The History And Development Of Forensic Science

The History And Development Of Forensic Science The use of forensic techniques has been used throughout history to solve crimes; initiating from the early existence of man, Forensic Science was intact in its simplest forms and kept on expanding throughout the prehistoric era. Prehistoric forensics is also considered as the building blocks of modern forensic techniques. In the first instance a case indicating the use of forensics was reported in ancient Rome circa in 1000 A.D. An attorney Quintilian used a handprint full of blood to prove that a blind man had been wrongly accused for the murder of his own mother. In addition the first Forensic Autopsy laid out the foundations of forensics and was first executed on Julius Caesar by the Roman physician, Antistius in 44 BC. Subsequently this Autopsy revealed that Caesar was subjected to 23 stab wounds; only one of which had proven fatal. Thus assembling the basis of Pathology and enabling an insight into the cause of death of the deceased. Additionally acknowledgement of the importance of a corpse in solving a crime was recognised and awareness of the causes of death came into question; aiding the development of this area of forensics. During prehistoric times around 700 BC the very first fingerprints were conducted by pressing a handprint into clay and rock. Archaeologists in a province of Canada known as Nova Scotia revealed an ancient drawing, outlining the detailed ridge patterns of fingerprints and a hand. In accumulation the ancient Babylonians developed fingerprints on clay tablets for use as business transactions and identification. Also during the 7th Century BC an Arabic merchant named Solemn affixed the fingerprints of a mortgager to a bill; which would be transferred over to the lender and would be documented as legal proof of a valid debt. In addition the Chinese also used this technique to affix fingerprints into clay sculptures to be used as a form of identity. Due to no classification system and common misconceptions of identity meant that this was a vital discovery; therefore fingerprints were considered as documented evidential proof in business. Archimedes between (287-212 BC) displayed the first recorded account of density and resistance by examining water displacement; enabling them to be able to ascertain that a crown was being falsely portrayed as gold. Analysis of density and toughness of the crown determined that it was not made of gold. Furthermore in 250 BC an ancient Greek physician, called Erasistratus, found that when a person was not telling the truth, the pulse rate of that person increased. Consequently this laid out the principles for the very first lie detection test; modern day lie detection is known as a polygraph and based on the changes in pulse rate/heart, galvanic skin response GSR (sweating), blood pressure and vast or sudden changes in the sympathetic nervous system. Forensics during the 1000- 1700s During this time period over 700 years, mankind discovered vast amounts of knowledge in all the diverse fields of forensics. Acknowledgment and attention to detail increased towards the end of the 16th century so much so that documents had been published showing the fine detail of fingerprints. Henceforth this aided the world of forensics in successfully developing and recognising individual human characteristics. In 1000 A.D. crime scene investigation, advanced to an extent where an attorney Quintillion was able to identify and examine hand prints covered in blood, to prove that a blind man had been trapped for the murder of his own mother. Additionally the Chinese went on further, in 1248 AD the development of the first written documentation for identifying distinctive crime via a book was published in china. In ancient China clay seals were found to consist of thumbprints. Subsequently this was one of the first books published named Hsi Duan Yu, which means The Washing Away of Wrong. This book consisted of medical knowledge which helped establish the differences in the recognition of crimes such as drowning and strangling. Consequently this book is considered as the first recorded evidence combining medicine to crime solving practices. It also consists of recorded information that outlines the basis of forensic pathology. The book His Duan Yu aided the development and enhancement of pathology and is still is considered as a valuable resource. In 1249 an Italian surgeon Hugh of Lucca took an oath as a medical expert in the city of Bologna; he gained fame for his comprehension regarding the antiseptic treatment of wounds. More than 50 years later in the year 1302 an Italian named Bartolommeo da Varignana from the same city of Bologna carried out a medical autopsy regarding a case of a murder suspect, involved in the murder of a noble man. Nearly a century and half later in 1447 a body was identified as that of Charles French Duke of Burgundy from the absent teeth which were the clue in solving the murder; his body consisted of teeth which had been knocked out whilst he was still alive and recognition of these missing teeth and scars gave an indication to his identity. Therefore this case can be considered as one of the first indications of Forensic Odontology. The French have also played a remarkable role in discoveries through the years. A French Surgeon from the year 1509-1590, called Amboise Pare wrote and published reports in court; thus producing a book which is deliberated as being the first conclusive test on legal medicine. During the 1600s the world of science had opened up with an expansion of discoveries which were taking place at a phenomenal rate. In 1601 the first treatise on systematic document examination was published in France by a French man called Francois Damelle. This document was written before the developments of inks and paper. However comparison of handwriting could be subjected to analysis and identified. Modern day handwriting analysis is conducted by a Forensic Document Examiner, who detects forgeries e.g. signatures. Moreover a Forensic Document Examiner has the task of examining documents created using photocopiers and fax machines; this is done by examining the ink and paper alongside the handwriting and its other foreign inclusions. Sir Thomas Browne (1605-1682) was an English Physician and Historian who acknowledged that a substance known as Adipocere was formed on the body of the deceased. He described this substance as fatty, waxy and soap like. It also came into recognition that Adipocere was formed on human corpses; mostly buried in moist and air free places. Persistently this substance was under analysis and a French chemist known as Antoine Franà §ois (1755-1809) discovered the chemical speciality of Adipocere whilst examining bodies; recognising its chemical similarity to soap. Subsequently this discovery was of huge progression dating back to prehistoric times (44 BC) where Antistius found that only one stab wound proved fatal during the killing of Julius Caesar. Therefore understanding of pathology was growing at an astounding rate and people started discovering the solution to crimes via science instead of relying on witchcraft. Also in 1686 Marcello Malpighi a professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna went on further to allow documentation of the different characteristics of fingerprints e.g. whorls, ridges, loops and spirals. Although Malpighi documented the patterns of fingerprints he did not mention