04/03/02
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Compendex Chemistry Abstracts
http://www.chemweb.com/utils/email.cfm?id=9128&uid=115245
ChemWeb.com is now offering a FREE trial access to Compendex
Chemistry until 1st June.
Free registration to ChemWeb required.
Free Engineering Books
http://www.eevl.ac.uk/freebooks/
£7,500 worth of NEW engineering, mathematics and computing
books are being given away FREE in a joint promotional campaign
being run by EEVL, the Internet guide to engineering, mathematics
and computing, Engineering magazine, E2 the career guide,
Mathematics Today, and Computer Bulletin, plus top publishers
Kluwer, Springer, Pearson, Wiley, Taylor & Francis and
Butterworth-Heinemann.
Go to the website, browse the publishers' catalogues, choose the book you'd like and enter it on the form. No catches. Each entrant will have the chance to win one book of his or her choice from the hundreds being given away. Please forward this message to colleagues or students or anyone else who might want a free book.
The promotion closes on 31st May 2002.
EEVL is a free, non-profit service. It is a collaborative service run and hosted by Heriot Watt University, in partnership with Cranfield University, the University of Birmingham and the University of Ulster. It is funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) through the Resource Discovery Network.
EEVL would like to thank the participating publishers and distributors for their contributions to this promotion.
This offer is available worldwide.
US Fish & Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov
Main DOI Website
http://www.doi.gov/
All US Dept of the Interior websites were taken down in December due to a court
order. Some of the websites are now started to be made available again, with their
wealth of important information.
Laafia, Ibrahim. R&D expenditure and personnel in European regions 1997-99.
Eurostat, 2002.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/Public/datashop/print-product/EN?catalogue=Eurostat&product=KS-NS-02-002-__-N-EN&mode=download
Patent Activities in the EU: Towards High Tech Patenting 1990 to 2000.
Eurostat, 2002.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/Public/datashop/print-product/EN?catalogue=Eurostat&product=KS-NS-02-001-__-N-EN&mode=download
Biological Impacts of the Jessica Oil Spill on the Galapagos Environment.
Charles Darwin Foundation, 2002.
http://www.darwinfoundation.org/jessicareport.html
Scientific Inquiry in Education.
NAP,2002.
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309082919/html/
Future R&D Environments: A Report for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
NPA, 2002.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10313.html?onpi_listserv030802
Cybersecurity Today and Tomorrow: Pay Now or Pay Later.
NAP, 2002.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10274.html?onpi_listserv030802
Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams, 1999-2000: A National Reconnaissance.
USGS, 2002.
http://pubs.acs.org/hotartcl/est/es011055j_rev.html
Technology and Assessment: Thinking Ahead -- Proceedings from a Workshop.
NAP, 2002.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10297.html?onpi_listserv032902
Scientific Research in Education.
NAP, 2002.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10236.html?onpi_listserv032902
ChemWeb.com is offering FREE access to the following Elsevier Science Journals until 1st June, so why not take a look.
http://www.chemweb.com/utils/email.cfm?id=9129&uid=115245
Free ChemWeb registration required.
Materials Today has now been added to the journals section of ChemWeb.com. Members can access FREE of charge the full text, TOC's and abstracts.
http://www.chemweb.com/library/elsevier/effect/display.exe?jcode=MATTOD
Free registration required.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, new journal from The American Society
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the International Union of Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology. Free trial until May 31.
http://www.bambed.org/
Free access to 9 materials science and physics journals published by Elsevier Science until 20 May 2002 on Chemweb (Free registration required).
SciDev.Net
http://www.scidev.net/
This searchable site reports on and discusses “those
aspects of modern science and technology that are
relevant to sustainable development and the social and
economic needs of developing countries.” Articles,
news, opinion pieces, and book reviews are archived
to the beginning of this site (December 2001).
