03/19/04
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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
UK Science & Technology Committee Invites Evidence on Open Access Publishing
http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/science_and_technology_committee/scitech111203a.cf
“The Committee will be looking at access to journals within
the scientific community, with particular reference to price and
availability. It will be asking what measures are being taken in
government, the publishing industry and academic institutions to
ensure that researchers, teachers and students have access to the
publications they need in order to carry out their work effectively.
The inquiry will also examine the impact that the current trend
towards e-publishing may have on the integrity of journals and the
scientific process.”
Assn. of American Publishers on HR 2613
http://www.pspcentral.org/committees/executive/sabo.doc
A brief statement from this organization giving their position on
the proposed open access to federally funded sci-tech research.
Noam Chomsky: The Militarization of Science and Space
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/182/
“Chomsky launches a savage, two-pronged assault on national
economic policies and efforts at ‘global domination....By now
the stakes are so high that issues of survival arise,’ says
Chomsky.
The basic principle underlying our current economy is ‘to make rich people happy and make everybody else frightened.’ Chomsky lays particular blame for this doctrine on Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan -- ‘Saint Alan’ -- who claims the economy is working well because of private entrepreneurial initiative and expanding consumer choice. Chomsky disagrees. He claims that in the last 30 years, it has been public spending on such technologies as computers, satellites, the Internet and lasers that has fed the economy. And the wealth derived from these technologies has gone primarily into the hands of corporate masters, who represent a fraction of the American people. The government has used a succession of bogeymen -- the Soviets, Communist insurgents around the world, and now global terrorism -- to scare taxpayers into supporting core defense programs whose technologies ultimately spin off into private hands. The current administration advocates not merely controlling space, but owning it, with a new missile-based system and satellite-guided unmanned drones. This expensive strategy, combined with the doctrine of striking first at perceived enemies, may well bring global calamity.”
Vaccinology
http://www.national-academies.org/nas/colloquia
“Vaccinology: Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st
Century” is the subject of the fourth annual Sackler Lecture
being given by Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institutes of
Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The
90-minute event begins at 6 p.m. EST Thursday, April 1 in the
National Academy of Sciences Building auditorium, 2100 C St. N.W.,
Washington, D.C. Admission to the lecture is free and open to the
public.
Enhancing the Postdoc Experience
http://www7.national-academies.org/postdoc
Enhancing the postdoctoral experience for scientists and engineers
is the topic of the second convocation being held by the National
Academies' Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy. The
daylong event, which begins at 9 a.m. EDT Thursday, April 15 in the
National Academy of Sciences Building, 2100 C St. N.W., Washington,
D.C., will aim to assess progress on the recommendations set out in
its September 2000 report. The workshop is free and open to the
public, but advance registration is required.
Career Opportunities for Undergraduate Students in the Geosciences
http://www.national-academies.org/
Career opportunities for undergraduate students in the geosciences
is the topic of an upcoming forum being hosted by the National
Academies. The daylong event begins at 9 a.m. EST Tuesday, March 30
in the National Academy of Sciences Building auditorium, 2100 C St.
N.W., Washington, D.C. Presenters at the forum include a television
meteorologist, a top ocean scientist, a volcano expert, hurricane
specialists and an astronaut. Participate by listening to a live
audio webcast (requires free RealPlayer) and submitting questions
using an e-mail form, both accessible on the National-Academies.org
home page during the event.
2 New Open Access Journals from Biomed Central
BMC Medicine
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcmed/
BMC Biology
http://www.biomedcentral.com/bmcbiol/
BMC Medicine publishes original research articles, technical
advances and study protocols in any area of medical science or
clinical practice. To be appropriate for BMC Medicine, articles need
to be of special importance and broad interest. BMC Medicine (ISSN
1741-7015) is covered by PubMed.
BMC Biology publishes original research articles and methodology articles in any area of biology but with a focus on the biomedical sciences. To be appropriate for BMC Biology, articles need to be of special importance and broad interest. BMC Biology (ISSN 1741-7007) is covered by PubMed.
