3/3/00
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http://avel.edu.au/scitech.html
Not a lot of news this week, folks, just some very interesting websites!
The most recent HMS Beagle has a delightful article that will be much appreciated by my own patrons. It begins with: “Editor's Note: The following is a top-secret transcript of an actual conversation between a scientific review administrator (SRA) and a potential recruit to join a study section.” Enjoy!
PubMed Central [.pdf]
After almost a year of sometimes contentious debate, the National Institutes of Health
has officially opened PubMed Central, a free online archive of full-text, peer-reviewed
research papers in the life sciences. While the majority of the major scientific publishers
have declined to participate, a number of respected journals will be featured at the site.
The first of these are Molecular Biology of the Cell and Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. At the time of
writing, only the November 1, 1999 issue of Molecular Biology of the Cell was
available. Users can view abstracts or the full text of over 30 articles in HTML or .pdf
format. The full texts of issues for both journals from 1999 and 1998 are in preparation.
Forthcoming journals include Biochemical Journal, Canadian Medical
Association Journal, Frontiers in Bioscience, and five journals from
BioMed Central. Background and participation information are available at the site. While
current offerings at the site are modest, PubMed Central promises to become a major resource
for scholars and professionals in the life sciences.
[MD] (From the Scout Report) NOTE: Links to these full text articles will soon
be available from the PubMed database.
The following Materials Chemistry titles have been fully restored on Chemweb (Free registration required):
American Mathematical Society: Electronic Research Announcements
ISSN 1079-6762
Journal overview: This electronic-only journal publishes research announcements (up to about
10 journal pages) of significant advances in all branches of mathematics. A research announcement
should be designed to communicate its contents to a broad mathematical audience and should meet
high standards for clarity as well as mathematical content. Papers with complete proofs may be
published in exceptional cases if the results are substantial enough to meet the criteria. All
papers are reviewed, and the entire editorial board must approve the acceptance of any paper.
Nukleonika
ISSN 0029-5922
Nukleonika is published quarterly since 45 years. This international journal publishes
important original, applied and fundamental, experimental and theoretical top quality papers
relevant to the major areas of nuclear sciences, presenting the activities of institutes for
nuclear research all over the world. The fields of research covered by Nukleonika are mainly:
radiochemistry, radiation measurements, application of radiation and radionuclides in any
branch of science and technology, chemistry of f-block elements, radiation chemistry, radiation
physics, activation analysis, nuclear medicine, radiobiology, radiation safety, nuclear
industrial electronics, environmental protection, radiation environmental conservation
technologies, radioactive waste disposal, nuclear techniques in material and process
engineering, radioisotope diagnostic methods of engineering objects, nuclear reactors and
nuclear power, reactor physics, nuclear safety, fuel cycle, reactor calculations, nuclear
chemical engineering etc. It is the intention of the Editorial Board that Nukleonika edited in
a new form may be one of the bridges being built to join research communities of the former
east block with scientist of the rest of the world.
Contact: Production Editor: Mariola Piotrowska
Email: blackhorse@blackhorse.pl
naturalSCIENCE
Recently redesigned for its second anniversary, naturalSCIENCE offers original articles, news
reports and briefs, book reviews, commentary, and interviews aimed at both scientists in other
fields and scientifically informed members of the public at large. In addition, the site links
to off-site stories and reports, as well as featuring a large number of categorized links for
scientists and science-minded readers. While navigation at the site can be a little quirky in
places, these users may find it an interesting source of news and dialogue.
[MD] (From the Scout Report)
Pulse of the Planet
The online companion to the radio show of the same name, Pulse of the Planet is what the Earth
sounds like. Each weekday, the show “provides its listeners with a two-minute sound portrait
of Earth, tracking the rhythms of nature and culture worldwide and blending interviews and
extraordinary natural sound.” Peruse the site's archive for the dangerous sounds of an ice
cave, or the ancient sounds of the Gobi Desert, among other things. Also included: a monthly contest
– try to recognize the mystery sound and win a nifty National Geographic t-shirt.
(From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
Eugenics Archive
The DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory presents this profound, sometimes
shocking look at the early 20th Century American eugenics movement – an erroneous,
“scientific” effort to breed better humans based on Mendelian genetics and social
Darwinism. The enthusiastic acceptance of eugenics theory resulted in racist marriage laws,
restrictive immigration policies, and legally mandated sterilization of “undesirables.”
Historical documents and lucid essays suggest parallels with our contemporary, feverishly-hyped
genetic industry, recommending caution as we proceed.
(From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
Finnish Dragonflies
Over the last ten years, photographer Sami Karjalainen has photographed 50 species of dragonfly
in action and at rest on Finland's southern coast. The result: an exquisite gallery of true
nature photography – no supplemental or artificial lighting, no special effects or
immobilization of these dazzling creatures. The ballet of flying and foraging, the colors and
gestures of mating and dating don't get any more beautiful than this.
(From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
Estuary Live!!! [RealVideo, ChatVideo, Java]
Intended for elementary, middle, and high school students, this electronic estuary excursion,
Estuary Live!!!, will take place May 8-12, 2000. Free to participants (but please sign up in
advance), the field trip will explore the Rachel Carson Site of the North Carolina National
Estuarine Research Reserve, covering four islands and salt marshes off the North Carolina
coast. The site features useful educational materials, including a photo-illustrated field
guide (of the “ecology, habitats and specific plants and animals found in North
Carolina's estuaries”); lesson plans (covering highschool biology, estuary habitats,
species interactions, and adaptations and communities); and a series of related links. The
interactive field trip will require a java-enabled browser, RealVideo (to see a moving image
and hear sound), and/or Chatvideo, to see a moving image, ask questions of the naturalist
leading the trip, and receive responses via a chat window. Note that ChatVideo requires
Netscape 4.0 or better and will not work with AOL or Internet Explorer, and pages “look
best” on a screen with resolution of 800x600. The Estuary Live!!! Website is provided by
the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve Program, and The Center for Science,
Mathematics and Technology Education at East Carolina University.
