6/13/00
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This newsletter is available to the public at the following locations:
http://library.stanford.edu/depts/swain/nsflibnews/
http://www.eevl.ac.uk/scitechnews/
http://avel.edu.au/scitech.html
There are several new and interesting Internet search tools released recently!
LookSmart – Science Multimedia
http://www.looksmart.com/eus898513/
This new subcategory of the LookSmart directory links users to a large collection of multimedia
resources for teaching and learning about science. The sites are organized by discipline into
twelve headings, including Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth and Environment, Engineering, Mathematics,
and Physics, among others. Each link includes a brief description which notes the plug-ins
required to use the site. From the Science Multimedia page, users can also access the other
categories in LookSmart's science directory. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Search PDF on the WWW
http://searchpdf.adobe.com/
“Now there's a way to search through more than a million summaries of Adobe® Portable
Document Format (PDF) files on the Web. Your search results will allow you to see the summaries
before deciding to view the original Adobe PDF.” There is no discussion of where the
summaries originate, and it would appear this engine searches only a small proportion of the
millions of PDF documents that are on the web, but I did a search on “climate change”
as a test and I was impressed with the nice, clean results I retrieved. Worth a look!
Raging Search
http://www.raging.com/
Another search engine!! Another search engine? Yes, yet another Web search engine has come online,
but this one isn't just business as usual. For one thing, there are no graphics, no banner ads,
and no fancy portal features, so Raging Search loads very quickly. Another thing that makes it
stand out is the ability to customize various parameters like the number of results displayed per
page or the amount of detail returned for each result, and have those preferences
“stick,“ so users need not reset them every time they enter the site. Also through this
customization interface, users can select the languages of resources they want to search for
(including support for various non-English character sets) and opt to include a “translated
version” link along with each search result. And last, but certainly not least, all of the
above runs atop an AltaVista search engine, consistently rated one of the best search tools on the
Web, enhanced with Google-style link analysis technology to help identify the most useful sites.
Overall, if you're serious about tracking something down on the Web, then Raging Search is
definitely worth a look. [EA] (From the Scout Report)
xrefer
http://www.xrefer.com/
Launched last week, this reference search engine meta-searches and cross-references sixteen texts
from Bloomsbury, Macmillan, Oxford UP, and Penguin. These include encyclopedias, dictionaries,
thesauri, books of quotations, and a number of subject-specific titles. After a simple keyword
search, initial returns consist of a brief description and the source. Full returns can vary
significantly in length, some quite brief, with a useful collection of cross-references and
adjacent entries displayed on the right-hand side of the browser window. With its clean interface
and quick operation, xrefer deserves a prominent place in any user's bookmarks.
[MD] (From the Scout Report)
The design is very clean – a search box in the middle of the home page. This engine works like most engines, but there is one syntax you should know about; if you're not sure how to spell something, but a tilde in front of it. ~chapplin found Charlie Chaplin, but also Chaliapin Fyodor. You can search for a number of things, including people, places, or even quote keywords. I noticed that people's names seemed to work best. Richard Feynman, for example, got over 200 results, with encyclopedia entries on the top.
Clicking on a search result will take you to the reference entry (very brief, occasionally) with cross references on the direct right and adjacent entries on the lower right. The cross references are most useful to researchers, with the adjacent entries being of more use to a browser. There's a LOT to browse here.
There are lots of resources on the Web that search a variety of reference – Information Please jumps immediately to mind. But the clean layout and crossreferencing of xrefer.com make this one a winner. Worth a look. (From Research Buzz)
Ixquick
http://ixquick.com/
More than a dozen Web searching databases are searched by this meta search engine, including:
AltaVista, Fast Search, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek, MSN, and Yahoo. Translates your search into
each search engine's syntax. Can perform natural language or complex Boolean searches. Supports
phrases, wildcards, parentheses, pluses (+), minuses (-),capitalization, fields, and other
modifiers such as NEAR, because Ixquick knows which search engines can cope with which type of
search. Brings “top 10” from each search engine, and prioritizes results.
Eliminates duplicates. Check it out as an alternative to Google for most searches. Also does
news, MP3, and pictures searches. - cl (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
FedBuzz Offers Daily Buzz on the Gov't
http://www.fedbuzz.com/
This two-week-old site offers a daily news and data site on the activities of the United States
federal government.
The site is divided up into categories on the left side of the page, with a search box on the right. The middle is taken up with headlines, government news, and other editorial. If you're just browsing the categories, you'll have no worries; the category pages have decent listings and summaries of different Web site contents. The search engine, though, left me with the bad case of the buh- duhs. … Good stuff here, good intentions, clear explanations, but they need a better search engine. (From Research Buzz)
News by E-Mail – Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/nbe/
Ft.com's new free email news service delivers selected stories to subscribers each weekday.
