Moran​ ​6

Mr.​ ​Tierney

Pre-AP​ ​World​ ​History

10/27/17

Which​ ​category​ ​of​ ​SPRET​ ​has​ ​had​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​impact​ ​on
the​ ​world?

How​ ​Technology​ ​Changed​ ​the​ ​World

SPRET​ ​stands​ ​for​ ​social,​ ​political,​ ​religion,​ ​economics,​ ​and​ ​technology.​ ​These​ ​are​ ​the

main​ ​components​ ​that​ ​define​ ​a​ ​civilization.​ ​Everyone​ ​of​ ​these​ ​has​ ​played​ ​an​ ​important​ ​role​ ​in

history.​ ​Wars​ ​break​ ​out​ ​over​ ​religion,​ ​marriages​ ​are​ ​decided​ ​by​ ​social​ ​class,​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of​ ​the

dollar​ ​can​ ​destroy​ ​a​ ​government's​ ​economy,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​election​ ​of​ ​international​ ​leaders​ ​can​ ​change

the​ ​world​ ​forever.​ ​All​ ​these​ ​justifications​ ​make​ ​every​ ​component​ ​sound​ ​incredibly​ ​important,​ ​but

technology​ ​has​ ​played​ ​the​ ​most​ ​significant​ ​role​ ​out​ ​of​ ​all​ ​of​ ​them.​ ​Technology​ ​has​ ​had​ ​the

greatest​ ​impact​ ​on​ ​history​ ​for​ ​the​ ​ensuing​ ​events​ ​it's​ ​caused,​ ​great​ ​inventions​ ​created,​ ​and​ ​how

tech​ ​assisted​ ​the​ ​other​ ​components​ ​of​ ​SPRET.

First​ ​off,​ ​an​ ​ensuing​ ​event​ ​is​ ​“an...​event​​ ​or​ ​activity​​ ​[that]​ ​happens​​ ​after​ ​something​ ​else,

often​ ​as​ ​a​ ​result​​ ​of​ ​it”.​ ​The​ ​reason​ ​I​ ​used​ ​“ensuing”​ ​is​ ​because​ ​technology​ ​has​ ​not​ ​only​ ​sprouted

incredible​ ​inventions,​ ​but​ ​caused​ ​a​ ​chain​ ​reaction​ ​with​ ​each​ ​new​ ​product.​ ​A​ ​good​ ​(and​ ​extreme)

example​ ​of​ ​this​ ​is​ ​the​ ​atom​ ​bomb.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​more​ ​recent​ ​invention​ ​over​ ​the​ ​course​ ​of​ ​human

history,​ ​but​ ​without​ ​it​ ​the​ ​world​ ​could​ ​very​ ​well​ ​be​ ​a​ ​different​ ​place.​ ​The​ ​creation​ ​of​ ​this​ ​weapon

stopped​ ​a​ ​world​ ​war,​ ​changed​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​combat,​ ​and​ ​but​ ​a​ ​burden​ ​over​ ​every​ ​world​ ​leaders

head.​ ​My​ ​point​ ​is​ ​that​ ​not​ ​only​ ​the​ ​bombs​ ​creation,​ ​but​ ​the​ ​repercussions​ ​of​ ​the​ ​blasts​ ​it​ ​caused

created​ ​many​ ​nuclear​ ​events​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​and​ ​probably​ ​many​ ​more​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future.​ ​This​ ​doesn't​ ​mean

the​ ​inventions​ ​themselves​ ​aren’t​ ​as​ ​important.​ ​That​ ​brings​ ​me​ ​to​ ​my​ ​second​ ​point.
 The​ ​incredible​ ​creations​ ​of​ ​mankind.​ ​Thousands​ ​of​ ​years​ ​ago​ ​in​ ​Mesopotamia,​ ​everyone

was​ ​driving​ ​around​ ​carriages​ ​without​ ​any​ ​wheels.​ ​People​ ​were​ ​wearing​ ​roller​ ​blades​ ​with​ ​square

pegs​ ​under​ ​the​ ​soles.​ ​But,​ ​an​ ​unknown​ ​man​ ​(or​ ​woman​ ​#genderequality)​ ​is​ ​believed​ ​to​ ​have

created​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​inventions​ ​in​ ​the​ ​history​ ​of​ ​the​ ​human​ ​race;​ ​the​ ​wheel.

Carriages​ ​were​ ​created​ ​for​ ​combat​ ​and​ ​exporting​ ​goods.​ ​Civilizations​ ​became​ ​more​ ​agile​ ​and

equipped​ ​to​ ​relocate.​ ​The​ ​surrounding​ ​nomads​ ​used​ ​the​ ​wheel​ ​to​ ​their​ ​greatest​ ​advantage​ ​by

moving​ ​quickly.​ ​As​ ​the​ ​trade​ ​of​ ​goods​ ​became​ ​easier,​ ​so​ ​did​ ​trading​ ​ideas.​ ​With​ ​early​ ​chinese

dynasties​ ​creating​ ​paper,​ ​more​ ​specifically​ ​Cai​ ​Lun,​ ​these​ ​inventions​ ​and​ ​ideas​ ​could​ ​be​ ​more

easily​ ​transported​ ​and​ ​recorded.​ ​Throughout​ ​the​ ​world​ ​for​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​years,​ ​mankind​ ​has​ ​been

an​ ​unstoppable​ ​invention​ ​making​ ​machine.​ ​We​ ​even​ ​created​ ​robots​ ​that​ ​create​ ​for​ ​us.​ ​Products

like​ ​medicine​ ​and​ ​gunpowder​ ​have​ ​had​ ​such​ ​a​ ​magnificent​ ​effect​ ​that​ ​the​ ​world​ ​will​ ​never​ ​be​ ​the

same.​ ​These​ ​inventions​ ​alone​ ​seem​ ​like​ ​good​ ​enough​ ​reason​ ​for​ ​technology​ ​to​ ​trump​ ​all​ ​other

components.​ ​These​ ​creations​ ​have​ ​influenced​ ​the​ ​world​ ​so​ ​much​ ​that​ ​even​ ​the​ ​other​ ​parts​ ​of

SPRET​ ​could​ ​not​ ​avoid​ ​it’s​ ​creative​ ​grasp.

The​ ​reason​ ​technology​ ​is​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​part​ ​of​ ​SPRET​ ​is​ ​because​ ​of​ ​how​ ​it​ ​has

changed​ ​religious,​ ​economic,​ ​social,​ ​and​ ​political​ ​events​ ​throughout​ ​history.​ ​Religion​ ​was

recorded​ ​and​ ​passed​ ​on​ ​through​ ​voice​ ​and​ ​the​ ​use​ ​of​ ​record.​ ​Without​ ​paper​ ​and​ ​the​ ​holy​ ​books

that​ ​came​ ​along​ ​with​ ​it,​ ​rituals​ ​and​ ​the​ ​teachings​ ​or​ ​religion​ ​could​ ​be​ ​and​ ​might​ ​have​ ​been​ ​very

different.​ ​Without​ ​gunpowder​ ​or​ ​specific​ ​weaponry,​ ​some​ ​rulers​ ​and​ ​dictators​ ​never​ ​would​ ​have

come​ ​to​ ​power.​ ​And​ ​that’s​ ​what​ ​makes​ ​technology​ ​so​ ​important​ ​is​ ​how​ ​it​ ​affects​ ​not​ ​only​ ​the

world​ ​but​ ​the​ ​other​ ​components​ ​of​ ​SPRET​ ​too.

