The Best AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download)

The Best AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Clarity and consistency are building blocks of great content. When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences are more likely to leave your site with a positive impression. Unfortunately, many brands forego style guides, and choose to wing it instead. This isn’t necessarily a fatal mistake by any means. However, it does often lead to content that looks sloppy. Without guidelines to enforce consistency, it’s easy to allow your content to become a formatting free-for-all where commas roam free and nothing follows a  clear logic. The results leave your blog or website looking the Wild West of basic grammatical conventions. If this sounds hyperbolic, consider this: newspapers are written to be as effortless to read as possible. Concise writing and consistent style go a long way toward achieving this goal. There’s a reason why your daily paper sounds how it does. It isn’t just a stubborn commitment to rules for their own sake. Does your content need to be perfect to be effective? Not nearly, no. But, everything you can do to enforce consistency and clarity will help your cause. The Best AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Table of Contents: Free Download What is AP Style? Who Uses AP Style? Ages Abbreviations and Acronyms Cities States Dates, Days, Months, Times, and Years Datelines Numbers Sizes, Dimensions, and Distances Punctuation Peoples Names Hyphens Quotes and Quotations Technology Terms Book, Movie, and Song Titles AP Style Checking Tools, Plugins, and Apps Bonus InfographicDownload Your Free AP Style Guide Cheat Sheet If you’d prefer to keep this guide handy in a portable format, you can download the entire thing as a PDF below. This is a good option for reading on tablets, e-readers, or simply keeping on file on your computer.What is AP Style? The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law  official style guide of the Associated Press, a not-for-profit news agency that’s been around since 1846. It’s often used by news organizations, magazines, and web publications, but brands often use it to form the basis of their own style guides, too. The official Associated Press style guide gets updated year to year. Here’s a look at some changes from back in 2016: Arguably, these changes have led to bloat. Detractors say the guide is excessively detailed, beyond the point of being necessary, or even useful. This author doesn’t disagree with this criticism (hence the creation of this simplified blog post). If following this specific style is important for your situation, though, consider buying the official version. It’s available in both digital and hard copies. NOTE: It’s important not to confuse AP style with APA style. Who Uses AP Style? Associated Press style is generally used by journalists, but they aren’t alone in using it. Here’s a short list of folks who might need to get familiar with it: Journalists Editors PR Professionals Marketers How Do You Denote Ages? A person’s age should always use numerals. When using age as an adjective (using their age to describe an individual), then use hyphens. Examples: The 20-year-old was arrested for underage consumption of an alcoholic beverage. At 34-years-old, Larry Fitzgerald remains impressively athletic. The five-year-old dog greets its owner every morning. Abbreviations and Acronyms Use abbreviations for well-known organizations. Acronyms for Organizations Ex: FBI, NASA, IRS, NFL, MLB, NHL, FIFA. For other organizations, spell it out on first mention, then use abbreviations for subsequent mentions. Use your best judgment. If people are unlikely to understand an abbreviation, then don’t use it. Examples: The FBI agent was assigned the case.NASA announced plans to visit Mars. The MLB has not announced hot dog price restrictions for this year. Abbreviations for Formal Titles Make sure your writing respects people’s formal titles. Some examples include political and medical titles. Follow these guidelines: Political titles should be abbreviated before full names outside of direct quotes. Examples: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rep. John Lewis. Medical titles follow similar format: Example: Dr. Michaela Quinn. Which Cities Stand Alone in AP Style? Some American cities are considered well-known enough they don’t need a state abbreviation. This makes sense, since most people know where they’re located. Here’s the full list of U.S. cities that fall under this criteria: Atlanta Baltimore Boston Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis New Orleans New York Oklahoma City Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh St. Louis Salt Lake City San Antonio San Diego San Francisco Seattle Washington The same goes for the following international cities and country abbreviations: Amsterdam Baghdad Bangkok Beijing Beirut Berlin Brussels Cairo Djibouti Dublin Geneva Gibraltar Guatemala