Prejudice and Discrimination in America Today Essay

Across the nation, millions of Americans of all races turn on the television or open a newspaper and are bombarded with images of well dressed, articulate, attractive black people advertising different products and representing respected companies. The population of black professionals in all arenas of work has risen to the point where seeing a black physician, attorney, or a college professor are becoming more a common sight. More and more black people are holding positions of respect and authority throughout America today, such as Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Condelezza Rice and many other prominent black executives. As a result of their apparent success, these black people are seen as role models for many Americans, despite their race.†¦show more content†¦In Derrick Bells Faces at the Bottom of the Well, this idea was well played out. The dialogue was between a moving on up black person trying to explain to a regular working class black person that he and all other workin g class brothers are in the same boat. However, the less successful working class brother proclaimed, Not really, brother...the fact is you moving on up black folks hurt us everyday blacks simply by being successful. The white folks see you doing your thing, making money and they conclude right off that discrimination/ racism is over and that if the rest of us got up off our dead asses, dropped the welfare tit, stopped having illegitimate babies, and found jobs, we would all be just like you. Unfortunately, the problem of racism in America lies so much deeper than that. Black people everyday encounter different types of racism, be it they cant get the good jobs, cant afford the best education, and overall cannot partake in the better life that is such the emphasis of the American Dream. It has been over 40 years since the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, however the struggle for equal rights is still very prevalent in America today. Blacks still continue to fight for basic civil rights and equality throughout America everyday. The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s is still very much relevant when dealing with racial issues in the twenty first century.Show MoreRelatedDiscrimination Effects from the 1930s1530 Words   |  7 PagesThe Results of an era of Discrimination Discrimination is a disease. This is a greatly popular quote straight from the mouth of Robert Staunbach. Many people consider the 1930s to be a terrible time of prejudice, especially to some violent extremes. Between racism, sexism, and social prejudice, discrimination levels were about the highest America has ever seen. This was a difficult time for African Americans in the U.S, and despite the decline of organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan, racismRead MoreRacial Inequality : Not Much Has Changed1403 Words   |  6 PagesRacial Inequality in America; Not Much Has Changed There are approximately 7 billion people in this world. Each person has a unique combination of traits such as skin tone, face shape, body type, eye color, hair color, and other characteristics. These traits vary due to genetics, environmental factors, and much more. An individual s race is defined by their physical characteristics and how they differ among others. Race is not defined by the way an individual behaves or portrays themselfes; itRead MoreThe Never Ending Cycle of Prejudice In U.S.A Essay1331 Words   |  6 PagesAmerica has always struggled with discrimination and prejudice throughout its history. On July 2nd, 1964 the United States took a step in the right direction, when it recognized the principle that all men are created equal with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. The Act outlawed all discrimination formed on the basis of race, religious affiliation, gender or ethnic origin. In addition, it ended racial segregation in educational institutions and in the workpl ace. However, it can be argued that discriminationRead MoreReligious and Ethnic Diversity863 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"Mormonism is indistinguishable from Christianity†. However, there are some distinct differences between Mormonism and other Christian religions, and other religions in general. These differences have led to a history of discrimination and persecution, so much though that the Church today keeps many of its ceremonies, practices, and beliefs private. The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints has had a vast impact on American culture which includes a recent Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney. TheRead MoreEssay about Racial Equality869 Words   |  4 PagesThis article also talks about Affirmative Action and how it really benefitted whites more so than minorities because whites are the racial preference in America. White privilege is a very prevalent thing in America, even though we all think