After free registration, subscribers can select the topics that interest them, from
industry-specific news (autos, chemicals, transport, etc.) to various summaries (US news,
world news and comment, etc.). Available in HTML or text form, the email news stories are
linked to research, online discussions, and other resources. Users can add or drop topics
at any time, making News by E-Mail a very useful morning briefing from one of the foremost
sources of business news. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Molecular Biology and Evolution
http://www.molbiolevol.org/
The Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution is pleased to announce that the full text
of the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution is now available online.
Molecular Biology and Evolution (MBE), the official journal of the Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution, is a monthly publication of research at the interface between molecular and evolutionary biology. This includes: investigations of molecular evolutionary patterns and processes; tests of evolutionary hypotheses that use molecular data; and studies that use molecular evolutionary information to address issues in fields such as anthropology, biochemistry, developmental biology, ecology, genetics, genomics, and molecular medicine.
The site is free and available to all on the Internet until June 1, 2000. Thereafter, access to full text will be by institutional site license, which comes with all institutional subscriptions, or by personal subscription. All other access (e.g., to A bstracts, Instructions to Authors, eTOC delivery) will remain freely available.
Aquatic Botany
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/aquabot
The journal is concerned with fundamental studies on structure, function, dynamics and
classification of plant-dominated aquatic ecosystems. It is also intended as an outlet for
papers dealing with applied research on aquatic plants, including reports on the
consequences of disturbance of aquatic ecosystems (e.g. transplantations, influence of
herbicides and other chemicals, thermal pollution, biological control, grazing and
disease), the use of aquatic plants, conservation of resources and all aspects of plant
production and decomposition.
Access to the full text of this journal is temporarily free. In the course of the next few months, access will be limited to users that are affiliated to a library that subscribes to the print edition of the journal.
Applied Soil Ecology
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/apsoil
Applied Soil Ecology addresses the role of soil organisms and their interactions in relation
to: agricultural productivity, nutrient cycling and other soil processes, the maintenance of
soil structure and fertility, the impact of human activities and xenobiotics on soil
ecosystems and bio(techno)logical control of soil-inhabiting pests, diseases and weeds. Such
issues are the basis of sustainable agricultural and forestry systems and the long-term
conservation of soils in both the temperate and tropical regions.
Access to the full text of this journal is temporarily free. In the course of the next few months, access will be limited to users that are affiliated to a library that subscribes to the print edition of the journal.
Applied Geochemistry
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/apgeochem
Applied Geochemistry is an international journal devoted to publication of original research
papers, rapid research communications and selected review papers in geochemistry and
cosmochemistry which have some practical application to an aspect of human endeavour, such as
the preservation of the environment, environmental monitoring, agriculture, health, waste
disposal and the search for resources. Papers on applications of inorganic, organic and
isotope geochemistry are therefore welcome provided they meet the main criterion.
Access to the full text of this journal is temporarily free. In the course of the next few months, access will be limited to users that are affiliated to a library that subscribes to the print edition of the journal.
Aquatic Toxicology
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/aquatox
Aquatic Toxicology publishes original scientific papers dealing with the mechanisms of toxicity
in aquatic environments and the understanding of responses to toxic agents at community, species,
tissue, cellular and subcellular level, including aspects of uptake, metabolism and excretion of
toxicants; understanding effects of toxic substances on aquatic ecosystems; toxicant-induced
alterations in organisms as evinced, for example, through biochemical and physiological
reactions, including adaptive responses; the development of procedures and techniques that
significantly advance the understanding of processes and events that produce toxic effects;
in-depth studies of human health aspects of aquatic toxicology. Chemical and other
identification of toxicants will be considered when related to the understanding of
perturbations in life processes. Reports of laboratory and field investigations may be accepted;
however, the findings should contribute to the understanding of processes and mechanisms. Access
to the full text of this journal is temporarily free. In the course of the next few months,
access will be limited to users that are affiliated to a library that subscribes to the print
edition of the journal.
Aquacultural Engineering
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/aquaeng
Aquacultural Engineering is concerned with the design and development of effective aquacultural
systems for marine and freshwater facilities. The journal aims to apply the knowledge gained from
basic research which potentially can be translated into commercial operations.
Problems of scale-up and application of research data involve many parameters, both physical and biological, making it difficult to anticipate the interaction between the unit processes and the cultured animals.
Access to the full text of this journal is temporarily free. In the course of the next few months, access will be limited to users that are affiliated to a library that subscribes to the print edition of the journal.
Journal of Inequalities in Pure and Applied Mathematics
http://jipam.vu.edu.au/
JIPAM is a peer-reviewed international journal in the theory of mathematical inequalities and
their applications, published by Victoria University of Technology, Australia. The editorial
board is comprised of 49 internationally recognized researchers – many of which are world
leaders in their field.
JIPAM will be unique amongst the mathematics electronic publications in that each article will be presented in two forms one suitable for printing, the other designed to be viewed on a computer monitor (complete with colour, hyperlinks, web forms etc.).
