Sci-Tech Library Newsletter
04/16/03
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- SCIENCE POLICY: 1. National security vs. scientific publishing, 2. Protecting intellectual property, 3. Open Access
- RECYCLE THOSE TONER AND PRINTER CARTRIDGES: Yes, you can, and it’s easy!
- NEW E-BOOKS AND REPORTS
- AROUND DC AND ON THE NET
- INTERESTING WEBSITES AND NEWS FROM THE INTERNET: Fathom; Biological Sciences: Celebrating 50 Years of DNA, Jaws: The Natural History of Sharks, The Nature of Things: A Look at Pain [Flash], Dolphins and the Military; Computer and Information Science: Palm Pilot Robot Kit, Folding@Home; Education and Human Resources: Online Science-athon, An innovation odyssey, ICON; Engineering: The Rion-Antirion Bridge [iPIX, Flash], US Centennial of Flight Home Page [Quick Time]; Geosciences: Journeys through Earth and Space, Puente Hills Fault System Under Los Angeles Represents New Threat to the Region, The Hurricane of ’38, Hanging Ten; Mathematical and Physical Sciences: Common molecules collection, Lewis Carroll Home Page, Lunar Phases, Membrane Lipids, Spec Online, Centre for the Popularisation of Mathematics [QuickTime], Simulations/ Demonstrations, Cosmic Evolution: From Big Bang to Humankind; Polar Programs: Under the Antarctic Ice, The Alfred Wegener Institute “Click and Learn”; Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences: History of Civilization Casualty of War in Iraq … and more … plus news items from Edupage
- INTER ALIA: Library humor, April Fool’s classics, the heavy burden of taxes.
SCIENCE POLICY
Background Paper on Science & Security in an Age of Terrorism
Science and Technology in a Vulnerable World
ALAN GREENSPAN CALLS FOR “BALANCE” IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION
In March 4 remarks at the 2003 Financial Markets Conference held by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Federal Research Chairman Alan Greenspan emphasized the increasing role of technology in driving economic growth, drew distinctions between the historical protection of “property” and the modern use of law to protect ideas and concepts, and cautioned participants of the need to strike the right balance when protecting intellectual property rights in order not to stifle innovation. (From IEEE Eye on Washington)Open Access: Restoring Scientific Communication to It’s Rightful Owners (pdf)
This is a policy brief from the European Science Foundation, published April 2003.RECYCLE THOSE TONER AND PRINTER CARTRIDGES
There are places very interested in recycling your printer cartridges. Every time you return a cartridge, you decrease the amount of solid waste being put into our landfills and reduce the amount of natural resources required to produce new cartridges. You can actually get pre-paid envelopes. Just pop the cartridge into the envelope, and pop it in the mail — what could be simpler? Some companies will even give rebates to your favorite organization or charity for returned cartridges.
Check the Yahoo directory for websites or just do a simple websearch using your favorite search engine and terms like “printer cartridge recycling”.
NEW E-BOOKS AND REPORTS
Wagner, Caroline S. Linking Effectively: Learning Lessons From Successful Collaboration In Science And Technology. RAND, 2003.
Fong, Terence. A Survey of Socially Interactive Robots. Carnegie Mellon Univ. Robotics Inst., 2003.
US Congress. Science Committee’s Views and Estimates on the FY 2004 S&T budget.
Donovan, M.S. Strategic Education Research Partnership. NAP, 2003.
Petrides, Lisa A. Knowledge management in education: defining the landscape. Inst. for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education, 2003.
FY04 Budget of the United States.
2003 Economic Report of the President.
Venezia, Andrea, et al. Betraying the College Dream: How Disconnected K-12 and Postsecondary Education Systems Undermine Student Aspirations. Stanford Univ., 2003.
Kung, Ling-Pei. Introduction to Error Correcting Codes. MIT, 2003.
The Next Mainstream Wireless LAN Standard. IEEE, 2003.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Roadmap. Office of the Secretary of Defense, 2003.
US Congress. Energy Policy Act. (pre mark-up)
True Needs, True Partners: Museums Serving Schools. Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2003.
Bloom, David E. The Demographic Dividend: A New Perspective On The Economic Consequences Of Population Change. RAND, 2003.
Cragin, Kim. Terrorism and Development: Using Social and Economic Development to Inhibit a Resurgence of Terrorism. RAND, 2003.
MacDonald, Jacqueline. Alternatives for Landmine Detection. RAND, 2003.
Burkhart, Grey. The Information Revolution In The Middle East And North Africa. RAND, 2003.
Council of Economic Advisers for the President’s Initiative on Race. Changing America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being by Race and Hispanic Origin.
Bennett, Matthew. A Broadband World: The Promise of Advanced Services. Alliance for Public Technology/Benton Foundation, 2003.
Who Goes There?: Authentication Through the Lens of Privacy. NAP, 2003.
Satellite Observations of the Earth’s Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. NAP, 2003.