 Technology​ ​has​ ​and​ ​will​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​change​ ​the​ ​world.​ ​Without​ ​it​ ​we​ ​would​ ​live​ ​in​ ​a​ ​very

different​ ​place.​ ​The​ ​advancement​ ​of​ ​humanity​ ​is​ ​dependent​ ​on​ ​technology,​ ​so​ ​it​ ​makes​ ​sense​ ​for

it​ ​to​ ​be​ ​the​ ​most​ ​important​ ​part​ ​of​ ​SPRET.

Work​ ​Cited

“Ensuing​ ​-​ ​Definition​ ​and​ ​Synonyms.”​ ​Ensuing​ ​(Adjective)​ ​American​ ​English​ ​Definition​ ​and

Synonyms​ ​|​ ​Macmillan​ ​Dictionary​,​ ​Macmillan,

www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/ensuing.

.
 Moran​ ​7

Dr.​ ​Greggory

Chemistry

11/29/17

Write​ ​a​ ​500-word​ ​letter​ ​to​ ​the​ ​president​ ​of​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States
explaining​ ​why​ ​we​ ​should​ ​either​ ​keep​ ​our​ ​system​ ​of
measurements​ ​or​ ​switch​ ​to​ ​the​ ​metric​ ​system.

Ordered​ ​in​ ​Tens

Dear​ ​Mr.​ ​President,

Out of the 195 globally recognized countries, 192 use the metric system. The remaining three

nations use the traditional but confusing customary or imperial system. It would be difficult to

convince an entire country to switch to a new form of measurement but it is not like it has never

been done before. The United States should switch to the metric system because the current

method of measurement is confusing and to prevent conflicts in conversion but tradition and

stubbornness​ ​the​ ​american​ ​people​ ​have​ ​create​ ​issues.

The obvious first point to address when discussing the customary system is it’s own complicated

nature. For example a foot is 12 inches, a yard is 3 feet, and a mile is 5280 feet. These

conversion are absurd and can make calculating and converting data complicated or even

harmful. With the metric system, everything works in 10’s. The reason they used 10 as the

factoring number is one, for it’s easy multiplication, and two, humans are born with 10 fingers

which provided a good reason for citizens to use the new system. Converting centimeters to

kilometers is a piece of cake. You can do this one step at a time by converting centimeters to
meters (100 to 1) and then meters to kilometers (1000 to 1). The metric system allows you jump

from​ ​very​ ​small​ ​measurements​ ​to​ ​large​ ​ones​ ​with​ ​simple​ ​factors​ ​of​ ​10.

Another good reason to convert to the metric system is the overwhelming amount of other

countries that use it. Doing this would simplify trade so you don’t have to convert all the time.

Big mistakes have been made in history because of conversion confusion. The most prominent

example is a NASA satellite that crashed into the surface of mars because two scientists failed to

communicate the metric and customary calculations. This small error in numbers not only

slowed the scientific research of the United States but cost the American government 200 million

dollars. You might be asking, “Why haven’t we switched already?” and it’s mostly for the

stubbornness​ ​of​ ​the​ ​american​ ​people​ ​and​ ​their​ ​politicians.

The United States of America is a very proud and patriotic nation. We put tradition and loyalty

above most things (for ex. the confederate flag) and we reject other countries ideas if they are

unlike our own. With a country with stubborn citizens and politicians who only care about

reelection, it is hard to push out significant change. An executive order seems like a potential

way to put this train in motion, but you still need to convince companies and citizens to

cooperate. Speedometers in cars would change, sports could be re drawn, all sorts of problems

could pop up. But in the long run, the short time problems make up for the inconveniences we

would​ ​have​ ​today.

In conclusion, the United States should switch to the metric system due to its simplicity and the

potential communication with countries who share the same factoring number. I hope you take

these​ ​words​ ​seriously​ ​but​ ​then​ ​again​ ​you​ ​sold​ ​stakes​ ​in​ ​the​ ​Sharper​ ​Image​ ​so.
Work​ ​Cited

“Countries​ ​in​ ​the​ ​World:”​ ​How​ ​Many​ ​Countries​ ​Are​ ​There​ ​in​ ​the​ ​World?​ ​(2017)​ ​-

Worldometers​,​ ​www.worldometers.info/geography/how-many-countries-are-there-in-the-

world/.

Lopez,​ ​Michel.​ ​“How​ ​Many​ ​Countries​ ​Haven't​ ​Adopted​ ​the​ ​Metric​ ​System?”​ ​e2f​,​ ​15​ ​June​ ​2015,

e2f.com/5247/.

Anticole,​ ​Matt.​ ​“Why​ ​the​ ​Metric​ ​System​ ​Matters.”​ ​YouTube​,​ ​TED-Ed,​ ​21​ ​July​ ​2016,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bUVjJWA6Vw&ibss=1.
 Moran​ ​3

Free​ ​Choice

11/29/17

Often​ ​times​ ​new​ ​players​ ​in​ ​our​ ​game,​ ​PUBG,​ ​have​ ​trouble
being​ ​successful,​ ​sometimes​ ​just​ ​because​ ​they​ ​don’t
understand​ ​it.​ ​Make​ ​a​ ​complete​ ​guide​ ​to​ ​Playerunknown's
Battle​ ​Grounds.

The​ ​Complete​ ​Guide​ ​to​ ​Playerunknown’s​ ​Battle​ ​Grounds

Playerunknown’s Battle Grounds is a battle royale, shooter video game. Released on the

PC in mid 2017, it has become one of the most prominent games in it’s industry. With a fast

growing player base and thousands of new players every day, lot’s of guides have been produced

to help new players in their adventures. The reason a new player should choose to learn from this

guide is for it’s insane attention to detail and explanation. Here is a guide to Playerunknown’s

Battle​ ​Grounds​ ​history,​ ​mechanics,​ ​and​ ​gameplay.

First and foremost, a new player should know the background of the game their playing.

Playerunknown (Brendan Greene), the creator of Battle Grounds, has for a long while been a

prominent figure in the gamer community. Mostly known for his effect on the popular games

Arma 2 and DayZ with their very own battle royale game modes. Greene worked at Sony Online

developing games for a long period but left in pursuit of a new goal with a company known as

Bluehole. In early 2016, the development of PUBG was set in motion. With developers who care

about community feedback and who have created excellent games in the past, a clear winner was

set​ ​in​ ​stone.

