09/23/04
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This newsletter is available to the public at the following locations:
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ClinicalStudyResults.org
http://www.clinicalstudyresults.org/
“New Database Provides Doctors and Patients Unprecedented Access to Clinical Study
Information for Marketed Medicines Set to launch in October. ‘The pharmaceutical industry
today announced that it would inaugurate a central, easily accessible database to better
communicate the results of clinical studies of marketed drugs. The database, available at
http://www.clinicalstudyresults.org/,
will contain the results of all controlled clinical trials (mainly Phase III and IV studies),
both positive and negative, completed since October 2002 for PhRMA-member company drug products
approved in the United States. This will include both published articles and unpublished study
summaries. The free, comprehensive Internet database will be publicly available beginning
October 1, 2004.’ (From ResourceShelf)”
Here's a Do Not Forget List of Deadlines for NSTA Student Competitions and Teacher Awards Programs.
As you finalize your schedule for the school year, don't forget to add the following deadlines. NSTA – with the generous support of corporate sponsors – is offering numerous programs to honor and reward outstanding students and teachers.
(From NSTA)
Congressional Committee Proposes Taxpayer Access
Notice: Enhanced Public Access to NIH Research Information
http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-04-064.html
“The U.S. Congressional committee with budgetary oversight of the National Institutes
of Health (NIH), has urged the institutes to provide for public access to NIH-research results
paid for with U.S. taxpayer funds. The following is text approved by the U.S. House of
Representatives on September 9th. The proposed language is part of the Appropriations Committee
report 108-636 to accompany the fiscal year 2005 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and
Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, H.R. 5006. When the Appropriations Committee presented this
language to the full House a colloquy occurred between the chair of the subcommittee responsible
for NIH oversight, the Honorable Ralph Regula (R-OH) and the Honorable Ernest Istook (R-OK), a
fellow member of this committee which drafted the language. The language made it through
deliberations by the House without amendment.
The Committee is very concerned that there is insufficient public access to reports and data resulting from NIH-funded research. This situation, which has been exacerbated by the dramatic rise in scientific journal subscription prices, is contrary to the best interests of the U.S. taxpayers who paid for this research. The Committee is aware of a proposal to make the complete text of articles and supplemental materials generated by NIH-funded research available on PubMed Central (PMC), the digital library maintained by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The Committee supports this proposal and recommends NIH develop a policy, to apply from FY 2005 forward, requiring that a complete electronic copy of any manuscript reporting work supported by NIH grants or contracts be provided to PMC upon acceptance of the manuscript for publication in any scientific journal listed in the NLM's PubMed directory. Under this proposal, NLM would commence making these reports, together with supplemental materials, freely and continuously available six months after publication, or immediately in cases in which some or all of the publication costs are paid with NIH grant funds. For this purpose, ‘publication costs’ would include fees charged by a publisher, such as color and page charges, or fees for digital distribution. NIH is instructed to submit a report to the Committee by December 1, 2004 about how it intends to implement this policy, including how it will ensure the reservation of rights by the NIH grantee, if required, to permit placement of the article in PMC and to allow appropriate public uses of this literature.”
“The Council of the National Academy of Sciences endorses the proposed National Institutes of Health policy that NIH-supported research will be made freely available online not later than six after publication in a peer-reviewed journal. ‘The benefits of this policy to science worldwide and to the general public seem to us to be significant,’ the Council said in a statement today. ‘We applaud the NIH for taking this important step.’ ”
Update on FY 2005 Appropriations
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/approp05.htm
“Congress returns to session this week, with just three weeks to go
before the October 1 start of FY 2005. Before the August recess, the
House of Representatives drafted FY 2005 budget bills that would keep
the federal investment in nondefense, non-homeland security R&D flat
funded next year. Excluding a modest increase for biomedical research,
nondefense R&D would decline under the latest House plans. The AAAS R&D
web site features an August Status Report on R&D in FY 2005
appropriations provides a comprehensive analysis of congressional action
on FY 2005 R&D appropriations so far, including funding trends,
historical context, and a budget forecast for the fall.”
(From AAAS R&D Funding Update)
Global Environmental Health in the 21st Century
http://www.iom.edu/event.asp?id=21301
“Global Environmental Health in the 21st Century” is the topic of a
two-day meeting by the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences,
Research and Medicine. The event begins on Wednesday, Oct. 13 in the National Academy of
Sciences Building auditorium, 2100 C St. N.W., Washington, D.C. Admission is free and
open to the public, but registration is required.
Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
http://www.national-academies.org/
**Live Webcast**
“Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research” is the title of an
upcoming two-day workshop being held by the National Academies' Board on
Life Sciences. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, Oct. 12 in
the National Academy of Sciences Building, 2100 C St. N.W., Washington,
D.C. Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is
required. 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.