Government Data Centers: Meeting Increasing Demands. NAP, 2003
Completing the “Big Dig”: Managing the Final Stages of Boston’s Central Artery/Tunnel Project. NAP, 2003.
Brower, Jennifer. The Global Threat Of New And Reemerging Infectious Diseases: Reconciling U.S. National Security And Public Health Policy. RAND, 2003.
Kilburn, M. Rebecca. Recruiting Youth In The College Market: Current Practices And Future Policy Options. RAND, 2003.
Abou El Fadl, Khaled M. Democracy and Islam in the New Constitution of Afghanistan. RAND, 2003.
De Jong, Gerard. Study On Ideas On A New National Freight Model System For Sweden. RAND, 2003.
Adaptive Monitoring and Assessment for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. NAP, 2003.
Describing Death in America: What We Need to Know. NAP, 2003.
Environmental Information for Naval Warfare. NAP, 2003.
Use of Lightweight Materials in 21st Century Army Trucks. NAP, 2003.
Bioavailability of Contaminants in Soils and Sediments: Processes, Tools, and Applications. NAP, 2003.
The Decline of the Steller Sea Lion in Alaskan Waters: Untangling Food Webs and Fishing Nets. NAP, 2003.
Offspring: Human Fertility Behavior in Biodemographic Perspective. NAP, 2003.
IT Roadmap to a Geospatial Future. NAP, 2003.
Government Data Centers: Meeting Increasing Demands. NAP, 2003.
GIS for Housing and Urban Development. NAP, 2003.
AROUND DC AND ON THE NET
2003 Cyber Space Day(SM) Webcast To Focus on the Future of Flight
Astronauts and Experts Answer Questions About Future Air and Space Travel on Space Day.Students, teachers and space enthusiasts around the world will get an exciting glimpse into the future of flight during the sixth annual Space Day Webcast. Broadcast live on May 1, 2003 from Washington, D.C., Cyber Space Day will offer viewers the chance to learn from some of the foremost experts in aviation and aerospace who are currently working on the next generation of space planes. The event is one of many exciting activities that will occur on Space Day 2003(SM) … Celebrating the Future of Flight.
Co-hosts for Cyber Space Day will be Joie Chen, CBS News Correspondent, and Bianca Baker, a “Treehouse Detective” on NASA’s SCIence Files. Broadcast over the Internet and available via satellite from noon to 1:00 p.m. ET, the Webcast will offer students the chance to interact live with a number of experts, scientists, astronauts and other students from across the country.
Guests will include Senator John Glenn, co-chair of Space Day, Fred Gregory, Deputy Administrator of NASA; Anna-Maria McGowan, manager of the futuristic Morphing Program at Langley Research Center; and Garry Lyles, manager of the Next Generation Launch Technologies Program at Marshall Space Flight Center.
Several students who developed “Stellar” solutions to this year’s Space Day(SM) Design Challenges that focus on aviation and aerospace in the 21st century will take be interviewed. Tim McElyea, will discuss his book, A Vision of Future Space Transportation, A Visual Guide to the Spacecraft of Tomorrow, and Canadian teen Anne Breaks, aspiring astronaut, will discuss her thoughts about the challenges of space exploration.
“As engineers at NASA, every day presents new and different challenges to explore,” said Anna McGowan. “I welcome the opportunity to share with young people some of the exciting technological advances that are underway to advance the future of flight.”
Dr. Joyce Winterton of USA TODAY Education will announce the results of the 3rd Annual Space Day Student Survey. Conducted in partnership with USA TODAY Education, students are encouraged to participate by logging on to SpaceDay or USA Today.
The Webcast serves as an informative and entertaining classroom learning tool. Viewers can ask questions of the guests via email and share their opinions and ideas through live polls and space quizzes. Students can also post questions in advance on the Space Day(SM) Discussion Boards.
The Space Day(SM) educational initiative is a program supported by the Space Day Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to motivating students to become involved in science, technology, engineering and math through the topic of space. More information about Space Day is available in the Press Materials section at: http://www.spaceday.com/en/press/press_view.php.
Electronic Scientific, Technical and Medical Journal Publishing & Its Implications
How electronically publishing scientific journals affects the health of scientific research is the topic of a two-day symposium sponsored by the National Academies’ Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy. The event, which begins on May 19, takes place in the auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences building, 2100 C St. N.W. Washington, D.C.Sweet Science: Candy!
Saturday, April 19, 2003, at 11 a.m. (PST)
How do they make jellybeans shiny? Can the color of a candy affect the way it tastes? Do candy factories really look like Willy Wonka’s? Join us as we investigate the sweet world of sugar.Note: Prior to the Webcast, all links will be to a test video clip.
*Special Preview* — Under Antarctic Ice — Norbert Wu
March 31, 2003 – September 12, 2003:
National Academy of Sciences Main Floor Galleries
500 5th Street NW, Washington, DC
(Exhibit normally open during Third Thursdays, 5–8 pm, or by appointment)** Meet Norbert Wu for a special Third Thursday lecture and reception, Thursday, May 15, at 6:00 p.m. Third Thursday Open House/Reception/Photographer’s Lecture begins at 6:00 p.m.