[LXP] (From the Scout Report)
Networks of Neurons, by Mike May
The latest edition of BioMedNet (free registration required) has an excellent article with
links to websites on Neural Networks.
The Shrew (ist's) Site
This site aims to “provide public awareness of shrews, furnish enjoyable
‘shrewdness’ and to serve an educational purpose”. It has a good bibliography,
photo gallery, facts and stories and project proposals. Amazingly the Shrew Dictionary gives
“shrew” in 57 languages including Inuit, Kashmiri and Tamil. It also reminds us that
one English dictionary definition is “A woman with a violent, scolding, or nagging
temperament; ascold. (Middle English shrewe, villian, from Old English scrjawa, shrewmouse) … ”!
(From New Scientist Planet Science)
Bird of the Week
Have you ever heard a Tree Swallow? No, not the scary trees in the Wizard of Oz. The Tree
Swallow is the only swallow to make substantial use of seeds and berries, rather than insects.
How do I know? The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology told me so. And let me listen to the call
of the Tree Swallow. Each week, they feature a new bird with sounds, great photos, and other
great resources. Join the Classroom Feeder Watch or become a Citizen Science participant to
help observe our fine, feathered friends. (From Blue Web'N)
Comparative Mammalian Brain Collections [QuickTime]
Located at the Department of Physiology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, this
site offers images and information from “one of the world's largest collection of
well-preserved, sectioned and stained brains.” The site features photos of brains of over
100 different species of mammals, representing 17 mammalian orders. Users can browse the
collection by common or scientific name; view serial sections of selected specimens (including
human and chimpanzee), some of which are also available as QuickTime movies; read about the
importance and history of the collections; and learn about brain evolution (this last section
still under construction). Additional resources include a collection of related links and an
internal search engine. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Win a Trilobite Prize!
When I was a kid growing up on the shores of Lake Erie, finding a trilobite fossil in the gray
shale was a wondrous event. With a background like that, you can't help but feel tied to these
interesting little extinct creatures, so this website is as cool a find as the fossil was! This
site has it all – graphics, glossaries, quizzes, FAQ, even a contest hidden somewhere
among the pages … It is visually pleasing and nicely arranged.
(Thanks to Netsurfer Science)
Planet Pals Earthzone
“Not so much an educator's resource (however, do visit the Parents and Teachers Page)
as it is a child-oriented website to allow younger students (ages 7 through about 11 years)
to navigate on their own. The subject matter is fairly wide-ranging, including astronomy,
conservation of earth's natural resources, meteorology, environmental pollution, and
planetary physics. There is a lot of mention of Earth Day 2000 and activities surrounding
this annual activity. There are copious instructions for conducting many science-related
activities in the classroom and on-line. This site's graphical presentation is very colorful
and appealing to the youngster's eye, and the textual presentation tends to be lighthearted.
However, the various subpages never stray very far from the subject matter, an attribute
that skillfully offsets the ‘kiddie-carnival’ aspects of this commercial (yes,
there are a few unobtrusive advertisements) website.”
(From Websurfer's Biweekly Earth Science Review)
Hekla Erupts in Iceland
This site from NORDISK VULKANOLOGISK INSTITUT has photos, chronology, and additional
information on the recent eruption of Hekla. For additional information, check the following
sites:
Mount Mayon, one of the most active volcanoes in the Philippines, erupted on February 24, 2000, after lying dormant for eight months. The active volcano spewed lava, rocks, and ash repeatedly over the next three days. Volcanologists at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology have warned of the likely possibility of bigger eruptions in the near future, with the greatest effects on the southeast and southwest sectors of the volcano. The volcano has already hurled molten boulders and 3,000-meter columns of ash into the air forcing an evacuation of some 50,000 people in a eight-kilometer radius around the crater. Volcanic debris estimated at 60 million metric tons are now lodged into the volcano's gullies. Heavy rainfall could cause more calamity in the form of mudflows. This week's In the News takes a closer look at the volcanic activity at Mount Mayon.
The first resource is a news item from the Manila Bulletin, the Philippines largest newspaper (1), discussing the recent blasts on the night of February 27th. The second release, from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), contains information on the initial eruption on February 24th (2). Next, Discovery.com's Earth Alert page offers running accounts of eruptions on February 23rd through 25th (3). The fourth resource, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (4), contains a special Mayon Volcano bulletin through its Volcano Monitoring and Eruption Prediction Division. The Cascades Volcano Observatory (5) (described in the September 23, 1994 Scout Report offers a plethora of volcanological resources including online publications, links to volcano observatories around the world, and special alphabetically listed pages for volcanoes of the world. The Observatory also features a special page devoted to the Mayon Volcano (6). For those interested in further information, the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program (7) holds volcano activity reports, a section on volcanoes of the world, volcano basic data, and links. Finally for a large, general volcano resource, The University of North Dakota's Volcano World (8) contains a little bit of everything. [KR] (From the Scout Report)
Greatest Engineering Achievements of the Twentieth Century
To celebrate the many life-changing technological achievements of the Twentieth Century, this
site from the National Academy of Engineering was created in a collaboration with the American
Association of Engineering Societies, National Engineers Week (Feb. 20-26, 2000), and others.
