by putting together skills, knowledge and experience in the benefit of the patient. There are number of tools that can be used in nursing to reflect and these tools are: models of reflection, mind maps, learning journals, critical incidents and critical friends and conversations with a mentor or a tutor. As well as the NMC, the NHS has set The Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) as a requirement in order to meet the standards regarding delivering a high level of quality for the services provided; this imply personal development plan and review , knowledge and skills. Bulman (2008) believes that reflection is a review over own experience passed through several phases namely description, analyse and evaluation so that finally to offer a better approach for future practice. Reflection involves not onlyShow MoreRelatedJohns Reflection And Gibbs Reflection in Nursing Practice1931 Words   |  8 PagesIntroduction: In this essay, I will discuss several issues that seem to bind nursing practice with questions of ethics, sociology and management. Reflective practice is an important aspect of nursing management and in this essay we discuss implications of discrimination in nursing care and examine the importance of anti-discriminatory perspectives in nursing. In this paper, the case study I will elaborate is of an elderly woman who was of a non-British ethnic origin and spoke little English. A juniorRead MoreReflection Of The Confucius A Chinese Philosopher s Saying Essay1604 Words   |  7 PagesReflective Practice I would like to start my essay by sharing the Confucius a Chinese philosopher’s saying: By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC) Chinese Philosopher Definition of Reflective Practice: This practice is one of the oldest theory that experienced by ancient Greeks over 2500 years ago as a concept of intention in exploration of truthRead MoreDtlls Study Skills Assignment Essay1712 Words   |  7 PagesSKILLS The aim of this essay is to give the reader an overview of the types of study skills necessary for a student to study for and attain a Diploma in Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector. In it I will discuss my personal approach to study and the study skills I need to use on the programme. The essay will highlight the skills I feel are my current strengths and draw attention to the areas I need to develop. I will briefly describe and evaluate some different reflective models and in relationRead MoreReflective Essay2018 Words   |  9 PagesContext ACCG 399 Reflection Learning Log and Essay This reflection learning log and essay guide is a helpful learning tool for you to access when you are completing your learning log and also your reflection essay. It provides you with an introduction to the purpose for setting a reflective piece of work and the benefits this produces for you. It provides activities to help you along the way (see separate guide â€Å"ACCG 399 Developing a Reflective Capacity Guidance†) and clearly sets out the requirementsRead MoreA Critical Examination Of Professional Learning811 Words   |  4 Pagesourselves in new learning about professional practice with range of activities, formal and informal (Fraser and Schwind, 2011). In particular, reflection is a significant mechanism in practice-based professional development settings where we can learn from experiences, rather than knowledge transfer, and ultimately develop professional practice throughout working lives (Jasper, 2011). More specifically, ‘a person who reflects throughout hi s or her practice is not just looking back on past actions andRead MoreReflective Writing1241 Words   |  5 PagesHow do I . . . Write a Reflection? Why reflective writing? Reflection offers you the opportunity to consider how your personal experiences and observations shape your thinking and your acceptance of new ideas. Professors often ask students to write reading reflections. They do this to encourage you to explore your own ideas about a text, to express your opinion rather than summarise the opinions of others. Reflective writing can help you to improve your analytical skills because it requiresRead MoreReflective Article : Reflective Report2099 Words   |  9 PagesReflective Report Doing the modules in this course has given me an entirely new perspective on written university work. There are all sorts of strategies that can be employed to help with the improvement of the marks a student can get for each assignment and examination. Before studying about the different elements that must come together for a written university document to be deemed standard and good, there were so many points where I did not fully apply myself. Lack of knowledge is the main thingRead MoreSummary With ever increasing pace of change and complexity within businesses, it is easy to900 Words   |  4 Pagesmanagement practices and theories and link them with my personal selection of skills from the previous management skills essay (skill discovery), by justifying the selected skills with relevant guidelines and emphasizing on those guidelines, and also by articulating the theory for future management practices. Additionally this paper includes the relation between theoretical features of interpersonal communication and negotiation and the significance of these skills from my past practices. IntroductionRead MoreThe Domains At The Progression Point 21891 Words   |  8 Pages 5070 ESSAY 2ND DRAFT The aim of this essay is to reflect on the personal development in one of the four domains at the progression point 2. The four domains of nursing care are professional values; communication and interpersonal skills; nursing practice and decision making; leadership, management and team working (NMC, 2016). These are the essential areas where the student nurses have to improve their knowledge and skills prior to the nursing registrationRead MoreThe Domains At The Progression Point 21886 Words   |  8 Pages 5070 ESSAY The aim of this essay is to reflect on the personal development in one of the four domains at the progression point 2. The four domains of nursing care are professional values; communication and interpersonal skills; nursing practice and decision making; leadership, management and team working (NMC, 2016). These are the essential areas where student nurses have to improve their knowledge and skills prior to the nursing registration for