Please go to
http://webcast.nationalacademies.org/
for additional information.
Global Environmental Health in the 21st Century
http://www.iom.edu/event.asp?id=21301
“Global Environmental Health in the 21st Century” is the topic of a two-day
meeting by the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research
and Medicine. The event begins on Wednesday, Oct. 13 in the National Academy of Sciences
Building auditorium, 2100 C St. N.W., Washington, D.C. Admission is free and open to the
public, but registration is required.
Institute of Medicine Annual Meeting
http://www.national-academies.org/
**Live Webcast**
The Institute of Medicine holds its two-day annual meeting beginning at 8 a.m. EDT Monday,
Oct. 18 in the National Academy of Sciences Building auditorium, 2100 C St. N.W.,
Washington, D.C. Presentations on day one address “Longevity and Health” while
the topic of day two will be “The Rising Cost of Health Care: Why Is It Happening
and How Much Does It Matter?” Events on both days are free and open to the
public, but registration is required. 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. Please go to
http://webcast.nationalacademies.org/
for additional information.
Political Campaigns and Campaign Effects
Brookings-Princeton Fall Election 2004 Series
“Political Campaigns and Campaign Effects”
Panelists: Richard Berke (New York Times), Anthony Corrado (Colby College and Brookings
Institution), Kenneth Goldstein (University of Wisconsin, Madison), and Daron Shaw
(University of Texas, Austin). Moderated by Thomas E. Mann.
Friday, October 1, 10:00am, Falk Auditorium
For more information or to RSVP, contact 202/797-6105 or
communications@brookings.edu.
Federal R&D Funding by Budget Function: Fiscal Years 2002-04.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf04329/start.htm
Scientific and Engineering Research Facilities: 1999, Detailed Statistical Tables.
NSF, 2004.
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/nsf04334/
Agroterrorism: Threats and Prepardeness.
CRS, 2004.
http://www.fas.org/irp/crs/RL32521.pdf
Allard, Scott.
Access to Social Services: The Changing Urban Geography of Poverty and Service Provision.
Brookings Institution, 2004.
http://www.brookings.edu/metro/pubs/20040816_allard.htm
Eliminating Health Disparities: Measurement and Data Needs.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10979.html
Strengthening Peer Review in Federal Agencies that Support Education.
NAP, 2004.
Research http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11042.html
Capturing the Full Power of Biomaterials for Military Medicine: Report of a Workshop.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11063.html
Accident Precursor Analysis and Management: Reducing Technological Risk Through Diligence.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11061.html
Army Science and Technology for Homeland Security: Report 2 -- C4ISR.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11053.html
Licensing Geographic Data and Services.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11079.html
Proposed Criteria for Selecting the WIC Food Packages: A Preliminary Report of the Committee to Review the WIC Food Packages.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11078.html
Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Sarin.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11064.html
Developing a Research and Restoration Plan for Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (Western Alaska) Salmon.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11080.html
The Future of Genetically Modified Crops: Lessons from the Green Revolution.
Felicia Wu, William Butz.
RAND, 2004.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG161/
Shanghaied? The Economic and Political Implications of the Flow of Information Technology and Investment Across the Taiwan Strait.
Michael Chase, Kevin Pollpeter, James Mulvenon.
RAND, 2004.
http://www.rand.org/publications/TR/TR133/
The U.S. Scientific and Technical Workforce: Improving Data for Decisionmaking.
Terrence Kelly, William Butz, Stephen J. Carroll, David M. Adamson, Gabrielle Bloom.
RAND, 2004.
http://www.rand.org/publications/CF/CF194/
Physics Roster (detailed, department by department listing of enrollment and degree data for US degree-granting physics departments).
AIP, 2004.
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/physrost03.pdf
Astronomy Roster (detailed, department by department listing of enrollment and degree data for US degree-granting astronomy departments).
AIP, 2004.
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/astrost03.pdf
Climate Data Records from Environmental Satellites: Interim Report.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10944.html
Analytical Methods and Approaches for Water Resources Project Planning.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10973.html
Air Quality Management in the United States.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10728.html
Adaptive Management for Water Resources Project Planning.
