Andy Warhol - Ambulance Disaster Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Andy Warhol - Ambulance Disaster - Essay Example The essay "Andy Warhol - Ambulance Disaster" states the artwork of Andy Warhol called "Ambulance Disaster". Andrew Warhola, the birth name of Andy Warhol was born in Forest City, outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the family of Slovakia immigrants in August 6, 1928. After graduation from the Carnegie Institute of Technology where he studies pictorial design he moved to New York to work as a commercial artist for several magazines including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and the New Yorker. He was also involved in advertising and arranging window displays for Bonwit Teller and I. Miller. That’s where he developed his unique sense of style. By 1959 Warhol was a successful advertising design professional. His numerous medals and rewards suggest of his professional career. He won several commendations from the Art Director's Club and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Already in 1952 his first individual show at the Hugo Gallery, exhibiting Fifteen Drawings Based on the Writings of Truman Capote was launched. He had his first group show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1956. From the early start of professional career Andy Warhol produced images of male nudity in standard "artistic" poses as well as shocking sketches of masturbating men and depiction of same sex intercourse. His sketching and photographing male bodies supported his ability to maintain innovative and influential career. Still he attempted to gain recognition as a "fine" artist featuring â€Å"cupids, beautiful boys' faces.

Experiences Pt.2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Experiences Pt.2 - Essay Example It furthermore provides them with the opportunity of staying physically fit and healthy. What I took home from this experience, in addition to fine tuning my body, is how to plan and organize activities, exploring new places for climbing, encouraging members to keep climbing till they reach the top and celebrating with them once we reached the peak. In addition to being a source for doing something I love, this club has helped me better enhance my leadership and communication skills. With the recent dire situations going on in Gaza, I now believe more than ever that I should be given a chance to become a medical professional so I can save people’s lives. Having been brought up in economically and financially backward situations, I have always been at a disadvantage since my birth. I have only seen my family struggling, and in order to fend for the family, once I was old enough I started to help my father with the family business too. Despite the lack of financial resources, we together as a family have strived into leading at least an average life. Although I am fortunate my family now considers the US as our home, my roots of being a Palestinian have always caused me misery. When an individual is afraid to speak of their origin to others, it becomes clear that others are prejudiced and racially discriminating against them, and my case is no different. Thus, I always felt as an outcast and I never had the fortune of feeling a good affiliation no matter wh ere I

Nissan Motors Essay Example for Free

Nissan Motors Essay Dramatic loss in 2008 was wake up call for Nissan Motors Head Office, and the CEO of the company has conducted a meeting with fellow managements and shareholders to discuss the recovery plan for the company. As a result, he came up with Five year recovery plan detailed below. 1. Categorise by geographically- they categorised their market into three regions: Americas, Asians, AMIE which includes Africa, Middle East, India and Europe includes Russia. Each regions manufactured car will be sold in the nearby countries, saving transport cost. 2. Change in targeted customers- theres been sale increase in China and India, Nissan focused on selling more cars to those areas instead of the main customers such as USA, by doing that theyre making cars that meets the certain countries, for example in Japan, people buy car to get from A to B, whereas in Europe, people tend to go for money saving cars (eco-friendly/efficient 3. Reducing overall wage bill- means Nissan stopped hiring new staff, cut overtime, and introduced work sharing. Also, they made redundant of 20,000 workers in high cost countries including 1,500 in the UK. In Asia, they temporarily reduced salaries of cooperate officers by 25%, general managers by 20%, and other staff around 15% and eliminated bonuses and compensations. 