City Havana Helsinki Hong Kong Islamabad Mexico City Milan Monaco Montreal Moscow Munich New Delhi Panama City Paris Prague Quebec City Rio De Janeiro Rome San Marino Sao Paulo Shanghai Singapore Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg Kuwait City London Luxembourg Macau Madrid Stockholm Sydney Tokyo Toronto Vatican City Vienna ZurichHow to Format State Abbreviations Every state in the United States has a specific abbreviation. Some of these may not seem obvious. Follow this list to get them right. Alabama: Ala. Arizona: Ariz. Arkansas: Ark. California: Calif. Colorado: Colo. Connecticut: Conn. Delaware: Del. Florida: Fla. Georgia: Ga. Illinois: Ill. Indiana: Ind. Kansas: Kan. Kentucky: Ky. Louisiana: La. Maryland: Md. Massachusetts: Mass. Michigan: Mich. Minnesota: Minn. Mississippi: Miss. Missouri: Mo. Montana: Mont. Nebraska: Neb. Nevada: Nev. New Hampshire: N.H. New Jersey: N.J. New Mexico: N.M. New York: N.Y. North Carolina: N.C. North Dakota: N.D. Oklahoma: Okla. Oregon: Ore. Pennsylvania: Pa. Rhode Island: R.I. South Carolina: S.C. South Dakota: S.D. Tennessee: Tenn. Virginia: Va. Vermont: Vt. Washington: Wash. West Virginia: W. Va. Wisconsin: Wis. Wyoming: Wyo.Formatting Dates, Days, Months, Times, and Years in AP Style Dates and times have a number of formatting considerations. Dates: Follow this format: Monday (day), July 1 (month + date), 2018 (year). Times: Don’t use colons for times on the hour. Ex: 3 p.m., 8:30 a.m. Days: Omit st., th., rd., and th. Ex: July 1, not July 1st. Months: Abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. when writing out a specific date. Spell out names of months when not used to indicate a specific date. Ex: Aug. 3, 2018. Years: Use numerals rather than spelling them out. Ex: 2018, not twenty-eighteen. Other Considerations For Dates and Times a.m. and p.m. should use periods and lower case letters. Never say â€Å"yesterday.† Use the day of the week instead. Formatting Datelines News articles often start with a dateline indicating the location, month, date, and year a story took place. Include city (and state if necessary in the U.S.). Examples: FARGO, N.D. (July, 1, 2018) MILWAUKEE (July 1, 2018) LONDON (July 1, 2018) Numbers Spell out numbers one through nine, and use digits for numbers 10 and higher. The following exceptions, however, should always use digits: Addresses Ages Monetary values. Dates and times. Sizes and dimensions. Percents. Speeds. Temperatures. When Should Numerals Be Used? Use numerals when referring to a sequence of events or people. Examples: Super Bowl XLV Queen Elizabeth II World War I What About Percentages? Always use the full word â€Å"percent.† The % sign shouldn’t be used. That key might feel neglected, but it’s okay. Example: The analyst predicted a 100 percent increase in site traffic. Sentences Starting With Years Avoid starting sentences with a number, unless referencing a year. Example: 1977 was the last year the Minnesota Vikings went to the Super Bowl. Sizes, Dimensions, and Distances Sizes and dimensions should use numerals and spell out units of measurement. The same goes for distances. Examples: The party sandwich was 10 feet long. The delivery driver traveled 12 miles during harsh weather. Bill Smith is 6-foot-5 and plays basketball in his spare time. Punctuation in AP Style You learned everything you needed to know about punctuation in high school English class, right? Well, maybe or maybe not, but this style has quirks of its own to consider. General Punctuation Here are some general punctuation guidelines: Use a single space after a period. Commas should go inside quotation marks. Serial Commas In AP style, commas are not included before conjunctions. However, they should be used to separate each item in a list. Example: I ate a hot dog, pizza slice, burger, and an entire pie. Using Periods Lean toward using periods in abbreviations where applicable. Example: Examples: U.N., M.A., U.S.A. Singular Nouns Ending in S When proper nouns end in an S, add an apostrophe at the end. Example: Sally Jones’ red stapler has been stolen. People’s Names Use their first and last name on first mention. Then, use only their last name on subsequent mentions. Example: David Johnson is a professional running back. Johnson plays for the Arizona Cardinals. Using Hyphens Correctly Use hyphens to connect words in compound adjectives. Example: The larger-than-life performer juggled seven swords. Formatting Quotes and Quotations Here are two points about quotation marks: Periods and commas always go within quotation marks. Use single quotations for quotes within quotes. Example: â€Å"The candy truck spilled all over the highway,† said the driver. â€Å"It’s a real ‘sticky situation’ on I-94.