Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Company Overview Fonterra - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2161 Downloads: 6 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Research paper Did you like this example? COMPANY OVERVIEW: FONTERRA YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT: Fonterra group was formed in year 2001 No. of years in Business: It has been 14 years since Fonterra is in Dairy business. Relevant Industry: Fonterra has become a house hold name in dairy. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Company Overview: Fonterra" essay for you Create order It has spread its wings in many nations like Australia, United States, China etc. Fonterra has many sub brands like Anchor Milk, Farm Gate Milk, Tip Top, Anchor Cheese, Anlene etc. Head Office: Fonterra is working internationally with its head office based in New Zealand Address: Una Place, Takanini, New Zealand. Basic Activities of Company: Exports: Products: Milk, Cheese, Butter and Ice Cream. Countries: United States, China, Australia, Malaysia, Middle East, Africa, Countries of European Union to name few. Activities: Sourcing, production, Manufacturing, Marketing. Company Mission: Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mission is to be natural supplier of dairy nutrition for everyone around the globe, every day. Objectives: To make Fonterra well-known brand world-wide. Being the natural source of dairy nutrition for everybody, everywhere, every day. Develop strong customer partnerships with leading companies in the food and nutrition industries to become their supplier of choice. Policy: Following is explained the Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Policy for its commitment to achieve its objectives: Commitment: It is Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s policy to design, develop, implement and maintain a Business Management System that: Overseeing Fonterra, including its control, accountability, decision-making and compliance procedures. Ensuring that Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goals are clearly established, and that strategies are in place for achieving them (such strategies being expected to originate from management). Establishing policies for strengthening the performance of Fonterra, including by ensuring that management is proactively seeking to build the businesses of Fonterra through innovation, initiative, technology, new product development, and the development of Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s business capital. Establishing performance criteria for Fonterra and monitoring the performance of the Chief Executive Officer and management against these. Appointing the CEO, setting the terms of the CEOà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s employment arrangements and, where necessary, terminating the CEOà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s appointment. Adopting appropriate procedures to oversee compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, codes and accounting standards. Establishing Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s risk profile and ensuring that Fonterra has appropriate risk management and regulatory compliance policies in place and that these are monitored on a regular basis, including in relation to health and safety obligations and food safety and quality obligations and objectives. Approving Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s strategy, business plans and policies. Approving and monitoring the progress of major capital expenditure, capital management, and major acquisitions and divestments. The prime management system is always committed towards developing, implementing companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s policies and reviewing them regularly for assumed results. Determining the payment to be made for milk supplied by farmer shareholders. Ensuring that adequate plans and procedures are in place for succession planning in relation to the Board and the CEO. Overseeing progress towards meeting the objectives described in the introduction, including through appropriate engagement with senior managers across Fonterra, and in particular with those managers responsible for championing imperatives around food safety and quality. Assurance and improvements: Fonterra is continuing reviewing its policies and working practices. It involves its shareholders in review meetings and other business related processes to ensure its Management system remains appropriate and fruitful towards its activities, products, services and business related risks. Communication: Fonterra always communicate its policy to its employees at all levels to make sure they work towards same goal and contribute accordingly. The policy is periodically reviewed by companyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s management team to check its effectiveness and to make sure employees are working in right direction and in effective way. Business Management System: Purpose and Scope: At Fonterra, purpose of Business Management System is to support its employees in their business related activities so that their interactions are consistent and effective and their work is always fruitful and generate sustainable profit for company while following a nd obeying all current laws and regulations. Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s documented and tested step-by-stepmethodaimed at smooth functioning throughstandardpractices. Fonterraà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s management system aims on topicssuch as Organizinganenterprise, Setting and implementingcorporate policies, Establishingaccounting, Monitoring, Quality controlprocedures, Choosing andtrainingemployees, Choosingsuppliersand gettingbest valuefrom them, Marketinganddistribution. Compliance is a legal act which cannot be ignored at any cost. Financial Compliance: Compliance issues related to financial management of sale and or purchase, most critically, most stringent illegal monetary movements. Relying on handful of employees say 2 or 3 employees for legal compliance matters, isnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t enough. It has to pervade across the organization. Compliance is something which is beyond company administration and is vital for Import/ Export. Not following this can lead to desaturase results which can lead to following: Fonterra can miss deadlines for delivery, which will cause company unexpected costs which will eat its profits. It can also cause Fonterra losing its customers which will hinder its trustworthiness. As per contract signed with its distributors, it can lead to penalties also. Fonterra has set following set of rules for its employees to overcome Money Laundering, Bribery and Client entertainment, Information Security and Data Protection, Trade Finance L/C situation: Directors must act honestly and in good faith in what the Director believes to be the best interests of Fonterra. Directors must carry out their duties in a lawful manner and use reasonable endeavours to ensure that Fonterra carries out its business in accordance with applicable laws and with a high standard of commercial integrity. Directors must act in accordance with their fiduciary duties and exercise any powers for proper purposes. They should comply with the spirit as well as the letter of the law mindful that in addition to purely legal requirements the proper discharge of their duties as directors requires high ethical and moral standards of behaviour. Directors must avoid conflicts of interest wherever possible, and where these do arise, declare and manage them in accordance with legal requirements and the intent and content of this Charter. If a known conflict exists, the Chairman will take all reasonable steps to avoid any relevant papers being circulated to the affected Director prior to any Board discussion taking place. The affected Director should excuse themselves from discussion and should not vote on matters in which they have an interest. Directors will not take for themselves any opportunity discovered through the use of Fonterra property, information or position, or use Fonterra property, information or position for personal gain. Directors will not accept gifts or personal benefits of any value from external parties if that could be perceived as compromising or influencing any decision by the Director or Fonterra. (g) Directors will only trade in Fonterra securities (including Co-operative Shares and Fonterra Shareholdersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Fund Units) in accordance with the Securities Trading Policy. Directors will maintain and protect the confidentiality of information of or held by Fonterra, except where disclosure is allowed of required by law or a relevant regulatory body or the information is otherwise in the public domain. The qualifications and skills of employees include: unquestioned honesty and integrity; a proven track record of creating value for shareholders; time available to undertake the responsibilities; an ability to apply strategic thought to matters in issue; a preparedness to question, challenge and critique; the ability and knowledge to comprehend the wider commercial and economic framework in which Fonterra operates; and a willingness to understand and commit to the highest standards of governance for Fonterra. Custom Compliance: Along with financial compliance, Custom Compliance is equally is equally important and should must not be neglected. It is a technical area which can be worked at with proper training and accurate paperwork and legal advice. Process and Function interactions: Organization Structure: The structure of an organization is based on the business process and functions it carries out and structure identifiers like different terms and departments involved, authorities and international business related activities. Following is an example of organizational structure: Every organization has an Export Compliance Officer in Export Department. Export Compliance Officer is authorised for all compliance related jobs. His responsibilities includes: Signing and authorising license applications. Maintain trade compliance policies and operational procedures. Maintain other procedural changes that apply to export compliance. Prepare complex licenses and agreements to support programs. To supervise and provide development opportunities to the export and import compliance staff. Criminal and Civil liability, Penalties for violating laws and for non-compliance. Standard Operating Procedures: Pro-forma Invoice/ Quotation: It is originated by Sales and Marketing department. Identify the who the customer is, what his product is and which country he is from. Pricing to be worked out which can include freight charges, local transportation, miscellaneous charges, arrival cost or duty etc. To get approval from head of department of Marketing and Finance and Export Compliance Officer. Confirming and matching quotations with agreement. Contract: Started by Sales/ Marketing Team Suggests the terms, contract has been agreed at. Most importantly it includes clauses like payment clause, credit, dispute settlement, terms of trade, description of products etc. Approval from Marketing, Finance and Legal Head, Export Compliance officer. Supplier selection and control: Originated by Supply Department. Supplier is usually selected while keeping factors like, ability to comply with Export/ Import Laws and Regulations. Financial stability of supplier, their reputation, feedback from other companies etc. Export