The Illinois Groundwater Association
The Illinois Groundwater Association (IGA) "seeks to advance the knowledge of groundwater resources in Illinois and functions exclusively for charitable and educational purposes." Visitors can read IGA's constitution, by-laws, and its history beginning in 1982. The website provides newsletters describing IGA's latest endeavors and upcoming events. Students and researchers can find out about funding opportunities and employment opportunities. Interested visitors can also find out how to join the
The World: Technology Report
Public Radio International broadcasts "The World," a daily international news program, and a periodic feature of "The World is the Technology Report." This site provides downloadable audio from the four-minute report, which looks at some interesting and obscure technological innovations. The November 12, 2002 recording discusses an invention from a Danish university. The Automatic Pool Trainer, as it is called, uses lasers, cameras, and sophisticated tracking software to show the optimal shots o
METRIC Math
Developed by individuals from the Mathematics Department and the Chemistry Department at the Imperial College in London, METRIC Maths aims to help students improve their math skills and knowledge. Visitors can download for free the Java-based program, which is geared towards advanced secondary level mathematics and as preparation for transitioning to University level mathematics. The program provides students an opportunity to "investigate mathematical ideas using METRIC's explorations," practic
Mimesis
As part of the North Carolina State University Department of Computer Science, Mimesis is a project that "explores the use of computer game engines...as test-beds for research in artificial intelligence, interactive entertainment and educational software." A detailed overview of the Mimesis system architecture can be found on its homepage, as well as a few examples of virtual worlds created with the system that demonstrates different application areas to which it can be applied. A large collecti
EPA: Tools and Literature
Green Chemistry, as its name implies, is an environment friendly practice of using chemistry to prevent pollution. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the Green Chemistry Expert System software that can be freely downloaded from this site. The program can be used to assess hazardous substances in chemical reactions, learn about green synthetic methods, design safer chemicals by modifying existing ones, consider alternatives to traditional solvents, or search for additional refer
Maps That Teach: US and World Geography
Created by Owl and Mouse Educational Software, this resource uses interactive maps to teach geography. The site provides both Map Puzzles and Interactive Maps. Map Puzzles are downloadable and must be run on Windows. They challenge users to piece together the States of the United States or the countries of the world's continents, depending on the puzzle used. Interactive Maps allow users to move their cursor over a basic regional map. As the cursor hits each country, its name appears. The page a
Roman Numerals
This website provides an overview of the Principles of Roman numerals as well as a history of Roman numerals, which dates back to 1st millennium BC when they were used by Romans to record numbers in stone, art and coins. Some pictures in the gallery highlight the ways in which Roman Numerals are used today, such as on watch and clock faces. The authors point out that Roman numerals have a classic style and are less functional than the Arabic (decimal) numbers ( 0 to 9 ) which were introduced int
Datasheet Locator
With so many electronic components on the market today, it is often difficult to find datasheets with specifications and properties for a particular part. Rather than scouring the Internet for manufacturer's Web sites, Datasheet Locator has links to all the information you will need in one centralized location. The list of manufacturers currently numbers over 700. By directly connecting to the manufacturer's Web site, the information will always be up-to-date. Many of the companies allow searchi
Digital Signal Processing Tools
A collection of seven Java applets and associated tutorials are available on this site from the Signals and Systems Group at the University of Edinburgh. The tools illustrate various concepts of digital signal processing, like convolution, correlation, the Fourier transform, and discrete-time applications of each. Seven other applets that demonstrate more advanced concepts are also available, but no documentation or explanation accompanies them. A few conference publications and reports related
TranStats: The Intermodal Transportation Database
Provided by the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics, this site for researchers and analysts, which is aimed at providing "one stop shopping" for transportation data, allows users to search over 100 databases, download data, complete online statistics, and view online maps pertaining to data. Data subjects related to physical science includes energy use statistics, a pollution database, air quality data, emission trends, toxics inventories, greenhouse gases, and more. Although a newer browser
Australian Biological Resources Study: Flora Online
The Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS) provides a bounty of biological and taxonomic information regarding Australian plant and fungi species. Acting as a clearinghouse for online information about plants and fungi, ABRS connects to such resources as the Flora of Australia Online, Checklist of Australian Lichens, Interactive Catalogue of Australian Fungi, Census of Freshwater Algae in Australia, and the Australian Plant Name Index. The site also provides a collection of glossaries that
DOE Pulse: Science and Technology Highlights from the DOE National Laboratories
The Department of Energies DOE Pulse bimonthly publication highlights work being done at the Department of Energy's national laboratories, which "house world-class facilities where more than 30,000 scientists and engineers perform cutting-edge research spanning DOE's science, energy, National security and environmental quality missions." Pulse provides insight into current research highlights, updates on collaborations among laboratories, and profiles of individual researchers. The latest issue,
World AIDS Day 2004
From the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, this website provides information and images related to Worlds AIDS Day 2004. Notably, the site contains a downloadable version of the _AIDS Epidemic Update 2004_, which "provides the most recent estimates of the epidemic's scope and human toll, explores new trends in the epidemic's evolution, and features a special section on women and AIDS." In addition, site visitors can download a set of eleven epidemiological PowerPoint slides based on th
Intellimotion: California PATH's Quarterly Newsletter
The California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways (PATH) researches methods for increasing highway safety, reducing congestion, and minimizing pollution and energy consumption. Intellimotion is one of its publications that highlights some of the current projects. Although it is labeled as a quarterly newsletter, Intellimotion is released on a very irregular basis. The 2002 issue covers several stories, including a project that makes vehicle navigation with the Global Positioning System e
National Park Service Cartographic Resources Visitor Use Maps
The National Park Service Cartographic Resources Visitor Use Maps Web site contains a wealth of free maps to view and download. The dozens of National Parks represented on the site include all of the most popular ones (Yellowstone, Smokey Mountain, Rocky Mountain) as well as many of the little known parks such as Wupatki National Monument, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and Glen Echo Park. The highlight of the site is the number of choices users have to view or download the maps. For examp
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
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
The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is a collection of about 2000 World Wide Web pages containing information about the diversity of life. These pages are authored by biologists from around the world... Each page contains information about one group of organisms. The pages are linked one to another in the form of the evolutionary tree of organisms, with the pages branching off from a group's page being about subgroups. This vast site contains a large collection of biological images, most of which can be reproduced
The Accidental Scientist: Cooking
Another great Web site from the Exploratorium in San Francisco (last mentioned in the August 16, 2002 NSDL MET Report), The Accidental Scientist: Cooking is the first in a series of "Web-based projects focusing on the science behind everyday life." Offering a mind-boggling array of food-related information and activities, foodies and science-lovers alike should find this Web site extremely engaging. Life science-related material includes an exploration of taste and smell; the biological properti
Human Embryology Animations
One of the most impressive ways to learn about biology, particularly that which we seldom see, is through modeling. Dr. Valerie O'Loughlin and her colleagues at Indiana University have created this thoroughly impressive set of animations so that "students could better understand the complex processes that must occur in embryologic development." The site is arranged into five main areas, including: Cardiovascular Embryology, Development of the Head and Neck, Gastrointestinal Embryology, Developme