The list contains the top 20 achievements with a history and a timeline of important landmarks
for each accomplishment. [KR] (From the Scout Report)
The Civil Engineer's Mega Bookmark
Hosted by the Civil Engineering Library at Lund University (Sweden), this recently updated
metasite boasts links to over 1,000 online resources of interest to civil engineers, many of
them annotated. Resources are grouped in nine categories, including Research/ Education,
Subject-Based Resources, Civil Engineering Journals, Organisations/ Institutes, and Discussion
Forums, among others. The site also offers a guide to finding building codes, regulations, and
standards in fifteen countries. Surprisingly, there is no internal search engine, but on the
whole, the site is a well-organized and very useful resource for civil engineers and
engineering librarians. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Inventors and Inventions Theme Page
“This ‘Theme Page’ has links to two types of resources related to the study
of inventors and inventions. Students and teachers will find curricular resources (information,
content …) to help them learn about this topic. In addition, there are also links to
instructional materials (lesson plans) which will help teachers provide instruction in this
theme.” A few of the topics include:
And more!
New Polar Database – Polarbasen
The Polar database containing bibliographic information from the Danish Polar Center, the
Department of Eskimology, University of Copenhagen and the Arctic Institute is now accessible
on the Internet. It has a very nice search interface and is available in English and Danish.
Robotic Antarctic Meteorite Search: Antarctica 2000
Carnegie Mellon University's Field Robotics Center is responsible for sending the NOMAD robotic
vehicle into the Antarctic to search for meteorites. “Nomad uses robotic technologies to
search Antarctic areas, distinguish interesting rock types, and provide autonomous assessment of
the terrestrial or extraterrestrial origin of each rock.” During the month of January, the
robot found four meteorites. The site contains updates, photos of NOMAD and the meteorites, a
technology section (which currently holds no information), a link to the Field Robotics Center's
NOMAD Page, and perhaps of most interest to researchers, a technical publications section.
[KR] (From the Scout Report) [Also check the
website
at Case Western Reserve]
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)
German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD)
STS-99 Mission Status Reports
It now appears that the Space Shuttle Endeavour will be able to conserve enough fuel to complete
its mission and create the world's most accurate topographic maps. With these sites, users can
track the remaining days of the mission and view some samples of the extraordinary images being
produced. At the SRTM homepage, users will find news updates, background information, some quick
facts, related links, an overview of the mission's equipment, and a list of acronyms used at the
site. The German Remote Sensing Data Center site features some of the latest images in standard
and high resolution as well as related information. Finally, the STS-99 Mission Status Reports
site contains the latest news from Mission Control. For more on the earth mapping mission, see
the In the News column for this week's _Scout Report for Science & Engineering_.
[MD] (From the Scout Report)
Deep Space Network Lithographs
Radio Astronomy
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) built the Deep Space Network (DSN) of
antennas to communicate with spacecraft exploring the solar system. “Deep Space
Network-Communications” and “Deep Space Network-Radio Astronomy” are two new
NASA lithographs featuring photographs of 70-meter antennas and a description of the DSN. The
“Radio Astronomy” lithograph includes images of a galaxy made with a radio-frequency
interferometer and Jupiter superimposed on radio maps of the invisible radiation belts.
(From Net Happenings)
Beyond the Drake Equation
In 1961, astronomer Frank Drake proposed a method of estimating the number of civilizations in
our Galaxy that could be detectable from Earth. Factors of the Drake equation include:
“This page includes a calculator, where you can try out your own educated guesses about the answers to each of the questions considered here, and see where your guesses take you. Popular values have already been entered in all of the boxes, but you can change any or all of them. Enter values as decimal digits, with or without a decimal point. Be careful; if you enter zero for any term in the Drake Equation, you are saying that we ourselves cannot exist.” (Care of Netsurfer Science
Solar Max 2000 [RealPlayer]
This new exhibit from the Exploratorium (last discussed in the August 6, 1999
_Scout Report_) is a content-rich examination of the upcoming “solar
maximum.” The year 2000, it is believed, will see the highest degree of sunspot
activity for the current solar cycle. The result may be geomagnetic storms that disrupt
power grids, radio broadcasts, and satellites, as well as unusually vibrant displays of
the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis (the Northern and Southern Lights). To follow
these events and learn about the science behind them, most users will need look no further
than this site, which offers links to news stories and daily reports from NASA, links to a
large number of images, a Solar Max FAQ in text and video, classroom activities, a glossary,
and links to upcoming solar missions and numerous other related resources. A Japanese
language version of the site is forthcoming. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
The Alchemist
This review of one of my favorite chemistry sites is from
Free Pint
“Chemistry Webzines – How to find the right news for you”
By John Buckingham and Jenny Drey in the most recent edition of Free Pint.
If you aren't familiar with the Alchemist, you are in for a treat!
“At last! A home page that looks as if it is designed by and for chemists rather than industrial managers or bureaucrats. This is the webzine of ChemWeb.com, the virtual community for chemists. How nice to see some pure chemistry detail as part of the well thought-out comment in some of the news stories. The news items on the opening page are a lively mixture of pure chemistry research advances, applied chemistry, and quirky ‘side-issue’ items.
Updated daily, each news item has hotlinks to related stories, websites and ChemWeb.com-wide search results. The conference diary is reasonably up-to-date, though not particularly extensive (although it does link in to the full ChemWeb.com Conference Diary which lists hundreds of chemistry events worldwide).
There is also a Conference Reporter, providing online updates direct from worldwide chemistry events, as well as a Job Exchange. The book reviews section contained some extremely well-written reviews by subject specialists.
