https://www.conservapedia.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=LucyJ 2026-09-22T19:46:37Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.35.14 https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Periodic_table_of_the_elements&diff=759012 2010-03-02T22:30:24Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Aqw.jpg|thumb|Circular periodic table]]<br /> <br /> The '''periodic table of the elements''' is a diagrammatic tool to illustrate the scientific [[theory]] of [[periodicity]] in [[chemistry]], in which the [[element]]s have similar properties based on their position on the table. For example, the elements on the far left of the table (Group one) all demonstrate similar properties, such as softness and high reactivity. The table has a lot of predictive power, although there are many exceptions to the periodic properties.<br /> <br /> The modern periodic table was first developed by [[Russia]]n [[chemistry|chemist]] [[Dimitri Mendeleev]]. Its layout accurately arranges elements by their [[electron]] configuration, atomic number, and chemical properties. Using the structure he created, Mendeleev predicted the existence and properties of several yet-undiscovered elements; when those elements were discovered, his estimates proved to be quite accurate, vindicating his theory which had previously been criticized. Other chemists, such as Antione Lavoisier, and Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner had attempted to create periodic tables by grouping similar elements, but Mendeleev was successful because he left empty spaces for undiscovered, but predicted elements.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> <br /> Elements in the periodic table are ordered by number of [[proton]]s, and rows are arranged by number of [[electrons]] in their outermost [[electron shell]]. Since farther out shells have more [[orbital]]s, this means that there will be more elements in the lower rows of the periodic table than in the higher rows. For example, for [[principle quantum number] &lt;i&gt;n=1&lt;/i&gt;, there is only one [[s-orbital]] available, which will fit only two electrons (due to the [[Pauli exclusion principle]], which states that no two electrons can have the same quantum numbers). Therefore, only two elements can be in the top row of the periodic table. As the [[principle quantum number]] increases, the number of electrons per shell rises, so the farther-down rows hold more elements.<br /> <br /> The [[group number]] tells how many electrons an element has in its outermost electron shell. For example, every element in group 8A, the [[Nobel gases]], has its outermost electron shell completely full.<br /> <br /> <br /> {{clear}}<br /> <br /> <br /> ==External Links==<br /> *[http://www.learner.org/interactives/periodic/index.html Interactive Periodic Table] You've seen it before, but what do all those symbols and numbers really mean? You're about to find out.<br /> * [http://www.sporcle.com/games/elements.php Name the elements in the Periodic Table!]<br /> <br /> ==The Periodic Table==<br /> <br /> {|style=&quot;border-collapse:collapse; border:none;margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto&quot;<br /> !1A<br /> |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> !8A<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|1|H|Hydrogen|1.008|#00ff00}}<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|2A<br /> |||||||||||||||||||<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|3A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|4A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|5A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|6A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|7A<br /> |{{ptc|2|He|Helium|4.003|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|3|Li|Lithium|6.939}}<br /> |{{ptc|4|Be|Beryllium|9.0122}}<br /> |||||||||||||||||||<br /> |{{ptc|5|B|Boron|10.811|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|6|C|Carbon|12.011|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|7|N|Nitrogen|14.007|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|8|O|Oxygen|15.999|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|9|F|Fluorine|18.998|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|10|Ne|Neon|10.183|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|11|Na|Sodium|22.99}}<br /> |{{ptc|12|Mg|Magnesium|24.312}}<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|3B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|4B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|5B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|6B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|7B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|&lt;---<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|8B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|--&gt;<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|1B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|2B<br /> |{{ptc|13|Al|Aluminium|26.982}}<br /> |{{ptc|14|Si|Silicon|28.086|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|15|P|Phosphorus|30.974|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|16|S|Sulfur|32.064|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|17|Cl|Chlorine|35.453|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|18|Ar|Argon|39.948|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|19|K|Potassium|39.102}}<br /> |{{ptc|20|Ca|Calcium|40.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|21|Sc|Scandium|44.956}}<br /> |{{ptc|22|Ti|Titanium|47.9}}<br /> |{{ptc|23|V|Vanadium|50.942}}<br /> |{{ptc|24|Cr|Chromium|51.996}}<br /> |{{ptc|25|Mn|Manganese|54.938}}<br /> |{{ptc|26|Fe|Iron|55.847}}<br /> |{{ptc|27|Co|Cobalt|58.933}}<br /> |{{ptc|28|Ni|Nickel|58.71}}<br /> |{{ptc|29|Cu|Copper|63.546}}<br /> |{{ptc|30|Zn|Zinc|65.37}}<br /> |{{ptc|31|Ga|Gallium|69.72}}<br /> |{{ptc|32|Ge|Germanium|72.59|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|33|As|Arsenic|74.922|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|34|Se|Selenium|78.96|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|35|Br|Bromine|79.904|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|36|Kr|Krypton|83.8|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|37|Rb|Rubidium|85.47}}<br /> |{{ptc|38|Sr|Strontium|87.62}}<br /> |{{ptc|39|Y|Yttrium|88.905}}<br /> |{{ptc|40|Zr|Zirconium|91.22}}<br /> |{{ptc|41|Nb|Niobium|92.906}}<br /> |{{ptc|42|Mo|Molybdenum|95.94}}<br /> |{{ptc|43|Tc|Technetium|[97]}}<br /> |{{ptc|44|Ru|Ruthenium|101.07}}<br /> |{{ptc|45|Rh|Rhodium|102.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|46|Pd|Palladium|106.4}}<br /> |{{ptc|47|Ag|Silver|107.87}}<br /> |{{ptc|48|Cd|Cadmium|112.4}}<br /> |{{ptc|49|In|Indium|114.82}}<br /> |{{ptc|50|Sn|Tin|118.69}}<br /> |{{ptc|51|Sb|Antimony|121.75|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|52|Te|Tellurium|127.6|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|53|I|Iodine|126.9|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|54|Xe|Xenon|131.3|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|55|Cs|Caesium|132.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|56|Ba|Barium|137.34}}<br /> |{{ptc|57*|La|Lanthanum|138.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|72|Hf|Hafnium|178.49}}<br /> |{{ptc|73|Ta|Tantalum|180.95}}<br /> |{{ptc|74|W|Tungsten|183.85}}<br /> |{{ptc|75|Re|Rhenium|186.2}}<br /> |{{ptc|76|Os|Osmium|190.2}}<br /> |{{ptc|77|Ir|Iridium|192.2}}<br /> |{{ptc|78|Pt|Platinum|195.09}}<br /> |{{ptc|79|Au|Gold|196.97}}<br /> |{{ptc|80|Hg|Mercury (element)|200.59}}<br /> |{{ptc|81|Tl|Thallium|204.37}}<br /> |{{ptc|82|Pb|Lead|207.19}}<br /> |{{ptc|83|Bi|Bismuth|208.98}}<br /> |{{ptc|84|Po|Polonium|210}}<br /> |{{ptc|85|At|Astatine|210|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|86|Rn|Radon|222|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|87|Fr|Francium|215}}<br /> |{{ptc|88|Ra|Radium|226.03}}<br /> |{{ptc|89**|Ac|Actinium|227.03}}<br /> |{{ptc|104|Rf|Rutherfordium|[261]}}<br /> |{{ptc|105|Db|Dubnium|[262]}}<br /> |{{ptc|106|Sg|Seaborgium|[266]}}<br /> |{{ptc|107|Bh|Bohrium|[264]}}<br /> |{{ptc|108|Hs|Hassium|[265]}}<br /> |{{ptc|109|Mt|Meitnerium|[268]}}<br /> |{{ptc|110|Dt|Darmstadtium|[271]}}<br /> |{{ptc|111|Rg|Roentgenium|[272]}}<br /> |{{ptc|112|||[277]}}<br /> |<br /> |{{ptc|114|||[289]}}<br /> |<br /> |{{ptc|116|||[289]}}<br /> |||<br /> |-<br /> |&amp;nbsp;||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> |-<br /> |colspan=&quot;2&quot;|*Lanthanides<br /> |{{ptc|58|Ce|Cerium|140.12}}<br /> |{{ptc|59|Pr|Praseodymium|140.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|60|Nd|Neodymium|144.24}}<br /> |{{ptc|61|Pm|Promethium|145}}<br /> |{{ptc|62|Sm|Samarium|150.35}}<br /> |{{ptc|63|Eu|Europium|151.96}}<br /> |{{ptc|64|Gd|Gadolinium|157.25}}<br /> |{{ptc|65|Tb|Terbium|158.92}}<br /> |{{ptc|66|Dy|Dysprosium|162.5}}<br /> |{{ptc|67|Ho|Holmium|164.93}}<br /> |{{ptc|68|Er|Erbium|167.26}}<br /> |{{ptc|69|Tm|Thulium|168.93}}<br /> |{{ptc|70|Yb|Ytterbium|173.04}}<br /> |{{ptc|71|Lu|Lutetium|174.97}}<br /> |||<br /> |-<br /> |&amp;nbsp;||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> |-<br /> |colspan=&quot;2&quot;|**Actinides<br /> |{{ptc|90|Th|Thorium|232.04}}<br /> |{{ptc|91|Pa|Protactinium|231}}<br /> |{{ptc|92|U|Uranium|238.03}}<br /> |{{ptc|93|Np|Neptunium|237.05}}<br /> |{{ptc|94|Pu|Plutonium|239.05}}<br /> |{{ptc|95|Am|Americium|241.06}}<br /> |{{ptc|96|Cm|Curium|244.06}}<br /> |{{ptc|97|Bk|Berkelium|249.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|98|Cf|Californium|252.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|99|Es|Einsteinium|252.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|100|Fm|Fermium|257.1}}<br /> |{{ptc|101|Md|Mendelevium|258.1}}<br /> |{{ptc|102|No|Nobelium|259.1}}<br /> |{{ptc|103|Lr|Lawrencium|262.11}}<br /> |||<br /> |-<br /> |&amp;nbsp;||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:#00ff00&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Nonmetal]]s<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:#bbbbff&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Semimetal]]s<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:pink&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Metal]]s<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:gold&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Noble gas|Noble Gases]]<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Chemistry]]<br /> [[Category:Elements]]</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Periodic_table_of_the_elements&diff=759010 2010-03-02T22:29:56Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Aqw.jpg|thumb|Circular periodic table]]<br /> <br /> The '''periodic table of the elements''' is a diagrammatic tool to illustrate the scientific [[theory]] of [[periodicity]] in [[chemistry]], in which the [[element]]s have similar properties based on their position on the table. For example, the elements on the far left of the table (Group one) all demonstrate similar properties, such as softness and high reactivity. The table has a lot of predictive power, although there are many exceptions to the periodic properties.<br /> <br /> The modern periodic table was first developed by [[Russia]]n [[chemistry|chemist]] [[Dimitri Mendeleev]]. Its layout accurately arranges elements by their [[electron]] configuration, atomic number, and chemical properties. Using the structure he created, Mendeleev predicted the existence and properties of several yet-undiscovered elements; when those elements were discovered, his estimates proved to be quite accurate, vindicating his theory which had previously been criticized. Other chemists, such as Antione Lavoisier, and Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner had attempted to create periodic tables by grouping similar elements, but Mendeleev was successful because he left empty spaces for undiscovered, but predicted elements.<br /> <br /> ==Organization==<br /> <br /> Elements in the periodic table are ordered by number of [[proton]]s, and rows are arranged by number of [[electrons]]s in their outermost [[electron shell]]. Since farther out shells have more [[orbital]]s, this means that there will be more elements in the lower rows of the periodic table than in the higher rows. For example, for [[principle quantum number] &lt;i&gt;n=1&lt;/i&gt;, there is only one [[s-orbital]] available, which will fit only two electrons (due to the [[Pauli exclusion principle]], which states that no two electrons can have the same quantum numbers). Therefore, only two elements can be in the top row of the periodic table. As the [[principle quantum number]] increases, the number of electrons per shell rises, so the farther-down rows hold more elements.<br /> <br /> The [[group number]] tells how many electrons an element has in its outermost electron shell. For example, every element in group 8A, the [[Nobel gases]], has its outermost electron shell completely full.<br /> <br /> <br /> {{clear}}<br /> <br /> <br /> ==External Links==<br /> *[http://www.learner.org/interactives/periodic/index.html Interactive Periodic Table] You've seen it before, but what do all those symbols and numbers really mean? You're about to find out.<br /> * [http://www.sporcle.com/games/elements.php Name the elements in the Periodic Table!]