ACM Technology Guide
This interesting guide introduces the concept of the adaptive computing machine (ACM), a proposed new circuit design that is highly reconfigurable. Perhaps the most valuable aspect of the guide is its description of existing technologies such as microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits, digital signal processors, and programmable logic devices. It looks at many of the challenges facing current and future computing designs, with a particular focus on cellular phones and mobile de
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
The Journey Inside
The Web designers at Intel did a tremendous job when designing The Journey Inside, a Web site on computer and Internet-related technologies. Six sections offer interactive lessons, video demonstrations, and interesting stories about fundamental concepts. The first section provides a general introduction to computers. Next is an informative overview of Circuits and Switches, followed by a discussion of Digital Information storage and analysis. Microprocessor basics, the Internet, and Technology a
Applied Physics Laboratory 2002 Annual Report
The John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has a core purpose to "core enhance the security of the nation through the application of science and technology." This includes research on missile, radar, sonar, sensor, chemical/ biological, and information technologies; space science and engineering, microelectronics; communications; navigation; modeling and simulation; and advanced research and technology development. The report's contents include a Message from the Director, as well as
NIH Curriculum Supplement Series: Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Biological Rhythms
Sleep, Sleep Disorders, and Biological Rhythms is a curriculum unit (for grades nine through twelve) offered through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Curriculum Supplement Series. This unit was developed collaboratively by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and other groups as "a creative inquiry-based instruction program designed to promote active learning and stimulate student interest in medical topics." This curriculum supplement is designed "to complement existing
Addison Wesley Longman: Internet Projects for Elementary Statistics
This educational site is suggested as an extension to a statistics text book, but the material is also beneficial as a stand-alone resource. It uses data sources from many other Internet sites to illustrate statistical concepts. In one chapter, for example, trends in the rise of women in the work force are used to show how to analyze wage differences between males and females. In all, there are fourteen chapters that use a similar approach to teach the basics of averages, histograms, confidence
The Physics Classroom
Hosted by Study Works Online and written by science teacher Tom Henderson, The Physics Classroom is an online physics tutorial written for high school physics students. Through individual lessons and accompanying quizzes, this very informative site includes a physics tutorial that covers everything from Newton's Laws to Refraction. The Multimedia Physics Studio portion of the site gives excellent animations and movies that allow students to reinforce their learning by visualizing what is being d
MSRI: Streaming Video - Fall 2002
The Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) maintains an impressive archive of streaming video lectures and presentations. This site contains all of the videos from various workshops and special topics held in fall 2002. Of particular interest is the "Introductory Workshop in Quantum Computation." It consists of fifteen lectures, each with complete textual slides provided in addition to the roughly hour-long presentations. Quantum computation is a science that is still in its infancy, an
Online Maps and Data
From the California Geological Survey, the Online Maps and Data site contains information focused on natural hazards. Topics include minerals, earthquakes, and landslide and erosion hazards. The site also includes the General Location Guide for Ultramafic Rocks in California. The site also has links to a publications page and a new interactive mapping program called the Seismic Hazards Mapping Web page.
West Nile Virus
The first Web site (1) is one of the latest entertaining feature stories from the Why Files, which covers mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, including the West Nile Virus. Part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases provides fact sheets and articles about the virus in this straightforward Web site (2), while a similar Web site (3) from the Centers for Disease Control offers more information about the disease, prevention measures, and
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
The Grapes of Staph: Biology Tutorials
These online Biology Tutorials were created by Dr. Gary E. Kaiser, a Professor of Biological Science at The Community College of Baltimore County. The Tutorials are part of Kaiser's larger Microbiology Website, entitled The Grapes of Staph (reported on in the November 10, 1999, Scout Report for Science & Engineering). The Tutorials are organized into three sections under the headings of Eukaryotic Cell Structure, Metabolism, and Genetics. Tutorial titles include: Energy Conversions; Polypeptides
International Human Powered Vehicle Association
The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is an association of national associations and organizations who are "dedicated to promoting improvement, innovation and creativity in the use of human power, especially in the design and development of human-powered vehicles." The website provides updates on the world of human-powered vehicles, such as upcoming world championships and innovations in bicycle technology. The Source Guide includes links to directories with details on human-powere
Seafood Lover's Guide
The Audubon Society's Living Oceans program aims "to change the fundamental nature of how consumers and food service professionals select seafood," as the "buying power of consumers can create a market environment that encourages sustainable seafood and abundance in the seas." The online Seafood Lover's Guide works toward this goal by offering free information about the ecological sustainability of the way some of our favorite commercial fish and shellfish are managed. Visitors to the Web site c
Australian Antarctic Data Centre
The Australian Antarctic Division is part of the Australian Government's Department of the Environment and Heritage. Within the department's Web site is the Australian Antarctic Data Centre, which makes all scientific observations and results freely available. Data topics include weather, GIS and mapping, marine science, flora and fauna, and many other topics related to the southern continent.
An FPGA Implementation of the Linear Cryptanalysis
This advanced research paper addresses an application of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for a computationally intensive cryptographic task. Specifically, the method of linear cryptanalysis is used to break a Data Encryption Standard key (a former standard used by the US). Prior to this work, the technique was attempted on a network of nearly 20 computers, and the key was broken in about four days. Implementing the same technique with a $3500 FPGA hardware setup, the authors report a tota
Learning about Rainforests
K. Rubal provides this educational Web site she helped to create while a graduate student in instructional technology at California State University in Los Angeles. Designed for grades 4-8, this Web site offers students an introduction to tropical rainforests. The site includes a number of lessons organized by topic, rainforest facts, a good selection of narrated movie clips from related documentaries, useful links, and quizzes. Easy to use and filled with photos, this Web site would be a useful
The Child Care Nutrition Resource System
The Child Care Nutrition Resource System is developed by the University of Maryland's Department of Nutrition and Food Science and the USDA National Agricultural Library's Food and Nutrition Information Center. The Resource System is geared towards childcare providers who participate in USDA nutrition programs, but others interested in children's nutrition will find this website useful as well. Notably, the website serves as a portal to many helpful resources from a variety of different universi
Journey Into Amazonia
Journey Into Amazonia is a three-part wildlife series from PBS that "offers an enchanting look at rarely-seen creatures" in the region. This Web site offers educational materials "designed for upper elementary, middle, or high school students (grades 5-10) although extension suggestions may help you modify them for younger or older students." In addition to providing background information about the Amazon basin, this site contains lessons plans that incorporate "video clips from the Journey int
Association for Biology Laboratory Education
Established in 1979, the Association for Biology Laboratory Education (ABLE) promotes "information exchange among university and college educators actively concerned with teaching biology in a laboratory setting." The ABLE website contains information about grants, past and future annual conferences, and membership. ABLE also posts employment opportunities, and an extensive array of links organized into categories for General Biology, Online Journals, Biological Animations, Suppliers of Biologic