The United States Essay - 1243 Words

Between the start of the 1800’s and the mid 1850’s, the United States acquired a vast amount of territory through wars, annexation, and purchases. Beginning with Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana purchase in 1803, the United States began a campaign to acquire all the territory west of the Mississippi River and reach the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This time period would become known as Manifest Destiny. Over the five decades that Manifest Destiny lasted politics and the government changed along with the geographic face of the United States while the country expand to cover most of North America. Of these political changes, the death of the Federalists, birth of the Whigs and reformation of the Democratic party were among the most prominent. However an underlying conflict began to progress with each new purchase and acquisition of territory. Manifest Destiny led to multiple political conflicts resulting an increase in sectionalism and eventually complete sectional di vision. As time progressed so did the scale of slavery in the United States. Politicians were divided over the status of slavery throughout the United states, but the acquisition of new territory provided new areas to fight the over slavery and other issues. For the most part the status of slavery within the well organized Eastern territories was decided, prohibited in the Northern States and legal in the Southern States. However with the large amount of territory acquired during the Louisiana PurchaseShow MoreRelatedThe United States1368 Words   |  6 Pagesthat would affect the actions and history of the United States in the future. According to The Wordy Shipmates author Sarah Vowell, those colonists began the way the United States would be unique and not conform to what other countries do and this is shown in the actions the United States has taken throughout its history. Instead of conforming, most of the goals of the United States have been to allow other nations to conf orm to the United States’ image. Yet, those colonists who were being sent offRead MoreThe United States915 Words   |  4 PagesCheyanne Sitch Pod Cast 4 â€Å"The United States we stand at this moment at the summit of this world† –Winston Churchill. 1940 was the last year before the United States fully engaged themselves into the war. At this time the US was dealing with its 11th year of the depression. 1/7th of the population was unemployed at this time. This meant that nearly 14% of the workforce was unemployed in 1940 compared to the average of 17% in 1930. During this time the federal government did not maintain a povertyRead MoreThe United States949 Words   |  4 PagesIn the 1900’s, the United States has expanded their trading routes with oriental lands such as the Philippines. A striking speech, delivered by a first-term republican senator, Albert J. Beveridge, strongly advocates the annexation of the Philippine islands to the USA. The most striking points about the senator’s speech are his three poorly thought out reasons justifying Americans to colonize the Philippines, which were religion, pr ofit, and race. The reason was for the American imperialism, whichRead MoreThe United States1489 Words   |  6 Pages The Oxford Dictionary defines Wisdom as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Looking over the history of the United States, it can be argued that as a nation, the U.S has grown wiser over the years. This due to the various obstacles that they’ve overcome. Many of which were conflicts that arose with other countries and, at one point, within itself. All of the decisions made during these times of tension and overall crisis, even though at the moment very difficult to getRead MoreThe United States1267 Words   |  6 PagesFollowing nearly six decades of severed diplomatic relations, President Obama announced in September 2015 that the United States would loosen a variety of economic restrictions on Cuba. This announcement came in the wake of a â€Å"diplomatic thaw† beginning in December 2014 with the intention of normalizing political, socia l, and economic relations between the two nations. While Cuba remains under restrictions imposed by the 1960 Cuban Embargo, the steps taken by the Obama administration represent aRead MoreThe United States1263 Words   |  6 PagesThrough political and racial attitudes that have persisted from our countries inception, these issues have evolved into the education system that is in place today, a system that is flawed and needs much revision. The Declaration of Independence states that all Americans are entitled to â€Å"Life, Liberty, and Property,† and while, in the modern era, it is widely believed that educations is part of those rights, this was not always the case. For example, the case that gave rise to one of the most infamousRead MoreThe United States1489 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Over the centuries, the United States has developed a rich political culture which includes a number of center principles and standards that act as the foundation of American democracy. Not all Americans embrace similar perspectives, of course, but the vast majority agree and accept these