† Technology Terms There are more tech terms and brand names to consider coming out every day. Here’s a list of some common ones you may encounter. Google hashtag Internet Apple â€Å"i† products: iPad, iPod, iPhone, iMac, unless the word starts a sentence. Then, capitalize the I. e-book email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter tweet website Web page YouTube social media cellphone World Wide Web Android AppleUsing Correct AP Style for Book, Movie, and Song Titles Your favorite author, director, or musician isn’t likely to write you an angry letter over incorrect style usage when it comes to their art. An editor probably will, though. Here’s how to get it right every time. Books, Movies, and Song Titles Use quotation marks rather than italics. This goes against what likely feels right, and how you’d normally format them, but those are the rules. Examples: J.K. Rowling is the author of â€Å"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.† â€Å"Party in the USA† does not make me feel like partying. It turns out that â€Å"Total Recall† was not a documentary. Newspaper, Magazine, and Website Names Use capitalization but no quotation marks nor italics. This blog post uses italics to highlight examples, so the publication names below have been rendered in normal paragraph text. Examples: The Guardian is a well-respected newspaper. Wired is a popular magazine for tech enthusiasts. Bob Jones is unsure where his Cat Fancy subscription came from. Other Considerations Capitalize formal titles before people’s names. Do not capitalize job titles before names. Use quotation marks for titles of books, movies, albums, and TV shows. AP Style Checking Tools, Plugins, and Apps Keeping all of this information straight can be a hassle (and this post only covers the majority of the most important elements to consider). Fortunately, there are several tools and plugins on the market that can help. Here are some worth checking out: AP Style Dates and Times (WordPress Plugin) AP Lingofy (Browser Extension) AP Style Guard (Desktop App) Bonus: AP Style Infographic That’s a Wrap Are there any details we missed? Drop a comment below and share with other readers.

Evangelism Vision Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evangelism Vision - Research Paper Example These words were a direct command from Jesus to the then disciples and all those who would come into the Kingdom later, in order to mobilize His followers into all parts of the world in fulfillment of His promise when He called His first disciples to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men, Mark 1:17. Wherever I am, I have realized that it is a command from Christ who I have accepted as my Lord, to make Him known to the people around me, a duty that Jesus has delegated to all members of the church which is His body.2 As can be noted from the Bible, Jesus started His mission on earth with evangelism, Mark 1:38b where once He told disciples,’ that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth’, and ended it with evangelism when He gave His followers the great commission. This shows the great importance that He attaches to the redemption of man, also saying in Luke 19:10 that He came to seek and to save that which was lost. I have also learnt that my changed life as a Christian is very crucial to the success of my evangelistic endeavor. Many Christians undertake the call to make disciples or evangelize just like passing on information, but a dying world will like to witness the change that has taken place in a Christian’s life after embracing the gospel.3 Jesus was confident enough to tell His followers to learn of Him, Mathew 11:29 and so was Paul the Apostle who said, â€Å"Be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.† A changed lifestyle will have much greater effect than a sermon of many words because the impact can be clearly seen. Paul talked about a time when people will have’ a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof’, when their lives, which will not have been changed by what they profess, 2Timothy 3:5. While it is very vital to share the correct message of the gospel which is in line with the word of God, it is very crucial that the information passed on is validated by my changed and consistent way of life. Evangelism has been taken by many Christians to be a Spiritual gift that has been given to a few select individuals, contrary to what the Bible teaches. While some people may be endowed with gifts that may help them to evangelize in a better way, the evangelistic call is for all members of the church. As Christians realize that evangelism is not just about sharing the good news, but about an aspect to be embraced as a lifestyle by every believer, there were be much more effective witnessing. It is not also an aspect that is to be done by a certain kind of personality, but is one that God has assigned to every member of the body of Christ, since as we share the message of redemption in the power of the Holy Ghost, the results are left to God according to John 6; 44, which states that no man can come to God unless drawn by God Himself. As we also study Ephesians 4 verse 11-12, the five fold ministry has been given by Christ to prepare the Church for the works of service. Christians are equipped by those endowed with these ministry