JIPAM is hosted by the RGMIA (Research group in Mathematical Inequalities and Applications) at http://rgmia.vu.edu.au/.
Chemical Journal on Internet
http://www.chemistrymag.org/
ISSN 1523-1623
Chemical Journal on Internet (CJI) is an academic web journal in the field of chemical science
co-sponsored by the Department of Chemical Science of National Natural Sciences Foundation of
China (NSFC) and Department of Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences. CJI is published by
Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI). Its online edition is published monthly.
The access to the online edition is free. A CD-ROM will be issued each year.
Bulletin des Sciences Mathématiques
http://www.elsevier.com/inca/publications/store/6/0/0/7/2/9/index.htt
Founded in 1870, by Gaston Darboux, the Bulletin publishes original articles covering all
branches of pure mathematics. Audience: Researchers in Pure Mathematics.
Table of contents, abstracts and full-text articles (in PDF format) are available.
Applied Animal Behaviour Science
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/applanim
An international scientific journal reporting on the application of ethology to animals used by man.
This journal publishes relevant information on the behaviour of domesticated and utilized animals. Focusing on farm animals and companion animals, the journal publishes original papers and reviews on a wide range of topics.
Access to the full text of this journal is temporarily free. In the course of the next few months, access will be limited to users that are affiliated to a library that subscribes to the print edition of the journal.
Tetrahedron Letters
http://organic.chemweb.com/
Don't forget that you can access the full-text of Tetrahedron Letters via the Organic.Chemistry
Forum FREE of charge until June 30th 2000! Also FREE in the Forum is TetFast which contains
pre-publication versions of manuscripts accepted for publication in a forthcoming issue of
Tetrahedron Letters. Free registration to Chemweb required.
Broadcast Engineering
http://www.broadcastengineering.com/
Broadcast Engineering is a technical journal directed toward the technical information needs
and interests of field engineers and technical and corporate management at radio, television
and related facilities. We seek to provide editorial material that meets the on-the-job
requirements of these groups.
Full-text articles are available in HTML format.
A Science Odyssey
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/
A companion to the PBS series, contains:
Then + Now
A brief overview of this Web site that compares what we knew in 1900 to what we know today
The National Academies 1999 Report to Congress
http://www.nationalacademies.org/annualreport/
Recently published by the National Academies, this annual report to Congress highlights some of
the most important discoveries and policy issues discussed in the over 450 reports produced by the
National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National
Research Council in 1999. These are offered in three sections: Health and the Environment, Social
Issues and Education, and Engineering and Technology, each of which contains links to the full-text
of cited studies and publications. Other portions of the report include lists of Studies and
Projects Completed in 1999 and Current Congressionally Authorized Activities, and Revenue Applied
to 1999. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Everyday Science
http://www.everydayscience.org/index2.html
You may have heard these two-minute science clips on your local radio station. Now you can read the
text or hear the shows on this Internet site. It also has a search engine to help you find the show
or the subject you want.
BBC Evolution Website
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/darwin/index.shtml
A companion to the PBS television series, this site has “4,000 million years crammed into
one website”. Included are:
Evidence – The True Witness
http://library.thinkquest.org/17049/
“ It's the evidence left behind that is the true witness to … crime. Forensic
scientists convert these clues, using the latest technology into evidence admissible in a
court of law. Today, forensic science is used in everything from roadside blood-alcohol
testing to determining whether a country is developing a secret nuclear weapons program.”
This interesting Thinkquest site covers the wide field of forensic science, including
interviews, a glossary, a “You be the detective” game, links, news, and more.
ESkeletons
http://www.eskeletons.org/
Now every classroom can have their own skeleton. View the bones of the human anatomy from
different angles. Compare those bones with the bones of a chimpanzee or a baboon. Funded by
the National Science Foundation, this resource allows students to access clear, detailed
images that they can observe, describe, and compare. Note: for best results viewing this site,
you will need to increase the operating memory of your browser. (From Blue Web'N)
KODAK Birdcam
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/birdcam2000/index.shtml
“Peregrine falcons Mariah and Cabot-Sirocco have settled into the nest box to raise
their third family atop the Kodak Tower. To watch the peregrine parents tend their clutch,
visit the Birdcam and witness firsthand the life cycle of the falcon.
Also watch for ongoing features that tell the story of Peregrines in the City. Learn about the natural and urban habitats of peregrine falcons, their rebound from threatened extinction, their role in human myth and history, the Cabot-Sirocco and Mariah family tree – and more!”
This bird cam gives you four different views of the nestbox from which to choose! It also includes minimal screens (with truly tiny font!) on habitat and life cycle and plans additional screens on myth and history, and migration and flight.