there importance in the use of crime detection and how they are part of an individuals characteristics; hence the vital importance they play when used as identification methods. However a layer of skin approximately 1.8mm thick is named after him and is known as the Malpighi layer. A crucial discovery was made in 1775 by Karl Wilhelm Scheele. He discovered that it was possible to change Arsenious Oxide into Arsenious acid; when reacted with zinc it produces arsine. Subsequently this procedure proved to be of vital importance in forensic detection of arsenic. One of the first uses of documented physical matching was established in 1786, when John Toms an Englishman was convicted of murder. Evidential proof showed a torn wad of paper found in a pistol matching another piece in his pocket. Enhancement of Forensics during the 1800- 1900s In history this time period is considered as the growth and spread of Forensic Science. In the early 1800s where ideas were still at large and developing an English Naturalist named Thomas Bewick used his own fingerprints to identify the books he published. He did this by engraving them in order to identify the books he published. Henceforth astounding research on fingerprints came about in 1823 when Professor John evangelist published his proposition which consisted of the discussion of 9 fingerprint patterns. However there was no mention of use in personal identification. In 1810 Germany, the first recorded documented analysis was undertaken. Also a chemical test for a specific ink dye is applied to a document named as the Konigin Hanschritt. Mathieu Bonaventure published the Traite des Poisons in 1813 and was a professor at the University of Paris who specialised in medicinal and forensic chemistry. Considered as the father of modern toxicology due to his significant contributions he also aided the development of presumptive blood detection tests to indicate the presence of blood. Furthermore he was credited for his attempt to identify blood samples using the microscope. Similarly in 1817 Bateman described senile ecchymosis as he records dark purple blotches to determine that they are present due to extravasation of blood into specific tissues in the body known was dermal tissues. Similarly professor of Forensic Medicine in the year 1829 called Sir Robert Christenson published his treatise on poisons. This piece of publication was well thought out and regarded as the standard work of toxicology written in the English language. A year later in 1830 Lambert Adolph a statistician from Belgium outlined the foundations for Bertillons work by putting forward his belief that no human bodies are exactly alike. Persistently in 1831 Erhard Friedrich Leuchs describes the first Activity in human saliva on starch via the action of salivary ptyalin which is known as amylase. The year 1835 bought about the recognition of a field of forensics known as ballistics; hence the founded comparison by Henry Goddard on a visible flaw in the bullet revealed that it originated from a mold. Thus outlining the first use of bullet comparison to catch a murderer was conducted. Likewise in 1836 an English chemist known as James Marsh progresses and identifies a test for the presence of arsenic in tissues. This was later known as the Marsh Test and is known to be very sensitive for detecting as little as 0.02 mg arsenic. It is also known to be the first test of toxicology to be used in a jury trial. Consistently throughout the 1800s many vital discoveries were made Dr John Davy in 1839 was involved in one of the first attempts in investigating time of death. He used a mercury thermometer to experiment on dead soldiers to acknowledge body temperature since the time of death. Furthermore during this year the first well set out procedures for the microscopic detection of sperm and the different microscopic characterisation of the different substrate fabrics. Also in 1840 Mathieu Bonaventure applied the marsh test correctly and discovers arsenic in the corpse. After this a polish anatomist called Ludic Karol initiated a document on the crystallisation of certain organic compounds present in blood. After this the test which indicated the presence of blood on the cloths of a suspect and various items became broadly used in forensic science. During the mid-1800s, Richard Leach in 1855 established the use of dry plate photography for keeping prison records via photographing inmates. In addition Amboise August attracts attention to petechial haemorrhages which take place in asphyxia deaths. Modern research proved this wrong; however the belief is so persistent that many forensic pathologists still find this hard to discard. In 1863 the German scientist Christian Friedrich first discovers the capability of haemoglobin to oxidize hydrogen peroxide making it foam aiding the presumptive test for the presence of blood. Additionally towards the end of the year 1863 Taylor and Wilkes wrote a paper on the acknowledgement of time of death by distinguishing the fall in body temperature. Successful completion of this bought about terms and concepts such as the initial temperature, core, heat gradient and also the effect of insulation. The fingerprint discovery enhanced in 1870 when Henry Faulds took up a study involving skin furrows after noticing fingerprints on specimens of prehistoric pottery. Faulds not only acknowledged the importance of fingerprints for individualisation purposes but also planned a method of classification. Later in 1880 Faulds becomes the first person to recognize the significance of latent prints left at crime scenes. On the same agenda Argentinian Juan Venetic established the first criminal fingerprint id system; identifying a woman for the murder of her two sons. In the late 1800s Sir Francis Galton publishes his book on fingerprints outlining the first classification system. Galton identifies fingerprints by observing individuality and permanence still in use today it is known as Galtons Details. Progressively Sir Edward Richard develops this print classification and is later used in Europe. Towards the early 1900s discoveries were enhancing and the use of Forensic Science began its journey across the globe, diverging into various sectors. Human blood groups were first discovered by Karl Landsteiner in 1901; this was later adapted to be used as a validation method on type stains. Subsequently in 1902 Henry Forrest creates the first systematic use of fingerprints and later in 1903 the New York State Prison uses fingerprints for criminal identification. A breakthrough in the world of forensics and increased understanding was developed when the Lenquete criminelle was published by Dr Edmund Locard a great professor within the forensics field who stated that every contact leaves a trace, Dr Edmund- Locard, (1904). Subsequently this statement became known as Locards Exchange principal. The statement in a wider sense implied that every time an individual comes in contact with a place or another individual, something of that individual is left behind at the place; thus something of that place is taken away with the individual. During the course of the 1900s the development of blood groups, criminal identification system and also Gunshot residue tests such as the diphenylamine were developing at an astonishing rate. The mid 1950s show signs of a huge awareness of attention to detail this can be seen when Max Frei-Sulzer discovered the tape lifting method for collecting trace evidence. Many Forensic