IPv6: The Next Generation Internet!
Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) is a new standard that will gradually replace the aging IPv4. Spurred by problems with the previous version, its development has the advantage of assigning each device connected to the Internet with its own unique address, as well as several other features. This site is an information page with plenty of resources and links for people to learn about the new protocol and how the transition between IPv4 and IPv6 will occur. A list of applications already using IP
Chasing Storms: Storm Photo Gallery and Case Study Page
John Monteverdi created this website to educate and entertain visitors in the science of storm chasing. Online storm journals for Spring Storm Chases from 1994 to the present take visitors through the life of a storm chaser. Throughout his discussions, the author provides weather charts and satellite images to assist visitors with the weather-related concepts. The site contains countless pictures of tornadoes and the destruction they leave behind. Although some of the amazing images take a few m
Seaworld: Water
An educational lesson plan entitled Water is offered by the Seaworld teacher resources Web site. Objectives of the unit include having students identify the three phases of water, discuss the hydrologic cycle, describe the structure of the water molecule and the properties of water, explain ocean currents, and more. The well designed lesson allows students to study various topics by reading provided text and completing the activities described such as measuring salt content in water and estimati
Top500 Supercomputer Sites
Twice a year, the Top500 Project releases a list of the 500 sites with the most powerful supercomputers. The purpose of the list is "to provide a reliable basis for tracking and detecting trends in high-performance computing." The latest version was unveiled in June, and this site examines some of the most important developments and newcomers to the list. Most important is the recently constructed Earth Simulator in Japan, which was rated almost five times more powerful than second place. Additi
Capsule Pipelines
Capsule pipelines are a kind of tube transportation that uses hydraulics or pneumatics as a means of propulsion. This topic is somewhat ambiguous, because capsule pipelines are not widely used and several definitions exist. This site attempts to clarify what they are and explains their potential as a viable, or even superior, form of transportation. It briefly gives some history of capsule pipeline use and describes how they can be used in modern society. An overview of the technology that drive
Numerical Recipes: Books On-Line
Three complete textbooks are provided on this site. They cover numerical methods, applications, and data analysis in the C, Fortran 77, and Fortran 90 programming languages. Each book is structured in nearly the same way, with similar chapters and topic arrangement. The only feature missing from the online version of these books is the sample source code. There are some restrictions on permitted use of these books; users should read the disclaimer at the bottom of the Web page.
Captology: Computers as Persuasive Technologies
"The Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab creates insight into how computing products -- from websites to mobile phone software -- can be designed to change what people believe and what they do." This unusual field of study is called captology, and the subject is explored in detail on the lab's homepage. The Key Concepts section provides a brief overview of captology and links to another page with nine topic papers published by researchers at the lab. In a series of examples demonstrating how comp
The New York Botanical Garden: International Plant Science Center
In "combining modern technologies with a century of field and laboratory research," the New York Botanical Garden's International Plant Science Center "is one of the few institutions worldwide with the resources, collections, and expertise to develop the information needed to understand and manage plant diversity." This website grants considerable access to resources from the Center, including numerous plant databases, digitized rare botanical books, online access to the herbarium collections, a
NIHSeniorHealth Health Information for Older Adults
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the National Library of Medicine recently launched NIHSeniorHealth.gov, a website developed from NIA research on older adults, cognitive aging, and computer usage. This easy-to-use website "makes aging-related health information easily accessible for adults 60 and older" and serves as "a useful tool for family members and friends who are seeking online health information for their older relatives." Topics covered include Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, e
Oil, Out of Control
Oil, Out of Control is an in-depth Whyfiles story that follows from news coverage of an oil spill off Spain's northwest coast in 2002. This Web site offers a straight look at the issues surrounding this and other famous oil spills, particularly that of the Exxon Valdez off Prince William Sound in 1992. The authors make clear the allegiances of people quoted in the story, while clearly explaining both the science and politics of oil spills and cleanup efforts. The Web site also features a news re