Role of the judiciary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Role of the judiciary - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The American constitution stipulates that the main function of the nation’s foreign policy is to protect and reinforce the position of the United States as a sovereign and independent state. The history of the American constitution in terms of Foreign Affairs The U. S. constitution, as documented by the nation’s Founding Fathers, stated that it was the nation’s aim to assume ‘the earth’s powers, equal to the rules of nature as were intended by God’ (Chomsky, 2004). Essentially, all other rules, including those that dictate foreign policy, have to observe this objective in all attempts to adopt stances of foreign policy as well as shared power. All regulations concerning the American foreign policy are formed through consultations between the nation’s Commander-in-Chief, executive and legislative branches. Even in the days of the first president of America, George Washington, there were difficulties in creating a releva nt, consistent, and practical foreign policy. Theoretically, the creation of foreign policy ought to correspond with the objectives of national interest. The federal government’s position, as one of the factors that contribute towards the formation of foreign policy, stems from the Supremacy Clause; which stipulates that Federal law is the supreme law in America and even precludes state law. The American constitution was first formed by the founding fathers as a contract of a revolutionary tobacco democracy which was led by an enlightened pseudo-government made up of merchants, paramilitary planters, and lawyers (Murray, 2013). The first American government, which was headed by George Washington, wanted to ensure that the new young nation would be able to survive in spite of the existence of powerful opponents in the European continent. In those early years, American foreign policy was aimed towards ensuring that the new nation avoided potential conflicts with European superp owers while also establishing itself as an autonomous member of the then group of free nations. This would be hard to accomplish as the nation was crafted out of a bloody conflict with the then greatest power, the United Kingdom, and had a weak and disorganized army. The United States also came into existence at a time when there was no organization, such as an international court, to arbitrate between warring nations. War was considered as being the only honorable method of solving serious disputes. In the late 1700s, only the self-interested sovereign nations were recognized as the major principalities on the international stage. When it was first formed, the American constitution worked alongside congressional powers to standardize commerce with other states, to sustain the armed forces, and create government regulations to oversee immigration and naturalization clauses. The ‘Articles of Confederation’ was America's primary constitution, and was confirmed in 1781. Th is was a time when the nation was merely a disorganized confederation of thirteen states, each of which were conducting themselves as nations in their own right (Brzezinski, 2004). America’s national government was made up of a congress and a singular legislature. The Articles of Confederation allocated to congress the abilities to oversee the running of foreign affairs, the regulation of national currency, and determination of all issues to do with war. Moreover, these activities were limited

Informed Consent in Treatment

Informed Consent in Treatment Danelle J. Hollenbeck Introduction Informed consent is an ethical idea or concept which clients must understand and agree to prior to receiving an assessment, treatment, etc. This paper explores informed consent in treatment and confidentiality. It explores why it is important to acquire informed consent and maintain confidentiality when providing treatment. Due to restrictions in length of the paper, I will not focus on informed consent involving minors or the incapacitated. Informed Consent in Treatment Informed consent is an ethical and legal design to ensure clients are provided with knowledge and information about the treatment in which they are seeking, thus decide whether or not they want to participate in the treatment when the consent has been given to them and is worded in language that is easy to understand (Fishers, 2013, p.12). Standard in informed consent would be the nature of all information that is included in the procedures and steps that must be taken to protect the rights of children and adults with impairments, thus not able to provide consent (Fishers, 2013, p.12). It is important that a practitioner receives informed consent for evaluations, assessments, and treatment, except when mandated by law (â€Å"APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, â€Å"n.d.). Practitioners using the services of an interpreter must