Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Buenos Aires

2008-12-17T23:53:18Z

Pimanjim314: Buenos Aires Changes

[[Image:BA_marathon.jpg|right|thumb|320px|The start of the Buenos Aires marathon]]'''Buenos Aires''' is the capital of [[Argentina]]. It was first settled in 1536 but failed due to Indian attacks. A permanent settlement was founded in 1580. The city now contains over 9 million inhabitants, around a third of the country's population.

==See Also==
*[[Buenos Aires Argentina Temple]]

[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:Capital Cities]]
[[Category:South American Cities and Towns]]

Buenos Aires

2008-10-13T18:59:08Z

Pimanjim314:

[[Image:BA_marathon.jpg|right|thumb|320px|The start of the Buenos Aires marathon]]'''Buenos Aires''' is the capital of [[Argentina]].It was settled in 1580 and now contains over 9 million inhabitants,over a third of the countries population.

==See Also==
*[[Buenos Aires Argentina Temple]]

[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:Capital Cities]]
[[Category:South American Cities and Towns]]

Pi Day

2008-10-11T23:22:30Z

Pimanjim314:

'''Pi Day''' is a tongue-in-cheek [[holiday]] celebrating the [[mathematics | mathematical]] constant [[Pi]]. It is observed on March 14. The date comes from the first three digits of Pi (3/14), with some people beginning their celebration at 1:59:26 (the following digits 3.1415926). Celebrations often involve eating pie, cookies or some other circular delicacy. Many Elementary and Middle School teachers use March 14 to introduce their students to the concept of Pi. People also hold pi memorization contests to see who can recite the most digits of pi from memory,although the world record for memorization is over 67,000 digits!

Pi Approximation Day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7 which comes close to the value for Pi - the European dating method is used in this case.

[[Category:Mathematics]]

Pi Day

2008-10-11T23:22:13Z

Pimanjim314:

'''Pi Day''' is a tongue-in-cheek [[holiday]] celebrating the [[mathematics | mathematical]] constant [[Pi]]. It is observed on March 14. The date comes from the first three digits of Pi (3/14), with some people beginning their celebration at 1:59:26 (the following digits 3.1415926). Celebrations often involve eating pie, cookies or some other circular delicacy. Many Elementary and Middle School teachers use March 14 to introduce their students to the concept of Pi.People also hold pi memorization contests to see who can recite the most digits of pi from memory,although the world record for memorization is over 67,000 digits!

Pi Approximation Day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7 which comes close to the value for Pi - the European dating method is used in this case.

[[Category:Mathematics]]

Pi

2008-10-11T23:09:46Z

Pimanjim314:

'''Pi''' is the sixteenth letter of the [[Greek]] [[alphabet]] and is used in its lower case form (<big><math>\pi</math></big>) to represent the mathematical constant of the same name which is defined as ''the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter''. It is an important number and appears in many [[mathematical]] and [[physics|physical]] formulae.

The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used).

The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is approximately 3.14159 in decimal. This value is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet.

For rough purposes, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.14285...) is sometimes used.

==History==
To some extent, the progress of mathematics—or at least of computation—can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <big><math>\pi</math></big> has been calculated.

Some ancients expressed pi by using fractional approximations. Papyrus of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C., shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.167). The Babylonian value from the same era was 3 1/8 = 3.125<ref>Boyer, A History of Mathematics, 2nd Edition</ref>. Both these values are accurate to within 1 percent. Note that the value 22/7 (3 1/7) is still used today.

[[Archimedes]] of Syracuse (287-212 BC) carried out "the first theoretical calculation" of pi.<ref>[http://veling.nl/anne/templars/Pi_through_the_ages.html Pi through the ages]</ref>
He said it was between 223/71 and 22/7. This is ten times better than the Egyptian and Babylonian values: within 0.04% of pi.

In 1873, Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits.{{fact}} That result was never printed out.

==Recreation==
Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I want a drink—alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.

March 14 marks [[Pi Day]], a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date comes from the first three digits of pi; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.

Pi Approximation day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm USA Today (3/14/2007) - Pi-day]</ref>

Pi is approximately:

{{quotebox|
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628
03482534211706798214808651328230664709384460955058223172535940812848111745028410270193
852110555964462294895493038196442881097566593344612847564823378678316527120190914564856692...