Techniques began developing such as Gas Chromatography and also identification of petroleum brands came into question. A decade later in 1960 Brian Cull-ford of the British Metropolitan Police Laboratory (BMPL) starts gel based methods to test for enzymes in dry bloodstains and other bodily fluids. Over next 40 years Forensic Science had become so advanced that many of the techniques are still used today; a technique known as Scanning Electron Microscopy was developed in 1974 at the Aerospace Corporation which involves the use of electron dispersive X-rays technology and is still in use today. On the other hand a handy mechanism known as the Automated Fingerprint Identification System was introduced by the FBI in 1977, providing the first computerized fingerprints. Other techniques such as Superglue fuming came under analysis and many techniques developed regarding fingerprints. UK police also initiate Forensic DNA profiling and later solves the Colin Pitchfork murder case. In 1991 development of a system known as Integrated Ballistics Identification System was put into practice with Drug Fire for automated imaging and comparison of marks left on fired bullets etc. Simultaneously many databases were being established. In 1996 the Police National Computer (PNC) was introduced in the UK and the FBI in 1998 released a DNA database known as NIDIS. Up until the present time development of forensic databases is still at large such as the 2007 Footwear coding and detection management system developed in the UK; assisting in detection of footwear marks found at crime scenes and comparing them with a controlled sample stored on the Footwear Database. Many modern techniques such as ESLA and Casting prove useful and efficient in the detection of footwear marks. Similarly the fingerprinting database has enhanced to an extent where it stores over 18.6 million set of ten-prints and the techniques used to retrieve prints are quick and efficient such as Florescent Magnetic and bi-chromatic powders, Superglue Fuming, Ninhydrin and Iodine fuming. Hair analysis has developed by means of Mass Spectroscopy, recently in April 2011 a new laser technique has revealed that separating out parts of hair samples can answer valuable questions about a person such as; what they have consumed recently including clues which can aid forensic scientists to understand what led them to behave in such a way. One of technologys most advanced discoveries is the PNC which immensely aided forensics since 1996 as it contains multiple databases including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) which can detect cars without insurance, stolen and disqualified drivers. The PNC is available 24 hours a day and can produce results within minutes. Earlier this year in February 2012 the police were provided with blackberry smart phones which enclose a fingerprint scanning device enabling them to scan fingerprints and cross link these through the PNC to establish a match; thus painting a clearer and wider image of the suspects true identity. Additionally Police use a technique known as the Face Building System it works by enabling the victim to identify the perpetrator by putting forward many different facial characteristics; helping build an image of an offender for public appeal. Advancing technology in the near future may take forensics to a whole new level with a new Face Recognition System which could be used by police officers to scan faces and cross link them to the Mug shots stored on the PNC; drastically reducing the presence of Identity Freud in the UK. Till the present day forensics has proven of immense use, its phenomenal and rapid development through the ages has led to numerous crimes being solved. Vast amount of detail that has arisen through the years, allows the expansion of forensic fields which enable them to split into unique and diverse divisions e.g. Forensic Odontology. This is the study of dental evidence such as bite marks or even human remains in order to establish the identity of an individual. During this modern era; astonishingly increasing technology proceeds to thrive the success of crime detection and unravels many forensic cases at a remarkable rate; making the jobs of criminals considerably harder. Statistics provided by npia police

Customer Lifetime Value Essay

Marketing Engineering for Excel is a Microsoft Excel add-in. The software runs from within Microsoft Excel and only with data contained in an Excel spreadsheet. After installing the software, simply open Microsoft Excel. A new menu appears, called â€Å"MEï€ ´XL.† This tutorial refers to the â€Å"MEï€ ´XL/Customer Lifetime Value† submenu. Overview Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) represents a metric of a customer’s value to the organization over the entire span of that customer’s relationship with a firm. Short-term sales influence CLV, but so do overall customer satisfaction, the churn rate in the segment, and the costs to acquire a new customer and retain an existing customer. The CLV approach helps firms answer such questions as: How much is my customer base â€Å"worth†? Taking into account observed churn rates, how many of the currently active customers will still be active in a few years? How much is a customer worth, depending on the segment to which he or she belongs? If acquiring a new customer costs $150, after how many periods can we recoup this investment? Customer lifetime value analysis considers your database at a segment level, using the answers you provide to the following questions: How many segments do you have in your database, and how many customers per segment? For a given period, how much is a customer worth, on average, in each segment (margins and costs)? What is the likelihood that a customer in segment A will switch to segment B during the next period? Getting Started A CLV analysis allows you to use your own data directly or a template preformatted by the MEXL software. The next section explains how to create an easy-to-use template to enter your own data. If you want to run a CLV analysis immediately, open the example file â€Å"OfficeStar Data (CLV).xls† and jump to â€Å"Step 3: Running analysis† (p. 4). By default, the example files install in â€Å"My Documents/My Marketing Engineering/.† Step 1 Creating a template Using the interactive assistant In Excel, if you click on MEï€ ´XL ï  § CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE ï  § CREATE TEMPLATE, a dialog box appears. This box represents the first step in creating a template to run the CLV analysis software. The first dialog box prompts you to use an interactive assistant. Unless you are already familiar with the methodology, you should select â€Å"yes.† Listing segments The first step of the template generation process requires you to label and list the segments that you want taken into account. Enter the names of segments to which a customer can belong. Press ENTER or click the â€Å"Add to list† button to add it to the â€Å"List of Segments.† Note that a segment of â€Å"lost customers† always appears in your list. This segment has the following properties: There is no activity by these customers (margins and costs equal 0). It entails an absorbing relationship state. As soon as a customer reaches this segment, he or she stays there forever. In other words, there is 100% chance the customer stays in that segment in the next period, and all other transition probabilities will be equal to 0%. After entering all your segments (at least one), click the OK button to proceed to the next step of the template creation process. Clicking on the OK button generates a template. Not using the interactive assistant You may skip this intermediary step and create a blank template. When you are prompted to use the interactive assistant, just click â€Å"no.