collective values. The ideals of equality, unity, liberty, democracy, diversity and individualism are deeply a part of the institutional framework of society. Political disputes are inclined toRead MoreThe United States995 Words   |  4 PagesIt has been a well-known fact that the United States has been a model example for the world since its inception. Through the course of time, the influence of the United States has slowly grown. The roots of this influence lie within the core of the United States government and have since branched out into language, the arts, food, and more (Zimmerman). While these aforementioned examples have largely come around in the past century, the origin of this proces s was first defined in around 1800 (Dictionary)Read MoreThe United States859 Words   |  4 Pagescapital or income for people, feeding families and providing fresh produce based on organic gardening and micro-farming projects. According to Smalls the unemployment rate in South Africa is around 25%, which is significantly higher compared to the United States unemployment of 5.4%. So, if people who are unemployed are willing to put in the hard work than, Abalimi Bezekhaya is a good fit for them. In particular, women typically do more of the domestic care like cooking and so being a part of the AbalimiRead MoreThe United States1980 Words   |  8 PagesThe United States continues to be in the spotlight, especially during an election year and specifically when it comes to immigration. Most recently I was intrigued by an article I read, titled â€Å" Articleâ€Å"that talked about the unprecedented number of unaccompanied children crossing our U.S. Borders illegally. What began as a n intriguing subject that sparked my interest evolved into a desire to expand my knowledge on the subject of immigration, particularly these unaccompanied children crossing our

Contributions and Drawbacks of Marxism Free Essays

Contributions and Drawbacks of Marxism Marxism is a theoretical system that created by Marx and Engels based on labor movements in the 19th century. Marxism was written upon a materialist interpretation of history. The Marxist theoretical system consists of three parts: Marxist philosophy, Marxist political economy and scientific socialism, which were created on the basis of the German classical philosophy, the British classical political economy and French utopian socialist influence respectively. We will write a custom essay sample on Contributions and Drawbacks of Marxism or any similar topic only for you Order Now In their writing the two most important terms are â€Å"socialist† and â€Å"communist†. When reading them, it is always important to know what the writer means by them. For Marx socialism was the more comprehensive term; communism was an advanced stage of socialism. Socialism would prepare the way by nationalizing the â€Å"means of production† (factories, farms, mines, transportation, etc. ) and putting them under the control of those he viewed as the sole producers of wealth: the workers. He viewed political equality and freedom as incomplete (or even illusory) without economic equality. Therefore this redistribution of economic power was aimed at extending democracy far beyond the limits envisioned by earlier democratic revolutions. Social services like health, education, and housing would be provided free, but people would still be paid wages according to their work. When all nations had developed socialist economies, they would begin to evolve into an international communist society. The vision of communism was very similar to that of anarchism: a stateless society in which central government had â€Å"withered away,† local, ground-up control of all affairs by strictly democratic processes based at the place of work, abolition of the market system (no money, no buying and selling) and its replacement by a system according to which people would voluntarily work for the common good to the extent they were able under the understanding that they could receive whatever they needed for free (â€Å"from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs†). National boundaries and governments having been eliminated, war would cease. Since Marx published the â€Å"Communist Manifesto† in1848, the banner of the communist was high erected, from Europe to the Americas, Asia, hundreds of millions of people struggled to achieve this beautiful ideal. People’s enthusiasm changed from faith to practical action. Communist revolution had continued for more than a century and had significant impact on the world’s modern history: 15 socialist countries were born, two global camps were formed and the conflict of different ideological forms evolved into conflict of international relations. After World War II, socialist practice developed from one country into multi countries. The formation of the socialist camp ended the dominance of capitalism. However, after nearly half century’s development, the Soviet model of socialism did not fully demonstrate its superiority. They became rigid, dogmatic and stagnated. At the same time, capitalist forces gathered together to against the socialist countries, and launched the â€Å"peaceful evolution† plan. Through the economic warfare, political warfare and the culture wars, finally in the 90s, the Soviet Union collapsed and majority of Eastern European Socialist Countries changed to capitalist. Since then the international communist movement entered into a setback stage. There is always a question been asked: if the socialist system is more superior than capitalism system, why most socialist countries failed and the remaining countries haven’t catch up with capitalist country? Because the development of socialist countries and that of capitalist countries lack a comparable basis: First, they have different starting points of