The Thylacine Museum: A Natural History of the Thylacinidae
This Web site is offered through C. Campbell's Natural Worlds, a "completely nonprofit, education online series which exists as a means of providing detailed information on a variety of topics within the natural history field." The Thylacine Museum, not surprisingly, is devoted to the now extinct thylacine (also known as the Tasmanian tiger). The site includes "information covering virtually all aspects of this very unique Australian marsupial." Users can browse dozens of pages of detailed artic
Statistical Education Through Problem Solving
Statistical Education Through Problem Solving (STEPS) was a collaborative project between seven universities throughout the United Kingdom "to develop problem-based teaching and learning materials for statistics." The materials draw on specific problems arising in Biology, Business, Geography and Psychology to help students learn that statistical issues are "important natural parts of the process of reaching conclusions." The software developed as a result of this project, which utilizes the com
Center for Earth and Planetary Studies Research and Publications
The Center for Earth and Planetary Studies (CEPS), which is part of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, "conducts an active research program in planetary and terrestrial geology and geophysics using remote sensing data from Earth-orbiting satellites and manned and unmanned space missions." The Research portion of the site allows visitors to view the many projects that have taken place, such as the Topographic Mapping of Mercury project being conducted by Dr. Anthony Cook. Each page
Research Abstracts from the DOE Genome Contractor-Grantee Workshop IX
Research abstracts from a recent Department of Energy (DOE) genomics workshop are now available online. Researchers presented updates on DOE-funded genome research at this January 2002 workshop. Abstracts can be viewed within topical categories or by author name. Abstracts include title of the talk, author name, and contact information.
Tropical Prediction Center
The Tropical Prediction Center Web site is maintained by the National Weather Service of NOAA. Visitors will find current information on tropical storms and hurricanes, including public advisories. Also available are hurricane facts, historical data, tracking charts, satellite imagery, season summaries, and a wealth of other interesting and important information.
Mechanical Engineering: Power 2002
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers presents this special edition of its Mechanical Engineering Magazine Online. Released in June 2002, the focus of this publication is electric power. Research efforts and new technologies for a variety of applications are outlined in five feature articles. One article covers turbo pumps in the space shuttle, considering how to minimize cavitation problems to make the pumps more efficient. Another looks at research into flow oscillations that plague gas
ESA: Launchers
The European Space Agency (ESA) furnishes thorough articles and images regarding its launch vehicles, Europe's Spaceport, and technology. Users can find out ESA's launch schedule, plans for next generation launchers, and the past successes of the launch program. The website offers a video of a launch countdown, images of the Ariane 5, and many more media materials. Through the interactive modules, individuals can learn about the stages, boosters, engines, and additional specifics of the launcher
National Estuaries Day
Get the most out of National Estuaries Day (October 5, 2002) by visiting this Web site from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Follow a link to Estuary Live!, which offers online interactive fieldtrips through a number of estuaries around the nation. Guided tours of eight estuaries will be webcast live October 3 and 4, supplemented by videos from a number of other estuaries. Internet participants "will have an opportunity to see the fascinating creatures that make estuar
probeBase
The Microbial Ecology Group of Munich's University of Technology has recently launched probeBase, "a comprehensive database containing published rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probe sequences, DNA microarray layouts and associated information." Users may search for sequences by target organism, which "can assist in the development of new rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)," or by probe name for rapidly retrieving published probes targeting desired s
Microsystems Technology Laboratories' Annual Report 2002
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Microsystems Technology Laboratories (last reviewed in the March 15, 2000 Scout Report for Science and Engineering) has its annual report for 2002 available online. The report is actually a very large collection of research abstracts, giving a thorough overview of the lab's latest work. Documents are divided into eleven general topics, including Microelectromechanical Devices, Quantum-Effect Devices, Submicron and Nanometer Structures, and Optoelectron
Virus World
