Free Your Inner Thinker Essays - Truth, Atheism, Agnosticism

Free Your Inner Thinker Essays - Truth, Atheism, Agnosticism Free Your Inner Thinker Free Your Inner Thinker Organized religions are laden with the debris of archaic, superstitious images. Everywhere people go they are submerged in biblical ignorance, religious illiteracy and historical stupidity (Edelen, The 10 Commandments). People are surrounded by cultic codes and images at every turn. This must stop! One organization that is taking a stand is called The Freedom From Religion Foundation. It is most commonly referred to as free thought. A freethinker is a person who forms opinions and beliefs on the basis of reason, independent of tradition, authority, or established belief (Barker). Freethinkers love to learn new ideas and are not satisfied with what is already known. Thus, all members must be free from the conformity of a bible, creed, or messiah. They must be allowed to think for themselves, rather than blindly follow tradition or cosmic absolutes. Freethinkers believe the truth and choose not to follow the lies and superstitions that are, inevitably, part of religion. Common mythological themes are saturated through out the bible, from the creation and flood myth to virgin birth and hero resurrection (Edelen, The Sin). Unlike conventional religions, Freethinkers beliefs are based on reality and reason. As defined in Nontract #11, What is a Freethinker, Reality is limited to that which is directly perceivable though our natural senses or indirectly ascertained through the proper use of reason (Barker). For an idea or belief to be considered true it must be testable, falsifiable, parsimonious, and logical. Every belief a freethinker has must have evidence or experiments to confirm it; all attempts to disprove it must repeatedly fail, require little to no assumptions, and be free from contradictions and character attacks (Barker). Freethinkers use the thinking part of there brain to understand the universe. Many people who dont understand free thought think that freethinkers lack morals. The morality of a freethinker can be summed up in one word, kindness. Morality is not a bunch of dos and donts but, instead, is based on human needs (Barker). Freethinkers try to be good and fair to everyone. They believe that all human beings should live in peace no matter what their race, sex, religion, what they think, who they love, or where they come from. They do their best to protect the earth and all its creatures. Religion promotes dangerous and inadequate morality based on blind obedience, rather than a careful use of reason to weigh the possible outcomes when faced with a moral dilemma (Barker). The most common philoshical question pondered is whether there is a meaning of life. Freethinkers know that the meaning of life must originate in the mind. Since the universe is mindless and the cosmos do not care, if you wish to have a purpose, YOU must care (Barker). Not all freethinkers believe in a meaning of life, as with all beliefs, individuals are free to accept or discard it. Where as many freethinker choose to believe there is no divine plan, most freethinkers find meaning in life. They find meaning in human compassion, social progress, the beauty of humanity, personal happiness, pleasure, joy, love, and the advancement of knowledge (Barker). Unlike convention religions, free thought requires an explanation rather than a designer to explain the complexity of life. One such explanation is Darwins theory of evolution along with natural selection. Freethinkers do not believe in a divine designer because the complexity of such a creature would be subject to the same scrutiny itself (Barker). Freethinkers also believe that religion is not only useless but also harmful. Historically, religion has always produced violence (Edelen Religion). From Moses to the Crusades, Henry VIII, Salem, Hitler, Kosovo. Edelen writes, it is the countries with out religion that are the least violent (Religion). He also stated in the same article that, America is the most religious of all industrialized nations, and yet is the most violent nation in the world. Many of the worlds most gruesome leaders believed they were performing gods work. Hitler himself wrote, I am completely convinced that I am acting as the agent of god. I am now a Catholic and will always remain so, in Mein Kampf (qtd in Edelen, Religion). Freethinkers do not believe that all religious people are