NAP, 2004
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10972.html
Retooling Manufacturing: Bridging Design, Materials, and Production.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11049.html
Immunization Safety Review: Vaccines and Autism.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10997.html
Damp Indoor Spaces and Health.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11011.html
Keeping Score for All: The Effects of Inclusion and Accommodation Policies on Large-Scale Educational Assessment.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11029.html
Improving the Use of the “Best Scientific Information Available” Standard in Fisheries Management.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11045.html
A Patent System for the 21st Century.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10976.html
The Proteus Effect: Stem Cells and Their Promise.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11003.html
Iodotrifluoromethane: Toxicity Review.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11090.html
Seeking Security: Pathogens, Open Access, and Genome Databases.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11087.html
Emerging Technologies and Ethical Issues in Engineering: Papers from a Workshop, October 14-15, 2003.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11083.html
Meeting the Energy Needs of Future Warriors.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11065.html
Strategies to Leverage Research Funding: Guiding DOD's Peer Reviewed Medical Research Programs.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11089.html
Factsheet on “Dirty Bombs”.
NAP, 2004.
http://nae.edu/NAE/pubundcom.nsf/weblinks/CGOZ-642P3W?OpenDocument
Accident Precursor Analysis and Management: Reducing Technological Risk Through Diligence.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11061.html
Assessing the National Streamflow Information Program.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10967.html
Implementing Climate and Global Change Research: A Review of the Final U.S. Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10635.html
River Basins and Coastal Systems Planning Within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10970.html
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Water Resources Planning: A New Opportunity for Service.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10975.html
Review of NASA's Solid-Earth Science Strategy.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11084.html
Saving Lives, Buying Time: Economics of Malaria Drugs in an Age of Resistance.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11017.html
Atlantic Salmon in Maine.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10892.html
Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life: A Research Agenda.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11036.html
1st Annual Crossing the Quality Chasm Summit: A Focus on Communities.
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11085.html
Seeking Security: Pathogens, Open Access, and Genome Databases (prepublication).
NAP, 2004.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11087.html
Convergence -- Where Mathematics, History and Teaching Interact
http://convergence.mathdl.org/jsp/index.jsp
“We all strive to make our teaching of mathematics meaningful to students. Yet we are
constantly plagued by the reverberating questions, ‘Why do we have to learn this?’
and ‘When am I going to use it?’. Often the answers to these relevant questions
can be found within the history of mathematics, accounts of the development of mathematics and
the historical reasons these developments occurred. In recent years, more and more teachers
have begun to realize how a knowledge of the history of mathematics can enhance student
understanding as well as enrich classroom presentations.
This new climate of appreciation has been reflected in a marked increase of professional activities devoted to the subject. Regional and national meetings of the Mathematical Association of America and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics frequently feature presentations and workshops devoted to the history of mathematics as well as its use in teaching. A variety of publications supporting this effort have also appeared. But despite this response, there still remains an urgent need for readily available, user-friendly, teacher resources on utilizing the history of mathematics as a pedagogical aid.
It is with this need in mind that the concept of Convergence was conceived as an online magazine where mathematics, teaching and history interact. This magazine is sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America with the cooperation of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. It is intended to be a resource and forum for mathematics teachers of grades 9-14 mathematics who are interested in using mathematics history as a learning/teaching tool. Convergence is envisioned to be an evolving resource whose features will include:
(Supported by NSF)
Science Bulletin
http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/
You are invited to visit the new and improved Science Bulletin Website sponsored by the
American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), for breaking news on astrophysics, Earth sciences,
and biodiversity. The bulletins present current science news stories through a host of
interactive videos (5- to 7-minute video stories that follow scientists into the field),
compelling photographs, graphics (using 3-D computer models), and interactive data
visualizations (using NASA satellite data) that the Museum says will “bring science
alive for adults and children alike.” AMNH is an NSTA Institute online partner.
(From NSTA Reports).
Scientist Interviews at NAS
http://www.national-academies.org/topnews#tn0909
Scientists Views on How Science Is Changing Us
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/competition/video.shtml
NASA Technical Report Server
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/?method=advanced
The NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) Program's mission is to collect, archive,
and disseminate NASA aerospace information, and locate domestic and international STI pertinent
to NASA's missions and Strategic Enterprises. Examples of NASA's STI include research reports,
journal articles, conference and meeting papers, technical videos, mission-related operational
documents, and preliminary data. NASA's technical information is available via the NASA Technical
Report Server (NTRS) is to provide students, educators, and the public access to NASA's technical
literature. NTRS also collects scientific and technical information from sites external to NASA
to broaden the scope of information available to users.
Science of Spectroscopy
http://www.scienceofspectroscopy.info/
This website guides students through a study of spectroscopy, beginning with an introduction to
light and its properties, the electromagnetic spectrum, types of light both visible and invisible
to the human eye, and the effects of light interaction with matter. The site includes
descriptions of common spectroscopic analysis techniques, and applications of spectroscopy in
consumer products, medicine and space science. Created by Michael A. Rooke and Stewart L. Mader.