Sponsored by Nature and Science magazines in
association with the Third World Academy of
Sciences. (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
EventOnline.org
http://www.eventonline.org/
“A database, as the headline says, of medical, biotechnical,
and scientific events. From the front page of the site, you
can search by subject (from agricultural and vet science to
toxicology), specialty (varies by subject), search keyword,
and date.
Searching Biology/Mutation Research for all of 2002 found two results. Search results list date of the event, title of the event, and location of the event. Click on the date or the event title and you'll get more information including event URL, contact information, expected attendance, and subjects.” (From Research Buzz)
Seasonal Rhythms
http://www.hhmi.org/grants/lectures/2000/spring/spring.htm
Introduction to Phenology
http://www.the-woodland-trust.org.uk/phenology/standard/home/
Environmental Education for Kids: Phenology
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/season/pheno.htm
Missouri Botanical Garden: Plants in Bloom
http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/bloom/
Plantwatch
http://www.devonian.ualberta.ca/pwatch/
Operation Migration
http://www.operationmigration.org/field_2002_spr.html
Peterson Online
http://www.petersononline.com/birds/perspective/
The Yearly Life Cycle of the Bumblebee
http://www.mearns.org.uk/mrssmith/bees/lifecycle.htm
“Because Spring has officially arrived, this week's Topic In Depth focuses on
events that occur with the arrival of the new season.
Offered by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the first Web site (1) focuses on seasonal events like hibernation and migration, and the rhythms behind them. Next is a phenology site (2), where visitors can register to record their observations of Spring online or just learn what phenology is and why it is important. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also has a phenology Web site for kids (3). The Missouri Botanical Garden (4) keeps a record of the plants in bloom each week, with corresponding photos and a choice of either a brief or more detailed description. Plantwatch (5), a site from the University of Alberta that encourages students and volunteers to register and report observations, has recently added a downloadable teacher's guide. Operation Migration (6), the organization that has successfully led endangered Whooping Crane migration by ultralight aircraft, provides daily updates as the birds begin preparing for their journey north. Users who want to begin identifying the birds that return to their yard this spring may be interested in the Peterson online identification guide (7). The final site (8) traces the life cycle of the Bumblebee, beginning with the queen emerging from hibernation and building a nest. [AL]” (From the Scout Report)
Beyond Discovery
http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/
The Office on Public Understanding of Science (NAS) is pleased to announce the release
of its redesigned Beyond Discovery Web site at
www.BeyondDiscovery.org.
Each article, now indexed by subject, reveals the crucial role played by basic
research in the development of important technological and medical advances.
Improved navigation, timelines, glossaries and summaries now enhance each
article in the series.
Molecular Expressions Photo Gallery
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/gallery.html
This is part of a larger site on molecular structure generally. This part of the site
has wonderful photographic images taken through microscopes and sorted into subject
categories. Especially don't miss the Silicon Zoo - images taken of artwork engraved
into the silicon of computer chips. Incredible!
Crocodilians!
http://www.crocodilian.com/
This is a wonderful website with plenty of information and audiovisuals about
the various members of this fascinating group. You can view film clips of
crocodiles fighting, jumping, galloping, and more. You can hear sound clips
of baby crocs and hissing crocs. You can explore a list of species with maps
and images. You can learn about captive croc care. This site is very well laid
out, and has something for every level of interest.
Embryo Images Normal and Abnormal Mammalian Development
http://www.med.unc.edu/embryo_images/
“Embryo Images Normal and Abnormal Mammalian Development is a tutorial
that uses scanning electron micrographs (SEMs) as the primary resource to
teach mammalian embryology. The 3-D like quality of the micrographs coupled
with selected line drawings and minimal text allow relatively easy
understanding of the complex morphological changes that occur in utero.
Because early human embryos are not readily available and because
embryogenesis is very similar across mammalian species, the majority of
micrographs that are utilized in this tutorial are of mouse embryos. The
remainder are human.”
