<span>The last thing that they need is democracy (viz. mob rule or the tyranny of the majority). What they need is a strong republican form of government with a true balance of power between the executive, legislative and judicial branches and a strong rule of law. ... It would be better for them to have military dictatorships than to have the majority persecute and slaughter the minority as democracy would allow them to do</span>
-- One feature of Earth is an atmosphere rich in nitrogen and oxygen.
Very unusual.
-- Another feature of Earth is vast quantities of liquid and solid water.
Very unusual.
-- Another feature of Earth is a range of temperatures near the melting point
of water.
Very unusual.
A student buries an ice cube in a pan of dirt and observes the dirt as the ice cube melts. This activity is a model of the formation of a kettle.
The cycles within which earth's matter moves are closed systems. This means nothing is gained or lost from the system; it only changes from one form to the other. The total amount of matter on earth remains the same. Using tectonic plates as an example, divergent boundaries occur where new oceanic crust is being created. New crust is being created and simultaneously the same amount of crust is being destroyed at convergent margins.
