10/18/05
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This newsletter is available to the public at: http://library.stanford.edu/depts/swain/nsflibnews/
Donate and Find Resources
http://www.aaas.org/katrina/
Find Science Content
http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/katrina/
Hurricane Katrina Resources listed by Librarian’s Index to the Internet
http://lii.org/search/file/hurricanekatrina
Visit the AAAS online brokering system if you are a scientist, engineer, or teacher
in need of resources, or if you have resources to share.
Read freely accessible Science articles related to hurricanes, coastal disasters, and disaster policy.
The folks at Librarian’s Index to the Internet have listed, categorized and annotated a wide variety of excellent we resources.
UN General Assembly Urged to Strengthen Worldwide Capacities in Science, Technology, and Innovation
http://www.interacademycouncil.net/news.asp?id=9275
“In an unprecedented statement to the UN General Assembly, the leadership of
international scientific, engineering, and medical organizations urged the Heads of
State and Government meeting in New York in September 2005 to strengthen worldwide
capacities in science, technology, and innovation. Stronger capacities in science
and technology are required to allow humanity to achieve the UN Millennium
Development Goals, the statement concludes. In September 2000, 147 heads of State
and Government, and 189 nations in total, committed themselves by year 2015 to
reduce significantly global poverty and the related problems of illiteracy, hunger,
discrimination against women, unsafe drinking water, and degraded environments and
ecosystems.”
Federal FY06 R&D Funding
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/
Updated Table on the Status of FY 2006 Appropriations
http://www.aaas.org/spp/rd/approp06.htm
“Fiscal year (FY) 2006 began on October 1, but the FY 2006 budget is far
from finished and the prospects for federal research and development (R&D)
funding are uncertain. The burgeoning costs of responding to Hurricanes Katrina
and Rita have not only delayed the FY 2006 appropriations process but have also
set off a scramble to find offsetting domestic spending cuts that could hit
R&D programs, according to the AAAS October Status Report on R&D in FY
2006 Appropriations, now available on the AAAS R&D web site.”
Bipartisan Letter
http://www.acm.org/usacm/PDF/wyden_allen_letter.pdf
ACM’s President Dave Patterson’s Statement
http://www.acm.org/about_acm/letters/katrina_relief.html
“The aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita has revived an old idea that
the federal government maintain lists of rapid response teams comprised of private
sector technical experts to help rebuild after a disaster or terrorist attack.
Called the ‘NET Guard,’ Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) originally proposed
this idea as part of the legislation that created the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS). The provision was included in the final agreement, but the
department has never implemented the program. Recently, however, Senators Wyden
and George Allen (R-VA) released a bipartisan letter calling on the department to
implement this law.
It isn’t clear why DHS never implemented NET Guard. It could be a lack of funding or interest. A sticking point could also be liability. The act does not expressively shield a volunteer from liability for his or her actions. For example, if the volunteer installs a faulty network that causes harm, it isn’t clear whether or not that person could be held civilly liable. The Federal Tort Claims Act shields medical workers in such circumstances, but it isn’t clear if this protection would extend to technology workers.
Meanwhile, ACM’s President Dave Patterson issued a statement to ACM members with suggestions on what the technology community can do to help. (From ACM Washington Update)
Congress and Climate Change
http://www.energycommission.org/materials/
Statement by Domenici
http://64.70.252.93/Clips%20for%20Web/For%20Bingaman%20Addition/Domenici%20Statement%20on%20Hearings
Climate Change Science and Economics
http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1496
Role of Science in Decision-Making
http://epw.senate.gov/hearing_statements.cfm?id=246814
NOAA Hurricane Forecasting
http://www.house.gov/science/hearings/full05/oct%207/index.htm
Kyoto Protocol Hearings
http://epw.senate.gov/hearing_statements.cfm?id=246815
The Lifesaving Role of Accurate Hurricane Prediction
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=1607
Recent events include:
The Use of Science in Decision Making: Senate Hearing Features Michael Crichton. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a hearing on September 28 on the use of science in environmental decision making. Although topics ranged from the ban on DDT to the Endangered Species Act, the majority of the hearing centered on global climate change.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on September 20 titled “Climate Change Science and Economics.”
Senate Environment and Public Works hearing on the Kyoto Protocol. The Senate Environment and Public Works committee held a hearing on the Kyoto Protocol on October 4. It was noted in nearly all of the opening statements that the U.S. rejected the protocol, primarily due to its economic effects and the lack of participation of developing countries, particularly China and India.
House Science Committee Hearing on Hurricane Prediction: 10–20 More Years of Big Storms. The House Science Committee held a hearing on October 7 on hurricane forecasting, featuring testimony from Brigadier General David L. Johnson (ret.), Director of NOAA’s National Weather Service and Dr. Max Mayfield, Director of the National Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center.
The Lifesaving Role of Accurate Hurricane Prediction. Most of the Senators at this September 20 hearing by the Senate Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Disaster Prevention and Prediction used their opening remarks to praise NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) for accurately predicting the path of Hurricane Katrina.
(From AAAS Center for Science, Technology, and Congress)
Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future
http://www.nationalacademies.org/morenews/20051012.html
“In a world where advanced knowledge is widespread and low-cost labor is readily
available, U.S. advantages in the marketplace and in science and technology have begun
to erode. A comprehensive and coordinated federal effort is urgently needed to bolster
U.S. competitiveness and pre-eminence in these areas so that the nation will consistently
gain from the opportunities offered by rapid globalization, according to a new report
from the National Academies.”
Recommended initiatives include:
Form from the Formless: The Awesome Power of the Embryo
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/283/
“How does a single cell become a complex organism? The fascination and challenge
of this question, says Hazel Sive, ‘drives me out of bed each day, makes me work
long hours and keeps me excited about coming here.’ Sive’s Whitehead lab
investigates developing embryos for clues about how cells organize and form tissues and
organs. Not only must an embryo determine what kinds of cells to grow, it must also
place them in precise patterns, along three dimensions. As the embryo develops, cells
signal to each other to move to a specific position, or a regulatory protein sends a
command for a cell to align itself in a certain way. Sive’s particularly
interested in the evolution of brain structure. Zebra fish serve as her model. The tiny,
transparent embryos of this fish enable her to ‘look directly into the brain in a
noninvasive way.’”
Narratives of Science
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/284/
“In a biography of Beethoven, you’d be writing about the struggle to compose
— in a way not so different from a scientist’s struggle to do a perfect
experiment. If you were living up to the promise of a biography of a genius, you’d
feel the appropriate burden of conveying the genius of Beethoven’s music, just as
you would the difficulty of reflecting the genius of a scientist.”