4. Scrap scheme- In 2009, 10y+ cars can be exchanged for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2000 towards their new car. It encouraged people to buy new car to help car manufactures to grow, bring more customers and replaced old cars with new ones. Nissans Scrap Scheme They extended the scheme for drivers exchanging 8-10 year old car to buy any British build range that includes any new Nissan Micra, Nissan Note, Nissan Qashqai. That means some people managed to buy British built Nissan Micra for as little as à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5,995. CONCLUSIONS From the table above, it is clear that it has been a wake up call for the company. They recognised it quickly and came up with a solution that has worked for them perfectly. According to BBC website, they published that Nissan Motors recovered fully in three years instead of five, which is great news, however they cannot sit back and relax as the global economy is not yet fully recovered and there is a chance that foreign currency might fall and rise anytime again. Press are saying that they recovered, but according to the speech of the CEO of Nissan Motors, hes claiming that they are still in their recovery mode and continuing to watch their expenses and preparing for any event that might come up in the future. BIBLIOGRAPHY www.bbc.co.uk

Benefits of Microbial Fuel Cell

Benefits of Microbial Fuel Cell Jessica Johnson This report focuses on Microbial fuel cell development and how it can help us overcome the energetic issues we face currently, at the same time providing a solution to treat waste water more efficiently that the current ways we are going on about doing so. The report aim is to show the benefits of utilizing Microbial Fuel Cell to get rid of the harsh activities we use now to keep up with the modernization of the world while at the same time destroying it, by using the very germs and bacteria that we are afraid of. The research has presents examples of how the use of microbial will help us in the long run once we are able to use this technology for many more things on an even larger scale The existence of MFC has proven to be beneficial in several ways currently: Subject Matter Aim of the report Findings Introduction We as human beings see germs and bacteria as doing more harm than good, it satisfies us greatly to know that we can utilize these germs and bacteria for a greater good. As the world becomes more modernised it is imperative that we find other sources of energy that is clean, renewable and readily available at an affordable cost. Nature is the original Microbial fuel cell as it has been converting organic substrates into energy (Adenosine triphosphate-ATP) since the beginning of time. Microbial fuel cells, technology that is still in its developing stages which uses the biochemical activities of microorganisms as a resource to obtain hydrogen create electricity. Using MFCs are very beneficial to the environment as it helps in the reduction of pollution and cuts the cost of water treatment tremendously. Apart from being an energy source, MFCs also has the potential to provide sustainable power sources to isolated communities and desalinate water. Figure 1: A simple Microbial Fuel cell To most Microbial fuel cell would seem like something that is new to the world but the idea of utilizing microbes to produce energy was brought to the world in the early 1900s by Professor M. C. Potter. Potter used Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces to produce electrical energy at the University of Durham (Mercer, 2012 and Potter, 1912). During his studies, Potter discovered the ability to harness electricity from microorganisms and believed that this discovery would also benefit humans. Potter came up with the idea of creating a microbial fuel cell but lacked the knowledge of bacterial metabolism. Fast forward to the 1980s, M. J. Allen and H. Peters Bennetto further developed Potters idea along with the interest in providing affordable electricity to isolated areas, advanced technology and a better understanding electron transport chain this enabled Allen and Bennetto to create a basic design for the first Microbial Fuel Cell.   Most bacteria are made up of a lipid membrane that l acks the ability to conduct electricity, Allen and Bennetto discovered that by using electron mediators to transport electrons to the electrodes a greater electrical output created (Davis and Higson, 2007). Korean researcher B-H Kim discovered that some microorganism possessed electrochemical activity and did not require an electron mediator, this created a MFC that did not require mediators that were toxic and expensive. Recently more attention has been geared towards Microbial Fuel Cells due to their environmentally friendly operating conditions and the ability for them to utilise biodegradable substrates as fuel The bacteria in a microbial fuel cell work by oxidising and reducing organic molecules to create energy. Figure 2: shows a Microbial Fuel Cell is split into two halves, an aerobic half containing a cathode that allows oxygen. The anaerobic side contains no oxygen, the