Interactive Investigator
Interactive Investigator, available through Virtual Museum Canada, is a website "for anyone with an interest in the different scientific methods used to solve crimes." Users will find a database of forensic science, containing short but informative essays on forensic entomology, toxicology, alcohol analysis, and various other forensic science topics. A simple timeline reviews key dates in the development of forensics, starting with the creation of the Paris Institute for Forensic Science in 1868
GenePath: An Intelligent Assistant to the Discovery of Genetic Pathways
The Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia present an improved, second version of GenePath, a "web-enabled intelligent assistant for the analysis of genetic data and for discovery of genetic networks." GenePath automates the complex process of determining gene interrelationships and users may download existing projects or start new ones from scratch. The website also provides a very detailed, nicely-designed guide to running GenePath, available as a sep
Online Shuttle Press Kit
The Online Shuttle Press Kit is a collaborative effort between NASA, the United Space Alliance, and Boeing. The large collection of documents contains information about many space shuttle missions, both for previous flights as well as ones that are scheduled. The material is very complete and describes virtually every aspect of the missions. Details on the main objectives, crewmembers, scheduled launch date and location, spacewalks, shuttle payload, and scientific experiments are all presented.
Patterns of Gene Expression in Drosophila Embryogenesis
A new image database of gene expression patterns in Drosophila embryogenesis is now available from the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP), a consortium of the Drosophila Genome Center. The BDGP team used "high throughput 96-well plate RNA in situ protocol to determine patterns of gene expression during embryogenesis for Drosophila genes represented in non-redundant sets of Drosophila ESTs DGC1 and DGC2." The entire set of image, microarray, and annotation data may be browsed or searched f
The TOPEX/ Poseidon Kids Page
In an effort to disseminate information from the TOPEX/ Poseidon satellite project, the Center for Space Research and the Texas Space Grant Consortium have developed the TOPEX/ Poseidon Kids Page. This online activity for younger students explains through simple descriptions and fun illustrations how the satellite measures the height of the ocean. Additional pages include an online quiz, a downloadable coloring book, an Ask a Scientist section, and other relevant facts and information.
IPGRI: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
This website is the homepage of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI), "an international research institute with a mandate to advance the conservation and use of genetic diversity for the well-being of present and future generations." The site is packed with informative resources on agricultural biodiversity, including IPGRI breaking news, downloadable publications, links to online databases, and much more. The publications library is quite a find, with a number of download
The Dana Centre
London's Science Museum and its partners have recently opened the Dana Centre, a "dynamic events space [that] will bring the hottest themes in modern science to adults-only audiences through a programme of bold and innovative events." The Dana Centre website allows virtual visitors (over the age of 18) to "take part in exciting, informative and innovative debates about contemporary science, technology and culture."Live webcasts and online discussions cover a constantly changing menu of topics, f
Mathematics Demos
For students in mathematics, it is often very difficult to visualize abstract concepts. One of the most obvious examples is the analysis of three dimensional objects, or a 3D coordinate system. This small collection of mathematics demos illustrates some of these concepts by using multi-color animations. Items such as contours, Fourier transforms, and convolution, which cannot be effectively drawn on a chalkboard, are shown in great detail here. The site also demonstrates the dimensions of the sp
An Overview of Cryptography
Gary Kessler, a computer networking professor at Champlain College, is the author of this online introduction to cryptography. The material covers three main types of encryption and their applications, trust models, cryptographic algorithms, and much more. One of the most common areas that employs encryption techniques is the Internet, where it allows users to safely transmit private information (e.g, credit card numbers, financial information). These concepts are discussed in detail, with speci
chem.com
The chemical finder Web site chem.com provides professionals and researchers a tool to locate chemical products, equipment, companies, catalogues, and more from around the world. The site allows users to search or browse the database and even link directly to the appropriate Web site. Although an "about" informational page on chem.com would be appreciated, the site does appear to provide unbiased information that should prove helpful.