† The following dialog box appears: When you click OK, you generate a new blank spreadsheet. You must enter the segment labels manually in the spreadsheet. In this example, if you update the names of the segments in cells B6, B7, and B8, the names of the segments automatically update in the other cells of the spreadsheet. Entering your data In this tutorial, we use the example file â€Å"OfficeStar Data (CLV).xls,† which in the default conditions appear in â€Å"My Documents/My Marketing Engineering/.† To view a proper data format, open that spreadsheet in Excel. A snapshot is reproduced below. A typical CLV analysis spreadsheet contains: Number of customers per segment. As of today, how many customers does the company have in each segment? Gross margins, or the average margins that the company expects from a customer over each period (e.g., year, quarter), on the basis of the segment to which this customer belongs during that period. In the OfficeStar example, a customer who belongs to the â€Å"Warm Customer† segment should generate $15 of gross margins on average during the next period (e.g., first quarter). Marketing costs, or how much money the company plans to spend per customer during the next period, according to the segment to which this customer belongs at the beginning of the period. Typically, active customers are followed more closely, receive more attention (e.g., direct marketing solicitations, sales representatives visits), and cost more to the firm. Transition matrix, which summarizes the likelihood a customer will switch segments during each period. This matrix should be read horizontally, and each line sums to 100% (because all customers appear in some segment). In the OfficeStar example, an active customer has a 75% likelihood of remaining in the same segment and a 25% chance of switching to the warm customer segment. A customer’s behavior during the previous period determines into which segment that customer is classified, and his or her segment membership then determines the marketing dollars the company should allocate to that customer in the next period. In the OfficeStar example, a customer who belongs to the â€Å"Active Customer† segment generates $90 of gross margins per period (e.g., quarter). Step 3 Running analyses After entering your data in the Excel spreadsheet using the appropriate format, click on MEï€ ´XL ï  § CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE ï  § RUN ANALYSIS. The dialog box that appears indicates the next steps required to perform a CLV analysis of your data. CUSTOMER LIFETIME VALUE – V130522 5/10 Number of periods: Specify the number of periods for which you want a detailed CLV analysis. Note that this choice does NOT affect the CLV computations, because the value of a customer always gets estimated over an infinite time horizon (though as time passes and discount rates apply, future revenues have less relative impact). The number of periods affects only the level of output. Discount factor: Indicate the discount rate to apply for the value of a dollar spent or received in the future as compared to the current period. A discount rate of 15% means that $100 profit in the next period is only â€Å"worth† $85 in today’s dollars. A greater discount factor reduces the impact of future revenues on CLV computations and thus focuses on shortterm  profits. You should increase the discount rate for turbulent or rapidly evolving markets, in which conditions change rapidly and future revenues therefore are highly uncertain. Setting: Select either Transactional or Contractual depending on the nature of the product or service you are modelling. Contractual models imply the existence of a contract between the transacting parties (e.g., a mobile phone contract between the provider and consumer). Contractual relationships imply continuous transactions and a known end to the contract. Transactional models imply discrete transactions with no implied end to the relationship. For use with our CLV model, the impact of this setting will affect the first period of the analysis. A Contractual setting implies no loss/gain in first month (since the customer is under contract) while the Transactional setting will reflect loss/gain in the first month. The discount factor gets applied after each period, regardless of how you define a period. If you define a period as a quarter, a discount factor of 15% translates into an effective yearly discount rate of almost 48% (15% discount rate applied four times per year). Remember to take this multiplicative effect into account when selecting an appropriate discount factor. After selecting these options, you must select the cells containing the data. First, the software asks for ranges of the current segment sizes and profits and costs for each segment, including a row dedicated to permanently lost  customers. If you use a template generated by Marketing Engineering for Excel, it has already pre-selected the cell ranges. Second, the software asks for a square range that shows the likelihood that a customer in each segment (row) will switch to each segment (column) in the following period. The newly generated spreadsheet contains the results of your CLV analysis. Step 4 Interpreting the results Customer lifetime value The last column of the CLV table outputs the expected CLV of a customer who currently belongs to a given segment, determined by summing the stream of all future gross margins, minus all future marketing costs, and taking into account both the discount factor and the likelihood of customers switching from one segment to another. These figures also appear in the â€Å"Lifetime Value† chart, shown below. A customer with a negative CLV actually means a loss of money for your firm. Number of customers per segment The next table (and chart) shows how many customers will be in each segment at each period of time in the future. The time horizon displayed on the chart matches the number of periods you specified in the â€Å"Run Analysis† options. Note that the â€Å"Lost Customers† segment is not displayed. In most applications, all customers eventually become lost customers, and over sufficient time, all other segments become empty. Customer base’s lifetime value The third table in the â€Å"CLV Analysis† sheet, labeled the Customer Base’s Lifetime Value, summarizes the future stream of revenues and marketing costs over a specified number of future periods (whether cumulative or not) at the global level. Some key elements of this table plot in the third (and last) chart of the spreadsheet. In particular, the Discounted Net Margins (cumulated) provide an answer to the question: â€Å"Over the next x periods, how much is my customer base worth?† Retention rates The final tables depict the likelihood that a customer will belong to any segment in any period of time in the future, depending on the segment to which he or she currently belongs. There are as many tables as there are segments in the analysis. In most applications, all customers eventually join the â€Å"Lost Customers† segment. The probability of belonging to that segment thus slowly reaches 1 (100%), and the probabilities of belonging to any other segment trend toward 0 over time.