obtain informed consent from the client in order to use that interpreter, which ensures on behalf of the client that confidentiality is maintained. It is also imperative that practitioners inform (whilst obtaining informed consent) they inform clients as early as possible about fees involved, limits of confidentiality, and involvement of third parties (â€Å"APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, â€Å"n.d.). Where I work we have a packet in which the first 4 sheets are consent to share information and include consent to share data to NTDMS, two charities we work in partnership with and would be providing services to clients, and social services. There is also a form they sign which states t hat information obtained in this assessment is confidential unless they are at risk to themselves or others, or have put a child at-risk. Informed consent also includes identifying a person’s professional identity, explaining the risks, and the client’s ability to discontinue treatment at any time. According to Hudgins, et al (2013) â€Å"informed consent also includes the notice that is  required by federal or state laws, professional ethical codes, or both, concerning the patient rights†Ã‚  (pg.11). this is very important to have so people entering into treatment know what their rights  are. Effective ways to ensure the ethical standards are being met is to put informed consent in the  patient handbook (Hudgins et al, 2013, p 8). The most powerful tool in compliance and ensuring  ethical standards is to create a pathway into the informed consent process which exists right at  the beginning. HIPAA patient material that is required and Part 2 can be included in the patient  handbook, along with the â€Å"Mental Health Bill of Rights† that may be required by state statute  Hudgins et al, 2013, pg. 8). Informed consent, as with any medical procedure, should be revisited  and documented. The practitioner has a duty to ensure the client is involved in ethical decisions  about his or her care. The process of securing informed consent involves patient education by the  practitioner (Rock Hoebeke, 2014, pg. 4). Each patient is expected to be the guardian of their  own body, as long as they are of sound mind. A patient of sound mind may choose not to go  ahead with treatment, even if it is life-saving (Rock Hoebeke, 2014, pg. 2). American law does  not permit the practitioner to have personal judgment over the client (Rock Hoebeke, 2014, pg.  2), nor permit the practitioner to assert personal judgment over the client. According to Rock   Hoebeke, â€Å"Respect for human dignity requires the recognition of specific patient rights,  particularly, the right of self-determination. Self-determination, also known as autonomy, is the  philosophical basis for informed consent in health care. Patients have the moral and legal right to  determine what will b e done with their own person; to be given accurate, complete, and  understandable information in a manner that facilitates an informed judgment; to be assisted with  weighing the benefits, burdens, and available options in their treatment, including the choice of  no treatment; to accept, refuse, or terminate treatment without deceit, undue influence, duress,  coercion, or penalty† (2014). It is therefore imperative each person entering into treatment has  the means allowed to accept or deny treatment by under which the means they understand it. Another point to consider regarding informed consent is that although a practitioner  may appoint a receptionist or nurse to obtain the written informed consent, it is legally and  ethically the practitioner’s sole responsibility to ensure his or her client has been educated in  regards to assessment and treatment. This cannot be delegated to a latter employee (Hock   Roebeke, 2014, pg. 3). Ethically and legally reliability getting informed consent lies within  the practitioner providing treatment, which includes also the risks and benefits of the treatment. Although delegation clearly is appointed at the pathway of treatment when doing an assessment,  the practitioner does so at the sole discretion that they are doing so risking liability. Those who  have been delegated this work should be properly trained as outlined in Standards 2.05 (â€Å"APA  Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, â€Å"n.d.) which states those who are  delegated work have been properly trained (apa.org). Therefore the person witnessing the  signature is knowledgeable and looks for clues to determine if the person is lucid and  comprehends the informed consent. This can cause further ethical and legal  situations if each person providing informed written consent is not coherent. Finally, spontaneously signing the form by a patient should not be allowed. It is  imperative that each patient reads and understands the forms they are signing. Signing without  reading has been a habitual practice (Rock Hoebeke, 2014, p. 4). The receptionist, nurse, or  other point of contact before seeing