we’re striving for equality. Many white people truly don’t realize how much we are privileged today. We are constantly being reminded that if we set our minds to things we can achieve anything, but is that true for all races and ethnic groups? For whitesRead MoreEssay on Scottish American Immigration795 Words   |  4 PagesScottish American Immigration America was created by people who immigrated to the country over the years. One of the many groups of people to come to America and help build into what she is today was the Scots. In order to discuss the Scottish immigration you must understand why they immigrated, what type of prejudice they faced, and what role the Scots now have in today’s America. Though the Scots did not have the influx of people immigrating as the Irish, Italian, or English they had a majorRead MoreA Study on Slavery1112 Words   |  4 Pagesracial terms. The roots of these laws were partly the prejudice against blacks and partly the desire to prevent any possible unity among the workers. The laws were carried through the independence of the United States, legally considering slaves in the South as three fifth of a person. The Atlantic slave trade, a very profitable business endeavor, coupled with the demand for slave labor in American plantations, brought about a million slaves to America until the sl ave importation was banned in 1808. AsRead MoreDiscrimination And Loss Of Individuality1224 Words   |  5 PagesDiscrimination and Loss of Individuality in America: Synthesis America is often advertised as a country that is free from discrimination— a place full of acceptance and a place where one could just be his or herself without being judged or thought of as an outcast. However, this is not the case. In today’s society, when one thinks about discrimination, one may most-likely think about race or skin color. Although race and skin color are important factors when it comes this issue, there are manyRead MoreDiversity in the U.S.1211 Words   |  5 Pagesethnicities, in terms of, how their ancestors came to America, or what hardships particular racial or ethnical groups have grown through in the group’s history in the United States. What I do feel like this class has done for me is, put into prospective of how often and frequent prejudice and discrimination is still today. If someone were to have asked prior to me taking this Cultural Diversity class, whether I think racism and discrimination is still relevant in today’s society, I probably wouldRead MoreEssay on The Causes of Prejudice by Vincent N. Parrillo850 Words   |  4 Pages Prejudice is known for negative beliefs and actions upon individuals or even groups of people. In the article, â€Å"Causes of Prejudice† by Vincent N. Parrillo, Parrillo talks about both the psychological and sociological causes of prejudice but in this particular essay we will just be focusing on the former side of the equation. It happens at the cognitive level of prejudice where a person or a group of people believe in something that is not true. For example, some people say Asian people are not

Teen Suicide - 1415 Words

Abstract Teenage suicide is the number two cause of death for teens today. While the questions of why can never be answered for certain there are numerous risk factors that can go into the reasoning for a teen taking their own life. Factors include family problems, bullying, and sexual orientation, but other problems are just natural changes in the developmental process of teenagers. Cognitive and identity development and seeking autonomy are all instinctive aspects of being a teenager, but when a teen sees no way out of their problems or negative emotions and when depression seeps in, important and life saving measures can and should be made. Introduction: Transitioning into teenage years brings about cognitive, biological,†¦show more content†¦Even though teens have gained the ability to realize the thoughts of their peers, â€Å"they lack the skill of determining congruence between their beliefs and the actual opinions of others (Everdall, Bostil, Paulson, 2005 p. 695)†. This can cause teen to become more self-conscious and have a negative self-image, an even when faced with a small awkwardness they feel as though they were on stage when it happened. Over thinking and over stressing about what their peers think creates the â€Å"personal fable† of teenage years. Personal fable is â€Å"the belief that one’s experiences are unique to them (Holden, 2010 p. 211)†. Teens are unaware but, they self-isolate because they think they are the only ones feeling sad, embarrassed, alone, or angry, while other teens are feeling the same way. Some teenagers deal with emotions in different ways, wh ether it be sports, job, or a club. The adolescent that dwells on the emotions and isolates themselves from peers, family, and activities is the one who tends to develop depression or an unrealistic idea they cannot problem solve. Believing under false