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Eleven

Elena watched Mr. Smallwood's rifle bounce across the grass. She enjoyed the expression on his face as he spun around, looking for what had grabbed it. And she felt the flare of Damon's approval from across the pool of light, fierce and hot like the pride of a wolf for its cub's first kill. But when she glimpsed Stefan lying on the ground, she forgot everything else. White fury took her breath away, and she started toward him. â€Å"Everybody stop! Just stop everything, right where you are!† The shout was borne toward them along with the sound of tires squealing. Alaric Saltzman's car nearly spun out as it turned into the staff parking lot and screeched to a halt, and Alaric leaped from the car almost before it stopped moving. â€Å"What's going on here?† he demanded, striding toward the men. At the shout, Elena had pulled back automatically into the shadows. Now, she looked at the men's faces as they turned toward him. Besides Mr. Smallwood, she recognized Mr. Forbes and Mr. Bennett, Vickie Bennett's father. The others must be the fathers of the other guys who'd been with Tyler in the Quonset hut, she thought. It was one of the strangers who answered the question, in a drawl that couldn't quite hide the nervousness underneath. â€Å"Well now, we just got a little tired of waiting any longer. We decided to speed things up a bit.† The wolf growled, a low rumbling that rose to a chainsaw snarl. All the men flinched back, and Alaric's eyes showed white as he noticed the animal for the first time. There was another sound, softer and continuous, coming from a figure huddled next to one of the cars. Caroline Forbes was whimpering over and over, â€Å"They said they just wanted to talk to him. They didn't tell me what they were going to do.† Alaric, with one eye on the wolf, gestured toward her. â€Å"And you were going to let her see this? A young girl? Do you realize the psychological damage that could do?† â€Å"What about the psychological damage when her throat gets ripped out?† Mr. Forbes returned, and there were shouts of agreement. â€Å"That's what we're worried about.† â€Å"Then you'd better worry about getting the right man,† Alaric said. â€Å"Caroline,† he added, turning toward the girl, â€Å"I want you to think, Caroline. We didn't get to finish your sessions. I know when we left off you thought you recognized Stefan. But, are you absolutely positive it was him? Could it have been somebody else, somebody who resembled him?† Caroline straightened, bracing herself against the car and raising a tear-stained face. She looked at Stefan, who was just sitting up, and then at Alaric. â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Think, Caroline. You have to be absolutely certain. Is there someone else it could have been, like-â€Å" â€Å"Like that guy who calls himself Damon Smith,† came Meredith's voice. She was standing beside Alaric's car, a slim shadow. â€Å"You remember him, Caroline? He came to Alaric's first party. He looks like Stefan in some ways.† â€Å"Like that guy who calls himself Damon Smith,† came Meredith's voice. She was standing beside Alaric's car, a slim shadow. â€Å"You remember him, Caroline? He came to Alaric's first party. He looks like Stefan in some ways.† â€Å"Yes†¦ it could have been, I suppose. Everything happened so fast†¦ but it could have been.† â€Å"And you really can't be sure which it was?† Alaric said. â€Å"No†¦ not absolutely sure.† â€Å"There,† said Alaric. â€Å"I told you she needed more sessions, that we couldn't be certain of anything yet. She's still very confused.† He was walking, carefully, toward Stefan. Elena realized that the wolf had withdrawn back into the shadows. She could see it, but the men probably couldn't. Its disappearance made them more aggressive. â€Å"What are you talking about? Who is this Smith? I've never seen him.† â€Å"But your daughter Vickie probably has, Mr. Bennett,† Alaric said. â€Å"That may come out in my next session with her. We'll talk about it tomorrow; it can wait that long. Right now I think I'd better take Stefan to a hospital.† There was discomforted shifting among some of the men. â€Å"Oh, certainly, and while we're waiting anything could happen,† began Mr. Smallwood. â€Å"Any time, anywhere-â€Å" â€Å"So you're just going to take the law into your own hands, then?† Alaric said. His voice sharpened. â€Å"Whether you've got the right suspect or not. Where's your evidence this boy has supernatural powers? What's your proof? How much of a fight did he even put up?† â€Å"There's a wolf around somewhere who put up plenty of fight,† Mr. Smallwood said, red-faced. â€Å"Maybe they're in it together.† â€Å"I don't see any wolf. I saw a dog. Maybe one of the dogs that got out of quarantine. But what's that got to do with it? I'm telling you that in my professional opinion you've got the wrong man.† The men were wavering, but there was still some doubt in their faces. Meredith spoke up. â€Å"I think you should know that there've been vampire attacks in this county before,† she said. â€Å"A long time before Stefan came here. My grandfather was a victim. Maybe some of you have heard about that.† She looked across at Caroline. That was the end of it. Elena could see the men exchanging uneasy glances and backing toward their cars. Suddenly they all seemed eager to be somewhere else. Mr. Smallwood was one who stayed behind to say, â€Å"You said we'd talk about this tomorrow, Saltzman. I want to hear what my son says the next time he's hypnotized.† Caroline's father collected her and got in his car fast, muttering something about this all being a mistake and nobody taking it too seriously. â€Å"Are you all right? Did they hurt you?