the practitioner is the advocate of the patient, thus should  assess the patient’s understanding of treatment. In practice, I have taken clients into a private  room and read to them the informed consent forms to make sure they understand what they are  signing. I already employ all of these methods in my daily practice setting now when undertaking  first contact, initial assessments, etc. I plan to use the Ethics Code and guidelines in the same  manner in which I was trained. Because I am providing a service to people I must ensure they  understand the service they are receiving. If they are not able to read or write, I will read it for  them in a private setting, or if they require an interpreter I will employ Standard 2.05 (â€Å"APA  Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, â€Å"n.d.) and hire a trained interpreter. It  is imperative I follow the Ethics Code in strict line with my work so that I am not  jeopardizing my clients or also myself. References APA Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://memforms.apa.org/apa/cli/interest/ethics1.cfm#10_01 Fisher,C.B. (2013).Decoding the ethics code: A practical guide for psychologists: includes the 2010 APA amendments to the ethics code(3rded.). Los Angeles [etc.: SAGE. Hudgins, PhD,C., Rose, PhD,S., Fifield,P., Arnault,S. (2013).Navigating the Legal and Ethical Foundations of Informed Consent and Confidentiality in Integrated Primary Care(Vol. 31). Retrieved from American Psychological Association website: http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu/eds/detail/ Rock,M., Hoebeke,R. (2014). Informed consent: whose duty to inform?MedSurgNursing,23(3), 4. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.lib.kaplan.edu

Stuff Happens by David Hare

Stuff Happens is a play by David Hare, written in response to the Iraq war during the Bush administration. It talks about the events that led to the war on Iraq in 2003, which spans from George Bush’s election in 2000 up till his stepping down from office in 2008. The title is inspired by Donald Rumsfeld’s response to journalists about the looting happening in Baghdad where he replied â€Å"Stuff Happens†. The writer already states in the authors note that it is â€Å"knowingly true† but he had to use his imagination in parts that were not covered especially when the politicians were behind closed doors. The Bush war cabinet, which is made up of Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz, Colin Powell, George Tenet, Dick Cheney mad Donald Rumsfeld is made of fantasists who want to attack Iraq except Colin Powell who is a stern realist. When there is a showdown with Bush Powell puts the point, which comes to no avail that war should be seen as a last resort were diplomacy has not worked. Here he points out the hypocrisy of Americans where he asks, â€Å"people keep asking of Saddam†, â€Å"how do we know he’s got weapons of mass destruction? How do we know? Because we’ve still got the receipts. † Here in this particular scene Powell speaks his mind to the president where he points out hypocrisy by saying that they used to trade with Saddam not long ago and now they want to go to war with him. Also an example of power of leadership is shown but in a very indirect way when Bush summons Powell to the Oval office. Here Bush asks for Powell’s permission to go to war and then Powell replies he does not disagree with the idea but after he leaves he says he didn’t need Powell’s permission. This shows that no matter the situation and even if Powell had said no the president had already made his decision. It seems in way that Bush is sometimes abusing his power to gain the upper hand of people and not a lot of people would disagree with the President of the United States of America. As for political maneuvering, this is shown as Rumsfeld telling the press indirectly that they don’t need the British and there is also a bit of deception, as he has no sense of regret in his words. Finally a very strong point of society’s perception of the events is given by an Iraqi exile at the end of the book. The Iraqi even admits to hating Saddam Hussein by saying â€Å"I even longed for the fall of the dictator†, but the comment that Donald Rumsfeld totally changed his perception of things. He shows this by bringing up the way the Americans who died are counted and given an honorary ceremony but the Iraqi’s are unaccounted for. This shows how the war was totally unfair and that they considered the Iraqis not to be human. The Iraqi exile then solidifies everything by the last words he says where people say to him, â€Å"look tell America†, and he replies by saying â€Å"you are putting your faith in the wrong person. Don’t expect America or anybody will do it for you. If you don’t do it yourself, this is what you get. † What this is saying is that even if people think America is like the world body they should expect that America could turn their backs on them anytime and that if you put your faith in them you will be disappointed.