Compliance Officer, Finance head, Supply chain and Legal etc. are involved while selecting a supplier of raw materials. After selection, Supplier is continuously examined to make sure his reliability and performance. Review of Supplier is done each year to track its performance and to consider amount of business to be sourced through him. Purchase order processing Procedure: Purchase Order Processing Procedure can easily be understood with help of following image: When purchase requisition is made, Dept. manager approves the order. It is then approved and signed by Plant Manager. Further Purchase Order form is filled and its copy is mails/ couriered or faxed to supplier to confirm order. Firm record the Purchase order no. After receiving the delivery, receipt of product is matched with PO and on matching, it is sent to accounts department. Procurement of the Order: After order is received, Electronic or Written communication with customer is done, sending him details of order known as Acknowledgement of Order. Afterwards, the sales manager verifies the order and matches it with quote in terms of price, quantity, product no., description, delivery, credit, trade terms, documents, payment terms etc. Order Documents are generated and information of order is entered in Order Processing Form. Plant manage r reviews the order and schedule production meetings. Order is sent to production department. Quality check is carried out while and after production and results are documented for each batch. After production, order is shipped to customer and the details of order received are sent to billing department. Once the order is received by customer, payments received from customer are sent to accounts department for processing. Once the order is complete, all documents related are placed in order files under customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s name, which can be Sales Order, Acknowledgement of Order, Customer order Form, Work Order etc. Documentation and record keeping: Business Management System documents are controlled and kept safe to make sure they describe product, process, responsibility, reliability of records. Management system follows an approved process which is maintained in a documented procedure. List of current version is maintained and their distribution is controlled. Correct versions of documents are available at the locations where they are needed. All controlled documents are approved for release by designated authority responsible for the process. Distribution system is designed to ensure that personnel are aware of relevant documents. Regular training is implemented to ensure that access to the Controlled Technical Data is limited to only those individuals approved to access this data. The Business Management System records are maintained to provide evidence of conformity to requirements and to demonstrate the effective operation of the BMS. Records are made available to review by customer, regulatory authority in accordance with the contract or regulatory requirements. Any records containing confidential data are limited to those individuals approved to access the data. Training: Training sessions aims all employees of company. Almost each employee is given an overview about company and its international business while at time of joining. Organizations has to make sure that person involved in the job is trained for his individual duties. Employees are often monitored by their supervisors to determine their capability to carry out their respective job and responsibilities. Each employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s training and capability level is recorded and reviewed at regular intervals. Audits: Audits are done at regular intervals to make sure the sturdiness of various departments of an organization to meet 100% compliance. Area Frequency Type of Audit Frequency Type of Audit Marketing Quarterly Internal Yearly External Finance Monthly Internal Yearly External Purchase Monthly Internal Yearly External Training Half Yearly Internal Yearly External References Export Compliance Jobs: Compliance Crossing. (n.d.). Retrieved from Compliance Crossing Web Site: https://www.compliancecrossing.com/job-description/4485/Export-Compliance-Jobs/# Ltd, F. C. (31-Aug-2012). New Zealand Productivity Commission: Local Government Regulatory Performance Issues Paper July 2012 . Fonterra Group. Auckland. Management System: Business Dictionary. (2015). Retrieved from Business Dictionary Web Site: https://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/management-system.html

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection - 926 Words

Charles Darwin was the creator of Darwinism which is, â€Å"the theory of evolution by natural selection† (Junker 1). In school we are often taught that natural selection is survival of the fittest or the strongest wins. What seems to be a simple topic is actually one of the leading theories on the side of evolution in the highly controversial debate on Darwinism vs. Creationism. Darwinism states that certain genes in a population change through individuals. These â€Å"strong† genes are then produced more and are better able to survive making them the fittest. According to natural selection this process of evolving â€Å"usually takes place over many years, but in fast-breeding organisms it can occur rapidly, for example the spread of antibiotic resistance in some bacteria† (Natural Selection† 1). Darwin then decided to look for the common descent of humans. â€Å"Darwin wrote that the human animal is closest to the two African great apes (chimpanzee and gorilla), with which it shares a common primate ancestor in the remote past† (Darwin, Charles (1809-1882)†). This theory coincided with his theory of natural selection saying that the great apes started to develop genes that were humanlike until we became fully human. Darwinism also claims that all organisms have a common descent. Then from this common descent they begin natural selection where the evolve with the strongest traits. Where these original organisms come from is often a battle ground for the debate. Darwinism does notShow MoreRelatedThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1329 Words   |  6 PagesThe theory of evolution by natural selection proposes that all species are related (Eade, S. and profile, V. 2014). There is estimated to be between 6 million and 100 million different species in the world, with more species undiscovered than those discovered; this is all owing to the concept of evolution (Borenstein, S. 2014). Evolution is defined as the â₠¬Å"change in the characteristics of a species over many generations (Linstead, 2012).