If this site can be criticised, it is that it casts its net very widely outside chemistry, and in the search to stay lively, includes items of peripheral interest. It is a tricky balance to hit, but the writers give the strong impression that they are moving in the right directions.
The Alchemist is a pure webzine, not a marketing vehicle for a print product, and therefore has no reason to hold back any information from the reader. The news is updated daily, and it's all free.
Rating: Design B; Functionality A;. Topicality B; Quality of information B; Relevance to chemists A.”
A New State of Matter – CERN [QuickTime, AVI, RealPlayer]
“ A new Form of Nuclear Matter” – AIP
“'Little Bang' experiment boosts Big Bang theory” – CNN
“'New State of Matter' Recalls Big Bang” – Washington Post_
“New Matter Created in Lab” – Discovery.com News
“'Little Bang' creates cosmic soup” – BBC News
“Lab Hot on Trail of Big Bang Theory” – Yahoo! Daily News
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)
Scientists from 20 different countries working at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle
Physics, announced that, after years of work, they had created “a new state of matter.”
In this new state of matter, quarks, the smallest known particles, roam freely instead of being
bound up into more complex particles such as protons and neutrons. By smashing heavy lead ions at
temperatures 100,000 times as high as those at the sun's center and at energy densities never
before reached in laboratory experiments, the scientists claim they have created a form of matter,
“quark-gluon” soup or plasma, that has not existed since a few millionths of a second
after the Big Bang created the universe. Although the evidence is indirect, since the particles
were measured after they returned to a confined state, many believe that this “Little
Bang” verifies a key part of the Big Bang theory – that quarks and gluons existed in a
free state before they joined to form the larger particles that make up the atom. CERN is winding
down its current research, and the momentum for high-energy science research will transfer to the
US, where a new facility in New York, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), is due to begin
experiments later this year.
Users interested in learning more about this new discovery should start with the CERN Website, which offers a press release, photos, animations, an archived Webcast, scientific notes, and links to the individual experiments's homepages. The American Institute of Physics (AIP) has posted a short press release on the discovery, and a number of newspapers and online news services have reported in more depth. Finally, users may want to visit the RHIC homepage for a glimpse into the future possibilities of high-energy science. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
TalksPage [RealAudio]
TalksPage features RealAudio scientific lectures with accompanying abstracts and slides. This site
is maintained by Dr. Konstantin Kladko (Stanford, Department of Physics), Dr. Sergey Kravchenko
(Northeastern University, Department of Physics), and Igor Mitkov (Northeastern University). The
creators hope to provide a place where any scientist in the world can post their talk or
presentation in audio format. The talks are delivered by researchers from well-known universities
in areas of physics, chemistry, and math. A few titles include “2e or not 2e in Strongly
Repulsive Electronic Systems in 2D?” and “Stabilizing Effects of Dispersion
Management.” Also included here is a message board, a Hot Problems! section, links to
RealAudio Science on the Web, and more. The lectures themselves may contain background static.
[KR] (From the Scout Report)
Historical Nuclear Weapons Test Films [RealPlayer, .mpeg]
This site is the product of a recent joint effort between the US Department of Energy and
Department of Defense to declassify films on the nuclear weapons program, place them on
videotape, and make them publicly available. Taken as a whole, the films document the history
of nuclear weapon development in the US, beginning with the first bomb tested at Trinity Site
in southeastern New Mexico in July 1945. As the site notes, while portions of these films were
previously released, this is the first time the films have ever been edited for
declassification and public release. The films are grouped in five sections, with listings
giving operation name date, length of film, and format (color or black and white). Clicking on
an individual entry for a film brings up a two-paragraph description and short clips in .mpeg
and RealPlayer format, the latter offering four connection speed choices. Video purchase
information is provided at the site. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
PsycPORT.com – APA
Created a few months ago, but only recently completed, PsycPORT offers a substantial collection
of psychology resources for professionals and interested users. Designed as a portal for
psychology information, PsycPORT features breaking psychology news stories; information on
forthcoming and current books; recent tables of contents, abstracts, and some full-text articles
for related journals; PsycINFO Direct, a fee-based abstract database (free demo available); and
access to PsychCrawler, the APA's psychology search engine (reviewed in the August 25, 1998
_Scout Report for Social Sciences_). [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Where Do Languages Come From?
The Exploratorium produced this series of exercises to demonstrate similarities and differences
between words of several languages. Great for tying geography lessons into language arts
curriculum. These activities, like Be a Word Historian, are created to be completed either
online or offline. (From Blue Web'N)
Omaha Indian Music – LOC [RealPlayer]
The latest addition to the Library of Congress (LOC) American Memory Collection features
traditional Omaha Indian music from the 1890s and 1980s. The former includes 44 wax cylinder
recordings made by Francis La Flesche and Alice Cunningham Fletcher between 1895 and 1897.
The latter includes 323 songs and speeches from the 1983 Omaha harvest celebration pow-wow,
and 25 songs and speeches from the 1985 Hethu'shka Society concert at the Library of Congress.
The site also offers interviews with members of the Omaha tribe, field notes and tape logs
made by Center staff during the 1983 pow-wow, and close to 380 photographs from 1983 and 1985.
