Gerardus Mercator essays

Gerardus Mercator essays On March fifth, 1512, a boy soon to be one of the greatest influences on the exploration of our planet, was born. Originally named Gerard de Cremere, Gerardus Mercator first studied at Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands, then in 1530, at the age of 18, entered the University of Louvain, studying humanities and philosophy. From there he graduated with an M.A. in 1532. After graduating, Mercator began to have worries on how to reconcile the account of the origin of the universe given in the Bible with that given by Aristotle. Although traveling to many places, including Antwerp and Mechelen, the only result he obtained from his travels was that he became deeply interested in geography. Mercator returned to Louvain after realizing his true passion, and studied mathematics under Gemma Frisius, instrument making and engraving under Gaspar Myrica, and learned how top apply mathematics to geography and astronomy, and in 1534 married Barbara Schellekens, by whom he had six children. By the time he was 24, Mercator was a superb engraver, an outstanding calligrapher, and a highly skilled instrument maker. In 1535 1536, Mercator, working with Myrica and Frisius, constructed a terrestrial globe. In 1537 they constructed a globe of the stars. Mercator, from 1537 1540, produced maps of Palestine, Flanders, and the world with a new projection. In 1544 Mercator was charged with heresy partly due to his Protestant beliefs, but also because of the fact that he traveled so widely to acquire information for his maps, suspicions were aroused. After spending seven months in prison, he was released, mainly due to strong support from the University of Louvain. Then in 1552, he moved to Duisburg and opened a cartographic workshop. Once in Duisburg, Mercator completed a project to produce a new map of Europe (1554) and taught mathematics from 1559 to 1562. In 1564, more maps followed: one of Lorraine and one of the British Isle...

Careers Ideas for English Majors

Careers Ideas for English Majors English majors are fortunate in that they graduate with degrees in a field that nearly everyone has heard of. The problem they face, however, is turning that English major into an actual job. Fortunately, many employers are aware that English majors come with a unique set of skills. Consider applying your knowledge in writing, critical thinking, and literature in one of the following careers. Careers in English Teach English in the United States. Its the classic choice for many English majors - and for good reason. If you love literature, working with students and writing, teaching in the U.S. through a program like Teach for America can be a great first gig.  Teach English abroad. Love to travel? Want to live somewhere new? Want to learn a new language? Teaching English abroad can be a great option for blending your personal and professional interests.Work in marketing for a for-profit company. Writing well may come easily to you, but it doesnt for everyone. Put your skills to work at a big companys marketing department.Be a freelance editor. Love helping people develop their own work? Consider freelancing as an editor.Be a freelance proofreader. Are you the person whom everyone comes to on campus to make sure their grammar and punctuation are perfect? Start charging for those services and see if you can make a career for yourself.Work for a newspaper. Contrary to popular belief, news o rganizations are on the rise and still hiring. Consider working as a journalist or editor. Work at a bookstore. Love books? Use your passion for literature to inspire the same passion in others.Work at a nonprofit that focuses on a love of literature. Consider working for a place like 826, which  focuses on bringing reading and books to those most in need.Do communications work for a large company. Creating copy and communication plans for a large company can be a fantastic challenge.  Do communications work for a nonprofit. You have awesome writing skills. Nonprofits need awesome folks. Pick an organization you love and you just might have a match made in heaven.Work as an editor or proofreader for a magazine. See if you can blend another of your passions - like photography, for example - by working as an editor or proofreader for a magazine in the field.Work as an editor or proofreader for a website. Most websites are designed and written by folks who want to get their information out. Make sure that information is clear and well written.Pursue life as a freelance writer.  Throw your hat in the ring and see if your skills as a freelance writer can pay the bills. Work at a library.  Working at a library can be a great way to interact daily with books and other tomes of information, with the added bonus of working more extensively with the community.Work at a local theater. Many local theater houses need folks with multiple talents: writing, acting, proofreading, editing. Put your multiple skills to use while having fun, too.Write promotional materials for a sports team. Love sports? Have a local sports team nearby? See if you can get a gig helping with the teams writing needs.Work at a TV station. You may think you need a degree in broadcasting to work at a TV station. But all those stories you hear on the news at night need to be written, edited, and proofread by someone who knows what theyre doing.Work at a radio station. Similar to TV, radio stations are in need of English majors. From writing marketing materials to proofreading promos, a radio station can be a fun and exciting place to work.Work for a technology company. You may picture tons of techs working in cubes when you think of a technology company. But all those instruction manuals, websites, user guides, and even video games need people to translate them from code to real English. Be a grant writer. Grant writing is a unique field that will allow you to help support a cause you believe in, work for an interesting organization, put your writing skills to work, and see the direct results of your efforts. Not too bad for a days work.