are projected to increase 6%, from a total of approximately 58 million to more than 61 million over the same period.3 While growing in absolute size, however, folk religions, Judaism and “other religions” (the umbrella category considered as a whole) will not keep pace with global population growth. Each of these groups is projected to make up a smaller percentage of the world’s population in 2050 than it did in 2010.4 Similarly, the religiously unaffiliated population is projected to shrink as a percentage of the global population, even though it will increase in absolute number. In 2010, censuses and surveys indicate, there were about 1.1 billion atheists, agnostics and people who do not identify with any particular religion.5 By 2050, the unaffiliated population is expected to exceed 1.2 billion. But, as a share of all the people in the world, those with no religious affiliation are projected to decline from 16% in 2010 to 13%
Sophocles is able to express his ideas about the balance between the artificial man- made world in comparison to the natural laws and traditions. The conflict between man and nature presented in Antigone has deepened my understanding of the customs and traditions of the ancient Greek era and influenced my perception of our current world. The conflict is still relevant today, when we argue about the issues of abortion and gay rights, which are both religiously frowned upon, and try to find the balance between beliefs and traditions from the past, while accustoming them to our world today. Word count: 410 1 Robert Fagles, trans., Sophocles: The Three Theban Plays (New York: Penguin, 1984) 76.
series of reforms beginning in the 1530s under King Henry VIII (ruled 15091547), Edward VI (1547 1553), and Queen Elizabeth I (15581603) had converted most of the country to Protestantism (Little Endianism), in the episcopalian form of the Church of England. At the same time, revolution and reform in Scotland (1560) had also converted that country to Presbyterian Protestantism, which led to fresh difficulties when England and Scotland were united under one ruler, James I (16031625). Religiously inspired revolts and rebellions followed, in which, indeed, one king, Charles I (16251649) lost his life, and his son James II lost his crown and fled to France (16851688). Some of these conflicts were between Protestants and Catholics; others were between different branches of Protestantism. Swift does not clearly distinguish between these different kinds of religious strife. Swift has his Lilliputian informant blame the "civil commotions" on the propaganda of the Emperor of
sinking of the Spanish Armada in 1588. One of the leaders of the English navy was Sir Francis Drake, who was the first Englishman to sail around the world. The Royal Navy also enabled England to realize her imperialistic ambitions and defy the Pope and the Catholic powers of Europe. Henry used Parliament to establish himself as the head of the Protestant Church with the Act of Supremacy (1534). His Reformation led to the creation of the religiously distinct Anglican Church. The dissolution of the monasteries provided Henry with much needed wealth. The reign of Elizabeth I was called the Golden Age of English history, because it produced poets like Shakespeare and Spenser and prosperity for the entire nation. She also restored national unity and made England Protestant again. The discovery of America placed Britain in the centre of the world's trading routes and brilliant naval commanders (Sir Francis
cosmopolitan city of Baghdad. Golden Age (7501258) Artistic depiction of the Battle of Hattin in 1187, where Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin's Ayyubid forcesBy the late 9th century, the Abbasid caliphate began to fracture as various regions gained increasing levels of autonomy. Across North Africa, Persia, and Central Asia emirates formed as provinces broke away. The monolithic Arab empire gave way to a more religiously homogenized Muslim world where the Shia Fatimids contested even the religious authority of the caliphate. By 1055 the Seljuq Turks had eliminated the Abbasids as a military power, nevertheless they continued to respect the caliph's titular authority. During this time expansion of the Muslim world continued, by both conquest and peaceful proselytism even as both Islam and Muslim trade networks were extending into sub Saharan West Africa, Central Asia, Volga Bulgaria and the Malay archipelago
The people I questioned hated canned laughter. They called it stupid, phony, and obvious. Although my sample was small, I would bet that it closely reflects the negative feelings of most of the American public toward laugh tracks. Why, then, is canned laughter so popular with television executives? They have won their exalted positions and splendid salaries by knowing how to give the public what it wants. Yet they religiously employ the laugh tracks that their audiences find distasteful, and they do so over the objections of many of their most talented artists. It is not uncommon for acclaimed directors, writers, or ac- tors to demand the elimination of canned responses from the television projects they undertake. These demands are only sometimes successful, and when they are, it is not without a battle. What can it be about canned laughter that is so attractive to television ex-
or impossible to collect accurate data. Training myself to forget that made all the difference. "Added to this knowledge was a basic understanding of how metabolism works. Here are the main things I changed: breakfast within 30 minutes of waking and ve to six meals a day of roughly 200 calories each. How did I measure the calories? I didn't. I put together an exact meal plan for just ONE week, bought all the ingredients, stuck to it religiously. From that point on, I didn't have to do the hard work anymore. I became aware after just one week of roughly how many calories were in a portion of di erent types of food and just guessed. Again, trying to literally count calories sucks and is demotivating. Setting up a rigid template for a week and then using it as a basic guide is sustainable and fun. "Just a few more disconnected tips: "I set up a workstation where I could pedal on a recumbent bike while working. I did real
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