<br /> <br /> ==The Periodic Table==<br /> <br /> {|style=&quot;border-collapse:collapse; border:none;margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto&quot;<br /> !1A<br /> |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> !8A<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|1|H|Hydrogen|1.008|#00ff00}}<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|2A<br /> |||||||||||||||||||<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|3A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|4A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|5A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|6A<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|7A<br /> |{{ptc|2|He|Helium|4.003|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|3|Li|Lithium|6.939}}<br /> |{{ptc|4|Be|Beryllium|9.0122}}<br /> |||||||||||||||||||<br /> |{{ptc|5|B|Boron|10.811|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|6|C|Carbon|12.011|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|7|N|Nitrogen|14.007|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|8|O|Oxygen|15.999|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|9|F|Fluorine|18.998|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|10|Ne|Neon|10.183|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|11|Na|Sodium|22.99}}<br /> |{{ptc|12|Mg|Magnesium|24.312}}<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|3B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|4B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|5B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|6B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|7B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|&lt;---<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|8B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|--&gt;<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|1B<br /> !valign=&quot;bottom&quot;|2B<br /> |{{ptc|13|Al|Aluminium|26.982}}<br /> |{{ptc|14|Si|Silicon|28.086|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|15|P|Phosphorus|30.974|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|16|S|Sulfur|32.064|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|17|Cl|Chlorine|35.453|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|18|Ar|Argon|39.948|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|19|K|Potassium|39.102}}<br /> |{{ptc|20|Ca|Calcium|40.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|21|Sc|Scandium|44.956}}<br /> |{{ptc|22|Ti|Titanium|47.9}}<br /> |{{ptc|23|V|Vanadium|50.942}}<br /> |{{ptc|24|Cr|Chromium|51.996}}<br /> |{{ptc|25|Mn|Manganese|54.938}}<br /> |{{ptc|26|Fe|Iron|55.847}}<br /> |{{ptc|27|Co|Cobalt|58.933}}<br /> |{{ptc|28|Ni|Nickel|58.71}}<br /> |{{ptc|29|Cu|Copper|63.546}}<br /> |{{ptc|30|Zn|Zinc|65.37}}<br /> |{{ptc|31|Ga|Gallium|69.72}}<br /> |{{ptc|32|Ge|Germanium|72.59|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|33|As|Arsenic|74.922|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|34|Se|Selenium|78.96|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|35|Br|Bromine|79.904|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|36|Kr|Krypton|83.8|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|37|Rb|Rubidium|85.47}}<br /> |{{ptc|38|Sr|Strontium|87.62}}<br /> |{{ptc|39|Y|Yttrium|88.905}}<br /> |{{ptc|40|Zr|Zirconium|91.22}}<br /> |{{ptc|41|Nb|Niobium|92.906}}<br /> |{{ptc|42|Mo|Molybdenum|95.94}}<br /> |{{ptc|43|Tc|Technetium|[97]}}<br /> |{{ptc|44|Ru|Ruthenium|101.07}}<br /> |{{ptc|45|Rh|Rhodium|102.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|46|Pd|Palladium|106.4}}<br /> |{{ptc|47|Ag|Silver|107.87}}<br /> |{{ptc|48|Cd|Cadmium|112.4}}<br /> |{{ptc|49|In|Indium|114.82}}<br /> |{{ptc|50|Sn|Tin|118.69}}<br /> |{{ptc|51|Sb|Antimony|121.75|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|52|Te|Tellurium|127.6|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|53|I|Iodine|126.9|#00ff00}}<br /> |{{ptc|54|Xe|Xenon|131.3|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|55|Cs|Caesium|132.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|56|Ba|Barium|137.34}}<br /> |{{ptc|57*|La|Lanthanum|138.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|72|Hf|Hafnium|178.49}}<br /> |{{ptc|73|Ta|Tantalum|180.95}}<br /> |{{ptc|74|W|Tungsten|183.85}}<br /> |{{ptc|75|Re|Rhenium|186.2}}<br /> |{{ptc|76|Os|Osmium|190.2}}<br /> |{{ptc|77|Ir|Iridium|192.2}}<br /> |{{ptc|78|Pt|Platinum|195.09}}<br /> |{{ptc|79|Au|Gold|196.97}}<br /> |{{ptc|80|Hg|Mercury (element)|200.59}}<br /> |{{ptc|81|Tl|Thallium|204.37}}<br /> |{{ptc|82|Pb|Lead|207.19}}<br /> |{{ptc|83|Bi|Bismuth|208.98}}<br /> |{{ptc|84|Po|Polonium|210}}<br /> |{{ptc|85|At|Astatine|210|#bbbbff}}<br /> |{{ptc|86|Rn|Radon|222|gold}}<br /> |-<br /> |{{ptc|87|Fr|Francium|215}}<br /> |{{ptc|88|Ra|Radium|226.03}}<br /> |{{ptc|89**|Ac|Actinium|227.03}}<br /> |{{ptc|104|Rf|Rutherfordium|[261]}}<br /> |{{ptc|105|Db|Dubnium|[262]}}<br /> |{{ptc|106|Sg|Seaborgium|[266]}}<br /> |{{ptc|107|Bh|Bohrium|[264]}}<br /> |{{ptc|108|Hs|Hassium|[265]}}<br /> |{{ptc|109|Mt|Meitnerium|[268]}}<br /> |{{ptc|110|Dt|Darmstadtium|[271]}}<br /> |{{ptc|111|Rg|Roentgenium|[272]}}<br /> |{{ptc|112|||[277]}}<br /> |<br /> |{{ptc|114|||[289]}}<br /> |<br /> |{{ptc|116|||[289]}}<br /> |||<br /> |-<br /> |&amp;nbsp;||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> |-<br /> |colspan=&quot;2&quot;|*Lanthanides<br /> |{{ptc|58|Ce|Cerium|140.12}}<br /> |{{ptc|59|Pr|Praseodymium|140.91}}<br /> |{{ptc|60|Nd|Neodymium|144.24}}<br /> |{{ptc|61|Pm|Promethium|145}}<br /> |{{ptc|62|Sm|Samarium|150.35}}<br /> |{{ptc|63|Eu|Europium|151.96}}<br /> |{{ptc|64|Gd|Gadolinium|157.25}}<br /> |{{ptc|65|Tb|Terbium|158.92}}<br /> |{{ptc|66|Dy|Dysprosium|162.5}}<br /> |{{ptc|67|Ho|Holmium|164.93}}<br /> |{{ptc|68|Er|Erbium|167.26}}<br /> |{{ptc|69|Tm|Thulium|168.93}}<br /> |{{ptc|70|Yb|Ytterbium|173.04}}<br /> |{{ptc|71|Lu|Lutetium|174.97}}<br /> |||<br /> |-<br /> |&amp;nbsp;||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> |-<br /> |colspan=&quot;2&quot;|**Actinides<br /> |{{ptc|90|Th|Thorium|232.04}}<br /> |{{ptc|91|Pa|Protactinium|231}}<br /> |{{ptc|92|U|Uranium|238.03}}<br /> |{{ptc|93|Np|Neptunium|237.05}}<br /> |{{ptc|94|Pu|Plutonium|239.05}}<br /> |{{ptc|95|Am|Americium|241.06}}<br /> |{{ptc|96|Cm|Curium|244.06}}<br /> |{{ptc|97|Bk|Berkelium|249.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|98|Cf|Californium|252.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|99|Es|Einsteinium|252.08}}<br /> |{{ptc|100|Fm|Fermium|257.1}}<br /> |{{ptc|101|Md|Mendelevium|258.1}}<br /> |{{ptc|102|No|Nobelium|259.1}}<br /> |{{ptc|103|Lr|Lawrencium|262.11}}<br /> |||<br /> |-<br /> |&amp;nbsp;||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:#00ff00&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Nonmetal]]s<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:#bbbbff&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Semimetal]]s<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:pink&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Metal]]s<br /> |-<br /> |style=&quot;background-color:gold&quot;|<br /> |colspan=17|[[Noble gas|Noble Gases]]<br /> |}<br /> <br /> [[Category:Chemistry]]<br /> [[Category:Elements]]</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:LucyJ&diff=758984 2010-03-02T21:40:37Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>{{useful links}}<br /> <br /> &quot;Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart&quot; Proverbs 3:3<br /> <br /> (On the bible) &quot;It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.&quot; Mark Twain, Letters from the Earth</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:LucyJ&diff=758946 2010-03-02T19:14:55Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>{{useful links}}<br /> <br /> &quot;Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart&quot; Proverbs 3:3</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Chaos_theory&diff=758674 2010-03-01T21:31:22Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>'''Chaos Theory''' is the name given to a branch of [[physics]] and [[mathematics]] studying systems that are extremely sensitive to starting conditions. A chaotic system is one where a very small difference, or error, in initial circumstances gives very different outcomes. In the applied sciences, such systems are typically impossible to predict in the long term. An example of a chaotic system would be weather forecasting, where short term predictions are possible, but long term predictions are useless. Chaos theory is often termed the &quot;Butterfly Effect&quot;, as a lecture by Edward Lorenz, an important figure in the theory, titled a lecture on the subject &quot;Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil cause a tornado in Texas?&quot;.<br /> <br /> == Simplified example ==<br /> <br /> A simplified example of a chaotic system would be one where the initial input is one decimal value. Each tick, the value is multiplied by ten, and the unit digit is removed. If, for example, the original value was 4.198334, the system would go:<br /> <br /> *4.198334<br /> *1.98334<br /> *9.8334<br /> *8.334<br /> *3.34<br /> *3.4<br /> *4<br /> <br /> If, however the original value was different, perhaps due to a rounding error, or error in measurement, the initial value could be 4.198335. The system would then go<br /> <br /> *4.198335<br /> *1.98335<br /> *9.8335<br /> *8.335<br /> *3.35<br /> *3.5<br /> *5<br /> <br /> Each tick, the error affects the result more strongly. This large change in results from a small change in initial values is an example of a chaotic system.</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:LucyJ&diff=758673 2010-03-01T21:29:47Z

<p>LucyJ: /* Mathematician? */</p> <hr /> <div>Welcome. Your first 4 contributions have given me food for thought. Could you tell us a bit more about your ideas on evolution and on Russian history? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] &lt;sup&gt;[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]&lt;/sup&gt; 16:55, 22 February 2010 (EST)<br /> : I'm not entirely sure if you're asking me that seriously, or as some kind of probing question into my views on various things. --[[User:LucyJ|LucyJ]] 10:36, 28 February 2010 (EST)<br /> <br /> == Mathematician? ==<br /> <br /> Another mathematician is always most welcome. Of course you're still welcome if you are not a mathematician, but I'm just guessing based off your [[chaos theory]] article. What kind of experience do you have? [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 16:26, 1 March 2010 (EST)<br /> : No maths specific qualifications above age 18, but as a medical student, a certain grasp of mathematics is necessary. It has also always interested me somewhat, and I often find mysef buying book on various mathematical subjects. --[[User:LucyJ|LucyJ]] 16:29, 1 March 2010 (EST)</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Chaos_theory&diff=758668 2010-03-01T21:18:41Z

<p>LucyJ: /* Simplified example */</p> <hr /> <div>'''Chaos Theory''' is the name given to a branch of [[Physics]] and [[Mathematics]] studying systems that are extremely sensitive to starting conditions. A chaotic system is one where a very small difference, or error, in initial circumstances give very different outcomes. These systems are typically impossible to predict in the long term. An example of a chaotic system would be Weather Forecasting, where short term predictions are possible, but long term predictions are useless. Chaos theory is often termed the &quot;Butterfly Effect&quot;, as a lecture by Edward Lorenz, an important figure in the theory, titled a lecture on the subject &quot;Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil cause a tornade in Texas?&quot;.<br /> <br /> == Simplified example ==<br /> <br /> A simplified example of a chaotic system would be one where the initial input is one decimal value. Each tick, the value is multiplied by ten, and the unit digit is removed. If, for example, the original value was 4.198334, the system would go:<br /> <br /> *4.198334<br /> *1.98334<br /> *9.8334<br /> *8.334<br /> *3.34<br /> *3.4<br /> *4<br /> <br /> If, however the original value was different, perhaps due to a rounding error, or error in measurement, the initial value could be 4.198335. The system would then go<br /> <br /> *4.198335<br /> *1.98335<br /> *9.8335<br /> *8.335<br /> *3.35<br /> *3.5<br /> *5<br /> <br /> Each tick, the error affects the result more strongly. This large change in results from a small change in initial values is an example of a chaotic system.</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Chaos_theory&diff=758667 2010-03-01T21:18:11Z

<p>LucyJ: Created page with ''''Chaos Theory''' is the name given to a branch of Physics and Mathematics studying systems that are extremely sensitive to starting conditions. A chaotic system is one ...'</p> <hr /> <div>'''Chaos Theory''' is the name given to a branch of [[Physics]] and [[Mathematics]] studying systems that are extremely sensitive to starting conditions. A chaotic system is one where a very small difference, or error, in initial circumstances give very different outcomes. These systems are typically impossible to predict in the long term. An example of a chaotic system would be Weather Forecasting, where short term predictions are possible, but long term predictions are useless. Chaos theory is often termed the &quot;Butterfly Effect&quot;, as a lecture by Edward Lorenz, an important figure in the theory, titled a lecture on the subject &quot;Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil cause a tornade in Texas?&quot;.<br /> <br /> == Simplified example ==<br /> <br /> A simplified example of a chaotic system would be one where the initial input is one decimal value. Each tick, the value is multiplied by ten, and the unit digit is removed. If, for example, the original value was 4.198334, the system would go:<br /> <br /> *4.198334<br /> *1.98334<br /> *9.8334<br /> *8.334<br /> *3.34<br /> *3.4<br /> *4<br /> <br /> If, however the original value was different, perhaps due to a rounding error, or error in measurement, the initial value could be 4.198335. The system would then go<br /> 4.198335<br /> <br /> *1.98335<br /> *9.8335<br /> *8.335<br /> *3.35<br /> *3.5<br /> *5<br /> <br /> Each tick, the error affects the result more strongly. This large change in results from a small change in initial values is an example of a chaotic system.</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Second_Law_of_Thermodynamics&diff=758662 2010-03-01T20:53:24Z