anode acts as an electron receptor for the bacterial process. Separating both chambers is a proton exchange membrane or a salt bridge, this prevents oxygen from entering the anaerobic side while simultaneously allowing hydrogen ions to pass through thus generating energy. Biocatalyst on the anaerobic side of the MFC oxidises organic substrates such as acetate therefore producing electrons and protons (Antonopolou et. al 2010). The protons are attracted to the cathode by passing through the PEM while the electrons pass through the external circuit (Rahimnejad et. al 2011). If oxygen enters the anode chamber this will prevent energy from being produced. (Rahimnejad et. al 2011) Types of Microbial Fuel Cells Single Chamber MFC Two Chambered MFC       A single chamber MFC, an anaerobic chamber that is linked to a porous cathode exposed to air and is separated by a PEM. Electrons are transferred to the cathode to complete the circuit. A single chamber MFC does not require recharging with an oxidative media and aeration makes the single chamber MFC more versatile and inexpensive to setup due to the absence of expensive membranes and cathodic chambers this creates flexible application in wastewater treatment and power generation. Figure 3: Single Chamber Microbial Fuel Cell A double chambered MFC This type of MFC contains an anodic and cathodic chamber connected by a PEM that mediates proton transfer from the anode to the cathode all while blocking the diffusion of oxygen into the anode, this system is generally used for waste treatment and energy generation. Figure 4: diagram of a double chamber microbial fuel cell Microbes Substrate Applications Escherichia coli Glucose, Sucrose Methylene blue needed as a mediator Clostridium butyricum Starch, Glucose, Lactate, Molasses Fermentative bacterium Proteus mirabilis Glucose Uses Thionin as mediator Streptococcus lactis Glucose Mediator- Ferric chelate complex Aeromonas hydrophila Acetate Mediator-less MFC Table 1: Microbes used in Microbial Fuel Cells With the help of bacteria, Microbial Fuel Cells can convert chemical energy into electricity Current and future uses for Microbial fuel cells There are current applications in which Microbial Fuel cells are involved proves it to be an ever-evolving technology that uses bacteria to generate electricity from waste and create hydrogen. By tapping into this previously unharnessed source of power, clean, sustainable energy can be produced at low cost. Wastewater treatment Microbial Fuel Cells can be utilised to treat sewage water. MFCs can kill the bacteria found in sewage. It has been proven that MFC can reduce the amount of bacteria present in wastewater by 80% (Liu 2004). The waste water is initially pre-treated to remove the toxins and non- biodegradable materials from the water. This process is deemed challenging as sewage water can be extremely toxic and polluted undergoes extensive treatment before MFC can be used to clean the water. High operational sustainability and low material costs are important characteristics for treating wastewater efficiently (Wang et. Al 2012) Sea Water Desalination Microbial Fuel Cells are capable of producing energy but at the level where we can remove salt from large amount of water. However, there is potential for such process to be accomplished, by using an adapted microbial fuel cell would make desalination of sea water possible without external electrical sources [5]. Researchers tested the process of desalination by using a desalination microbial fuel cell. This is quite different to the previous fuel cells mentioned as there is a third chamber present for the salt water in between the two electrodes. The process occurs with the positive and negative ions being attracted to the perspective electrodes as the proton electron membrane removes the salt from the water leaving it fresh. Scientists recorded that salt removal was up to 90% efficient however, higher removal efficiencies are needed to produce grade A drinking water [5]. Figure 5: Desalination microbial fuel cells Hydrogen Production With the help of a Microbial fuel cell, hydrogen can be produced. This process does require an external source of power to convert the bacteria into carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas (JD Coates). Protons are released by the anodic reaction and pass through the PEM towards the cathode, this then combines with oxygen to form water. Hydrogen created from the electrons and protons produced by the microorganisms metabolizing in a MFC can be dangerous temperature wise (Liu et al). Power source-The whole idea behind the development and advancement of microbial fuel cell technologies was mainly based on providing cheap, accessible power to remote regions of in the world like villages in Africa, where majority of the population lives without the luxury of electricity (Doty, 2008). The use of