Exploratorium: Revealing Bodies [RealPlayer]
http://www.exploratorium.edu/bodies/index.html
This almost-completed Website from the Exploratorium Museum (see the February 21, 1997
_Scout Report_) examines the ways in which new imaging technologies have changed
our perceptions of the human body. The site features live webcasts that explore “body
imaging technologies, both modern and ancient;” an in-depth examination of Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI) technology, which discusses not only its technology but offers a
five-minute clip of an in-progress conceptual movie that investigates the emotional experience
of an MRI procedure; an online exhibition of art and artifacts revealing the application of
various technologies to the human body; and “behind-the-scenes” video clips of the
various exhibitions being put together (this portion is still under construction). The site is
made possible by grants from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the California
Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
[DC] (From the Scout Report)
Plant Trivia Timeline
http://www.huntington.org/BotanicalDiv/Timeline.html
“The Timeline gives world history from the viewpoint of a botanist. It is the story of
plant discovery and use, and addresses the roles of plants in human civilization.” This
site presents a very detailed and interesting look at history.
The Julius Axelrod Papers – NLM [.pdf, QuickTime, RealPlayer]
http://www.profiles.nlm.nih.gov/HH/
The National Library of Medicine has just added the Julius Axelrod papers to its Profiles in
Science Collection. The fourth scientist to become part of the collection, Axelrod shared the
Nobel Prize in 1970 for his research on neurotransmitters. His work was foundational in the
later development of antidepressants, and Axelrod coined the term “reuptake” to
explain how antidepressants work on the brain. Profiles in Science features an exhibit which
gives an overview of the periods of Axelrod's work and offers .pdf documents and photographs
grouped by era. The documents are also accessible via alphabetical or chronological listings
grouped by document type (articles, clippings, laboratory notes, etc.), or through a search
interface that lets users search either the documents themselves or the data about the
documents. [TK] (From the Scout Report)
Fish FAQ (NEFSC)
http://www.nefsc.nmfs.gov/faq.html
This site provides fascinating facts and answers to questions about fish, shellfish, other
creatures living in the sea, and the marine environment. The broad range of topics in the
Fish FAQ, compiled from inquiries submitted to the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, covers
how fish breathe, eat, and swim (Can they swim backwards?); fishing; endangered species; and
much more. There are also links to Oceanography and other FAQ's (from the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institution) and Ocean Planet“ Marine Life Facts and ”Ocean Planet
Oceanographic Facts (both from the Smithsonian Institution). –
es (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Sue at the Field Museum
http://www.fmnh.org/sue/
Sue, “the largest, most complete, and best preserved Tyrannosaurus Rex” skeleton
ever found, is now on display at the Field Museum in Chicago. This site tells Sue's history
up to her unveiling at the museum on May 17, 2000. There are many photos of the museum
workers uncrating and assembling the bones; a “Facts, Theory, and Speculation”
section covering what we do know about Sue; A FAQ about Sue, the T. rex, and other dinosaurs;
and a kids page. A site for kids and adults alike, for anyone interested in the work of
paleontology or who just likes dinosaurs!
– ht (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Black Smokers
http://www.amnhonline.org/expeditions/blacksmokers/home.html
“ This site chronicles the adventures of the Museum's scientists, engineers, and
educators as they collected a black smoker sulfide chimney from the ocean floor. This
expedition was extremely complex because these massive black smoker sulfide chimneys were
under more than a mile of water, weighed many tons, and spewed incredibly hot
(400°Celsius / 750°Fahrenheit) mineral-laden water.” Features of the site
include games, a glossary, life forms, underwater tools, talk to the scientists, teacher
resources, and more.
Lake Temescamingue Fossil Centre (Quebec, Canada)
http://www.avalonworlds.com/rlcst/index2.html
“This is one of my favorite single-subject on-line museum websites! It's hard to
write content to populate several pages of a website when your subject is as
geographically limited as a single point on the map. Fortunately, this important
Ordovician-age type locality has an interesting story to tell, and the webmaster has
managed to present that story using a lot of thoughtfully written text content that is
supported by a very user-friendly navigation scheme and esthetically pleasing page
graphics.” (From Websurfer's Biweekly Earth Science Review)
Der Karlsruher Wolkenatlas
http://www.wolkenatlas.de/
Cloud pictures. Gorgeous cloud pictures. Every type of cloud. Lots of them. The website
is in German, but that doesn't present a problem. It is set up clearly and cleanly.
Tornado, Hurricane, Thunderstorm Movies
http://www.mysteries-megasite.com/mysterymovies/tornmovie.html
“This Database Only contains the source or Website address where the movies are
located. Just like Midi Files and other common downloads, movies online are increasingly
becoming a sore spot for linking due to bandwidth issues. But all is not lost, the text
address gives you an idea where you can find the movie, so it won't be hard to find once
you visit the source. Enjoy!”