== Greek Language Usage ==
This letter's name is pronounced the same as its equivalent in English (P) and has the same sound value.

==Does the Bible attempt to define pi?==
Virtually all serious students of the [[Bible]] say no. Still, critics frequently claim that the Bible contains an incorrect value for pi<ref>http://www.cygnus-study.com/writings/allowableerror.shtml</ref>, and the question is raised frequently enough to earn mention in the [[Skeptics Annotated Bible]].

The claim is based on a verse in the [[I Kings|first book of Kings]]:
{{bible quote|He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten [[cubit]]s from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it.|book=1_Kings|chap=7|verses=23|version=NIV}}
The critics say that this amounts to the Bible claiming that the value of pi is 3.

There are a number of assumptions involved in making this claim, and if any one of the assumptions is wrong, the claim is false.
The assumptions are:
* The Bible is trying to provide a value for pi. This is clearly not the case; it is merely describing the size of the object.<ref name="math">Peterson and Rick, 1999.</ref>
* The value in the Bible is ''wrong'', rather than just imprecise. However, to the nearest [[whole number]], the value is correct,<ref name="math" /> and it was quite common at the time to round numbers.<ref name="jph">Holding, J.P.</ref> For instance the value of 10 could actually be any value between 9.5 and 10.5. If it was to the lower end of that range, then the equation works.
* That both the [[diameter]] and the [[circumference]] are measuring the same edges. It's possible, even if unlikely, that the diameter is an outside measurement and the circumference is an inside measurement. A straight calculation doesn't allow for the thickness of the sides.<ref name="jph" />
* That both the diameter and the circumference are measuring the same part of the object. The object is also described as having an outward-turned rim. The easiest places to measure the diameter would be across the wider rim, and the easiest place to measure the circumference would be around the body below the rim.<ref>Grigg, 1995.</ref>

However, even if the claim is correct, rounding pi to 3 is not "incorrect," an "error" or "wrong" and is perfectly acceptable in some circumstances.<ref>http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html</ref> The creation of a "sea of cast metal" by human beings (not God) in ancient times without modern construction tools and measuring equipment is easily understood as one of those circumstances.

==Bibliography==
* Grigg, Russell, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ Does the Bible say pi equals 3.0?] ''Creation'' 17(2):24–25, March 1995.
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Pi Gets In Your Eye] (Tektonics).
* Peterson & Rick, [http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html Rounding Pi] 1st June(?), 1999 (The Math Forum).

==See Also==
*[[Pi day]]
*[http://yacas.sourceforge.net/Algochapter5.html#c5s5 Calculation of pi with computers]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Mathematics]]

Buenos Aires

2008-10-11T22:49:15Z

Pimanjim314: Buenos Aires

'''Buenos Aires''' is the capital of [[Argentina]].It was settled in 1580 and now contains over 9 million inhabitants.

==See Also==
[[Buenos Aires Argentina Temple]]

[[Category:Argentina]]
[[Category:Capital Cities]]
[[Category:South American Cities and Towns]]

Chris Murphy

2008-10-10T00:53:37Z

Pimanjim314:

[[Chris Murphy]] is a [[Democrat]] in the [[House of Representatives]] from [[Connecticut]], currently serving its fifth district. He had endorsed Connecticut Senator [[Chris Dodd]] for President (along with all other [[Democratic]] Representatives in Connecticut.)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Murphy, Chris}}

[[Category: United States Representatives]]
[[Category: 110th United States Congress]]

Qwertyuiop

2008-10-10T00:48:56Z

Pimanjim314: The first E-mail message

'''In addition to being the first ten letters on the standard keyboard,qwertyuiop was the first ever [[E-mail]] sent, being sent in the year of 1971.'''

Debate:Does History Matter?

2008-04-15T16:31:12Z

Pimanjim314:

[[Henry Ford]] said, "I don't know much about history, and I wouldn't give a nickel for all the history in the world. History is more or less bunk. It is tradition. We want to live in the present, and the only history that is worth a tinker's [darn] is the history we make today." [[George Santayana]] said "Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Who was closer to being right?