† He moved away from Alaric's supporting arm. â€Å"Somebody hit me from behind while I was talking to Caroline. I'll be all right-now.† He shot a glance at Alaric. â€Å"Thanks. Why?† â€Å"He's on our side,† said Bonnie, joining them. â€Å"I told you. Oh, Stefan, are you really okay? I thought I was going to faint there for a minute. They weren't serious. I mean, they couldn't really have been serious. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Serious or not, I don't think we should stay here,† said Meredith. â€Å"Does Stefan really need a hospital?† â€Å"No,† Stefan said, as Elena anxiously examined the cut on his head. â€Å"I just need rest. Somewhere to sit down.† â€Å"I've got my keys. Let's go to the history room,† Alaric said. Bonnie was looking around the shadows apprehensively. â€Å"The wolf, too?† she said, and then jumped as a shadow coalesced and became Damon. â€Å"What wolf?† he said. Stefan turned slightly, wincing. â€Å"Thank you, too,† he said unemotionally. But Stefan's eyes lingered on his brother with something like puzzlement as they walked to the school building. In the hallway, Elena pulled him aside. â€Å"Stefan, why didn't you notice them coming up behind you? Why were you so weak?† Stefan shook his head evasively, and she added, â€Å"When did you feed last? Stefan, when? You always make some excuse when I'm around. What are you trying to do to yourself?† â€Å"I'm all right,† he said. â€Å"Really, Elena. I'll hunt later.† â€Å"Do you promise?† â€Å"I promise.† It didn't occur to Elena at the moment that they hadn't agreed on what â€Å"later† meant. She allowed him to lead her on down the hall. The history room looked different at night to Elena's eyes. There was a strange atmosphere about it, as if the lights were too bright. Just now all the students' desks were shoved out of the way, and five chairs were pulled up to Alaric's desk. Alaric, who'd just finished arranging the furniture, urged Stefan into his own padded chair. â€Å"Okay, why don't the rest of you take a seat.† They just looked at him. After a moment Bonnie sank down into a chair, but Elena stood by Stefan, Damon continued to lounge halfway between the group and the door, and Meredith pushed some papers to the center of Alaric's desk and perched on the corner. â€Å"Well,† said Elena. Everyone looked at everyone else. Elena picked up a piece of cotton from the first-aid kit she'd grabbed at the door and began dabbing Stefan's head with it. â€Å"I think it's time for that explanation,† she said. â€Å"Right. Yes. Well, you all seemed to have guessed I'm not a history teacher†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"In the first five minutes,† Stefan said. His voice was quiet and dangerous, and with a jolt Elena realized it reminded her of Damon's. â€Å"So what are you?† Alaric made an apologetic gesture and said almost diffidently, â€Å"A psychologist. Not the couch kind,† he added hastily as the rest of them exchanged looks. â€Å"I'm a researcher, an experimental psychologist. From Duke University. You know, where the ESP experiments were started.† â€Å"The ones where they make you guess what's on the card without looking at it?† Bonnie asked. â€Å"Yes, well, it's gone a bit beyond that now, of course. Not that I wouldn't love to test you with Rhine cards, especially when you're in one of those trances.† Alaric's face lit with scientific inquiry. Then he cleared his throat and went on. â€Å"But-ah-as I was saying. It started a couple of years ago when I did a paper on parapsychology. I wasn't trying to prove supernatural powers existed, I just wanted to study what their psychological effect is on the people who have them. Bonnie, here, is a case in point.† Alaric's voice took on a lecturer's tone. â€Å"What does it do to her, mentally, emotionally, to have to deal with these powers?† â€Å"It's awful,† Bonnie interrupted vehemently. â€Å"I don't want them anymore. I hate them.† â€Å"Well, there you see,† Alaric said. â€Å"You'd have made a great case study. My problem was that I couldn't find anybody with real psychic powers to examine. There were plenty of fakers, all right-crystal healers, dowsers, channelers, you name it. But I couldn't find anything genuine until I got a tip from a friend in the police department. â€Å"There was this woman down in South Carolina who claimed she'd been bitten by a vampire, and since then she was having psychic nightmares. By that time I was so used to fakes I expected her to turn out to be one, too. But she wasn't, at least not about being bitten. I never could prove she was really psychic.† â€Å"How could you be sure she'd been bitten?† Elena asked. â€Å"There was medical evidence. Traces of saliva in her wounds that were similar to human saliva-but not quite the same. It contained an anticoagulatory agent similar to that found in the saliva of leeches†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alaric caught himself and hurried on. â€Å"Anyway, I was sure. And that was how it started. Once I was convinced something had really happened to the woman, I started to look up other cases like hers. There weren't a lot of them, but they were out there. People who'd encountered vampires. â€Å"But you've never actually seen a vampire,† Elena interrupted. â€Å"Until now, I mean. Is that right?† â€Å"Well-no. Not in the flesh, as it were. But I've written monographs†¦ and things.† His voice trailed off. Elena bit her lip. â€Å"What were you doing with the dogs?† she asked. â€Å"At the church, when you were waving your hands at them.† â€Å"Oh†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Alaric looked embarrassed. â€Å"I've picked up a few things here and there, you know. That was a spell an old mountain man showed me for fending off evil. I thought it might work.