Cycle 1 Chandra Science Images
http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/cycle1.html
Peering into the Heart of the Crab Nebula [QuickTime, .tiff]
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/pr/2000/15/index.html
Popular Science 5 Year Guide to Space Exploration
http://space.popsci.com/space/
These three sites, from NASA's premier telescopes and Popular Science magazine,
should offer plenty to users with even a passing interest in astronomy and space
exploration. The first site features a collection of amazing images from the Chandra
orbiting X-ray observatory that were recently unveiled at a meeting of the American
Astronomical Society. Highlights include a crossbow-shaped shock wave of warped gas, a
jet that emanates from the center of the galaxy and extends across 360 thousand light
years toward a brilliant hot spot, and a hot bubble of matter surrounding a dying star.
The images are offered as thumbnails which link to a larger image with a description.
“Handouts,” images with descriptions that can be printed on a single page,
are also available. The second site features some recently released images of the Crab
Nebula from the Hubble Space Telescope which reveal the structure of the Nebula's
center with unprecedented detail. The images are offered in several sizes and formats,
along with a QuickTime movie and the official press release. The final site is a guide
to the more than 100 NASA missions planned for the next five years. The missions are
grouped by year, with links to detailed information such as launch date, estimated cost,
objectives, mission details, images (where available), and the homepage for the official
site. Other sections include a tech focus, an interactive timeline of spacecraft
propulsion, and a crossword puzzle. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Image Gallery
http://www.msss.com/moc_gallery/
On May 22, NASA announced the “single largest one-time release of images for any
planet in the history of solar system exploration,” adding over 20,000 images to
its Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) Image Gallery. This huge collection is offered in three
galleries, one for each of the cameras used: narrow angle, wide angle, and global images.
Many of the images are of such high resolution that objects on the surface the size of a
school bus can be seen. This remarkable archive covers one Mars year (687 Earth days)
beginning in September 1997 and extending through August 1999. Background information and
instructions on using the gallery are also provided.
[MD] (From the Scout Report)
“Solar Storm Warning” – NASA
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast07jun_1m.htm?list
Strong Geomagnetic Storm in Progress – NOAA
http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories/s440.htm
First Major Solar Storm of the Century – NOAA Space Weather
http://www.spaceweather.noaa.gov/stories/sw3.htm
The Solar Forecast
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/solar_forecast_000607.html
The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov/
Sunspots and the Solar Cycle
http://www.sunspotcycle.com/
Over the last few days, the Earth has been buffeted by a geomagnetic storm caused by a major
solar flare. In addition to disruptions in radio, telecommunications, and electric service,
the flare may also produce a dramatic light show as it peaks tonight. Weather permitting, the
aurora borealis, or northern lights, may be visible as far south as Washington, D.C. The best
viewing time will be local midnight. The sun is currently at the peak of its eleven-year solar
cycle, spawning flares and “coronal mass ejections” (CME), violent outbursts of
gas from the sun's corona that can carry up to 10 billion tons of electrified gas traveling at
speeds as high as 2000 km/s. Geomagnetic storms result when solar winds compress the
magnetosphere, sometimes interfering with electric power transmission and satellites, but also
creating beautiful aurorae, as many stargazers hope will occur tonight.
NASA's solar storm warning is a good place to learn more about the storm and solar flares, with numerous illustrations, animations, and related links. Reports from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) main and Space Weather sites briefly discuss the storm and how best to view the aurorae, and offer a number of related links. Space.com has posted the full text of the latest Solar Forecast from NOAA along with a gallery of images and some related resources. A Host of additional images and other resources can be found at the NASA/ESA SOHO site. More background information is provided by NASA Science News Sunspots and the Solar Cycle site. [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Sky View
http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Not a site for astronomical total beginners, although you can still enjoy taking a look at
images of any part of the sky at wavelengths from radio to gamma-ray with the SkyView Virtual
Observatory. There are various interfaces which assume a certain degree of knowledge:
non-astronomer, basic, advanced, Java and X-Windows which allow you greater control and more
detailed information retrieval. Even the Basic looks like it would be quite a handful for the
layperson but worth looking into if you want a vision of Eta Carinae and its ilk!
(From New Scientist Planet Science)
Museum of Ancient Inventions
http://www.smith.edu/hsc/museum/ancient_inventions/hsclist.htm
A trepanation kit from 2000 BCE, a battery from 250 BCE, and tumbler lock from 1000 BCE, a
thunder making machine from 100 AD, a trebuchet from the 15th century, and many more.
This site from Smith College has photographs and a description of each item.
TRB – PATH Database
http://www4.nationalacademies.org/trb/tris.nsf/web/path
This database of bibliographic information on research and applications in Intelligent
Transportation Systems (ITS) indexes materials dating as far back as the 1940s. Abstracts and
full bibliographic information are included for almost 20,000 records, as well as URLs for full
text online sources. The scope of materials encompasses “monographs, journal articles,
conference papers, technical reports, theses, web sites, and selected media coverage.” The
database is accessible on the Internet through a partnership established between the California
PATH (Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways) Program and the Transportation Research Board
(TRB). – ml (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
NEEDS – The National Engineering Education Delivery System
http://www.needs.org/engineering/info/index.html
“NEEDS – The National Engineering Education Delivery System is a digital library of
learning resources for engineering education. NEEDS provides web-based access to a database of
learning resources where the user (whether they be learners or instructors) can search for,
locate, download, and comment on resources to aid their learning or teaching process.”