Users can search the site by keyword; browse by music, photographs, spoken word, or events; or
listen to the pow-wow audio in sequence. Photos are offered as thumbnails with links to larger
images, while recordings are available in both RealPlayer and .wav formats with explanatory
notes. The field notes and tape logs are accessed at the bottom of the main page. Additional
resources at the site include a select bibliography, a map of the region, an album booklet,
and related essays. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Economic and Monetary Unions in the Past
Created by the history department at Leiden University in the Netherlands, Economic and
Monetary Unions in the Past spans close to 300 years of history, highlighting seventeen
economic and monetary unions from the United States 1776-1860 to the EMU. A comprehensive
set of semi-annotated links has been prepared for each union, along with a set of symbols
that describe and rate each source. [EM] (From the Scout Report)
Trillion Dollar Bet – NOVA
This Website accompanies the “Trillion Dollar Bet” episode of the popular PBS
television series NOVA which aired on February 8, 2000. “Trillion Dollar Bet”
explored the 1973 discovery of the Black-Scholes Formula, which allows one to determine the
value of a call option at any given time. The formula “revolutionized modern finance
… [and] led to the creation of a multi-trillion dollar industry.” The creators
of the formula, Myron Scholes, Robert Merton, and Fischer Black, won the Nobel Prize in
Economics in 1997. The Website offers a pithy explanation of this complex formula, analysis
of the world of online trading, and a “Traders' Lexicon.” A resources section of
nicely annotated links and a short recommended bibliography round out the site.
[EM] (From the Scout Report)
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Bibliography
This site is the result of a non-profit multinational volunteer effort to provide a free
comprehensive online bibliography of the field of Human-Computer Interaction. Sources used
include over 19,600 books and reports, journal articles, conference proceedings, and online
publications. Each citation has complete bibliographic information, abstract, and Web link
to the full-text version, if available. The complex search engine plus the scholarly nature
of its content ensure that the HCI Bibliography will be more heavily used by members of the
academic and technical communities, rather than HCI novices. Also includes Web links to
related sites. – ad (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
The following items are from Edupage. To subscribe to Edupage: send mail to: listproc@educom.unc.edu with the message: subscribe edupage Anonymous (if your name is Anonymous; otherwise, substitute your own name). To unsubscribe send a message to: listproc@educom.unc.edu with the message: unsubscribe edupage. (If you have subscription problems, send mail to: manager@educom.unc.edu.)
CLINTON REQUESTS $2.3 BILLION FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS
President Clinton's proposed 2001 budget earmarks $2.3 billion for IT research and
development, a 35 percent increase from last year's budget. The money would be divided
among seven agencies, although the National Science Foundation (NSF) would get the lion's
share of the funds, $740 million. The NSF says it will apportion $45 million for the
Terascale Computing System program, an attempt to build a supercomputer that can do five
trillion mathematical problems every second. NSF also wants to spend $33 million for
information-security research, and would provide $11.2 million in scholarships for
students who major in information security and then work for the federal government after
graduation. The federal budget also increases research funding for NASA as well as the
Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. A spokesman for NASA says part of
the proposed $230 million for the agency would be used to research alternatives to
silicon chips, such as genetic material, for use in computers.
(Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 8 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
AS DISTANCE EDUCATION COMES OF AGE, THE CHALLENGE IS KEEPING THE STUDENTS
Many colleges are trying to expand their offerings and attract more students by providing
distance learning, but online courses seem to have higher dropout rates than traditional
courses. Some school administrators believe the attrition rates in distance learning can
be attributed to the fact that students who enroll for online courses tend to be older and
have responsibilities such as families and jobs that detract from the courses. Meanwhile,
others say the problem is not with the students but with the courses, which cannot offer
the face-to-face interaction needed to keep students interested. Experts say distance
learning professors need to form personal ties to students and clearly define course
requirements. In addition, professors should make tests and assignments flexible enough
to accommodate a busy student's schedule. Some experts believe that retention rates for
online courses will improve as technologies mature and instructors gain more experience
working in an online environment. Although statistics range widely at different
institutions, administrators agree that completion rates for distance education courses
are generally 10 to 20 percentage points lower than in traditional courses.
(Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
WORKERS APPROVE OF HIGH-TECH ADVANCES
The majority of American workers no longer feel threatened by today's world of rapid technological
change, according to a survey conducted last month by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce
Development at Rutgers University and the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at the University
of Connecticut. Of the 1,000 workers interviewed, 75 percent view information innovations positively,
believing them to have both economic and individual benefits rather than implications of decreased
job security. Approximately 19 percent of those surveyed, a group the Heldrich Center nicknamed the
“exiles,” do not use computers on the job nor at home due to financial difficulties or a
lack of opportunity. The survey also found strong support for programs that offer incentives to
companies for computer training and ownership, subsidies to schools to provide computers and Internet
access, and the need to require all high school students to be computer literate.
(Washington Post, 11 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
STATEWIDE VIDEO NETWORK TO LINK ALL SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOLS
South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow has unveiled the second phase of the state's multimillion dollar
partnership with U.S. West – videoconferencing and data transfer technology that will link students
and teachers through a new state-wide intranet. Janklow says U.S. West will install over $17 million
worth of technology over the next few months, at a deep discount for all of South Dakota's school
districts; the equipment is reportedly being provided by 3Com, Gateway, Cisco, VTEL, and others. The
Digital Dakota Network will eventually connect all the K-12 public schools so they can share classes or
connect to other resources. Janklow says districts can get high-speed T1 connections to the Internet as
well as real-time, broadcast quality video. He also says the project will give students in rural
districts the same opportunities as those in bigger schools. Schools will be able to share specialty
classes, and teachers will be able to transfer notes and use remote resources.
(eSchool News, February 2000 via Edupage)
COMMISSION BEGINS STUDY OF ONLINE EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
The Congressional Web-Based Education Commission has begun its 10-month stretch of hearings regarding the
Internet's potential uses for education. The commission was created to advise policy makers and educators,
and it is due to report to the president and Congress in November. The commission will provide input on
Web use as Congress considers the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and it
intends to create a Web site to debate and discuss policies for online content and learning strategies.