(FromBlue Web'N)
Infinite Secrets
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/archimedes/
“Christie's, New York, 1998: In a blaze of publicity, an extraordinary item is put up for
sale. To the untrained eye, it is nothing more than a small and unassuming Byzantine prayer book,
yet it sells for over $2 million. Its real value rests not in the prayers but in a much earlier,
spidery script that lies hidden almost invisibly beneath them. Lost for over a millennium, the
original manuscript turns out to be the oldest and most authentic copy of a compendium of works
by the ancient Greek scholar Archimedes. In ‘Infinite Secrets,’ NOVA shadows
scientists using cutting-edge imaging techniques to unlock the secrets of this time capsule and
gain unique insight into one of the greatest minds the world has ever known.”
Frogs: A Chorus of Colors
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/frogs/?src=e_ce
“Frogs have been on Earth for more than 200 million years, and range in size
from half an inch (the Cuban tree toad) to the much larger goliath frog of
West Africa, which can grow to 15 inches and weigh up to 7 pounds. As a
public service, the American Museum of Natural History has created this
thoughtful online site that introduces visitors to the world of frogs, and
as a way of highlighting their own work with these amphibians, both in the
field and at the Museum. After reading an introductory essay, visitors can
peruse a section on a number of frog species, which include some fine
photographs and general information. Visitors will want to take a look a the
Budgett's frog, which can puff up its body with air, arch its back, and
scream like a cat in order to frighten intruders. The rest of the site is
equally delightful, including a nice area on the reproductive cycle of
frogs, a live ‘FrogCam’ direct from the Museum, and a great section
containing the sounds of frogs from the island of Madagascar.
[KMG]” (From the Scout Report)
Electronic Biologica Centrali-Americana
http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/bca/
This electronic edition of the Biologica Centrali-American raises the bar,
both in terms of its thoroughness and the collaborative efforts that helped
create this quite compelling collection. The original 58 volumes of this
remarkable work of natural history were created and composed during the 19th
century in an effort to identify, categorize, and document the flora and
fauna of Meso-America. As the project notes note on its site, “This will be
a model for biodiversity informatics worldwide, to meet the global need for
access to information for science, public policy, eco-tourism, and other
uses.” To create the project, a group of institutions were involved
throughout the mark-up and design process, including the National Museum of
Natural History in Washington, DC, the Natural History Museum in London, and
the Missouri Botanical Garden. Visitors will enjoy perusing the various
volumes, with their excellent descriptions and elegant plates and
illustrations. Additionally, there is ample documentation online here that
offers other like-minded institutions information about how the project
proceeded.
[KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Alert System
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/
“Want to know how many new species have been found in your state in the past six months,
or where the latest sighting of snakeheads occurred? You can find the answers to both these
questions at the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Alert System. USGS developed the new
NAS Alert System to track the spread of invasive species nationwide. Now, users can report
nonindigenous and invasive aquatic species they sight, automatically receive email alerts, or
perform searches on aquatic species – such as American alligators in Pennsylvania, Asian carp
in Colorado, or snakehead fishes in Virginia. The system is flexible, providing two different
perspectives – one to a user interested in an area, the other to users interested in a species
– whether the user chooses automatic alerts or prefers to search the site.”
Curiosity Creates Cures: The Value & Impact of Basic Research
http://www.nigms.nih.gov/curiosity/
Introduces the work of basic biomedical scientists – scientists who seek answers to key
biological questions like how cells talk to each other, how biological machines fold
into their active shapes, & how genes are regulated. Topics include Alzheimer's
disease, anthrax, flu vaccines, Nobel Prize winners, & more.
Ripley's Freaky Fridays
http://ripleysfreakyfridays.com/
A Live Chat program starting at ePALS every Friday for 10 weeks, September 17 - November 19,
2004 at 1 - 2 p.m Eastern Time (10-11 a.m. Pacific). Each week, a new topic will be introduced
for discussion and a Teacher's Guide distributed to participating classrooms. The Teacher's
Guide includes a short excerpt from Ripley's Believe It or Not!, discussion topics designed to
engage students, and Ripley Riddles to test your knowledge of the boundless limits of nature.
Teachers and students are invited to join a one-hour, moderated chat led each week by two
fabulous science teachers, both winners of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science
Teaching! Produced with support of Ripley Entertainment, Ripley's Freaky Fridays Online
Classroom Companion teaches the wonders of science while helping students and teachers
practice collaborative technology. (From Blue Web'N)
Battle of the X-Planes
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/xplanes/
Two aviation giants, Lockheed Martin and Boeing, compete to build the next-generation fighter
jet and win the largest government contract ever awarded. For more than five years, with
unprecedented access from the Pentagon, NOVA followed the trials and tribulations of this
neck-and-neck design war. The program gives a unique inside perspective on every phase of the
competition, from design and assembly to the thrilling test flights and finally to the
Pentagon's stunning announcement of the winner.