New at Highwire Press
Reproduction
http://www.reproduction-online.org/
“Reproduction publishes high quality original research and
topical reviews on the subject of reproductive biology. The
journal focuses on cellular and molecular mechanisms of
reproduction, development of gametes, embryos and reproductive
tissues, reproductive physiology and reproductive endocrinology.
New and emerging topics in more applied areas of reproduction,
including assisted reproductive technologies, cloning, and stem
cell biology are encouraged. Reproduction is the official
journal of the Society of Reproduction and Fertility (SRF).
There is currently a free trial period for access to Reproduction, which will be available until April 30, 2004. Subsequent to the free trial, access to the full text of articles will be available by institutional license, which comes with all institutional subscriptions. Review articles are freely available to all immediately upon release. Other full-text content will be free one year after publication.”
Free Back Issues at HighWire
Additional journals working with Stanford University's HighWire Press
have begun to participate in the “Free Back Issues”
program; some publications have changed their Free Back Issue
policies. This note covers both.
The Free Back Issues program now has 168 journals participating (21 of these are entirely free), making over 690,000 full-text articles free to the community; two-thirds of all online full-text articles produced by publishers working with HighWire Press are now free. These publishers comprise the largest archive of free full-text articles in the sciences.
The new participating publishers and publications:
Changes in publications' free back issue policies:
Essential Elements of Effective Science Instruction for English Learners (pdf).
California Science Project, 2004.
http://csmp.ucop.edu/csp/downloads/essential_elements.pdf
James H. Bigelow, Paul K. Davis. Implications for Model Validation of Multiresolution, Multiperspective Modeling (MRMPM) and Exploratory Analysis.
RAND, 2004.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1750/
Terrence Kelly, et al. A Review of Reports on Selected Large Federal Science Facilities: Management and Life-Cycle Issues.
RAND, 2004.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1728/
Hazards Watch: Reducing the Impacts of Disasters Through Improved Earth Observations -- Summary of a Workshop, October 22, 2003, Washington, DC.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10948.html
Gender & Science Digital Library
http://gsdl.enc.org/external/gsdl_index/0,4079,,00.shtm
“The Gender & Science Digital Library (GSDL) is a
collaborative project between the Gender & Diversities Institute
at EDC and the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse at Ohio State
University, with funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The GSDL is an interactive collection of high-quality,
gender-equitable science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) resources for K-12, higher education (community college and
university), women's studies, teacher preparation programs, and
informal learning environments.” Includes a news service of
articles pertaining to women and minorities in science.
ESA: Aurora Programme
http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Aurora/
“The primary objective of Aurora is to create, and then
implement, a European long-term plan for the robotic and human
exploration of the solar system, with Mars, the Moon and the
asteroids as the most likely targets.” The site presents news,
describes the Aurora program and its missions, and provides related
information. Includes documents and artist images. Searchable. From
the European Space Agency (ESA). (From Librarian's Index to the
Internet)
Leonardo Da Vinci
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/leonardo/
“Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519. Italian artist, scientist,
engineer. An all-round genius whose paintings and inventions changed
the world. Take an interactive journey through his life and works to
discover what made him a true Renaissance man.” This website
from the BBC asks “what kind of thinker are you?” (take
the personality test to determine the answer), a visit to Leonardo's
studio, a picture gallery, and more!
Excellence in Science Communication Awards
http://www7.national-academies.org/keck/Awards.html
The National Academies and the W.M. Keck Foundation announce a call for
nominations for communication awards recognizing excellence in reporting
and communicating science, engineering and medicine to the general
public. The Academies will present a $20,000 prize to one individual in
each of the following three categories for significant contributions to
the public's understanding of science in 2003: a book author; a
newspaper, magazine or online journalist; and a TV/radio producer or
reporter.
eScholarship Repository
http://repositories.cdlib.org/escholarship/
UC'S ESCHOLARSHIP REPOSITORY ADDS PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS
“OAKLAND - To address the economic unsustainability of high pricing for
scholarly journals, the University of California is providing
alternatives to the traditional scholarly communication model through
the eScholarship program at the California Digital Library. Now, UC
faculty in all departments, research units and centers can use the
eScholarship Repository to provide free, open access to peer-reviewed
journals online at http://repositories.cdlib.org/escholarship/.