homemade Microbial Fuel Cell in Africa is very new, tests are being done with manure and dirt which would be beneficial for populations in rural areas where this can be as affordable as possible. The electrical current produced by a simple homemade MFC is enough to recharge a cell phone battery, an important communication and lighting tool to rural African communities. Efforts are being made to create MFCs that can be constructed from simple items that can be easily acquired. Materials such as soil, manure, copper wire, buckets, and graphite cloth are essential in creating a simple MFC. Conclusion Microbial fuel cells have created a promising future for human beings and the planet we live on. The research done so far and with the applications that we have currently will help aid the reduction of our need to use fossil fuels and allow us to gain energy from wastes products, bacteria ridden water, enable us to use previously salted water to drink, farm with, this will greatly benefit 3rd world countries and areas plagued with drought and provide electricity to places that do not have any. Scientists are not able to utilise MFC technology to change the world in a day but are working on ways to help make a change bit by bit. Microbial fuel cells will never could produce enough electricity to make coal-fired power plants a thing of the past but however it does have to availability to help us utilise it less hence making the world a safer place to live References Antonopoulo, G., Bebelis, S., Lyberatos, G., Stamatelatou, K. 2010. Electricity generation from synthetic substrates and cheese whey using a two-chamber microbial fuel cell. Journal of Biochemical Engineering, 50, 10-15 (article) Coates J. D. Wrighton K. Microbial Fuel Cells: Plug-in and Power-on Microbiology. Microbe Magazine, 2009. [Accessed 9th March 2017]. Dillow. C. Microbial Fuel Cell Cleans Wastewater, Desalinates Seawater, and Generates Power. Popular Science. Online: http://www.popsci.coà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹m/scitech/article/20à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹09-08/microbial-fuelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹-cell-cleans-wastewaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ter-desalinates-seawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ater-and-generates-pà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ower, Sept. 26, 2009. [Accessed 25th, Feb. 2017]. Doty, C. For Africa, energy from dirt' New York Times, Oct. 11, 2008. [Accessed 8th, March 2017]. MURI Public Outreach: How Does an MFC Work? MURI: Microbial Fuel Cell Project. Internet: http://mfc-muri.usc.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹edu/public/how.htm. [9th March 2017]. Modified Microbial Fuel Cell Produces Electricity and Desalinates Water. FuelCellsWorks: Leader in the Fuel Cell Industry. Internet: http://fuelcellsworkà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹s.com/news/2009/08/0à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹9/modified-a-microbià ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹al-fuel-cell-produceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹s-electricity-and-deà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹salinates-water/, Aug. 9, 2009. [Accessed19th, Feb. 2017]. Junyeong et al. 2009.Floating-Type Microbial Fuel Cell (FT-MFC) for Treating Organic-Contaminatedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹ Water. Environmental Science and Technology 43.5: 642-647. Zhuwei Du, Haoran Li, Tingyue Gu, A state of the art review on microbial fuel cells: A promising technology for wastewater treatment and bioenergy, 10 May 2007, Biotechnology Advances 25 (2007) 464-482, Available from http://132.235.17.4/Paper-gu/MFCreview.pdf Rahimnejad, M. Najafpour, G. Ghoreyshi, A. A. 2011. Effects of Mass transfer on performance of microbial fuel cell intech, 5, 233-250 Rahimnejad M, Najafpour G, Ghoreyshi A. A. 2011.The enhancement of a microbial fuel cell for electrical output using mediators and oxidising agents. Energy source., 33, 2239-2248 Wang. Y. P. et. Al .2012. A microbial fuel cell-membrane bioreactor integrated system for cost-effective wastewater treatment. Applied energy, 98 230-235 Liu H, Grot S, Logan BE, 2005c. Electrochemically assisted microbial production of hydrogen from acetate. Environmental Science Technology:4317-20 Picture reference Figure 1: CCU Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory http://www.eq.ccu.edu.tw/lab/lab111/public_html/06_en.html Figure 2: Frederick High School 2014. http://2014hs.igem.org/Team:FHS_Frederick_MD/Microbial_Fuel_Cells Figure 3: Figure 4: Figure 5: Stubbs, J. 2014. Bio-cathodes: powering towards clean water, energy and biomass production http://blogs.rsc.org/em/2014/01/23/bio-cathodes-powering-towards-clean-water-energy-and-biomass-production/

Alcoholism in the Workplace Essay -- Drug Abuse