Celebrate Third Thursday, the monthly celebration of arts in downtown DC, hear famed photographer Norbert Wu discuss Under Antarctic Ice, an exhibition at the National Academies, and attend a free wine and cheese reception!
Hear photographer Norbert Wu talk about his exhibition Under Antarctic Ice, on display at the National Academies through September. Wu’s ground-breaking efforts to explore and document the waters and life under the Antarctic ice are captured in over 40 dazzling photographs. View his stunning photographs, and hear him discuss the hazards of photographing in one of the world’s harshest environments.
The new headquarters building of the National Academies opened in June 2002. Included in it are permanent installations by Washington, DC based artist Larry Kirkland, as well as paintings, photographs, and exhibition galleries. Normally, these artworks and exhibitions are closed to the public. However, Third Thursdays are your opportunity to see our unique collection of works exploring intersections between art and science.
Cost: FREE!
Information: Contact Jeffrey Zimmer @ x2415 or jzimmer@nas.eduINTERESTING WEBSITES AND NEWS FROM THE INTERNET
Fathom
“Fathom is the premier destination for authenticated knowledge and online learning. Fathom’s member institutions present their immense wealth of knowledge across every area of interest — from business to global affairs, from arts to technology. Fathom brings you:- Free online seminars from Fathom’s member institutions and course partners, offering the best in online education from top research institutions.
- Lectures, interviews, articles, performances and exhibits by faculty, researchers and curators from our member institutions. Reference content spanning all disciplines and fields of study.”
The Fathom consortium includes:
- The American Film Institute
- The British Library
- The British Museum
- Cambridge University Press
- Columbia University
- London School of Economics
- Natural History Museum
- New York Public Library
- Rand
- Science Museum
- University of Chicago
- University of Michigan
- Victoria & Albert Museum
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Wow! The course listing is impressive and exciting. In the sci-tech fields you can find offerings such as:
- Bioacoustics: Cetaceans and Seeing Sounds
- Early Contributions to Aviation
- Kidspeak: How Children Acquire Language
- Networks and Netwar: The Future of Terror, Crime and Militancy
- The Five Ages of the Universe
and more.
Biological Sciences
Jaws: The Natural History of Sharks
The newest in the course offerings from Fathom is Jaws: The Natural History of Sharks.From: The Natural History Museum | Taught By: Michael Bright
Primitive fishes resembling sharks were swimming in the oceans over 450 million years ago. Their descendants survived successive mass extinctions, including the catastrophe at the end of the Permian period (245 million years ago) when 96 percent of all marine life was extinguished. They saw the dinosaurs come and go, and were still thriving when the mammals returned to the sea. Their long evolutionary history has refined sharks to the rank of near-perfect predators. In this seminar, Michael Bright, executive producer with the BBC Natural History Unit and author of the book Sharks, reviews the broad range of living sharks in order to explore their biology, behaviour and evolution. Traditionally, sharks have had a villainous reputation and the book and film phenomenon Jaws have done much to perpetuate this pariah status but, as Bright reveals, sharks are stunning rather than sinister creatures. He examines the serious threats, in the forms of overfishing and marine pollution, experienced by wild shark populations all over the world.
Dolphins and the Military
Hunting for Mines
The Story of Navy Dolphins
Marine Mammal Research
Russia’s New Navy Rescuers
Navy Dolphins Prepare for First Mission
U.S. Navy Looks to Bats, Dolphins for Better Sonar
Dolphins have been trained by military of several nations since WWII, the latest use being to locate mines in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. and Russia have both trained marine mammals for military uses, and other countries have purchased some of these trained animals. The first site is an NPR story on the use of robots and dolphins to find mines. An audio file is included. The second site is from the PBS Frontline series, with links to related information. The third site is the US Navy Marine Mammals Research website. The fourth site details the training of seals to help with rescue of divers and other stranded below the ocean surface. The fifth site is from the BBC news service for children, and includes links to information about dolphins in general and to the use of different animal species in war efforts. The last site is from National Geographic, about research using bats and dolphins in the development of echolocation tools.Celebrating 50 Years of DNA
Happy birthday, DNA! Just 50 years have passed since scientists James Watson and Francis Crick ushered in a new era by identifying that spiral ladder of gene-works formally known as deoxyribose nucleic acid. The scientists’ “Nature Paper” on the structure of DNA is reproduced in this Flash site and featured alongside a helpful timeline of genetics. This life story of the gene begins some 10,000 years ago in China when humans first used selective breeding to modify crops and animals. Jump forward to 1866 when Gregor Mendel identified hereditary patterns in pea plants, a discovery that paved the way for 20th-century genetics theory. Once the structure of DNA was identified, understanding the function of genes at a molecular level was possible. This led to everything from isolating the gene that causes Huntington’s Disease to important advances in criminal forensics. Thanks to many scientific pioneers, we know a lot more about our genes than our parents ever imagined possible.(From Yahoo’s Picks of the Week)The Nature of Things: A Look at Pain [Flash]
