10/04/01
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This newsletter is available to the public at the following locations:
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A National Day of Prayer and Remembrance: Dr. Colwell's Remarks
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/forum/colwell/rc010914natlprayer.htm
“The work we do – the science and engineering we support – helps as much as
any human action to combat the global factors that encourage events such as Tuesday's, which
include ignorance, poverty and prejudice. Every week we move the boundaries of knowledge and
reason a little farther ahead. Every month we get genuinely, if sometimes imperceptibly,
closer to a world in which decency, community, tolerance and freedom can flourish.”
Dr. Rita Colwell, Director, National Science Foundation
Science is a force that helps to unite the world. All the many U.S. organizations that received condolences from our friends around the world are deeply appreciative of the compassion exhibited in these messages.
The National Academy of Sciences has put some of these messages on their website. They comfort us all.
Industrial Research and Development Information System
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/iris/start.htm
The National Science Foundation's (NSF) Industrial Research and Development Information System
(IRIS) links an online interface to a historical database with more than 2,500 statistical
tables containing all industrial research and development (R&D) data published by NSF
since 1953. These tables are drawn from the results of NSF's annual Survey of Industrial
Research and Development, the primary source for national-level data on U.S. industrial
R&D.
The Survey of Industrial Research and Development Historical Database is a collection of all of the statistics produced and published from the 1953-1998 cycles of the annual Survey of Industrial Research and Development. The database was developed for use by the science, engineering, academic, industrial, and policy making communities to build knowledge of the historical trends in and inform current discussions about the levels of industrial R&D. The survey provides national estimates of the total expenditures on R&D performed within the United States by industrial firms, whether U.S. or foreign owned. It is a sample survey that intends to include or represent all R&D-performing companies, either publicly or privately held. Tabulations from the survey contain R&D statistics by industry, size of company, source of funds, character of R&D, R&D as a percentage of net sales, and R&D contracted to outside organizations and performed outside the United States. They also contain estimates of the sales and total employment of R&D-performing companies, employment of R&D scientists and engineers, and statistics by state.
The database contains the tabulations resulting from the survey since its inception in 1953 through 1998. Before the development of the database, tabulations from surveys prior to 1991 were available only on paper because electronic versions of the annual reports only exist for 1991 through the latest cycle of the survey. These reports are available elsewhere on the Division of Science Resources Studies web site at http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/indus/start.htm.
The database contains statistics only through 1998. The reason for this is NSF's industry R&D statistics for 1953-1998 were classified using the same industry coding scheme, the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. Beginning with the statistics from the 1999 survey, a new coding scheme is being used. Statistics for 1999 and later are classified using the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). (To give data users a bridge between the two coding systems, several tables that reclassify SIC industries for 1997 and 1998 into the new NAICS industries are included in Research and Development in Industry: 1999.)
sciBASE
http://www.thescientificworld.com/scibase/search.asp?uid=&bid=
“sciBASE gives free access to a unique collection of the world's premier databases of
scientific, technical and medical research literature. sciBASE currently covers more than 30
million articles published since 1965 in more than 30,000 journals. sciBASE is updated daily
with approximately 10,000 new article records. sciBASE now also features immediate digital
delivery of full text articles from nearly 500 current journals produced by participating
publishers. Currently, these publishers include Blackwell Science, Taylor & Francis, IOS
Press, IUPAC and Mary Ann Liebert. Additional content sources will be added in the near
future.”
The database seems to accept search statements with complex Boolean logic and gives some quite nice results. Searching the database is free, full text of journal articles is available for purchase.
The Integrity in Science Database
http://www.cspinet.org/integrity/
“The Center for Science in the Public Interest has launched this Internet site to provide
information about the links between hundreds of scientists – mostly in the fields of
nutrition, environment, toxicology, and medicine – and businesses. All too often, such
ties result in conflicts of interest, especially when neither the scientists nor the
corporations disclose them. This website begins to lift that veil of secrecy by providing
journalists, activists, policymakers, and the public with information about the links between
numerous scientists and corporate America. This database also includes information about some
of the corporate support received by dozens of professional, health, and nonprofit
organizations.