pretenses they cannot solve problems, leads to suicidal thoughts and even attempts because they see no way out of their problem(s), which is one step closer to completion. Apart from dealing with cognitive changes that teenagers cannot control, they must also deal with discovering and forming their identity. Identity Formation: Identity formation can take on manyShow MoreRelatedTeen Suicide And Suicide1145 Words   |  5 Pagesthem? Today suicide is one of the most prevalent causes of death for teenagers in the United states. The suicide rates for teens are astronomical. Writer Stephanie Pappas mentions teen suicide rates in her article Suicide: Statistics, Warning Signs and Prevention. In the article, Pappas writes â€Å"In 2015, suicide was the second leading cause of death in people 15 to 34 years of age and third leading cause of death in children aged 10 to 14, according to the CDC.’’ (Stephanie Pappas, Suicide: StatisticsRead MoreTeen Suicide1182 Words   |  5 Pagesexperiencing loneliness, happiness and unconditional love. If life should be cherished why end it so soon? Suicide the most common way to get out of any hard situation that life throws at you. What exactly is the meaning of the word suicide? Well suicide is the act or an instance of taking ones own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind. Teens end their life so soon for number of reasons, like depression from a bad relationship, family problemsRead MoreTeen Suicide And Teenage Suicide1357 Words   |  6 Pagestake a more proactive step to prevent teen suicide by giving their students and staff more of an education. For example the Ontario Shores Mental Health Science wants schools to be more aware also; â€Å"Last week the Durham school boards announced a new curriculum to teach teachers about mental illness in youth, funded by the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby.† ( Scallan and Chantaie). A town in Ontario brought this issue of teen suicide up to the school board. The school boardRead MoreTeen Suicide And Teenage Suicide1371 Words   |  6 PagesGutierrez Concepcion Gutierrez-Yanez Mrs. Gallos English 3 Honors April 6, 2017 Teen Suicide Brandy Vela, an eighteen-year-old high school student, committed suicide right in front of her family. Due to all the bullying over her weight, and especially in social media, she pulled the trigger and ended her life. It is said that her sister had heard a noisy disturbance and when she went upstairs to her sister’s room, she found Vela holding a gun pointing at her chest. â€Å"She is just crying and cryingRead MoreThe Issue Of Teen Suicide1715 Words   |  7 Pagescommit suicide? What’s the first thing you would do? Scream? Cry? Help? Many people wish they had helped their friend after they commit suicide. Being the victim is scary, being the witness is scarier, and being the bystander is the scariest. Suicide has been a problem for a very long time. It can be caused by stress,anxiety, bullying, and mental illnesses. Teen suicide is a huge problem because there are so many situations that can stress you out and just make you give up, especially as a teen. AlmostRead MoreAn Essay on Teen Suicide798 Words   |  4 PagesTeen suicide My essay is on teen suicide there are a lot of suicides that happen in the U.S they are caused from being bullied also it can caused by being depressed. There is also a high increase of suicides for people who take antidepressants. All this information is true based on the sites below. 1) http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/health/September-October-08/Teen-Suicide-Rate-Worries-Mental-Health-Experts.html 2) http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/20/nation/la-na-nn-funeral-illinois-teen-suicide-bullying-20131020Read MoreTeen Suicide Essay605 Words   |  3 PagesDaneshia Alberty Campbell EnglishIII-7 11 February, 2011 Teen Suicide Essay Teen suicide is one of the fastest killers for young teenagers. Every year thousands of teens die in the United States. There are many different reasons of why young teens commit suicide. Family issues, low self-esteem, and bullying are three of the many leading factors towards suicide for teens. Problems at home can cause a teenager to take their lives. Abuse in the home of the teenager can most often establish aRead MoreThe Problem Of Teen Suicide1609 Words   |  7 PagesTeen suicide is one of the largest problems facing America at the moment, and it will only become worse if the country does not come up with a solution. â€Å"According to the American Psychiatric Association, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people between eleven and eighteen years of age (Teen Suicide).