04/23/04
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This newsletter is available to the public at the following locations:
http://library.stanford.edu/depts/swain/nsflibnews/
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http://avel.edu.au/scitech.html
It's time for the annual contest sponsored by NSF and Science in order to encourage researchers to share their results -- not only with each other, but with the larger community that sustains the global research enterprise. Enter your most exciting and informative examples of visual materials that convey the results of science and engineering to the public. Categories are:
Open to both individuals and groups.
IEEE Scores First Amendment Victory for Scholarly Publishing
http://www.ieee.org/newsinfo/OFACruling.xml
IEEE scored a victory for freedom of the press and the scholarly publishing
community with a ruling it received this month from the U.S. Department of
Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The ruling exempts peer
review, editing and publication of scholarly manuscripts submitted to IEEE
by authors living in countries that are under U.S. trade embargoes, such as
Iran and Cuba. OFAC determined that IEEE's publications process is “not
constrained by OFAC's regulatory programs.”
Taste of Science
The Taste of Arlington will be held right here in Ballston on Sunday May 18th
from Noon - 5:00 p.m. As part of our community outreach and education efforts,
NSF is taking the lead in providing educational science and technology
activities for the children at the festival -- the NSF Taste of Science.
New Science Museum
http://www.koshland-science-museum.org/
Explore the science behind today's headlines at the Marian Koshland
Science Museum, which opened Friday, April 23 in downtown Washington,
D.C. with a celebration featuring hands-on science activities and live
entertainment. The museum's inaugural exhibits on global warming and
DNA allow visitors to glimpse the frontiers of scientific research,
witness the potential effects of global warming, and explore how DNA
analysis can catch criminals and stop epidemics.
African Academies of Science
Alberts Emphasizes Importance of Building International Science Capacity
http://www.national-academies.org/morenews#tn0419b
National Academies Receive $20 Million from Gates Foundation
http://www.national-academies.org/morenews#tn0419
“Science has become a truly international endeavor that is crucial to
the world's future,” said National Academy of Sciences President Bruce
Alberts in an address to the Academy's 141st annual meeting. “Every
nation must have its own capacity in science and technology for its
successful economic development.” To that end, Alberts announced a $20
million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that will allow
the National Academies to help African academies of science to become
effective, independent national voices of evidence-based advice to
inform policy-making and public discourse (audio available, requires
free RealPlayer).
Technological Literacy
http://www.nae.edu/nae/naetech.nsf/weblinks/MKEZ-5XNHRY?OpenDocument
Webcast
http://www.national-academies.org/
Technological literacy is the topic of a National Academy of Engineering
and National Academies' Center for Education symposium beginning at 8
a.m. EDT Thursday, April 28. The event will bring together state
education leaders from across the country to discuss the issue of
technological literacy. 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, which runs through 12:30 p.m. EDT.
Making the Right Moves: A Practical Guide to Scientific Management for Postdocs and New Faculty
http://www.hhmi.org/grants/office/pdfs/book.pdf. (pdf)
Based on presentations and discussions from a
course developed by HHMI and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, this book is a
collection of practical advice, experiences, and opinions from seasoned
biomedical investigators and other professionals. Also contains an overview
of the course and lessons learned.
Climate change - An Australian Guide to the Science and Potential Impacts. Australian Greenhouse Office, 2003
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/science/guide/index.html.
Geothermal Energy in Afghanistan: Prospects and Potential. Center on International Cooperation, 2004
http://www.cic.nyu.edu/pdf/Geothermal.pdf. (pdf)
Journal of Evolution & Technology
http://www.jetpress.org/.
History of Bioterrorism (video). Center for Disease Control, 2004?
National Forensic DNA Study Report. Dept. of Justice, 2004
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pdf/dna_studyreport_final.pdf. (pdf)
Preliminary Report of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy - Governors' Draft. The Commission, 2004
http://oceancommission.gov/documents/prelimreport/.
A Patent System for the 21st Century. NAP, 2004
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10976.html.
Electronic Scientific, Technical, and Medical Journal Publishing and Its Implications: Report of a Symposium. NAP, 2004
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10969.html.
The Mathematical Sciences' Role in Homeland Security: Proceedings of a Workshop. NAP, 2004
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10940.html.
Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals: Volume 4. NAP, 2004
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10902.html.
Dietary Reference Intakes: Guiding Principles for Nutrition Labeling and Fortification. NAP, 2004
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10872.html.
Biological Confinement of Genetically Engineered Organisms. NAP, 2004
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10880.html.
Forging a Poison Prevention and Control System. NAP, 2004
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/10971.html.
NSF Webcasts
http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/multimedia/podium.htm
Not surprisingly, there are some mighty good guest speakers at the National Science
Foundation, and some of these are available as archived webcasts on the NSF Office
of Legislative and Public Affairs webpage. Come listen about dinosaurs in
Antarctica, unusual views of everyday objects, from the big bang to us, and
more!