† The most widely accepted theory of evolution is natural selectionRead MoreNatural Selection And The Theory Of Evolution1536 Words   |  7 PagesNatural selection and The Theory of Evolution were just two of the things that Charles Darwin conquered through the exploration of The Galapagos Island. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. While Darwin was still in high school, his main interest was nature, he was especially interested in beetles. Darwin’s father, Robert Darwin, who was best known as the father of the naturalist Charles Darwin, wanted Charles to become a doctor. Due to lack on interest in the medicine fieldRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection965 Words   |  4 Pages The beginning of life on earth was always thought out as Gods creation and evolution was just a mystery in itself. Many people have always been interested in their origins and have found explanations using evidence that validates the story, but where is the proof? In 1859 a man by the name of Charles Darwin wrote a novel called the Origin of Species basically expressing the theory of evolution by natural selection. An extremely complicated story, but a very effective explanation of life as weRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1027 Wo rds   |  5 PagesPart A: Evolution of Polar Bears Introduction The theory of evolution by natural selection (Darwinism), first formulated in Darwin s book On the Origin of Species in 1859, is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioural traits. Changes that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and that have more offspring. The first three ideas were already under discussion among earlier and contemporaneous naturalistsRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1726 Words   |  7 PagesDiscussing Darwinian and Modern Evidence in Support to The Theory of Evolution by Natural selection Evolution is the gradual development of life on Earth. It is responsible for the unusual carnivorous plants (species such as Dionaea muscipula), the beautiful coloured plume of the male peacock, even the possibility of cells adapting to protect against continual low exposure to radiation (Russo, GL. et al 2012). Without it, the lavish diversity of organic life we interact with every day would be non-existentRead MoreTheory Of Evolution By Natural Selection896 Words   |  4 PagesSummary Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. According to history, Charles Darwin is the first scientist to frame the theory of evolution by natural selection. It was publish in his book title On the Origin of Species 1859†. Darwin express the theory of evolution by natural selection as a process by which species change over a period of time. This change take place because of the changes in genetic and behavioral traits. The ability of the organisms to change over time or adjust to fit environmentalRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1692 Words   |  7 PagesDarwinian Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Background information Even though evolution is an ancient concept, Charles Darwin brought up a new idea focusing on naturalistic modification of a population over time. He believed that species differ over time and space. In other words, after a period of time creatures undergo genetic mutations in their genetic code in which the beneficial mutations are preserved and the disadvantage mutations are eliminated. This concept he termed as natural selectionRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection Essay1774 Words   |  8 Pagesinvariance and stability. Darwinism rejects all supernatural phenomena and causations. The theory of evolution by natural selection explains the adaptedness and diversity of the world solely materialistically. It no longer requires God as the creator or designer .Darwin pointed out that creation, as described in the bible and the origin accounts of other cultures, was contradicted by almost any aspect of the natural world. Randolph M. Nesse George C. Williams. Mayr believed that Lamarck did not holdRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1692 Words   |  7 PagesDarwinian Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection Background information Even though evolution is an ancient concept, Charles Darwin brought up a new idea focusing on naturalistic modification of a population over time. He believed that species differ over time and space. In other words, after a period of time creatures undergo genetic mutations in their genetic code in which the beneficial mutations are preserved and the disadvantage mutations are eliminated. This concept he termed as natural selectionRead MoreThe Theory Of Evolution By Natural Selection1486 Words   |  6 Pagesexplain the evolution of the word, where you may or may not find altruistic behaviours and most importantly it’s like to evolutionary theory. Evolutionary theory was developed by Charles Darwin and documented in his book ‘On the Origin of Species’ (1859). In it’s most simplistic terms it explains how and why animals, including humans, have changed and evolved over time to become the way they are. One of his more well known and supported theories illustrated in his book is the theory of evolution by natural