† American families can not keep losing sons and daughters to this entirely preventable epidemic. The largest issue with teen suicide is that Americans are using largely outdatedRead MoreTeen Suicide Essay881 Words   |  4 PagesTeen Suicide Suicide is a growing problem in American culture. Sadly, teens are affected the most. Teen suicide is increasing rapidly. â€Å"About 5,000 teens in the United States kill themselves each year† (Peacock, 4). Suicide among teens is a serious and devastating crisis. More teens are taking their lives today than ever before. Teen suicide does not affect one specific type of teen; it affects any type of teen. There are a variety of reasons teens resort to committing suicide. Many people are workingRead MoreEssay On Teen Suicide1235 Words   |  5 Pages† offer little comfort, and even less hope to those considering suicide. Amongst U.S teens, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death more so than cancer, AIDS, chronic drug use, and heart disease combined. Common risk factors are bullying in school, history of sexual abuse, alcohol, and drug addiction, along with a history of mental illness in the family. There is also a direct correlation between socioeconomic status and su icide in urban, and remote areas. Factors such as social deprivation,

Loss of the Creature Walker Percy Essay Example For Students

Loss of the Creature Walker Percy Essay We put an immense amount of trust into others experiences and furthermore allow it to dictate our own. I have not done a lot of traveling, but I know that there is a desire to see something new, to make a revolutionary finding. We allow ourselves to use the internet when travelling, to find specific destinations but not knowing that our own discoveries and findings, are what we make of our true experiences. Percy explains a loss of sovereignty in this world and how one has lost an experience through various â€Å"symbolic complexes† and by the means of trying to achieve that experience. We will write a custom essay on Loss of the Creature Walker Percy specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now I, myself can relate to the experience of the man from Boston, taking his family to see the Grand Canyon but not actually seeing the sight for what it really is. Sometimes all we get to see is what has been approved and not what the real thing is, therefore leaving a person to see what everyone else is seeing because we will not be able to actually see beyond the approvements due to what an expert may tell us what is expected of the experience. My family and I had not done a lot of traveling but during the summer of 2008, we were off to see the Niagara Falls for the first time ever. Prior to leaving, i was told various experiences from friends and family and had even seen pictures about how their trip had went, and it made me think that maybe my experience would be just as great. After reading Walker Percys essay on The Loss of the Creature, i soon realized that my experience of visiting the Niagara Falls might have been lost through various symbolic complexes. Percy explains the example of the the Grand Canyon, the thing as it is, has been appropriated by the symbolic complex which has already been formed in the sightseers mind (Ways of Reading, Pg. 482), and that i may be seeing and viewing the Niagara Falls from others experiences. However, the next day upon our arrival we were off to see the Niagara Falls, as we arrived i had noticed that almost everyone had a tour brochure in their hand. As it being our first time at Niagara Falls, my family and I were also lured into the tour guides, not being able to really see it for what the falls really were. Perhaps if it were Sunday, and all the tours were shut down, and the crowds had gone home for the day, maybe then my family and I could really experience the falls. Now looking back on my trip, I feel as if the hotels, restaurants and all the lights distracted everyone from really seeing the falls for what it is and I also feel as if everyone was blinded by the tour brochures which made it just seem like an ordinary trip where they went on tours of the place and saw everything for what the experts think they should see. My overall experience of the Niagara Falls was not that bad, the main attraction was pretty impressive even though the tour experts were telling us tourists what the experience is or should be in this case, that one should ride the Maid of the Mist boat tour across the harbour in order to fully experience the falls. When i come to realize it, the one thing that was missing was my own sovereign experience, it. Percy offers several suggestions, but the one that fits my experience occurs as â€Å"a consequence of a breakdown of the symbolic machinery by which the experts present the experience to the consumer (Ways of Reading, Pg. 83). In the end ive come to understand that i had already seen the Niagara Falls because of the image i already had in my mind that was formed before my trip and how i would never be able to actually see the falls before it had been approved. My family and I going on a trip was obviously planned out to see the Niagara Falls but as Percy explains it, the meas ures taken are measures appropriate to the consumer: the expert and the planner know and plan, but the consumer needs and experiences (Ways of Reading, Pg. 92) which clearly means that my family and I went to see the falls as an experience we could look back on. With all the roaring rapids and clouds of mist in the square mile of Niagara Falls, the one thing that stood out the most to me in Niagara was the crystal beach waterfront. I felt as if the crystal beach hadnt been talked about and that it was something totally new to me that i didnt know anything about. .