==Henry Ford: "history is bunk"==
If ''"...the only history that is worth a tinker's [darn] is the history we make today"'', than who's to say the history we make today will be cared about by our children? ;-). If we don't care about history now, than none of our descendants will care about us. Of course even if we do care about history, there's still a huge chance they still won't care about their past. --[[User:Ymmotrojam|Ymmotrojam]] 18:22, 12 April 2007 (EDT)

I say let the govrnment take the history books and make their own history, then preach it to us [[User:Albobsman|Albobsman]] 13:03, 10 August 2007 (EDT)

==George Santayana: "condemned to repeat"==
The perfect example of this is the nation of Israel. Fortunately though, we've got a good God. Even when Israel was disobeying God and repenting again... over and over again, God was still faithful to His promises. And if we repent and put our trust in Him alone, we can avoid repeating those bad things in history. --[[User:Ymmotrojam|Ymmotrojam]] 18:35, 12 April 2007 (EDT)

==Napoleon Bonaparte: "a lie agreed upon"==
While this is the classic Wikipedia model, I hope Conservapedia can avoid being condemned to repeat this bunk. [[User:RobS|RobS]] 16:36, 14 April 2007 (EDT)

::"Vulgas vult decepi" -Phaedrus 15BC-50AD. Translated as "The people wish to be deceived."--[[User:Roopilots6|Roopilots6]] 10:40, 3 June 2007 (EDT)

==Other Perspectives==
If history doesn't matter, why don't we just make it so this wiki no longer stores the history of the pages that are created and edited ;-). --[[User:Ymmotrojam|Ymmotrojam]] 18:30, 12 April 2007 (EDT)

Who is this guy above?...what a joker :) my point is this:
History is a thing of the past hahahahahaha...seriously though, history is important and I think that if history is discarded then we not only remove the career option of archeologists etc, but also, people who have done great and brave things will be discarded also and things like the Holocaust should certainly not be forgotten as we must recognise this as a very terrible time.
What about things like the 'Tower of Freedom' and its purpose of marking the dreadful day of the terror attack on the Twin Towers...are we really going to discard that...are we going to discard the Somme, D-Day, Napoleon, Stalin, The Beatles, yes The Beatles were a rock group but they have had a massive impact on the world...think about it, Liverpool firmly on the map, Strawberry Fields...Penny Lane...yes, an impact they have made.
Also, to prevent disasters from happening such as the Mnt St Helens eruption, many lives could have been saved if only someone had looked at historical records of this volcanoe's previous eruptions and how they have occured and what happpened during the eruption.
History is important in court cases and such if something has just been uncovered even though it may have happened decades ago.
Are we able to discard history should be the question and the only answer to that is simple...NO!!!
[User: bealecr] 16:09, 30 August 2007 (EDT)

==Nobody cares about history==
Hell, look at Afghanistan. You can go back to the 1700s or 1980s to see that nobody can win there. Or, re Iraq, you can go back to the 1970s and Vietnam and see that you can't "liberate" a country that (with substantial justification in both cases) sees you simply as a self-interested neo-colonial oppressor.

Or you can just go to the local library, fire up the microfiche machine and look at the past 50 years of gun crime in the US. At least Australian Prime Minister John Howard outlawed assault rifles after Martin Bryant massacred all those people in Port Arthur in 1996.

What's the next blast from the past we can look forward to from the US? Witch burnings, perhaps, or simply some good, old-fashioned lynchings (though they'd be Mexican illegal immigrants this time, no doubt). Perhaps California, Oregon and New York should secede. --[[User:AppalledBystander|AppalledBystander]] 06:29, 18 April 2007 (EDT)

:What does it mean to "win" in Afghanistan? [[User:RobS|RobS]] 11:48, 18 April 2007 (EDT)

::I think he means essentially "conquer". Obviously, if no outside country can "win", the Afghanis must be "winning" the wars of invasion/colonization/conquest etc. [[User:Human|Human]] 13:27, 18 April 2007 (EDT)

:::If that's the meaning, then the basic premise is flawed. The US and NATO are not trying ot "conquer" Afghanistan. [[User:RobS|RobS]] 15:15, 18 April 2007 (EDT)