Industrial relations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Industrial relations - Assignment Example Therefore it is essential for employers to maintain good relationships with workers and vice versa in order to collectively reach towards productivity and goals of the organization. Concept of industrial relations: Generally the term industrial relation comprises of two words; Industry and relations. The word industry has a general understanding of any work or activity by which an individual or group of individuals are engaged in order to give productivity. Moreover the word relation means the way in which two or more concepts, objects or people are connected. Or in other words relationships that usually happen or exist within the organization amongst employer and employees. Industrial relations system: Industrial relations system generally is a system, which has the complete range of relationships between managers and employees. This also includes management of the relations in terms of conflicts and cooperation. Moreover industrial relations system is considered to be in the ideal state if relations amongst management and employees are carried out considering mutual coordination, cooperation and harmony rather than carrying out conflicts, disputes and lack of sharing. Furthermore it provides or creates an ambiance which one way or other promotes economic efficiency, productivity and growth of the worker and in return receives loyalty of employee as a result mutual trust can be obtained. Keeping in view that the role of state is also involved in it (Godard and Delaney, 2000). Participants in industrial relations system: There are three main actors or participants in an industrial relations system which are directly involved in the system these are (Heery and Frege, 2006): government employees employers Government: The rules, regulations and legislations regarding industrial relations are usually made by government in most parts of the world. Though organizations tend to follow their own rules and regulations regarding hiring, firing and working conditions but overall standardization of rules are to be set by government and all organization are bound to follow those rules and regulations (Heery and Frege, 2006). Employees: Generally workers are the backbone of the industry and these workers are always willing to improve their conditions in terms of employment. If something is not working for them they always try to raise their voices in order to convince management about some particular issue. Moreover in some cases workers are willing to share decision making power in terms of management. Usually they tend to be united and form a union whose purpose is to raise their voices and issues and discuss this with management in order to find solution (Heery and Frege, 2006). Employer: Employers or bosses are the whole and sole of the company and are mainly responsible for hiring and firing of employees and choosing person for jobs. These bosses are usually strategic apex of the organization that in most cases have different managers working for them in order to run organization (Heery and Frege, 2006). Given below is the figure for better understanding of industrial relations process: Scope of industrial relations: Industrial relations can be classified in terms of employee and employer relationship that usually come from day to day operations however if we consider industrial relations in a broader spectrum it is the relations amongst employer and employee in order to carry out working of the industry to gain productivity. It may spread over the areas of marketing, quality control, price fixation and disposition of profits amongst others.

Family Divorce ( You Must use research it from a feminist perspective) Paper

Family Divorce ( You Must use it from a feminist perspective) - Research Paper Example The same case is replicated in Europe where the rates of divorce have been on the increase in the recent decades and is expected to escalate even further in the coming years. It is such disturbing trends that have prompted studies into understanding the effects and possible interventions of divorce. The feminist perspective on divorce revolves around the ways in which women’s positions at divorce systematically differ from men’s positions. Although the current labour force trends indicate an increase in women participation, Carbone (1994) says there is no corresponding rise in the fathers’ domestic contributions. In fact, women still endure the burden of child rearing. In a nutshell, therefore, a feminist perspective is concerned about the implications of divorce not only on the lives of women but also on the lives of children. Divorce has a huge impact on the family for the simple reason that it breaks the bonds that were once responsible for bringing the family together. On the part of children, Carbone (1994) says divorce brings the feelings of being unwanted and loss of trust to the parents. On the part of the fathers, divorce leads to loss of finances, emotional stress following loss of family and having to start again and loss of parental responsibility. With regards to the mothers, divorce leads to financial stress and emotional stress just to mention a few. Sometimes these effects deteriorate even to the extended families. Divorce shams serious concerns on the family, in particular, the well-being of the children. Although the adults are also affected by divorce, the children bear the brunt of it all. The divorce causes psychological, physical and socio-economic problems onto the affected families. This is in contrast to families that do not experience divorce. Wallerstein (1991) identifies persistent loneliness as a major consequence of divorce on children. He cited a study in

The inpact of immigration on the construction industry Essay

The inpact of immigration on the construction industry - Essay Example Immigration will lead to increased population in a country and this leads to an increase in the demand for social amenities and this indirectly affects the construction industry. This paper discusses the effects of immigration workers in the UK who work with the construction industry, the construction industry in the United Kingdom has over 250 thousand firms and the industry employs over 2 million people, the paper analysis the effect of immigrant workers with reference to health, skills, communication and infrastructure. The construction industry in the UK is termed as the biggest industry because it employs over 2 million people, it is also termed as the most risky job because in the past 25 year over 2,500 people have died from accidents in construction work, further there has been reports of many illnesses and injuries caused in the work process. The construction industry has a large number of injuries and illnesses compared to other industries. This is because in the industry the workforce is exposed to more physical activities. The immigrant workers in the UK are mostly from Bulgaria and Romania, these immigrants work in the most dangerous tasks and for this reason they account for more injuries and deaths in the construction industry. The immigrants however have been considered to be beneficial to the economy in that they have reduced the tax burden of the natives. Immigrants have differing cultural and social background and this shapes their attitude and their expectations in the work place. The high levels of injuries and deaths of the immigrants in the workplace can be attributed to the following factors; The immigrants have little or no training regarding safety and health in the workplace, for this reason therefore there is an increased occurrence of injuries and deaths in the construction industry which employs most of these immigrants. The immigrant workers who work in the