Since 2002, the eScholarship Repository has offered UC faculty a central, online location for depositing working papers, technical reports, research results and conference proceedings from a wide range of disciplines. Scholars around the world have benefited from the free access to this faculty research. With the eScholarship Repository's new peer-review capability, UC faculty have an alternative to publishing their research in for-profit journals, whose rising costs have become a burden to universities and libraries with shrinking budgets.
The first peer-reviewed journal in the eScholarship Repository is San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, published by the John Muir Institute of the Environment at UC Davis.
Other peer-reviewed materials in the eScholarship Repository include papers and edited volumes from the UC International and Area Studies Digital Collection.
The California Digital Library (CDL) expects the number of peer-reviewed papers and journals to grow substantially in coming months, with the addition of scientific monographs and other content from the University of California Press, as well as new journals sponsored by departments at several UC campuses, including InterActions: UCLA Journal of Education and Information Studies. Additionally, Comitatus, a 34-year-old journal sponsored by the UCLA Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, will be migrating to the eScholarship Repository this spring.”
GET IN THE RHYTHM
http://www.exploratorium.edu/music/index.html
“Explore how and why music affects us all. Discover
provocative questions, interactive sound exhibits, and short films
exploring the world of musical instruments on our new Accidental
Scientist: Music Web site. Whether it's classical, jazz, or rhythm
and blues, all music is rooted in physics, biology, and psychology.
Get in tune with the science of music!”
Virtual Knee Surgery (COSI)
http://livingchildren.com/knee/
“This totally Flash-driven tutorial allows users to conduct a virtual
knee replacement. You will be guided step by step throughout the
procedure and will have opportunities to interact with various tools
such as the bone saw, a tool for cauterizing veins, and so forth. Also
includes real photos of the procedure in a separate section which are
not too gross. Produced by COSI Columbus.” (From Blue Web'N)
Searching the Internet for Images
http://www.tasi.ac.uk/resources/searchingresources.html
“Specific and simply worded guidelines and links for
searching for pictures, photographs, and other images on the Internet.
Provides suggested sources for stock photos, historical images, art
images, and scientific images. From the United Kingdom's Technical
Advisory Service for Images (TASI).” (From Librarian's Index
to the Internet)
The Science of Football [Soccer]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/hottopics/football/
“Nowadays scientists, nutritionists and
physiologists all have a part to play in the
beautiful game. Find out how to bend it like
Beckham and why Arsene Wenger likes to look at
your urine.” This terrific BBC website introduces you to many
scientific aspects of the sport, including why watching the World Cup
is good for your health, are you a natural footballer, and why the
referee is blind. Enjoy!
Bring your lunch to the Library Tuesday, March 23 and/or Wednesday, March 24 for our latest feature “Jurassic Park”. You may have seen the movie already, but you didn't see it with the critical eye of BIO's own Sam Scheiner. Sam is ready to fill you in on the science (or lack thereof) underlying this modern classic. If you can't stay for the movie, at least don't miss Sam's presentation!
Tuesday, March 23 at 12:30
Wednesday, March 24, at 11:30
As usual, the popcorn is on us!
Exchange Program for Biomedical Scientists
http://www7.national-academies.org/dsc/Biomedical_Exchange_Application.html
The National Research Council is sponsoring an international exchange
program for American biomedical scientists at institutes in the former
Soviet Union. The program, which will allow successful applicants to
spend two weeks in July 2004 at research institutes in Russia,
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, is supported by the Department of Defense's
Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Applications are due by Thursday,
April 15.