Alcoholism in the Workplace In the United States, 17.6 million people – about one in every 12 adults, abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent. (NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 2012) The Mayo Clinic defines alcoholism as a chronic disease in which your body becomes dependent on alcohol (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2010), and indicates that more than 100,000 Americans die annually from alcohol related causes (Johnson) . Aside from the physical problems that alcohol addiction can create, there are frequently emotional and social complications. Alcoholism is a disease that harms not only the alcoholic, but also the co-workers and family of the alcoholic. Society has given us stereotypical images of the alcoholic. Some of these stereotypes include a homeless person who is drunk every day, usually an old man, who is unable to do well at work or at home. While these stereotypes are not always true, there are some similarities in those who have been affected by this disease (Sarah Benton, 2009). The alcoholic usually has low self-esteem and feels guilty or shameful much of the time. In order to compensate for their feelings of frustration, they often may blame others for their own under achievement, and outwardly appear to strive for perfection in everything that they attempt. Often they act out of impulse, and when they fail, they are filled with self-pity and more frustration. At some point, nearly everyone will experience something negative in his or her work environment that is directly related to the abuse of alcohol. One personal incident that comes to mind is of an occasion where my employer hosted a gathering to celebrate the accomplishments of several automobile dealers who had reached or surpassed sal... ... labor. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/substanceabuse/index.html L'Etoile, M. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.opm.gov/employment_and_benefits/worklife/officialdocuments/handbooksguides/alcohol/index.asp Editorial Staff. (2012, February 24). The national institute on alcohol abuse and alcoholism. Retrieved from http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/FAQs/General-English/Pages/default.aspx Johnson, S. (n.d.). Genomics of addiction program. Retrieved from http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/gene_unit/upload/genomics_addiction.pdf NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2012, January 24). Medlineplus. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alcoholism.html NIH: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2012, March 21). http://www.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000911.htm

augustus :: essays research papers

Augustus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of the Roman Empire is one filled with warfare and deception. After the defeat of Carthage and the Gaul the Roman generals began to vie for power. Even after the murder of Cesar was avenged the fighting would not end. It was only after Anthony and Cleopatra were defeated at the Battle of Actium that a certain peace settled over the Roman provinces. The man responsible for this peace is Octavian, later known as Augustus. To commemorate his many achievements a statue of him was made after his death. Using the contraposto pose, the all around relief, various symbolic shapes Plykleitos, the artist of this statue, creates an inspiring image of the great general.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Romans took a lot of their art styles from their Greek neighbors. One of the most common ways to depict someone was to put them in a contraposto pose. In this method the figure is shown in movement rather then in a stiff Egyptian style portrait. In this artwork Augustus leans forward and raises his right arm as if to address his troops. Many of the Roman political leaders had to constantly give speeches and the art of the oration was one that every royal member had to learn. Exactly what Augustus is preaching here is still a matter of controversy but most scholars agree that it has a relation to a military matter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another characteristic of this artwork that is Greek-like is relief and the proportion. The Greeks had set rules for the size of the body parts and the Romans simply copied them. Many politicians favored showing perfect images of them selves to impress the general public. This artwork is also in full relief. It was meant to be seen all around and not just from the front.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Augustus is also shown with shapes in his chest armor and cupid beside his leg. The little God is meant to symbolize the connection between the Julii family and the goddess Aphrodite. Octavian is often cited to have traced his lineage to this goddess.