Pedagogical Practices Essay Example for Free

Pedagogical Practices Essay Abstract This paper provides an insight on the effective pedagogical practices that can be used in the children learning. Some of these practices include the incorporation of ICT in early childhood education and some of effective direct instructional strategies that can have an impact in the learning process of children. Five common learning outcomes for children are identified. In addition, the paper outlines characteristics of effective teaching that contribute to effective teaching. Furthermore, the concept of culture in early childhood education is also discussed. Keywords: Effective teaching, Pedagogy Introduction Early childhood education in Australia falls under the responsibility of each state. The approach in each State towards early childhood education is different. The different States have different school starting ages, nomenclature, approaches in the testing and evaluation of the children, policies, support services and both public and private funded childhood education and care programmes. In Australia, children in preschool and childcare are usually placed under the funding and policy of the health sector, whereas those children aged between 5 and 8 years are placed under the school sector. Amendments by the government have resulted to the combination of the health sector provision and childcare policy to the education sector. Childcare in the States of Victoria has been moved to the Department of Human Services to the Department of Early Childhood Education (DEEW, 2009). In Australia, pedagogy and learning have been put within the context of a developmental paradigm that is widely influenced by developmental (Sumsion et al., 2009). In the past, the school segment has been involved in implementing a discipline-focused criterion together with the child-centred approach to learning and pedagogy. The childcare sector mostly concerns itself with the child, whereas the school sector mainly focuses on the implementation of the curriculum (Church, et al., 2010). Some of the efforts by the Australian government in promoting preschool education include the investing of a million dollars in to the research and development of innovative practices in childcare and preschools. In addition, additional funds have been directed towards the development and research of early childhood programmes. Furthermore, the Australian government is developing a nationwide curriculum for early childhood development that will be implemented nationwide (DEECD, 2009). Pedagogy refers to the correct use of teaching strategies. In addition, pedagogical practices are those set of principles that facilitate and support effective teaching. Use of pedagogy standards assists in the teachers and childhood professionals in achieving their goals (Fleet, Patterson Robertson, 2006). According to the Victorian Framework, five outcomes for children can be identified. These include identity, sense of community, communication, learning and well-being (VCAA, 2000). Effective Teaching Effective teaching is dependent on certain outcomes. These outcomes include the whether the students learn something as the result. Despite the introduction of teaching strategies that have been described as effective, use of these strategies will produce different outcomes in the different learning situations (City et al., 2009). In these scenarios, the teacher will be confronted with the idea of developing instructional strategies and behaviours, which are effective practices as well as combining these strategies at the appropriate time to the individual students. In addition, the teacher has to apply of these strategies depending on the different learning situations and what is the teacher’s goal for students learning outcome (City et al., 2009). Effective teaching’s primary purpose is the attainment of academic knowledge of the student. In addition, effective teaching, as a whole encompasses the attainment of skill or knowledge on a subject of interest by a student, students feeling good about themselves, students obeying the society laws and students liking the school (Alter Coggshall, 2009). Besides ensuring increased academic achievement, the use of instructional strategies should not produce affective loss. Moreover, the instructional strategy that produces positive affective results is the most effective teaching strategy. In order to achieve effective teaching fully, vital understanding of the effective teaching practices, the students, teaching contexts, coherent decision making and learning environments is significant (Dahlberg, Moss Pence, 1999). Characteristics of Effective Teaching Effective teaching involves effective communicating, planning, managing and evaluating the actual process of instructing. Reflective teaching plays a major role in making of informed decision relating to the effective teaching strategies (Mabrina, Church Tayler, 2010). Through reflective teaching, teachers can be able to do a critical analysis their actions and their decisions. Reflective teaching allows teachers to foresee the impact of the teaching methods and in the process may make relevant changes in improving their strategies. In addition, the teacher gains a deeper understanding by scrutinizing the goals of the teaching practice. According to the DEECD (2009), children’s learning becomes advanced when they experience interactions with highly effective childhood professionals. Application of reflective teaching allows the childhood teachers to promote practices are supported by evidence to be doing well in supporting and developing children learning (Osterman, 1990). Furthermore, reflective teaching will allow the childhood professionals ability to challenge and develop new practices that they discover to be effective. In the process of reflective teaching the childhood professionals, improve their knowledge and skills concerning early childhood education. Teachers have to have a comprehensive understanding of the learning values of development the children to cater for the variety of and diversity of children in a classroom setting (Ashmna and Elkins, 2009). This allows the teacher to select the best effective teaching strategies. Consequently, this will necessitate the need of the use of a various instructional resources and technology. To be effective teachers must have adequate knowledge on the subject, which they propose to teach. This includes professional knowledge about teaching in general, pedagogical knowledge about the concepts and theories of effective teaching and pedagogical content knowledge concerning the different teaching approa ches and methods. Another important t characteristic of effective teaching involves the use of a variety of teaching strategies. Use of a variety of teaching techniques stimulates the student s during lesson activities and may encourage students to participate actively in the lesson. This especially true when dealing with children who are normally intrigued by different things and hence in the process may enjoy the lessons. The advantage is that children have inquisitive minds and anything new to them encourage exploratory mind (Rinaldi, 2006). Furthermore, proper assigning of tasks taking into account the time factor will provide the children with adequate time for learning new ideas. Various ways can be used to increase children engagement in learning activities. The teacher can monitor the work of the children as the progress and make comments and appreciation of their efforts. In addition, preparation of a daily schedule that gives a description of the activities that the children will undertake will assist in reducing time wastage activities such as giving directions. Furthermore, individual assignments given to the child should be interesting and easy to them as well as different to what the other children are doing. This promotes their confidence in being able to carry out activities on their own. The children should not only be involved in just doing things in class as a way of ensuring children success rate. The activities should be meaningful and have a relation to what the teacher is planning on teaching. Planning of these activities should replicate the capability and interests of the children. If a child is successful in one day, chances are that the child will replicate the same success in the days to follow. Effective Pedagogical Practices Cognitive Construction Cognitive structures refer to the patterns of the mental or physical actions that bring about specific acts of acumen. These are conditioned by stages of development. An assumption using the Piaget theory is that children are natural and active developers of their own understanding. Growth in a child results to the integration of abstract structures in their understanding. Using Piaget theories on child development, the teacher can be able to facilitate developmental change in a child by assisting the child to find contradictions using hid or prior knowledge and understanding. Culturally Relevant Pedagogy The Victorian Framework for early childhood development t recognizes the fact that culture plays a significant t role in the shaping the learning and development outcomes of children. The childhood professional use of culture empowers the children both socially and emotionally. An example of how the Victorian Framework incorporates culture-based pedagogy is in the Aboriginal culture. Respecting and learning the value of this culture will assist in ensuring that the Victorian children have a sense of belonging in the community. Culture, in this case, is used as a vehicle for learning. Moreover, incorporating of children’s books that outlines the different cultures will assist the children in developing their own personal identities related to their different cultures. In addition, the children can be able to understand the relationships that exist between Australia and Asia and in the process grow up understanding the Asian culture. (ACARA, 2010) Creating Relationships Fostering relationships among the children will assist in building trust, understanding thereby creating a peaceful learning environment for the children. The children strengths’ can be increased by encouraging the children to talk about the family histories. Incorporation of this strategy will assist the children develop social and persona competence as they learn to mange and understand their relationships. This is a key aspect of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment, and Reporting Authority (2010). Furthermore, the children will be able to start friendship relationship with one another, work effectively as a team, and be able to make responsible decisions (ACARA, 2010). Use of Technology In recent times, the use of computer games and simulations has a possibility of improving how children learn. Early childhood professionals can incorporate an assortment of strategies using technology. These include the use of a learner-centred approach, promoting cognitive activity, and focusing on learning outcomes. A learner-centred approach will help in assisting the natural process through which children learn. In addition, this approach will allow a better understanding of the children’s cognitive processing and, therefore, affect