† â€Å"You've got a lot to learn,† said Damon. â€Å"Obviously,† Alaric said stiffly. Then he grimaced. â€Å"Actually, I figured that out right after I got here. Your principal, Brian Newcastle, had heard of me. He knew about the studies I do. When Tanner was killed and Dr. Feinberg found no blood in the body and lacerations made by teeth in the neck†¦ well, they gave me a call. I thought it could be a big break for me-a case with the vampire still in the area. The only problem was that once I got here I realized they expected me to take care of the vampire. They didn't know I'd dealt only with the victims before. And†¦ well, maybe I was in over my head. But I did my best to justify their confidence-â€Å" â€Å"You faked it,† Elena accused. â€Å"That was what you were doing when I heard you talking to them at your house about finding our supposed lair and all that. You were just winging it.† â€Å"Well, not completely,† Alaric said. â€Å"Theoretically, I am an expert.† Then he did a double take. â€Å"What do you mean, when you heard me talking to them?† â€Å"While you were out searching for a lair, she was sleeping in your attic,† Damon informed him dryly. Alaric opened his mouth and then shut it again. â€Å"What I'd like to know is how Meredith comes into all this,† Stefan said. He wasn't smiling. Meredith, who had been gazing thoughtfully at the jumble of papers on Alaric's desk during all this, looked up. She spoke evenly, without emotion. â€Å"I recognized him, you see. I couldn't remember where I'd seen him at first, because it was almost three years ago. Then I realized it was at Granddad's hospital. What I told those men was the truth, Stefan. My grandfather was attacked by a vampire.† There was a little silence and then Meredith went on. â€Å"It happened a long time ago, before I was born. He wasn't badly hurt by it, but he never really got well. He became†¦ well, sort of like Vickie, only more violent. It got so that they were afraid he'd harm himself, or somebody else. So they took him to a hospital, a place he'd be safe.† ago, before I was born. He wasn't badly hurt by it, but he never really got well. He became†¦ well, sort of like Vickie, only more violent. It got so that they were afraid he'd harm himself, or somebody else. So they took him to a hospital, a place he'd be safe.† â€Å"I know. I could have†¦ but I couldn't. The family's kept it a secret so long-or tried anyway. From what Caroline wrote in her diary, she'd obviously heard. The thing is, nobody ever believed Granddad's stories about the vampire. They just thought it was another of his delusions, and he had a lot of them. Even I didn't believe them†¦ until Stefan came. And then-I don't know, my mind started to put little things together. But I didn't really believe what I was thinking until you came back, Elena.† â€Å"I'm surprised you didn't hate me,† Elena said softly. â€Å"How could I? I know you, and I know Stefan. I know you're not evil.† Meredith didn't glance at Damon; he might as well not have been present for all the acknowledgment she gave him. â€Å"But when I remembered seeing Alaric talking to Granddad at the hospital I knew he wasn't, either. I just didn't know exactly how to get all of you together to prove it.† â€Å"I didn't recognize you, either,† Alaric said. â€Å"The old man had a different name- he's your mother's father, right? And I may have seen you hanging around the waiting room sometime, but you were just a kid with skinny legs then. You've changed,† he added appreciatively. Bonnie coughed, a pointed sound. Elena was trying to arrange things in her mind. â€Å"So what were those men doing out there with a stake if you didn't tell them to be?† â€Å"I had to ask Caroline's parents for permission to hypnotize her, of course. And I reported what I found to them. But if you're thinking I had anything to do with what happened tonight, you're wrong. I didn't even know about it.† â€Å"I've told him about what we've been doing, how we've been looking for the Other Power,† Meredith said. â€Å"And he wants to help.† â€Å"I said I might help,† Alaric said cautiously. â€Å"Wrong,† said Stefan. â€Å"You're either with us or against us. I'm grateful for what you did out there, talking to those men, but the fact remains that you started a lot of this trouble in the first place. Now you have to decide: are you on our side-or theirs?† Alaric looked around at each of them, at Meredith's steady gaze and Bonnie's raised eyebrows, at Elena kneeling on the floor and at Stefan's already-healing scalp. Then he turned to glance at Damon, who was leaning against the wall, dark and saturnine. â€Å"I'll help,† he said at last. â€Å"Hell, it's the ultimate case study.† â€Å"All right, then,† Elena said. â€Å"You're in. Now, what about Mr. Smallwood tomorrow? What if he wants you to hypnotize Tyler again?† â€Å"Wait,† said Stefan. â€Å"There shouldn't be a dance, not if there's any way to prevent it. You're on good terms with the principal; you can talk to the school board. Make them cancel it.† Alaric looked startled. â€Å"You think something's going to happen?† â€Å"Yes,† Stefan said. â€Å"Not just because of what's happened at the other public functions, but because something's building up. It's been building up all week; I can feel it.† â€Å"So can I,† Elena said. She hadn't realized it until that moment, but the tension she felt, the sense of urgency, was not just from inside her. It was outside, all around. It thickened the air. â€Å"Something's going to happen, Alaric. Alaric let out his breath in a soft whistle. â€Å"Well, I can try to convince them, but-I don't know. Your principal is dead set on keeping everything looking normal. And it isn't as if I can give any rational explanation for wanting to shut it down.