Raintree: Tropical Plant Database
http://www.rain-tree.com/plants.htm
“Hosted by Raintree, the Tropical Plant Database is authored and maintained
by Board Certified Naturopath, Ms. Leslie Taylor to provide accurate
information about rainforest plants and to help promote rainforest
conservation. Including over 300 pages of documentation on rainforest plants
and very well-organized, the Tropical Plant Database lists plants by Common
name, Botanical name, Ethnic uses, and Action/disorder. The Database File
for each plant includes an illustration and information about family, genus,
species, common names, plant description, and more. Visitors can link to
great illustrations and photos as well as web resources for each plant
including Medline Abstracts, W3 TROPICOS Database, Ethnobotany Database, and
Phtyochem Database among others. Plant Database File pages include
references as well. This site is also reviewed in the March 19, 2004 _NSDL
Life Sciences Report_. [NL]” (From the Scout Report)
BBC Wildfacts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/wildfacts/index.shtml
Choose your animal and this BBC website provides you with
pictures, videos, and brief facts about the species. You can also
browse groups of species, sorted by such factors as habitat, diet,
etc.
New York University: A World Community of Old Trees
http://www.nyu.edu/projects/julian/index.html
“Hosted by New York University, this innovative website
entitled ‘A World Community of Old Trees’ was created by
art educator and exhibiting visual
artist, Dr. June Julian. This collaborative art project provides
opportunities for students in grades K-12 to research a tree in their
community, create art work about that tree, and submit the information and
artwork for inclusion in the Tree Gallery section of the website. The Tree
Gallery section also includes background for the project, examples of Dr.
Julian's art, and other artists' representations of trees (including work
from K-12 students from around the country and Ohio University students).
The site links to Project Instructions for Students in Grades K-12 and
printable Permission Forms. The site also links to the Tree Museum
containing art history for tree images, and Tree Talk which provides a forum
for sharing ecological information about ancient trees. [NL]”
(From the Scout Report)
Animal Planet: Jane Goodall-40 Years at Gombe
http://media.animal.discovery.com/fansites/janegoodall/janegoodall.html
“Hosted by Animal Planet, this Jane Goodall-40 Years in Gombe multi-media
website shares stories, high-quality video clips, and photographs about the
experiences of Jane Goodall, the chimpanzees of Gombe, and other
information. A special feature of the site is the On Location: From the
Field videos that are sent in every other month from Bill Wallauer, who has
been video-documenting Gombe chimps since 1992. Additionally, site visitors
can learn about Jane Goodall's life through a brief biography with photos,
view an interview with Jane Goodall, join the Discover Roots and Shoots
online discussion, and more. This site also hosts an Earth Alert section,
and even provides family trees with photos for selected chimpanzees. [NL]”
(From the Scout Report)
Accessibility in Distance Education (ADE)
http://www.umuc.edu/ade/
“This site ‘focuses on helping [university] faculty
develop accessible online learning materials for people with
disabilities.’ It features an overview of accessibility and
sections on legal issues, understanding disabilities, accessible Web
design, and best practices. Includes a glossary. From the Center for
Accessibility in Distance Education (CADE) at the University of
Maryland University College.” (From the Librarian's Index to
the Internet)
The Black Inventor Online Museum
http://www.blackinventor.com/
This commercial site presents brief information about dozens of
Black inventors from the United States. Some entries include
portraits and images. Also includes a browsable timeline covering
1721-1988. Searchable. Note: Does not include bibliographic
information. (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
First Flight, First Fabric
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/177/
“On the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first
flight, Deborah Douglas manages to tease several story strands out of
a one-inch-square piece of fabric. The object at the center of her
lecture is a sacred aviation relic, part of the wing covering used in
the famous 1903 Wright Brothers flyer. Douglas turns back the clock
to 1916-when the Institute was celebrating its new campus in
Cambridge. This ‘Pageant of Progress’ featured the 1903
Flyer, and dozens of alumni attended, including some who went on to
illustrious careers in aviation. After Orville Wright died, he
bequeathed fabric from the Flyer to Lester Gardner (B.S., MIT 1898),
founder of what was to become Aviation Week & Space Technology.