In the final panel from this series, writers Kanigel, Levenson, and Lightman discuss the role of storytelling, travelogues and biography in the evolution of science writing.
Space Settlement: Homesteading on the Moon? Oct 26
Wednesday, October 26th, 2005,
12:30–2:00 PM,
Keck 201 Conference Room, National Academy of Sciences
The degree to which land on the moon may be owned has been the subject of debate and international treaties since the start of the Cold War. This seminar will address the relationship of existing treaties to lunar property rights and the role of such ownership as an incentive for commercial space settlement. Panelists will address the following questions:
NOTE: Seating is limited. An RSVP would be appreciated.
Jefferson Science Fellows
http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/Jefferson_Science_Fellows.html
The Jefferson Science Fellows Program is now accepting applications. Administered by
the National Academies, the program offers senior academic scientists and engineers
the opportunity to advise State Department policy-makers on science and technology.
Each Fellow will spend one year at the U.S. Department of State for an on-site
assignment in Washington, D.C. that may also involve extended stays at U.S. foreign
embassies or missions. Applications are due Dec. 1.
Evolution of Biological Complexity, Oct. 20
http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/seminar/2005/102005evolcomplex.shtml
Thursday October 20, 2005
AAAS, 1200 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Reception 5:15 p.m.,
Lecture and Discussion 6:00–8:00 p.m.
It is often claimed that Darwin’s theory of evolution is incomplete because it cannot account for the evolution of complex adaptive traits via the accumulation of mutations. At the same time, the concept of biological complexity itself—how it may be defined and whether complexity increases in evolution—is often perceived as controversial. In this talk, Dr. Adami will address both concerns: the definition of complexity and whether there is a trend in its evolution, as well as the mechanisms by which complex traits evolve that appear to be “irreducible”. Evidence from experiments that study the evolution of complexity in a digital life form will be shared. These experiments show that complex adaptive traits do emerge via standard Darwinian mechanisms, and that this evolution is accompanied by an increase in a suitably defined measure of complexity.
Synthetic Biology: Hardware, Software, and Wetware, Nov 10
http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/seminar/2005/111005syntheticbio.shtml
Thursday November 10, 2005
AAAS, 1200 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Reception 5:15 p.m.
Lecture and Discussion 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Synthetic Biology as a scientific discipline aims to generate novel biological functions through the design and construction of living systems. As such, Synthetic Biology includes the development of tools for constructing and redesigning organisms and has parallels to computer science and engineering. Such organisms could be used to, for example, sense the presence of a drug or the age of a cell and generate readout. Synthetic Biology currently encompasses a number of engineering strategies including applied protein design, genome design and construction, natural product drug synthesis, and the creation of standardized parts to build circuits into cells. Examples of the tools and design of biological circuits based on the organization of eukaryotic cells will be presented. In addition, Synthetic Biology has served as a catalyst for educational efforts that integrate students from various disciplines such as computer science and engineering with biology. Ongoing efforts in education and creation of an open scientific community will also be presented.
Our Brains and Us: Neuroethics, Responsibility and the Self
http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/neuroscience/index.shtml
Audio is now available for Our Brains and Us: Neuroethics, Responsibility and the
Self, a public conference held April 17–19, 2005 at MIT. Age-old questions
like “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?” have motivated
inquiry about ourselves and the universe around us. These same questions continue
to inspire philosophical and religious quests for understanding.
Rising Above The Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future.
NAP, 2005.
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11463.html
Tutorials in contemporary nonlinear methods for the behavioral sciences.
Edited by Michael A. Riley & Guy C. Van Orden. The authors, 2005.
http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/pac/nmbs/nmbs.pdf
Hamer, Rebecca.
Stimulating Science and Technology in Higher Education: An international comparison of policy measures and their effectiveness.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG270.pdf
Hosek, S.D.
Gender Differences in Major Federal External Grant Programs.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2005/RAND_TR307.pdf
Environmental Information: Status of Federal Data Programs That Support Ecological Indicators.
GAO, 2005.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05376.pdf
Federal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Programs and Related Trends.
GAO, 2005.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06114.pdf
Examining Gaps in Mathematics Achievement Among Racial-Ethnic Groups, 1972–1992.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG255.pdf
Security Controls on the Access of Foreign Scientists and Engineers to the United States.
CSIS, 2005.
http://www.csis.org/hs/051005_whitepaper.pdf
National Science Foundation Facility Plan.
NSF, 2005.
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf05058/nsf05058.pdf
Climate Change: Federal Reports on Climate Change Funding Should Be Clearer and More Complete.
GAO, 2005.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05461.pdf
Saving America’s Arctic: Dispelling Myths about Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
USPIRG, 2005.
http://uspirg.org/reports/savingamericasarctic.pdf
Somi Seong, Steven W. Popper and Kungang Zheng.
Strategic Choices in Science and Technology: Korea in the Era of a Rising China.
Rand, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG320.pdf
Goodall, Amanda.
Should Top Universities Be Led By Top Researchers and Are They?
Univ. of Warwick, 2005.
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/cheri/wp/cheri_wp82.pdf
Addressing Our Global Water Future.
Sandia Laboratories, 2005.
http://www.csis.org/gsi/050928_gwf.pdf
Integrating Marine Science in Europe.
European Science Foundation, 2005.
http://www.esf.org/publication/146/Marinescience.pdf
High-Performance Government: Structure, Leadership, Incentives.
Rand, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG256/
Modeling in Coastal and Shelf Seas.
ESF, 2005.
http://www.esf.org/publication/201/Modelling.pdf
Initial employment report: physics and astronomy degree recipients 2001 & 2002.
AIP, 2005.
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/reports/emp0102.pdf
Bartis, James T., et al.
Oil Shale Development in the United States: Prospects and Policy Issues.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG414/
RAND Forum on Hydrogen Technology and Policy: A Conference Report.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/publications/CF/CF218/
Brookes, Graham.
GM crops: the global socioeconomic and environmental impact — the first nine years 1996–2004.
PG Economics, Ltd., 2005.
http://www.pgeconomics.co.uk/pdf/globalimpactstudyfinal.pdf
Lewis, Rosalind, et al.
Building a Multinational Global Navigation Satellite System: An Initial Look.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG284/
Japan’s Space Program: A Fork in the Road? by Steven Berner.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/publications/TR/TR184/
Carroll, Stephen J., et al.
Asbestos Litigation.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG162/
Steele, Brett.