PLCS.net: Your Personal PLC Tutor Site
http://www.plcs.net/
“A programmable logic controller (PLC) is an instrument used for many types
of machine control. Instead of having to design complex circuitry, a PLC can
be configured with software to do the job more efficiently. PLCS.net is a
site with loads of useful tutorials and instructions that make the
programming required to use these gadgets much easier. Many of the sections
have animations that further illustrate the concepts. In addition to the
online tutorials, there is also a very active forum where beginners can ask
questions or experienced users can answer them. [CL]” (From the Scout Report)
Gender and Science Digital Library
http://www.edc.org/GDI/GSDL/
“A new project from the Gender & Diversities Institute and the Eisenhower
National Clearinghouse, the Gender and Science Digital Library (GSDL) is a
major initiative to create an interactive digital library of high quality
gender and science resources. The library will assist K-12 educators in
providing equitable science education by raising awareness of the effects
that gender has on learning science and sharing teaching methods to address
gender differences. The site is currently seeking educators to share
resources that they have developed and to review material submitted by
others. Teachers can also contribute by responding to a focus group survey
on the design of the site. For those users who would like further
information, there is also a link to the upcoming conferences in which GSDL
will participate. This is an important site to watch for any science teacher
concerned about gender equity issues. [AL]” (From the Scout Report)
Black Patents
http://www.blackpatents.com/
A database of patents granted to Afro-American inventors.
Waterjet Web Reference
http://www.waterjets.org/
“According to the Waterjet Web Reference, ‘abrasive waterjets are the fastest
growing segment of the machine tool industry.’ This is not surprising when
considering how quickly and precisely a tool can be made by using the
technology. The site offers a thorough introduction to waterjets, describing
how they work and what they can do. Comparisons are made to conventional
machining processes, and the advantages of waterjets are outlined. Other
sections of the site include an Engineer's Guide, a video gallery of
waterjets in action, free software related to abrasive-jet machining, and
frequently asked questions. [CL]” (From the Scout Report)
Structurae
http://www.structurae.de/
“Structurae is the International Database and Gallery of Structures. The
information contained on the site is primarily aimed at civil engineers and
architects; however, anyone with an interest in modern or historical
structures should definitely review it. More than 3,000 structures are
listed in the database, including facts about materials used in
construction, size, date started, and date completed. Many of the entries
also have photographs of the location. You can sort the structures by type,
function, construction method, geographical location, or alphabetically; or
you can browse a 2,500 year timeline. There are also separate databases of
large-scale projects and notable engineers and architects. [CL]”
(From the Scout Report)
United States Society on Dams
http://www.ussdams.org/
Hydropower Program: U.S. Department of Energy
http://hydropower.inel.gov/
Geoguide: Dams!
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/geoguide/dams/index.html
Hydroelectric Design Center
https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/hdc/welcome.htm
Hoover Dam
http://www.hooverdam.usbr.gov/
Great Wall Across the Yangtze
http://www.pbs.org/greatwall/
Three Gorges: The Biggest Dam in the World
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/threegorges/
Nam Theun 2 Electricity Consortium
http://www.namtheun2.com/indexnet.htm
“Although hydroelectric power represents a relatively small portion of the
world's energy resources, it is still an important commodity with great
potential. To harness hydropower, civil engineers must design dams that
convert the kinetic energy of water into electricity.