Gardiner mounted pieces of the fabric on certificates, and, according
to Douglas, created a shrine for them in his library.
By mid-century, airplanes dominated the imagination of the American public, symbolizing modernity and progress. Speed was emerging as a central cultural value. Douglas details all that we owe ‘to the huge communities of people that work together to keep a small number of vehicles in the air.’”
Engineering is a Dream Career
http://www.engineergirl.org/nae/cwe/egedu.nsf/(weblinks)/KGRG-5CZHGL?OpenDocument
The National Academy of Engineering's EngineerGirl! Web site announces
its essay contest, “Engineering is a Dream Career,” for boys and girls
in grades 4-12. Entries are due by Wednesday, March 31 and winners will
be announced on Saturday, April 24.
Aerospaceweb.org
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/
“Engineers employed within the aerospace industry formed this site
to ‘provide information regarding a wide range of
aerospace-related fields, including aircraft design, spacecraft
design, aerodynamics, and aerospace history.’ Features pictures
and data on international aircraft, and an ‘Ask a Rocket
Scientist’ section for questions about aviation and aerospace.”
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
CLIWOC: Climatological Database for the World's Oceans
http://www.ucm.es/info/cliwoc/
“The primary aim of this project funded by the European Union
‘is to produce and make freely available for the scientific
community the world's first daily oceanic climatological
database for the period 1750 to 1850.’ Data has been
obtained primarily through ships' logbooks ‘held in British,
Dutch, French, Spanish and Argentinean archives.’ Site
includes a database of transcribed weather information,
maps, and a multilingual dictionary of wind force terms.”
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Stormtrack
http://www.stormtrack.org/
“This site celebrates the storm chaser (‘defined as a
person who pursues imminent or existing severe thunderstorms, for any
reason, and operates independently or as part of a research
effort’). It features annotated images of recent extreme
weather conditions in the United States as well as a forum,
information about Skywarn (the U.S. National Weather Service program
for volunteer skywatchers), and links to related sites. Note: Some
portions of the site are not updated regularly.” (From
Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Whirlpools: Experiencing Naruto Whirlpools
http://www.uq.edu.au/~e2hchans/whirlpl.html
“A short, scholarly discussion of whirlpools in general, and the
whirlpools of Japan's Naruto Strait in particular. ‘In coastal
zones, whirlpools are produced by the interaction of rising and
falling tides.’ Contains photographs and related links. From a
fluid mechanics and water engineering professor at the University
of Queensland, Australia.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Walking with Dinosaurs
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dinosaurs/index.shtml
“Could you guard a Tyrannosaurus nest from predators? What
if you encountered an angry Ankylosaurus? Start exploring the
dinosaurs' world.” This is a great interactive page from the
BBC as a companion to the BBC-produced TV series. It includes a
timeline, a screensaver, fact files, games and quizzes, news, science
focus and more, with wonderful graphics.
Wonderful World of Weather
http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/weatherproj/index_NEW.html
“Created by the Stevens Institute of Technology, the Wonderful World of
Weather is a standard-based real time data module for elementary students to
explore weather phenomena locally and globally. Teachers can find many fun
classroom activities divided into three sections: introductory activities,
real time data activities, and language arts activities related to weather.
The website features an abundance of links to real time weather data.
Students can learn how to have their work published on the website. Users
can find additional materials about children's books related to weather,
guidelines for data collection, and curriculum standards. [RME]”
(From the Scout Report)
ESA: European Space Agency
http://www.esa.int/
“Made up of 15 nations and headquartered in Paris, ESA seeks
to ‘shape the development of Europes space capability.’ The
site includes information about ESA and its programs, news,
press releases, news from member countries, and multimedia
galleries with audio, video, and photographs. Also features
the home page for the Mars Express project. Searchable.