The database provides partial information about scientists' and non-profit organizations' direct or indirect current or past relations with industries. Inclusion in this database does not imply that the listed parties have had improper motives or acted unethically. Similarly, absence from this database should not be interpreted as absence of business relationships.
The fact that a scientist or organization has been affiliated with companies or trade associations does not necessarily invalidate a study or a person's or organization's views. Clearly, a company has every right to seek professional advice, and that may involve compensating professors or other experts.
The public interest is best served by the free flow of information, including that provided by this database. Such information helps the public to better understand or interpret statements made by scientists or organizations.”
National Compensation Survey: Occupational Wages in the United States, 1999.
BLS, 2001.
http://www.bls.gov/special.requests/ocwc/oclt/ncsocs/ncs/ncbl0343.pdf
Biological Warfare Defense Vaccine Research & Development Programs
http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/ReportonBiologicalWarfareDefenseVaccineRDPrgras-July2001.pdf
Attributes of a Trusted Digital Repository: Meeting the Needs of Research Resources
http://www.rlg.org/longterm/attributes01.pdf
Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction: Where Real Science Ends … and Pseudoscience Begins
http://search.nap.edu/books/030907309X/html/
CIA World Factbook 2001
http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
Energy in the United States: 1635-2000.
DOE, 2001.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/eh/frame.html
National Academy of Sciences Terrorism Collection
http://www.nap.edu/terror/index.html
“Recent attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have intensified concerns
worldwide about the threat of terrorism. A collection of National Academies reports examines
anti-terrorism measures, including technologies for screening airline passengers, better
designs for buildings that may be targets of terrorist attack, and preparation for the
civilian medical community in responding to chemical or biological threats.”
PSIgate (Physical Sciences Information Gateway)
http://www.psigate.ac.uk/homenew.htm
Launched on Monday, PSIgate is the physical sciences hub for the UK's Resource Discovery
Network (RDN). From this page, users can search the PSIgate database, search an expanded
catalog (PSIgate+) generated by harvesting pages from the PSIgate database, or search
across RDN databases. Returns include resources focused on astronomy, chemistry, earth
sciences, physics, history of science, and more. In the future, PSIgate plans to launch
a current awareness service. This is a “must-bookmark” for scientists,
students, and educators. [TK] (From the Scout Report)
Netsurfer Science Issue on Sept. 11 Events
http://www.netsurf.com/nss/nss.04.10.html
The Netsurfer Science newsletter is one of my favorites. This issue provides an excellent
presentation of websites concerned with the various science aspects of the tragic events
of Sept. 11.
Who Wants to Win a Million Dollars? – The Science Game
http://education.jlab.org/million/index.html
“Welcome to Who Wants to Win a Million Dollars! Test your knowledge of math and
science as you work your way to the million dollar level! Although the questions you
will answer are real, the money, unfortunately, is not. You aren't playing for real
money! Sorry!” The questions start extremely easy and work their way up to about
a middle school level. Other games based on the table of elements are also available.
Science, Technology & the CIA
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB54/
“Mention of the Central Intelligence Agency generally elicits visions of espionage
and covert action operations. It may also produce images of the multitude of finished
intelligence products the agency turns out – from the tightly controlled President's
Daily Brief, available only to the president and a select circle of advisers, to a number
of less restricted intelligence assessments. The CIA's role in the application of science
and technology to the art of intelligence is far less appreciated.” Along with an
advertisement for his book, Richelson provides the full text of a variety of documents
pertaining to this interesting history.
Proceedings of “Medical and Public Health Response to Bioterrorism”
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol5no4/contents.htm
Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (CDC)
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/
Chemical & Biological Defense Information Analysis Center
http://www.cbiac.apgea.army.mil/index.html
Frontline: Plague War
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/plague/
Federation of American Scientists
http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/index.html
Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies
http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/
The first document represents the proceedings of a conference covering many aspects of
public health response to biological terrorism. Most articles are brief. It is part of
the larger CDC website on this question, which also provides other documents and links
to the public health entities concerned.