: Afghan history shows that any try from outside to conquer the country by military finally failed completely. Some success can definitely be reported regarding humanitarian support and building up basic infra structure, which surely needs protection through police forces and sometimes even military forces. Surely no perfect story and still much left to be done. The economy, i.e. farming is still mainly based on opium poppy. But even when slow, some progress has definitely been achieved. The number of children going to school sky rocketed, the number of girls in particular. So, history can teach you a lesson, but it cannot replace your own thinking. --[[User:Schifra|schifra]] 07:40, 24 May 2007 (EDT)

== Everything matters ==
How will you know where your going unless you know where you've been. Archaeological history, the history of the sun, moon, earth, ...etc. How else could people plan for the future unless they knew the history of the past. Which is why any historian worth their salt will get their information from multiple sources, archaeological artifacts and/or sites, and anthropological studies. History most definitely doesn't mean anything to those who try to rewrite it for selfish reasons. Such as political or assorted ideological purposes and used as propaganda to further their own agendas. Of which you will no doubt denote many examples of on this debate subject.--[[User:Roopilots6|Roopilots6]] 20:10, 25 April 2007 (EDT)

== Yes ==
We can learn from it.

Only from America could this question arise.
- of course context matters
- and of course we can learn from those who have gone before us

Mate...I totally agree!! In America, history is important too. Example: If someone had bothered to look at the history of Mnt. St. Helens' eruption, they would've realised that it will blow sideways. If they had but checked this, then many more lives would've been saved.
I can't believe that apparently nobody cares about their history, about the sacrifices people made so that we could be alive today. Just less than 100 years ago and again in 1939, thousands of brave men risked it all, laid down their lives so that we may speak English that we would retain our cultures, our pride, even so that we may live today and I'm sure they didn't do all this so that some idiot could say that they didn't care about history. Whoever that was is an ignorant pig and no I don't think that this view about the person is without evidence. I truly can not believe that someone thinks it appropriate to not recognise the importance of history, as history has shaped us, shaped whole cultures, whole countries, shaped the entire world.

==History *does* matter.==
There are things in history that should NEVER EVER be forgotten. If "history does not matter", this technically would encompass things such as the second world war, or the reasons that lead to it; also forgotten would be the sacrifices millions of people made during that war, and all the inhumane atrocities carried out by people of those times: Nazi Germany´s horrifying human experiments, the Japanese-carried out atrocities in China, Soviet Russia and all the "good" their communist ideals did to the world, or the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Actually, "history" would technically encompass even the events of the Bible.

Still some of you dare say "History does not matter?" [[User:FreakyM|FreakyM]] 07:22, 24 May 2007 (EDT)

Coming in contact with other cultures one will notice a lot of differences. Which way is right is often a moot discussion, in particular when neglecting the historical background of these differences.History matters because we can learn from the mistakes that the world has made and use it to our benefit.

==Yes!==
As Winston Churchill said, "If we do not study history we are doomed to repeat it". Also from a Christian's perspective, we can learn about God's grace, sovereignty, etc. from history, and it helps us understand other cultures and religions. [[User:Mschel|Mschel]] 11:25, 30 August 2007 (EDT)

NEVAR FORGET. Seriously though, history is crucial to morality and civilisation - but only so long as it is accurate. So many conflicts in the world today could be resolved if only people had access to unfiltered accounts of their people's histories, as both victims and aggressors. When it becomes warped and distorted to suit an ideology, revisionist history can be every bit as poisonous as organised religion. [[User:Underscoreb|Underscoreb]] 22:01, 11 November 2007 (EST)

Yes history matters. Knowledge of one's own nation is very important. It is very important to realize though that history took place in a different place, and often times the tale from history that is widely disseminated is only a superficial recounting that leaves out many things that the historian does not agree with. For instance many people know that during Washington's farewell address he warned the nation to stay away from entangling foreign relations. In fact political parties have been created around this principal. But what is less well known is that he also warned about the dangers of political parties. So history is important, but so is actually researching the information yourself and not taking another person's word for it. [[User:Rellik|Rellik]] 20:02, 13 March 2008 (EDT)

==Geography==
If history matters its only because geography made it so. History and Geography/Geology invariably linked. Look at any historical event or any current event.
:The city of Venice, founded in a swampy marsh because Milanese (descendent's of Romans) were being attacked by barbarians. Found the marsh easily defensible.
:Discover of America, Columbus searching for a quick way to Asia
:Liberation of Kuwait 1991, Iraq invaded Kuwait seizing (then)25% of the worlds oil reserves.
:California, population quickly surged because of the Gold Rush, spawning statehood, more general westward expansion and a Trans-Atlantic railroad.
:The state of Utah, Mormons chased out of Missouri, settled at an 'oasis in the desert', would have likely been chased out of California.