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc , .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .postImageUrl , .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc , .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc:hover , .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc:visited , .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc:active { border:0!important; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc:active , .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc6c5491da83290eac0fd1b0fd71020dc:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: I, What I Know, Assume or Imagine EssayThere were no tourist guide experts telling my family what the experience is or should be like while at the crystal beach and there were no postcards or pictures, along with stories that i had heard of. Being there and having a camcorder in hand was a good investment because we had recorded many videos of the Niagara Falls and the crystal beach, along with many other things because you just can’t capture the motion or the sound of the water in still images. I believe that i can relate my trip to he American couple that visited Mexico because I, myself went to see the Niagara Falls but left with a different experience not being that of the falls but of something totally different. For example Percy noted, It is given expression by their repeated exclamations that this is too good to be true, and by their anxiety that it may not prove to be so perfect, and finally by their downright relief at leaving the valley and having the experience in the bag, so to speak-that is, safely embalmed in memory and movie film (Ways of Reading, Pg. 86). This particular quote stuck out to me because My family and I left with videos of our trip, and we left back home telling our experience to others about our trip to the crystal beach that almost seemed to good to be true. The scenery, the view and the sunset made my experience worthwhile because I had never seen anything like it before, it was an experience that i had not expected, it was an experience that had not already been formed in my mind. From my trip, i can surely understand Percy and what point he was trying to make in understanding that seeing the canyon under approved circumstances is seeing the symbolic complex, head on. The- thing is no longer the thing as it confronted the Spaniard; it is rather that which has already been formulated-by picture post- card, geography book, tourist folders, and the words Grand Can- yon (Ways of Reading, Pg. 482).

Land Speed Record free essay sample

The land speed record (or absolute land speed record) is the highest speed achieved by a wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C (Special Vehicles) flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Federation Internationale de lAutomobile. The record is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs (commonly called passes). Two runs are required in opposite directions within one hour, and a new record mark must exceed the previous one by one percent to be validated. There are numerous other class records for cars; motorcycles fall into a separate class. What is the fastest speed at which anyone has ever travelled on Earth? The Thrust SSC (Super Sonic Car) is a British jet-propelled car developed by Richard Noble, Glynne Bowsher, Ron Ayers and Jeremy Bliss and it is also the fastest vehicle to ever travel on land. We will write a custom essay sample on Land Speed Record or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The Thrust SSC holds the World Land Speed Record, set on 15 October 1997, when it achieved a speed of 1,228 km/h (763 mph) and became the first car to officially break the sound barrier at Mach 1. 02. The speed of sound is estimated to be roughly around 740 MPH, but varies depending on temperature and elevation. The car was driven by Royal Air Force fighter pilot Wing Commander Andy Green in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, United States. It was powered by two afterburning Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan engines, as used in the British version of the F-4 Phantom II jet fighter. The car was 16. 5 m (54 ft) long, 3. 7 m (12 ft) wide and weighed 10. 5 tons (10. 7 t), and the twin engines developed a net thrust of 223 kN (50,000 lbf), a power output of 110,000 bhp (82MW), burning around 18 litres per second (4. 0 Imperial gallons/s or 4. 