Material World Modules
The Materials World Program is an educational program created at Northwestern University intended to teach kids about science, math, and social issues by letting them investigate the objects that surround them in their everyday lives. While traditional science teaching divides the sciences into various disciplines, each studied separately, this program shows students that science is more than a set of techniques as "students using MWM learn how principles of chemistry, physics, and mathematics r
Final Report of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry
Since its first meeting in November 2001, the Commission on the Future of the US Aerospace Industry has worked to prepare this final report on the industry, its position in the global economy, and its application to national security. The report was released on November 18, 2002, and can be viewed in its entirety at this Web site, along with a fifteen minute video presentation from the commission's chairman. The 300+ page report is divided into nine chapters, each with a central theme and series
Crocodiles and Turtles of Borneo
Whether you're a herpetologist or just have a fascination for reptiles, you will want to check out this Web site from the Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation at the University of Malaysia, Sarawak. The site presents all documented crocodiles and turtles found on Borneo, representing six families altogether. An easy-to-use drop-down menu for each family lists individual species. Each species page provides a great photo as well as the "current valid scientific name, the Englis
Alaska Fisheries Science Center: Understanding Fish Bycatch Discard and Escapee Mortality
The Alaska Fisheries Science Center's (AFSC) latest Quarterly Research Report features research on fish bycatch discard and escapee mortality conducted by the AFSC. Readers will find a summary article for the report on the main Web page. The entire 9-page report details "systematic bycatch research conducted over the past 10 years in the laboratory of the AFSC's Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Group," and may be downloaded as a PDF document. The Web site also contains links to detailed reports from
Human Genetics: A Worldwide Search for the Dominant Trait
This Web site provides instructions for a genetics-based collaborative project from the Center for Improved Engineering and Science Education. This survey-based project helps students ages 12-18 understand genetic inheritance by "gathering a great deal of information about specific, easily-seen human features," formulating hypotheses, and testing these hypotheses using data compiled by themselves and by students around the world. The project, which spans the fall semester, is open to interested
Department of Energy Research and Development Accomplishments
For those users interested in the history of a wide variety of notable inventions and discoveries, the US Department of Engery's (DOE) Research and Development Accomplishments Web site should provide unique insight into topics like the video game, CAT/ MRI scans, and the Human Genome, among others. The site's primary focus is its accomplishments database, which contains "searchable full-text and bibliographic citations of documents reporting accomplishments from DOE and DOE contractor facilities
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
Earth and Sky
This companion web site to the Earth and Sky Radio Series offers recordings of the award winning daily radio show, plus oodles of supplementary science material. Visitors can search for specific science topics and retrieve relevant articles and past shows (and transcripts) on the topic. There is a great kids earth and sky section directed at younger children, plus a teacher's lounge with virtual text book, resources, and tips for using Earth and Sky in the classroom. This well organized, attract
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
Beat the Heat at Arizona Science Center
TryScience.com offers an unique energy learning activity called Beat the Heat. This fun and interactive lesson lets users design a house in a particular location and test it in various seasons to best utilize the heat of the sun for energy efficiency. You can choose various types of roofs, windows, solar panels, skylights, and plants, as well as the direction your house faces, to see how each of these variables effects your home's efficiency. This in-depth and intriguing exercise teaches some ve
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
Graph Theory
Graph theory is widely used in computer science, engineering and of course, mathematics. Wikipedia offers this definition and overview of Graph Theory (1). This next website from Mega-Math (2) reviews some of the Vocabulary of Graphs and highlights some applications for graph theory, such as the design of computer systems and games. Some additional applications for Graph Theory are discussed in this more technical book called Graph Theory with Applications (3). This website from Georgia Tech (4)
World Soil Resources Map Index
From the US Department of Agriculture's office of Natural Resources Conservation Service, the World Soil Resources Map-Index Web site contains nineteen global maps as well as several regional and country maps related to soil. The global maps include such topics as Global Soil Regions, Soil Temperature Regimes, Water Holding Capacity, and Wind Erosion; the regional maps contain information from Afghanistan, Africa, Albania, Lithuania, and Indonesia. Each map contains information on its specificat
Smart Card Standards and Interoperability
Simply put, a smart card is a credit card sized piece of plastic with an embedded computer chip. It can store personal data or be used for countless other applications, and the technology is growing at a tremendous rate. Smart Card Standards and Interoperability is a site operated by the Office of Electronic Government. The Smart Card Tutorial given on the site is a great introduction to the technology and its applications. In the What's New section, there are several updates and downloadable re
Wolfram Research's Mathematical Functions
Wolfram Research, the maker of the popular software Mathematica, recently added a comprehensive database of mathematical functions to its Web site. Currently, there are over 37,000 formulas that can be browsed alphabetically or divided into fourteen categories. Documents explaining general identities and notations used on the site are also available; however, users must sign the guestbook before they can be viewed. Wolfram Research hopes eventually to add a history section for many of the functi
Desert Plants and Wildflowers
For those interested in the types of plants found in the desert ecosystem, this Web page from the online magazine DesertUSA.com will be a useful guide. Photos and descriptive features of several desert plants are provided in an alphabetical index or can be found through the online field guide organized by flower color. An interesting section also focuses on the types of adaptations that allow plant species to survive in harsh desert conditions. The Desert Plants and Wildflowers section is just o
Biodiversity and Conservation Research
The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC) at the American Museum of Natural History aims to "integrate scientific research, education, and outreach so that people, themselves major catalysts in the rapid loss of biodiversity, will become participants in its conservation." The CBC currently conducts biodiversity conservation research in the Bahamas, Bolivia, Madagascar, Vietnam, and in metropolitan New York. Click on What We Do for brief descriptions of each research project. The project
Final Implementation Report and Recommendations of the Committee on ICANN Evolution and Reform
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). Coincidentally, an October 2, 2002 report from ICANN addresses the issue of internet security. The committee that prepared the report makes several recommendations for reform, but only time will tell if t
Maths Challenge.net
Maths Challenge is a fun activity to build mathematical and reasoning skills. Each month during the school year, a new set of math problems are posted online. There are miscellaneous problems at junior and senior levels, cryptography and code breaking problems, and computer programming challenges. Each section is appropriate for a different age range, but the most basic material starts at age eleven and increases from there. To participate in the programming exercises, a simple registration is r
The Pherobase
The Pherobase was developed by Dr. Ashraf El-Sayed, a research scientist at HortResearch in New Zealand, with the primary objective of providing "coverage of the literature published on chemical communication in insects." The Pherobase is intended for use by both scientific and non-scientific communities and currently contains "over 10000 entries, around 3000 molecules, and over 32000 static html pages that make it the world's largest database of behavior modifying chemicals." The site contains