The CBDIAC is housed by DTIC. Among other items, it includes news stories and CB related patents. It also has an extensive list of (uncategorized) related weblinks. Frontline presents a report dated 1998 on the biological weapons threat and a discussion of the weapons amassed by the Soviet Union and a discussion of reports of CB agents used under apartheid. The Federation of American Scientists presents a succinct summary of the parameters of the problem and the possible agents that might be used. Johns Hopkins' Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies provides a well-organized website including agent fact sheets, JAMA consensus statements, Congressional hearing testimony, links to numerous full text resources, and more.
Evolution – PBS
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
As a companion to the seven-part, eight-hour television series, PBS's Website offers an in-depth
look at the history and complexities of evolution. From Darwin's _Origin of Species_ to the role
of religion, this site explores the topic in vivid detail. All interested will discover
excellent information, but K-12 teachers will find the Teachers & Students section especially
valuable. Here, resources on methods of teaching and understanding evolution are provided in
online courses and guides. The site features a number of multimedia elements, film clips and
interactive displays, and surfers with older computers and slow modems will want to choose the
low bandwidth options when they are available. [JAB] (From the Scout Report)
The Evolution Revolution
http://library.thinkquest.org/19926/
First-year US college students have prepared this site under the umbrella of ThinkQuest Inc.,
which is described as a global network of students, teachers, parents and technologists
dedicated to exploring youth-centred learning on the net. Students do research projects and
publish their results on the web in a competitive way and this site is the result of one such
project. It is divided into two completely separate versions, one a plain text version and the
other a full HTML version. Apart from some pictures and a short interactive section about the
Galapagos Islands on the latter version, they both provide the same information. However, the
background and text colour on the HTML version are such that the text is quite difficult to
read and I preferred the plain text version. The content is excellent and it covers the whole
field of evolution from before Darwin to the present day in very great but easily
understandable detail. Technical words are highlighted and link to a succinct glossary. Apart
from the drawbacks with the HTML version, this is a really excellent source of information
about this subject from every possible angle and is a credit to the authors.
MDH (From New Scientist)
ITpapers [.pdf]
http://itpapers.com/
Brought to the Web by The Applied Technologies Group, Inc. (ATG), ITpapers offers users access
to more than 23,000 white papers and other documents related to information technology. Holdings
here are divided into ten categories, including Corporate Computing, Internet, Software, Hardware,
Security, and more. The several layers of subcategories and the summaries of documents make this a
very useful site for users searching for information on any aspect of information technology. In
addition to browsing, ITpapers can be searched by keyword. Users must register to view content,
but the site assures that information is kept confidential. Interested users can sign up to receive
a newsletter informing them of new additions in their areas of interest.
[TK] (From the Scout Report)
Wearable Computing
http://about.eyetap.org/
Published by a pioneering inventor of wearable computing and cybernetic photography
(“wearcam”), this site is dedicated to the evolving technology “comprising a
small body-worn computer that is always on and always ready and accessible.” This
expression of the technology creates a “synergy between human and computer, characterized
by long-term adaptation through constancy of user-interface.” Links to graphic exhibits
and essays explore the applications, aesthetics, psychology, peripheral devices, humor,
philosophy, legal and civil rights implications, and future of wearable computing. The author,
a professor of electrical and computer engineering, has more information about wearable
computers at WearCam.org. (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
MachineBrain.com
http://www.machinebrain.com/
A nice portal page to all things robotic and AI. Besides a regular web directory, also has
news, classified ads, a discussion forum, and more!
A Civil Engineering View of the WTC
http://www.icivilengineer.com/News/wtc.php
This is an interesting look at the World Trade Center from Civil Engineers telling the story
of the recent tragic events. Articles detail the construction features that were involved in
the abilities of the towers to stand so long after the crash, and in the eventual collapse
of the buildings.
The American Experience: Technology
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/technology/
Whether you are fascinated by the telephone or curious about women aviators, there's a story
to be told at this site. Many memorable American moments in technology are relived in a series
devoted to the American passion for invention and applied science. LC (From New Scientist)
NAE's Annual Meeting
http://nationalacademies.org/
Power Plays: Shaping America's Energy Future
http://www.nae.edu/nae/naehome.nsf/(weblinks)/MKEZ-4ZUSB4?OpenDocument
National Academy of Engineering's President Wm. A. Wulf and Chair George M.C. Fisher will
address members at the NAE's annual meeting on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2001 in Washington, D.C. Listen
to their remarks via live audio Webcast from noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT on Oct. 7 (requires
RealPlayer 8 Basic.