The website has a nice, clean interface with a search engine attached. Each resource has a place
for user reviews and comments (although no one had yet made comments available on the resources
I checked).
The Tech Museum of Innovation
http://www.thetech.org/
A hands-on technology museum in San Jose, California. Their searchable site has guides to exhibits
and a “hands-online” interactive museum. You'll also find teaching resources, video
interviews, and details about technology classes, lectures, summer camps, and programs.
– wh (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Lighting the Way
http://americanhistory.si.edu/csr/lightproject/
“Here is your chance to help the Smithsonian make history!
On this website, we hope to use the Internet to gather – as well as present – history. With your help, we want to explore changes in the science and technology of electric lighting over the past 30 years, especially the effects of energy issues on lighting. Although the subject might seem a bit technical, anyone who has worked in an office, driven a car at night, or even changed a light bulb can help us shed a little light on this corner of history. We are seeking information from as broad a range of people as possible – inventors, researchers, manufacturers, electricians, architects, city planners, lighting designers, retailers, consumers, and many others.
Three brief, illustrated essays give an outline of changes in residential, commercial, and industrial lighting over the last few decades, and help show what we are after. Please read any or all of these three illuminating histories, and then, most importantly, answer the questions on one (or more) of the three Collecting History pages.”
Anthro.net
http://www.anthro.net/
Anthro.net is a search engine that “queries a database of over 40,000 reviewed web sites
with anthropological content built by the interests of its users.” It operates by
collecting search terms submitted by its users and using “proprietary software to hunt
down internet based journal articles, well developed topical sites and bibliographic references
for anthropology, archaeology and the other social sciences.” In addition, the site
features a 53-item table of contents to selected topics that offer “recommended
readings” and listings of annotated Websites. The search engine gives results in order of
relevance to the original search term and provides a description comprised of the first 100
characters or so on each Website returned. A search for “feminism,” for instance,
generated nineteen quality sites on various aspects of feminism in relation to the disciplines
mentioned above. A what's new section also provides a listing of recent additions to the
database. [DC] (From the Scout Report)
Great Excavations [Java]
http://www.channel4.com/nextstep/great_excavations/
This UK companion site to the Channel 4 documentary series Great Excavations follows author and
professional archaeologist David Romer on a tour through the origins, history, and current state
of archaeology, especially as it applies to the examination of ancient civilizations. Six
separate sections, matching six programs, explore in text and photographs the roots of
archaeology in colonial plunder, the development of archaeological reasoning and systems of
classification, the transformation of archaeology into a reputable science, the development of
the art of excavation, the connection between archaeologists and the state, and the future of
archaeology as a discipline. The program six material is not yet online but will appear sometime
before the broadcast of this segment. The site also features a healthy annotated bibliography of
Websites and books for each episode. We had some difficulties in using the site outside of the
Channel 4 frame, but users whose browsers handle Java well may not have this difficulty.
[DC] (From the Scout Report)
For European Recovery: The Fiftieth Anniversary of the Marshall Plan
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/marshall/
The Marshall Plan was a proposal offered after by then U.S. Secretary of State George Catlett
Marshall (1880-1959) to encourage European recovery after World War II. This history includes a
timeline as well as photos, political cartoons, maps, scanned images from several books, and
other documents. There is also information on reactions to the Plan, the countries that benefited,
and the way the Plan was executed. This online exhibit is from the collection of the Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, Averell Harriman Papers. –
dl (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Forecasting Principles [.pdf, Excel, MS Word]
http://www-marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/forecast/
J. Scott Armstrong, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania created
Forecasting Principles for educators, practitioners, and researchers of forecasting. The
resources found on this site “provide a comprehensive and structured review of the state
of knowledge about forecasting methods.” Three main sections offer papers, surveys,
overviews, and resources to educators, practitioners, and researchers separately. However, the
site contains basic information germane for all of these purposes as well. The site also lists
upcoming conferences as well as a small library of annotated links.
[EM] (From the Scout Report)
Feminist Anthropology
http://www.indiana.edu/~wanthro/fem.htm
Compiled by a graduate student in anthropology at Indiana University, Angela Bratton, this
Website offers an overview of the history and theory of feminist anthropology and includes a
substantial bibliography of relevant sources. The Website also summarizes the current state of
feminist anthropology at a professional level in a section on organizations and resources. In
addition, a diagram offers a historical sense of the development of the “three
waves” of feminist anthropology and their affiliations with larger theoretical movements
in anthropology and social theory. [DC] (From the Scout Report)
MuSICA (Music & Science Information Computer Archive)
http://www.musica.uci.edu/
Hosted by the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of
California, Irvine, MuSICA maintains a weekly updated database of references and abstracts of
scientific research on music as related to behavior, the brain, and allied fields. Keyword
searchable with advanced queries supported (Excite for Web servers), the database returned
numerous entries for each of our sample searches. Full returns include title, author,
publication and date, document type, language, and an abstract. In addition, the site also
offers the full text of recent and back issues of _MuSICA Research Notes_, a newsletter
published three times a year that includes reports and analysis “of research on music
and behavior, including education, child development, psychology, cognitive sciences,
neuroscience, clinical medicine, music therapy and allied fields.” Visitors can browse
by issue or by article and subject indexes. Finally, scholars in the field will find a
section that offers frequently updated news and notices of professional interest.
