Qu'est ce qu'une religion - Odon Vallet
Une conférence de l'UTLS au Lycée
Qu'est ce qu'une religion par Odon Vallet
Lycée Charlotte Perriand (59 Genech)
La France a-t-elle encore une identité géographique ? / Armand Frémont
Texte de présentation de la conférence
L’identité de la France est un objet obscur. Le territoire national avait trouvé son aboutissement à la frontière physique. Aujourd’hui la solidarité, la socialité et l’être ensemble ne se définissent plus uniquement par référence à une étendue spatiale continue sur laquelle s’exerce la souveraineté de l’État-national. Les frontières qui se dessinent à travers les réseaux sociaux ou la conscience partagée d’
The Politics of Johann Wolfgang Goethe [A version of this was published in The Wall Street Journal Europe, December 30, 1999.] This year marks the 250th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Most Europeans know that he was the greatest of all German writers and poets and one of the giants of world literature. Less well known is that he was also a thorough-going classica
Week 3: February 1, 2012
Announcement of cancellation of this week's discussion podcast. Please rejoin us next week!
Seismic Waves
The first site for this Topic in Depth comes from the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences at Michigan Technological University and is called What Is Seismology? (1). The site describes the basics of seismology, the various types of waves associated with it, and even contains a link that shows you how to make your own P and S waves. Next is the Earthquakes Overview site (2), provided by The Tech Museum. Visitors can explore topics such as seismographs and waves through an
WWF's Living Planet Report 2004
The 2004 Living Planet Report is the fifth in a series of global ecological updates from the WWF. The Report assesses the state of ecosystems around the world using two primary measures: The Living Planet Index, which is based on population trends for hundreds of forest, freshwater, and marine species, and the Ecological Footprint, which is based on human demands on renewable natural resources. The 44-page report shows, among other things, that as human consumption has continued to rise beyond s
Great Structures of the World
Great Structures of the World is unlike similarly themed Web sites in that it does not focus on a single type of structure. Skyscrapers, bridges, tunnels, and even more exotic human creations are included in this information and picture archive. Users can browse through structures in Asia, Canada, Europe, the U.S., and elsewhere. Features include the world's largest indoor ski area, the world's largest offshore gas platform, and the world's largest radio telescope array. Several facts and links
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory: SCIMAST
The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) serves the Southwest including Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Although most of SEDL's SCIMAST Access Centers are specifically targeted for these specific states, the SCIMAST website offers an array of broadly applicable resources on science and mathematics education. One feature of the site is the Classroom Compass, "a thematic publication designed to link issues in mathematics and science education to instructional i
AMS Books Online
The American Mathematical Society (AMS) offers this textbook on factorization free on its Web site. This is the third and most recent edition of the book, published in 2002. Mainly suited for graduate level math students or other university researchers, it gives the prime factors of hundreds of numbers that fall into a characteristic form. The material is presented in massive tables, and detailed instructions with examples are given that describe how to use the tables. Individual chapters are bo
Southern California Swell Model
The Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) created the Southern and Central Swell Model experiments for those with a general interest in oceanography. After learning how the model works, users can view several up-to-date graphics illustrating regional and detailed swell heights on maps and plots. Although acknowledging possible errors, the website provides three day forecasts for coastal waves, tides, and swell heights. The Frequently Asked Questions link provides sufficient information on how
Journeys & Transformations: British Columbia Landscapes
This website from the Royal British Columbia Museum introduces students to five important environments found in British Columbia: Mountains, Forests, Grasslands, Waters, and Cities. Each environment section includes topical features under the following headings: Nature, First Peoples, and History. Examples of feature topics include Mammals in Winter, Clothing From the Land, Life in the Ocean, and Introduced Species, to name a few. The aesthetically pleasing website keeps text to a minimum as it
Jackson Laboratory - Mouse Genome Informatics: The Gene Expression Database
A very unique biomedical research institution, "The Jackson Laboratory, a non-profit institution, is the world's largest mammalian genetic research facility." As such, Jackson provides universities and hospitals worldwide with millions of mice -- representing more than 2,500 varieties -- each year. This website offering from Jackson Laboratory, located in Bar Harbor, Maine, allows visitors to solicit valuable information on the mouse genome. "The Gene Expression Database (GXD) is a community res
DNA from the Beginning: An Animated Primer on the Basics of DNA, Genes and Hereditary
Maintained by the Cold Spring Harbor Research Laboratory and the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, this animated DNA primer (last mentioned in the February 19, 1999 Scout Report) now has three major sections -- Classical Genetics, Molecular Genetics, and Genetic Organization and Control. Each section covers several concepts by description and in animation, along with interviews and biographies of scientists, a quiz to test your understanding, and related Web links. This is a well-organized site with
Urban Aeronautics
This Web site introduces the X-Hawk, "a vehicle that has the [vertical takeoff and landing] capability of a helicopter, but without the exposed rotors that make it dangerous or impossible for helicopters to maneuver in complex urban and natural environments." It has received considerable attention from the media, as is apparent from the press clippings provided online. The Film and Downloads section has a technical document that was presented to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronau
IOL: InterOperability Lab
The University of New Hampshire has compiled this excellent collection of resources on networking and computer technology. Over twenty categories are represented, including emerging technologies such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Very high rate Digital Subscriber Line (VDSL), and wireless standards. Many of the resources are papers or tutorials written by researchers at the UNH InterOperability Lab, while others are links to various academic and industry efforts. The site is suitable for a broad audie
Assistive Technology
People with disabilities represent a significant portion of the US population, and accessible technology (AT) helps make their lives easier. Further development of AT is an important objective in today's world.To learn about the fundamental concepts of AT and browse related reports, the National Assistive Technology Research Institute at the University of Kentucky (1) is an excellent place to start. It explains the six types of AT and considers legal mandates, with plenty of other features, too.
Bubbling Plants
Students learn a simple technique for quantifying the amount of photosynthesis that occurs in a given period of time, using a common water plant (Elodea). They can use this technique to compare the amounts of photosynthesis that occur under conditions of low and high light levels. Before they begin the experiment, however, students must come up with a well-worded hypothesis to be tested. After running the experiment, students pool their data to get a large sample size, determine the measures of
Hanging Around
Students learn about weight by building a spring scale and observing how it responds to objects with different masses.
Vector Voyage!
In this activity, students will use vector analysis to understand the concept of dead reckoning. Students will use vectors to plot their course based on a time and speed. They will then correct the positions with vectors representing winds and currents.
A Merry-Go-Round for Dirty Air
Students observe and discuss a cup and pencil model of a cyclone to better understand the science behind how this pollutant recovery method functions in cleaning industrial air pollution.