Interactives
Dan's Wild Wild Weather Page
http://www.wildwildweather.com/
Dan Satterfield, a chief meteorologist for a local news station in Alabama,
educates children between the ages of six and 16 about various aspects of
meteorology at this fun website. With the help of amusing images, the site
introduces the concepts of radar technology, tornadoes, lightning,
humidity, forecasting, and much more. Users can listen to the sounds of
storms, hurricanes, rain, wind, and snow. Students can participate in
entertaining games, puzzles, and quizzes. Educators will appreciate the For
Teachers link, which provides links to many outside meteorological
resources. [RME] (From the Scout Report)
National Hurricane Center
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
Hurricanes (FEMA)
http://www.fema.gov/hazards/hurricanes/
Hurricanes Online Meteorology Guide
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/hurr/home.rxml
Hurricane: Storm Science
http://www.miamisci.org/hurricane/
Hurricanes
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/hurricane/whur0.htm
2004 Atlantic Hurricane Season
http://www.met.fsu.edu/explores/tropical.html
Hurricanes: Just for Kids
http://www.ns.ec.gc.ca/weather/hurricane/kids.html
Flying into the Eye of a Hurricane
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/ngkids/0308/hurricane/
First, the National Weather Service addresses the work of the National
Hurricane Center “to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve
economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts and
analyses of hazardous tropical weather, and by increasing understanding of
these hazards” (1). At this vast website, users can find satellite imagery,
current and archived advisories, hurricane awareness information, and much
more. FEMA created the second site to inform the public about the hazards of
hurricanes (2). After discovering the physical characteristics of
hurricanes, visitors can find information about hurricane threats and the
proper steps to take before, during, and after the storm. The third website,
developed by the University of Illinois, discusses a hurricane's stages of
development, structure, and movement (3). Users can follow past tropical
cyclone activities and explore a 3-D hurricane. Next, the Miami Museum of
Science furnishes a fun site where children can essentially travel inside a
hurricane (4). Families who have experienced a hurricane will benefit from
the Healing Quilt link and the family survivor stories. The fifth website,
created by USA Today, provides the general public with the latest hurricane
news, storm science, and safety (5). Visitors can view graphics of how
hurricanes are created and can submit their hurricane questions to the site.
Next, Florida State University supplies the latest advisories and forecasts
for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean (6). Users can view images of the
hurricanes and find a history of Florida hurricane landfalls. Environment
Canada produced the seventh web site to educate children about how
hurricanes form, how they work, and where they go (7). Students can learn
how El Niño affects hurricanes. Lastly, the National Geographic presents
children with an exciting article about the work of hurricane hunters (8).
Users can view images of storm winds, paths, and damage. [RME] (From the Scout Report)
American RadioWorks: Climate of Uncertainty
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/climate/
The American Radio Works radio documentary programs have been garnering
acclaim over the past few years, and their latest production is definitely
worth a listen. Created by Daniel Grossman and John Rudolph (and narrated by
Ira Flatow), this one-hour program addresses the effects that global warming
may have on the northern half of the United States over the coming years and
decades. The radio program itself is divided into three sections, including
one that deals with ice cores and their use in paleoclimatology, the nature
of the great ocean conveyor belt, and what might be done to prevent a
climatic catastrophe. The site is also complemented by a fine selection of
external weblinks, including those leading to the Pew Center on Global
Climate Change and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Robert J. Lang Origami
http://www.langorigami.com/
Forget your grade-school attempts at paper cranes and pay attention, because this master
folder's rendition of a koi, golden eagle, and exotic orchid will put you to shame. While
origami can be an undeniably whimsical enterprise, Robert J. Lang demonstrates how this
ancient art's underlying mathematical concepts have been adopted by science. Auto engineers
incorporate origami to help design better airbags, while professional stargazers dabble with
the notion of “folded” space telescopes. The basic theory of proportions, at the
core of a paper frog, is also related to these loftier projects. Yet as Lang's intricate paper
specimens take on the familiar animal shapes, he doesn't settle for a predictable posse.
Consider his allosaurus skeleton, cicada, Maine lobster, and daring rock climber. Some of his
creations have been bronzed. Wrap you mind around that! (From Yahoo's Picks of the Week)
ROCKET TO SATURN
http://www.exploratorium.edu/saturn/index.html
“Hop aboard an international mission to the ringed planet! The Cassini-Huygens spacecraft
– built by NASA and the European and Italian Space Agencies – is now orbiting Saturn, taking
pictures of the giant planet's amazing rings and many moons. At the Exploratorium's new
Cassini-Huygens Web page, you can learn more about Saturn and its mysterious moon Titan, get
mission updates, and view the latest stunning photos from deep space.”