economic development. Most socialist countries originally are feudal, colonial or semi-colonial countries. They don’t have any accumulated capital and wealthy like capitalist countries do. Under the control and plunder of western countries for decades, they barely have anything left. The difference between the two kinds of countries is significant. Second, they use different means of economic development. The history of capitalism is a history of bloody fortune. As Marx said, capitalist production process is the process of exploitation. Even today, with the advance of technology and dominant of capital, they are still doing unequal exchange with developing countries, which helps them to grab wealth. But the development of socialist countries mainly relies on people’s hard working. Third, they have different lengths of the economic development. From the establishment of the first socialist countries, only 80 years has past. Most of the socialist countries only have a history of forty or fifty years. They are still in the early stage of development, their economic, political and social operating mechanisms haven’t been fully developed. And they are still on their way searching for proper methods for improvement. But capitalism has three hundred and sixty years of history. It has accumulated a solid capital foundation and rich experience. Even so, among the capitalist countries, only around twenty of them are in the category of â€Å"developed countries†. Especially for those newly independent countries in the 20th century who use capitalist system, none of them is in the â€Å"rich club†. Fourth, the development environment is different. From the establishment of the first socialist state, the world’s capitalist countries start to apply economic blockade, military siege and even the armed aggression, the development environment for socialist countries is very dangerous. However, when the capitalist start developing, the old feudal system are almost collapse thoroughly from a global perspective. The international environment for the development of capitalism is very favorable. From the reasons above, I think it is not fair to compare the development level of socialist countries and capitalist countries. Even socialism did not success in a global point of view, it should be noted some of them have had great achievement. Before the collapse, the Soviet Union maintained an average industrial production growth rate of 21% from 1928 to 1940, ranking first in Europe and second in the world. And they completed in twelve years what capitalist countries achieved in 100 years. From 1951 to 1980, the Soviet major economic indicators are1 to 2 times higher than the U. S. In 1950, the Soviet industrial output is less than 30% of U. S. ’s industrial output, while in 1980 it reached 80%. In addition, the Soviet Union has significant achievement in science and technology, education, culture, military and many other fields. From the development of the Soviet Union, we can see the socialism has certain kinds of advantages. We should also notice that the eighty years of socialist development history has a huge and far-reaching impact on the human social history. The establishment and development of socialism, breaks the operation system of colonialism and imperialism, propels the international political and economic order to a more equal and reasonable direction. The socialism analysis of the conflict between productive forces and production relations also helps with the improvement of the capitalist system. So socialism is conducive to the common progress of human society. But like other theories, Marxism, by the limitations of the era, has a series of shortcomings: The class struggle theory. It is easy for the dogmatists and violence advocates to take advantage of. Some people exaggerate the power of class struggle. They do not realize the probability of class change (proletariat to propertied class) and the class cooperation, so it can lead to widespread violence, legalized terrorism easily. The proletarian dictatorship theory. The starting point of protecting people is good. But if the bad guys control the government, they may suppress people and dissent in the name of proletariat comrades. The theory of surplus value. Marx thinks, in a market economy, the exploitation of surplus value is from production. Surplus value is the value worker created minus the employment expense of that labor. Although this theory of exploitation has a positive side in recognition of exploitation, its bias and extreme part is obvious. Marx’s mistake is that he ignores capitalists’ management of complex operation and the business risk they bear. Capitalists’ income should include their general labor income (he works as a worker), complex management income (he conducts the operation and management, decision-making and other complex activities), capital income (he puts in capital), the risk income (the principle of market economy is the risks and benefits equals; he bears the investment risk, so he should have a higher income). Moreover, Marx does not realize that in the old socialist society, because of high concentration of power in planned economy, some problems will be created: corruption, plunder of resources and people is a more serious exploitation. The plan economy theory. Marx negates the market economy, advocating elimination of private ownership and replace with full ownership. He promotes the idea of â€Å"distribute according to the work contributed†. He encourages eliminating commodity and currency and replacing them with a comprehensive economic plan, distributing consumer goods by needs. Moreover, Marx states that full ownership will become state ownership, the planned economy will be under the control of government, and distribution by work is actually by the length working time. Those policies will certainly leads to unclear property rights, irresponsibility and egalitarianism. There will be no competition and people will have no incentive to work. Some other problems also need our attention: Is public ownership really efficient? Will egalitarian distribution inhibit creativity? Will planned economic encourage bureaucracy, and lead to laziness and waste? And so on. Sources: http://www. douban. com/group/topic/4691689/ http://baike. baidu. com/view/680726. htm http://baike. baidu. com/view/8059. htm http://public. wsu. edu/~brians/hum_303/manifesto. html http://wenda. tianya. cn/wenda/thread? tid=0aa8581c30d4c1ea;hl=vbgood http://www. marxists. org/archive/bukharin/works/1933/teaching/intro. htm How to cite Contributions and Drawbacks of Marxism, Essay examples