Military Reengineering Between the World Wars.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/publications/MG/MG253/
Federal Protection for Human Research Subjects: An Analysis of the Common Rule and Its Interactions with FDA Regulations and the HIPAA Privacy Rule, updated June 2, 2005.
CRS, 2005.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32909.pdf
Tsunamis: Monitoring, Detection, and Early Warning Systems, updated June 1, 2005.
CRS, 2005.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL32739.pdf
Technology Assessment in Congress: History and Legislative Options, updated May 20, 2005.
CRS, 2005.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21586.pdf
Background Paper: R&D and Productivity Growth, June 2005.
CBO, 2005.
http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/64xx/doc6482/06-17-R-D.pdf
Wind Power: Impacts on Wildlife and Government Responsibilities for Regulating Development and Protecting Wildlife.
GAO, 2005.
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05906.pdf
Stimulating Science and Technology in Higher Education: An international comparison of policy measures and their effectiveness.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2005/RAND_MG270.pdf
Gender Differences in Major Federal External Grant Programs.
RAND, 2005.
http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2005/RAND_TR307.pdf
Protecting Biodiversity: A Guide to Criteria Used by Global Conservation Organizations.
Yale University, Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry, 2005.
http://research.yale.edu/gisf/publications/conservation_report.pdf
Water Resources Planning for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11444.html
Review of the Department of Defense Research Program on Low-Level Exposures to Chemical Warfare Agents.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11447.html
Asking the Right Questions About Electronic Voting.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11449.html
John R. La Montagne Memorial Symposium on Pandemic Influenza Research: Meeting Proceedings.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11448.html
Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11289.html
Thinking Strategically: The Appropriate Use of Metrics for the Climate Change Science Program.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11292.html
Earth Science and Applications from Space: Urgent Needs and Opportunities to Serve the Nation.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11281.html
Effects of Nuclear Earth-Penetrator and Other Weapons.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11282.html
Enhancing the Community College Pathway to Engineering Careers (prepublication).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11438.html
Strengthening U.S-Russian Cooperation on Nuclear Nonproliferation.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11302.html
Informed Public Perceptions of Nanotechnology and Trust in Government.
Wilson Center, 2005.
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/news/docs/macoubriereport.pdf
Assessment of the Scientific Information for the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11279.html
Expanding Access to Research Data: Reconciling Risks and Opportunities (prepublication).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11434.html
Integrating Employee Health: A Model Program for NASA.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11290.html
Monitoring at Chemical Agent Disposal Facilities (prepublication).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11431.html
Priorities in Space Science Enabled by Nuclear Power and Propulsion (prepublication) SUMMARY ONLY.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11432.html
Sustainability in the Chemical Industry: Grand Challenges and Research Needs — A Workshop Report (prepublication).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11437.html
Building a Better Delivery System: A New Engineering/Health Care Partnership.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11378.html
Deconstructing the Computer: Report of a Symposium.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11457.html
Educating the Engineer of 2020: Adapting Engineering Education to the New Century.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11338.html
Electronic Brains: Stories from the Dawn of the Computer Age.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11319.html
Engineering Research and America’s Future: Meeting the Challenges of a Global Economy.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11393.html
FORCEnet Implementation Strategy (prepublication).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11456.html
Frontiers of Bioinformatics: Unsolved Problems and Challenges (Sackler NAS Colloquium).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11453.html
Going to Extremes: Meeting the Emerging Demand for Durable Polymer Matrix Composites.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11424.html
An International Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility — Exploring a Russian Site as a Prototype: Proceedings of an International Workshop.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11320.html
Naval Analytical Capabilities: Improving Capabilities-Based Planning.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11455.html
Population, Land Use, and Environment: Research Directions.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11439.html
The Role of Science in Solving the Earth Emerging Water Problems (Sackler NAS Colloquium).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11452.html
Strategic Guidance for the National Science Foundation’s Support of the Atmospheric Sciences: An Interim Report (prepublication).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11454.html
Summary of a Workshop on Using Information Technology to Enhance Disaster Management (prepublication).
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11458.html
Technology Pathways: Assessing the Integrated Plan for a Next Generation Air Transportation System.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11420.html
Improving Breast Imaging Quality Standards.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11308.html
Gulf War and Health: Volume 3. Fuels, Combustion Products, and Propellants.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11180.html
Systematics and the Origin of Species: On Ernst Mayr’s 100th Anniversary.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11310.html
An International Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility — Exploring a Russian Site as a Prototype: Proceedings of an International Workshop.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11320.html
Technology Pathways: Assessing the Integrated Plan for a Next Generation Air Transportation System.
NAP, 2005.
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11420.html
DNA Research
http://dnaresearch.oxfordjournals.org/
Oxford University Press and Kazusa DNA Research Institute are pleased to announce that
the full text of DNA Research is available online. DNA Research
(print ISSN: 1340-2838) is an internationally peer-reviewed journal which aims to
publish the highest quality papers on structures and function of genes and genomes.
Emphasis has been made on the following subjects: 1) Sequencing and mapping of genes
and genomes, 2) Comprehensive analysis of functions of genes and genomes, 3) Techniques
and equipments useful for structural and functional analysis of genes and genomes, 4)
Computer algorithms and/or their applications relevant to structural and functional
analysis of genes and genomes.
The Journal was launched in 1994 by Kazusa DNA Research Institute for publication of fine research in the growing field of genomic research. The online version of the journal was launched in 2000, and the journal has ever since been proud of providing the journal open access. DNA Research continues to provide its online journal open access at a very low author charge.
DNA Research Online contains the full content of each issue of the journal in PDF format beginning with the 1994 issue (Volume 1, Issue 1).
Each issue will be placed online approximately on the date it is mailed to subscribers; therefore the online site will be available prior to receipt of your paper copy. The 2005 issue (Volume 12, Issue 2) is the latest issue online. Online readers may want to sign up for the eTOC (electronic Table of Contents) service, which will deliver each new issue’s table of contents via email. The web site also provides access to information about the journal (such as Instructions to Authors, the Editorial Board, and subscription information).
Directory of Persecuted Scientists, Engineers, and Health Professionals, 10th edition
http://shr.aaas.org/dpsehp/dir.pdf
Grim reading.
2005 Nobel Prizes
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/99nobel1.html
2005 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge
http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/vis2005/
“Capturing the essence of a scientific idea through accurate and handsome visuals
is critical to the communication of research results and phenomena. Nine masters of this
art have been honored in the 2005 Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge,
sponsored jointly by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Science/AAAS. The winning
entries in illustration, information graphics, photography, interactive and
non-interactive media were shown in the 23 September issue of Science and may be seen
online.” (From AAAS Newsletter)
The River Returns
http://www.TheRiverReturns.org/
An in-depth, educational web documentary about Florida’s St. Johns River
was launched to help educate state residents about the 310-mile river system,
threats to its watershed and efforts to protect the historic river.