(From the Exploratorium)
Yale University: Terra Femto
http://www.chem.yale.edu/~cas/main.html
“This Yale University website presents the Schmuttenmaer chemistry group's
research in the development of experimental techniques that observe low
frequency motions and absorptions directly. After reading the series of
intriguing unanswered questions, students and educators can find an
introduction to THz spectroscopy. The Research link offers colorful images
and comprehensible text about several of its THz spectroscopy
investigations. Within the descriptions, links are provided to better
explain otherwise complicated phenomena. Researchers can find lengthy lists
and a few downloads of the group's publications. [RME]” (From the Scout Report)
Perspectives on Plasmas
http://www.plasmas.org/
Dr. Timothy Eastman developed this website to address aspects of plasma
science and technology for the general public and for research and education
communities. In the Basics link, users can learn about plasmas and their
functions in space, energy, the environment, businesses, governments, and in
the home. The Applications link offers many resources about fields of plasma
application and institutions involved with plasma technology. Educators can
find many images illustrating fusion plasmas, space plasmas, and technology.
The site provides a lengthy list of references as well as many helpful links
to outside plasma-related educational and research sites. [RME] (From the Scout Report)
MathDL
http://www.mathdl.org/
provides Java applets, interactive modules, & Flash
presentations for studying numerical & graphical solutions of
differential equations, parametric representations of curves,
conic formulae, Euler's analysis of the Genoese Lottery, Van
Schooten's ruler constructions, Riemann sums, & how to use
calculators (for introductory statistics students). (NSF)
Reciprocal Net
http://www.reciprocalnet.org/
Reciprocal Net is a database used by crystallographers to store information
about molecular structures. Images of molecules can be
manipulated in 3D. Learn about molecules of minerals & gems,
biochemicals, ions & elements, medicines, insects, plants, &
space.
ChangingMinds
http://changingminds.org/
ChangingMinds looks at persuasion and changing the minds of others.
Changing others' minds is at the core of many professions and
disciplines, from leadership to brand management to psychotherapy to
sales. And although each has its body of knowledge, they all have much
in common. You'll find theories and explanations, principles,
techniques, a links page, book reviews, and a carefully-selected
bookshop. The general philosophy of the site is to keep things clean and
simple with minimal fancy graphics. Interesting resource presented by
ChangingMinds.org. (From Blue Web'N)
Omaha Indian Music
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/omhhtml/omhhome.html
The oral traditions of many North American Indian groups are generally well
known, though access to existing sound recordings and the like can often be
limited to on-site listening booths at major museums and archives. This nice
collection of traditional music from the Omaha tribe is a fine way to begin
learning about these traditions. The online exhibit was created by the
American Memory project at the Library of Congress and includes traditional
Omaha music both from the 1890s and the 1980s. The selections from the 1890s
include 44 wax cylinder recordings made by Francis La Flesche and Alice
Cunningham Fletcher. Equally compelling are the 323 songs from the 1983
Omaha harvest celebration powwow that are also available here. The
collection also includes a brief introductory essay, fieldnotes from the
1983 powwow, and an original program from the 1983 celebration.
[KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Political Communications Lab
http://pcl.stanford.edu/
How do polls of public opinion and political behavior work exactly? Well,
it's definitely a complex answer, and when you add the mix of how exactly
these polls work when done in a less “traditional” fashion, such as with the
Internet, things get even more complicated. Part of the mission of the
Political Communication Lab at Stanford University is “to develop and
administer experimental studies of public opinion and political behavior
through the use of both on-line and traditional methods”. The site is a
rather fascinating one, as it contains a number of informative areas on work
at the Lab and on the current presidential election campaign. One of the
group's projects that is worth a look is the Voter Attention Share project,
in which the Lab is tracking the total number of daily references to key
election issues across national TV newscasts and the 80 most widely read
daily newspapers from June 1 to Election Day. Visitors can also read about
the group's other projects and listen to a talk on online polling by
Professors James Fishkin and Shanto Iyengar. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Decoding the Past: The Work of Archaeologists
http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/decoding_the_past/
This website introduces students to archaeology -- the study of material
remains to learn about past human experiences. This lesson
(Grades 3-8) discusses the challenges of an archaeologist:
locating a site that will yield clues about the people who
once lived there, conducting excavations, & more. Students
identify “artifacts” from a contemporary setting, describe the
function of each artifact, identify methods for dating soil
layers, & interpret soil profiles.