<p>LucyJ: /* Entropy and disorder for dummies */</p> <hr /> <div>The '''Second Law of Thermodynamics''' states that heat can never flow from a cold body to a warmer one. An equivalent definition is that the [[entropy]] of an isolated system tends to increase. &lt;ref&gt; “Another way of stating the second [[law]] then is: ‘The universe is constantly getting more disorderly!’ Viewed that way, we can see the second law all about us. We have to [[work]] hard to straighten a room, but left to itself it becomes a mess again very quickly and very easily. Even if we never enter it, it becomes dusty and musty. How difficult to maintain houses, and machinery, and our bodies in perfect working order: how easy to let them deteriorate. In fact, all we have to do is nothing, and everything deteriorates, collapses, breaks down, wears out, all by itself -- and that is what the second law is all about.” Isaac Asimov, Smithsonian Institute Journal, June 1970, p. 6 &lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> According to this law, it is impossible to build a [[perpetual motion machine]], and [[entropy]] in a completely closed system must either increase or remain constant.<br /> <br /> <br /> ==The three forms of the Second Law of Thermodynamics==<br /> There are three different types of systems that the Second Law of Thermodynamics can apply to:<br /> <br /> * Isolated system - Does not exchange matter or energy with its surroundings<br /> * Closed system - Exchanges energy, but not matter, with its surroundings<br /> * Open system - Exchanges both matter and energy with its surroundings<br /> <br /> ==Interpretation==<br /> A simplification caused by misinterpretation says: disorder will increase within a closed system.<br /> <br /> Actually entropy is a little more abstract and the second law of thermodynamics means something like this: the universe will always become increasingly uniform, that is: heat will spread until the entire universe has the temperature and energy level (in a closed system heat will always spread from a place where there is a lot of heat to a place where there is less until balance is achieved), forces will continue to work until a universal balance has been achieved.<br /> <br /> In this final state the universe is one uniform space where nothing happens and no work (moving something) can be done since there are no above average concentrations of energy left.<br /> This state is called maximum entropy and is said to be in perfect disorder (although intuitively its uniformity would seem to be a state of perfect order) because it has become impossible to determine what happened in the past. ''i.e.'' There are an infinite number of ways (histories of the universe) maximum entropy could have been reached.<br /> <br /> ==Entropy and disorder for dummies==<br /> <br /> In this context &quot;increasing disorder&quot; means &quot;that which happens if you let nature take its course&quot;.<br /> Imagine your old room at your parent's house. Remember how easy it was to let the room turn into a uniform mess (disorder) and remember how hard it was to clean it up until it fit a specific, non-uniform design (order). Not cleaning up would always result in an increase of entropy in your room!<br /> <br /> Now, in nature there is no one to clean up the universe, only chances. The chance of something becoming orderly is a lot smaller than the chance of something becoming disorderly (since there are far more possible disorderly states to choose from).<br /> <br /> Alternatively one could think of how difficult it is to construct a house of cards, while almost everything that happens in nature will result in its collapse.<br /> <br /> On a universal scale a tidy room would be a universe which has pockets of above average concentrations of energy (remember that E=mc^2 so this includes matter as well.)<br /> A messy room would be a universe in which all energy is equally spread out.<br /> <br /> The flow of energy (by heat exchange) to places with lower concentrations is called the &quot;heat flow&quot;.<br /> <br /> The often heard argument that this law disproves an eternal universe is true, since in that case maximum entropy would have been reached already. A counter-argument to this would be to suggest that the universe is still in the process of approaching maximum entropy.<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> <br /> [[Category:Physics]]</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Atomic_bomb&diff=758653 2010-03-01T20:45:55Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Abomb.jpg|right|200px]]<br /> <br /> The '''atomic bomb''' was the name used in the 1940s for the first of what are now called '''nuclear weapons.''' The USA developed it during [[World War II]] partially out of fear that the Germans and Japanese might be working on such a weapon (as in fact they were, although they did not get very far with their project.) This development represented the peak of [[Technological Development|technology]] in World War II. Several other countries now also have atomic bombs, some of which were derived from from American technology, some of which were developed independantly.<br /> <br /> The secret wartime project that developed the bomb was called by the code name ''the Manhattan project.'' Much of the development took place at Los Alamos, New Mexico. The laboratories built there for the Manhattan Project became what is today the Los Alamos National Laboratory.<br /> <br /> The United States dropped two atomic bombs named [[Little Boy]] and [[Fat Man]] on the Japanese cities of [[Hiroshima]] and [[Nagasaki]] respectively, bringing the war between the US and Japan to a swift and decisive end. The morality of the use of the bombs is debated because of a fear of atomic technology, and because of the huge loss of civilian life (140,000 at Hiroshima, 70,000 at Nagasaki). U. S. officials have said that the cities as a whole were proper military targets (the Japanese 2nd Army was headquartered there), and that because the bombings ended the war so quickly, fewer Japanese civilians were killed than if the bombs had not been used. Starting a week in advance, the US dropped over five million of warning leaflets on Japanese cities, after the Hiroshima bombing, urging the Japanese to evacuate,&lt;ref&gt;[http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/truman/psources/ps_leaflets.html Leaflets Dropped On Cities In Japan]&lt;/ref&gt;&lt;ref&gt;https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol46no3/article07.html&lt;/ref&gt; but they did not. <br /> <br /> Since the US used both of these nuclear weapons in 1945 no other country has used the atomic bomb in war. The bombs and subsequent surrender also prevented the annexation of Japan's northern islands by the Soviet Union &lt;ref&gt;http://www.afsc.org/newengland/pesp/DecisionToUseABomb.htm&lt;/ref&gt;&lt;ref&gt;http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20050902-atom-bomb-hiroshima-nagasaki-enola.shtml&lt;/ref&gt; and deterred the Soviet Union from expansion in Europe. <br /> The atomic bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were ''fission'' weapons, which detonate with a massive explosion due to the release of the binding energy within the nucleus of the atom. Specifically, neutrons in a rapid chain reaction split the nuclei of a heavy chemical element, such as plutonium or uranium, to cause the massive release of energy.<br /> <br /> After [[World War II]], nuclear weapon research continued with the development of the [[fusion]] or [[thermonuclear weapon]]. Many tests of these weapons were conducted during the [[Cold War]], but most of these tests took place on remote Pacific islands that were US territories or in the upper atmosphere. These weapons massively exceeded the power of the [[fission]] bombs dropped on Japan. Simultaneously, and as a civilian spinoff from the military program, there were developments in the production of efficient [[nuclear energy]] for civilian electrical generation. The threat of the use of nuclear weapons was a major issue in the [[Cold War]]. Today, the thirty-year threat of the use of nuclear weapons to prevent international aggression have been credited by many with helping avoid another world war.<br /> <br /> ==References==<br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:Weapons]]<br /> [[Category:World War II]]</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=London_Underground&diff=758648 2010-03-01T20:36:59Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:London Underground.jpg|thumb|right|A sign for the underground in London England.]]<br /> The '''London Underground''' (often referred to as &quot;The Tube&quot;) is London's [[Subway|underground railway system]]. Many lines in the outskirts are at or above ground level.<br /> <br /> It is comprised of the Bakerloo, Central, Circle, District, Hammersmith &amp; City, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly (serves [[London Heathrow Airport|Heathrow Airport]]), Victoria and Waterloo &amp; City lines.<br /> <br /> The London underground is the oldest subway system in the world.<br /> <br /> ==External Link==<br /> *[http://tfl.gov.uk/tube Official Website]<br /> <br /> [[Category: Transportation]]</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=United_Kingdom&diff=758644 2010-03-01T20:31:25Z

<p>LucyJ: /* Sports and Pastimes */ Second mention of American/British use of football not necessary- explained earlier in section.</p> <hr /> <div>{{Country<br /> |name =''The United Kingdom&lt;br/&gt;of Great Britain&lt;br/&gt;and Northern Ireland''<br /> |map =United kingdom rel87.jpg<br /> |map2 =UK location.png<br /> |flag =Union_jack.jpg<br /> |arms =UK Royal Coat of Arms.png<br /> |capital =London<br /> |capital-raw =<br /> |government =Constitutional monarchy<br /> |government-raw =<br /> |language =English<br /> |king =<br /> |queen =<br /> |monarch-raw =HM Queen [[Elizabeth II]]<br /> |president =<br /> |president-raw =<br /> |chancellor =<br /> |chancellor-raw =<br /> |pm =Gordon Brown<br /> |pm-raw =<br /> |area =94,526 sq mi<br /> |pop =60,587,300 (2007)<br /> |pop-basis =<br /> |gdp =$2.006 trillion<br /> |gdp-year =2006<br /> |gdp-pc =$35,051 (2006)<br /> |currency =Pound Sterling <br /> |idd =<br /> |tld =<br /> }}<br /> '''The United Kingdom''' ('''UK''') is a sovereign [[state]] north-west of mainland [[Europe]]. It comprises [[England]], [[Scotland]] and [[Wales]], which occupy the island of [[Great Britain]], and [[Northern Ireland]] on the island of [[Ireland]]. It attained its current identity in 1922 after most of Ireland was granted independence. <br /> <br /> The United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy. Its symbolic [[head of state]] is [[Elizabeth II]], and its actual [[head of government]] is the Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]]. <br /> <br /> The United Kingdom has the fifth largest economy in the world, and is a member of the [[European Union]], [[NATO]] and the [[United Nations]]. British values, culture and institutions were spread throughout many parts of the world during the period of the [[British Empire]], 1600-1960, and British contributions to world culture include the English language, the [[parliament|parliamentary]] form of government, the [[Church of England|Anglican]] Church (&quot;Church of England&quot;), a tradition of personal liberty, and the common-law legal system.<br /> <br /> ==Name==<br /> The official name of the nation (since 1927) is ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland''.&lt;ref&gt; From 1801 to 1927 the official name was ''The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland''. &lt;/ref&gt; The full official name is seldom used except in very formal or legal documents. The short version for historical topics is either &quot;Britain&quot; or &quot;Great Britain.&quot; The short version for recent events (since the 1970s) is &quot;United Kingdom&quot; or &quot;UK&quot; The adjective is always '''&quot;British&quot;'''. <br /> <br /> Britain was part of the [[British Empire]], which has become the &quot;British Commonwealth&quot;, and is mostly a discussion club --Britain has a few scattered minor possessions but gave up its last important colony--[[Hong Kong]]--in 1997.<br /> <br /> * '''England''' is the largest of the four components of the United Kingdom. &quot;England&quot; was often used to stand for the nation in older literature published before 1970. However use of &quot;England&quot; to refer to the entire country is now sometimes considered offensive by many citizens of the other three member countries and is thus discouraged.<br /> * The standard language of the UK is English; [[Welsh]] has parity in Wales, and [[Gaelic]] is widely used on official documents, roadsigns, etc in remote Gaelic-speaking areas of western Scotland.<br /> <br /> MacColl (2008) explores the use of the term 'Britain' in English, French, and Latin texts from the 12th century to the 16th. The term was flexible, used in a variety of ways (geographically, politically, and ethnically), and not always indicative of any specific meaning. The English at first tended to conflate 'Britain' with England or the southern portion of the island of Great Britain, though the term 'Greater Britain' was applied starting in the 14th century to refer to the entire island. The Scottish, beginning in the 15th century, used the term in the modern sense - as reflective of the entire island of Great Britain and the 'polity' of England, Wales, and Scotland. This latter usage paved the way for the relatively smooth ideological transition after the 1707 Acts of Union.&lt;ref&gt; Alan MacColl, &quot;The Meaning of 'Britain' in Medieval and Early Modern England.&quot; ''Journal of British Studies'' 2006 45(2): 248-269&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Anthem===<br /> The national anthem of the UK is currently ''[[God Save the Queen]]''. Should a male heir accede to the throne, the anthem will become &quot;God Save the King&quot;.&lt;ref&gt; This same melody is also sung by American schoolchildren (with different words) as &quot;My Country, 'Tis of Thee&quot;.&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> The constituent nations have their own unofficial anthems. In the case of Wales, this is ''Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau'' (''Land of My Fathers''), and for Scotland it is ''Flower of Scotland''. England does not have its own distinctive anthem in the same way, but at sporting events in which England is competing as a separate nation, [[Edward Elgar]]'s patriotic song ''Land of Hope and Glory'' is sometimes used (although ''God Save the Queen'' is more commonly used). Additionally the hymn &quot;Jerusalem&quot; has a large number of supporters in England as an alternative to, or replacement for, the national anthem. In Northern Ireland, the Protestant and Catholic communities respectively use ''God Save the Queen'' and ''Amhran na bhFiann'', the Irish national anthem. ''Londonderry Air'' is often used as the anthem for Northern Ireland competitors in sporting events.