Available in multiple languages.”
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Animated Guide to the Rosetta Mission
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3487230.stm
From BBC News, a website with a brief animated guide to the
Rosetta mission, which will land instruments onto a comet for the
first time. Also included are numerous news stories about the
mission.
University of Cambridge : Relativity Public Home Page
http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/gr/public
“A very detailed site for the layperson or student interested in learning
about relativity, cosmology, black holes, quantum gravity, and theories
of the universe. Categories are divided into multiple sections, and the
text is supported by multiple images and diagrams. There are computer
models, simulations, and graphics within the sections as well. Site
links to the homepage of Professor Stephen Hawking and COSMOS, the
National Cosmology Supercomputer page.” (From InfoMine)
Math Cats
http://www.mathcats.com/
“It is at times very difficult to get children excited about math, but Math
Cats (designed by Wendy Patti, a teacher) is an online archive of fun and
informative activities that will help young people learn about a number of
math topics, including geometry, arithmetic, and other topics. As one might
expect, much of this is achieved by a number of virtual cats who explain
various features of the site, and the different math concepts that are
explored within. The site is divided up into a number of sections, including
one that is particularly well-thought out, MicroWorlds. Here visitors may
download a number of interactive projects, such as Coin Flipper (a way to
learn about probability) and Multiply It, which allows users to learn about
multiplication. The Math Crafts section is also quite ingenious, providing
plans for different fun projects, such as the Number City and a Polygon
Airport. Finally, visitors may sign up to receive an electronic newsletter
and learn about the various accolades that the site has received. [KMG]”
(From the Scout Report)
Heavens Above: Art and Actuality
http://www.nypl.org/research/sibl/trouvelot/
“‘An online exhibit that compares the 19th-century
chromolithographs of astronomical observations made by
artist/astronomer Etienne Trouvelot with comparable images
photographed by NASA as part of its space program.’ From the New
York Public Library.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Ideas: The Higgs Boson
http://www.exploratorium.edu/origins/cern/ideas/higgs.html
“‘What determines your mass ... [is] one of the most-asked,
most-hotly pursued questions in physics today.’ This site provides
background information about this question and an overview of the
Higgs boson, ‘a particle, or set of particles, that might give
others mass.’ Includes illustrations and links to research on the
Higgs boson. From the Exploratorium.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Sedna (2003 VB12)
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/sedna/
“‘On 15 March 2004, astronomers from Caltech, Gemini Observatory,
and Yale University announced the discovery of the coldest, most
distant object known to orbit the sun.’ This site provides
background information about Sedna, and details about the findings
of the team. Includes images and related links (such as to the
legend of Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea). From a member of
the team that discovered Sedna.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Serco TransArctic Expedition
http://www.sercotransarctic.com/
“In our time, it would seem that all of the boundaries of exploration have
been pushed to the limits here on terra firma. With the notable exception of
the world's oceans, every mountain peak has been successfully conquered,
every inhospitable landscape traversed and so on. Stepping into the grand
tradition of exploration is Ben Saunders, a long distance skier from Devon,
England, who is currently seeking to become the first person to ski solo
more than 1200 miles across the Arctic from Siberia to Canada via the
geographic North Pole. On the website dedicated to his expedition, visitors
can learn more about his previous expeditions, view a map of his route, and
view statistics on his progress on a daily basis. Of course, visitors will
also want to read his daily dispatches, and perhaps send along a word of
encouragement via email. [KMG]” (From the Scout Report)
Sample Size Calculator
http://www.surveysystem.com/sscalc.htm
“Want to take a survey but not sure how many responses to collect?