Members say the panel will study the quality of available online educational resources, as well as the gap
between schools and individuals who can afford access to technology and those who cannot. Some commission
members say Web-based education models could affect or undermine the more traditional structures of
education, such as diploma-granting authority, state and local accreditation, and school funding
priorities.
(Education Week, 9 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
SCORM PROMOTES ONLINE LEARNING EFFICIENCY
The Department of Defense's Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) committee last week posted the initial
release of guidelines that will allow teaching materials to be reused, with the goal of boosting online
education. The Shareable Courseware Object Reference Model (SCORM) version 1.0 lays out rules for
creating a Web-based learning management system (LMS) that lets developers reuse instructional content
in different applications and platforms. According to the guidelines, content must be independent of
context-specific run-time constraints to allow content to be included in multiple applications. Content
must also have standard interfaces and data. SCORM includes a Course Structure Format, which is an
XML-based model of a course structure that makes content more interchangeable by defining course
elements, structure, and external references. SCORM is being developed and distributed by the ADL
Co-Laboratory, the University of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Technical College System.
(PC Week, 7 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
TINY U.S. SATELLITES MAY BE COMMUNICATIONS FUTURE
Satellites the size of wireless handsets may be used for future telecom applications, announced
researchers on Friday. Two of the minuscule satellites, weighing under a half a pound, were deployed in
space in late January. As battery power eroded, the journey of the satellites ended on Friday. Called
“picosats,” the two satellites sent and received data transmissions from Earth. They were
launched by scientists at Aerospace Corp. According to Ernest Robinson, head of the mini-satellite
project, the satellites may take the place of larger, costlier telecom satellites in existence today.
Rockwell International Corp. supplied the satellites' silicon relays and wireless gear. Scientists
predict a slightly larger type of satellite will be developed called a “nanosat,” which
will be deployed in groups to provide advanced telecom services.
(Reuters, 11 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
HOUSE PASSES BILL AIMED AT EXPANDING U.S. ROLE IN SCIENCE, COMPUTER RESEARCH
The House yesterday approved a bill that would provide $6.9 billion in funding for computer and
science research, in an effort to maintain the country's dominant role in technology. The measure
would provide millions of dollars over the next five years for several projects, including ways to
make the Internet faster. The money would go to several agencies, including the National Science
Foundation, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill also earmarks $95 million for
internships for college students in math and science fields.
(Washington Times, 16 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
GORE PROPOSAL COULD NARROW ‘DIGITAL DIVIDE’
Vice President Al Gore will speak at Morgan State University today, where he plans to introduce a
blueprint for equipping every U.S. home with Internet access. Gore's plan to bridge the digital
divide calls for an introduction of high-speed access to rural areas, made possible by federally
funded research to develop lower-cost satellite and wireless technologies. Gore also intends to
have the AmeriCorps program of volunteers impart their knowledge of technology to residents of
poorer neighborhoods; high-tech companies would also be involved in this effort. Gore's proposal
also urges an extension of the moratorium on per-minute Internet-access fees. Gore has made
technology a prime issue in his campaign for the presidency.
(USA Today, 15 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
UNIVERSITIES TOLD TO CATCH THE E-WAVE
The increasing role of technology in today's educational environment recently prompted the United
Kingdom to form a group consisting of members from the island's four higher education funding bodies
– the Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce), the Higher Education Funding
Council for Wales, the Higher Education Funding Council for Scotland, and the Department of
Education Northern Ireland – to discuss proposals to create an e-university able to offer
online courses of study leading to an entirely Internet-based degree. Although details of the
institution have yet to be worked out, it is expected that the e-university will offer courses
through several separate UK universities managed by a central body, a system that would eliminate
the need to create an entirely new, self-contained establishment. The e-university will most likely
attract overseas students and working adults seeking professional advancement, though some group
members hope UK students unable to attend universities because of working hours will also attend.
Hefce plans to ask the government for the estimated 50 million pounds necessary to start the online
institution, which will subsequently be funded entirely by tuition costs.
(BBC News Online, 15 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
FULLY WIRED
Hancock High School in Kiln, Miss., has used $2.1 million in state technology funds and funding
from the local school budget that includes a special bond issue to equip all of its students with
laptop computers. Mississippi ranks last among all 50 states when it comes to the amount of money
spent on each student, and one out of every three children in the state lives in poverty, making
Hancock High School an unlikely trend setter. By providing 1,150 laptops to students and teachers,
the school has given geographically isolated areas 24-hour access to the Internet. The region's
economy is expected to benefit from providing laptops to its high school students and by beginning
technology classes in junior high schools, thereby educating the students to enter into
technological jobs rather than being economically dependent on the timber industry and nearby
casinos.
(Kiplinger's, Feb 2000 via Edupage)
A NEWER, LONELIER CROWD EMERGES IN INTERNET STUDY
Americans are spending more time online and less time interacting with family and friends, concludes
a recent survey of 4,113 adults conducted by Stanford University's Institute for the Quantitative
Study of Society. The study, one of the first of its size to focus on the largely ignored societal
impacts of today's era of the Internet, strongly supports the notion that electronic relationships
are no substitute for face-to-face interaction among people. The study found that 55 percent of
Americans have access to the Internet at work or at home, and approximately 20 percent of regular
Internet users spend more than 5 hours a week online. Of those 20 percent, 13 percent spend less
time with family and friends, 8 percent attend fewer social events, and 25 percent spend more time
working at home in addition to spending a full day at the office. The findings of the study also
support the assertion that Americans are abandoning traditional forms of mass media, such as
newspapers and television, in favor of the Internet.