<br /> <br /> ==People==<br /> [[Image:Tower Bridge London.jpg|thumb|240px|Tower Bridge, London.]]<br /> The United Kingdom's population in 2004 surpassed 60 million--the third-largest in the European Union. Its overall population density is one of the highest in the world. Almost one-third of the population lives in England's prosperous and fertile southeast and is predominantly urban and suburban--with about 7.2 million in the capital of London, which remains the largest city in Europe. <br /> <br /> A net total of 408,000 people were added to the UK population in 2008, the largest numerical increase since 1972. This was partly due to the highest fertility rate in more than three decades. More than half of the increase in births last year was due to non-UK born mothers. <br /> <br /> There is also an ever-increasing ageing population with the number of people over 85 now at a record 1.3 million, the equivalent of one in every 50 people. <br /> <br /> ===Education===<br /> The United Kingdom's high literacy rate (99%) is attributable to universal public education introduced for the primary level in 1870 and secondary level in 1900. Education is mandatory from ages 5 through 16, although this is in the process of being raised to 18 for England and Wales. &quot;Public&quot; schools are elite private prep schools, such as [[Eton]] and [[Rugby]], attended by elite youth who pay high tuition rates.<br /> <br /> About one-fifth of British students go on to post-secondary education.<br /> <br /> Higher education has been a specialty for over 500 years at Oxbridge (Oxford and Cambridge), with new &quot;red brick&quot; universities added in the 19th century and many others in the late 20th century. Universities contribute L33 billion a year to the economy. Britain has a strong attraction for international students, with 342,000 attending in 2007 (compared to 672,000 in the U.S. and 183,000 in Australia). They spend L1.5 billion in tuition in Britain annually, plus another L.4 billion off campus.<br /> <br /> ===Ethnicity===<br /> A group of islands close to continental Europe, the British Isles have been subject to many invasions and migrations, especially from Scandinavia and the continent, including Roman occupation for several centuries. Contemporary Britons are descended mainly from the varied ethnic stocks that settled there before the 11th century. The pre-Celtic, Celtic, Roman, Anglo-Saxon, and Norse influences were blended in Britain under the Normans, Scandinavian Vikings who had lived in Northern France. Although Celtic languages persist in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, as well as Cornwall in south-west England, the predominant language is English, which is primarily a blend of Anglo-Saxon and Norman French. <br /> *Population (2007 est.): 60.8 million.<br /> *Annual population growth rate (2007 est.): 0.275%.<br /> *Major ethnic groups: British 91%, Irish 2%, West Indian and African 3%, South Asian 3%, others 1%.<br /> *Major religions: Church of England (Anglican), Roman Catholic, Church of Scotland (Presbyterian), Muslim.<br /> *Major languages: English<br /> *Education: Years compulsory--12. Attendance--nearly 100%. Literacy--99%. <br /> *Health: Infant mortality rate (2007 est.)--5.01/1,000. Life expectancy (2007 est.)--males 76.23 yrs.; females 81.3 yrs.; total 78.7 years<br /> *Work force (2007, 31.1 million): Services--80.4%; industry--18.2%; agriculture--1.4%.<br /> ===Ethnic tensions===<br /> Ethnic tensions continue to simmer. There is popular resentment, for example, of the 600,000 Poles who have migrated to Britain for work since 2004.<br /> <br /> Britain is home to 2.4 million Muslims from numerous ethnicities. This population is growing 10 times faster than the national average. Regarded as one of the most tolerant countries in Europe, Britain struggles with questions of integration, particularly the social exclusion of its Muslims, as well as the psychological aftermath of the July 2005 suicide bombings on London’s public transport system carried out by young Britons of Pakistani descent, which left 52 people dead and over 700 injured.<br /> <br /> ===Religion===<br /> Religious faith, according to a 2009 survey, has declined sharply in Britain over the last two decades. Now only 50% of people describe themselves as Christian, as opposed to 66% in 1990. Most of the decline is due to a drift away from the Church of England, it is claimed, with only 23% claiming allegiance, down from 40%. <br /> <br /> In 2003 the Office of National Statistics estimated 29% of the population identified with Anglicanism, 10% with the Catholic Church, and 14% with Protestant churches. A 2007 survey reported that the number of Catholics (mostly Irish) attending Sunday services has overtaken the number of Anglicans doing so. A September 2006 English Church Census reported that Methodists were decreasing as a percentage of the population, while members of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Pentecostal churches, many churches from Africa, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, almost entirely immigrants, were increasing.&lt;ref&gt; According to [http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108478.htm U.S. State Department Report, 2008]&lt;/ref&gt; <br /> <br /> Individuals with no religious belief comprised 15% of the population in 2003. Muslims comprise 3% of the population. The Muslim community is predominantly South Asian in origin, but other groups from the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Levant are represented. In addition, there is a growing number of indigenous converts. Although estimates vary, the Government places the number of mosques in the whole country at one thousand. Groups comprising 1% or less of the population include Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and Buddhists. Individuals from Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh backgrounds are concentrated in London and other large urban areas, primarily in England. <br /> <br /> Attendance at religious services was significantly different from the number of adherents. According to a report released on May 8, 2008, by Religious Trends, only 4 million Christians attend services on a regular basis (defined as at least once a month) in the country. These figures do not include Northern Ireland, where higher%ages reportedly attend both Catholic (more than 60%) and Protestant (more than 35%) services. The Religious Trends report stated that more than 50% of Muslims regularly worship at mosques. Figures for Jews and other religious groups were unavailable.<br /> <br /> Religious affiliation was not evenly distributed among ethnicities. According to the 2001 census, approximately 70% of the white population described themselves as Christians. Nearly 75% of black Caribbean respondents stated that they were Christians, as did 70% of black Africans. Meanwhile, 45% of Indians were Hindus and 29% were Sikhs. Approximately 92% of Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were Muslims.<br /> <br /> In Northern Ireland, where divisions between nationalists and unionists evolved largely along religious lines, the 2001 census showed that 53.1% were Protestants and 43.8% were Catholics. Many Catholics and Protestants continued to live in segregated communities in Northern Ireland, although many middle class neighborhoods were mixed communities. The policy of the Government remained one of promotion of religious tolerance. <br /> <br /> There are two established (or state) churches--The [[Church of England]] (Anglican) and the [[Church of Scotland]] (Presbyterian). The Act of Settlement, enacted in 1688, states that no Catholic, or person married to a Catholic, may ascend the throne. <br /> ====Religion in schools====<br /> The Government provides financial support—up to 90% of the total capital costs of the buildings and 100% of running costs, including teachers' salaries - to sectarian educational institutions that are commonly referred to as &quot;faith schools&quot;.<br /> <br /> The Government also helps fund the repair and maintenance of all listed places of worship for religious groups nationwide and contributes to the budget of the Church Conservation Trust, which preserves &quot;redundant&quot; Church of England buildings of architectural or historic significance. <br /> <br /> The Government has not classified the Church of Scientology as a religious institution and therefore has not granted the organization recognition for charitable status. <br /> <br /> More than 30% of state schools had a religious character. Nearly all of the 6,949 &quot;faith schools&quot; are associated with Christian denominations, although there are 31 Jewish, 7 Islamic, and 2 Sikh schools. An additional two Jewish, three Islamic, and two Sikh schools have also been tentatively approved by the Government to open. In addition, several hundred independent schools of a religious nature receive no state support but must meet government quality standards. Controversy arose in 2006 over 100 Islamic schools when an Office of Standards in Education (Ofsted) evaluation of these schools showed many were &quot;little more than places where the Koran was recited.&quot; The schools were given time to correct their deficiencies. A review is due in 2010. Some Christian faith schools also faced controversy. Some were accused of not following the national curriculum in science, teaching creationism instead. During the reporting period, a further controversy erupted when it was learned that some faith schools were not following an &quot;open&quot; admission policy as required by law, denying admission to both special needs children and those outside the faith of the school administrators. The Catholic Church and the Church of England have an agreement to voluntarily accept up to 25% of places for pupils from another religious group or no religious group. <br /> <br /> Almost all schools in Northern Ireland receive state support. More than 90% of students attended schools that were either predominantly Catholic or Protestant. Integrated schools served approximately 5% of school-age children whose families voluntarily chose this option, often after overcoming significant obstacles to provide the resources to start a new school and demonstrate its sustainability for 3 years before government funding begins. Demand for places in integrated schools outweighed the limited number of places available. The May 8, 2007, devolution, or granting of power, authorized the Northern Ireland Assembly to decide on academic selection. Now there are more than 50 integrated schools, and the new Government permits existing schools to petition to change from sectarian to integrated. More petition for that status than are granted it. Some have accused the Government of a go-slow approach to avoid sectarian animus. <br /> <br /> The law requires religious education for all children, ages 3 to 19, in publicly maintained schools. In England and Wales it forms part of the core curriculum in accordance with the Education Reform Act of 1988. In Scotland, religious education of some sort is mandated by the Education Act of 1980. However, the shape and content of religious instruction throughout the country is decided on a local basis. Locally agreed syllabi are required to reflect the predominant place of Christianity while taking into account the teachings and practices of other principal religions in the country. Syllabuses must be nondenominational and refrain from attempting to convert pupils. Schools with a religious designation follow a syllabus drawn up by the school governors according to the trust deed of the school. All parents have the legal right to request that their children not participate in religious education, but the school must approve this request.<br /> <br /> Daily collective prayer or worship of &quot;a wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character&quot; is practiced in schools in England and Wales, a requirement that may be waived for students who obtain permission of the school authorities. The Education and Inspections Act 2006 permits sixth form students (generally 16-19-year-olds) to withdraw themselves from worship without their parents' permission or action. This new law does not exempt sixth form students from religious education classes. Non-Christian worship is permitted with approval of the authorities. Teachers have the right not to participate in collective worship, without prejudice, unless they work for a faith school. <br /> <br /> After several controversial court decisions prohibiting full-face veils in school (but not head scarves) and the wearing of a Christian chastity ring, the Department of Education provided guidance that advises schools to &quot;… act reasonably in accommodating religious requirements,&quot; under human rights legislation. Some Muslim groups, including the Islamic Human Rights Commission, said it was inappropriate for the Government to provide guidance that regulated Muslim communities in matters concerning the expression of their religious beliefs. But it is also legally possible under the act, according to the guidance, to have a school uniform policy that &quot;restricts the freedom of pupils to manifest their religion&quot; on the grounds of health and safety and the &quot;protection of the rights and freedoms of others.&quot; The Government's guidance is meant to remind &quot;head teachers&quot; to act with a degree of sensitivity when considering decisions that will impact the cultural complexion of their communities.