Beginning with the quote, “Pain is not a sensation, but an experience, an utterably lonely experience,” this interactive exhibit from the Canadian Broadcasting Company offers an introspective look into how we understand, experience, and define the notion of pain. Designed in tandem with the upcoming documentary “A Disease Called Pain” (produced and directed by Vishnu Mathur), the exhibit begins with a brief introduction to the history, research, and treatment of chronic pain. The section About Pain is divided into smaller subtopics such as What is pain? and Why do we feel pain? Along with creative graphics and original music, each subtopic exploration is complemented by a brief essay on the selected theme. The most engrossing section is Living with Pain, which features three brief interviews with Catherine Seton, a former teacher, who recounts her chronic pain (diagnosed as fibromyalgia) and her insights into coping with this condition. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)Computer and Information Science
Palm Pilot Robot Kit
The Palm Pilot Robot Kit is a design for an easy-to-build, fully autonomous robot controlled by a Palm handheld computer. This design was created by two Carnegie Mellon Robotics Insitute research groups, the Toy Robots Initiative and the Manipulation Lab, with the intent of enabling just about anyone to start building and programming mobile robots at a modest cost.The Palm makes a handy robot controller: it packs a lot of computational power in a small size, runs on batteries, and best of all, can display graphics and an interactive user interface. Our robot empowers a Palm to move about and sense the nearby environment. The base uses three “omni-wheels” that allow driving in any direction with independent control of rotation, meaning it moves holonomically in the plane. The base also has three optical range sensors to “see” the nearby environment up to about a meter away.
The complete construction plans and software are documented on these pages. The entire robot can be constructed from standard parts using glue, tape, and a small amount of soldering. The software we provide can be compiled on a Windows PC using the free Code Warrior Lite compiler and downloaded to the Palm. The robot can then drive itself around on flat surfaces, using optical range sensors to sense nearby obstacles and walls.
Folding@Home
This is a distributed computing project, similar to SETI@home. Put the power of your PC to work when you aren’t working!Proteins are biology’s workhorses — its “nanomachines.” Before proteins can carry out their biochemical function, they remarkably assemble themselves, or “fold.” The process of protein folding, while critical and fundamental to virtually all of biology, remains a mystery. Moreover, perhaps not surprisingly, when proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. “misfold”), there can be serious effects, including many well known diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Mad Cow (BSE), CJD, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease.
What does Folding@Home do? Folding@Home is a distributed computing project which studies protein folding, misfolding, aggregation, and related diseases. We use novel computational methods and large scale distributed computing, to simulate timescales thousands to millions of times longer than previously achieved. This has allowed us to simulate folding for the first time, and to now direct our approach to examine folding related disease.
Education and Human Resources
An innovation odyssey
Become a modern-day Odysseus and sail the seas of technological innovation! This site features inspiring stories of how real-life teachers are using real-world technology to make “real-cool” things happen in their classrooms. Read about paper-thin electronic newspapers in Malaysia or animated storyboards in England that bring Shakespeare into the 21st century. Past stories are indexed for easy access. (From ENC)Online Science-athon
The Science-athon offers elementary and middle-grade students opportunities to discover the science in their daily lives. Presented as challenges, the Science-athon asks students to investigate their world in ways that are engaging and fun, easy for teachers to incorporate into their teaching, and instructive. Yet, common to all of the events is that they are delivered from the Science-athon web site, result in class data that is submitted to a central database, and include the exploration of questions using displays of student-generated data.Science-athon events include:
Challenge for Grades 2–3:
How Tall Am I?Challenges for Grades 4–8:
- The Marble Roll
- Catching Sunshine
ICON
“ICON, or the Innovation Curriculum Online Network, is a central source for information dealing with technology and innovation, and serves as an electronic roadmap to connect users, such as teachers, professors, students, museum staff, and parents with information about the human built and innovated world.ICON will also provide a broad and deep collection of technological literacy resources for teachers and educators, digital resources informed by educational and digital library standards, necessary descriptors, metadata, and developmentally-appropriate content for technological literacy support. The collection is populated and classified according to the National Technology Content Standards.”
Brought to you by The International Technology Education Association (ITEA) and The Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, located at Ohio State Univ. and funded by the US Dept. of Education.