(New York Times, 16 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
INTERNET2 TEAM SEEKS SPEEDY APPS
The Internet2 consortium is hosting a Land Speed Record competition “for the most demanding
end-to-end, bandwidth intensive Internet applications in the world,” with winners to be
announced March 29. The winning application will transmit the most bits the greatest distance,
says Internet2's Greg Wood. Data-intensive applications, such as programs that transmit terabytes
of data or HDTV, are likely winners. Eventually, Internet2 might enable tele-immersion applications
that would let holographic images of people interact in a virtual space, Wood says. Four
universities have formed the National Tele-Immersion Initiative to help make this technology a
reality, and the group is now working on a way to send 3D data over two-way Internet links. Another
university group called the Research Channel has already used Internet2 to send high-quality video.
Last November the Research Channel used Internet2 to transmit five simultaneous HDTV streams that
totaled 1 Gbps, says the group's Amy Philipson.
(PC World Online, 22 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
FUTURE OF HIGH-SPEED NETWORKS
The National Science Foundation's funding for the vBNS and Abilene networks runs out at the end of
March, and observers are wondering whether the efforts by government and academia to build a
next-generation Internet will succeed. Last year the University Corporation for Advanced Internet
Development's Internet2 group started Abilene, with the intention of giving Internet2 members a
means of testing applications in an environment more similar to the regular Internet, says
Internet2's Greg Wood. The two networks have agreed to let organizations that link to both
networks transmit data across the merged architecture and to give Abilene members access to vBNs
resources. Institutions that participate in Abilene and vBNS have noticed performance gains as a
result of the networks, but acknowledge that the networks are underutilized and lack advanced
applications. The networks have been used for applications including telemedicine, HDTV
transmission, and remote control of telescopes and electron microscopes. Multicast technology also
appears to be benefiting from vBNS and Abilene. Internet2 members are now working to develop
middleware that links different databases and allows them to exchange information.
(Network World, 14 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
NEW PROFITS FOR PROFESSORS
A combined $576 million from patent royalties was earned in 1998 by 132 universities, according to
an Association of University Technology Managers survey. Columbia University has plans to move
beyond the typical nonprofit “dot-edu” models that offer courses and professors'
research interests to aggressively market the expertise of its faculty on a new for-profit site.
For a cost, researchers will have access to features such as a simulation of the construction and
architecture of a French cathedral and interactive 3D models of organic chemicals. Columbia is
establishing its for-profit “knowledge site” so that other sites do not begin marketing
and profiting from the expertise of its own faculty. Profits from knowledge on the new Web sites
will be split between the school, professor, and the professor's department, much like profits from
patents are split already. Many observers worry that the school will support profitable professors
more than other professors. Columbia would never do something to compromise the integrity of the
school, says Ann Kirschner, head of the knowledge site project.
(Newsweek, 28 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
CHANGING LANDSCAPE
There are 3,700 institutions and 15 million students in the United States today facing the challenge
of integrating the past with the present, questioning how to mold the traditional model of higher
education into a form that will not become obsolete in a world awash in an information explosion
driven by electronic technology. There now exist four different types of educational institutions
instead of the single, virtually unaltered model followed for the past 250 years of formal education
in America. The first type comprises the traditional notion of a college. The second includes
“corporate universities,” on-site training programs developed by individual companies to
improve the skills and knowledge of employees. The third category contains mega-universities that
recognize no national boundaries, combine the high-tech with the historical, and bridge the gap
between the educational experience and the job market. The fourth types are virtual educators that
operate nearly entirely online and offer the opportunity for practically anybody to become a teacher
or a student. The Internet is restructuring society, shifting our educational market away from one
in which producers define the nature of the educational product and the nature of its delivery,
toward one in which the consumer is in charge and is no longer simply being fed information but is
instead responding to and interacting with that information. Educators cannot be afraid of this new
Internet era and instead must embrace it with creativity and understand that education is not an
entity separate from the rest of life, but one that depends upon the successful combination of
digital innovation and intellectual resources.
(EDUCAUSE Review, Feb 2000 via Edupage)
TECH-DRIVEN EFFICIENCY SPURS ECONOMIC BOOM
Productivity rose significantly at U.S. businesses in the second half of 1999, and experts attribute
the increase to investments in technology. The 5 percent productivity increase in the second half
of 1999 is the largest gain since 1992, the government reported earlier this month, noting that
productivity for the year jumped 2.9 percent. Companies are using technology to finish work faster
and with fewer workers, without raising inflation. Experts had wondered why productivity grew so
slowly after the 1970s, with the U.S. investing trillions in computers and technology. Now experts
say the number of computers in homes and offices has reached a critical mass, and people have
increased their knowledge of technology. In addition, experts say this is just the beginning of the
productivity gains, and the changes will become more dramatic as the Internet matures and
revolutionizes business.
(Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
POORER SCHOOLS HAVE TROUBLE GETTING ONLINE
America's poorer schools do not have the Internet access capabilities of the wealthier ones, according
to the results of a study conducted last fall by the Department of Education and published last week.
The survey of 1,000 public schools discovered that in the poorer schools only 38 percent of classrooms
have Internet access as compared to 74 percent in wealthier schools and to the national average of 63
percent. The study also found the ratio of students to computers with Internet access differs as well
– seven to one in wealthy schools, 16 to one in poor schools, and nine to one nationwide.
Director Linda Roberts of the Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, though
uncertain of the exact reason such disparities exist, speculates the gaps stem from the increased
difficulty of modernizing the older school buildings that are typically found in the poorer communities.