<br /> <br /> ====Census====<br /> <br /> According to the 2001 Census the religious make-up of the UK at that time was:<br /> <br /> {| border=&quot;1&quot; cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3<br /> |+'''Religions in United Kingdom'''<br /> !Belief <br /> !Thousands <br /> !Proportion <br /> |-<br /> |Christian ||42,079 ||71.6<br /> |-<br /> |No Religion ||9104 ||15.5<br /> |-<br /> |Muslim ||1591 ||2.7<br /> |-<br /> |Hindu ||559 ||1.0<br /> |-<br /> |Sikh ||336 ||0.6<br /> |-<br /> |Jewish ||267 ||0.5<br /> |-<br /> |Other ||179 ||0.3<br /> |-<br /> |Buddhist ||152 ||0.3<br /> |-<br /> |Pagan &amp; Wicca ||40 ||0.1<br /> |-<br /> |Total religious ||45,163 ||76.8<br /> |-<br /> |No answer ||4289 ||7.3<br /> |}<br /> The answers were distorted by an internet campaign just prior to the census, encouraging people to actually question religion that claimed that if at least 50,000 people stated their religion as 'Jedi Knight' it would be officially classified as a religion. This was not true, though the Office of National Statistics does aggregate very small religions into the 'Other' category whereas a religion of 50,000 would be itemised separately. This separate listing does not constitute any form of official recognition.<br /> <br /> It should be noted that non-practising Christians and the non-religious group are growing in the UK and Europe. At the same time, there is growth in the Islamic, Sikh and Hindu groups due to immigration.<br /> <br /> Two of the four states of the United Kingdom, England and Scotland, have official state religions. The [[Church of England]] is the official religion of England and the (Presbyterian) Church of Scotland is the official religion of Scotland. The (Anglican) Church of Ireland was [[disestablished]] in 1871 and the (Anglican) Church of Wales was disestablished in 1920, whereupon it was renamed the [[Church &lt;i&gt;in&lt;/i&gt; Wales]].<br /> <br /> ===Crown Dependencies===<br /> A number of the smaller [[British Isles]], most importantly [[Jersey]], [[Guernsey]] and the [[Isle of Man]] are '[[Crown dependencies|British Crown Dependencies]]' and not members of the UK. Their governments are independent of that of the UK other than foreign and defence policy (the UK government retains the legal power to overrule the governments of the Dependencies, but this power has not been exercised since 1967), and they are not members of the [[European Union]].<br /> <br /> ==Sports and Pastimes==<br /> Many of the most popular [[sport]]s in the world today were developed or codified in the UK. These include [[soccer|football]] (which is called ''soccer'' in North America), [[cricket]], [[Rugby (Sport)|rugby]], [[tennis]], [[hockey]] and [[golf]]. The UK is represented in international competitions by the individual nations (such as in football, the one-day form of cricket and rugby) and by the whole of the UK in other sports (such as [[athletics]], golf and tennis). The Test cricket team is that of 'England &amp; Wales' (colloquially, just 'England') but from time to time has had Scottish and Irish players.<br /> <br /> The UK remains a major sporting force both in competition and the administration of sport. It is dominant in several Olympic sports, notably cycling, rowing and sailing and a leading force in cricket, rugby union, and golf.<br /> <br /> Certain venues have their own distinct and historical recognition and host a number of international competitions. These include Wimbledon for tennis, Silverstone for motor racing, and St Andrews for golf. There are several major venues for football, rugby and cricket.<br /> <br /> Domestic sport is dominated by football with one of the strongest and most popular leagues in the world - the Premier League. This league is sponsored by Barclays Bank, so has the official name &quot;Barclays Premier League&quot;. Many of the Premier League's teams are well known outside the United Kingdom, especially the &quot;big four&quot; (Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool) and maintain followings around the world. Cricket and both codes of rugby also have strong and popular domestic leagues. Other popular sports include snooker, rowing, golf, tennis, athletics, cycling, darts, horse racing, and motor racing. These most popular sports are well covered by both the print press and television.<br /> <br /> Some sports which are more popular in other countries such as volleyball, handball, American football and basketball have small but dedicated followings.<br /> <br /> ==Government==<br /> ''See also [[British politics]]''<br /> <br /> Nationalist movements exist in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, seeking (in the case of Scottish and Welsh nationalists) to dissolve the United Kingdom and to win independence for their respective territories, and in the case of Northern Ireland nationalists and republicans to create a sovereign united Ireland. At the present time, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own legislatures.<br /> <br /> The United Kingdom does not have a written constitution. The equivalent body of law is based on statute, common law, and &quot;traditional rights&quot;. Changes may come about formally through new acts of Parliament, informally through the acceptance of new practices and usage, or by judicial precedents. Although Parliament has the theoretical power to make or repeal any law, in actual practice the weight of 700 years of tradition restrains arbitrary actions.<br /> <br /> Executive power rests nominally with the monarch but actually is exercised by a committee of ministers (cabinet) selected from among the members of the House of Commons and, less frequently, the House of Lords. The prime minister is normally the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons, and can remain in office for so long as he or she has the support of a majority in that body.<br /> <br /> ==Parliament==<br /> Parliament was authorized in the [[Magna Carta]] (1215), and first summoned by King Edward I in 1296, the oldest governing body in the world. Parliament represents the entire country and can legislate for the whole or for any constituent part or combination of parts. Elections are called by the prime minister, but the maximum length of a parliament is usually 5 years (except in wartime). The focus of legislative power is the 646-member House of Commons, which has sole jurisdiction over finance. Normally the government--the prime minister and cabinet--have full control of the House. If they lose control and new general election is held. The House of Lords, although shorn of most of its powers, can still review, amend, or delay temporarily any bills except those relating to the budget. In 1999, the government removed the automatic right of hereditary peers to hold seats in the House of Lords. The current house consists of appointed life peers who hold their seats for life and 92 hereditary peers who will hold their seats only until final reforms have been agreed upon and implemented. The judiciary is independent of the legislative and executive branches but cannot review the constitutionality of legislation. <br /> <br /> Members of the House of Commons are elected to represent specific geographic constituencies. Members are elected on a &quot;First past the post&quot; system and there is no proportional representation. The upshot is that a third party with under 25% of the vote typically obtains very few seats.<br /> <br /> ==Constituent countries==<br /> The separate identities of each of the United Kingdom's constituent parts are also reflected in their respective governmental structures. Up until the recent devolution of power to Scotland and Wales, a cabinet minister (the Secretary of State for Wales) handled Welsh affairs at the national level with the advice of a broadly representative council for Wales. Scotland maintains, as it did before union with England, different systems of law (Roman-French), education, local government, judiciary, and national church (the Church of Scotland instead of the Church of England). In addition, separate departments grouped under a Secretary of State for Scotland, who also is a cabinet member, handled most domestic matters. In late 1997, however, following approval of referenda by Scottish and Welsh voters (though only narrowly in Wales), the British Government introduced legislation to establish a Scottish Parliament and a Welsh Assembly. The first elections for the two bodies were held May 6, 1999. The Welsh Assembly opened on May 26, and the Scottish Parliament opened on July 1, 1999. The devolved legislatures have largely taken over most of the functions previously performed by the Scottish and Welsh offices. <br /> <br /> Northern Ireland had its own Parliament and prime minister from 1921 to 1973, when the British Government imposed direct rule in order to deal with the deteriorating political and security situation. From 1973, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, based in London, was responsible for the region, including efforts to resolve the issues that lay behind the &quot;the troubles.&quot; <br /> <br /> By the mid-1990s, gestures toward peace encouraged by successive British governments and by President Clinton began to open the door for restored local government in Northern Ireland. An Irish Republican Army (IRA) cease-fire and nearly 2 years of multiparty negotiations, led by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, resulted in the Good Friday Agreement of 10 April 1998, which was subsequently approved by majorities in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Key elements of the agreement include devolved government, a commitment of the parties to work toward &quot;total disarmament of all paramilitary organisations,&quot; police reform, and enhanced mechanisms to guarantee human rights and equal opportunity. The Good Friday Agreement also called for formal cooperation between the Northern Ireland institutions and the Government of the Republic of Ireland, and it established the British-Irish Council, which includes representatives of the British and Irish Governments as well as the devolved Governments of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Devolved government was reestablished in Northern Ireland in December 1999. <br /> <br /> The Agreement (more commonly known as the &quot;Good Friday Agreement&quot;, and more rarely as the Belfast Agreement&lt;ref&gt;http://www.nio.gov.uk/index/key-issues/the-agreement.htm&lt;/ref&gt;) was reached on Friday, April 10 1998 in Belfast and provides for a 108-member elected Assembly, overseen by a 12-minister Executive Committee (cabinet) in which unionists and nationalists share leadership responsibility. Northern Ireland elects 18 representatives to the Westminster Parliament in London. However, the five Sinn Fein Members of Parliament (MPs), who won seats in the 2004 election, have refused to claim their seats. <br /> <br /> <br /> ===Principal Government Officials===<br /> *Head of State '''- Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith''' who, as Head of State for many other countries also holds other titles particular to her role and rule as Head of State for those countries. More commonly referred to as '''HM''' (Her Majesty) '''Queen Elizabeth II'''<br /> <br /> <br /> The Cabinet<br /> *Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service '''- Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP'''<br /> *Chancellor of the Exchequer '''- Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs '''- Rt Hon David Miliband MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor '''- Rt Hon Jack Straw MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for the Home Department '''- Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Health '''- Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills '''- Rt Hon The Lord Mandelson'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs '''- Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for International Development '''- Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Defence '''- Rt Hon Bob Ainsworth MP'''<br /> *Leader of the House of Commons, Lord Privy Seal and Minister for Women and Equalities '''- Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government '''- Rt Hon John Denham MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Transport '''- Rt Hon The Lord Adonis'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families '''- Rt Hon Ed Balls MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change '''- Rt Hon Edward Miliband MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Work and Pensions '''- Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Northern Ireland '''- Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP''' <br /> *Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council '''- Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport '''- Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw MP'''<br /> *Chief Secretary to the Treasury '''- Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Wales '''- Rt Hon Peter Hain MP'''<br /> *Secretary of State for Scotland '''- Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP'''<br /> <br /> Also attend Cabinet meetings: <br /> *Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip '''- Rt Hon Nicholas Brown MP'''<br /> *Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster '''- Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP'''<br /> *Minister of State for Housing '''- Rt Hon John Healey MP'''<br /> *Minister for Science '''- Lord Drayson'''<br /> *Attorney General '''- Rt Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC'''<br /> *Minister for Children, Young People and Families '''- Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP MP'''&lt;ref&gt;http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/hmg.cfm&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Political Conditions===<br /> Tony Blair became the first Labour Prime Minister ever to win a third consecutive term when he was re-elected on May 5, 2005. Labour has a 67-seat majority in the House of Commons. The Conservative (Tory) Party and Liberal-Democrats (LibDems) form the major opposition parties. Blair stepped down as Prime Minister in June 2007 and was succeeded by Gordon Brown as both Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party. The main British parties support a strong transatlantic link, but have become increasingly absorbed by European issues as Britain's economic and political ties to the continent grow in the post-Cold War world. The current Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, is expected to continue Blair's policy of having the United Kingdom play a leading role in Europe even as the United Kingdom maintains its strong bilateral relationship with the United States. Britain's relationship with Europe is a subject of considerable political discussion in the United Kingdom.