Engineering
The Rion-Antirion Bridge [iPIX, Flash]
Located in Greece, the Corinth Gulf Strait is the site of the Rion-Antirion Bridge construction project. This Web site has a great deal of information regarding the project and its progression. When completed in 2004, the bridge will span three kilometers and will be able to withstand a collision with a tanker or an earthquake measuring seven on the Richter scale. These impressive specifications will be the result of six years of work. The engineering principles and techniques used to design the bridge are described on this site, and several pictures and panoramic views of different stages of the bridge’s construction are included. [CL] (From the Scout Report)US Centennial of Flight Home Page [Quick Time]
In 1998, the United States Congress passed the Centennial Flight of Commemoration Act, effectively establishing the organization that would assist in commemorating the Wright brother’s first powered flight in 1903. Five years later, the organization has mounted an impressive Web site that contains hundreds of documents related to the history of flight. Young people will want to be sure to check out the Kids’ Fly Zone, which features several films of early Wright flying machines, including the 1900 Glider. The bulk of materials fall into three main sections: the timeline, essays, and images. The essays provide helpful background reading on almost every topic related to flight, ranging from the aerospace industry, inflight refueling, air power, commercial aviation, and aerodynamics. The timeline can be searched by year, keyword, or category. The image database can be searched by category, most of which correspond to topical themes delineated by the essays. For those looking to attend events related to the centennial, a searchable calendar of events is also provided. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)Geosciences
Hanging Ten
Learn where surf and science intersect: Check out the latest edition of the ScienceWire Web site, “Hanging Ten: Surfing the Web, then Surfing the Waves,” where you’ll explore the science and technology behind surfing, including an exploration of wind, waves, weather, and tides, and an investigation of the physics of surfboards. Take a journey through the science of hanging ten!Journeys through Earth and Space
“Why are the Rocky Mountains so far inland? How do we preserve the changing Amazon rain forest? When will the sun fling parts of itself towards Earth? NASA is tackling questions like these inside supercomputers. Here, billions of calculations per second recreate the universe mathematically. Supercomputers can process observations into a motion picture. Or, they can solve equations that describe realities seen and unseen. To understand and predict nature through computation, NASA started the Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) Project, which has become the Computational Technologies Project under the Earth Science Technology Office. This video magazine follows three research teams on their journeys to discovery.” You can order the video from NASA, or you can watch these excellent files for free on the Internet.Puente Hills Fault System Under Los Angeles Represents New Threat to the Region
New Quake Threat Found under LA (Free registration required)
Study Provides “Disturbing” Details about New LA Fault
Southern California Earthquake Center
The January 17, 1994 Northridge, CA Earthquake
National Earthquake Information Center
The Virtual Times: The New Madrid Earthquake
Largest Earthquakes in the United States
While the media tends to cover the well-known San Andreas fault when speaking about the potential danger of a massive earthquake in the Los Angeles basin, the Puente Hills fault system may in fact be equally, if not more, threatening. Discovered four years ago, the extensive fault system is capable of generating earthquakes up to a 7.5 on the Richter scale, and it runs immediately under downtown Los Angeles. The full extent of the fault system was not revealed until 1999, when two geologists were given access to previously secret oil company exploration data that revealed geologic structures beneath the surface. Another disturbing fact was the discovery that the orientation of the Puente Hills fault is directed to focus seismic energy towards downtown L.A., particularly when compared to the Northridge quake of 1994, whose energy was directed away from the downtown area. On a more positive note, James Dolan, a University of Southern California geologist, noted that massive earthquakes do not happen with great frequency and that certain precautions could be taken to stabilize structures in the meantime.The first link leads to a news article on the Puente Hills fault from today’s Los Angeles Times. The second link leads to an article discussing the recent research on the fault system undertaken by James Dolan and his colleagues at the University of Southern California. The third link will take users to the Web site of the Southern California Earthquake Center, which contains up-to-date information on seismic activity in California, along with providing specifics of how earthquakes work and the ability to sign up for email updates from the Center. The fourth link leads to a detailed report and assessment of the 1994 Northridge earthquake in California, which killed 57 people and caused approximately $40 billion dollars in damage. The fifth link leads to the National Earthquake Information Center Web site, which features information about recent seismic activity in the United States and around the world, along with detailed scientific data about the magnitude and scope of recent and historically significant earthquakes. The sixth link takes visitors to a fascinating Web site devoted to telling the story of the New Madrid, Missouri earthquakes of 1811 and 1812, which (it is thought) measured over 8.0 on the Richter scale and temporarily reversed the flow of Mississippi River. Provided by the United States Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards program, the final site lists the largest earthquakes in the United States and provides seismic maps where available. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
The Hurricane of '38
“As the storm made its way across the Atlantic and up the eastern seaboard, there was little warning. Radar had not been invented. The National Weather Bureau predicted it would blow itself out at North Carolina, but it didn’t. No one had ever seen a storm like this.Rhode Island fishermen, residents and vacationers recount what it was like to live through one of the greatest natural disasters recorded in North America.”
This is the PBS companion website to the American Experience episode. The website has film clips, film transcript, timeline, maps, and more.
Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Lewis Carroll Home Page
Born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, Lewis Carroll began his writing career writing lines of verse and is best remembered today as the author of _Jabberwocky_ and, of course, _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_. For students and persons looking for any number of links about Carroll’s life, his works, and teaching aids and materials to be used in conjunction with his writings, this Web site should provide ample resources. The Carroll Studies section is a good place to begin, as it contains links to a number of brief biographical sketches, annotated bibliographies, and critical analyses and musings on his different works, including a piece by Joyce Carol Oates and her admiration for _Alice in Wonderland_. Another intriguing section of the site is devoted to the use of math, logic, and puzzles that is a pervasive element in much of his writings, most notably _Alice in Wonderland_. The site is rounded out by a number of links dealing with Lewis Carroll in a variety of languages, including Czech, Danish, Esperanto, Estonian, French, Italian, and Polish. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)Common molecules collection
Here’s your chance to put cholesterol through the wringer, instead of the other way around! Twist, tilt, and twirl 3D representations of common molecules, including cholesterol, glucose, amino acids, and harmful environmental toxins. You’ll get a whole new feel for and appreciation of how molecules are put together. Accompanying text describes the origin of each molecule and additional information. (From ENC)Lunar Phases
The Lunar Phases online science activity is provided by the Astrophysics Science Project Integrating Research and Education Web site, which is the educational outreach program of the HiRes Cosmic Ray Research Group at the University of Utah. This fascinating lesson utilizes an interactive lunar animation that allows students to learn how the moon’s orbit around the earth affects how we see it. Although this concept may seem fairly straightforward, it can actually be somewhat confusing. This activity, though, does a good job of explaining and illustrating what is actually happening with the sun, earth, and moon at various times throughout the month. The entire lesson is also available in Spanish. [JAB](From the Scout Report)Membrane Lipids
“This website is an unofficial home for membrane lipid crystal structures. Here, you’ll be able to find information about the nomenclature, crystallization, etc. of membrane lipids. Although about 50 structures are known, most of them are not in a database, so the only source of their coordinates is the original journal article.The purpose of this site is to make this information available to anyone interested, especially structural biologists. To facilitate their use, all coordinate files are in PDB format.”
Spec Online
This Web site features the following tools for spectrum analysis: 1H- Wizard - Enter chemical shifts [ppm] Example: enter 2.3 for a chemical shift of 2.3ppm IR- Wizard - Enter Wave number [cm-1] Example: enter 2345 for a wave number of 2345cm-1 MS- Wizard - Fragment or loss mass (without sign) Example: enter 23 for a fragment with m/e of 23 13C- Database compound name or chemical shift [ppm] Example: enter 32.1 for a chemical shift of 32.1 ppm or hexane for all compounds contains hexane in their name. Also you can choose from the following help features: Discussion: An online Forum; 13-C chemical shift calculations for aromatic and heteroaromtic compounds; an experimental 13C Database; a beginners guide through to 1H- NMR Spectroscopy; a periodic table; an NMR lineshape simulation program for the simple AB-case without J- Coupling; an overview over some NMR Solvents and their properties; an overview over some typical H,H NMR Coupling Constants; some chemical shift tables; an interactive JCAMP-DX File Generator; and the Newsletter. (From Infomine)Centre for the Popularisation of Mathematics [QuickTime]
Located at the University of Wales, the Centre for the Popularisation of Mathematics brings a more artistic side to the often plainly presented subject. Several online exhibits and galleries illustrate sculptures and knots that have a basis in math. One of the most interesting and famous mathematical sculptures is the Mobius Band. The centre gives a description of the Mobius Band and its significance, as well as instructions on how to create one and interesting experiments to try. Many other sculptures are presented in the same way, touching on topics of fractals and mathematics. The Knots Exhibition briefly introduces knot theory and shows many different knot configurations. [CL](From the Scout Report)Simulations / Demonstrations
Over twenty Java applets from Rice University are presented on this site. The applets cover most of the major points taught in an introductory statistics course. One quality that makes this site stand out from others is the excellent background information presented with many applets, which lets users read about a concept and see it visually at the same time. Topics include applications of the central limit theorem, regression, analysis of variance, and many more. The applets are all very easy to use, and they are certainly valuable demonstrations for any high school or college student in statistics. [CL] (From the Scout Report)Cosmic Evolution: From Big Bang to Humankind
Site traces the cosmic origin and evolution of all matter and energy, from the initial Big Bang through the seven epochs of 12 billion years of time. Explores significant milestones using an interdisciplinary approach with movies, diagrams, animations, educational activities, and text. Provides a glossary, references, and links to related sites. Caution: movies may require lengthy download. From Tufts University, Wright Center for Science Education, and the Foundation for the Future. (From Librarian’s Index to the Internet)Polar Programs
The Alfred Wegener Institute “Click and Learn”
“The Alfred Wegener Institute gets a vast number of enquiries from school children, their teachers and occasionally their parents. Almost everyone wants to know more about the Arctic and the Antarctic, the polar fauna and flora, work on a polar research station, life in the sea, life on board a research vessel or how to become a marine scientist. Here are the most ‘frequently asked questions’ (and answers).”This web page does a very nice job in presenting information on topics such as “Sea Ice for Beginners” and “Animal Trekking”. Brief but cogent discussions are coupled with attractive graphics.