The fundamentals of general-use dams are discussed on the home page of the US Society on Dams (1). Besides providing brief background information, there are a few examples of the benefits of dams to society. For a much more technical perspective, check out the Hydropower Program of the US Department of Energy (2). This site examines (among other things) research and development and turbine systems used in hydropower operations. There are several reports available for download, many of which deal with improved technology that minimizes environmental hazards. A good place for grade school students to learn about dams is at National Geographic's Geoguide Web site (3). On the main page, the user can learn about different stages of development in dam construction. A section for classroom and family activities suggests many fun, educational projects that are suitable for kindergarten through high school. The Hydroelectric Design Center (see #4 above for URL) is part of the Army Corps of Engineers. The center's home page has a lot of information about hydropower projects with which it is involved, as well as descriptions of processes and components of a hydropower plant. Possibly the most famous dam in North America is the Hoover Dam (5). History, articles, functional descriptions, pictures, and other media are on the Hoover Dam Web site. A sharp contrast to the glory of the Hoover Dam is the Three Gorges Dam project in China (6). If it is completed, it will be the biggest dam on Earth; however, environmental concerns plague the project with controversy. This Web site outlines the enormous scale of the project and explains the possible benefits and disastrous consequences that may result. The Three Gorges Dam is the subject of a great activity for middle school students at DiscoverySchool.com (7). The activity is set up as a detailed lesson plan that lets teachers introduce the problems and benefits of the dam; additionally, basic engineering concepts are discussed. Hydropower could mean more than just electricity for the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a small country in Indochina where poverty is widespread. The Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric project (8) could bring substantial revenues from exported electricity. [CL]” (From the Scout Report)
NASA Global Change Directory
http://globalchange.nasa.gov/
“NASA's Global Change Master On-line Directory (GCMD) 2002
provides descriptions of Earth science data sets and services relevant to global
change research. This directory will help students and scientists find a wealth
of data from NASA's Earth science program and other organizations.
The Global Change Master Directory now holds more than 10,600 descriptions of Earth and environmental science data, with information on how to obtain the data and/or direct links to data sources. The individual data set descriptions were contributed by more than 1,300 data centers, government agencies, universities, research institutions and private researchers around the world.
New data set descriptions are added daily, and others are updated on an ongoing basis.
The directory is organized by topics: Agriculture, Atmosphere, Biosphere, Human Dimensions, Hydrosphere, Land Surface, Oceans, Paleoclimate, Radiance/Imagery, Solid Earth, Snow and Ice and Sun-Earth Interactions.
There are also listings for Earth science data-related services, Earth science conferences, an actively maintained list of Earth science web resources and an education area called the Learning Center.
Users can click on any topic to explore data sets of interest. For example, to search for data sets on Methane, users would go to the topic, Atmosphere; scan the list under Atmospheric Chemistry, and then click on Methane. All associated data sets then appear on the left side of the web browser in alphabetical order. Clicking on the data set of choice displays a summary of the data set, its content, its geographic coverage, when it was collected and the data center information. Direct links to the data are provided whenever available.
The directory content is shared and available as part of NASA's contribution to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites' (CEOS) International Directory Network (IDN). The content is also available through the National Spatial Data Infrastructure's (NSDI) Federal Geographic Data Committee's (FDGC) Clearinghouse.
If you have any questions, contact: Lola Olsen, Project Manager, Code 902, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. 20771 Phone: 301-614-5361 E-mail: olsen@gcmd.nasa.gov”
Birch Aquarium at Scripps
http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/
“Terrific information in the dive in . . . to science section
at this interpretive center for the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Watch
a Webcast of a shark dissection, a video of coral spawning, and streaming video
of the Kelp Forest. Also learn about sea horses, jellies, gray whales,
cuttlefish, climate change, and red tides. There is museum information (history,
hours, directions, etc.) and the Scripps Pier SurfCam (along with wave
conditions!) in the info area.” (From the Librarian's Index to the
Internet)
Freshwater and Marine Image Bank
http://content.lib.washington.edu/fish/
“Over 2600 images dating from 1735 to 1924 ‘related
to freshwater and marine topics, in all their diversity.’
Searchable, and browsable by subject (aquaculture,
coasts and seas, fisheries, expositions, dams, fish
species, fish hatcheries, limnology, maps, marine
mammals, Panama Canal, shellfish, sport fishing,
stereoscopic views, vessels). Includes bibliography.