<br /> <br /> ===Membership in the European Union===<br /> The [[Conservative Party|Conservative]] government of [[Edward Heath|Sir Edward Heath]] took the UK into the [[European Union]] in 1973. The [[Labour Party]] under [[Harold Wilson]] won the 1974 general elections and due to splits within the party, called the only national [[referendum]] asking the people if they wanted to stay in the Union. The &quot;yes&quot; vote won by a margin of approximately two to one. The Labour and Conservative parties have since had deep divisions over Union membership. Labour's 1983 manifesto promised to leave the Union, and whilst the Conservative party have never pledged to leave the Union, a growing band of &quot;Eurosceptics&quot; threatened to tear the party apart in the 1990s. All three major parties wish to stay in the Union although disagree over the level of integration, but smaller parties such as the UK Independence Party and the Referendum Party campaigned on the single issue of sovereignty being lost to the Union.<br /> <br /> ==Defence and Foreign Relations==<br /> The United Kingdom is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and is one of NATO's major European maritime, air, and land powers; it ranks third among NATO countries in total defence expenditure. The United Kingdom has been a member of the European Community (now European Union) since 1973. In the United Nations, the United Kingdom is a permanent member of the Security Council. The U.K. held the Presidency of the G-8 during 2005; it held the EU Presidency from July to December 2005. <br /> <br /> The British Armed Forces are charged with protecting the United Kingdom and its overseas territories, promoting Britain's wider security interests, and supporting international peacekeeping efforts. The 37,000-member Royal Navy, which includes 6,000 Royal Marine commandos, is in charge of the United Kingdom's independent strategic nuclear arm, which consists of four Trident missile submarines. The British Army, consisting of approximately 99,200 personnel, the Royal Air Force, with 42,000 personnel, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, are active and regular participants in NATO and other coalition operations. Approximately 9% of the British Armed Forces is female, and 4% of British forces represent ethnic minorities.<br /> ===Iraq===<br /> The U.K. was the United States' main coalition partner in Operation Iraqi Freedom and continues to have more than 5,000 troops deployed in Iraq to help stabilise and rebuild the country. Under UN Security Council Resolution 1483, the U.K. also shared with the United States responsibility for civil administration in Iraq and was an active participant in the Coalition Provisional Authority before the handover of Iraqi sovereignty on June 28, 2004. Britain's participation in the Iraq war and its aftermath remains a domestically controversial issue. <br /> ===Afghanistan===<br /> Britain stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the U.S., and its military forces are part of the coalition force in Afghanistan. The British force in [[Afghanistan War|Afghanistan]] is at 9,000 in late 2009 and will rise by an extra 500 troops in 2010. British forces are primarily based in the Helmand region, where they are on the front line in the war against continued Taliban operations. In addition, Britain has contributed more than £500 million to Afghan reconstruction--the second-largest donor after the U.S. <br /> ===Israel===<br /> Britain has shown a greater willingness than the United States to criticize the Israelis over settlements and what some call the disproportionate responses to provocations from Gaza and southern Lebanon. (Jewish Labour MP Gerald Kaufman is among the most vocal.) Like his predecessors, both Labour and Conservative, Foreign Secretary Miliband has been unequivocal: &quot;Settlements are illegal under international law,&quot; he told Parliament in 2008; &quot;They are a major blockage to peace in the Middle East on the basis of a two-state solution.&quot; <br /> ===Relations with the United States===<br /> The United Kingdom is one of the United States' closest allies, and British foreign policy emphasises close coordination with the United States. Bilateral cooperation reflects the common language, ideals, and democratic practices of the two nations. Relations were strengthened by the United Kingdom's alliance with the United States during both World Wars, and its role as a founding member of NATO, in the Korean conflict, in the Persian Gulf War, and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The United Kingdom and the United States continually consult on foreign policy issues and global problems and share major foreign and security policy objectives. <br /> <br /> The United Kingdom is the fifth-largest market for U.S. goods exports after Canada, Mexico, Japan, and China, and the sixth-largest supplier of U.S. imports after Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany. U.S. exports of goods and services to the United Kingdom in 2006 totaled $92 billion, while U.S. imports from the U.K. totaled $93 billion. The United States has had a trade deficit with the United Kingdom since 1998. The United Kingdom is a large source of foreign tourists in the United States. In 2005, 3.4 million U.S. residents visited the United Kingdom, while 4.2 million U.K. residents visited the United States. <br /> <br /> The United States and the United Kingdom share the world's largest foreign direct investment partnership. U.S. investment in the United Kingdom reached $324 billion in 2005, while U.K. direct investment in the U.S. totaled $282 billion. This investment sustains more than 1 million American jobs.<br /> <br /> ==Economy==<br /> Britain has been hard hit by the [[Recession of 2008]], with its major banks taken over or subsidized by the government. Real gross domestic product declined by 4.6% in 2009, and is expected to rise by 0.6% before 2010 and probably will continue to increase by 1% in 2011. <br /> <br /> <br /> Britain has the fifth-largest economy in the world, is the second-largest economy in the European Union, and is a major international trading power. A highly developed, diversified, market-based economy with extensive social welfare services provides most residents with a high standard of living. Unemployment and inflation levels are amongst the lowest within the European Union.<br /> <br /> Since 1979, the British Government has privatised most state-owned companies, including British Steel, British Airways, British Telecom, British Coal, British Aerospace, and British Gas, although in some cases the government retains a &quot;golden share&quot; in these companies. The Labour government has continued the privatisation policy of its Conservative predecessor, particularly by encouraging &quot;public-private partnerships&quot; (partial privatisation) in such areas as the London Underground. The economy of the United Kingdom is now primarily based on private enterprise, accounting for approximately four-fifths of employment and output. <br /> <br /> London ranks alongside New York as a leading international financial centre. London's financial exports contribute greatly to the United Kingdom's balance of payments. Ratings agencies rank the United Kingdom's banking sector as one of the strongest in the world and its banks are amongst the most profitable in the G-8. It is a global leader in emissions trading and is home to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM). It is also a government priority to make London the leading center of Islamic finance. <br /> <br /> Britain is the European Union's only significant energy exporter. It is also one of the world's largest energy consumers, and most analysts predict a shift in U.K. status from net exporter to net importer of energy by 2020, possibly sooner. Oil production in the U.K. is levelling off. While North Sea natural gas production continues to rise, gains may be offset by ever-increasing consumption. North Sea oil and gas exploration activities are shifting to smaller fields and to increments of larger, developed fields, presenting opportunities for smaller, independent energy operators to become active in North Sea production. <br /> *GDP (at current market prices, 2007 est.): US$1.93 trillion.<br /> *Annual growth rate (2009 est.): -4.6%<br /> *Per capita GDP (2006 est.): US$31,800. <br /> *Natural resources: Coal, oil, natural gas.<br /> *Agriculture (1.1% of GDP): Products--cereals, oilseed, potatoes, vegetables, cattle, sheep, poultry, fish.<br /> *Industry: Types--steel, heavy engineering and metal manufacturing, textiles, motor vehicles and aircraft, construction (5.2% of GDP), electronics, chemicals.<br /> *Trade (2006 est.): Exports of goods and services--US$468.8 billion: manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals; food, beverages, tobacco. Major markets--U.S., European Union. Imports of goods and services--US$603 billion: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, foodstuffs. Major suppliers--U.S., European Union, Japan. <br /> <br /> ===Currency===<br /> The currency of the United Kingdom is the [[Pound|Pound Sterling]], commonly called Pound and written £ or GBP, divided into 100 New Pence (now commonly just called pence or 'p'). Traditionally the UK had a complicated triple currency structure of 20 [[shilling|shillings]] to the Pound and 12 &quot;old pence&quot; (represented by a &quot;d&quot; from the Roman ''denarius'') to the shilling, making a total of 240 pence to the Pound. This system was abandoned in 1971 due to difficulties with computerised accounting systems, in favour of the current [[decimal]] system. <br /> <br /> The UK has never joined the [[Euro]] zone.<br /> <br /> ==History==<br /> The Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC and most of Britain's subsequent incorporation into the Roman Empire stimulated development and brought more active contacts with the rest of Europe. However, there was no permanent Roman imprint apart from roads and locations for cities. As Rome's strength declined, the country again was exposed to invasion--including the pivotal incursions of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in the fifth and sixth centuries AD--up to the Norman conquest in 1066. Norman rule effectively ensured Britain's safety from further intrusions; certain institutions, which remain characteristic of Britain, could develop. Among these are a political, administrative, cultural, and economic centre in London; a separate but established church and distinctive and distinguished university education. <br /> <br /> ====Union====<br /> Both Wales and Scotland were independent kingdoms that resisted English rule. The English conquest of Wales succeeded in 1282 under Edward I, and the Statute of Rhuddlan established English rule 2 years later. To appease the Welsh, Edward's son (later Edward II), who had been born in Wales, was made Prince of Wales in 1301. The tradition of bestowing this title on the eldest son of the British Monarch continues today. An act of 1536 completed the political and administrative union of England and Wales. <br /> <br /> While maintaining separate parliaments, England and Scotland were ruled by the same king beginning in 1603, when James VI of Scotland succeeded his cousin Elizabeth I as James I of England. In the ensuing 100 years, strong religious and political differences divided the kingdoms. Finally, in 1707, England and Scotland were unified as Great Britain, sharing a single Parliament at Westminster. <br /> <br /> Ireland's invasion by the Anglo-Normans in 1170 led to centuries of strife. Successive English kings sought to conquer Ireland. In the early 17th century, large-scale settlement of the north from Scotland and England began. After its defeat, Ireland was subjected, with varying degrees of success, to control and regulation by Britain. <br /> <br /> The legislative union of Great Britain and Ireland was completed on January 1, 1801, under the name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (normally shortened to &quot;Great Britain&quot; or &quot;Britain&quot;). However, armed struggle for independence continued sporadically into the 20th century. The Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 established the Irish Free State, which subsequently left the Commonwealth and became a republic after World War II. Six northern, predominantly [[Protestant]], Irish counties have remained part of the United Kingdom.<br /> <br /> ====British Expansion and Empire====<br /> [[Image:Sir Francis Grant's Portrait of Queen Victoria.jpg|right|200px|thumb|''Queen Victoria'', by Sir Francis Grant.]]<br /> The '''British Empire''' was the [[List of largest empires|largest empire]] in history and, for over a century, was the foremost [[Great power|global power]]. It was a product of the [[Age of Discovery]], which began with the maritime explorations of the 15th century, that sparked the era of the European [[Colonialism|colonial]] empires. By 1921, the British Empire held sway over a population of about 458 million people, approximately one-quarter of the world's population.&lt;ref&gt;Angus Maddison. ''The World Economy: A Millennial Perspective'' (p. 98, 242). [[Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development|OECD]], Paris, 2001.&lt;/ref&gt; It covered about 36.7 million km² (14.2 million square miles),&lt;ref&gt;Bruce R. Gordon. [http://www.hostkingdom.net/earthrul.html ''To Rule the Earth...''] (See [http://www.hostkingdom.net/Bibliography.html Bibliography] for sources used.)