Blue Hole started with only 35 developers but by June 2017 had expanded to 70. For

several months in early 2017 a closed alpha was in session for popular streamers and other

developers. This gave time for the developers to work out the major issues the game had. In July
of 2017 Greene released the game to the public and in turn started something unreal and record

breaking. The game began to pick up a lot of steam, especially on the game streaming site

Twitch.

Twitch is a service where you can broadcast yourself or your gameplay live for the world

to see and to interact with you through text chat. In just a few months the game shot to the top of

Twitch and Steam. With average daily players at over 1 million it was clear this game was

becoming a big deal. With updates to the gameplay along with a $100,000 professional

competition, it was hard not to hear about the game if you were a semi-frequent gamer. Currently

(November 2017), PUBG has over 2.5 million daily players and it hasn’t even released to

console. This game has the potential to become one of the tycoons of the gaming industry with

its humble beginnings and caring developers. Now that you know the history of the game you’ll

be​ ​playing,​ ​let's​ ​go​ ​over​ ​the​ ​game​ ​itself.

PUBG is a very large and complex game with new features being added constantly, so

this should be made and read as thoroughly as possible. The game itself is on the computer (PC)

and can’t currently be run on a Mac or a Console. The game itself is very demanding with it’s

detailed graphics and poor optimization, meaning you need a high end PC to run it on the best

settings.

The settings of the game are more important than they seem. I recommend you set the

Anti-Aliasing to high, Post-Processing to low, Shadows to very low, Texture to High, Effects to

Medium, and the foliage to very low. Of course you can tweak this settings to how you desire but

if you want the best gameplay advantage set all your settings to very low giving you the highest

frame rates and the best clarity. The sounds of PUBG are important too, and you can change
them in the sound menu. I recommend you turn off music (BGM) because it’s quite annoying

and can be rather jarring sometimes. All the other sounds should be set to how you like but for

the greatest gameplay advantage you should keep them all at 100. The resolution should be set to

whatever your monitor is, the FOV should be as high as possible so it’s easier to spot our

enemies who may be at the corner of your vision, and brightness should be set as bright as you

can go without making your eyes or head hurt. This will give you an advantage in dark areas or

rain/fog games. The sensitivity is different for everyone but I recommend if you are a new player

to start on a lower sense and work your way up if you need to. In this game you need to be

turning your head frequently so having a large mouse pad and a slow sense makes for a good

combo. There are scopes in this game and aiming becomes easier the lower your sense. With

large scopes like the 8x or the 15x it’s good to set a low sensitivity because micro adjustments

can mean a lot at long range. You can mostly leave all the keybinds how they are but feel free to

change them how you wish. A good setup to use is alt to free look, x to put away your weapon, z

to lie down, q and e to lean, c to crouch, ctrl to walk, shift to run, wasd to move, f to use, m for

map, r to reload, v to change fire mode, and space to jump. These are the controls the

professional Max Moran uses and work well for him but feel free to change them around how

you like. Push to talk is a feature in the game but is certainly not necessary. If you ever want to

yell at the enemy you just vanquished or work with a random cued teammate you can press your

push to talk key to speak your mind. There are color blind modes for several types of vision so

feel free to tweak it as you wish. There are re-shaders you can download which make the game

look nicer with only the cost of a few frames. With settings settled we should next tackle

controls.
 Keybinds and movement are important in this game and you have already been shown a

potential configuration. It is good for a new player to know all the tools they have at their

disposal and that starts with the pressing of their keyboard. First off, wasd are the keys used for

movement and become easy to use with little practice. Pressing 1 pulls out your primary weapon,

2 pulls out your secondary weapon, 3 pulls out your pistol, 4 pulls out your melee weapon, and 6

pulls out your grenades. I have my keypad set to healing items which will be covered later.

Crouching in the game makes you bend down and even causes some guns, like shotguns, to

become more effective and accurate. Rapidly crouching while firing, or crouch shooting, can

confuse your enemy but is only recommended once you’ve played for a decent period of time.

There are several methods of confusing your enemy with movement. Another more simple

method is known as drop shoting. It’s when you spot an enemy, start shooting, lay down mid

firing, continue shooting until someone loses. This can be effective but your gun becomes wildly

inaccurate in the process of laying down. Another method is strafing which is moving side to

side rapidly. This can throw off your enemies aim but in turn makes it harder for you to shoot

straight and your gun less stable. There is jumping around a corner, crouch jumping through a

window, and they even recently added vaulting to the game. I recommend messing around with

the​ ​movement​ ​before​ ​playing​ ​with​ ​friends.

Leaning in PUBG is just like in real life and is really important when you get to high

levels of play around corners and trees. Use q to lean left and e to lean right. It becomes pretty

intuitive and being able to move while you’re leaning can be incredibly effective. R reloads your

weapon which replaces your magazine with a fresh new one depending on the ammo in your

reservers. This guide will touch on the importance of reloading later. There are other keybinds
like ctrl-u which turns off your UI. The UI is all the info that's on your screen, telling you your

health, ammo, position, and other important information which will be explained later. Turning

off your UI can clear your screen if for some reason it’s bugged, you need a cinematic picture, or

if it’s getting in the way of seeing something. M opens the map which shows your location on

the island. You zoom in and out with the scroll wheel and can place markers with the right click

for your teammates or your own reference. Ctrl-m mutes all in game sounds which is nice if you

need to hear something else. Ctrl-t mutes all in game chat which means you don’t have to hear

other players in the game which is useful in the the lobby or the plane. Ctrl-y changes the voice

channel​ ​which​ ​effects​ ​if​ ​you​ ​can​ ​hear​ ​your​ ​teammates,​ ​anybody,​ ​or​ ​nobody​ ​at​ ​all.

When aiming down sites with a scope you can change your zeroing distance which

affects the hop of the bullet. This means if someone is 300m away and your are having trouble

hitting your target by accounting for bullet drop. Try changing your zeroing distance so you can

aim directly at the target. You will get a better feel for this mechanic the more you play. Use

page up and page down to zero your shot. Hitting ins on your keyboard places a marker at your

current location which can be useful if you find an item your teammate might want and are to

lazy or unable to bring in to him. Pressing del removes your marker if it becomes annoying.

Hitting = puts your player in an auto run state which means they’ll run straight as long as they

can if you don’t touch your keyboard. It’s a lot like cruise control. Esc is the pause menu where

you can access settings, the menu, or your desktop. Hitting alt+tab takes you to your desktop and

alt+f4 quits the game if you are in a hurry. The windows key can also take you to your desktop

depending on your keyboard or software. Alt uses free look which allows you to look behind you

without actually having to turn your whole in game body. Free look is useful for checking your 6
or for no movement when hiding, especially in a bush. Left click to shoot your weapon and right

click to aim your weapon. Melee weapons can’t aim down sites and right clicking in a car honks

the horn (but only in the dacia or the uaz). That pretty much covers every keybind that you will

most likely be using but with every button you press a new mechanic can be explained. You have

learned​ ​the​ ​basics​ ​of​ ​the​ ​game​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​time​ ​you​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​actual​ ​game​ ​itself.