Rational Criticism in Knowledge Claims Essay Example

Rational Criticism in Knowledge Claims Paper Criticism, as proposed by Karl Popper, is the lifeblood of all rational thought. At a first glance, one may agree with this because by critically questioning or evaluating the validity of a knowledge claim through reason, it can provide one with certainty and truth. However, the assertion that: All knowledge claims should be open to rational criticism gives us an alternative judgement as the word should is not definitive and this perhaps suggests that it is necessary to consider other viewpoints. Through inductive and deductive reasoning, we can test knowledge claims and indicate the grounds of which the claim is based on. Yet, as evidenced by Victor Johnsons hedonic tone theory and the notion of altruism, emotion plays an important role in our reasoning process which asks the question of whether rational criticism is free of these emotional motives. In mathematics, people tend to accept knowledge claims like: the sum of a triangles internal angles is equal to 180 degrees, without a rational basis. A growing number of people believe that the arts are subjective or based on personal taste because of its abstract nature, which may suggest that these knowledge claims are not open to rational criticism in the first place. Although we can examine various knowledge claims using inductive and deductive reasoning, this process might not be applicable to all areas of knowledge. We will write a custom essay sample on Rational Criticism in Knowledge Claims specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Rational Criticism in Knowledge Claims specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Rational Criticism in Knowledge Claims specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For most, certainty is possible in rudimentary arithmetic as few doubt that 1 + 1 = 2; although this claim can be rationally criticized, many of us do not question its validity because the definition of two is two ones. This possibility of certainty, however, does not apply to all areas of mathematics, especially in complex theorems that need to be vigorously tested before publication. Although mathematics may require the use of various syllogisms like logic, the validity of deductive reasoning is based upon the logic of the argument and not the truth of its foundation. This truth is assumed to be correct: for mathematics, however, this truth is compulsory in order for us to continue with the deductive process. Kurt Gdel, a prominent mathematician, proposes that it is impossible to prove the consistency of arithmetic, which is to say, [there is] no rigorous proof that the basic axioms of arithmetic do not lead to a contradiction at some point. (Is Arithmetic Consistent?) So, when different branches of mathematics are used in order to prove something more abstract such as modelling real life phenomena, there exists difficulty in detecting which claims are made from falsely assumed truths or contradictions. One can find truth in mathematics using deductive reasoning; however, this truth may or may not be properly proved. Our tendency to accept claims in mathematics without rational grounds can perhaps be explained by emotion. In Judy Jones and William Wilsons book, An Incomplete Education, there is a reference to Gà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½dels Theorem being used to argue that a computer can never be as smart as a human being because the extent of its knowledge is limited by a fixed set of axioms, whereas people can discover unexpected truths. (495) This is a good representation of how emotional qualities can work together with rational criticism in order to establish new truths which may lead to a more subjective approach to mathematics. To further illustrate my point, a panel of referees published Hales proof of Keplers sphere packing conjecture (by packing balls using the face-centred cubic method, it will create the highest average density) even though it was only 99% certain. (par. 13) The acceptance of even the smallest uncertainties, show that reason alone may actually be a hindrance to mathematics because we cannot, or simply do not have the time, to evaluate the truth of every knowledge claim as established before, sometimes these truths cannot be provable. When emotions such as curiosity are present with the reasoning process, mathematicians are able to tweak pre-existing proofs with their own cognitive abilities and although complete certainty may not be achievable, high precision can be obtained. Although math once followed the concept of rigorous proof, modern math has changed. Due to the limitations of deductive reasoning, some mathematicians have claimed that instead of proofs, abstract concepts such as real life situations can be modelled with computer-run experiments. Certainty may still be possible without rigorous proof but as of yet, it is too early to identify the flaws embedded in computer technology.