&lt;/ref&gt; about a quarter of Earth's total land area. As a result, its political, linguistic and cultural legacy is widespread. At the peak of its power, it was often said that &quot;[[The empire on which the sun never sets|the sun never sets on the British Empire]]&quot; because its span across the globe ensured that the sun was always shining on at least one of its numerous [[colonies]] or subject nations.&lt;ref&gt;This phrase had already been used a few centuries before by the king [[Charles I of Spain]], referring to the [[Spanish Empire]].&lt;/ref&gt;<br /> <br /> Begun initially to support William the Conqueror's (c. 1029-1087) holdings in France, Britain's policy of active involvement in continental European affairs endured for several hundred years. By the end of the 14th century, foreign trade, originally based on wool exports to Europe, had emerged as a cornerstone of national policy. <br /> <br /> During the five decades following [[World War II]], most of the territories of the Empire became independent. Many went on to join the [[Commonwealth of Nations]], a free association of independent states. &lt;ref&gt;T. O. Lloyd, ''The British Empire, 1558-1995. 2nd ed. (1996). &lt;/ref&gt; Some have retained the [[British monarch]] as their [[head of state]] to become independent [[Commonwealth realm]]s.<br /> ====Sea Power====<br /> The foundations of sea power were gradually laid to protect English trade and open up new routes. Defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 firmly established England as a major sea power. Thereafter, its interests outside Europe grew steadily. Attracted by the spice trade, English mercantile interests spread first to the Far East. In search of an alternate route to the Spice Islands, John Cabot reached the North American continent in 1498. Sir Walter Raleigh organized the first, short-lived colony in Virginia in 1584, and permanent English settlement began in 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia. During the next two centuries, Britain extended its influence abroad and consolidated its political development at home, as the Royal Navy dominated the seas.<br /> ====Industrial Revolution====<br /> Britain's [[industrial revolution]] greatly strengthened its ability to oppose Napoleonic France. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Britain was the foremost European power, and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe allowed the British to focus their interests on more remote parts of the world, and, during this period, the British Empire reached its zenith. British colonial expansion reached its height largely during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). Queen Victoria's reign witnessed the spread of British technology, commerce, language, and government throughout the British Empire, which, at its greatest extent, encompassed roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the world's area and population. It is controversial whether British colonies accelerated or slowed Britain's economic growth, for its growth rate fell below nations without empires, especially the U.S. and germany. Democracy came in fits and starts in a series of reforms that finally, by the 1920s, allowed all adults to vote.<br /> <br /> ====End of Empire====<br /> By the time of Queen Victoria's death in 1901, other nations, including the United States and Germany, had developed their own industries; Britain lost its comparative economic advantage, and the ambitions of its rivals had grown. The losses and destruction of [[World War I|The First World War]], the [[Great Depression]] of the 1930s, the independence of the Dominions, and decades of relatively slow growth eroded the Britain's preeminent international position of the previous century. <br /> <br /> Nationalism became stronger in other parts of the empire, particularly in India and Egypt. <br /> <br /> In 1926, Britain granted Australia, Canada, and New Zealand almost complete autonomy as &quot;dominions&quot;; beginning with the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947, the remainder of the British Empire was almost completely dismantled by the 1960s.<br /> <br /> == See also ==<br /> <br /> *[[British politics]]<br /> *[[June 2007 UK terror attacks]]<br /> <br /> == Notes ==<br /> <br /> &lt;references/&gt;<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Category:United Kingdom|United Kingdom]]<br /> [[Category:European Countries]]<br /> [[Category:NATO members]]<br /> [[Category:EU Members]]<br /> [[Category:Christian-Majority Countries]]<br /> [[Category:British Empire]]</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:LucyJ&diff=757921 2010-02-28T15:36:42Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>Welcome. Your first 4 contributions have given me food for thought. Could you tell us a bit more about your ideas on evolution and on Russian history? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] &lt;sup&gt;[[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]]&lt;/sup&gt; 16:55, 22 February 2010 (EST)<br /> : I'm not entirely sure if you're asking me that seriously, or as some kind of probing question into my views on various things. --[[User:LucyJ|LucyJ]] 10:36, 28 February 2010 (EST)</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Russian_Revolution&diff=728154 2009-12-09T12:46:35Z

<p>LucyJ: </p> <hr /> <div>The term '''Russian Revolution''' can refer to two seperate events. The first revolution was attempted in 1905, but was unsuccessful. It began with &quot;Bloody sunday&quot;, a peaceful protest for improvements to working conditions. The protestors were gunned down by soldiers, under orders from Tsar [[Nicholas II]]. It did, however, lead to the formation of a parliament with limited powers, known as the Duma.<br /> <br /> The second, successful revolution, was a series of socio-economic upheavals in [[Russia]] in 1917, leading ultimately to the [[Russian Civil War]]. The Revolution occurred in two phases: the [[February Revolution]] and [[October Revolution]]. As a result of the revolution, Russia withdrew from the [[Allied_Powers#Allies_of_World_War_II|Allied Powers]]. The repressive [[Communist Party]] overthrew the provisional Kerensky government which was in the organizational stages of a [[democracy]]. <br /> <br /> The [[Great War]] had weakened Tsar Nicholas II, and he abdicated the throne in March 1917. Russia was left under the provisional government of [[Alexander Kerensky]], which intended to continue fighting in the war, but in November 1917, the [[Bolshevik]] Communist Party, led by [[Vladimir Ilyich Lenin]], overthrew the provisional government and executed the Czar's family.<br /> <br /> Lenin made peace with [[Germany]] and then withdrew Russia from the war. In March of 1918, Lenin signed the [[Treaty of Brest-Litovsk]], which granted Germany many territories, including what is now Poland, Finland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Estonia, and Latvia. This was a humiliating defeat, but Russia was simply to weak to fight anymore.<br /> <br /> The Russian revolution was essentially a [[Socialist]] revolution. Lenin preferred to call his government a Communist government though the term meant very much the same. In fact Russia became known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. However, Lenin and his colleagues completely discarded the idea of a [[democracy|democratically]] controlled society and instead set up what they called the [[Dictatorship of the Proletariat]] which was in fact nothing more than a dictatorship by the Communist Party, a tiny fraction of the population. It was in fact a dictatorship by technicians an managers formed into an ''[[nomenklatura]]'' or elite,­ the so­-called experts in the Socialist organization. <br /> <br /> There was a civil war in Russia from 1918 to 1920 between Lenin's [[Red Army]] and the opposing western [[White Army]]. Ten million people died in the war and five million died in the resulting famine. The Red Army won.<br /> <br /> After the civil war, Russia was in economic ruins. Lenin announced his [[New Economic Policy]] (NEP) to restore trade and industry to the county. The NEP permitted some capitalism to create incentives, and it allowed some foreign investment. Peasants were permitted sell surplus crops. Profits by merchants were allowed. But government still controlled all major industries. The private ownership only applied to small factories, farms and stores. <br /> <br /> A failed assassination attempt on Lenin in August 1918 by a member of a rival revolutionary party led to the 'Red Terror'. Stalin convinced Lenin and other Bolshevik members that a policy of &quot;open and systematic mass terror&quot; against those who were seen as responsible for the shooting would be required. It is estimated that over 200,000 people were executed from 1918 to 1922 as a result of this policy.<br /> <br /> Politically, Lenin established the [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] (USSR) in 1922, allowing one central government under Lenin to control many socialized republics. In 1924, the [[Bolsheviks]] began calling themselves “Communists”. But there was only one political party, and it held all the power. It was the [[Communist Party]].<br /> <br /> [[category:European History]]<br /> [[Category:Russia]]<br /> [[Category:Dictatorships]]<br /> [[Category:Soviet Union]]</div>

LucyJ https://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Colbert_Report_Viewers&diff=728153 2009-12-09T12:35:27Z

<p>LucyJ: /* WELCOME COLBERT REPORT VIEWERS */</p> <hr /> <div>== FAQ ==<br /> ''This section will be expanded as it becomes apparent what our new audience wishes to know.''<br /> ::''See also : [[Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia|How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]]''<br /> <br /> <br /> === '''Why is registration necessary?''' ===<br /> <br /> Conservapedia discourages anonymous contribution, preferring to lend accountability to our articles by requiring users contribute with an account, based on their real name (first name, last initial).<br /> <br /> <br /> === '''Does Conservapedia have a conservative bias?''' ===<br /> <br /> Conservapedia is up front about our beliefs and our politics - obviously. Despite this, some might say we have a bias towards the truth. To those who have gone to public schools and been inundated with mainstream media their whole life, this may seem like a strong conservative bias.<br /> <br /> <br /> == WELCOME COLBERT REPORT VIEWERS ==<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> === Please comment or ask questions here: ===<br /> '''Please sign all comments with &quot;&lt;nowiki&gt;~~~~&lt;/nowiki&gt;&quot;. Thank you.'''<br /> <br /> &quot;To those who have gone to public schools and been inundated with mainstream media their whole life, this may seem like a strong conservative bias.&quot;<br /> Not to forget those who have ever read a book and the ones that did not grow up in a cave.<br /> <br /> <br /> I'll start. How are we supposed to do that when you haven't opened this page up to editing by users who aren't registered? Whoops!<br /> <br /> :By registering, I'd say. --[[User:BenjaminS|Ben]] &lt;sub&gt;[[User Talk:BenjaminS|Talk]]&lt;/sub&gt; 23:39, 8 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> Doesn't that seem needlessly insular to you? While registering is simplistic, this also seems heavily uninviting to new visitors.<br /> <br /> :Well ultimately, we're about building an useful educational resource. Anyone who wouldn't even bother registering probably isn't really interested in making substantive contributions. --[[User:BenjaminS|Ben]] &lt;sub&gt;[[User Talk:BenjaminS|Talk]]&lt;/sub&gt; 23:45, 8 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> I'd forgotten how full of himself Colbert is. Unbelievable. It's a good thing O'Reilly is a rerun tonight, or I don't think I could take this.--[[User:Gonzo55|Gonzo55]] 07:07, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> The one night Colbert might have some honest, conservative viewers, and he gives half his show over to this Marxist nutcase.--[[User:Gonzo55|Gonzo55]] 07:08, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> Haha. Colberts the man. People anyone who has a problem with colbert caz hes full of himself?! Thats an act... COlberts the man!!!! bill o reilly is a hypocrit nut job along with glenn beck and all of his fox news hypocritical bias friends. u might as well delete this because you don't agree with me, bias BS.<br /> 00:48, 9 December 2009 (EST)00:48, 9 December 2009 (EST)00:48, 9 December 2009 (EST)~~<br /> I'm a big Colbert and Jon Stewart fan. So obviously I was hesitant to come to this website after the interview on the Report. But I did, mostly because the guest told Colbert that this is a non-liberal-biased website. Now, to me (and my stupid little non-conservative brain), that meant that this website would try and steer clear of any bias because it claims to present the truth. I read some pages. And now I want to throw up. Thank you all for cementing my political and personal beliefs by creating a website that is the antithesis to it all. I know now why we'll never reach an understanding; your beliefs are based on false &quot;facts&quot; and ignorance, mine aren't. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. God only knows that you'll probably start a war on me though. Oh well.<br /> <br /> <br /> Wow - reading this site I can't tell if you people are insane, ignorant, malicious or a combination of the above. I don't consider myself a liberal by any means but good heavens you just HAVE to know that most of your articles are outright lies. None of the articles I've read are not at all suitable for research and some contain almost no truth. I also find your complete idiocy regarding the e.coli experiment unfathomable. It makes me physically ill to see people so uneducated, so superstitious and so ideologically poisoned affecting young minds. I understand now why this site is such a laughing stock. Most of your views are for comic reasons. I know the colbert nation is going to find this quite amusing. I hope you grow up one day and give up the lie your living on conservapedia. [[User:Hryden|Hryden]] 00:49, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> I can't wait to watch the interview. Also, I'm actually Hojimachong. Hi Andy and TK and other assorted admins! I'm sincerely looking forward to acquiring a copy of this conservative Bible. Godspeed! -[[User:DavidCarlson|DavidCarlson]] 00:44, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> I'm a little new here, but isn't most of this website in violation of Commandment #6: &quot;Do not post personal opinion on an encyclopedia entry.