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.)
DEVELOPING A COMPUTER FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/16/technology/16combo.html
A researcher and professor at Carnegie Mellon University is developing
a computer that he believes can prove to be an economically sustainable
product for developing countries. With support from Microsoft and
Korean computer maker TriGem, Raj Reddy hopes to have working models of
the so-called PCtvt ready by the end of the year. The PCtvt will be a
wirelessly networked computer that also functions as a television,
telephone, and DVD player. Reddy believes that such a device, which he
said will cost $250, can be a viable product in the developing world,
offering consumers a set of features for a price they could manage
while providing makers of the device a profit without relying on
subsidies or philanthropy. Because the PCtvt is intended for many
consumers who cannot read, it will likely require a wireless
infrastructure that can support significant amounts of bandwidth to
accommodate content heavy on audio and video transmissions. To this
end, Reddy is working with researchers at the University of California
who are developing high-speed wireless networks for application in
rural areas.
New York Times, 16 August 2004 (registration req'd) via Edupage.
BROWSING THE WEB AS A LIBRARY
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/19/technology/circuits/19next.html
Marti Hearst, a professor at the School of Information Management and
Systems at the University of California, Berkeley, has developed a
prototype search program designed to turn Web searches into something
that approximates browsing the stacks of a library. The Flamenco search
tool uses descriptions of archived items – in Hearst's tests, 35,000
images from an art collection – to display items grouped by criteria
such as artist, period, medium, and subject. Users searching for
representations of flowers in the 18th century, for example, could see
results grouped by decade or by variety of flower. Flamenco can show
groups of results that include paintings and sculptures of irises, or
paintings of irises and roses. Hearst said the tool allows users to
“compare and contrast, discovering new categories and relationships.”
Bruce Horn of Ingenuity Software is working on a tool that would allow
a similar type of browsing on a computer, helping users find relevant
resources that might be distributed in many places around a hard drive.
New York Times, 19 August 2004 (registration req'd) via Edupage.
EOLAS PATENTS REJECTED BY PATENT OFFICE
http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/08/2004082001n.htm
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has invalidated 10 patents held by
the University of California and licensed to Eolas Technologies,
confirming a preliminary ruling from the office in March. The patents
cover technologies developed by Michael D. Doyle while working at the
university; Doyle later started Eolas, which holds an exclusive license
to the technology. The technology at issue, which allows Web browsers
to automatically launch applications such as Java applets and software
plug-ins, is at the heart of a patent-infringement case against
Microsoft. A court had awarded the university and Eolas $520 million
from Microsoft for using the technology without licensing it, but the
decision from the Patent Office could invalidate that ruling. If the
patents were upheld, Microsoft and other companies including Adobe and
Macromedia would be forced to license the technology or redesign their
products to work differently. A spokesperson from the Patent Office
said the university will have one more opportunity to convince the
office of the legitimacy of the patents.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 August 2004 (sub. req'd)via Edupage
CANDIDATES INVITED TO VIRTUAL TOWN HALL MEETING
http://www.usatoday.com/
Presidential candidates George Bush and John Kerry have been invited to
participate in separate, online town hall meetings to discuss the
nation's science programs. Organizers said that federal policies
toward research and scientific projects are an important issue for the
three million scientists, engineers, and doctors who would be eligible
to participate in the meetings. Specifically, the issue of stem cell
research has lately become the focus of disagreement between the two
candidates, with Kerry promising to reverse Bush's ban on federal
funding for stem cell lines created after August 9, 2001. A
spokesperson for John Kerry said he would accept the invitation to
participate in the virtual town halls; a spokesperson for Bush said he
had not yet seen the invitation and so had no response at this time.
USA Today, 20 August 2004 via Edupage.
RESEARCHERS RAISE THE BAR FOR DATA-TRANSFER RATE
http://www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3403161
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) this week set a new
record for data transfer between the CERN facility in Switzerland and
Caltech in Pasadena, California, 9,800 miles away. In the exercise, the
group was able to transfer 859 gigabytes of data in less than 17
minutes, achieving a rate of 6.63 gigabits per second. Enabling such
high rates of data transfer is vital to the success of the Large Hadron
Collider (LHC), due to begin operating in 2007. The $10 billion LHC is
an enormous particle accelerator that scientists hope to use to find
the Higgs boson, a theoretical particle that they believe creates mass.
The LHC is expected to generate 15 petabytes of data per year, and this
data must find its way to scientists around the globe to be effectively
analyzed.
Internet News, 2 September 2004 via Edupage.