The web production takes site visitors on a photo-documentary journey to learn about scientists monitoring the river’s health, river-side farmers growing crops that require less fertilizer, citizens promoting landscaping with native plants, and even a biologist monitoring a lone whooping crane that has taken up residence in the St. Johns River’s headwaters. The site also includes multi-media stories introducing people like Adam Delaney, a bass fishing guide who helps others catch the river’s legendary largemouth bass, and Wayne Hartley, a park ranger who has been monitoring manatees at Blue Spring State Park for 25 years.
TheRiverReturns.org, is a companion to the High Definition television documentary “Water’s Journey: The River Returns,” which begins airing this month on public television stations in Florida and throughout the nation.
TheRiverReturns.org film and web documentaries were produced with support from the St. Johns River Water Management District, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Florida Department of Education.
Electronic Biologia Centrali-Americana
http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/bca/
Between 1879 and 1915, two editors published a series they called Biología
Centrali-Americana, a catalog of the plants and animals of Mexico and Central
America. With over 50,000 descriptions and 18,000 images, this astonishing work
“contained nearly everything known” of the region’s biodiversity
at the time of its publication. Did we mention it weighed in at 63 volumes? Only
eight libraries hold the entire set, and, some time ago, it slipped out of print.
However, The Smithsonian and London’s Natural History Museum (among others)
have been hard at work to rectify that sad state of affairs. Over the past years,
they’ve uploaded much of the series’ biological volumes to the Web.
Because of their labors, we can now spend all the time we want hanging out with
the mammals, swimming with the fishes, and sniffing the flowers of
turn-of-the-century Mesoamerica. (From Yahoo’s Picks of the Week)
Nature’s Revenge: Louisiana’s Vanishing Wetlands
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/wetlands/
“Every year, a chunk of land almost the size of Manhattan turns into open
water in Louisiana.” This 2002 American RadioWorks series looks at “one
of the worst and least-publicized environmental disasters in America’s
history.” Discusses warnings by activists and environmentalists, ideas to
save the wetlands (including flooding the area with water from the Mississippi
River), and hurricane risk for New Orleans. Includes audio and transcripts from the
program. (From Librarian’s Index to the Internet)
Events in Science
http://www.nsta.org/main/calendar/event_detail.php?event_ID=3592
NSTA provides this calender of coming events for teachers of science. Events are
drawn from all sources and can be accessed by subject, region, etc.
SPIR: Science Program Improvement Review
http://www.nsta.org/spir
NSTA is proud to launch a new professional development initiative that is available
to help teachers and administrators assess — then strengthen — the
science instruction being provided to their students. The NSTA Science Program
Improvement Review (SPIR) is a standards-based strategy that culminates in a
comprehensive written assessment of a school’s or district’s science
instructional program as well as recommendations for improvement and advancement as
needed.
NSTA’s SPIR program is designed to assess a school’s complete science instructional program across all grade levels. NSTA-trained and certified SPIR reviewers will work with the school’s or district’s teachers and administrators to align the science instruction more closely with state and national science standards for teaching, professional development, assessment, content, and program. The first SPIR review teams are heading into school districts across the country this fall.
Science Education & You
http://sciencedems.house.gov/resources/science_education.htm
The US House of Representatives Science Committee has a link on their web site
titled “Science Education and You,” which can help teachers (and
students) access federal science and mathematics resources.
Model lesson plans organized by grade level and other resources from the Department of Energy, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Environmental Protection Agency can be found at the site. Students will find links that allow them to ask scientists questions.
U.S. Civil Engineering Schools
http://www.enr.com/features/education/archives/021021c.asp
This table, presented by ENR, is “not a ranking of civil engineering schools.
It is an informational tool for students and others to use in learning more about
and comparing these programs. Civil engineering (CE) programs within colleges and
universities are grouped geographically by standard zones of the American Society
of Civil Engineers and are listed alphabeticallly.” Tables include information
on tuition costs, enrollment and faculty.
Students Launch Satellite
http://sseti.gte.tuwien.ac.at/WSW4/
“A microsatellite built largely from donated parts in university workshops
across Europe is just over one week from launch. It is the first in a trio of
student-built spacecraft that will ultimately reach for the Moon. It took only 18
months for more than 400 students — spread across 23 universities and 12
countries — to design and build the SSETI Express spacecraft. Set to launch
from Russia’s Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Sept. 30, the project is part an
education effort by the European Space Agency (ESA) to boost student interest in
space technology and offer some hands-on experience.” (by Tariq Malik)
Renewable Energy Policy Project
http://www.crest.org/
Established in 1995 with funding from the Energy Foundation and the Department of
Energy, the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) has spent the past decade
educating the general public about renewable energies. This is accomplished by
providing competent and rigorous policy analysis about the myriad of issues
surrounding the viability and sustainability of such energy sources. Visitors to
the site’s homepage will find clickable icons (such as those depicting wind,
solar, and hydrogen), and they can discover the variety of resources associated
with each type of renewable energy source. These resources generally include a
brief description of the REPP’s work in each field, along with links to some
of their more recent working papers and policy briefs. For persons who hope to join
the discussion about some of these timely topics, the site also maintains a number
of relevant listservs, such as those dealing with bioconversion and strawbale
conversion. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
The Patent Room
http://www.patentroom.com/
Here at Picks, we salute the madcap inventor, the wild-eyed professor, and the gleeful
geek with a get-rich-quick gleam in his eye. So it should come as no surprise that we
peeked behind the door of the Patent Room with great anticipation. We weren’t
disappointed. This site pays tribute to the dreams and labors of early-20th-century
industrial designers through drawings culled from the U.S. Patent Office archives. We
particularly loved the architectural marvels: the corn cob diner, the refreshment
stand flanked by two gigantic ice-cream cones, a gas station’s swooping googie
design. From the Official Rex Mars Planet Patrol Atomic Pistol to a 1957 amphibious
automobile, from a boy Bunny Tot doll to a self-righting signal torch, these images
run the gamut from lovely to ludicrous. But they all shine with an entrepreneurial
gloss that manages to be entirely charming. (From Yahoo’s Picks of the Week)
Geologic Time: The Story of a Changing Earth
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/paleo/geotime/main/index.html
It’s hard imagining how one could fit the entirety of geologic time onto one
website, but the staff members of the department of paleobiology at the Smithsonian
National Museum of Natural History have done an excellent job with this site. The
intent of the site is to provide an interactive timeline of geological history,
beginning with the Hadean eon and proceeding all the way to the current day. After a
compelling introductory section, visitors are led into the elegant timeline interface
which allows them to explore the site’s primary contents. Using a drag tool,
visitors can move around the span of the different geological eons, eras, periods,
and epochs in a direct fashion. Clicking on each of the icons within each division of
time brings up a brief overview of each segment, along with a map of each period,
complete with various renderings of the conditions that existed on the Earth at the
time. Visitors will also appreciate the “Foundational Concepts” area,
which provides a foundation for understanding the nature of geology, such as the
importance of different dating methods and earth processes. Overall, this site is
extraordinarily helpful, both for the general public and for more seasoned amateur
geologists. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Investigate Climate Change
http://www.exploratorium.edu/climate/
See how physicists, meteorologists, and biologists study weather and climate. Even
small changes in the average temperature of the earth could have major effects,
including an increase in the strength of storms like hurricanes and typhoons. Learn
about the interconnected systems that affect the weather—and the role human
activity plays in changing global climate—by visiting the Exploratorium’s
Global Climate Change: Research Explorer Web site.