Plot Analysis: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Essay

Before the start of the novel, Voldemort, considered the most evil and powerful dark wizard in history, kills Harry’s parents but mysteriously vanishes after trying to kill the infant Harry. While the wizarding world celebrates Voldemort’s downfall, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid place the one year-old orphan in the care of his neglectful and abusive Muggle (non-wizard) uncle and aunt: Vernon and Petunia Dursley, who have a son, Dudley, a spoiled and selfish boy. For ten years, Harry is tormented by the Dursleys. Shortly before his eleventh birthday, a series of letters addressed to Harry arrive, but Vernon destroys them before Harry can read them, leading only to an influx of more letters. To get away from the letters, Vernon takes the family to a small island. As they are settling in, Hagrid bursts through the door to tell Harry what the Dursleys have kept from him: Harry is a wizard and has been accepted at Hogwarts. Hagrid takes Harry to Diagon Alley, a magically concealed shopping precinct in London, where Harry is bewildered to discover how famous he is among wizards as â€Å"the boy who lived.† He also finds that he is quite wealthy, since a bequest from his parents has remained on deposit at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Guided by Hagrid, he buys the equipment he needs for Hogwarts. At the wand shop, he finds that the wand that suits him best is the twin of Voldemort’s; both wands contain feathers from the same phoenix.[1] A month later, Harry leaves the Dursleys’ home to catch the Hogwarts Express from King’s Cross railway station. There he meets the Weasley family, who show him how to pass through the magical wall to Platform 9 ¾, where the train is waiting. While on the train, Harry makes friends with Ron Weasley, who tells him that someone tried to rob a vault at Gringotts. During the ride, they meet Hermione Granger. Another new pupil, Draco Malfoy, accompanied by his sidekicks Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, offers to advise Harry, but Harry dislikes Draco’s arrogance and prejudice. Before the term’s first dinner in the school’s Great Hall, the new pupils are allocated to houses by the Sorting Hat. Before it is Harry’s turn, he catches Professor Snape’s eye and feels a pain in the scar Voldemort left on his forehead. While Harry is being sorted, the Hat wonders whether he should be in Slytherin, but when Harry objects, the Hat sends him to Gryffindor. After a terrible first Potions lesson with Snape, Harry and Ron visit Hagrid, who lives in a cabin on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There they learn that the attempted robbery at Gringotts happened the day Harry withdrew money. Harry remembers that Hagrid had removed a small package from the vault that had been broken into. During the new pupils’ first broom-flying lesson, Neville Longbottom breaks hi s wrist, and Draco takes advantage to throw the forgetful Neville’s fragile Remembrall high in the air. Harry gives chase on his broomstick, catching the Remembrall inches from the ground. Professor McGonagall dashes out and appoints him as the new Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.[a] When Draco tricks Ron and Harry, who are accompanied by Neville and Hermione Granger, into a midnight excursion, they accidentally enter a forbidden corridor and find a huge three-headed dog. The group hastily retreats, and Hermione notices that the dog is standing over a trap-door. Harry concludes that the monster is guarding the package Hagrid retrieved from Gringotts. After Ron criticises Hermione’s ostentatious proficiency in Charms, she hides in the girls’ toilet, crying. At the Halloween Night dinner, Professor Quirrell reports that a troll has entered the dungeons. While everyone returns to their dormitories, Harry and Ron rush to warn Hermione. The troll corners Hermione in the toilet but Harry and Ron clumsily save her. Afterwards, Hermione takes the blame for the battle and becomes a firm friend of the two boys. The evening before Harry’s first Quidditch match, he sees Snape receiving medical attention from Filch for a bite on his leg caused by the three-headed dog. During the game, Harry’s broomstick goes out of control, endangering his life, and Hermione notices that Snape is staring at Harry and muttering. She dashes over to the Professors’ stand, knocking over Professor Quirrell in her haste, and sets fire to Snape’s robe. Harry regains control of his broomstick and catches the Golden Snitch, winning the game for Gryffindor. Hagrid refuses to believe that Snape was responsible for Harry’s danger, but lets slip that he bought the three-headed dog and that the monster is guarding a secret that belongs to Professor Dumbledore