Price and availability of electricity in the western United States, tensions over access to domestic energy resources, and high gasoline prices have propelled energy policy into the national consciousness. Current and emerging issues in electric power will be the featured topic of an all-day symposium hosted by the National Academy of Engineering on October 9, 2001 in Washington, D.C. Register online to attend the event or listen via live audio Webcast (requires RealPlayer 8 Basic), accessible on the national-academies.org home page from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. EDT on October 9, 2001.
Eye in the Sky
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/eye/
“They circle the Earth's upper limites in silence, keeping watchful eyes on the great
drama unfolding below.
Welcome to Eye in the Sky, an investigation into the state of the planet from the point of view of satellites. We humans long have yearned to see our surroundings from the heavens. Now that we can, we find some of what we see disturbing. Other pictures inspire awe … and a new reverence for our green-and-blue home.”
The categories of image available are Nature's Fury (including hurricanes, volcanoes, wildfires, earthquakes and tornadoes), Human Impact (including floods, pollution, deforestation, and overpopulation), Exploration (including archeology and Mars), and Human Conflict (including refugees and war). Also included are news, history of satellites, resources, and links, and classroom ideas.
Sobering and vivid. From National Geographic.
Deep Sea Pages
http://www.bmi.net/yancey/index.html
At first sight, the home page of this site, prepared by a professor of biology at a college
in Washington State, appears very cluttered but, in fact, it contains a great deal of
information about the ocean and the life in it and is the gateway to much else besides.
Clicking on some of the frames on the home page produces very high quality enlarged pictures,
while clicking on other parts opens links to separate pages providing highly detailed
information about almost any aspect of the ocean that you could think of. All the information
is in technical language, so it is not a site for the faint-hearted, but it will certainly
provide you with the answers to any questions that you care to ask about this very interesting
subject. There are even details of research ships, should you be so taken that you would like
to do some research of your own. MDH (From New Scientist)
Do Math
http://www.domath.org/
Do Math is part of a larger project, funded by the National Science Foundation and the US
Department of Education, called Figure This. It presents math challenges in the form of
puzzles, for families to solve together. The puzzles are based on things to which children
can relate, like their own birthdays, and maps. One of the puzzles uses the idea of a patio
illustrate why a bigger perimeter means a bigger area. For each puzzle there is a follow-up
page called ‘Did you know,’ that gives more detail and sometimes includes brief
historical facts. This allows children to build on what the puzzle has just illustrated.
The site will appeal to many age groups, as younger children may need to use all of the
hints to find an answer, while older children will need fewer. The whole site can also be
used in Spanish. This site is fun. It will help parents get more involved in their
childrens' education, and it will make children see a math challenge as exciting.
SS (From New Scientist)
Physics Central: Learn How Your World Works
http://www.physicscentral.com/
This educational site exists to “describe the latest research and the people who are
doing it and, if you want more, where to go on the web.” Of interest to students,
laypeople, or physicists seeking to stay broadly informed about newsworthy events in the
field, Physics Central communicates a fascination with this branch of science. Features
include a writer's gallery of recent physicists' essays and a question and answer service
about how things work. People in Physics highlights the careers of interesting scientists.
Section archives offer stimulating retrospectives. Searchable.
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Celestial Photography by Michael Stegina
http://members.home.net/space-pics/index.htm
An attractive webpage showing the gorgeous photography possible by an amateur astronomer.
Includes information on the equipment used.
Learn Net
http://www.chemsoc.org/networks/learnnet/about-learnnet.htm
“LearnNet is a new network designed for the use of teachers and students of chemistry
– at all levels. The network aims to provide access to products and information
(including those produced by the various national chemistry societies across the world)
relevant to the study of chemistry. This site has been classified by experts in the teaching
of chemistry to ensure that the best interests of the users have been attended to at all
times. Each section links to an alphabetical list of resources and useful links to other
information. Visiting the A-Z lists will provide you with the title, target age range and
type of resource. Clicking on the resource title will then take you to a description of the
product and the LearnNet Mini Guide that outlines price, and general product information.