This calculator gives you the number for any given population size
and desired confidence level. A reverse calculator lets you enter
characteristics of an existing survey and gives the confidence
interval (plus-or-minus number) to apply to the results. This
site, sponsored by a survey software company, also gives clear
explanations of statistical significance, survey design, and
related concepts.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Campfire Stories with George Catlin: An Encounter of Two Cultures
http://catlinclassroom.si.edu/
“‘Take a virtual journey to meet American Indians of the
1830s with artist, ethnologist, and showman George Catlin. This site
compiles paintings, historical documents, and commentary from
contemporary experts so you can explore the intersections of two
cultures, both in Catlin's time and today.’ Also includes
lesson plans and curriculum standards. Searchable by keyword or
tribal affiliation. From the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Note:
Use search button on main page.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
The Population Research Center at NORC & The University of Chicago
http://www.src.uchicago.edu/prc/
“‘The Population Research Center at NORC [National Opinion
Research Center] and the University of Chicago . . . is an
interdisciplinary research center designed to facilitate high-quality
population research conducted by its researchers -- economists,
sociologists, and other population scientists.’ The site
features browsable discussion papers (on topics such as education,
marriage, and racial equality), information about and data from
research projects and surveys, and related links. Note: Some data
files require special programs or conversion.” (From
Librarian's Index to the Internet)
English Accents and Dialects
http://www.collectbritain.co.uk/collections/dialects/
“‘All languages change over time and vary according to place and
social domain, as is perfectly illustrated by these extracts taken
from two large audio resources held in the British Library Sound
Archive. . . . Together, they provide a fascinating overview of
spoken English during the second half of the 20th century.’
Includes dozens of browsable sound clips and a glossary. A part of
the British Library Collect Britain project.” (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.)
INTERNET2 COMPLETES ABILENE UPGRADE
http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v50/i25/25a03002.htm
Internet2 has completed an upgrade to its Abilene network, raising the
network's speed to 10 billion bits of information per second.
Abilene's capacity for data transfer is four times as fast as it was
prior to the upgrade and 15,000 times faster than a typical dial-up
connection. According to Internet2, hardware and services for the
upgrade were provided by Indiana University, Juniper Networks, and
Qwest Communications. In addition to speed increases, the new network
is capable of using IPv6, the newest version of the protocol used to
transmit information. Officials from Internet2 said researchers are
already working on projects that can take advantage of extremely high
speeds of data transfer, including a project last year that transferred
data from a particle-physics laboratory in Switzerland to the
California Institute of Technology at seven billion bits per second.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 February 2004 (sub. req'd) via Edupage.
TRIBES IN OREGON PLAN VIRTUAL COLLEGE
http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v50/i18/18a03701.htm
Native American tribes in Oregon are working on plans to establish an
entirely online college to serve the state's nine reservations, none
of which currently has a college. The Oregon Virtual Tribal College
would develop an infrastructure to allow students on all nine
reservations to interact with each other and instructors. All of the
instruction planned would take place online, unlike some other tribal
colleges that provide online programs as well as in-class instruction.
Responsibility for the various parts of the curriculum would be spread
across Oregon's Native American tribes, and other higher education
institutions in the state would provide course content and instructors.
Organizers of the project believe it will cost less than a physical
institution and hope to fund the virtual college with state and federal
grants. Wendell Jim, who is heading the project, said he expects the
program to begin with about 100 students and to become an accredited,
degree-granting institution.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 9 January 2004 (sub. req'd)via Edupage
NATIVE AMERICANS CONNECT WITH WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3489932.stm
A group of 18 Native American tribes in Southern California is using
wireless techology for Internet access where wired connections remain
unavailable. Because of the high cost of running cables, Internet
carriers have chosen to build infrastructure in urban areas and areas
with substantial numbers of prospective customers. The 18 tribal
reservations included in the Tribal Digital Village (TDV) project
include only 15,000 people total. The TDV wireless network covers a
mountainous region 150 miles long by 75 miles wide and was built in
large part using funds from a grant by HP. The network has more than
900 computers connected to it so far. One of the applications the
network serves is educational, with 25 learning labs offering high
school and postsecondary courses.