People who don't know history don't know geography either, both are '''important''' even though their effects are so large they are not entirely self evident with regard to the daily lives of individuals.--[[User:Mitrebox|Mitrebox]] 19:11, 26 January 2008 (EST)

==Abysmal==
There are almost no historical articles on conservpedia. Sections regarding historical events or topics barely have a single paragraph. Users should focus on that more. The problem I see here is various religious fanatics focusing on defacing science and blaming everything on commies and liberals.
[[User:Intranetusa|Intranetusa]] 14:10, 16 March 2008 (EDT)

287(g)

2008-04-09T18:06:03Z

Pimanjim314:

'''Section 287(g)''' of the Immigration and Nationality Act allows the Department of Homeland Security to enter into assistance compacts with state and local governments in order to find, arrest and deport [[illegal]] [[immigrant]]s. Both sides must agree on the terms of the program before it is implemented. The DHS provides 287(g) training for state and local law officers to ensure the sharing of best practice. Joint operations under this section allow the various agencies to enforce immigration law more effectively.

287(g) began with the 1996 amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act passed by [[Congress]]. It is currently a volunteer program, though some would like it to be made mandatory.
One of 287(g)s successes is Mecklenburg county,North carolina, whose 287(g) trained police force have caught over 1,000 illegal immigrant criminals who have commited a state crime.

287(g)

2008-04-08T12:03:15Z

Pimanjim314: New page: Section'''287(g)'''of the Immigration and Naitionality act allows the Department of Homeland Security and state and local governments to enter assistance compacts in order to find, arrest,...

Section'''287(g)'''of the Immigration and Naitionality act allows the Department of Homeland Security and state and local governments to enter assistance compacts in order to find, arrest, and deport illegal immigrants. Both sides must agree on the terms of the program before it is implemented.State and local law officers are trained in 287(g)under the DHS to teach lessons learned and best practices. With this they get significantly more authority for enforceing immigration law than they do under the existing laws.
287(g) got its' start in the 1996 amendments to the Immigration and Nationality Act passed by congress. As of now it is a volunteer program, though some would now like to make it mandatory.

Togo

2008-04-05T15:32:16Z

Pimanjim314:

'''Togo''' is a small country in West [[Africa]]. It has land borders with [[Benin]], [[Ghana]] and [[Burkina Faso]], and the Gulf of guinea on the South.

The capital is Lome.

[[Category:African Countries]]

It is a small country, about 22,000 square miles.
Independence, April 27th, 1960.

Robert Morrison

2008-04-05T11:58:20Z

Pimanjim314:

China remained largely isolated from the West until the late 1800s, when Britain forced the Chinese to open their ports to trade.china, with its'large population, was an obvious mission field. In 1807, a young Presbyterian minister, ROBERT MORRISON, supported by the London Missionary Sosciety, became the first protestant missionary in China. The Chinese, steeped in worshiping false gods and resistant to anything from the "outside", were unmoved by Morrison. In his 27 years as a missionary in China, there were only 10 conversions! Though Morrison did not see much change himself, he had paved the way for the future missionaries in China.

Pi

2008-04-05T11:42:34Z

Pimanjim314: /* Recreational use */

'''Pi''' is the sixteenth letter of the [[Greece|Greek]] [[alphabet]] and is used in its lower case form (<big><math>\pi</math></big>) to represent the mathematical constant of the same name which is defined as ''the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter''. It is an important number and appears in many [[mathematics|mathematical]] and [[physics|physical]] formulae.

The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is an [[irrational number]]; which means that it cannot be fully expressed as a fraction or a decimal (regardless of the number of digits used).

The value of <big><math>\pi</math></big> is approximately 3.14159 in decimal. This value is precise enough for almost all ordinary purposes; it can, for example, be used to calculate the circumference of the Earth with an error of only about 110 feet.

For rough purposes, the fraction 22/7 (= 3.14285...) is sometimes used.