From the University of Washington Libraries, Digital
Collections.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Earth Today: A Digital View of our Dynamic Planet
http://www.nasm.si.edu/earthtoday/
“This exhibit contains many impressive views of Earth
taken from space. Our Dynamic Planet contains
information about the atmosphere, geosphere,
biosphere, and hydrosphere. Near Real-Time,
containing the same topics, utilizes the many satellites
to show views of the atmosphere, oceans, and
earthquakes. There are a few related links. From the
Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space
Museum.” (From the Librarian's Index to the Internet)
The Hurricane of '38
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/hurricane38/
The PBS series American Experience recalls this
unnamed, catastrophic hurricane which slammed
against the New England shore, destroyed over 8,000
homes, and resulted in over 700 deaths. Users can
catch a glimpse of “the lives of fishermen, residents
and vacationers on the day before the storm, and
follow their stories through one of the greatest natural
disasters to befall the eastern seaboard.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Mudd Math Fun Facts
http://www.math.hmc.edu/funfacts/
“Fun Facts are designed for, and work best in,
lower-division college courses where the typical
student is not a math student. The point of Fun Facts is
to generate interest, arouse curiosity, and cause such
students to look at mathematics differently!” Includes
tidbits from algebra, calculus, geometry, probability,
number theory, and other areas, of varying levels of
difficulty. From a mathematics professor at Harvey
Mudd College. (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
The Physics Classroom
http://www.physicsclassroom.com/
The Physics Classroom Tutorial is an online physics tutorial written for high
school physics students. The tutorial was originally developed for physics
students at Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, Illinois. The site has:
Catalog of Spaceborne Imaging: A Guide to NSSDC's Planetary Image Archives
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/
“The imaging catalog contains a collection of over 500 images of the
solar system bodies, including the sun, earth, moon, planets, and other
astronomical objects taken by various space flight missions. The images are
browsable by the individual missions, Hubble Space Telescope, and earth-based
radar, providing information on the image's location, time, and imaging
details.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
World's Largest Math Event
http://nctm.org/wlme/
“April is Mathematics Education Month, and the National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics will celebrate with the eighth annual World's Largest Math
Event (WLME). The WLME Web site has activities from all eight of the events,
which are suitable for grade school teachers to introduce in their classes.
This year's WLME theme is Entertaining Mathematics; previous years' themes
include Animals As Our Companions, The Power of Nature, and Math Olympics.
The activities given on the site use mathematics to address various aspects
of everyday life. This lets students realize the importance of good math
skills by demonstrating connections to real-world issues. [CL]” (From the
Scout Report)
A Brilliant Madness
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/nash/index.html
From PBS, a website on John Nash, the Nobel prize winning mathematician who is
the subject of the current movie.
All about materials
http://www.matweb.com/
“Let's say that you want to know what the thermal properties of Invar
(a type of steel) are, who makes it, what some of the brand names are and also
who sells it. This is the place to go. With the number growing every day, the
Materials Web now has extensive details of the mechanical properties of 26,023
types of metals, plastics, ceramics and composites. They are also actively
adding many types of semiconductors, fibers and other engineered materials. A
particularly useful point of this site is that it allows you to look up material
properties by brand name, so you can compare different maker's versions of the
same material to find the one most suitable for your work. When it actually
comes time to buy metals, one frequently encountered problem is that minimum
orders that are often in far greater quantities than an experimenter or
hobbyist could use in a lifetime. For small quantities of almost any metal,
particularly those suitable to horology or experimental use, try either
www.sherline.com/frame.html
or
www.metalsgalore.com/sys-tmpl/door/.
If you are actually going to use metal to make something then check out Marv
Klotz's fine collection of mathematical and home shop software (mostly freeware
in the form of .zip files) at
www.geocities.com.mklotz.geo/.
Materials web rating: 8 out of 10 WTS” (From New Scientist Site of the Day)
The American Meteor Society
http://amsmeteors.org/index.html
“Supporting the efforts of amateur and professional astronomers, the
American Meteor Society website serves as a clearinghouse for meteoric
astronomy, including information about meteor and fireball observations. In
addition to providing information about meteor showers and their causes, the
site allows observers to report their own sightings and findings, and provides
a weekly update on observation opportunities. The site is well organized,
with menu options for meteors, fireballs, visual observing and radio observing.