From these pages either selected sections or, in some cases, the complete resource, are
accessible online.” Many of the resources are free of charge.
World Space Week with NASA
http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/events/wsw/index.html
October 4-10 is World Space Week, and NASA is celebrating. Join them for a host of activities
including an overview of the International Space Station. More activities follow for the
remainder of the month. NASA always puts on a good show!
Capitol Spotlight
http://www.c-span.org/capitolspotlight/
A joint service of C-Span and Congressional Quarterly, Inc., Capitol Spotlight
is an online newsletter highlighting events and issues on Capitol Hill. Each week that
Congress is in session, Capitol Spotlight's content will focus on a key vote.
Features include key vote preview stories and interviews, interactive chats with experts,
and vote results and breakdowns by party. This is a good resource for those interested in
government because top editors from C-Span and Congressional Quarterly are tracking bills,
gleaning committee news, and generally keeping their ears to the ground for you with regard
to national politics. Live hearings and archived videos of news conferences round out the
site (Real Audio). [HCS] (From the Scout Report)
Mesoamerican Ballgame
http://www.ballgame.org/
This site, which accompanies the travelling exhibit of the same name, is divided into three
main sections devoted to ball games in Mesoamerican cultures, 1500 BC - 1519 AD. Explore the
Mesoamerican World gives visitors basic background information on cultures and time periods
in Mesoamerican history. Explore the Ball Game is, of course, focused on the game itself, a
practice that went far beyond sport to sometimes involve human sacrifice. Experience the Ball
Game allows users to watch or “play” a ball game, the latter entailing a quiz on
the contents of the site. The fourth section, Experience the Exhibit, gives locations and
dates for the travelling exhibit as well as information on purchasing a catalog. K-12 teachers
using the site will find four art projects related to the exhibit in the Classroom Connections
section, accessed via the button at the bottom of the page. This is an interactive site geared
toward K-12 students interested in cultural history. [TK] (From the Scout Report)
Australian and Asian Palaeoanthropology
http://www-personal.une.edu.au/~pbrown3/palaeo.html
For those who study fossilized skulls, this site offers a wealth of images and data, with an
emphasis on Australian and Asian examples. The skulls, and in many cases, only the fragments,
are presented with details of their condition, and sometimes, a photograph of the dig. For the
merely curious, there are fascinating tidbits related to the impact of European culture on
indigenous populations. Aborigines had no history of dental caries until the arrival of
Europeans, who brought refined carbohydrates. The curious circular wear pattern in some teeth
samples is due to the clenching of a pipe stem, another nod to the newcomers.
AD (From New Scientist)
“Bush Law-Enforcement Plan Troubles Both Right and Left” – New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/28/national/28RIGH.html
Attorney General Ashcroft Outlines Mobilization against Terrorism Act – DOJ
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2001/September/492ag.htm
Attorney General Ashcroft's Draft Anti-Terrorism Package – Section by Section Analysis
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200109/092001.html
Summary of Chairman Leahy's Uniting and Strengthening of America Act
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200109/091901.html
After the attack: Privacy vs. security – ZDNet
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/specialreport/0,12737,6021498,00.html
“Arab Americans caught in profile snare” – San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/09/28/MN199103.DTL
“In Patriotic Time, Dissent Is Muted” – New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/28/business/media/28TUBE.html
“Requests for Student Information Stir Concern” – Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37857-2001Sep27.html
“Why Liberty Suffers in War Time” – WiredNews
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,47051,00.html
Wartimeliberty.com
http://www.wartimeliberty.com/
Many of the nation's lawmakers are concerned this week with how to square national security
measures with civil liberties. Attorney General John Ashcroft has asked Congress to quickly
pass legislation granting broad powers to the administration, including the ability to
indefinitely detain those considered a threat to security, greater discretion in surveillance,
and more power to seize people's assets, among other provisions. Senators and Representatives
on both the left and the right are debating the proposal, many expressing no small amount of
concern over the potential abridgment of citizens' rights that the legislation represents.
This week's In the News is addressed to this crucial question: what price security or what
price liberty?