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Illegal use of Oxycontin Free Essays

Attention Getter: A pill cutter, a bottle of water, a credit card, a straw, a thick white powdery line, then a sniff†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦This is the deadly and illegal use of OxyContin, or otherwise known in my town as OC†s. Credibility: This is a sad description of an on going problem in my very own town. This is a description of a very highly addictive painkiller called Oxycontin. We will write a custom essay sample on The Illegal use of Oxycontin or any similar topic only for you Order Now This pain reliever is already controlling the lives of many of my friends and many people in this country. I feel as though precautions must be met to stop the illegal use of OxyContin from spreading. Purpose: The purpose of my speech is to explain to all of you the downsides and the heavy addiction that this pain reliever causes. I personally believe that this rapidly increasing problem must be stopped. I realize that there is no denying that it’s recreational use and abuse are a problem, there is another more important problem of at least equal concern the needs of people truly suffering from chronic pain and in need of OxyContin for pain relief. Forecast Statement: The negative aspects for both street users and patients and explain what pharmacists, physicians and representatives from the Purdue Pharmaceuticals are doing to ensure that this medication remains available for those who need it and stays out of the hands of those who abuse it. The synthetic opioid OxyContin has become a drug of abuse, following in the steps of other prescription drugs that contain Oxycodone, the active ingredient in OxyContin. The level of abuse and the number of people who have died because of OxyContin abuse are growing. At first many pain specialist initially believed that the controlled-release oxycondone had a low potential for abuse, boy were they wrong. In recent years, this drug has exploded to the streets. The latest report from the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Agency, states that Oxycontins have played a role in over 282 people since the beginning of 2002. The DEA says that it is only a matter of time before every community in this country is confronted with the problem of Oxycontin abuse. No prescription drug in the last twenty years has been so widely abused after it†s release. Oxycontin was pain reliever meant to do good, not bad. Oxycontin is prescribed to patients, who are chronic pain, patients who are dying of cancer, recovering from major surgery and or suffering from unbearable headaches. This pain reliever is known for its significant improvement over all other pain relieving medications. The time-release mechanisms allow the right amount of the medication to be released to keep sustained relief for people in severe pain for up to 12 hours. Not only street users become addicts, patients also become very addicted to their own medicine. Many patients go threw heavy withdrawal symptoms when their prescriptions have ended. No longer will insurance pay or doctors write prescriptions. So they too must turn to the black market to fulfill their addiction. In the worst cases some patients turn to heroin because Oxycontins to expensive. Before a person is prescribed this pill, the patient is supposed to undergo a complete physical examination, the patients record should be contained with detailed documentation of the nature and intensity of the pain, current and past treatment, other illnesses, and their history of drug and alcohol use. Then the risks, type, dosage, and quantity of the pain medication must be explained to the patient. Prescriptions will only be filed out during office hours, lost prescription slips will not be rewritten or otherwise replaced, lost or stolen medications will not be replaced. If asked by the doctor, the patient can be submitted to drug testing and urine screening to ensure that the patient is taking a controlled release of the oxycodone. All of these steps must be taken before the prescription can even be written out by the doctor. The Connecticut Company, Purdue Pharma, first introduced Oxycontins in December of 1995. Since then the popularity of this pain pill has grossed to over 1 billion dollars in U.S. retail Sales last year with of 5.5 million prescriptions written. Street users are attracted to the drugs euphoric high. The time- release is licked or peeled off of the pill. It is then crushed with a hard object broken up to a white powder, then it is broken up into very small lines and snorted or mixed into a dilute and injected into their veins. The drug then provides a high very similar to heroin, like heroin, it becomes highly addictive. OxyContin is a narcotic drug. Narcotic drugs cause not only a physical addiction but also a psychological dependence. Narcotics are drugs that produce a change in response to sensations. Sounds appetizing doesn†t it. The problem with OxyContins is that each tablet contains higher amounts of narcotic than any other painkillers, because of the extended action of the medication. Authorities suggest that this is the reason for the streets popularity. OxyContin abusers who have never used heroin may be attracted to heroin when they can no longer afford the high street level price of OxyContins. Heroin is much cheaper and gives a stronger feeling of euphoria. You may ask how do these drugs get into the hands of abusers? Pharmacy