Mystery of the Megaflood
http://www.pbs.org/nova/megaflood/
One of the Earth’s strangest geological riddles is the evidence for a
huge catastrophe that struck eastern Washington State thousands of years ago. It
took scientists decades to figure out that a colossal flood had carved out bizarre
landscape features strewn across thousands of square miles. On “Mystery of
the Megaflood,” NOVA gets to the bottom of what created this compelling
detective story. The program features a dogged geologist sticking to his bold
theory for decades despite virtual professional banishment. Eventually, other
geologists joined his cause and filled in the intricate details, which NOVA
recreates in stunning computer animation to show what may be one of the most
spectacular series of events ever to occur on our planet.
Google Earth Hurricane Katrina Images
http://earth.google.com/hurricane.html
Fascinating and grim images.
Realclimate.org
http://www.realclimate.org/
“RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate
scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick
response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in
mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics
and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the
science.”
Kung Fu Science
http://www.kungfuscience.org/
In a feat as daring as Jackie Chan fending off multiple attackers with a single
kick, this site explores the physics behind the iron fist of Kung Fu. But this
isn’t some late-night chopsocky with wires and gags. This is the real deal,
where scientific theorems and slow-motion sports videos document and examine a
martial artist’s lightning-fast arm — and a newcomer’s attempt
to emulate him. Chris, a Kung Fu expert with a fondness for breaking concrete
blocks, meets Michelle, a scientist at the Institute of Physics. They join
forces to see if Michelle, who is still learning Kung Fu, can break three pieces
of pine board with her bare hand. Before making the attempt, Michelle draws on
her knowledge of Newton’s Laws. We won’t tell you if she succeeds,
but we promise you’ll enjoy finding out. (From Yahoo’s Picks of the Week)
Origins
http://www.pbs.org/nova/origins
“Has the universe always existed? How did it become a place that could
harbor life? Are we alone, or are there alien worlds waiting to be discovered?
NOVA presents some startling new answers in ‘Origins,’ a groundbreaking
four-part miniseries hosted by Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and
Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. The
series investigates new clues from the frontiers of science as Tyson guides viewers
on a cosmic journey to the beginning of time and to the depths of space, searching
for life’s first stirrings and its traces on other worlds.
Here’s what you’ll find on the companion Web site:
Inquiry, Interviews, and More
10th “planet” discovery creates excitement and debate
http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=29569
Bid to solve dispute over planets
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4273424.stm
“10th” Planet has moon companion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4304048.stm
Information on the telescope used to discover Xena and Gabrielle
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/palomarnew/sot.html
Discovery of Xena’s moon
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/moon/index.html
Discovery of 2003 UB313 the 10th Planet
http://www.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/planetlila/
International Astronomical Union
http://www.iau.org/
Kuiper Belt page
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/faculty/jewitt/kb.html
The newly discovered “planet” 2003 UB313, otherwise known as Xena,
now has a companion in the solar system. Originally spotted in 2003, Xena was not
officially announced until July of 2005. On the heels of the publication of
Xena’s existence, comes the revelation that Xena has a moon, named
Gabrielle. The names Xena and Gabrielle are only temporary, used by some
astronomers because they are simpler to remember than names such as 2003
UB313. To decide the official name, the International Astronomical Union
(IAU) must first decide if Xena is in fact a planet, then they will decide
if the discoverers’ proposed name will be used. The astronomers who
discovered both Xena and Gabrielle cannot reveal their proposed name, so
until then the nicknames will have to suffice. Xena was found in the Kuiper
Belt, which is a huge region of icy planetary bodies that orbit beyond
Neptune in the distant region of the solar system. The discovery of this
new planet and its moon has reignited the debate about what properties an
object must possess in order to be classed as a planet. Prior to this newest
discovery, Pluto’s status as a planet was already in question by some
astronomers. But while Pluto rests on 100 years of history as a planet,
newly discovered bodies are not so easily defined. Until the IAU can agree
on a definition of a planet, Pluto will continue to hang on tenuously to its
status as one of nine planets, and its mnemonic device, My Very Excellent
Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas, will remain as well. While the public
awaits the final definition of what constitutes a planet, both school
children and adults alike can rest easy and will not yet have to ponder what
else our excellent mother will send us.
The first link takes users to the announcement of the discovery of Xena in August made in the Yale Daily News. The second link takes the user to an article from the BBC further discussing the planetary debate. The third link is a BBC article that includes this week’s announcement about Xena’s moon. For further knowledge about the astronomers and telescope involved with these two discoveries, among others, the fourth link will take the user to their website. The fifth and sixth link will take the user directly to the discovering astronomers’ website for the announcements about the new moon, Xena, and information on the progress of the IAU. If you are interested in the IAU, the seventh link will take you to their website. And finally the last link will take you to a website dedicated to providing more information on the Kuiper Belt and the icy bodies that make up this far region of our solar system. [CMH] (From the Scout Report)
Einstein’s Big Idea
http://www.pbs.org/nova/einstein/
Exactly 100 years ago, Albert Einstein grappled with the implications of his
revolutionary special theory of relativity and came to a startling conclusion:
mass and energy are one, related by the formula E = mc2. In
“Einstein’s Big Idea,” NOVA dramatizes the remarkable story
behind this equation. Based on David Bodanis’s bestselling book E = mc2:
A Biography of the World’s Most Famous Equation, the program explores the
lives of the men and women who helped develop the concepts behind each term in
the equation: E for energy; m for mass; c for the speed of light; and 2 for
“squared,” the multiplication of one number by itself. Like a
multi-plot novel building to a climactic scene, “Einstein’s Big
Idea” traces the stories of a fascinating range of characters.