The New York Times [free registration required] today gives an overview of current thoughts on the hill regarding Ashcroft's proposed legislation. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) offers a summary of the Mobilization Against Terrorism Act, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) has posted both an analysis of the Act and a summary of his own proposed alternative, the Uniting and Strengthening of America (USA) Act. ZDNet's special feature, After the attack: Privacy vs. security, covers the proposed legislation along with other issues such as FBI use of data from ISPs and calls for legislation addressing encryption. The San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, and Washington Post report on other civil liberties issues, and WiredNews gives a quick overview of the breaching of citizens' rights in times of war in America. Wartimeliberty.com is a good source of breaking developments; they explain that they “document this struggle between liberty and security by posting transcripts, documents and analyses – and letting you make up your own mind.” (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.)
BETTER NETWORKS: LOOK TO NATURE
Telecommunications firms may be able to make their networks more efficient by emulating the
techniques of ants to establish the quickest lines of communication. Because data on the
Internet is sent in separate packets, researchers say that sending virtual ants through
these networks to find the fastest routes could help speed data packets to their destinations.
In nature, ants deposit pheromones to keep track of which trials are best. Collectively,
these individual tracks focus in on the most efficient routes. Icosystem Chairman and chief
scientist Eric Bonabeau is also working on using this ant method to make peer-to-peer networks,
distributed computing, and instant messaging technologies even more effective.
(New York Times, 13 September 2001 via Edupage)
THE LITTLE SCREENSAVER THAT COULD
Graduate students at Stanford, along with 15,000 volunteered computers, are helping to solve
the intricacies involved in protein folding. The Folding@Home project is similar to Seti@Home,
the most popular distributed-computing model, since it uses screen savers on volunteers'
computers to solve massive calculations. Dr. Vijay Pande, associate chemistry professor at
Stanford, is leading the project. He expects to be able to produce data that will help drug
manufacturers reverse-engineer the protein-creation process. The final goal is to create
solutions that prevent protein misfolding, which results in disease.
(Wired News, 21 September 2001 via Edupage)
COLLEGES PROMOTE ROLE AS INCUBATORS
The top research universities in the Washington, D.C., area are promoting technology transfer
between themselves and private technology companies in an effort to “positively impact
economic development in the state, region, and nation,” said Nariman Farvardin of the
University of Maryland's engineering school. The Northern Virginia Technology Council hosted
a conference where representatives of several area colleges met to discuss their goals as tech
incubators. Dean Lloyd Griffiths of George Mason University's engineering school noted that
many technology ventures are initiated by students and faculty while at the university, thanks
to an entrepreneurial spirit that the school has nurtured. Among the successful ventures of
the University of Maryland's program Farvardin mentioned are NeuralStem, Digene, and Martek
Biosciences.
(Washington Post, 21 September 2001 via Edupage)
SWEDEN WILL CREATE A VIRTUAL INSTITUTION
A proposed law in Sweden calls for the creation of a nationwide virtual university. The bill,
expected to be passed by the end of 2001, would earmark $20 million for the undertaking, which
would combine the online courses of several state universities. The Net University would open
in the fall and initially enroll 2,350 students. Students would be able to attend any
institution in the project, and coursework taken at any institution would be accepted by all
network members. Sweden has 39 state universities, most of which offer online courses. Each
university will decide whether it will take part in the network. Education at the virtual
university will be completely free for students, the same as at conventional state
universities.
(Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 20 September 2001 via Edupage)
NSF AWARDS $12 MILLION TO PROJECT FOR MIDDLEWARE
Eight universities and nonprofit educational agencies have been granted $12 million from the
National Science Foundation (NSF). Under the aegis of the NSF Middleware Initiative, these
institutions will develop middleware to facilitate the online sharing of knowledge,
instruments, and other scientific resources, and foster Web-based collaboration. The
consortium consists of the University of Wisconsin, Madison; EDUCAUSE; the University of
California, San Diego; the University of Chicago; the Information Sciences Institute at the
University of Southern California's School of Engineering; Internet2; the Southeastern
Universities Research Association; and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications
at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
(Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 25 September 2001 via Edupage)
INTERNET VULNERABLE TO TERRORISTS, EXPERTS WARN
ICANN plans to devote its upcoming annual meeting in November to an “in-depth
assessment” of the issue of terrorism's threat to the Internet, said ICANN CEO Stuart
Lynn. ICANN is expected to focus on the issue of root server security, considering that
roughly 13 root servers route a vast amount of TLD traffic, including traffic for .org, .net,
and .com. “The 13 computers represent a pretty clear target for attack,” said
ICANN board member Karl Auerbach. Auerbach believes such an attack could disable the Internet
for as long as a week. In such an event, the corporate world would be hit hardest due to
disruption of online payments, organization communications, and other online transactions,
said eEye Digital Security's Marc Maiffret.