Workers attempting to outfit more antiquated structures encounter such problems as asbestos dust in the
walls, leaky ceilings, and outdated electrical wiring that cannot support the activities of modern
computers.
(New York Times Online, 23 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
PUBLISHING WITHOUT PERISHING
The Internet has become a haven for political and social activists seeking broader audiences for their
controversial views. Yet some, living in oppressive environments such as China, Singapore, and the
Middle East have come to fear reprimand from extremist religious groups or from local governments,
which often filter Internet content to ensure social order. To enable these activists to distribute
their writings safely, an Internet startup has formed to allow authors to publish sensitive information
under the cloak of anonymity. The online bookstore, Booklocker.com, offers official page forms to
preserve an author's anonymity, and site creator Angela Adair-Hoy says she will release the authors
names only under court order. One Booklocker.com user, who goes by the pen name Savasan Yurtserver,
fears terrorist action or political exile in response to his book, “The Bible or The Koran,”
which compares flaws in the two holy texts. “In the East, you can't question the scriptures,”
says Yurtserver. “There are many terrorist organizations in both my country and in the neighboring
countries who take note of the authors that have radical views about religion only to kill them later.”
(Wired News, 25 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
STARTUP U.
Lured by the dream of success and financed by venture capital companies seeking to strike it rich by
finding the next big entrepreneur, anywhere from 5 percent to 40 percent of students enrolled at
business schools and graduate schools of computer science and engineering are dropping out to start an
Internet business. Numerous universities have been prompted to add entrepreneurial courses and
e-commerce programs to their curriculum offerings and sponsor business-plan contests whose winners often
receive very generous financial awards from venture firms. Other schools have begun incubator programs
that help students' startup companies gain solid footing in the business world, providing them with
office space, computers, Internet access, and the like. Although schools are prematurely losing students
to the business world at an unprecedented rate, there are many benefits these educational institutions
reap from this Internet startup boom. However, this wave of entrepreneurial endeavors is not without
its critics. Some schools are seeking to ward off criticism by creating formal guidelines that dictate
what professors are and are not permitted to do.
(Industry Standard, 21 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
CALIFORNIA ENTERS SPRING TRAINING IN E-GOV COMPETITION
California Gov. Gray Davis' 2000-2001 budget requests $2 billion for information technology implementation
in public and private institutions throughout the state. The first effort will see the Department of Motor
Vehicles, which registers 30 million vehicles per year, brought online. Online DMV service has already been
set up in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Virginia, which also renews licenses online. California also
plans to spend $300 million to wire, equip, and provide IT training to the state's schools and educators,
$100 million to provide law enforcement agencies with advanced technology, and $1 billion of the total $2
billion to strengthen the private sector through such initiatives as a one stop e-business center providing
all the services necessary to do business in the state.
(Washington Technology, 21 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
NO MORE PENCILS, NO MORE BOOKS
Distributed learning is gaining momentum as companies find that today's atmosphere of fast-paced
technological development requires constant internal training. Corporate training programs enable employees
to learn new applications and IT management lessons, as well as encourage workers to remain loyal to their
employers. Distributed learning has emerged as a useful method of corporate training because it is flexible
– employees can take a lesson anytime, anywhere, using the Internet, a corporate intranet, or a CD-ROM.
The IT industry is particularly well suited to distributed learning, because constant education is needed to
introduce workers to the latest technologies. Furthermore, training often gives rise to loyalty among workers,
a necessity during the current shortage of IT professionals. “Particularly for technology employees,
training is a huge and key retention factor,” says TrainingNet's Dave Eagan. “One thing they
expect from an organization is not only the opportunity to learn by doing, but to expand their knowledge by
training.”
(Industry Standard, 28 Feb 2000 via Edupage)
Erroneous Predictions and Negative Comments Concerning Scientific and Technological Developments
The following material was originally taken from a Congressional Research Report on Erroneous
Predictions and Negative Comments Concerning Scientific and Technological Developments, CB 150,
F-381, by Nancy T. Gamarra, Research Assistant in National Security, Foreign Affairs Division,
May 29 1969 (revised). It has since been edited, modified and augmented.
Best Book Buys
This site compares prices at 28 (“and growing”) independent and chain online
bookstores. Your search will show whether a book is in stock or back-ordered, how soon it will
be shipped, and the approximate shipping cost. The site searches for all kinds of books,
including new and used books, textbooks, audio books, and out-of-print books.
– rb (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Engineers in the Movies
A listing of movies about engineers from silent films to the present. Presents a brief plot
summary for each film.
Hommage a Hedy Lamarr
Vienna-born movie star and inventor Hedy Lamarr died recently at the age of 85. This bilingual
Austrian site originally accompanied an exhibition celebrating her birthday, and focused on the
roles of artists and scientists in military research and civilian society. Lamarr pioneered the
use of frequency-hopping for World War II torpedoes, a technology now used by mobile telephones.
Don't miss the glamorous biography, or the clip of cinema's first nude scene – Hedy Lamarr
skinny-dipping, then streaking through the woods – in the 1933 film “Ecstasy.”
(From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
All items from the Scout Report are copyright Susan Calcari, 1994-2000. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the Scout Report provided the copyright notice and this paragraph is preserved on all copies. The InterNIC provides information about the Internet to the US research and education community under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation: NCR-9218742. The Government has certain rights in this material.
Blue Web'n is a searchable library of Blue-Ribbon Web sites categorized by grade level, content area, and type. Visit Blue Web'n online at http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn/.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this newsletter are those of the participants (authors), and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the National Science Foundation.