&quot;?<br /> :You're joking right? This entire site is opinion - I mean they do have an article here that claims dinosaurs may still be among us ... [[User:Hryden|Hryden]] 00:54, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> Yeah I was kidding, actually I originally thought that Colbert's team had made this site up a some sort of joke.<br /> <br /> In response to the comment about Colbert &quot;wasting&quot; half his show - he has guests from all over the political spectrum. I respect that a lot, despite disagreeing with several of his guests. And though it's masked in comedy, he does give enough speaking time to let the guest get a point across. It's a good way to complete complete one-sidedness. And on that note, just because this site can boast of not having a liberal bias, doesn't mean it is superior. Any bias at all provides only partial information; so don't think a conservative bias is something to brag about.<br /> <br /> : Liberal/conservative is not symmetric with respect to the truth. Conservative approaches give priority to original intent and the truth. Liberal approaches give priority to an &quot;evolving&quot; Constitution and holding government power. Conservatives don't care much about government titles; liberals care everything about government titles, at the expense of the truth. The liberal Hillary Clinton, for example, will never say anything that might interfere with her political ambitions, regardless of what the truth is. And I don't mean to single her out; her approach is typical for liberals.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] 01:05, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Society evolves. You don't think the rules by which society lives should evolve to match that? Either way, only giving the arguments for one side of the story isn't a good thing, no matter which side of the fence you're on. Even the most specific statistics can be skewed, and unless you're giving only raw facts, and ALL raw facts, you're not giving the entire story. Is that really possible in the media? No. But deliberately giving only half the information available is essentially a lie of omission.<br /> ::Though I don't know your name since you didn't sign your comment, I like where you're going when you mentioned, &quot;only giving the arguments for one side of the story isn't a good thing, no matter which side of the fence you're on,&quot; because that's exactly what you see and what you get from [[Wikipedia]]. It's what sets [[Conservapedia]] apart from the [[liberal bias]] and [[censorship]] practices used by the [[MSM]] and the [[liberal]] Wikipedia. Unlike Wikipedia, Conservapedia understands and knows that, as Andy Schlafly said, <br /> ::{{cquote|Liberal/conservative is not symmetric with respect to the truth. [[Conservative]] approaches give priority to original intent and the truth. Liberal approaches give priority to an &quot;evolving&quot; Constitution and holding government power. Conservatives don't care much about government titles; liberals care everything about government titles, at the expense of the truth.}}<br /> ::And that's the truth. [[User:DerekE|DerekE]] 04:12, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> We're not HIDING a liberal view. This is CONSERVAPEDIA - if somebody wants to hear the liberal side of an issue, they're not going to come here. They go to wikipedia or metapedia or a site of vandals and troublemakers or some other liberal wiki. We exist to provide a conservative resource, and we fill that role very well. [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 01:10, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Yes, but in admitting that, you are admitting to the aforementioned lie of omission, which is essentially the entire basis for the site. Not something to brag on. So if there's going to be an argument about how terrible a thing liberal bias is, it would by hypocritical not to acknowledge that you are doing the exact same thing with the other end of the political spectrum and thus are, by your own definitions, equally wrong.<br /> <br /> Not really. Wikipedia claims to have a neutral point of view; Conservapedia can hardly be accused of the same thing. But before you accuse us of being one-sided, I encourage you to be a little more open-minded and read some of our articles. You'll be surprised how often a straightforward and honest presentation of facts will come off as conservative - there's a good reason for this. Conservative thought is based on facts and reason, so it's no surprise that in being honest and accurate, we're accused of having a strong bias by people who don't realize this.<br /> Also, please sign your comments with 4 tildes. [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 01:17, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :A lot of places &quot;claim&quot; to be neutral. But true neutrality is impossible; even if all you give is facts, the &lt;i&gt;selection&lt;/i&gt; of facts will still present a bias. Basic knowledge of mass communications tells you that. And anyone who has had enough experience with rhetoric and propaganda can pick up on things like that. [[User:KatieCol|KatieCol]] 01:19, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :A question, while yes Colbert reminded of this website, I do remember coming here a few years and it saddens me to see you are now &quot;trustworthy.&quot; Doesn't seem like anywhere is truly &quot;trusworthy&quot; anymore :-( [[User:Stjimmy33|Stjimmy33]] 01:27, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> It's probably worth noting that Colbert's &quot;full of himself&quot; act is an intentional parody of various right-wing political commentators (particularly Bill O'Reilly). I did find it funny when Andy discussed the number of viewers that this site receives. I'm sure that there are lots of people who prefer Conservapedia because it reinforces their worldview (woe to the poor youth that are brought up to think of it as unbiased alternative to Wikipedia), but I think that Andy seriously underestimates (or chooses to ignore) the large number of people who visit this site for personal amusement. Conservapedia was personally recommended to me as a &quot;hilarious way to waste time&quot; between meetings, and that is how all of my colleagues view it. Some of it's assertions are so extreme and hypocritical that many people believe it to be a satire in itself, comparable to Stephen's Colbert's act. Overall, the interview began relatively uninteresting, but improved when Stephen brought up the fact that a select few individuals get to decide on the &quot;truth&quot; of this website. Those who disagree get banned. What Andy described (i.e., individuals monitoring each other to ensure authenticity) does exist; it's called Wikipedia. It's true that Wikipedia is vulnerable to vandalism, but that is the price of having access to a wide breadth of knowledge with the benefit of self-monitoring. You can't have it both ways. [[User:Insufficient|Insufficient]] 01:33, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :Insufficient, it's true that we block a lot more often than Wikipedia, and we don't give vandals 3 or 4 chances as Wikipedia does. However, for every vandal Wikipedia receives, there are a dozen legitimate users just waiting to undo the vandalism. Here, we have comparitively few editors trying to hold back a tide of vandalism, many of it quite shocking and disgusting, on this site, which is designed to be family-friendly. We ban users for vandalism, and we get a lot of it. But we do not ban because somebody disagrees with us, and I can prove it. <br /> :A user, BMcP, has done tremendous work contributing to our astronomy articles, but repeatedly put old-Earth viewpoints in. He wasn't banned, though! Instead, he and I reached an amicable agreement where we would treat old-Earth and young-Earth views in seperate sections, and that is how it is done now. Conservapedia is full of examples of conflict resolution and fair treatment of users just like that. [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 01:39, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :''&quot;..but improved when Stephen brought up the fact that a select few individuals get to decide on the &quot;truth&quot; of this website. Those who disagree get banned.&quot;'' Insufficient, that remark of yours sounded exactly like the emails from CRU. [[User:Karajou|Karajou]] 01:42, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> If that is the case Jacob, why does the article on evolution seem to neglect the vast abundance of supportive evidence in its favour? It certainly isn't hard to find someone that is able to make a valid argument for evolution, and yet the page not only makes no reference to it, but often falsely denies its existence. That page alone fully disproves Andy's claim that conservatism gives priority to truth. In the place of real facts, we get denial and an irrelevant picture of Hitler to ensure that everyone gets the idea (whether consciously or unconsciously) that evolution is evil. This is in spite of the fact that social darwinism (a misnomer) is actually not part of natural selection. I'm not saying that the effects of social darwinism should be brushed under the rug, but throwing an image of Hitler into an article about evolution is ridiculous and is fully intended to evoke emotion rather than thought. I could just as easily throw up an image of Osama Bin Laden in an article on the evils of religious faith, but that would be lazy. Once you have your facts about evolution, THEN you can worry about discussing it's social misunderstandings. [[User:Insufficient|Insufficient]] 02:11, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :First of all, that's not Andy's claim, that's what conservative MEANS. Second, there are no valid arguments for evolution. If you wish to deny that social darwinism came from regular darwinism, go do it on Wikipedia. Finally, throwing UBL on a page on relgiious extremism would be silly - there are many fundamentalist Islamic clerics who, despite whatever other shortcomings they may have, are not terrorists. [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 02:19, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> That's exactly my point. There are even more evolutionists that, &quot;despite whatever shortcomings they may have,&quot; aren't Hitler, thus making his picture silly. As for valid arguments for evolution, there are many...they're not hard to find either. Despite what this site would have you believe, there is fossil evidence to support it, it follows naturally from what we already know (beyond doubt) from animal domestication, and it's been shown experimentally in the lab with bacteria (some of the only lifeforms with short enough lifespans that we can observe it occur). Even if an individual chooses to ignore all of this evidence, which is fully within their right to do, it is still far more support than exists for any opposing argument. Yet it's all noticeably missing from the article on evolution...and I have a feeling that if I added it, it would quickly disappear. [[User:Insufficient|Insufficient]] 02:35, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> :All your supposed arguments are wrong, just as any argument supporting a &quot;flat earth&quot; are wrong, because they draw a false conclusion. We don't put falsehoods into the encyclopedia. Hitler practiced the theory of evolution; any evolutionist who does not support Hitler may be morally admirable but lacks the courage of their convictions. Terrorism is not the practice of religious fundamentalism, it is the practice of a very specific kind of Islamic fundamentalism - there is a difference. [[User:JacobB|JacobB]] 02:50, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> Your arguments just keep further proving the point I'm trying to make. Yes, there is a difference between religion and terrorism, just as there is a difference between evolution and eugenics. You don't get to hand pick your facts in order to support your conclusion while denying others. Hitler didn't practice &quot;the theory of evolution,&quot; he practiced eugenics. It's possible to believe in evolution and be morally opposed to eugenics, just as it is possible to be a religious fundamentalist and oppose terrorism. There is nothing inherent in the theory of evolution that promotes eugenics, just as there is nothing inherent in religion that promotes terrorism. Yet in each case, the two occasionally coexist. Also, claiming that all my arguments are wrong without giving any clear reason doesn't actually refute the arguments. I could just as easily claim that the earth doesn't revolve around the sun because all of the evidence in support of it draws a &quot;false conclusion&quot; (this argument can be made for ANY theory). However, I can deny it until I'm blue in the face, but at the end of the day, the evidence does exist, and the heliocentric theory of the solar system is in plenty of encyclopedias, along with evolution. Scientific theories are never &quot;proven.&quot; They are only supported or refuted. In the case of evolution, there is strong support--far more than for any alternative explanations. If support for evolution draws a false conclusion, it is impossible to argue that support for creationism is any different. [[User:Insufficient|Insufficient]] 03:35, 9 December 2009 (EST)<br /> <br /> I'd just like to ask here for the opinions of some of the people here: Do you believe that the best place to learn about a topic is an encyclopedia that has bias but doesn't admit it, that has bias and admits it, or that has no bias whatsoever? [[User:LucyJ|LucyJ]] 07:35, 9 December 2009 (EST)</div>

LucyJ