A Tale of Two Cities - essays

A Tale of Two Cities - essays The French Revolution, in the novel A Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens, is described throughout the novel as a force of nature; the revolution came progressively but indubitably sweeping over an entire region with cries of passion, as like rain, and hazardous conditions brought forth from it, as like a storm. This theme weaves itself into the novels setting and time period from the initiation of the oppression of the poor by the French aristocracy to the Reign of Terror period that killed thousands, thus creating a collectively given message to the reader that the revolution was destined to occur. Not only does the theme target the Revolution as a whole, it illustrates Madame Defarges strong fervor for revenge against the nobleman particularly the Evrmonde family. Madame Defarge is the epitome of an ardent patriot in A Tale of Two Cities; and so, can be exemplified as a hurricane. In the beginning, over a period of time, a hurricane gradually gets stronger out in the oc ean just like her hate. Then when let go or when enough strength is gained, it spins in the ocean with intensity and force, just like the oppressed people when they over ran the noblemen. It is unstoppable as it brings along with it flooding, gusting winds, and an unsafe environment for the region. The theme, Forces of Nature, can be found many times in the book when describing the mob mentality of the people and their means of overpowering the corrupted aristocracy. Not only is nature spoken of as the environment of the earth but also the spirit of a being. For instance, Jean Jacques Rousseau, a French philosopher, believed that people by nature are good and are only then corrupted by society. With that stated, the force of being good is overpowering the tyrannical and corrupted, otherwise known as the nobility. It is in the will of the common people to override the bad and bring France to Liberty, Equ...

Ochre - The Oldest Known Natural Pigment in the World

Ochre - The Oldest Known Natural Pigment in the World Ochre (rarely spelled ocher and often referred to as yellow ochre) is one of a variety of forms of iron oxide which are described as earth-based pigments. These pigments, used by ancient and modern artists, are made of iron oxyhydroxide, which is to say they are natural minerals and compounds composed of varying proportions of iron (Fe3 or Fe2), oxygen (O) and hydrogen (H). Other natural forms of earth pigments related to ochre include sienna, which is similar to yellow ochre but warmer in color and more translucent; and umber, which has goethite as its primary component and incorporates various levels of manganese. Red oxides or red ochres are hematite-rich forms of yellow ochres, commonly formed from aerobic natural weathering of iron-bearing minerals. Prehistoric and Historic Uses Natural iron-rich oxides provided red-yellow-brown paints and dyes for a wide range of prehistoric uses, including but in no way limited to rock art paintings, pottery, wall paintings and cave art, and human tattoos. Ochre is the earliest known pigment used by humans to paint our worldperhaps as long ago as 300,000 years. Other documented or implied uses are as medicines, as a preservative agent for animal hide preparation, and as a ​loading agent for adhesives (called  mastics). Ochre is often associated with human burials: for example, the Upper Paleolithic cave site of Arene Candide has an early use of ochre at a burial of a young man 23,500 years ago. The site of Paviland Cave in the UK, dated to about the same time, had a burial so soaked in red ochre he was (somewhat mistakenly) called the Red Lady. Natural Earth Pigments Before the 18th and 19th century, most pigments used by artists were of natural origin, made up of mixtures of organic dyes, resins, waxes, and minerals. Natural earth pigments like ochres consist of three parts: the principle color-producing component (hydrous or anhydrous iron oxide), the secondary or modifying color component (manganese oxides within umbers or carbonaceous material within brown or black pigments) and the base or carrier of the color (almost always clay, the weathered product of silicate rocks). Ochre is thought generally to be red, but in fact is a naturally-occurring yellow mineral pigment, consisting of clay, siliceous materials and the hydrated form of iron oxide known as limonite. Limonite is a general term referring to all forms of hydrated iron oxide, including goethite, which is the fundamental component of the ochre earths. Getting Red from Yellow Ochre contains a minimum of 12% iron oxyhydroxide, but the amount can range up to 30% or more, giving rise to the wide range of colors from light yellow to red and brown. The intensity of color depends on the degree of oxidation and hydration of the iron oxides, and the color becomes browner depending on the percentage of manganese dioxide, and redder based on the percentage of hematite. Since ochre is sensitive to oxidation and hydration, the yellow can be turned red by heating goethite (FeOOH) bearing pigments