Automated Manufacturing Systems: PLCs
An engineering professor at Grand Valley State University has made available his book on programmable logic controllers (PLC's), which are widely used to control all kinds of electrical devices. The 800+ page book is presented free of charge and can be downloaded in one large file or in individual chapters. Readers can learn everything from high-level concepts, like Boolean logic and operational design planning, to physical details such as PLC specifications and connectivity. The author explains
The New Zealand Geographic Place Names Database
The New Zealand Geographic Place Names Database, offered by Land Information New Zealand, contains more than 40,000 official and non-official place name entries from the mainland of New Zealand. Searches can be done by partial name or by location; results yield a description of the place (such as a beach or hill), its district, and its latitude/longitude. Additional searches can also be done to include all place names surrounding an area. Although intended to assist in the production of core top
National Diatom Database
Single-celled diatoms are "powerful indicators of environmental conditions as they respond quickly to environmental changes, and are widely utilized in stratigraphic investigations." The Geological Survey of Canada's National Diatom Database contains two components, the first of which includes about 5,000 diatom samples, their description, and precise geographic location. The second has 1,500 entries that give "information on the environmental and ecological tolerance of individual diatom specie
Math on the Web: A Status Report
This is a status report of Math on the Web, a biannual publication by Design Science. The September 2002 issue focuses on the Second International MathML Conference. There is considerable interest being generated by this standard of the World Wide Web Consortium, and its integration in online content is likely to increase.
MathFROG
MathFROG stands for Math Fun, Resources, and Online Games. The games and resources available here were developed by a team at the University of Waterloo and are intended for students in grades four, five and six. The lessons are self-contained, combining online mathematics games or technological tools with appropriate paper-and-pencil follow-up exercises, which can also be downloaded free of charge. Each lesson lasts about 45 to 60 minutes and includes information on the related Ontario curricul
Genome Bioinformatics
This no-frills UC-Santa Cruz Genome Bioinformatics Web site contains searchable "working drafts of the human genome and the mouse genome," which each represent "immense collaborative efforts" within the biomedical research community. Those who are active in genome research may find this Web site useful, especially for the multi-faceted genome browser that "provides a rapid and reliable display of any requested portion of genomes at any scale, together with dozens of aligned annotation tracks (kn
A Net Meltdown is Inevitable
On October 22, 2002, an attack on the thirteen servers that act as the backbone of the Internet was carried out, briefly disabling nine of them. This drew attention to the often criticized organization that operates these servers, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). This news article argues that bad practices and insufficient safety precautions of ICANN may soon lead to a more successful attack, one that could cripple the Net. It also stresses the importance of refor
Dallas Paleontological Society
The Dallas Paleontological Society promotes the science of paleontology by creating a "network for the exchange of data between professionals and serious amateurs in the field." Everyone should visit the Paleontological Information System, which is an easily searchable database containing information and photos of numerous specimens, related documents, and a glossary. In the Paleontological Info link, visitors can find materials about the surface geology of Texas, a geological timetable, and the
The Global Sun Temperature Project
This website created by Stevens Institute of Technology and the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE) allows students from around the world to work together to determine how average daily temperatures and hours of sunlight change with distance from the equator. Upper elementary, middle, and high school students can participate in the Global Sun Temperature Project from March 18 to June 3, 2005. Educators can find project information, lesson plans, and implementation
Guide to Engineering
The Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society created this resource for helping college-bound students learn about different engineering disciplines. Operated at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), the site has information on thirteen areas of study. For each discipline, there is a definition of the particular field, what people with a degree in the field do for a living, what the career opportunities are, and why it is a valid option. A few of the more broad subjects, like electr
The Vega Science Trust: Online Science Programmes
The nonprofit, UK-based Vega Science Trust broadcasts free science programs over the Internet. The programs "are mainly produced by experts in science and engineering and many have been previously shown on mainstream television." The Vega Science Trust website contains a sizeable collection of science programs for viewing. Program subject categories include: Biology, Health, Molecular Biology, Safety, Physics, and more. As indicated by the various categories, the programs address a wide range of
InfoNatura: Birds and Mammals of Latin America
InfoNatura is provided by NatureServe, "a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and providing information about the world's plants, animals, and ecological communities." This Web site is a comprehensive source for conservation, distribution, and taxonomic information on over 5000 bird and mammal species in 44 Latin American and Caribbean countries. Taxonomic treatment of all species in the database "reflects standard references, and most species have been assigned a global conservation
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
Frontline: Dangerous Prescription
In the recent PBS broadcast Dangerous Prescriptions, Frontline "investigates the integrity of America's drug safety system." The documentary (viewable in its entirety online) explores "the FDA's handling of several drugs that were approved but later were pulled from the market after causing injuries and even deaths." The companion website offers a look at how the FDA works and details of its recent record, based on interviews with current and former FDA officials. Also, readers may share their t
Dr. Dobb's Embedded Systems
Embedded Systems is one of the specialized sites stemming from Dr. Dobb's Journal. In addition to serving as an excellent source of news and product development articles, the site is a portal to many other Internet resources on embedded system applications. Information tailored to specific programming languages, like C++, Java, and many others, is grouped into separate categories. There are also focuses on Linux-driven handhelds and other embedded operating systems. A list of toolkits for embedd
International HapMap Project
An international coalition -- with scientists from Canada, China, Japan, Nigeria, the U.K., and the U.S. -- the HapMap project seeks to "develop a haplotype map of the human genome, the HapMap, which will describe the common patterns of human DNA sequence variation." At the site, visitors can take advantage of the bulk downloads of data available here, including several datasets of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genotype and frequency data, SNP assays, and more. Some of the data require
Microbiology Current Issues: Water Quality
This well-designed Web site from the American Society for Microbiology offers a comprehensive introduction to microbial contamination of the water supply. Visitors to the site will find information on water-borne pathogens and the diseases they cause, where our drinking water comes from, how water becomes contaminated, scientific advances that could make our water supply safer, and much more. The information in this Web site is clearly explained and does not require an active interest in microbi
IBM Archives
IBM is one of the most recognizable names in the computer industry, with a history that spans over a century. The IBM Archives is an online repository of information that tells the story of how the company began and how it has evolved. Possibly the best way to learn about IBM's roots is to browse the archive's main exhibit, which takes the user on a year-by-year tour of inventions and major business dealings since 1900. A collection of historic documents is also offered, describing landmark comp
From Jungle to Lab: The Study of Life's Complexity
San Francisco's Exploratorium showcases the work of researchers at the Natural History Museum in London and Las Cuevas Biological Station in Belize, who are investigating the nature and diversity of life. From Jungle to Lab is part of the Exploratorium's Origin Project, created to explain how scientists explore "the beginnings of the universe, of matter, of the earth, and of life itself." This well-designed Web site contains loads of multimedia features, such as a slide show of Las Cuevas (inclu
Self-Healing Minefield
The self-healing antitank minefield is an innovative system developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). It employs intelligent, mobile mines that can rearrange themselves to repair any breaches in the field. This forces the enemy to destroy a much greater percentage of the total mines, rather than simply clearing a narrow path. The project's Web site has considerable material on the mines' operation, including a very illustrative multimedia demonstration. There are also b