NOVA: World in the Balance
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/worldbalance/
“In the time it takes you to read this Pick, roughly 400 babies will be born,
edging the world's population closer to the 6.5 billion mark. Incredibly, it took
from the start of human history until 1804 for the world's population to reach a
billion people. Two hundred years later, it takes only 12 years to add a billion,
and we're careening to a whopping 9 billion people by 2050 if the world's families
exceed the magical birth rate of two kids per household. Controlling population
growth is hampered by a complex global equation of many factors, including social
and gender inequity in India and the ravages of HIV and AIDS in Africa. Conversely,
the one-child policy and massive pollution of China, as well as Japan's dramatic
dwindling birth rates could also put the world's supply of natural resources in
peril. Addressing this crisis in developing nations requires education and giving
women control of their reproductive legacy. While change may be costly, the price of
unchecked growth is much greater.” (From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
CRS Reports
http://2act.org/p/576.html
A neat little Google engine that searches the web only for reports from the
Congressional Research Service, the arm of the Library of Congress that writes
non-partisan informational reports for Congress on all subjects. Since the CRS,
which produces the reports, does not upload them to the web at this time, they
can be tricky to find. This is a cool tool!
Becoming a Scientist
http://www.hhmi.org/becoming/
“What qualities do you need to succeed in biomedical research? Some of the
world's most prominent biomedical researchers may surprise you with their answers.
As you'll see in their video responses, they say that intelligence alone is
insufficient; success in science also depends on several other
qualities.”
Leadership Initiative in Science Education
http://www.chemheritage.org/
Chemical Heritage Foundation to Hold Leadership Initiative in Science Education,
May 20-21, 2004 -- Register for Free Event by May 7
The Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) will hold its fourth annual Leadership Initiative in Science Education (LISE 4) conference on May 20-21 at the CHF headquarters in Philadelphia. The theme of the conference is “Partners in Innovation: Science Education and the Science Workforce.” LISE 4 will bring together leaders from education and industry who are at the forefront of efforts to sustain and build America's science workforce. The conference will seek to define the skills required by science and technology professionals to succeed in the global workforce and the profile of science education needed for the 21st century.
LISE 4 will provide a forum for discussing many of the issues highlighted in such recent national reports as The Science and Engineering Workforce: Realizing America's Potential, issued in August 2003 by the National Science Board at the NSF, and Learning for the Future: Changing the Culture of Math and Science Education to Ensure a Competitive Workforce, issued by the Committee for Economic Development in May 2003.
Speakers include Elsa Reichmanis, immediate past president, American Chemical Society; Joseph Bordogna, deputy director, National Science Foundation; Ron Webb, manager of doctoral recruiting and university relations, Procter and Gamble; and Linda Rosen, consultant and former executive director, Glenn Commission. Also scheduled to speak are Sally Goetz Shuler, executive director, National Science Resources Center; Sara Schechner, David P. Wheatland Curator, Harvard University; Conrad Stanitski, professor of chemistry, Central Arkansas University; Sylvia Ware, director, education and international activities division, American Chemical Society; and Peter Henderson, director, Board on Higher Education and Workforce, National Academies. Gerry Wheeler, NSTA Executive Director will also lead a session on professional development and teacher preparation.
The conference is free, but space is limited. Register online by May 7 at http://www.chemheritage.org/ (click on LISE 4 on the front page). Questions? Contact Don McKinney at (215) 925-2178, ext. 320, or e-mail donm@chemheritage.org.
EE-Link: Environmental Education on the Internet
http://eelink.net/
“Annotated directory of environmental education resources. Provides
resources for teachers and students, information about
organizations and projects, a national calendar of events, grant
information, and job postings. Also includes links to sites about
major environmental issues and occasions, such as Earth Day. Sites
in Spanish are grouped in the ‘En Español’ section. A project of
the North American Association for Environmental Education.
Searchable.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Engineering & Life
http://www.engineerguy.com/
Bill Hammack is an interesting guy. Visit his site to find out about a lot of
things beyond what you might think of as the limited scope of
“engineering”. You will find the text and audio files of his
weekly NPR radio show that personalizes the world of engineering, and
technology, and science in general. Take it from me, whether you are 9 or 49,
you will enjoy his easy conversational style and his fascinating content.
Sodarace
http://sodarace.net/index.jsp
Article: When Virtual Robots Race, Science Wins
http://www.computer.org/intelligent/articles/WhenVirtualRobotsRace.htm
“Sodarace is the online olympics pitting human creativity against machine
learning in a competition to design robots that race over 2D terrains using the
Sodaconstructor virtual construction kit. The Wodka Genetic Algorithm makes
automatically breeding models from scratch so easy that anyone can do
it.” Even if you don't want to participate, the animations on this site
are “worth the price of admission!”