PUBG is a battle royale game. This means it’s a based off the japanese movie “Battle

Royale”. The idea is very similar to the hunger games. A specific number of people are put into

an enclosed area and fight till their is only one remaining. You may find weapons, make

alliances (which is called teaming and is frowned upon/not allowed), and have a hell of a lot of

fun. You can play the game with friends and it can be a blast with them for the adventures you

have and the intense nature of the island. Before you learn the details of gameplay you should

learn about the lobby. You can play with friends though steam invites but since the game is still

an early access this can become really buggy and can even crash your game. There are several

issues you may have and there are several solutions to try. You can refresh your UI (which is a

button in the top right of the lobby), you can restart your game, log out and log back in, or even

just restart your computer. All of these may work but most of the time hitting that refresh button

will​ ​fix​ ​what​ ​ever​ ​issue​ ​you​ ​have.

Once everyone is in your lobby, the party leader (which who is the person who sent the

invites) selects the server and game mode. The best server is the area you live in but you can play

with other regions to have a different experience. Asian servers have more lag but are easier to

win due to the large amount of new players in the region. European servers are the opposite and

for some reason every single person you play against seems like a god among men when it
comes to PUBG. There are solos, duos, and squads. Squads can only go up to 4 people can if you

don’t have four people but still wanna play squads you can use auto matchmaking. This will find

you a random player can help you or hurt you on the battlefield. If you want to play with just

your friends you can turn this off by checking the little box. You access all these options by

hovering over the ready button. You can not play a game mode ment for less people then you

have. For example you can’t play solo’s with three people. Once the server and game mode is

selected, everyone in the party must hit ready for the game to start. The logo screen is shown and

your​ ​first​ ​game​ ​of​ ​battlegrounds​ ​is​ ​about​ ​to​ ​start.

Let’s walk through an ideal game which should be the best way to show you the ropes.

You’ll spawn in on an island where there will be all the players you are about to face. There are

weapons laid out on tables for the players to see and use but you are invincible in the lobby so

don’t worry about dying. You are usually only here for about a minute so just relax. This is a

good time to mute your ingame sound and voice chat because it can get rather loud here. There

will be a timer on your screen counting down to the start of the game. Once the timer reaches 0

you are teleported into a plane with everyone else. The plane is several miles up and the

trajectory of it is completely random creating a new match each time. The map itself is complex

with​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​but​ ​for​ ​now​ ​let’s​ ​say​ ​it’s​ ​a​ ​large​ ​island​ ​with​ ​several​ ​towns.

Once you are in the plane for roughly 15 seconds you are able to eject and parachute to

the ground by pressing f. Discuss with your team where you want to land before ejecting. The

farther you fly from the path of the plane the less people there will be. Good starting locations

are small cities out of the plane's path. The fastest way to hit the grounds is to look straight

down, hold w, and don’t pull your shoot until it auto pulls. This is great if you are looking to get
to the ground as fast as possible. If you are trying to do the opposite you want to angle yourself

in the direction you want to go, pull your shoot as soon as you can, look up, and tap w to the beat

of jingle rock. This will give allow you to go 3 km. The map itself is 8 km by 8 km and you can

see this by large yellow boxes defining a km^2. There are small grey boxes inside the yellow

ones which define a 100 m^2. You can use these lines to determine the range of the parachutes,

distance needed to travel, or even your zeroing distance if you can approximate your enemy's

position on the map. Don’t worry about pulling your shoot because a few hundred meters before

you hit the ground your shoot is pulled automatically. Once you hit the ground your first priority

is usually to find a weapon. Most weapons and loot are found in buildings or at least near them.

You​ ​can​ ​press​ ​f​ ​to​ ​open​ ​doors​ ​and​ ​to​ ​pick​ ​up​ ​items.​ ​Find​ ​a​ ​weapon​ ​as​ ​soon​ ​as​ ​possible.

Defending yourself is the most important part at the beginning. Even if you don’t think

there are enemies around you, it’s a good idea to grab a gun just in case one sneaks up on you.

Let’s say you grab a gun, kill an enemy, and leave the town. You want to open your map to see

the new zone. This is the area you need to be in. There is this thing called the blue. It is this field

of electricity that slowly kills you if you stand in it. It slowly surrounds the island and the safe

zone and moves faster depending on how far the zone is from the blue. Every Time a safe zone is

revealed, there is a looting stage where the blue does not move and gives you time to fight, loot,

or run. After this timer runs out the blue begins to move again. Each time a new safe zone is

shown the blue kills you a little faster untill standing in it kills you in a few seconds compared to

the first zone which only kills you after a few minutes. You can out heal certain blue phases but

the later ones kill you much faster. It’s always important to pay attention to the safe zone, when

the blue is moving, and if you have to move. The safe zone is random every time you get a new
zone every time. The game devs were smart though and made sure that the final zone will never

just be water and have some land to fight on. You do sometimes get really unlucky and your

enemies​ ​get​ ​a​ ​really​ ​good​ ​zone​ ​for​ ​them​ ​but​ ​a​ ​really​ ​terrible​ ​one​ ​for​ ​yourself.

A quick detail but important mechanic is water. There is currently only one water vehicle

in the game, a 5 person boat. It is decently fast and is useful for crossing large gaps of water and

they spawn on the coasts of the island or in the river. Swimming is slow but you can hold shift

swim faster. You swim faster underwater and bullets can’t hit you but you run out of breath.

Running out of breath slowly kills you but can be controlled if you need to stay stealthy. A good

strategy is to swim underwater as long as you can, swim above water until you get your breath

back, and dive back down. Important note: you don’t regain your breath if you are holding shift

above​ ​water.

If you are the last person to survive you become the winner. A screen displays showing

your place, kills, and the phrase ​winner winner, chicken dinner! This is the best feeling in the

game and hopefully after reading this guide you will understand why. Once you finish a game

you can check out the statistics page in the main menu where you can find your rank, along with

facts about your gameplay like total kills. These stats reset once a month so don’t worry too

much about them. Famous pro player, Max Moran, reached rank 87 in North America and should

be​ ​given​ ​a​ ​good​ ​grade​ ​for​ ​his​ ​efforts.

The last main menu component is the customization menu. This is where you can change

what your character looks like. You can buy clothing off the steam store, trade with a friend, or

open crates with battle points which is the in game currency you get from playing. The farther

you get in a match the more battle points you get. The first crate you open is cheap at 700 but
each time you open a crate it becomes more expensive. The crates reset every week so they also

stay pretty cheap. There are a lot of really common items you get like shirts and boots but you

can get some really cool jackets and hats. There are even certain clothes that you could only get

during the closed beta which sell for hundreds of dollars currently. If you are wondering what the

best outfit to wear is, camo is a solid choice but it honestly is fine as long as you don’t wear

bright​ ​clothes​ ​like​ ​the​ ​yellow​ ​jacket​ ​or​ ​the​ ​red​ ​shirt,​ ​which​ ​both​ ​stick​ ​out​ ​like​ ​a​ ​sore​ ​thumb.

