L = [0, 'string', ['l','i','s','t']] # Integers and strings are immutable
newL1 = L # This only points newL to the object L references
newL2 = list(L) # Shallow copies, same as newL = L[:]
import copy
newL3 = copy.deepcopy(L) # Deep copies: now L's mutable elements will not change
L[0] = 1
L[1] = 'changed'
L[2][3] = 'p'
print 'newL1: ', newL1
print 'newL2: ', newL2
print 'newL3: ', newL3