==History==

To some extent, the progress of mathematics—or at least of computation—can be gauged by the progress in the number of digits to which <big><math>\pi</math></big> has been calculated.

Some ancients expressed pi by using fractional approximations. Papyrus of Ahmes, dated c. 1650 B.C., shows that ancient Egyptians had value 3 1/6 = 3.167). The Babylonian value from the same era was 3 1/8 = 3.125<ref>Boyer, A History of Mathematics, 2nd Edition</ref>. Both these values are accurate to within 1 percent. Note that the value 22/7 (3 1/7) is still used today.

[[Archimedes|Archimedes of Syracuse]] (287-212 BC) carried out "the first theoretical calculation" of pi.<ref> [http://veling.nl/anne/templars/Pi_through_the_ages.html Pi through the ages] </ref>
He said it was between 223/71 and 22/7. This is ten times better than the Egyptian and Babylonian values: within 0.04% of pi.

In 1873, Abraham Shanks spent twenty years calculating <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 707 places, but made a mistake in his calculation and only 527 of them were correct. When electronic computers were developed, <big><math>\pi</math></big> was soon calculated to tens of thousands, millions, and billions of places. As of 2002, the record is held by Yasumasa Kanada of Tokyo University at 1,241,100,000,000 digits. That result was never printed out.

==Recreational use==

Memorizing <big><math>\pi</math></big> is a challenge that appeals to some people. Mnemonics have been devised. Counting the letters in the phrase "Now I want a drink—alcoholic, of course" gives <big><math>\pi</math></big> to seven places (which is more than enough for all ordinary purposes). Numerous other mnemonics of this kind have been devised; in 1995, Michael Keith wrote one entitled [http://users.aol.com/s6sj7gt/mikerav.htm Near a Raven] which simultaneously parodies [[Edgar Allen Poe]]'s poem ''The Raven,'' while encoding <big><math>\pi</math></big> to 740 places.

March 14 marks [[Pi Day]], a holiday on which the mathematical constant is celebrated. The date comes from the first three digits of pi; some people begin their celebration at 1:59 pm, derived from the following three digits.

Pi Approximation day is a similar holiday, celebrated on July 22 (from the approximation 22/7). <ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/mathscience/2007-03-14-pi-day_N.htm USA Today (3/14/2007) - Pi-day]</ref>

Pi is approximately 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679...

== Greek Language Usage ==
This letter's name is pronounced the same as its equivalent in English (P) and has the same sound value.

==Does the Bible attempt to define pi?==

Virtually all serious students of the [[Bible]] say no. Still, critics frequently claim that the Bible contains an incorrect value for pi<ref>http://www.cygnus-study.com/writings/allowableerror.shtml</ref>, and the question is raised frequently enough to earn mention in The Skeptics Annotated Bible.
The claim is based on a verse in the [[I Kings|first book of Kings]]:
{{bible quote|He made the Sea of cast metal, circular in shape, measuring ten [[cubit]]s from rim to rim and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it.|book=1_Kings|chap=7|verses=23|version=NIV}}
The critics say that this amounts to the Bible claiming that the value of pi is 3.

There are a number of assumptions involved in making this claim, and if any one of the assumptions is wrong, the claim is false.
The assumptions are:
* The Bible is trying to provide a value for pi. This is clearly not the case; it is merely describing the size of the object.<ref name="math">Peterson and Rick, 1999.</ref>
* The value in the Bible is ''wrong'', rather than just imprecise. However, to the nearest [[whole number]], the value is correct,<ref name="math" /> and it was quite common at the time to round numbers.<ref name="jph">Holding, J.P.</ref> For instance the value of 10 could actually be any value between 9.5 and 10.5. If it was to the lower end of that range, then the equation works.
* That both the [[diameter]] and the [[circumference]] are measuring the same edges. It's possible, even if unlikely, that the diameter is an outside measurement and the circumference is an inside measurement. A straight calculation doesn't allow for the thickness of the sides.<ref name="jph" />
* That both the diameter and the circumference are measuring the same part of the object. The object is also described as having an outward-turned rim. The easiest places to measure the diameter would be across the wider rim, and the easiest place to measure the circumference would be around the body below the rim.<ref>Grigg, 1995.</ref>

However, even if the claim is correct, rounding pi to 3 is not "incorrect," an "error" or "wrong" and is perfectly acceptable in some circumstances.<ref>http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html</ref> The creation of a "sea of cast metal" by human beings (not God) in ancient times without modern construction tools and measuring equipment is easily understood as one of those circumstances.