workers take the drug directly from the shelf. People create fraudulent prescriptions. People with or without true illness visit several doctors, perhaps even in several states to obtain a large quantity of the drug. Dishonest doctors write improper prescriptions for money or favors. Addicts rob houses, nursing homes and pharmacies just to get high. On the other hand, many doctors don†t prescribe it because they don†t want to be suspected of irregular practice. As a result of numerous robberies many drug stores no longer carry Oxycontin for the fear of being robbed. All of these factors are hurting the people who are legally prescribed OxyContin or other narcotic pain relievers to treat legitimate conditions, often are unfairly accused of being addicted to the pain medications. Misconceptions about proper pain management sometimes lead to under-utilization of available pain medications. Cancer patients and people in recovery are at a high risk of losing their medication because of the increasing sillegal use of the drug. Many law suits are being brought against Purdue that might hurt the avaiblitly of the drug. What is being done to stop this rapidly growing epidemic? Purdue Pharma has responded to the growing problem of OxyContin abuse by distributing over 400,000 brochures to pharmacists and healthcare professionals to educate them on preventing diversion. Legislative initiatives are also being drafted to make Oxycontins distribution less appealing by creating more strict penalties. Meeting with law enforcement officials in several states. Offering grant money for education and drug abuse prevention programs. Purdue Pharma claims it is committed to finding solutions. In the long term, millions of dollars are being spent on research and development a new pain medication, less likely to be abused. A new painkiller, still in development, is not expected to be available for at least three years, and has yet to be named. Purdue Pharma is anticipating that clinical trials will begin in early 2002. However, years of research and the FDA approval process are hurdles which must be cleared before anything newly-developed can be marketed. Clearly, that is not an immediate solution to the OxyContin problem. That’s why the DEA has stepped in with a sense of urgency, offering its proposals as deterrents to the abuse. There is way around it, illegal OxyContin use is a problem. It’s both. OxyContin is one of the best-selling brand-name drugs in the world, and also one of the most abused drugs. Although, this pill is meant to help save lives it is killing more than it is helping. Many street users of OxyContin are young, like my friends at home are who are unaware of how potent these tablets can be. The addiction to this pill is so dangerous and if is not taken under control it will control you. If you know someone who may be addicted please get them help before there lives go down the tubes. I hope you all can see how important this subject is. It is affecting my life, I hope you can stop it from affecting yours. How to cite The Illegal use of Oxycontin, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Molecular Nanotechnology Essay Example For Students

Molecular Nanotechnology Essay The authors interest in nanotechnology stems from the sheer gravity of theclaims made by those researching and developing this technology; in essencethat the capacity to manipulate and program matter with atomic precisionwill witness a sweeping technological revolution, that could make theindustrial revolution seem almost inconsequential in comparison. Molecularnanotechnologycouldpotentiallydelivertremendousadvancesinminiaturization, materials, and manufacturing of all kinds. It couldcompletely remodelengineering,chemistry,medicine,andcomputertechnology, transforming the economic, ecological, and cultural foundationof our lives. As well as the fact that computer technology is at the heart of thedevelopment of nanotechnology, there is a very high relevance to thebenefits that this field will give to computer technology. Molecularmanufacturing could greatly expand the limits of computer technology andits possibilities. with micron-scale computer CPUs being produced that areefficient enough to let miniaturized desktop systems contain literallymillions of processors. Physics todayusesenormousmachinestoinvestigate situations that exist for less than 10 second. (Woodcock Davis 1991 p.16) Clearly, this scenario would change unimaginably with theadvent of this technology as materials over 100 times stronger than thosein normal use today would be engineered enabling huge reductions in thebulk of products. The impact this could have on virtually all areas ofdigital cultures would be vast. In either case, though, if these ideas as products are not commerciallyviable, they become no more important than the preSocratics, relics ofyesteryear for the amusement of idle scholars(Sassower 1995 p.112) Thisquote points to the need for this technology to prove itself as relevantfrom a capitalist perspective and the concept of supercomputers clearlywould. Every manufacturing process currently employed can be simply viewed as amethod for arranging atoms, and their properties depend on how those atomsare arranged. Most of these methods arrange atoms in a very crude mannerand even the most advanced commercial microchips produced today can beconsidered grossly irregular at the atomic scale. However, technology is fast becoming molecularly precise. Advances inphysics, molecular biology, and computer science are focusing on theability to control the structure and function of matter with molecularprecision. Nanotechnology, otherwise known as molecular engineering, is theability to build structures to complex, atomic specifications and refers totechnology that features nanometer scale