Before we get into the exciting part of weaponry it’s important we talk about

attachments. The map is littered with different parts for your gun and here are some of the basic

types. There are 6 sights in the game, a holosight, red dot, 2x, 4x, 8x, and 15x (and of course the

iron sights of the gun). Each sight has a strength and a weakness. Only certain sights can be

placed on specific weapons, but this is not a big issue. The holo sight and the red dot are both

solid close range options. They can be placed on pretty much every gun in the game. The choice

between using one or the other comes down to preference. The 2x is a great dynamic sight,

perfect for medium range engagements. The 4x is a solid medium to long range weapon but can

be used short range if pressured. The 8x which is almost exclusively put on sniper rifles is great

for getting a long shot but terrible for close range. And the 15x which only drops in supply crates

and are impractical. A supply crate by the way is a large box that drops from an airplane every

zone that attracts a lot of attention but has very good loot inside, some items can only be found in

crates.

There are magazines which serve an important purpose in the game. There are 3 types,

each with distinct look. After a while it will be easy to see the difference. There is a quickdraw,
an extended, and an extended quickdraw. All of which are pretty self explanatory however the

extended​ ​mag​ ​changes​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​weapon.

There are 3 muzzles; a suppressor which eliminates sound, a compensator which lowers recoil,

and​ ​a​ ​flash​ ​hider​ ​which​ ​hides​ ​muzzle​ ​flash.

And lastly there is a cheek pad which lowers recoil and a quiver which can only be put on a

crossbow. All these attachments act differently for different guns but throughout each weapon

type all have similar purposes. You’ll mostly find red dots, quickdraws, and flash hiders around

the​ ​map.​ ​Finding​ ​higher​ ​end​ ​attachments​ ​becomes​ ​rarer​ ​the​ ​better​ ​it​ ​is.

Let’s talk about weapons. There are several types of weapons in the games, so to start

let’s do melee. There are 5 melee weapons in the game. There is a crowbar, a pan, a sickle, a

machete, and your fists. All the items do the same damage and swing at the same speeds but the

pan can deflect bullets which can really save your ass. The pan when not equipped hangs from

the back of your jacket covering your butt. Fists in the game play a big part in PUBG because

whenever you land next to an opponent and neither you have a gun, it can often turn into a fist

fight. You click right click to punch which does a rapid fire, low damage hit. Or you can jump

before you click which makes you perform a sort of superman punch. This does high damage but

is​ ​a​ ​slow​ ​build​ ​up​ ​and​ ​can​ ​make​ ​you​ ​vulnerable​ ​to​ ​your​ ​opponent.

Next weapon category are the pistols. There are 4 pistols in the current game, all with

their own strengths and weaknesses. Keep in mind that they all do minor damage compared to

primary weapons. First up is the P92, which is easily the most common weapon in the game. A

lousy pistol that's only benefit is it’s ammo per damage factor. You start with a mag of 15 and

can be increased to 20 with an extended mag, which is quite good for a pistol but it does so little
damage since it takes 9mm rounds. If you can I would avoid ever picking this up. Next is the

P1911, which takes .45 acp rounds and has a default mag of 7 and 12 with an extended mag. This

pistol is lousy on ammo but makes up for it with damage. This is the second most damaging

pistol and with an extended mag isn’t the worst in the world. Next is the glock, which takes

9mm, starts with 17 rounds in the mag, 25 with an extended mag, and most importantly; fires full

auto. This pistol is the least damaging pistol and is absolutely terrible at range, but with full auto

toggled and an extended mag it becomes a sort of beast close range. They are quite rare to find so

if you ever find one you are a lucky man. And lastly, the R1895. A high damaging revolver

taking 7.62 ammo with a slow rate of fire but a heavy hit. It is the only pistol that can one shot a

level one helmet at close range. But with such a slow fire rate, terrible iron sights, and the

slowest reload in the game, it is not for everyone. But whenever you need to reload you don’t

need to reload every round before you can fire, you can fire even once you’ve only loaded one

round. Another drawback of the revolver is that it can only take a suppressor. All the other

pistols can take a red dot, a mag, and a suppressor. It’s cool to have a decked pistol and it can

come​ ​in​ ​handy​ ​but​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​always​ ​practical.

Next weapon type is the shotgun. There are three shotguns in the game; an S12K, an

S686, and an S1897. First there is the S12K. It is the only shotgun that can take rifle attachments

meaning you can put an extended mag or even a suppressor on it. It has a very fast fire rate and

like all other shotguns in the game takes 12 gauge ammunition. It does good damage and a really

good close range gun. The S686 is a double barrel shotgun that does the highest damage and has

the most effective range. With only a magazine of 2, whiffing a shot can mean death. This makes

the shotgun the most ideal for range but dangerous up close. Lastly, there is the S1897. It is a
pump action shotgun which makes it the middle of the road. But since you have to pump the shot

each time you fire it has the slowest fire rate and a failure to pump the shell can cause death. You

can put a choke on the S686 and the 1897 which increases the range along with bullet loops

which​ ​decrease​ ​the​ ​reload​ ​speed.

Next is an interesting weapon, the crossbow. An incredibly slow firing “gun” that does

incredible damage. These are semi-rare throughout the map and ammo can be scarce. With a

large amount of drop and slow travel time the crossbow is ridiculous but it is the quietest weapon

in​ ​the​ ​game.​ ​Plus​ ​it​ ​can​ ​pop​ ​a​ ​car​ ​tire​ ​in​ ​one​ ​shot.

Next up are the SMG’s. There are 4 of these firearms in the game. First up is a Micro

UZI. It takes 9mm, has a fast fire rate, but it can only hold 25 rounds in the mag. It can get a gun

stock unlike two other SMG’s but it’s low damage, lack of a sight rack, and small ammo

capacity makes it a low tier weapon. The UMP9 is a very medium type firearm. It has decent

damage and decent range, but not as much as a rifle. It is kind of like it’s own many rifle. The

gun takes 9mm and is a trustworthy SMG with a solid mag of 30 and plenty of attachments slots.

The Vector is one of the most interesting guns in the game. It takes .45 acp, takes a tactical stock,

can fire incredible fast, but has a really low mag size of 13. With such a low mag size and such a

fire rate it’s hard to keep your bullets on target. This weapon is incredibly good in solos and

duos, but without an extended mag and in squads, you may run out of ammo before you run out

of enemies. Lastly, there is the Tommy Gun. A medium damage, fast firing, .45 acp firearm. It

starts with a 50 round mag but can be boosted to a 100 round drum mag. This makes it a spray

and prey weapon, but it’s effectiveness comes from it’s lack of a sight rack and poor range in

result.
 There is a crossbow in the game but it has a high skill cap and is mostly a joke. You don’t

really​ ​need​ ​to​ ​worry​ ​about​ ​it.​ ​Just​ ​know​ ​it​ ​has​ ​few​ ​shots,​ ​high​ ​damage,​ ​and​ ​a​ ​very​ ​slow​ ​reload.