MindZone
http://www.copecaredeal.org/
“As incidences of mental health problems among teenagers increase, it is
important to make the general public aware of what resources are available
to help these individuals (and those who care about them) with such issues.
The MindZone site is sponsored by the Annenberg Foundation Trust at
Sunnylands with support from the Annenberg Public Policy of the University
of Pennsylvania. The site itself is divided into three separate sections:
Cope, Care, and Deal. Within each section, users can take quizzes about
mental health and learn about how to explore the feelings associated with
depressions, suicide, and a number of other conditions. In the MindZone
Machine area, users can learn about different anxiety orders and get answers
to frequently asked questions. Finally, the site is rounded out by an Ask
the Expert area, where visitors can find thoughtful responses to such
queries as: ‘Do people with schizophrenia have multiple personalities?’.”
[KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Ancient Architects of the Mississippi
http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/feature/feature.htm
Several thousands of years ago in the lower Mississippi River Delta, Native
Americans began constructing mounds to bury the dead. For the next fifteen
centuries, these various groups would build what may be called the first
dense urban settlements in what would later become the United States. Today
some of these former settlements and earthworks are overseen by the National
Park Service, which has seen fit to create this website to provide
information to the general public. Here visitors can review information
about these settlements, view a timeline of related events, and learn about
the complex nature of trade within and among these communities. The site
also has a “Delta Voices” section, which contains some brief quotations from
early explorers who traversed the area, along with comments from Native
Americans and perspectives from contemporary archaeologists and scholars.
[KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Interactive Dig Sagalassos: City in the Clouds
http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/sagalassos/index.html
At the beginning of the 18th century, Sagalassos, City in the Clouds, was
discovered in Turkey. Upon first seeing the ruined city, Paul Lucas, on a
mission for Louis XIV, described the ruined city as someplace once inhabited
by fairies. Over a century later, the preserved ruins of Sagalassos were
considered indispensable by students of antiquity, and in modern times, the
site has been excavated extensively by a team of scholars from the Catholic
University of Leuven. This site is designed by the good people at
Archaeology Magazine for people interested in the site who cannot make it to
Turkey themselves. On the site, visitors can read field reports from the
different areas of the site (such as the Roman baths located there), look at
the “Find Of Week” item, and learn about the daily life in and around the
camp. Additionally, visitors would do well to consult the map of the
excavation site in order to accurately gauge their bearings within the
ancient city and Turkey. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Eternity Travel
http://www.mos.org/quest/et/
There are a number of novel and intriguing ways to present information via
the web, and the Museum of Science in Boston has struck on one with this
rather fine site. With the intent of introducing interested parties to the
world of funerary practices in ancient Egypt, the site allows visitors to
spend 3300 debens (an unit of currency from that period) on selecting their
own tomb, mummification, mummy case, and “extras” (such as an amulet or a
statuette). Visitors begin by reading a welcome statement about this
process, and they can add items to their shopping cart, all the while
learning about this fascinating aspect of world history. Of course, visitors
can also click on a number of hypertext links embedded within the item
descriptions to learn more such topics as the benefits of selecting a
shallow urban grave or a canopic jar. [KMG] (From the Scout Report)
Ice Mummies: Frozen in Heaven
http://www.pbs.org/nova/icemummies/
“Ice Mummies: Frozen in Heaven”, a companion site to the NOVA program, is the bizarre and fascinating story
of the remains of Inca culture, frozen for posterity high in the
mountains of the Andes. Evidence has emerged of sacrifice to the
mountain gods, whose existence dominated the civilization over 500
years ago. The film traces the frozen bodies of children uncovered
by archaeologists in South America, and follows an archaeological
expedition to a high-altitude sacred site in search of ritual
remains and another body. How did they come to be there? Why did
they go to their deaths willingly? What was the religious
framework that dictated their sacrifice to fierce gods?
PASt Explorers
http://www.pastexplorers.org.uk/
A database cataloguing rubbish dropped down the toilet, what to do if you find
buried treasure and a guide to the sixth century village of West Mucking, are
all featured on the latest website set up by the Museums Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA). The MLA’s Portable Antiquities Scheme, which is in charge
of the service, provides advice and online simulations as well as the archaeology
database through the website.
The database records objects which are found by members of the public and brought to a local finds liaison officer. The system holds pictures, the location and a description of the object. Features on the PAStexporers site include:
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PANEL WARNS U.S. NOT KEEPING PACE IN SCIENCE
http://news.com.com/2100-11395_3-5894854.html
A new report says that the United States stands to lose its leading
position in science and research unless efforts are made to strengthen
support for educational and other scientific programs. The panel that
wrote the report was convened by the National Academies and included
representatives from corporations and higher education, as well as
Nobel laureates and former presidential appointees. The panel pointed
to the narrowing scientific gap between the United States and countries
such as China and India; recent results showing declining performance
among U.S. students in science and math compared with students around
the world; and economic factors that work against U.S. scientific
interests. Among the report’s recommendations are funding scholarships
to support 10,000 students annually to pursue careers in teaching math
and science; allocating money for 30,000 students per year to study
science, math, and engineering; and relaxing visa regulations to allow
international students to find employment in the United States after
they graduate.
CNET, 13 October 2005 (via Edupage).
REPORT ADDRESSES SUSTAINABILITY OF DATABASES
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/13/digital
A new report from a National Science Board task force calls on the
federal government to implement a clear and focused strategy to ensure
that growing collections of information in databases remain accessible
and easy to use in the coming years. The report argues that the
National Science Foundation (NSF), which has financed many
technological developments in recent years, has not crafted policies
and strategies that consider and address the range of technologies for
storing data. The report praises the improvements that have been made
to systems that collect various types of material in digital form and
make those materials widely available online, but it says the need is
“urgent” for a strategy to guarantee the viability of those materials.
The concern, according to the report, is that as technology platforms
continue to evolve, some digital content could be left in the lurch,
unable to be accessed by newer systems. The report makes a number of
recommendations for the NSF, including coordinating efforts between
data storage and users of those data, promoting effective training, and
supporting efforts to educate “a sufficient number of high-quality data
scientists” to manage such systems.