ranging from fine particles tothin coatings to large molecules. The concept of nanotechnology wasconceived by a man named Eric Drexler. In his book Engines of Creation,released in 1986, he defined nanotechnology as Technology based on themanipulation of individual atoms and molecules to build structures tocomplexatomicspecifications(Drexler1986,p.288).Laboratoryresearchers are currently working towards the creationofmachinespotentially as small as DNA. The basic concept of nanotechnology is simple. Whereas chemists combinemolecules in solution, allowing them to wander and collide at random,leading to unwanted reactions, nanomachines will instead move, split,combine and position molecules in specific locations in a pre-determinedsequence. By doing so, the manner in which the molecules react will becontrolled, and complex structures can be built with atomically precisebuilding blocks. The molecular engineering community is currently proposing the ideal thatmolecular nanotechnology will produce clean energy and materials to replaceolder technologies, and clean up the toxic mess left by them. This can beachieved by incorporating self-regulating systems in the form of self-regulating assembly into nanotechnology from the start. This means thatmolecular assemblers would have limited replication rates through thesebuilt in controls. For example, nanobacteria are organisms less than amicron wide which already has a very slow replication rate. They have alimiting factor that prevents them from turning everything into grey goodespite them being such a common part of the environment. Development principles of the research community work on the grounds thatartificial replicators must be incapable of replication in a natural,uncontrolled environment and evolution within the context of a self-replicating manufacturing system is discouraged. Molecular nanotechnologydesigns should limit proliferation specifically and any replicating systemsshould provide traceability. Specific design guidelines state that any self-replicating device having sufficient onboard information to describe itsown manufacture should encrypt it in a way that any replication error willproduce a blueprint that is randomized. FASCISM EssayHowever, Foucault takes from postmodernism the concepts of fragmentationand multiplicity, the linguistically created subject, and the challenge tocausality. As a poststructuralist,Foucaultattacksstructuralismsscientific pretensions-the quests for foundation, truth, objectivity,certainty and systems. (Eve, Horsfall ; Lee 1997 p.4) Clearly, from thisperspective, these claims would need examining further to establish theirdegree of validity in the real world. Here, Foucault can be seen to takeissue with thosethatconsiderobjectsofknowledgeasreal. Indeed, presently we are quite far away from achieving this ideal of a nano-technological utopia for mankind and human development. Most laboratoryresearchers are advancingwithshorter-termgoalsthanmolecularmanufacturing. Cleaner, more efficient chemical process and molecularframeworks useful in medical therapies are viewed as being achievablepractical applications for this technology in the near future. Other viewsdiffer greatly on this subject Organisms are not random assemblages ofworking parts, the results of trial and error tinkering by naturalselection. They reflect a deep pattern of ordered relationships. (Goodwin1994 p.98) However, the history of science shows that research often hasunintended consequences. A natural consequence of improvements in theseareas could be the development of a technology foundation that would beused to produce the machines neededformoreadvancedmolecularmanufacturing systems. As such, we are very close to witnessing the first applications of anypractical value in this field. Ralph Merkle, a researcher at Xeroxs PaloAlto Research Center, who is one of the leading researchers in the field,feels that within 20 years given the right funding, nanotechnology will bemaking its first public appearance. The implications of success are the prospect that nanotechnology couldpotentially change everything. Once in place mankind and the planet itinhabits would never be the same. However, the enormous opportunities thatthese technological advances could result in, would also bringthepotential for disastrous abuse. The possibility of instant destruction issuperseding strategies of deterrence. Were now going into a new phaseitcould lead us to apocalypse (absolute destruction) (Virilio 1997 p.53) Theresulting military capabilities and their potential misuse need muchconsideration. The only functional component of intelligence agencies isthe one that will be replaced by machines (De Landa 1991 p.203)Clearly, the decisions made in the next two decades in this sphere ofresearch, could have massive impact of the future of humanity. BibliographyAdams J. (1998) The Next World War. London. Random House. De Landa M. (1991) War in the age of intelligent machines. New York. ZoneBooksDrexler (1986) Engines of Creation. New York. Ankor BooksEve R.A., Horsfall S. ; Lee M.E. (1997) Chaos, complexity and sociology. Myths, Models and Theories. London: Sage PublicationsGoldsmith M. (2003) Riotous Robots. 2003. Scholastic Ltd. Goodwin B. (1995) How the leopard changed its spots. London. Phoenix Giant. Gray C.H. (1995) The Cyborg Handbook. London. RoutledgeKelly. K (1994) Out of Control. London. Fourth Estate. Sassower R., (1995) Cultural Collisions. Postmodern Technoscience. London. RoutledgeVirilio P. ; Lotringer S. (1997) Pure War. New York. SemiotextWaldrop. M (1992) Complexity. London. PenguinWiener N. (1996) Cybernetics: Or Control and Communication in the Animaland Machine Cambridge. MIT Press. Woodcock A., ; Davis M. (1991) Catastrophe Theory. London. PenguinWooley B (1992) Virtual Worlds. London. Penguin