Under the Antarctic Ice
“Does the thought of diving in the chilly waters or trudging across the brutally cold and desolate terrain of Antarctica send shivers down your spine? Imagine spending months in that climate shooting footage for a television program.” This is the website of Norbert Wu, leader of a team recently sponsored by the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs. An underwater photography team dove out of the US Antarctic Program’s base at McMurdo Station, on Ross Island in Antarctica. For three visits in late austral spring, photos were taken on scuba dives and field excursions at locations around McMurdo Sound: Ross Island and the Antarctic mainland.The photographs will soon be on display at the National Academy of Sciences (see the Around Town section above), and the TV program was broadcast on the PBS Nature series.
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences
History of Civilization Casualty of War in Iraq
Looters Ransack Baghdad Museum
Prized Iraqi Annals Lost in Blaze
UN Sends Antiquities Experts to Iraq
Iraq National Library Up in Smoke (includes Slide show of artifacts)
Iraq’s Lost Cultural Treasures
Yale-Driven Petition Aims to Protect Iraq Antiquities
British Museum - Mesopotamia
Oriental Institute Mesopotamian Gallery
Metropolitan Museum, Ancient Near Eastern Art
More than 170,000 artifacts were either stolen or destroyed by looters at the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. There are reports that the museum in Basra had also been hit, and that unguarded excavations across the country are being pillaged and ruined. In addition, the National Library and the prinicpal Islamic library have been pillaged and burned. There are no words that can contain the depth of this catastrophe. Here are news reports of the tragedies, and websites showing Mesopotamian collections, a taste of what has been lost.Edupage
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NATIONAL ARCHIVE DOCUMENTS GO ONLINE
Fifty million historical records in the National Archives are now available online. Instead of visiting the Archives or requesting records by phone, researchers, genealogists, and others can now search for records ranging from the details of battles to immigration information remotely and free of charge. Veterans in particular are expected to welcome the system to search for information on military action, casualties, and prisoners of war. The database of searchable records contains only a small portion of the archive’s electronic holdings and is compiled from 20 federal agencies. To ensure their integrity, the records from the different agencies have not been altered, so some contain typographical and historical errors.
Associated Press, 4 April 2003 (registration req’d)via Edupage.REPORT URGES NATIONAL DATABASE TO TRACK GRADUATION
According to a report by the Lumina Foundation for Education, states should create a national database to track students’ progress toward graduation, especially those who transfer to institutions in different states. The report states that of the students who earn bachelor’s degrees, half attend two or more institutions, and these students are often inaccurately tracked as dropouts. Forty-six databases of this sort exist in 39 states, of which roughly half link within but not across states. They share basic information categories on 69 percent of the nation’s full-time enrollment. The existing databases all use Social Security numbers to track students, however, which presents an obstacle to creating a national database due to federal privacy rules and the challenge of securely using these numbers as identity theft and privacy concerns mount. The report concludes that a national database would allow institutions to “be better able to judge their own performance and direct their resources where they’re most needed and can be most effective.”
Chronicle of Higher Education, 9 April 2003 (sub. req’d) via Edupage.COMPUTERS THAT MONITOR USERS
Researchers at the Human Media Lab at Queen’s University in Ontario have designed a computer that monitors its user to help with time management. They have designed devices that determine how much attention a person is paying to his or her PC and the relative importance of each message received. One device is an eye contact sensor the computer employs to determine if the user is present and looking at the screen to decide if and when to make contact with the user. The lab’s director, Dr. Vertegaal, said, “We now need computers that sense when we are busy, when we are available for interruption and know when to wait their turn — just as we do in human-to-human interaction.”
BBC, 8 April 2003 via EdupageCLARKE SAYS MORE RESOURCES ARE NEEDED
Richard Clarke, the former cybersecurity advisor to President Bush, this week told Congress that more resources must be allocated to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement the president’s plans. Clarke stressed the dangers posed by cyber-terrorists and called on the government to establish a National Cybersecurity Center and to create the position of federal chief information security officer. Michael Vatis, former director of the National Infrastructure Protection Center, also testified and reiterated many of the points Clarke made. Vatis said that because of the recent restructuring and inadequate provisions of the new department, the federal government is less prepared to deal with cyber threats than it was a year ago. Clarke offered a list of recommendations for improving the DHS’s readiness for cyber threats. David Wray, spokesman for the DHS, said the department still has many open positions, including in the cyber division, and said the DHS is appropriately structured to handle threats.
Washington Post, 8 April 2003 via EdupageHOMELAND SECURITY PORTAL UNVEILED
A new Web site has been unveiled to help municipalities across the United States deal with disasters and other emergency situations. DisasterHelp.gov includes maps and other geographic information system data, tools for secure online chats among emergency response personnel, and links to 17 nongovernmental assistance agencies and to 27 federal disaster help sites. Later this month a Disaster Management Interoperability Services tool kit will be available on the site. The tool kit will allow police, fire, and ambulance units to communicate through the portal in times of disasters. Currently those groups have difficulty communicating because they use a variety of equipment, not all of which is compatible, and different radio frequencies. The site was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 26 partner agencies.