Within each section, what the page lacks in style and easy readability it makes
up for with its rich content, including links to other portions of the site.
You can also learn more about the AMS, its staff, membership categories, and
technical publications, although online ordering and membership are not offered.
One of the greatest tools it offers is an listing of links organized by
categories with descriptions. In a field where serious amateurs make
significant contributions, the AMS site provides a valuable service to the
meteoric astronomy profession. Rating: 8 out of 10 CK” (From New Scientist
Site of the Day)
Misunderstood Minds
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/
“The Misunderstood Minds project consists of three elements: the PBS
documentary, the companion Web site on PBS Online, and the Developing Minds
Multimedia Library. A co-production of the Kirk Documentary Group, Ltd., and
WGBH Boston, the documentary is a 90-minute film that examines several
learning problems and disabilities by following five families who try,
together with experts, to solve the mysteries of their children's learning
difficulties. Produced and directed by renowned ‘Frontline’ filmmaker
Michael Kirk and narrated by ABC's ‘Nightline’ correspondent and guest
anchor Chris Bury, Misunderstood Minds is scheduled to air Wednesday, March
27, 2002 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings). In correspondence with the
documentary, the Misunderstood Minds' Web site contains profiles of the
students in the documentary, as well as sections on attention, reading,
writing, and mathematics. In addition, the site contains an interactive
feature entitled Firsthand that provides a sense of what it may be like for
a student struggling with a learning disability. The multimedia library of
videos and print guides is designed to help parents and teachers of
elementary and middle-school children explore differences in learning
through the approach and conceptual framework of developmental-behavioral
pediatrician, author, and professor Dr. Mel 0. Ordering information may be
obtained by downloading the brochures on the order videos page of the Web
site. [MG]” (From the Scout Report)
AncientScripts.com
http://www.ancientscripts.com/
“Background information about more than 40 ancient languages, writing
systems, graphics of their alphabets, phonetics, and a discussion of historical
linguistics.” (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.)
NEW SOFTWARE FOR LINUX MACHINES SPEEDS NETWORK CONNECTIONS
A project to help researchers get the most out of their high-speed
network links is providing free software through a $3 million grant
from the National Science Foundation. Developers at the Pittsburgh
Supercomputing Center and other academic supercomputing centers
around the country have developed the Web100 application for the
Linux platform. The software maximizes the way the operating
system makes use of its network connection and is freely available
for download from the Internet. Potentially, the software could
boost performance by a factor of 300, and already it has helped
to keep Web-based tools working smoothly at the Visible Human
Project at the University of Michigan. Web100's creators said they
started with the Linux operating system because it is an open-source
operating system, making it easier to write new software for it.
(Chronicle of Higher Education, 6 March 2002 via Edupage)
THE WHOLE CRITTER CATALOG
The creators of the All Species Inventory project have set a
25-year deadline to catalog all living species on the planet
using the latest technology, thus closing a serious gap in human
knowledge, according to project co-founder Stewart Brand. The
project has an ambitious goal: to provide a Web page for every
species. Project directors envision tools such as pattern
recognition software, the Internet, global positioning systems,
and DNA analysis speeding up the identification and classification
of species. There are currently only about 10,000 taxonomists
active around the world, so directors are hoping that All Species
will swell their ranks with amateur naturalists by making
classification technology available to them. Others say the
technological aspects of All Species could help retool the
field's old-fashioned image, which has led to a cooling of
public and private support.
(Wired News, 13 March 2002 via Edupage)
NEW OPEN-SOURCE GROUP TO TAP POTENTIAL OF LINUX ON ITANIUM
The Gelato Federation will use Intel's 64-bit Itanium processors
to develop Linux software for scientific, academic, and research
projects, according to a March 12 announcement. Gelato founders
include Hewlett-Packard and seven scientific and academic
institutions. The organization will apply its work to research
with a heavy emphasis on technology, such as the life and physical
sciences. The Itanium/Linux platform's usefulness and capabilities
will be enhanced through software downloads, technical data,
information forums, and other services supplied to researchers by
Gelato. “We are building a community of users and a virtual space
where they can come together to share open-source code, develop
computing solutions, and address real-world problems,” stated Dan
Reed, director of the University of Illinois' National Center for
Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), a Gelato co-founder.