[MD] (From the Scout Report)
The Silicon Valley Cultures Project Website
http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/anthropology/svcp/
The Silicon Valley Cultures Project, from the anthropology department at San Jose State
University, “is a ten year ethnographic study of the cultures living and working in the
hi-tech communities of Silicon Valley.” Professors Charles Darrah and J. A.
English-Lueck began the project in 1991, and this Website presents the preliminary findings
of the study. The site contains an overview and background information on the project, as
well as short project papers, student papers, and information on future studies associated
with the project. The Silicon Valley Cultures Project is a truly interesting look at the
world of hi-tech culture. [EM] (From the Scout Report)
ERIC Digests Index Page
http://www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests/index/
The latest updates to the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Digest database
(last described in the September 17, 1999 Scout Report) feature 35 and 49
full-text short reports, respectively, aimed at education professionals and the broader
education community. Each report provides an overview of an education topic of current
interest and offers references for further information. Sample titles include “Easing
the Teasing: How Parents Can Help Their Children,” “The Mathematics and Reading
Connection,” “A Science Fair Companion,” “The Art and Science of
Classroom Assessment: The Missing Part of Pedagogy,” and “Guidelines for College
Science Teaching Assistants.” Users can search the entire ERIC Digests database from
the index page. ERIC, part of the National Library of Education (NLE), is a nationwide
education information system sponsored by the US Department of Education's Office of
Educational Research and Improvement (OERI). [MD] (From the Scout Report)
Digest of Education Statistics, 1999
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2000/digest99/
Last week, the National Center for Education Statistics posted on the Web its annual digest.
“The Digest provides statistical information covering the field of education from
prekindergarten through graduate school with over 450 tables and figures. Topics include:
schools and colleges; teachers; enrollments; graduates; educational attainment; finances;
federal funds for education; employment and income of graduates; libraries; technology; and
international comparisons.” [DC] (From the Scout Report)
The History of the Ideas of a University
http://quarles.unbc.edu/ideas/gen/history/history.html
This site, developed by faculty members at the University of Northern British Columbia,
explores the evolution of the university idea. The Website's hypertext history, supplemented
by 24 illustrations, reviews the ideas and contents of higher education from Ancient Greece
through Medieval times to the development of the modern idea of the university in the
nineteenth century. A section considering the future of the university is also included. The
site is part of a larger Website designed to introduce prospective students to the various
departments at the University of Northern British Columbia and their approaches to their
disciplines. Sections of this larger site may be accessed from the index link at the above
URL. [DC] (From the Scout Report)
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.)
NSF AWARDS NETWORK GRANTS TO 10 UNIVERSITIES
The National Science Foundation this week gave 10 universities high-performance computing
grants worth about $350,000 each. The two-year grants will allow the schools to connect to
a grid of research networks including the Internet2 consortium's Abilene, MCI WorldCom's
vBNS, and several high-speed government networks. Jackson State University in Mississippi,
one of the grant recipients, will use the award to buy a high-speed router and link to
Abilene. The high-speed network will help Jackson State's professors and students use
scientific visualization and other high-performance applications. Using its Abilene
connection, Jackson will participate in a distance-learning project with Syracuse University.
Another recipient, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, will use its grant to
gain access to real-time telescope data. Since 1995, the National Science Foundation has
awarded high-performance computing grants to a total of 177 institutions.
(Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 25 May 2000 via Edupage).
RURAL SCHOOL IS NOW WIRED TO THE WORLD
The Internet is helping rural schools overcome isolation in Wyoming, a state so sparsely
populated that 19 of its 234 elementary schools have fewer than 10 students this year. This
school year Wyoming became the first state to provide Internet access in all of its public
schools. One beneficiary of the technology is nine-year-old Diamond Forbes, the only student
in a one-room elementary school in Kaycee, Wyo., who uses an iMac to surf the Web to keep up
with third graders in larger schools. Wyoming, where job growth is slow and many college
graduates leave the state, has not yet capitalized on the tech-driven economy. Recognizing
the need to provide children with job skills, Gov. Jim Geringer five years ago spearheaded
the effort to bring Internet access to all Wyoming schools, which has cost $25 million so
far. By next month, Wyoming plans to have all of its high schools connected to a two-way
interactive video system that will allow students to participate remotely in classes their
schools do not offer.