the learning outcomes of the child. In focusing on promoting the cognitive activity, video games cause the children to be more active. This allows teachers to recognize how the different aspects of the computer software affect the learning process of the child. Consequently, measuring the learning outcomes of the games can help in accessing the level of comprehension in a child. In addition, use of reading software can help determine what children learn from the use of the software. Use of ICT is a key component in the Australian curriculum (ACARA, 2010). Direct Instruction Hunt and Touzel (2009) suggest that the use of direct instruction strategies allows teachers to be able to organize and present material to the children. Direct instructional strategies are characterized by a certain level of predictability of the children responses. This allows teachers to be to respond with ease and in the process save time. The teacher best applies direct teaching for children in the learning of procedures and skills. Teachers use the direct instructional strategies to present information through which the children use their prior knowledge and give feedback to the teacher. Direct instruction strategies ensure the close monitoring of the children’s outcomes and ensure effective use of classroom organization and management methods. The direct instruction process consists of modelling, direct practice, guided practice and independent practice. In modelling, the skill to be imparted on children is performed by the teacher. This normally involves thinking aloud so that the children can grasp the concept. In direct practice, the teacher uses questions through a variety of steps that allow the children to understand the reason behind every step, whereas, in guide practice, the children generate questions working through various steps while the teacher observes, guides them, and provides a response to the questions. Lastly, in independent practice, the students have gained the ability to work on their own and can be able to do more questions without much assistance from the teacher. Examples of direct instructional strategies include explicit teaching, drill, demonstration, lecture presentation and teacher led guide discussion. However, lecture presentations are not effective in teaching children. In explicit teaching, the teacher first gain the attention of the children then provides information, which the children can use to provide feedback to the teacher. Use of demonstrations in teaching children is a more effective method the use of direct instruction. In demonstrations, the children can observe how the teacher carries out a certain task, which helps to increase the attention of the children. Furthermore, using demonstrations allow the children to look at the actual activity rather than hearing about something they cannot see. An example of a demonstration that is normally used in teaching children is the teacher showing them how to tie their laces. Most of these demonstrations are explanatory in nature (Moss et al., 2006). References ACARA (2010). The Shape of the Australian Curriculum. Sydney: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority Australian Education Ministers. Retrieved from http://www.acara.edu.au/verve/_resources/Shape_of_the_Australian_Curriculum.pdf Alter, J Coggshall, J. G. (2009). Teaching as a Clinical Practice Profession: Implications for Teacher Preparation and State Policy. Retrieved from http://www.tqsource.org/publications/clinicalPractice.pdf Ashmna, A. Elkins, J. (2009). Education for Inclusion and Diversity. NSW: Pearson. Church, A., Deans, J., Raban, B. Margetts, K. (2010). The Early Years Learning Frameworks in Practice. Melbourne: Teaching Solutions. City, E. A., Elmore, R. F., Fiarman, S. E. and Teitel, L. (2009). Instructional Rounds in Education. A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning. Harvard University: Harvard Education Press. DEECD. (2009). Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework. Early Childhood Strategy Division: Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.education.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/earlychildhood/learning/veyldframework.pdf Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., Pence, A. (1999). Beyond Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care. Philadelphia: Falmer Press. DEEW. (2009).Belonging, Being and Becoming. The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia. Retrieved form http://apo.org.au/node/18428 Fleet, A., Patterson, C. Robertson, J. (2006). Insights: Behind early childhood Pedagogical Documentation. NSW: Pademelon Press. Mabrina, L. Church, A. Tayler, C. (2010). Evidence Paper, Practice Principle: Reflective Practice. Retrieved from http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/earlylearning/evi-refprac.pdf Moss, J. et al. (2006). Invitations Inspirations: Pathways to successful teaching. Victoria: Curriculum Corporation. Osterman, K, F. (1990). Reflective Practice: A New Agenda for Education. Education and Urban Society, 22 (2) 133 – 152. Sumsion, J., Barnes, S., Cheeseman, S., Harrison, L., Kennedy, A., Stonehouse, A. (2009). Insider perspectives on Developing Belonging, Being Becoming: The Early Years Frameworks for Australia. Australian Journal of Early Childhood. 24, (4), 4-13. Rinaldi, C. (2006). In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia. Oxon: Routledge. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (2000). Victorian Essential Learning Standards, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Retrieved from http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/