8 US gallons/s). Transformed into the usual terms for car mileages based on its maximum speed, the fuel consumption was about 5,500 l/100 km or 0. 4 mpg U. S. The record run in October 1997 was preceded by extensive test runs of the vehicle in Autumn 1996 and Spring 1997 in the Al-Jafr desert (located in Maan Governorate) in Jordan, a location unknown before for its capabilities as a test range for high speed land vehicles, with numerous advantages compared to the salt deserts of the Western United States. When did the concept of the land speed record first come into being? The first regulators were the Automobile Club de France, who proclaimed themselves arbiters of he record in about 1902. Different clubs had different standards and did not always recognise the same world records until 1924, when the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) introduced new regulations: two passes in opposite directions (to negate the effects of wind) averaged with a maximum of 30 minutes (later more) between runs, average gradient of the racing surface not more than 1 percent, timing gear accurate within 0. 01 sec, and cars must be wheel-driven. National or regional auto clubs (such as AAA and SCTA) had to be AIACR members to ensure records would be recognized. The AIACR became the FIA in 1947. Controversy arose in 1963: Spirit of America failed on being a three-wheeler (leading the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme to certify the record when the FIA refused) and not wheel-driven so the FIA introduced a special wheel-driven class. No holder of the absolute record since has been wheel-driven. Find out about one person who has devoted some of his/her life to challenging this record and succeeded. It need not to be the current record holder. Richard Noble Richard Noble, OBE (born 6 March 1946) was the holder of the land speed record between 1983 and 1997, and was the project director of Thrust SSC, the vehicle which holds the current land speed record, set at Black Rock Desert, Nevada in 1997. Thrust 2, the record-breaking car driven by Noble, travelled at 633. 468 mph (1019 km/h). The accomplishment won Noble the 1983 Segrave Trophy. Thrust SSC, the supersonic car driven by Andy Green, broke the record at 763. 035 mph (1221 km/h) or Mach 1. 2. Noble is planning another land speed record attempt to take place in 2011: Bloodhound SSC aims to pass the 1,000mph mark. Noble was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and educated at Winchester College and became a qualified pilot. In 1984 he exploited a production hiatus at Cessna aircraft to create a new all-British light aircraft, the ARV Super2. Only some 35 ARVs were made before the Isle of Wight factory closed; but production is planned to resume at Opus Aircraft in North Carolina. Nobles next project was to develop a Farnborough Air Taxi, i. e. six-passenger single-engined turboprop low-wing aircraft (a sort of cut-down Pilatus PC-12) that could operate out of small airstrips. The intended market was to provide transport for businessmen who found the existing air, rail and road networks too inflexible and expensive. Noble started Farnborough Aircraft in 1998, but after failing to find backing from any major financial institution, sold shares to small investors. A bitter dispute followed, and development stopped while new investment was found. The rights to the design were sold and design and development continues. A prototype has been flying since 2006 but certification and production remain uncertain. In 2010 he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Technology by the University of the West of England. Nobles autobiography is entitled Thrust. What sort of vehicle did he/she use? What fuel did it use? The vehicle that Richard Noble drove was the Thrust 2. It is a British designed and built jet propelled car, designed by John Ackroyd and the vehicle held the world land speed record from 4 October 1983 to 25 September 1997. The vehicle reached a top speed of 650. 88 mph (1,047. 9 km/h) and broke the record at 633. 468 mph (1,019. 468 km/h) (average speed of two runs within one hour). This was achieved at the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA. It is powered by a single Rolls-Royce Avon jet engine sourced from an English Electric Lightning, and has a configuration somewhat resembling that of the mid-1960s-era J79 turbojet-powered land speed record cars of Art Arfons, collectively known as the Green Monster cars. The vehicle used 250,000 gallons of fuel and they were asking if they could donate money to help pay for this amount of fuel and be a part of history. The car burned about 4. 8 gallons of fuel per second. When the car was offered for sale at ? 