(Computerworld Online, 13 March 2002 via Edupage)
TECHNOLOGY IMITATES HUMANS TO SPOT NETWORK INTRUDERS
Researchers from Iowa State and Penn State universities claim in
the February issue of “Decision Sciences” that they have devised a
trio of data-mining methods that could be used to detect network
intrusions with greater accuracy than current techniques. The
classification methods--neural nets, inductive learning, and rough
sets--mimic the way humans learn and judge, making them “expert”
or “smart” systems, according to Chao-Hsien Chu of Penn State. He
noted, “The major problem with the traditional statistical method
is that all its analyses need to be based upon some restricted
assumptions, which may not be true for the available intrusion
data.” Researchers list the accuracy rates for inductive learning,
neural nets, and rough sets as 51 percent, 70 percent, and 76
percent, respectively. They said that such techniques could help
detect denial of service attacks and help uncover intrusions on
federal government computers.
(E-Commerce Times, 4 March 2002 via Edupage)
SPEECH BOUND TO BE READ
Several Australian universities are participating in the Liberated
Learning Project, using speech recognition technology to instruct
students who are either hearing-impaired or unfamiliar with spoken
English. Lecturers use cordless microphones linked to software
that translates speech into text, explained Sunshine Coast
University's Liberated Learning Project manager Di Paez; the text
is displayed on a screen for students to view. Paez said a
transcript of the lecture is also posted on the university's Web
site. The research that formed the basis of Liberated Learning
was conducted at St. Mary's University in Canada, said Paez. She
added that her university is part of a global consortium that has
been collaborating on speech recognition technology with
researchers at IBM's T.J. Watson Speech Science Laboratory. Other
Australian members of the Liberated Learning Project include
Murdoch and Central TAFE. The Department of Education, Science,
and Technology will earmark $500,000 in funding so that six higher
education institutions can participate in the project by the end
of next year.
(Australian IT, 6 March 2002 via Edupage)
THE SELF-ORGANIZING WEB
The planet's biosphere is structured according to power law
distribution, the phenomenon of smaller animals being more
numerous and diverse than larger animals. This principle of
self-organization also pertains to the Web, according to research
carried out by Gary Flake of the NEC Research Institute in
Princeton. He discovered that large search sites, such as AOL and
Yahoo!, are relatively few in number, while smaller-sized sites
are more populous. Searches based on sites' inbound and outbound
links produce more accurate results than those based on key words.
For example, Flake found that locating computer scientist Michael
Jordan, as opposed to basketball player Michael Jordan, was easier
by entering the individual's biographical details rather than more
general data. His research helped him create a link-based search
algorithm that could prove very useful for both corporate and
individual users. Filters that use this relationship-oriented
program could more accurately screen pornography, and NEC plans
to develop such a filter for businesses.
(InformationWeek Online, 19 March 2002 via Edupage)
FROM THEIR LABS TO YOUR DESKTOP
Colleges and universities are undertaking more practical
technology research, while the federal grants they have enjoyed
in the past have decreased. These trends aid industries looking
to campus research for competitive advantage through industry
liaison groups and offices of technology licensing (OTLs). This
academic-industry collaboration typically takes three forms:
company-funded research, the licensing of school-produced
technology, and startup funds for graduates and professors.
There is an increased concentration on applied research in
colleges and universities because legislation such as the
Bayh-Dole Act allows schools to license technology developed
with federal funding, which has become an important source of
revenue, noted Katherine Ku, Stanford University's OTL director.
Commercializing such technology takes a considerable reengineering
effort but is cheaper than other methods. Funding startups is
relatively expensive, but companies do not have to be as involved,
as is the case with Ford's decision to provide startup funds to
MIT Assistant Professor Matt Wall so he can develop design-sharing
technology into a viable product for the automotive industry.