Inside Higher Ed, 13 October 2005 (via Edupage).
NSF GIVES PEEK AT PLANS TO OVERHAUL INTERNET
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/29/technology/29internet.html
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has given a glimpse of a proposed
initiative to redesign the Internet. Though short on details and
currently without funding, the project, called the Global Environment
for Networking Investigations, is intended to take a clean-slate
approach to designing a new Internet, one that addresses some of the
major shortcomings of the current Internet, including security and the
growing numbers of individual devices that connect to the network.
Increasing transfer speeds is not one of the project’s goals. Leonard
Kleinrock, computer scientist at UCLA and one of the developers of
Arpanet, precursor to the current Internet, noted that early developers
of the Internet did not anticipate its current reach and had no reason
to include security as a primary concern. In addition, the network was
not designed to accommodate the vast numbers of mobile and wireless
devices, as well as remote sensors, that now vie for Internet space.
The NSF is seeking participation from other government agencies and
from other countries for the project.
New York Times, 29 August 2005 (registration req’d) via Edupage.
TERAGRID TO RECEIVE $150 MILLION FROM NSF
http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/08/2005081901t.htm
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced that over the next
five years it will provide an additional $150 million to the TeraGrid,
beyond the $98 million it has already spent on the project. The
TeraGrid, which came online in late 2004, is a coordinated system of
computing devices, storage capacity, and databases at eight member
institutions linked by a high-speed network. John R. Boisseau, director
of the Texas Advanced Computing Center, one of the member institutions,
said the TeraGrid is “providing a whole fabric for computational
science.” Scientists at member institutions have access to more than 40
teraflops of processing power and can move enormous amounts of data
across the network in relatively little time. Arden L. Bement Jr.,
director of the NSF, said the complex scientific problems that the
TeraGrid is helping to solve are a key factor in “the development of
the next generation of cyberinfrastructure.”
Chronicle of Higher Education, 19 August 2005 (sub. req’d)via Edupage.
EC PROPOSES INCREASED SPENDING ON RESEARCH
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/12883018.htm
The European Commission has called for increased research spending at
universities and other research organizations, saying that Europe is
lagging behind the United States and Japan in such spending. According
to the proposal, spending on research should climb to 3 percent of GDP
by 2010, up from 1.9 percent in 2003. The report noted that U.S.
spending was 2.59 percent and that Japan spent 3.15 percent of GDP. The
report also cautions that countries such as China could surpass Europe
in research spending as a percentage of GDP, saying that increases in
research spending result in direct increases in GDP. Under the
proposal, which must be approved by European governments, more money
would be devoted to academic research projects and to partnerships
between industry and universities. Guenter Verheugen, EU industry
commissioner, said, “Every cent which goes into innovation and research
is a cent invested in jobs, growth and hence, our future.”
San Jose Mercury News, 12 October 2005 (via Edupage)
(Report available from
Cordis News)
PENN STATE DEBUTS P2P FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES
http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/09/2005092001t.htm
A new application developed at Pennsylvania State University at
University Park puts P2P technology to use in academic pursuits. Funded
in part by a $1.1 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation,
LionShare allows users to search for and access files on other users’
computers, similar to P2P applications that have opened the door to a
wide range of copyright violations. LionShare, in contrast, is designed
for academic purposes, including sharing very large files and other
educational materials among approved users. For example, faculty can
restrict usage to students registered in their classes. In addition,
users can attach keywords and other metadata to files, making them
easier to locate and organize. Pilot tests of LionShare have been
successful. Michael J. Halm, senior strategist for Penn State’s
Teaching and Working With Technology office, said that in courses where
LionShare was used, although faculty are driving the usage of the tool,
students have said they would “definitely use it too” in classes where
it was available. The application will be available free from Penn State.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 September 2005 (sub. req’d)(via Edupage)
INFORMATION LITERACY TEST NOW FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
http://chronicle.com/daily/2005/09/2005092002t.htm
After recently releasing an information literacy test geared toward
college juniors, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) will begin pilot
tests of a similar exam designed for seniors in high school. The new
test will give colleges and universities a tool for assessing the
technology skills of entering freshman, helping make determinations
about whether students are prepared for the technology aspects of
college-level work. The junior-level exam has been praised by officials
at several campuses that have adopted it, including Ilene F. Rockman of
the California State University System. She said the test has shown
broad deficiencies in technology skills among students. “[S]tudents may
know how to surf the Web, they may know how to download music and send
e-mail,” said Rockman, “but that does not mean they know how to analyze
information.” Pilot testing of the new exam will begin in January.
Until enough data have been gathered to establish a baseline for
scoring the exam, participating colleges will receive aggregated
scores. Individuals’ scores are expected within a year or so.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 20 September 2005 (sub. req’d)(via Edupage)
SCOTLAND READY TO IMPLEMENT INTRANET FOR ALL SCHOOLS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4268654.stm
Education officials said the final piece of the Scottish Schools
Digital Network—an intranet connecting 800,000 students and teachers
in the country—is ready to be implemented. Education Minister Peter
Peacock said that the country has been building infrastructure for some
time, including “a large-scale broadband network linking all 32 local
councils and a content delivery network providing access to ‘rich’
media such as video and audio clips.” The intranet, which is expected
to go online by early 2007, is said to be the first of its kind
anywhere in the world. It will provide students and teachers with
access to a wide range of educational resources from any computer,
allowing students “to do more meaningful work at home” and parents “to
take a much more active role in their children’s learning,” according
to Peacock. The system will also include tools for sharing ideas,
developing online communities, and facilitating audio or video conferences.
BBC, 21 September 2005 (via Edupage)
YAHOO ANNOUNCES BOOK-SCANNING PROJECT
http://chronicle.com/free/2005/10/2005100301t.htm
Yahoo has announced a plan to scan large collections of texts into an
online digital archive, though officials said their approach differs in
important ways from Google’s similar venture, which has drawn
extensive criticism and legal action. Yahoo’s initiative, called the
Open Content Alliance (OCA), represents a partnership with the
University of California, the University of Toronto, the Internet
Archive, and several other companies and organizations. Unlike
Google’s project, they will not scan any copyrighted work without
explicit permission. Organizers of the project said the goal is to
digitize and make freely available as much of what is in the public
domain as possible. In addition, the archive will not be restricted to
users of Yahoo. David Mandelbrot, Yahoo’s vice president for search
content, said the texts will be online in such a way that other search
engines will be able to locate them. Much of the scanning for the OCA
will be done by the Internet Archive, which has already been working
with the University of Toronto on scanning several thousand books in
its collection.