(New York Times, 4 May 2000 via Edupage)
DIGITIZED TALKING HEADS LEND VOICES TO THE WEB
Voice technology is improving and making its way onto the Internet in the form of
voice-controlled Web browsers and talking avatars. The British Press Association has created
a digital newscaster named Ananova that reads news in a human-sounding voice. Ananova runs
on Lernout & Hauspie's RealSpeak, and though her voice quality leaves something to be
desired, handlers are working to improve the voice-synthesis program. In the future, Ananova
will be able to listen to users, responding to individual questions about the news. Already,
many companies offer technology that allows users to surf the Web using a telephone. About 45
million wireless phone users in North America will browse the Internet by voice in the next
five years, according to The Kelsey Group. Experts say voice browsing is set to explode since
telephones are so easily accessible, especially to mobile users, visually impaired users, and
those without PCs.
(Investor's Business Daily, 5 May 2000 via Edupage)
SURVEY: KIDS FUEL INTERNET EXPLOSION
Children between the ages of 2 to 17 are going online in unprecedented numbers, providing a
boost to Internet usage rates, according to a new report from Grunwald Associates. The number
of U.S. children surfing the Internet has increased from 8 million in 1997 to 25 million this
year and will likely rise 70 percent by 2005. The survey also finds that the number of mothers
using the Internet reached 16.4 million last year, up from 4.5 million in 1997 -- numbers that
could help explain the corresponding boom in kids' Internet usage. In addition, the survey
finds that roughly two of every three family households own a computer, 46 percent of which
are equipped with Internet access.
(Associated Press, 7 June 2000 via Edupage)
AS GADGETS SHRINK, THEY MAY WIND UP IN SURPRISING PLACES
Embedded devices, which are continuously shrinking in size and can communicate wirelessly,
are the wave of the future. Embedded devices already pervade the everyday environment.
“Ninety-eight percent of all processors we have on the planet are not in desktop systems.
They are, in fact, in cars on factory floors, in homes,” says Dr. Gaetano Borriello of
the University of Washington. One use of embedded devices will be in the field of medicine.
Embedded devices, including microscopic sensors, microscopic processors and microscopic radio
transceivers, could be placed in medicine that would be swallowed by the patient. These devices
could then keep an eye on medical conditions and treat the conditions with drugs while sending
data to a portable server in the home. The data could then be sent to the doctor over the Web.
Until the systems gain the ability to allow users to decide who gets to see the data, privacy
will be an issue. Eventually there will be a wireless network that will provide network and
Internet access for controls, processors and sensors embedded in equipment. The continuing
decline in wireless communications prices would help expedite the process.
(New York Times, 4 May 2000 via Edupage)
VIRTUAL UNIVERSITIES PLEDGE TO IMPROVE COURSE TRANSFERS
A group of 28 online universities at a meeting arranged by the Kentucky Commonwealth Virtual
University signed an accord to promote cooperation and transfer of credits among the
institutions. By signing the agreement, the schools expect to eventually enable online
students to easily transfer credits from one institution to another, making it easier to earn
a degree online. However, some of the officials who signed the accord are not authorized to
form transfer policies, making the gesture primarily symbolic. Still, the willingness to work
together is surprising since the schools are rivals. The meeting emphasized the advantages of
collaboration among online universities, addressing possibilities such as banding together to
buy equipment and software in bulk. The virtual universities that signed the accord represent
various countries, and include E-University of Great Britain, Georgia G.L.O.B.E., Jones
International University, Western Governors University, and many others.
(Chronicle of Higher Education, 5 May 2000 via Edupage)
BROADCAST TV NEWS LOSING VIEWERS TO INTERNET, STUDY SAYS
The growth of news sites on the Internet is steadily eating away at the audience of traditional
broadcast TV news shows, according to a survey of more than 3,000 adults conducted by the Pew
Research Center for the People and the Press. Pew Research Center Director Andrew Kohut touts
the survey as the first of its kind to thoroughly examine the Internet's impact on broadcast TV
news. The survey finds that 32 percent of college graduates younger than 50 visit news sites on
the Internet every day, compared with only 20 percent who watch the evening broadcast TV news
every day. The number of households with computers has nearly doubled to 59 percent since 1994,
according to Pew. The survey also finds that 33 percent of people access the Internet at least
once a week for news, and 15 percent access the news online every day. Twice as many investors
prefer to get stock information on the Internet rather than from television. “Technology
is rendering obsolete the predominance of the network newscast,” says television historian
Alex McNeil.
(Boston Globe, 12 June 2000 via Edupage)
Nuntii Latini (News in Latin)
http://www.yle.fi/fbc/latini/
The language of science is not dead! This site gives brief, current news reports in text and audio
(requires RealAudio) in the Latin language. You can listen and read along. The origin is a Finnish
radio program. Trust the Finns to do something this unique!
(Thanks to Librarian's Index to the Internet)
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.