There is an M249 which is a Light Machine Gun (LMG). This can only be found in

supply drops and it usually comes with some sort of armor and 5.56 which is the rifle round it

takes. It has a bipod which allows for increased stability while laying down which really helps in

combat. It’s best purpose it in it’s ability to destroy cars. With 40 shots to any vehicle it is bound

to​ ​blow.

Most importantly there are the rifles. You will be using these the most out of any weapon

type in the game. With a high damage output and decent bullet speed they are ideal for medium

range.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​currently​ ​5​ ​rifles​ ​in​ ​the​ ​game,​ ​each​ ​with​ ​distinct​ ​advantages.

First up is the AKM. Similar to the AK47, this is a russian rifle taking 7.62 rounds with

really good damage and range. What makes this gun fair is it’s recoil. This is a beast at close

range encounters but once you get into ranged fights it can be really tricky to pace your shots,

especially​ ​if​ ​it’s​ ​in​ ​a​ ​high​ ​pressure​ ​scenario.

Next is the M16-A4. A 5.56 rifle with the best range in accuracy of all the rifles but it

lacks damage and a full auto mode. This is the perfect weapon for tapping at a distance and it

even​ ​has​ ​a​ ​burst​ ​mode​ ​for​ ​up​ ​close​ ​situations.

The SCAR-L and the M4A4 are the two remaining 5.56 rifles. They are almost the exact

same. Both are the middle ground between the AK and the M16. The SCAR is slightly better at

spraying​ ​and​ ​the​ ​M4​ ​is​ ​slightly​ ​better​ ​a​ ​tapping.​ ​But​ ​besides​ ​that​ ​the​ ​are​ ​almost​ ​identical.
 Last of the rifles is the Groza which is a 7.62 round rifle with the damage of an AK and

the fire rate of a vector. This basically means it shreds. If you ever have the chance to pick one

up,​ ​do​ ​it;​ ​especially​ ​because​ ​it’s​ ​only​ ​found​ ​in​ ​supply​ ​drops.

Lastly, there are the sniper rifles. These are the most powerful weapons in the game with

insane range and very high damage. If you ever get your hands on a sniper rifle, besides the vss,

it is almost always a good idea to pick it up. Let’s start with the rifles that spawn throughout the

map.

The vss is a rifle that takes 9mm, fires in full auto, and has really low damage. I don’t

recommend using it because it can seem good in theory but the low damage of the 9mm makes it

pretty​ ​terrible.​ ​The​ ​main​ ​thing​ ​it​ ​has​ ​going​ ​for​ ​it​ ​is​ ​that​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​with​ ​a​ ​scope​ ​and​ ​a​ ​suppressor.

Next is the MK-14. It is a DMR which stands for Designated Marksman Rifle. It takes

7.62 rounds which puts it at a very high damaging weapon. It is one of the few guns in the game

that can one shot a level 2 helmet. It can be fired in full auto but is not recommended because of

its tricky recoil. It only comes in supply drops so if you ever see one it is a good idea to pick it

up.

The Mini-14 is a 5.56 DMR that acts in a similar way to the MK but it has a lower recoil

and less damage. These can be found throughout the world with a decent spawn rate and you’ll

find​ ​one​ ​probably​ ​around​ ​1/7​ ​games.

The most commonly used sniper rifle in the game is the KAR-K98. This is because it is a

sniper rifle with 5 in the mag but with enough damage to one shot a level 2 helmet and two shot

a level 2 vest. It takes 7.62 and can take any scope.Commonly found throughout the world it is
the common choice of most snipers. It can be found in supply drops but is not as good compared

to​ ​the​ ​other​ ​rifles.

The M24 is basically the KAR with higher damage and it only takes 2 shots to the chest

with a level 3 vest which the KAR is unable to do. It can also use mag attachments bring the size

to​ ​8​ ​from​ ​5.

Lastly is the beast itself, the biggest and baddest weapon in the game, the AWM. This is

the only gun that can one hit a level 3 helmet making it an asset to any player. If you ever have

the​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​equip​ ​this​ ​magic​ ​stick,​ ​do​ ​it.

Once I reached SMG’s, I realized no one is going to read this. And if you are, go watch

some YouTube videos. You can learn this all just from watching others play. It won’t be as

clearly laid out for you but that’s part of the fun. And that’s why I’ve decided to end my essay

here. I know it seems like I’m being lazy not analyzing every single detail in the game, but really

who’s gonna read this whole thing. If you for some reason read this whole thing, then you will be

the​ ​most​ ​prepared​ ​first​ ​time​ ​player​ ​in​ ​existence.

Work​ ​Cited

Winkie,​ ​Luke.​ ​“Meet​ ​Brendan​ ​'Playerunknown'​ ​Greene,​ ​Creator​ ​of​ ​'Battlegrounds'.”​ ​Rolling

Stone​,​ ​RollingStone,​ ​7​ ​Apr.​ ​2017,​ ​www.rollingstone.com/glixel/news/meet-

Playerunknown-creator-of-the-battle-royale-genre-w475728.

“PlayerUnknown's​ ​Battlegrounds.”​ ​Wikipedia​,​ ​Wikimedia​ ​Foundation,​ ​25​ ​Nov.​ ​2017,

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayerUnknown%27s_Battlegrounds.

“PLAYERUNKNOWN'S​ ​BATTLEGROUNDS.”​ ​Steam​ ​Charts​,​ ​Steam,​ ​5​ ​Nov.​ ​2017,

steamcharts.com/app/578080#3m.
 Moran​ ​3

Mrs.​ ​Webster

English

11/28/17

What​ ​lessons​ ​can​ ​we​ ​learn​ ​from​ ​nature?

Mountain​ ​Tops​ ​to​ ​Ant​ ​Piles

Solitary​ ​is​ ​good​ ​for​ ​the​ ​soul.​ ​To​ ​calm​ ​your​ ​everyday​ ​actions​ ​and​ ​put​ ​to​ ​bed​ ​the

distractions​ ​that​ ​come​ ​with​ ​them​ ​can​ ​put​ ​you​ ​in​ ​an​ ​odd​ ​state​ ​of​ ​mind.​ ​Being​ ​by​ ​myself​ ​with​ ​my

thoughts​ ​is​ ​hard​ ​for​ ​me.​ ​Any​ ​hint​ ​of​ ​the​ ​outside​ ​world​ ​or​ ​an​ ​event​ ​I​ ​have​ ​planned​ ​makes​ ​my

mind​ ​go​ ​wild​ ​with​ ​wonder.​ ​Sitting​ ​alone​ ​near​ ​flowing​ ​water​ ​is​ ​a​ ​stressful​ ​experience​ ​for​ ​me,​ ​it

calms​ ​me,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​consumes​ ​me.