Robots and Us
http://www.robotsandus.org/
“Created by the good people at the Science Museum of Minnesota (with generous
support from the National Science Foundation) the Robots and Us website is
an interactive and multi-sensory educational teaching tool that helps young
people learn about the ways in which robots (and humans) move, think, and
exist throughout the process of experiencing the world. Visitors will start
out their journey in the virtual Low Life Labs, where they can proceed to
the main activities directly or get help. Upon entering the main activities
area, visitors may move to one of the four main labs: Moving, Sensing,
Thinking, or Being. Each area contains a series of activities for visitors,
along with a brief description of the concept and idea that each activity is
actively exploring. The Sensing section is quite good, as it contains a
number of interesting and intelligent activities, such as CAPTCHA, which
allows individuals to try out examples of programs that can generate and
grade tests that most humans can pass, but current programs can't. [KMG]”
(From the Scout Report)
Vents Program
http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/vents/
“The Vents Program ‘conducts research on the impacts and
consequences of submarine volcanoes and hydrothermal venting on
the global ocean.’ Includes information about specific research
sites, the New Millennium Observatory (which ‘studies the dynamic
interactions between submarine volcanic activity and seafloor
hotsprings’), ocean seismicity, bioacoustics, and related topics.
Also includes teaching material and images. From the Pacific
Maritime Environmental Laboratory.” (From Librarian's Index to the
Internet)
Dartmouth Flood Observatory
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/
“‘This site is a research tool for detection, mapping, measurement,
and analysis of extreme flood events world-wide using satellite remote sensing.
The Observatory provides yearly catalogs, maps, and images of river floods, from
1985 to the present.’ Features interactive maps, tables about large flood
events, and aggregated data on flood severity, damage, duration, recurrence
intervals, and more. The site also discusses hydrologic monitoring technologies
and provides links to related information.” (From Librarian's Index to
the Internet)
The IrYdium Project
http://ir.chem.cmu.edu/irproject/
“The IrYdium Project, and CREATE Project, develop educational software
that can be integrated flexibly into introductory chemistry courses nationwide.
Our goal is to create simulation-based learning environments where college and
high school students can approach chemistry more like practicing scientists and
see interesting real-world applications of key concepts. Network Computing and
Remote Database Technology make it easy to use the software over the
web.”
TEST: The Expert System for Thermodynamics
http://www.thermofluids.net/
“TEST is a visual environment to solve thermo problems, pursue what-if
scenarios, perform numerical experiments, and continue a life-long learning
experience to challenge Sommerfield! Browse a few slides from Slide Show
(10 min) followed by a hands-on Tutorial (30 min) to put TEST to full use
without much of a learning curve.”
Gravity Probe B: Testing Einstein's Universe
http://einstein.stanford.edu/
“Was Einstein's theory of general relativity correct? Gravity Probe
B, a relativity gyroscope experiment co-developed by NASA and
Stanford University scientists, will attempt to answer that
question. This site includes detailed information about the
project, lithographs, a timeline, a FAQ, scientific papers, an
image library, a glossary, classroom materials, and related
information.” (From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
Count Us In
http://www.abc.net.au/countusin/default.htm
“Developed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Online division, this
interactive site contains age-appropriate and visually-appealing games
designed to help young people understand basic number concepts. There are
fifteen games in total, all of which may be downloaded for use in the
classroom or at home, at no charge. Some of the games include activities
that allow students to design patterns using objects contained with a
bookshelf or the ever-popular sheep counting game, where participants must
move sheep from left to right until there are the same number of sheep in
each paddock. Additionally, there is a section that explains the purpose of
each game, and a help feature within each game that helps users become
acclimated to the goal of each activity. The site is rounded out by a
selection of teacher resources designed to complement each game on the site.
[KMG]” (From the Scout Report)
American Choices
http://www.americanchoices.org/
“Where do you stand on today's foreign policy issues?
With everything going on, that can be a difficult question to answer. Now, learn more about what these issues mean through American Choices, a foreign policy self-assessment. In 12 questions, American Choices asks you to weigh some of the fundamental trade-offs facing U.S. policymakers. At the end of it, you get a summary of your beliefs, and how they compare with others.
The process does not assume you to be a foreign policy expert, nor is it the final word on our foreign policy choices. Instead, it's an introduction to the key issues and a prompt for further exploration and discussion.” An interesting and brief test to help you explore your priorities.