† â€Å"Try hard,† Elena said. â€Å"I will. And meanwhile, maybe you should think about protecting yourself. If what Meredith says is right, then most of the attacks have been on you and people close to you. Your boyfriend got dropped in a well; your car got chased into the river; your memorial service was broken up. Meredith says even your little sister was threatened. If something's going to happen tomorrow, you might want to leave town.† It was Elena's turn to be startled. She had never thought of the attacks in that way, but it was true. She heard Stefan's indrawn breath and felt his fingers tighten on hers. â€Å"He's right,† Stefan said. â€Å"You should leave, Elena. I can stay here until-â€Å" â€Å"No. I'm not going without you. And,† Elena continued, slowly, thinking it out, â€Å"I'm not going anywhere until we find the Other Power and stop it.† She looked up at him earnestly, speaking quickly now. â€Å"Oh, Stefan, don't you see, nobody else even has a chance against it. Mr. Smallwood and his friends don't have a clue. Alaric thinks you can fight it by waving your hands at it. None of them know what they're up against. We're the only ones who can help.† She could see the resistance in Stefan's eyes and feel it in the tenor of his muscles. But as she kept on looking straight at him, she saw his objections fall one by one. For the simple reason that it was the truth, and Stefan hated lying. â€Å"All right,† he said at last, painfully. â€Å"But as soon as this is all over, we're leaving. I'm not having you stay in a town where vigilantes run around with stakes.† â€Å"Yes.† Elena returned the pressure of his fingers with hers. â€Å"Once this is all over, we'll go.† Stefan turned to Alaric. â€Å"And if there's no way to talk them out of having the dance tomorrow, I think we should keep an eye on it. If something does happen, we may be able to stop it before it gets out of hand.† Elena tilted a doubtful eye toward Bonnie. â€Å"Well†¦ it would mean missing the dance itself-for those of us who could have gone, I mean.† Bonnie drew herself up. â€Å"Oh, who cares about missing a dance?† she said indignantly. â€Å"What on earth does a dance matter to anyone?† â€Å"Right,† said Stefan gravely. â€Å"Then it's settled.† A spasm of pain seemed to overtake him and he winced, looking down. Elena was immediately concerned. â€Å"You need to get home and rest,† she said. â€Å"Alaric, can you drive us? It's not that far.† Stefan protested that he was perfectly able to walk, but in the end he gave in. At the boardinghouse, after Stefan and Damon had gotten out of the car, Elena leaned in Alaric's window for one last question. It had been gnawing at her mind ever since Alaric had told them his story. â€Å"About those people who'd encountered vampires,† she said. â€Å"Just what were the psychological effects? I mean, did they all go crazy or have nightmares? Were any of them okay?† â€Å"It depends on the individual,† Alaric said. â€Å"And with how many contacts they'd had, and what kind of contacts they were. But mostly just with the personality of the victim, with how well the individual mind can cope.† Elena nodded, and said nothing until the lights of Alaric's car had been swallowed by the snowy air. Then she turned to Stefan. â€Å"Matt.†

Emily Bronte s Wuthering Heights - 1167 Words

Knowledge Sets Us Apart Knowledge is not only power, but also, the ability to distinguish one person from the rest of the people. Emily Brontà «, author of Wuthering Heights, was a copy of her siblings and therefore used her extreme passion for learning and teaching to set herself apart from her siblings. In the novel, Wuthering Heights, Brontà « creates many similar characters but differentiate between them solely on their mental capacity. Growing up in a household of writers and artists, Emily Brontà « felt like a copy of her siblings and therefore used Gnosticism as a way to separate herself from her siblings; this is evident in the tension between closely related characters in Wuthering Heights. Education and higher thinking was very†¦show more content†¦Eventually the sisters did open a school in their hometown, but they were unsuccessful in attracting perspective students to such a remote area. Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s dedication to learning and teaching, both herself and others, reinforces that fact that she values higher thinking. Her mental abilities and capacities set her apart from her siblings, since they were so similar in certain things. Brontà « used her ability to think to establish herself from her sisters, because her mind was her own. She could be independent and a free thinker when she achieved all this knowledge. Brontà « was truly set upon an academic and enlightened path to off set the similarities between her sisters and her. Similar to Brontà « and her sisters, Linton and Hareton share the same experiences. Hareton and Linton as children both had an unstable childhood. Hareton’s father was a drunk and constantly tried to harm him, and when h is father died he is taken in by Heathcliff, the man who is responsible for terrorizing his father. Hareton is treated like a servant at his new home, not like the son of a wealthy social climber. Similarly, Linton’s mother dies when he is young, leaving Linton alone in the world, as well. Since his father, Heathcliff, is still alive, he is taken in by him with Hareton as a brother. They have similar backgrounds, of being shuffled between families and homes. The ability that sets them apart is Linton is able to read, while