I​ ​don’t​ ​know​ ​for​ ​sure,​ ​but​ ​I​ ​am​ ​fairly​ ​certain​ ​I​ ​have​ ​ADD.​ ​And​ ​even​ ​if​ ​I​ ​don’t,​ ​my​ ​mind

still​ ​goes​ ​off​ ​like​ ​a​ ​busted​ ​fire​ ​hydrant​ ​on​ ​July​ ​4.​ ​When​ ​I​ ​close​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​I​ ​see​ ​black,​ ​for​ ​about​ ​a

second.​ ​After​ ​that​ ​brief​ ​but​ ​reticent​ ​moment,​ ​I​ ​take​ ​the​ ​leap​ ​into​ ​valhalla.​ ​Jumping​ ​around​ ​I​ ​can’t

stop​ ​thinking,​ ​picturing,​ ​fantasizing.​ ​Dreaming​ ​of​ ​fairy​ ​tales​ ​or​ ​tomorrow's​ ​lunch,​ ​I​ ​sit​ ​still​ ​but

my​ ​brain​ ​refuses.​ ​I​ ​tell​ ​it​ ​to​ ​stop,​ ​to​ ​quit!​ ​But​ ​from​ ​what​ ​I​ ​have​ ​learned,​ ​that​ ​harder​ ​you​ ​try​ ​to

clear​ ​your​ ​mind,​ ​the​ ​more​ ​aggressively​ ​you​ ​think.​ ​I​ ​would​ ​assume​ ​that​ ​I​ ​am​ ​not​ ​the​ ​only​ ​one​ ​with

this​ ​problem,​ ​at​ ​least​ ​I​ ​hope​ ​I’m​ ​not.​ ​A​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​the​ ​time​ ​when​ ​I​ ​leave​ ​my​ ​brain​ ​to​ ​think​ ​and​ ​I​ ​am

around​ ​others​ ​I​ ​wonder​ ​if​ ​they’re​ ​thinking​ ​like​ ​me,​ ​if​ ​their​ ​dreaming​ ​the​ ​same​ ​things​ ​that​ ​I​ ​do,

even​ ​if​ ​their​ ​reading​ ​my​ ​mind​ ​and​ ​can​ ​tell​ ​what​ ​I’m​ ​thinking.​ ​Sitting​ ​alone​ ​by​ ​flowing​ ​water

removes​ ​the​ ​variable​ ​of​ ​people,​ ​but​ ​opens​ ​up​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​nature.​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​stop​ ​thinking​ ​when​ ​I​ ​sit

and​ ​look.​ ​When​ ​I​ ​close​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​that​ ​doesn’t​ ​help.​ ​My​ ​brain​ ​keeps​ ​spinning​ ​while​ ​my​ ​head​ ​lays

still.​ ​Every​ ​little​ ​detail​ ​of​ ​the​ ​river​ ​catches​ ​my​ ​eye​ ​and​ ​I​ ​can’t​ ​not​ ​focus.
 Although,​ ​with​ ​all​ ​the​ ​distraction​ ​of​ ​day​ ​to​ ​day​ ​life,​ ​sitting​ ​by​ ​flowing​ ​water​ ​alone​ ​can​ ​be

calming.​ ​With​ ​my​ ​brain​ ​banging​ ​on​ ​my​ ​skull,​ ​it’s​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​silence​ ​my​ ​thoughts.​ ​The​ ​sound​ ​of

water​ ​crashing​ ​against​ ​the​ ​rocks​ ​puts​ ​a​ ​constant​ ​noise​ ​to​ ​distract​ ​me​ ​from​ ​the​ ​world​ ​past​ ​the

trees.​ ​Barton​ ​creek​ ​is​ ​always​ ​been​ ​a​ ​relaxing​ ​spot​ ​for​ ​me.​ ​I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​tossing​ ​rocks​ ​into​ ​the​ ​river

since​ ​I​ ​was​ ​little.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​really​ ​excited​ ​to​ ​find​ ​out​ ​I​ ​had​ ​the​ ​assignment​ ​to​ ​literally​ ​just​ ​sit​ ​in

silence​ ​with​ ​the​ ​river.​ ​Staring​ ​at​ ​the​ ​water​ ​makes​ ​me​ ​slower.​ ​Watching​ ​this​ ​liquid​ ​substance

trickle​ ​down​ ​slopes​ ​and​ ​over​ ​slimy​ ​stones​ ​makes​ ​my​ ​brain​ ​perform​ ​in​ ​a​ ​more​ ​docile​ ​manner.​ ​The

flow​ ​of​ ​barton​ ​creek​ ​doesn’t​ ​hauly​ ​my​ ​brain​ ​but​ ​merely​ ​places​ ​speed​ ​bumps​ ​forcing​ ​me​ ​to​ ​slow

down.With​ ​a​ ​little​ ​Jack​ ​Johnson​ ​after​ ​20​ ​minutes​ ​of​ ​silence,​ ​I​ ​laid​ ​back​ ​to​ ​close​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​and​ ​did

the​ ​best​ ​I​ ​could​ ​to​ ​escape​ ​to​ ​neverland.

Lastly,​ ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​talk​ ​about​ ​how​ ​nature​ ​consumes​ ​me.​ ​That​ ​sounds​ ​daunting​ ​and​ ​it​ ​is.​ ​If

any​ ​paragraph​ ​answers​ ​the​ ​prompt,​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​this​ ​one.​ ​With​ ​the​ ​ridiculous​ ​thoughts​ ​that​ ​go

through​ ​my​ ​head,​ ​staring​ ​at​ ​water​ ​can​ ​sometimes​ ​make​ ​me​ ​wonder​ ​about​ ​greater​ ​things.​ ​Seeing

an​ ​ant​ ​topple​ ​over​ ​or​ ​get​ ​separated​ ​from​ ​their​ ​group​ ​in​ ​the​ ​river's​ ​current​ ​makes​ ​me​ ​question​ ​the

importance​ ​of​ ​their​ ​lives,​ ​the​ ​importance​ ​of​ ​my​ ​life.​ ​I​ ​sit​ ​there​ ​dumbfounded​ ​by​ ​answers​ ​I’ll

never​ ​find.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​what​ ​makes​ ​me​ ​struggle​ ​to​ ​sit​ ​in​ ​silence.​ ​Not​ ​the​ ​feeling​ ​of​ ​being​ ​alone,​ ​not

the​ ​idea​ ​of​ ​being​ ​watched.​ ​It’s​ ​the​ ​thoughts​ ​that​ ​race​ ​through​ ​my​ ​head​ ​that​ ​make​ ​me​ ​question​ ​my

existence​ ​on​ ​earth.

In​ ​the​ ​end,​ ​nature​ ​doesn’t​ ​answer​ ​my​ ​questions,​ ​merely​ ​slows​ ​them​ ​threw​ ​my​ ​ever

flowing​ ​noggin.​ ​I​ ​recommend​ ​that​ ​you​ ​try​ ​sitting​ ​by​ ​flowing​ ​water​ ​in​ ​silence​ ​at​ ​one​ ​point​ ​in​ ​your

life.​ ​It​ ​can​ ​really​ ​put​ ​things​ ​in​ ​a​ ​box​ ​and​ ​take​ ​everything​ ​else​ ​and​ ​scatter​ ​it​ ​on​ ​the​ ​floor.
 Moran​ ​6

Global​ ​Choice

11/27/17

Use​ ​research​ ​and​ ​specific​ ​evidence​ ​to​ ​argue

that​ ​this​ ​is​ ​absolutely​ ​the​ ​best​ ​time​ ​to​ ​be
alive​ ​in​ ​human​ ​history​ ​and​ ​the​ ​future​ ​is
even​ ​better.