Afghanistan Reconstruction Project
http://www.cic.nyu.edu/conflict/conflict_project4.html
“The Afghanistan Reconstruction Project (ARP) carries out research and
public education about selected issues related to the rebuilding of
Afghanistan's institutions, society, and economy. The project supports
efforts by the Afghan government, Afghan civil society, the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, and donors to carry out a more effective
reconstruction mission based on the Bonn Agreement focused on Afghan
ownership.” This informative website from the Center for International
Cooperation has several features, including Afghanistan Constitution
resources and a matrix of aid resource flows.
Language of Native American Baskets from the Weaver's View
http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/baskets/
“Baskets accompanied Indian people throughout their lives. Babies were
carried in baskets, meals were prepared and cooked in them, worldly
goods were stored in them, and people were buried in them. Today,
baskets serve as markers of cultural pride and inheritance. Basketry is
a living art. To help illustrate continuity from past to present, each
weaver chose four baskets from the Smithsonian collections and paired
them with baskets from their own or other Native basket-makers'
contemporary works. These juxtapositions and the weavers' thoughts on
what they tell us, are presented in ‘The Weavers' View.’ Links on the
top navigation bar and side navigation bars lead to a wealth of
information and lots of images of baskets. From the Smithsonian National
Museum of the American Indian.” (From Blue Web'N)
Ethnomusicology Musical Instrument Collection
http://content.lib.washington.edu/ethnomusicweb/
This digital exhibit features photographs of traditional musical
instruments from around the world which have been collected by the
University of Washington Ethnomusicology Division Archives.
Descriptions of images include instrument name, description,
donor, and country of origin. The collection is searchable by
instrument type, geographic region, and keyword. From the
University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections.
(From Librarian's Index to the Internet)
National Indian Law Library
http://www.narf.org/nill/Nillindex.html
“The Web site for this ‘public law library devoted to federal
Indian and tribal law’ features an annotated directory of links
related to American Indian law, information about U.S. Supreme
Court developments in American Indian law, and the full text of
constitutions and codes of a number of tribes. Although the
publications section lists prices, most documents are available at
no cost on the site. Also provides access to the library catalog.”
(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.)
GOOGLE TO OFFER SEARCHES OF ACADEMIC PAPERS
http://chronicle.com/free/2004/04/2004040901n.htm
Working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and 16
other universities, Google is developing a feature of its search tool
that will allow users to search specially tagged academic content.
Using a tool called DSpace that MIT developed, colleges and
universities can build so-called “superarchives” of scholarly work,
including metadata tags that allow for online searches of that content.
According to MIT's MacKenzie Smith, about 125 institutions have used
DSpace, but there has not been a tool to search across all of these
archives. The Google tool will use an interface created by the Online
Computer Library Center and will likely be part of the search site's
advanced-search page. Smith said she hopes all institutions that use
DSpace will eventually be included in the search tool. She also noted
that the search capability is not restricted to Google. Other search
engines may create search tools specifically for the academic content,
said Smith, or “[w]e may even do our own thing.”
Chronicle of Higher Education, 9 April 2004 via Edupage.
PAPER DVDS PROMISE INCREASED CAPACITY, SECURITY
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3639585.stm
Sony and Japanese company Toppan have developed a DVD made largely from
paper that can store five times as much as current DVDs. The paper
discs use blue-laser technology, which is being developed by
electronics manufacturers including Sony, Philips, Hitachi, and
Samsung. Compared to the red-laser technology on which today's DVDs
are based, the blue-laser format allows capacities of about 25
gigabytes per disc. Current DVDs have a limit of 4.7 gigabytes. Because
the new discs are made primarily of paper, they can easily be cut with
scissors, offering a simple and reliable way to dispose of the discs
and to destroy the data on them. Paper discs will reportedly be less
expensive to produce than current DVDs, though Sony and Toppan did not
say when the new DVDs would be available to consumers.
BBC, 19 April 2004 via Edupage.
FLAW DISCOVERED IN INTERNET ARCHITECTURE
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Internet-Threat.html
A significant flaw with the Internet's transmission control protocol
(TCP) was announced this week. Computer researcher Paul Watson
discovered the flaw late last year, and security experts have been
privately working since then on fixes for the vulnerability. Although
the flaw affects personal computers, of greater concern is its impact
on routers, which direct global electronic traffic using TCP. Watson
discovered a method to quickly guess a password that would allow
resetting a router remotely. Using this technique, hackers could cause
routers to go into standby mode, crippling traffic across the Internet.
Security experts had believed that guessing the passwords would take
years, but Watson's method is able to discover passwords in as few as
four guesses. Watson will present full details of his research Thursday
at a conference in British Columbia.
New York Times, 21 April 2004 (registration req'd) 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.
Blue Web'n is a searchable library of Blue-Ribbon Web sites categorized by grade level, content area, and type. Visit Blue Web'n online at http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/bluewebn/.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this newsletter are those of the participants (authors), and do not necessarily represent the official views, opinions, or policy of the National Science Foundation.