ComputerWorld, 8 April 2003 via EdupageGOVERNMENT WORKS ON NOTIFICATION STANDARDS
Speaking at the Secure E-Business Summit this week, Howard Schmidt, acting chairman of the federal government’s Cybersecurity Board, said officials from government and the private sector are working to develop guidelines for notifying the government in cases of cybersecurity incidents. Many such incidents are not reported, according to Schmidt, because the private sector was not sure what the government wanted. Schmidt called for clear standards for what types of incidents will be reported to government officials. As a first step in establishing formal policies and procedures for reporting cybersecurity incidents, the government has created the National Communications System (NCS), which serves as the primary point of contact for such notifications. The NCS is part of the new Department of Homeland Security.
Federal Computer Week, 2 April 2003 via EdupageCOMPUTERS, NOT PENCILS, FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS
Officials in Oregon are working to move the state’s standardized testing programs to computer-based exams rather than paper-and-pencil tests. The Technology Enhanced Student Assessment (TESA) program is used in more than 500 Oregon schools, resulting in one student in three taking the tests on a computer. Idaho and Virginia have pursued similar programs. Despite some parents’ concerns that taking standardized tests on a computer disadvantages some students, particularly younger ones, officials involved in the program said students today are extremely comfortable using technology and that even the third graders are doing fine with the program. Bill Auty, Oregon’s associate superintendent overseeing testing, said computer tests are cheaper than paper tests because they don’t require printing or mailing. In addition, students receive feedback almost immediately with computer-based tests, rather than having to wait three months for results of the paper tests.
Associated Press, 2 April 2003 via EdupageGERMANY EXPANDS ACADEMIC USE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL
The German Parliament has passed a law allowing academics to distribute copyrighted works digitally to students and other academics. The copyright exemptions allowed by the new law cover “small parts” of copyrighted works distributed to small groups of people, such as the students in a class. The law also stipulates that access must be controlled by passwords or a similar mechanism, and Parliament must re-approve the law in 2006 for it to remain in place. Academics cheered the new legislation, saying it explicitly gives them the same freedom with electronic materials that they already have with printed ones. Publishers and some authors of copyrighted material strongly opposed the law, saying it would kill the academic publishing industry. Many academics dismissed that argument, saying publishers must work with academic interests to “develop … new ways to organize and distribute digital material.”
Chronicle of Higher Education, 14 April 2003 via EdupageCOMPUTER COURSES AT AFGHANISTAN UNIVERSITY
Kabul University in Afghanistan will soon offer computer-networking courses, including some classes with only female students. Afghanistan was long cut off from the technological developments happening in other parts of the world, and, under Taliban rule, women were denied education altogether. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), almost no one in Afghanistan is able to handle computers due to the country’s 20 years of relative isolation. A statement from the UNDP said, “The new academy fills a critical void for women and men alike in Afghanistan.”
Associated Press, 13 April 2003 via EdupageSCIENCE COMMITTEE ADVANCES NEW S&T SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
During the House Science Committee’s mark-up of H.R. 238 on April 2, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) successfully advanced an amendment that authorizes an Energy Science and Technology Scholarship program similar in many regards to the Hope Scholarships adopted by various states. The amendment would allow the Department of Energy to offer scholarships for U.S. citizens to pursue degrees in science and engineering relevant to the agency mission. For every year of scholarship support, the student would have to commit to working two years at the agency. The provision is designed to increase the number of U.S. citizens pursuing degrees in science and engineering and to address the difficulties facing federal S&T agencies as an increasingly large percentage of their technical workforce approaches retirement. Because of the broad support for the scholarship measure within the Science Committee, Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) announced at the mark-up that similar provisions would be added to future agency R&D authorization bills as they move through committee. IEEE-USA Congressional Fellow David Conner played a key role in supporting Congressman Rohrabacher’s initiative.
(From IEEE Eye on Washington.)INTER ALIA
IFLANET Library Humour
Learn how many catalogers it takes to change a lightbulb from this light-hearted site featuring jokes, humor, and lists such as Library Principles for Students from the Old Testament and Index Liberis Prohibitorum (Index of Forbidden Books for Children). From the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). (From Librarian’s Index to the Internet)Museum of Hoaxes April Fool’s Day Gallery
This site presents The Origin of April Fool’s Day, The Top 100 April Fool’s Day Hoaxes of All Time, and a quiz, which challenges sorting the truth from the outrageously false stories reported by the media on April first. It also includes a chronological index of hoaxes from the Middle Ages to the present, and an essay on reasons to hate the observance. (From Librarian’s Index to the Internet) This site is a classic!Tax Has Tenet [Ruined] Us Alle
A Middle English poem about “the poll taxes of 1377, 1379, 1380–81, which were one of the chief causes of the rebellion of 1381.” Text and translation by TEAMS (The Consortium for the Teaching of the Middle Ages). (From Librarian’s Index to the Internet)