and someone called Nicolas Flamel. Harry and the Weasleys stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, and one of Harry’s presents, from an anonymous donor, is an Invisibility Cloak owned by his father. Harry uses the Cloak to search the library’s Restricted Section for information about the mysterious Flamel, and he happens to find a room containing the Mirror of Erised, which shows him his parents and several of their ancestors. Harry becomes addicted to the Mirror’s visions until he is rescued by Professor Dumbledore, who explains that it only shows the viewer what he most desperately longs for. When the rest of the pupils return for the next term, Draco plays a prank on Neville, and Harry consoles Neville with a sweet. The collectible card wrapped with the sweet identifies Flamel as an alchemist. Hermione soon finds that he is a 665-year-old man who possesses the only known Philosopher’s Stone, from which an elixir of life can be extracted. A few days later, Harry notices Snape sneaking towards the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. There he half-hears a furtive conversation about the Philosopher’s Stone between Snape and Quirrell. Harry concludes that Snape is trying to steal the Stone and Quirrell has helped prepare a series of defences for it, which was an almost fatal mistake. The three friends discover that Hagrid is raising a baby dragon, which is against wizard law, and arrange to smuggle it out of the country around midnight. Draco, hoping to get them into trouble, tells Professor McGonagall. Although the dragon is safely away, they are caught outside of their dormitory. Harry, Hermione, Draco, and Neville (who, trying to stop Harry and Hermione after hearing what Draco had been saying, was caught by McGonagall as well) are punished by helping Hagrid to rescue a badly injured unicorn in the Forbidden Forest. They split into two parties, and Harry and Draco find the unicorn dead, surrounded by its blood. A hooded figure crawls to the corpse and drinks the blood, then moves towards Harry, who is knocked out by an agonising pain in his scar. When Harry regains consciousness, the hooded figure is gone and a centaur, Firenze, offers to give him a ride back to the school. The centaur tells Harry that drinking a unicorn’s blood will save the life of a mortally injured person, but at the price of having a cursed life from that moment on. Firenze suggests Voldemort drank the unicorn’s blood to gain enough strength to make the elixir of life from the Philosopher’s Stone, and regain full health by drinking that. A few weeks later, Harry learns from Hagrid that the dragon egg was given to him by a hooded stranger who had asked him how to get past the three-headed dog, which Hagrid had admitted was easy – music sends it to sleep. Realising that one of the Philosopher’s Stone’s defences is no longer secure, Harry goes to inform Professor Dumbledore, only to find that the headmaster has just left for a meeting in London. Harry concludes that Snape faked the message that called Dumbledore away and will try to steal the Stone that night. Covered by the Invisibility Cloak, Harry and his two friends go to the three-headed dog’s chamber, where Harry sends the beast to sleep by playing a flute. After lifting the trap-door, they encounter a series of obstacles, each of which requires special skills possessed by one of the three, and one of which requires Ron to sacrifice himself in a game of wizard’s chess. In the final room Harry, now alone, finds Quirrell rather than Snape. Quirrell admits that he let in the troll and that he tried to kill Harry during the first Quidditch match. Snape had been trying to protect Harry all along. Quirrell serves Voldemort and, after failing to steal the Philosopher’s Stone from Gringotts, allowed his master to possess him in order to improve their chances of success. However, the only other object in the room is the Mirror of Erised, and Quirrell can se e no sign of the Stone. At Voldemort’s bidding, Quirrell forces Harry to stand in front of the Mirror. Harry feels the Stone drop into his pocket and tries to stall. Quirrell removes his turban, revealing the face of Voldemort on the back of his head. Voldemort/Quirrell tries to grab the Stone from Harry, but simply touching Harry causes Quirrell’s flesh to burn. After further struggles, Harry passes out. He awakes in the school hospital, where Professor Dumbledore tells him that he survived because his mother sacrificed her life to protect him, and Voldemort could not understand the power of such love. Voldemort left Quirrell to die and is likely to return by some other means. The Stone has now been destroyed. Harry returns to the Dursleys for the summer holiday, but does not tell them that under-age wizards are forbidden to use magic outside Hogwarts.