(CIO, 15 March 2002 via Edupage)
IBM AND MAYO TEAM UP FOR BETTER DIAGNOSES
IBM and the Mayo Clinic will develop a new database and information
system to assist doctors in making accurate, fast diagnoses and
carrying out effective treatments. The system will include patient
information from public and private sources, but only from patients
who consent to the use of their information. Doctors at the clinic
will be able to access vast amounts of archived data, which will be
used to see correlations between patients and test results. The
system will also be used to analyze genomic data, allowing better
courses of treatment.
(Cnet, 25 March 2002 via Edupage)
IBM, U.S. UNVEIL SUPERCOMPUTING SCIENCE GRID
IBM is working with the Department of Energy (DOE) to connect three
of the agency's most powerful supercomputing research facilities in
what is the start of a huge research computing grid. DOE scientists
will have real-time access to shared computational power, huge
databases, and other computing resources necessary to perform their
functions better. Although the grid will at first link only three
sites belonging to the DOE's National Energy Research Scientific
Computing Center, it will be expanded to the entire organization
by 2004, and then possibly to other research and academic centers.
Grid computing, or utility computing, would allow companies to tap
into vast computing resources without having to invest in the
infrastructure themselves. Rather, they would pay providers such
as IBM for their use on a pay-as-you-go basis.
(NewsFactor Network, 22 March 2002 via Edupage)
MIT COMES TO WASHINGTON'S DEFENSE
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has entered into
an alliance with the Pentagon to develop high-tech armor for
soldiers that would incorporate nanotechnology. The United States
government will put $50 million into the Institute for Soldier
Nanotechnology at MIT, while the school will put 35 of its
professors on the project in return. Defense contractors Raytheon
and DuPont are also contributing $40 million over a period of five
years. Some of the applications planned for development include a
fabric with nano-engineered liquid molecules that would stiffen
when subjected to a magnetic field. Soldiers could use their
clothing as a cast if bones are broken, or as protection against
penetration by bullets. Nanotechnology could help to significantly
reduce the weight soldiers currently have to carry, upwards of 125
pounds. The research initially will be unclassified, but that could
quickly change should the Defense Department find any dramatically
valuable military technology.
(Financial Times, 25 March 2002 via Edupage)
NEW SEARCH ENGINE TAKES ON GOOGLE
A Rutger's University mathematics professor is confident that the
new version of his search-engine technology will outshine Google,
which many regard as the best available search engine. Apostolos
Gerasoulis, the man behind Teoma, has been working on his search
engine since 1999 and received the financial support to take on
Google when he sold Teoma to Ask Jeeves for $4.4 million last year.
Since then, new tools have been added to Teoma that Gerasoulis
believes make his product more effective at finding Web resources
than Google. The algorithms that Teoma uses divide the Web into
clusters of online communities. Rob Lancaster of the Yankee Group
said that one of the benefits of Google is its simplicity and that
Teoma will have to educate users about how to get the most from
its site.
(Associated Press, 1 April 2002 via Edupage)
Tax Humor
http://taxes.about.com/cs/taxhumor/
We can all use some, this time of year!
Einstein E-Cards
http://www.physlink.com/fun/einsteincards/index.cfm
Send them to your friends!
Money Origami
http://www.umva.com/~clay/money/
Here you go, a site for both art fans and economics devotees. What more
could you desire?
One of my favorite tools, NetMind, has gone from free to subscription. I used it to monitor a lot of science sites, and alert me when they had new content, which I would then tell you about via this newsletter. Since this newsletter is a labor of love, I would rather not spend my hard earned cash . . . I have investigated a couple of websites of bots, but have been unsuccessful in finding a replacement. Anyone out there know a good, free equivalent software? What I am looking for is something that will periodically visit specific websites and alert me if they have changed since the last visit.
All items from the Scout Report are copyright Susan Calcari, 1994-2002. 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.