SURVIVAL TIME OF UNPROTECTED PCS DROPS
http://news.com.com/2100-7349_3-5313402.html
Researchers at the SANS Institute's Internet Storm Center estimate
that an unprotected PC will be compromised within 20 minutes of being
connected to the Internet, down from an estimated 40 minutes last year.
The estimate is based on observations of vacant IP addresses, which
received reports approximately every 20 minutes. According to the
researchers, if those reports come from Internet worms, the unprotected
machine would likely become infected within 20 minutes, which is
especially troublesome because most patches that would protect the
computer take longer than that to download and install. Scott Conti,
network operations manager for the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst, said that, as a test, his institution recently put two
unprotected computers on the school's network, and both were
compromised within 20 minutes. As a result, all computers at the
institution will be checked before they are allowed to connect to the
network.
CNET, 17 August 2004 via Edupage
SPECIAL REPORT: COMPUTING THE COSMOS
An international group of scientists from Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the
United States has been working on an ambitious project to simulate on a supercomputer
the evolution of the entire universe, from just after the Big Bang until the present.
The group, dubbed the Virgo Consortium – a name borrowed from the galaxy cluster closest
to our own – is creating the largest and most detailed computer model of the universe
ever made. Read all about it, in this month's issue of IEEE Spectrum:
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/aug04/0804cos.html
The Content Police?
A group called the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors, whose members
include a number of prominent publications such as the Journal of the American Medical
Association and the New England Journal of Medicine, is stepping up to fill a gap in
medical and pharmaceutical research reporting practices. Members announced that they
will no longer publish clinical trial results unless the test has been registered in
advance in a public database. The move is designed to prevent selective reporting by
researchers, who might be inclined to underreport negative results involving a research
sponsor's products. The issue has been very much in the news this week as information
surfaced linking certain antidepressants to suicidal tendencies in children and
adolescents. Positive test results regarding those drugs had been published, but
negative findings had not. The publishing industry's step here is on good ethical
grounds – it sees its responsibility to publish the bad as well as the good – but it
should go hand-in-hand with regulatory measures and self-policing by the pharmaceutical
industry. The success of the initiative also depends on smaller, less-prestigious
publishers participating in the plan.
BRITISH LIBRARY PUTS SHAKESPEARE ONLINE
http://www.bl.uk/treasures/shakespeare/homepage.html
The British Library is posting high-resolution copies of some of the
earliest versions of Shakespeare's plays online. The 21 plays included
in the online collection were originally printed during the
playwright's lifetime and include many lines and passages that are
different from those found in the First Folio editions, which were not
printed until after Shakespeare's death. Having the copies available
online will allow scholars easy access to works that are believed to be
closer to the original text of the plays. The Web site that contains
the images of the plays will also include background information,
images, sound clips, and tools to allow comparison of the earlier
versions of the plays with the more common later versions, to see how
the text has changed.
BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3641880.stm),
10 September 2004 via Edupage.
Librarians – Britain's brainiest professionals?
http://www.bl.uk/cgi-bin/press.cgi?story=1446
A big victory for UK librarians!!! “Scoring a thrilling (220:160) win over Oxford University
Press, the British Library emerged victorious in the final of BBC2's ‘University Challenge’
-- The Professionals. The tournament, which began in April 2004, featured teams from 22 of the UK's
brainiest professions (including diplomats, journalists, lawyers, politicians and zoologists …
The British Library team comprised Kathryn Johnson, Curator of Theatrical Manuscripts; Ron Hogg, a
Slavonic specialist; Colin Wight, editor of the Library's website and Bart Smith (Captain) a
Humanities reference specialist. After the event the team attributed their victory to ‘team-work, a
thirst for knowledge and a real hunger to win’. The team captain said, ‘Our victory not only
reflects the knowledge and expertise of British Library staff but is a tribute to the skills of
the library profession, whose members are true information providers with an ability to access
virtually every subject under the sun, however seemingly obscure.’ ” (From ResourceShelf)
A NEW BBC HITCHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Life, the Universe and Everything
At the heart of this comedy lies a lot of true science. Join Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect and a
certain paranoid android for brand new radio adventures through space. Tuesday 21 September,
6.30pm Radio 4 (repeated Thursday 23 September, 11pm)
As Radio 4 prepares to unleash a brand new series of Douglas Adams' classic space travel saga, take a moment to find your place in space with the Interactive Space Map (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/playspace/spacemap/index.shtml).
If you're in the market for a new galactic home, choose between thousands of galaxies (http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/deepspace/galaxy/index.shtml) from spirals to ellipses.
Can you improve on the famous description of Earth as, ‘mostly harmless’? Try the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy competition (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/competition.shtml).
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.