The​ ​Golden​ ​Age

Often​ ​times​ ​we,​ ​as​ ​humans,​ ​dream​ ​of​ ​a​ ​golden​ ​age.​ ​A​ ​time​ ​where​ ​problems​ ​are​ ​miniscule,

civilizations​ ​get​ ​along,​ ​and​ ​global​ ​conflict​ ​is​ ​not​ ​present.​ ​Plenty​ ​of​ ​historians​ ​will​ ​tell​ ​you​ ​there

may​ ​have​ ​had​ ​such​ ​a​ ​period​ ​thousands​ ​of​ ​years​ ​ago​ ​but​ ​several​ ​doubt​ ​the​ ​existence​ ​of​ ​such​ ​an

idea​ ​in​ ​a​ ​practical​ ​scenario.​ ​But,​ ​the​ ​world​ ​in​ ​it’s​ ​current​ ​state​ ​is​ ​the​ ​best​ ​it​ ​has​ ​ever​ ​been.​ ​Our

world​ ​is​ ​currently​ ​in​ ​a​ ​golden​ ​age​ ​period​ ​with​ ​our​ ​technology,​ ​political​ ​decisions,​ ​and​ ​global

assistance.

With​ ​tech​ ​growing​ ​exponentially,​ ​it​ ​has​ ​opened​ ​up​ ​lots​ ​of​ ​doors​ ​into​ ​the​ ​future​ ​of

mankind.​ ​Over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​100​ ​years​ ​alone​ ​we​ ​have​ ​made​ ​more​ ​technological​ ​progress​ ​than​ ​ever

before.​ ​Several​ ​important​ ​inventions​ ​in​ ​recent​ ​times​ ​have​ ​been​ ​electricity,​ ​the​ ​phone,​ ​airplanes,

atomic​ ​bombs,​ ​medicine,​ ​and​ ​this​ ​barely​ ​scratches​ ​the​ ​surfaces​ ​of​ ​what​ ​revolutionary​ ​designs

brought​ ​to​ ​life.​ ​Reporters​ ​like​ ​to​ ​argue​ ​certain​ ​creations​ ​such​ ​as​ ​military​ ​weapons​ ​and​ ​AI​ ​will

destroy​ ​civilization.​ ​But​ ​with​ ​the​ ​construction​ ​of​ ​weapons​ ​comes​ ​order​ ​and​ ​AI​ ​will​ ​open​ ​up​ ​more

pathways​ ​to​ ​the​ ​future​ ​than​ ​us​ ​humans​ ​could​ ​ever​ ​imagine.​ ​Tech​ ​isn’t​ ​the​ ​only​ ​contributor​ ​to​ ​our

golden​ ​age​ ​because​ ​politics​ ​are​ ​what​ ​get​ ​things​ ​done.

With​ ​President​ ​Trump​ ​becoming​ ​our​ ​leader​ ​along​ ​with​ ​the​ ​pettiness​ ​of​ ​our​ ​senate,​ ​it​ ​can

be​ ​easy​ ​to​ ​complain​ ​about​ ​the​ ​current​ ​state​ ​of​ ​our​ ​great​ ​nation.​ ​But​ ​despite​ ​some​ ​mistakes​ ​and

poor​ ​decisions​ ​made​ ​by​ ​our​ ​country's​ ​leaders,​ ​we​ ​have​ ​done​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​in​ ​the​ ​past​ ​few​ ​years.​ ​From
great​ ​healthcare,​ ​to​ ​changes​ ​of​ ​mandatory​ ​minimums,​ ​and​ ​bring​ ​corrupt​ ​cops​ ​to​ ​justice.​ ​Social

media​ ​like​ ​Instagram​ ​and​ ​Snapchat​ ​have​ ​done​ ​a​ ​tremendous​ ​job​ ​of​ ​spreading​ ​news​ ​and​ ​issues

around​ ​the​ ​globe.​ ​Over​ ​the​ ​past​ ​decade​ ​specific​ ​leaders​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Barack​ ​Obama​ ​or​ ​Dilma​ ​Vana

Rousseff​ ​have​ ​made​ ​significant​ ​changes​ ​to​ ​their​ ​governments​ ​along​ ​with​ ​neighboring​ ​countries.

Which​ ​brings​ ​me​ ​to​ ​my​ ​last​ ​point,​ ​global​ ​assistance.

What​ ​really​ ​puts​ ​our​ ​planet​ ​in​ ​a​ ​state​ ​of​ ​utopia​ ​is​ ​the​ ​communication​ ​and​ ​cooperation​ ​of

the​ ​world​ ​countries.​ ​You​ ​can​ ​always​ ​point​ ​out​ ​the​ ​not​ ​so​ ​cooperative​ ​countries​ ​like​ ​North​ ​Korea

or​ ​Iran,​ ​but​ ​that​ ​is​ ​a​ ​small​ ​percentage​ ​of​ ​cold​ ​compared​ ​to​ ​the​ ​overall​ ​warmth.​ ​Ever​ ​since​ ​the

start​ ​of​ ​time,​ ​people​ ​have​ ​looked​ ​out​ ​for​ ​each​ ​other.​ ​Ancient​ ​civilizations​ ​traded​ ​and​ ​supported

one​ ​another,​ ​great​ ​empires​ ​were​ ​established​ ​with​ ​government​ ​deals.​ ​Nowaday​ ​important

decisions​ ​are​ ​made​ ​consistently​ ​and​ ​the​ ​majority​ ​help​ ​the​ ​earth's​ ​people​ ​no​ ​matter​ ​what​ ​country

they’re​ ​from.​ ​This​ ​is​ ​what​ ​makes​ ​our​ ​current​ ​time​ ​period​ ​a​ ​golden​ ​age,​ ​the​ ​brotherhood​ ​of​ ​earth.

Of​ ​course,​ ​there​ ​will​ ​always​ ​be​ ​criticizers,​ ​reporters,​ ​people​ ​who​ ​only​ ​point​ ​out​ ​the​ ​bad.

This​ ​is​ ​a​ ​constant​ ​thing​ ​and​ ​you​ ​can’t​ ​have​ ​a​ ​perfect​ ​society​ ​without​ ​criticism​ ​of​ ​itself.​ ​With​ ​a

golden​ ​age​ ​it​ ​can​ ​be​ ​hard​ ​to​ ​tell​ ​if​ ​there​ ​will​ ​ever​ ​be​ ​one​ ​or​ ​if​ ​there​ ​ever​ ​has​ ​been​ ​one.​ ​But​ ​often

people​ ​forget​ ​to​ ​consider​ ​the​ ​possibility​ ​they​ ​are​ ​currently​ ​living​ ​in​ ​a​ ​world​ ​where​ ​everything​ ​is,

quite​ ​literally,​ ​awesome.