Created by the Institute for Molecular Virology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, this Web site offers high quality virus images that may be used for seminar presentations or any other noncommercial use. Users can choose from American Society for Virology conference poster images, enhanced EM pictures, and images of virology-related book and journal covers. Images may be searched by virus name; the results page will provide links to summary information from the Protein Data Bank and to the
International Herald Tribune: Steel Shell to Encase Chernobyl
Following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station, a concrete sarcophagus was built to enclose the remnants of the destroyed reactor. Now, nearly seventeen years later, engineers are faced with a new problem: the sarcophagus is literally falling apart. In a December 2002 news article, plans to build a giant steel shell around the sarcophagus are explained. Once completed, the shell "may be the largest movable structure ever built," around 370 feet high and 20,000 tons. The article de
UniGene
Created by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, UniGene is "an experimental system for automatically partitioning GenBank sequences into a non-redundant set of gene-oriented clusters." In addition to gene sequences, this Web site also offers thousands of novel expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences, a useful gene discovery resource. Organisms currently cataloged include human, rat, mouse, cow, zebrafish, clawed frog, fruitfly, mosquito, wheat, rice, barley, maize, and cress. Users
Jules Map Server
The Jules Verne Voyager, created by UNAVCO Boulder, is a precision interactive map tool to "better visualize the inter-relationships of geophysical and geologic processes, structures, and measurements with high-precision GPS monument data and solutions on Earth" as well as other major bodies of the solar system. The tool allows users to zoom or pan on a detailed local map, which is displayed in a Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection. New visitors can find helpful tutorials and practice exerci
EUMETCAL
The EUMETCAL website promotes education in meteorological computer-based technologies. The website now offers free access to the two EUROMET modules libraries: Satellite Meteorology and Numerical Weather Predication. The in-depth materials are available in English, French, Dutch, and Spanish. In the EUMETSAT link, users can find a Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) module dealing with rapidly developing storms, 1.6 and 3.9 micrometer channels, and calibration. The website also addresses EUMETCAL a
Talkelab Web Page: Tribology and Mechanics Lab
The Tribology and Mechanics Lab, headed by former IBM researcher Dr. Frank Talke, is located at the University of California at San Diego. The laboratory's work deals with magnetic tape and disk storage devices, specifically the head-tape and head-disk interfaces. Since both types of devices have moving parts, there are important mechanics issues that must be considered with the highly sensitive and precise head as it reads and stores information on media. A good introduction to each interface i
African Elephant Specialist Group
The African Elephant Specialist Group (AfESG) operates under the auspices of the Species Survival Commission of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The AfESG is composed "of technical experts focusing on the conservation and management of African elephants. The broad aim of the AfESG is to promote the long-term conservation of Africa's elephants and, where possible, the recovery of their population to viable levels." The AfESG website contains useful information for conservationists, wildlife m
Grass Manual on the Web
This extensive source of information on grasses is derived from the _Manual of Grasses for North America_, a project that has received support from Utah State University and a host of other organizations including the Flora North America Association, National Science Foundation, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and more. This online Manual provides information about a multitude of species from Achnatherum aridum to Zoysia pacifica. Information options for most grass species include Map,
UCMP Evolution Forum for Teachers
This website originated during a short course on evolution for teachers in the year 2000 at the University of California's Museum of Paleontology. It allows instructors to access and share information related to the teaching of evolution. Links provide access to activities, tips and resources, and documentation provided by the speakers at the museum. Topics range from the evolution of eukaryotes to mass extinction at the K/T boundary.
Learning math : Measurement
This college level course, developed for elementary and middle school teachers, begins with the fundamentals of measurement, then examines standard units in the metric and customary systems. Online workshop sessions cover measurement of a circle, area and volume formulas, angle measurement, and indirect measurement encountered in trigonometry. The final session explores ways to apply these concepts to K-8 classroom teaching. Each of its ten sessions contains video programming, problem-solving ac