== Bibliography ==
* Grigg, Russell, [http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ Does the Bible say pi equals 3.0?] ''Creation'' 17(2):24–25, March 1995.
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://www.tektonics.org/lp/piwrong.html Pi Gets In Your Eye] (Tektonics).
* Peterson & Rick, [http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/52573.html Rouding Pi] 1st June(?), 1999 (The Math Forum).

== See Also ==
*[[Pi day]]
*[http://yacas.sourceforge.net/Algochapter5.html#c5s5 Calculation of pi with computers]

==Notes and references==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Mathematics]]

Malaria

2008-04-04T17:52:56Z

Pimanjim314: /* DDT Controversy */

'''Malaria''' is a tropical [[disease]] spread by the [[mosquito]]. It is caused by a protozoan of the Sporozoa group. There are four species of protozoan that cause malaria, the most common of which is Plasmodium vivax. All malaria-causing parasites spend part of their life cycle in humans and part of it in the Anopheles mosquito.

==DDT Controversy==
One very effective way to fight malaria is by using an [[insecticide]] called [[DDT]]. <ref>"Sprayed just once or twice a year on the walls of houses, this powerful repellant keeps most mosquitoes from entering; irritates those that do come in, so they don't bite; and kills any that land." [http://www.aim.org/guest_column/5456_0_6_0_C/ Pro-malaria forces resurface at WHO] - Paul Driessen - May 15, 2007 - [[Accuracy in Media]] </ref>
Unfortunately for sub-Saharan Africans and some Asians, the U.S. ban on DDT has made this cheap (though [[teratogenic]]) chemical<ref>[http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/ddt.htm Toxicology Network]</ref> very difficult to obtain. This helped lead to a renewed [[malaria epidemic]], and more than one million people die of malaria every year.

There is a controversy over malaria eradication. While most Americans are in favor of relieving third-world people of the scourge of preventable disease, some prominent Westerners oppose anything that would lead to increases in population (see [[population control]]).
*[[Club of Rome]] founder [[Alexander King]] said, "My chief quarrel with DDT in hindsight is that it greatly added to the population problem."
*Oceanographer [[Jacques Cousteau]] told Novelle Observateur, "In order to stabilize world populations, we must eliminate 350,000 people a day." [http://www.aim.org/guest_column/5456_0_6_0_C/]

Malaria is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito.

==Eradication efforts==
Malaria was eradicated from the United States in 1951, and in 1955 the [[World Health Organization]] stated that it would eradicate malaria worldwide in an effort similar to the eradication of [[smallpox]] that was ongoing at the time. The eradication efforts were partially successful, particularly on the Indian subcontinent, but areas such as sub-Saharan Africa were ignored. This poor organization combined with lack of funding by donor countries and the evolution of mosquitos to become resistant to many insecticides led to an abandonment of the eradication effort. In 2005 the [[Bill Gates|Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]] announced that it would be donate $258 million to malaria research to compliment President Bush's Presidential Malaria Initiative of 1.2 billion over 5 years. The goal of these initiative is to achieve the worldwide eradication of malaria, which kills approximately 1 child every 30 seconds, through the use of vaccines, mosquito control, insecticide impregnated bednets, and new anti-malarial drugs.<ref>http://www.gatesfoundation.org/GlobalHealth/Pri_Diseases/Malaria/Announcements/Announce-071007.htm</ref>
<ref>http://www.pmi.org</ref>

The [[deforestation]] of the [[Amazon basin]] may also deliver disease. The culverts along new roads will provide [[spawn|spawning]] grounds for [[mosquitoes]], and allow visitors to bring malaria to isolated areas.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19276850 New roads in the Amazon may also deliver disease]</ref>

==References==
<references/>

== See also ==

*[[American Medical Association]]
*[[Doctor]]
*[[Fred Soper]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Diseases]]

Robert Morrison

2008-04-04T17:46:18Z

Pimanjim314: New page: China remained largely isolated from the West until the late 1800s, when Britain forced the Chinese to open their ports to trade.china, with its'large population, was an obvious mission fi...