One Who Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: Ken Kesey

Chief is the narrator because if McMurphy were the narrator, he could not quite be telling the story as a fable. He would be empowered to control the path of the narrative--if he were still sane. But Chief, who has not been lobotomized but freed, recounts McMurphy's story and takes the lesson to the outside world. He becomes the messenger. Chief Bromden believes in the "fog" and the power of the "Combine." The fog is, on an individual level, a kind of mental dimness or confusion that also represents the thickness of delusion and suffering that prevents the inmates from seeing their true situation and their true selves. The Combine is, on a social level, a repressive institution and all the individual wheels and cogs in it that ensures that the inmates stay quiescent. When McMurphy supposedly oversleeps and is discovered, we must question the depth of his motivation to escape. McMurphy has found deep fulfillment in helping the men in the ward, especially Bromden, despite his increasing personal frustration. But he also has been letting his frustration distance himself somewhat from his initial efforts at leadership. McMurphy may well be the kind of person who is immoderate in his desires and who might end up oversleeping even while he might have preferred to escape. McMurphy has figuratively disrobed Nurse Ratched, disempowering her and because she has been exposed as human. Her power over the men is further broken, despite her clear victory over McMurphy as an individual. "Thoughts are free," but if part of one's brain has been removed, one does not even have much in the way of thoughts. Ratched has been stripped of much of her authority, her credibility in the overall institution has been further eroded, and Bromden finally gains the independence to escape. Nurse Ratched is nominally the villain, but she symbolizes a somewhat broken institutional system and the problems of a larger, repressive society that subjugates individualism to conformity. She is part of the Combine, and another upon her demise will likely take her place in the machine. Still, she is particularly cruel at a level beyond that of the other doctors and nurses. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey, each character is a representation of something else. Randle McMurphy represents an outside world/nature and Nurse Ratched represents the inside world and is a manipulator. However, Chief Bromden is different. He is depicted as an adherent, the balance between the outside and inside world, and a follower of McMurphy.

Batayang Konseptwal

Element Arrangement The elements show a periodic recurrence of chemical and physical properties when they are arranged in order of increasing atomic number. Elements in the same vertical column are known as groups and the horizontal rows of elements are called periods. All elements in a specific group have equivalent outermost, or valence electron, configurations which accounts for the similarity in the number and type of chemical bonds these elements form. In moving from element to element across a period or down a group, chemical and physical properties change gradually. Most of the elements are metals that chemically tend to lose electrons and form positive ions. The relatively few nonmetals appear in the upper right-hand section of the chart except for hydrogen. The nonmetals have a tendency to react chemically with metals and gain electrons to form negative ions. Nonmetals often bond to each other by forming covalent bonds. Alkali Metals: Highly reactive elements that combine with many nonmetals to form ionic solids (salts). They also form compounds with oxygen that dissolve in water to create solutions that are strongly basic (alkaline). Alkaline Earth Metals: Very reactive elements that form ionic compounds with nonmetals. Many of their oxygen compounds are found in deposits in the ground. Transition Metals: Generally less reactive than the alkali and alkaline earth metals, these elements vary in physical and chemical properties. Many form important alloys with one another and other metals. Several of the transition elements can form more than one positive ion. For example, iron can form more than one compound with a given nonmetal since it exists as two different ions, Fe 2+ and Fe 3+. Lanthanides: Series of transition elements between lanthanum (La) and hafnium (Hf). These elements are found together in nature and they are similar chemically. Actinides: Series of transition elements between actinium (Ac) and rutherfordium (Rf). Many can be prepared in minute quantities only. They tend to form insoluble compounds. Noble Gases: Elements exhibit limited chemical reactivity though the heavier noble gases show degrees of reactivity. These elements have generally complete electron shells. Halogens: Reactive elements that form compounds known as halides. Several halogens including chlorine, fluorine and iodine, have important applications in everyday life. Other Metals: Also referred to as post transition metals. Aluminum is the most abundant metal on earth. Lead, tin and mercury have industrial uses. Other Nonmetals: Includes chemically reactive elements important for life on the planet, such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and phosphorous. Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. [ The camera is the image-forming device, and photographic film or a silicon electronic image sensor is the sensing medium. The respective recording medium can be the film itself, or a digital electronic or magnetic memory. [4] Photographers control the camera and lens to â€Å"expose† the light recording material (such as film) to the required amount of light to form a â€Å"latent image† (on film) or â€Å"raw file† (in digital cameras) which, after appropriate processing, is converted to a usable image. Digital cameras use an electronic image sensor based on light-sensitive electronics such as charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The resulting digital image is stored electronically, but can be reproduced on paper or film.