Charles Darwin and the Theory of Evolution Essay

Darwin was a British scientist who first set the building blocks for the theory of evolution, and transformed the way in which we think about the natural world and the organisms within it. Charles Robert Darwin was born on the 12th of February 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He was born into a wealthy and well-connected family. Initially, he had planned to follow a medical career path, and studied firstly at Edinburgh University, but then changed to Cambridge. In 1831, he joined a 5 year scientific expedition on the survey ship – HMS Beagle. At this time, most Europeans believed that the world and animals/plants had been created by God in seven days, as described in the Bible. However, Darwin believed the rich variety of animal life and geological features within our world suggested something different. On the 5 year voyage, Darwin was especially interested in his findings within the Galapagos Islands, which seemed to support his initial thought of evolution within a species. Also, on his travels, Darwin read Lyrell’s ‘Principles of Geology’, which suggested that the fossils found in rocks were actually evidence of animals that had lived many thousands or even millions of years ago. This reinforced Darwin’s own mind, and his visit to the Galapagos gave the evidence to his ideas. Darwin noticed that each island supported its own form of finch which were closely related, but different in important ways: for example, the birds that lived on an island where its main food source was berries, the finch would have more of a ‘parrot beak, which was smaller with a point at the end, while those which ate cacti had much longer and thinner beaks. In 1836 he returned to England, and began trying to solve the riddles of these observations and the puzzle of how species could evolve. After being influenced by the ideas of Malthus, Darwin proposed a theory of evolution occurring by the process of ‘natural selection’. The animals (or plants) that were best suited to their environment are more likely to survive and therefore reproduce, passing on the characteristics which helped them survive to their offspring. Gradually, the species changes over time. For 20 years Darwin worked on this theory, then after learning that another naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, had developed similar ideas. The two made a joint announcement of their discoveries in 1858. A year later, Darwin published ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural  Selection’, which was extremely popular, and informed many people of this new idea. The book was extremely controversial, because Darwin’s theory was that homo sapiens were simply another form of animal. It made it seem possible that even people might just have evolved – quite possibly from apes – and destroyed the theory of the Bible, which had been believed for many centuries, on how the world was created. Many people did not want to go against their religion, and passed the idea to stay with what they had always been taught. Darwin was vehemently attacked and frowned upon, particularly by the Church. However, his ideas soon gained currency and have become the new orthodoxy. Darwin died on 19 April 1882 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Hitler s Foreign Policy During The World War II - 2305 Words

The official start of the Second World War is most commonly linked with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. Nevertheless, there are still ongoing disagreements as to whether Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany at the time, aspired to spark an extensive world war through his actions in Eastern Europe. In the years leading up to September 1939, Hitler’s foreign policy had become increasingly dependent on the idea of expansionism. Constructed through Hitler’s foreign policy at the time, there are many historians that view the occupation of Poland as nothing more than an extension of the two previous successful Nazi annexations of Austria and Czechoslovakia, with Hitler expecting a coy reaction from the other European countries. Richard Overy and A. J. P. Taylor are among the historians that believe that the outbreak of war ensuing the Polish invasion, was a direct result of the underestimations generated by the German government, who were heavily distracted by continuous issues occurring inside of the Reich. In contrast, some historians including Adam Tooze and Klaus Hildebrand, view the invasion of Poland as much more than just a trial of expansion. These historians believe that the invasion was a conscious attempt to draw Europe into a conflict that would catapult Germany to the top of the European powers by increasing their influence and status throughout the world. These historians acknowledge that Germany had prominent racial motivations at the time thatShow MoreRelatedHistory Essay Spanish Civil War957 Words   |  4 PagesWhat were the key effects of the Spanish Civil War? Spanish Civil War was war which lasted from 1936 to 1939. For the Spanish it was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“totalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  war, because whole available arms, weapons, economy and other sectors of country were included in this war. But the Spanish Civil War was à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“limitedà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  war for foreign powers, since they hadnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t been directly included into the conflict. In this war the new technology was very significant, especially dominance of the airpower. Control of the sea wasRead MoreHow Appeasement Aided The Start Of World War II1376 Words   |  6 PagesHow Appeasement Aided the Start of World War II When one chooses to take the easy path, there will always be unforeseen consequences, and this is exactly what happened in the policy concerning Hitler and Nazi Germany leading up to World War II. The Munich Agreement was signed on September 30, 1938 and it was at that moment that Hitler agreed to not take any more countries by force. 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