(Washington Post, 28 September 2001 via Edupage)
GOVERNMENT WEB SITES SEE RECORD TRAFFIC AFTER ATTACKS
Following the Sept. 11 terror attacks, many people turned to government Web sites to get
information. In terms of the number of online visits, government Web sites ranked second only
to news Web sites in the days immediately after the World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters.
The White House site, for example, was visited by 162,000 people per day following the attacks,
according to Jupiter Media Metrix, and the Navy's and Army's sites drew on average of 205,000
and 137,000 daily visitors, respectively. The FBI's site, built to collect leads in the
investigation, succeeded in gathering 66,000 tips as of the Thursday after the attacks. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency Web site activity also rose sharply to 88,000 visitors per
day, up from what was considered a negligible amount of traffic. University of Southern
California associate dean of the Annenberg School of Communication Joe Saltzman said people
“hear a lot of information, but feel more comfortable by checking what they hear on
reliable sites.”
(Reuters, 21 September 2001 via Edupage)
GOVERNMENT OVERLOOKS WEB'S POTENTIAL
Many federal government Web sites failed to deliver updated information about the national
crisis when citizens needed it most. Former Office of Management and Budget IT policy director
John Spotila criticized federal officials for not taking the opportunity to demonstrate the
abilities of the Internet to bridge government and citizens in times of crisis. Although the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) site quickly posted relevant information, the
FirstGov federal Web portal did not post any news or a prominent link to the FEMA site, he
said. Other agencies directly related to the government's response, such as the Department of
Justice and Department of State, offered only sparse information about the attacks. One
anonymous federal Webmaster expressed extreme annoyance with the administration of the
FirstGov portal. Because it is operated under an outside contract, he said updating the
content was a convoluted, drawn-out process.
(Interactive Week, 17 September 2001 via Edupage)
SCHOLARS QUESTION THE IMAGE OF INTERNET AS A RACE-FREE UTOPIA
Academic scholars are now focusing on issues of race on the Internet. They say the idea that
race does not exist on the Internet is untrue and potentially harmful, and that it has
engendered a feeling of “default whiteness” online. University of Arizona
humanities professor Kali Tal said people who want to be known as part of a minority race are
singled out if they bring it up. Lisa Nakamura, assistant professor of English at Sonoma State
University and co-editor of “Race in Cyberspace,” said race on the Internet should
not be ignored but recognized. She cites online chats and Multi-User-Dungeons (MUDs) as
particularly irksome in this regard. Racial minorities may be inadvertently offended by a
fellow chat room member who thinks they are white, unless they identify their race, which can
then be seen as flaunting. To address the issue of race on the Internet, scholars are planning
a conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this spring called Race in the
Digital Space.
(Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 21 September 2001 via Edupage)
INTERNET2 PROJECT PLANS MAJOR UPGRADES FOR ITS NETWORK BACKBONE
Internet2 officials are expected to announce a two-year improvement plan for the Abilene
network backbone to boost user support and data capacity. “Abilene's primary mission
is to enable the development of advanced network applications, so we really believe that to
stay ahead of the demand for capacity, we need to be proactive about upgrading the backbone
capacity,” said Internet2's Greg Wood. The backbone will be upgraded from 2.4 Gbps to
10 Gbps through the implementation of new optical devices, while Internet Protocol version 6
(IPv6) will be used to support additional users. Qwest Communications will continue to
support Abilene financially through October 2006. Abilene currently uses only about 30
percent of its capacity, but officials believe the improvements should ready it for future
rises in traffic.
(Chronicle of Higher Education Online, 2 October 2001 via Edupage)
All items from the Scout Report are copyright Susan Calcari, 1994-2001. 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.
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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.