BBC, 3 March 2004 via Edupage
UNIVERSITY SUPERCOMPUTER TO ADDRESS GLOBAL WEATHER CHANGES
http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v50/i26/26a02602.htm
A new supercomputer at the University of California at Irvine may
strengthen arguments made by researchers involved in climate-change
studies. Detractors of climate-change research have often pointed to
variables not accounted for in computer simulations, according to UC
Irvine's Charles Zender, an assistant professor of earth system
science. The new computer, dubbed the Virtual Climate Time Machine, has
enough processing power to add many of those variables into
simulations, potentially providing researchers with stronger data
supporting theories about global warming and its causes. The new
computer will not only make predictions about future changes but will
also examine historical data, looking for clues about changes that have
already happened.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 5 March 2004 (sub. req'd) via Edupage.
SIA ADDS TO UNIVERSITY RESEARCH PROJECT
http://news.com.com/2100-7337_3-5173459.html
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) has added the University
of California at Los Angeles to four other universities participating
in the Focus Center Research Program, which conducts research on
semiconductor projects with support from 25 other universities. The SIA
also announced that the research scope for the other four members would
be expanded. The four original members of the program are Carnegie
Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, and the University of California at Berkeley.
The SIA also called on the government to increase the funding it
provides to the program. Currently, government funds account for about
one-third of the program's $29 million budget. George Scalise,
president of the SIA, said the government should double its
contribution, to $20 million annually.
CNET, 16 March 2004 via Edupage
CHINA CREATES SOFTWARE COLLEGES
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8206391.htm
In an effort to close a growing technology-skills gap with a number of
other countries, China began a program three years ago of creating
software colleges at 35 Chinese universities. Unlike most universities
in China, the software colleges take advantage of significant funding
from companies outside China. The School of Software at Peking
University, for example, boasts cutting-edge computer labs funded by
U.S. companies including IBM, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems, Motorola,
Oracle, and Intel. In addition, many of the faculty at the school are
from the United States. The Chinese software colleges aim to combine
training in technical skills and practical experience (many students
are involved in internship programs with U.S. technology firms) with a
focus on Western-style management. According to one student, Chinese
management structures are based on personal connections rather than
merit.
San Jose Mercury News, 17 March 2004 via Edupage
GAO QUESTIONS THE 50-PERCENT RULE
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/02/2004022703n.htm
The General Accounting Office (GAO) released a report this week on a
Department of Education pilot project designed to test the necessity of
the 50-percent rule. The rule says that for students to be eligible to
receive federal financial aid, they must be enrolled at institutions
that offer fewer than half of their courses as distance courses or that
have fewer than half their students enrolled as distance students. The
rule was intended to discourage fraud in distance education programs,
but the GAO said the pilot project showed no increase in the level of
fraud at institutions that were exempted from the rule for the purposes
of the pilot. The report also said that eliminating the 50-percent rule
without instituting other measures to prevent fraud might result in
higher incidence of fraud and that eliminating the rule could draw
significant numbers of students into distance education programs,
increasing the potential cost of federal financial aid for those
students.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 February 2004 (sub. req'd) (via Edupage)
UK TO REFOCUS DISTANCE HIGHER EDUCATION PROJECT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3494048.stm
The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) said it will
begin a series of discussions aimed at “restructuring” the UK
e-Universities Worldwide (UKeU), which has failed to meet expectations.
The UKeU was launched last spring, with the backing of 12 colleges and
universities as well as that of government and industry, as a project
to develop Internet-based education that would attract students from
around the world. The HEFCE cited several problems with UKeU, including
the fact that many UK universities offer online education outside the
scope of UKeU. The council also noted that many of the students
expected to take advantage of the online courses have instead gone to
the UK and enrolled at colleges and universities. According to the
HEFCE, “The new arrangements will place greater emphasis on public good
rather than commercial objectives.”
BBC, 27 February 2004 via Edupage.
All items from the Scout Report are copyright Susan Calcari, 1994-2004. 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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