in yellow earth and converting some of it to hematite. Exposing yellow goethite to temperatures above 300 degrees Celcius will gradually dehydrate the mineral, converting it first to orange-yellow and then red as hematite is produced. Evidence of heat-treatment of ochre dates at least as early as the Middle Stone Age deposits in Blombos cave, South Africa. How Old Is Ochre Use? Ochre is very common on archaeological sites worldwide. Certainly, Upper Paleolithic cave art in Europe and Australia contain the generous use of the mineral: but ochre use is much older. The earliest possible use of ochre discovered so far is from a Homo erectus site about 285,000 years old. At the site called GnJh-03 in the Kapthurin formation of Kenya, a total of five kilograms (11 pounds) of ochre in more than 70 pieces was discovered. By 250,000-200,000 years ago, Neanderthals were using ochre, at the Maastricht Belvà ©dà ¨re site in The Netherlands (Roebroeks) and the Benzu rock shelter in Spain. Ochre and Human Evolution Ochre was part of the first art of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) phase in Africa called Howiesons Poort. The early modern human assemblages of 100,000-year-old MSA sites including Blombos Cave and Klein Kliphuis in South Africa have been found to include examples of engraved ochre, slabs of ochre with carved patterns deliberately cut into the surface. Spanish paleontologist Carlos Duarte (2014) has even suggested that using red ochre as a pigment in tattoos (and otherwise ingested) may have had a role in human evolution, as it would have been a source of iron directly to the human brain, perhaps making us smarter. The presence of ochre mixed with milk proteins on an artifact from a 49,000-year-old MSA level at Sibudu cave in South Africa is suggested to have been used to make the ochre liquid, probably by killing a lactating bovid (Villa 2015). Identifying the Sources The yellow-red-brown ochre pigments used in paintings and dyes are often a mixture of mineral elements, both in their natural state and as a result of deliberate mixing by the artist. Much of recent research on ochre and its natural earth relatives has been focused on identifying the specific elements of a pigment used in a particular paint or dye. Determining what a pigment is made up of allows the archaeologist to find out the source where the paint was mined or collected, which could provide information about long-distance trade. Mineral analysis helps in conservation and restoration practices; and in modern art studies, assists in the technical examination for authentication, identification of a specific artist, or the objective description of an artists techniques. Such analyses have been difficult in the past because older techniques required the destruction of some of the paint fragments. More recently, studies that use microscopic amounts of paint or even completely non-invasive studies such as various types of spectrometry, digital microscopy, x-ray fluorescence, spectral reflectance, and x-ray diffraction have been used successfully to split out the minerals used, and determine the type and treatment of the pigment. Sources Bu K, Cizdziel JV, and Russ J. 2013. 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Ochre resources from the Middle Stone Age sequence of Diepkloof Rock Shelter, Western Cape, South Africa. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(9):3492-3505. Duarte CM. 2014. Red ochre and shells: clues to human evolution. Trends in Ecology Evolution 29(10):560-565.Eiselt BS, Popelka-Filcoff RS, Darling JA, and Glascock MD. 2011. Hematite sources and archaeological ochres from Hohokam and O’odham sites in central Arizona: an experiment in type identification and characterization. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(11):3019-3028.Erdogu B, and Ulubey A. 2011. Colour symbolism in the prehistoric architecture of central Anatolia and Raman Spectroscopic Investigation of red ochre in Chalcolithic Çatalhà ¶yà ¼k. Oxford Journal Of Archaeology 30(1):1-11.Henshilwood C, DErrico F, Van Niekerk K, Coquinot Y, Jacobs Z, Lauritzen S-E, Menu M, and Garcia-Moreno R. 2011. A 100,000-Year-Old Ochre-Processing Workshop at Blombos Cave, South Africa. Science 334:219-222.Moyo S, Mphuthi D, Cukrowska E, Henshilwood CS, van Niekerk K, and Chimuka L. 2016. Blombos Cave: Middle Stone Age ochre differentiation through FTIR, ICP OES, ED XRF and XRD . Quaternary International 404, Part B:20-29. Rifkin RF. 2012. Processing ochre in the Middle Stone Age: Testing the inference of prehistoric behaviours from actualistically derived experimental data. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 31(2):174-195.Roebroeks W, Sier MJ, Kellberg Nielsen T, De Loecker D, Pares JM, Arps CES, and Mucher HJ. 2012. Use of red ochre by early Neandertals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109(6):1889-1894.Villa P, Pollarolo L, Degano I, Birolo L, Pasero M, Biagioni C, Douka K, Vinciguerra R, Lucejko JJ, and Wadley L. 2015. A Milk and Ochre Paint Mixture Used 49,000 Years Ago at Sibudu, South Africa. PLoS ONE 10(6):e0131273.