Chronicle of Higher Education, 3 October 2005 (via Edupage)
LAMS FOUNDATION LAUNCHES COMMUNITY WEB SITE
http://www.lamsfoundation.org/news/lamscomm.html
The Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) Foundation has announced
the launch of a new Web site that will allow what it calls “open source
teaching,” in which educators can share and modify digital lesson
plans. The LAMS Community Web site is based on the .LRN open source
platform, developed at MIT. Using the LAMS Community Web site, teachers
can search through various subset communities, looking for sequences of
learning activities particular to their field. Available communities
will initially include developers, technical support, and education,
which will offer subcommunities for K-12, higher education and
training, and research and development. New communities can be added
later, such as a community focused on math teachers in the Boston area.
The Web site will allow teachers to share their own learning sequences,
access others’ sequences, rate them, and discuss them. All of the
content will be used under Creative Commons licenses.
LAMS Foundation, 30 September 2005 (via Edupage)
IRELAND AND U.K. TO COOPERATE ON E-LEARNING
http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single5459
Education officials in the United Kingdom and Ireland have signed an
agreement to work together in support of an initiative called the
National Digital Repository, which is designed to support higher
education e-learning. The repository, which started in January 2005, is
to be a collection of components of higher education courses, allowing
users to develop online courses in various fields by picking and
choosing from among those components. Components can include images,
multimedia clips, text, maps, and other elements that can support
online learning. The repository is currently funded by the Irish Higher
Education Authority (HEA) and the Department of Education and Science.
Under the agreement between the HEA and the United Kingdom’s Joint
Information Services Committee, the two countries will cooperate “in
building a technology infrastructure that provides lifelong access to
programs of study for learners in a manner that is flexible and
convenient to their particular life circumstances,” according to Tom
Boland, chief executive of the HEA.
Silicon Republic, 29 September 2005 (via Edupage)
FAB LABS ALLOW CREATION, NOT JUST CONSUMPTION
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4276180.stm
With the help of host countries, MIT is setting up Fab Labs, or
fabrication laboratories, around the world. Fab Labs provide an
opportunity for individuals to use various technological means to build
things that solve local problems. For example, Haakon Karlsen, a
rancher who lives hundreds of miles north of the Artic Circle, used a
Fab Lab in Norway to devise radio collars for his sheep. The collars
help Karlsen locate his sheep in the conditions where he lives, and
they send information about whether the flock is moving, what the
temperature is, and other data he uses to care for the sheep. Neil
Gershenfeld, professor at MIT and director of the university’s Center
for Bits and Atoms, said the labs take people out of the role of simply
being consumers of technology that is available and puts them in the
position of creating the technology they need. For each Fab Lab, MIT
pays for equipment, and the host country provides the location for the
lab. Officials in South Africa are currently working to introduce not
one but four Fab Labs in that country, starting with one just outside
Pretoria. Sushil Borde, who is directing the development of Fab Labs in
South Africa, said the country hopes the labs will open new avenues for
engineers and entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into tangible products.
BBC, 27 September 2005 (via Edupage)
REPORT PREDICTS HIGHER IT SPENDING IN EDUCATION
http://www.fcw.com/article90778-09-13-05-Web
A new report from research firm Input forecasts rises in state and
local spending for IT in education, but only after several more lean
years. The report suggests that spending is not likely to increase
significantly until 2008, after which education IT could see healthy
investment at the state and local levels. Such growth will depend,
however, on reining in costs for health care, said James Krouse, author
of the report. “For many years now,” he said, “health care has picked
the pocket of education budget.” The problem affects K-12 education
more than higher education because colleges and universities typically
rely less on public funds and can turn to tuition and fees to meet
tight budgets. Overall, Krouse said, it will be a very tough market for
the next few years, with “a somewhat…rosy horizon.”
Federal Computer Week, 13 September 2005 (via Edupage)
SOUND OF KEYBOARD CLICKS REVEALS WHAT IS TYPED
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-5865318.html
Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have
demonstrated that an audio recording of someone typing on a computer
keyboard can reveal with surprising accuracy exactly what they have
typed. Using commercially available recording equipment, the
researchers captured audio of typing and analyzed the sounds using an
algorithm they developed. Because keys make different sounds, the
system is able to make educated guesses about what key was pressed in
what order. The application then applies some linguistic logic,
including spelling and grammar checks, to refine the results. After
three rounds of revisions, the application was able to identify 96
percent of the individual characters typed and 88 percent of the words.
The application was effective even with background noise, such as music
or cell phones ringing. Doug Tygar, UC Berkeley professor of computer
science and information management and a principal investigator of the
study, said the project should raise concerns about the security risks
of such a technology. “If we were able to figure this out,” he said,
“it’s likely that people with less honorable intentions can—or
have—as well.”
ZDNet, 14 September 2005 (via Edupage)
NSF GRANT FUNDS STUDY OF ELECTRONIC VOTING
http://washingtontimes.com/upi/20050817-124413-4457r.htm
A team of researchers will use a five-year, $7.5 million grant from the
National Science Foundation (NSF) to study electronic voting. The grant
will support a research center called ACCURATE, A Center for Correct,
Usable, Reliable, Auditable, and Transparent Elections. Based at Johns
Hopkins University, the center includes researchers from the University
of California, Berkeley; Stanford University; Rice University; the
University of Iowa; and California-based research firm SRI
International. According to Dan Wallach, associate professor of
computer science at Rice, “The basic question is, ’How can we employ
computer systems as trustworthy election systems when we know computers
are not totally reliable, totally secure, or bug-free?’” The ACCURATE
project is expected to produce technical standards for electronic
voting and to develop secure voting systems that are easy to use.
Washington Times, 17 August 2005 (via Edupage)
Author’s Guild Sues Google
http://www.authorsguild.org/news/sues_google_citing.htm
The Authors Guild, a group that represents 8000 US authors, filed a class action
lawsuit against Google Inc. in an attempt to ask for damages and an injunction
that will prevent the company from continuing their very ambitious digitization
project which began in earnest around one year ago.
The Gettysburg PowerPoint Presentation 11/19/1863
http://www.norvig.com/Gettysburg/
The Gettysburg Address, reinterpreted in Microsoft Powerpoint. This garish
presentation is replete with meaningless graphs, mind-numbing bullet points,
and a list of “Key Objectives.” From a computer scientist with a
sense of humor. (From Librarian’s Index to the Internet)
Remember … friends don’t let friends use PowerPoint …
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