90,000 in 1991, an extensive fundraising campaign was organised without government assistance to keep the car in Britain. The bid was successful, and today Thrust2 and its successor, Thrust SSC, are displayed at the Coventry Transport Museum in Coventry, England. What special features allowed this vehicle to attain such large speeds? The team building the car, on a computer, used finite element analysis to design the unique aluminium wheels, which had to withstand a G-force in excess of 35,000 G’s. The wheels were forged by HDA Forgings and then machined by Dunlop Aviation, who tested them on a dynamometer at 9,500 rpm. SKF contributed special tungsten carbide roller wheel bearings, and Castrol developed the lubrication technology that would enable the bearings to reliably withstand 8,500 rpm. Arrows are made with weight at the front, so to provide stability, a forward centre of gravity was called for. Concern for the safety of the driver lead to the decision to use two jet engines, with one on either side of the driver. At speed, this would make it easier for the driver to have a feel for what the car was doing. As a bonus, the two engines would also provide enough thrust to overcome tremendous aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance. To minimize the aerodynamic drag, the frontal area of the car naturally had to be kept to an absolute minimum. The front wheels were to be located under the inlet ducts for the engines. Since the carbon front brakes and independent front suspension had already spoken for all of the available space around the front wheels, this presented the problem of providing room for the front wheels to steer. They theorized that the frontal area of the car could be kept to its ideal minimum if the rear wheels provided the steering. He proposed mounting one rear wheel ahead of the other, spaced apart laterally as was allowed by the narrow rear end of the car, with both steering. What environment is used as the arena for these record attempts? The environment used as the arena for land speed record attempts are wide open spaces usually deserts. One place used for land speed record attempts was Bonneville speedway. Bonneville Speedway is an area of the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah, that is marked out for motor sports. It is particularly noted as the venue for numerous land speed records. The salt flats were first used for motor sports in 1912, but didnt become truly popular until the 1930s when Ab Jenkins and Sir Malcolm Campbell competed to set land speed records. Another place used more recently for these attempts was the Black Rock Desert. The Black Rock Desert is an arid region in the northern Nevada section of the Great Basin with a lakebed that is a dry remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan. The region is notable for its palaeogeological features, as an area of 19th-century Emigrant Trails to California, and as a venue for rocketry, and as an alternative to the Bonneville Salt Flats in north western Utah, for land speed records. It hosted the world record attempts by Richard Noble in the ‘Thrust 2’ car on October 4th, 1983 and the more recent attempts by Andy Green in the ‘Thrust SSC’ on September 25th, 1997 and also on the October 15th, 1997. It is also the location for the annual Burning Man festival. What features make this arena suitable for use? The features that make these arenas suitable for use at land speed records attempts, are there wide open spaces for miles and that they are easily accessible. The Bonneville Salt Flats are a great example of this. Historically, the speedway was marked out by the Utah Department of Transportation at the start of each summer. Originally, two tracks were prepared, a 10 mile long straightway for speed trials and an oval or circular track for distance runs, which was typically between 10 and 12 miles (16 and 19 km) long depending on the condition of the salt surface. The Black Rock Desert is another great example of this. The Black Rock Desert region is in north western Nevada and the north western Great Basin. The playa extends for approximately 100 mi (160 km) northeast from the towns of Gerlach and Empire, between the Jackson Mountains to the east and the Calico Mountains to the west. The Black Rock Desert is separated into two arms by the Black Rock Range. It lies at an elevation of 3,907 ft (1,191 m) and has an area of about 1,000 sq mi (2,600 km2). Do you think the current record is likely to be broken in the near future? Yes I believe the current record is likely to be broken in the near future almost as soon as next year. The same crew that built the ‘Thrust SSC’ are currently building a new car called the ‘Thrust Bloodhound SSC’. The Bloodhound SSC is the name of a project aiming to break the land speed record with a pencil-shaped car powered by a jet engine and a rocket designed to reach approximately 1,000 miles per hour (1,609 km/h). It is being developed and built with the intention of breaking the land speed record by the largest ever margin. If ? 0 million of sponsorship funding is obtained the construction should be complete by the end of 2011 and the record attempts may happen in late 2011 or early 2012.