MECO - The Muon to Electron Conversion Experiment
A part of the Rare Symmetry Violating Processes initiative in the National Science Foundation Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction program, the Muon to Electron Conversion Experiment (MECO) "is an experiment to test conservation of muon and electron number by searching for muons converting to electrons in the field of a nucleus." This website, created by the University of California at Irvine, furnishes a technical library, the management documents, project proposal, magnetic inf
Listening to the Prairie: Educational Materials
The travelling exhibit Listening to the Prairie was created as part of Forces of Change, a "new program about the dynamics of global change" from the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. This Web site contains "a number of educational materials for teachers, school group leaders, and families to help focus tours of the exhibit," although the materials also function as stand-alone lessons without an exhibit tour. The lessons and activities focus on the prairie ecosystem, "but could a
The Why Files: Virtual Science Comes Alive
At this Why Files website, students can learn about meteorology and physics through four interactive games. Students can adjust the funnel width and the pressure difference to observe how these factors affect the destruction caused by a tornado. At the Play with Lightning link, users can examine how distance affects the dangers of lightening and the loudness of the thunder. The Hit a Homerun game allows visitors view the path of a baseball at different altitudes, speeds, and angles. The website
Koko's World
Koko's World is provided by the Gorilla Foundation, a nonprofit organization created to "bring interspecies communication to the public, in order to save gorillas from extinction, and inspire our children to create a better future for all the great apes." KokoTV, part of the Koko's World Web site, offers video clips of Koko (the famous signing gorilla) communicating with friends. A recently added clip contains footage of Koko purring, an expression of contentment. In watching this and the eight
Restoration Ecology
While not a panacea, the emerging field of restoration ecology provides an important tool for environmental conservation and contributes greatly to our understanding of ecology.The first Web site is the home page of the Society for Ecological Restoration, offering a good starting point for exploring this relatively new discipline (1). The next site (2) provides an overview of the University of Wisconsin's Center for Restoration Ecology, "the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary research team a
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
The Leiodid Beetles of Costa Rica
The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad in Costa Rica provides this visually pleasing Web site on the Leiodidae, authored by S. P. Beck of Carleton University and A. F. Newton of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. A simple drop down menu allows users to access information on leiodid beetle taxonomy, distribution, life history, biogeography, collection methods, and more. Most sections of this Web site contain straightforward text explanations of each topic, although some sections als
Dalhousie University - Fission Track Research Laboratory
The Dalhousie University's Fission Track Research Laboratory "concentrates on apatite analyses for basin, tectonic, and metallogentic studies" and has the ability to also work with other uranium bearing minerals. The website offers summaries of various laboratory procedures of mineral separation, Californium tracks, and apatite grains. Students and educators can learn about the history and process of Fission Track Analysis. The website features publication lists, current research projects, and s
Energy Ideas Clearinghouse
The Energy Ideas Clearinghouse, managed by the Washington State University Extension Energy Program and supported by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, offers over 5,000 resources on energy efficiency. The resources are arranged by topic or by business type. Some of the topics include: appliances, heating/cooling, lighting, motors, and renewables. Businesses range from agricultural to residential to commercial. The website also has a section with links to recent news stories regarding ene
Predictions 2005
Gartner, Inc., which provides research and analysis on the global IT industry for clients worldwide, offers annual predictions for the year ahead in the areas of technology, application, and industry. This section of the website highlights the firm's 2005 predictions for technology. Some of the technologies addressed in this issue include open source software, public network infrastructure, and mobile and wireless technologies. The full document must be purchased, but visitors may browse through
An Atlas of Cyberspaces
"CyberGeography is the study of the spatial nature of computer communications networks, particularly the Internet, the World-Wide Web and other electronic 'places' that exist behind our computer screens, popularly referred to as cyberspace." The Atlas of Cyberspaces highlights many efforts from around the world to visualize this type of information. Some of the features have links to download software tools, like an experimental browser that portrays Web sites as three dimensional buildings (the
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
Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood
This Web site is the online companion to the PBS television series "Red Gold: The Epic Story of Blood," which aired June 2002. This extensive Web site offers a detailed look into the biology of blood and the "scientific developments that contributed to society's understanding and use of blood." Engaging feature articles make up the bulk of this site, with the addition of video clips from the television series, an education section with lesson plans and a discussion guide, a glossary, relevant li
PerfectXML
PerfectXML is a great place to get started with using XML or learn about advanced applications and new XML technologies. The free library is probably the most valuable source of information on the site. Over 100 sample chapters from numerous books can be viewed, covering a wide range of XML topics. There are also links to XML editors, conversion tools, and many other software resources. Some are free, others have a free trial version, and others are only available in commercial versions. Tech ne
"What Clones? Were Claims of the First Human Embryo Premature?"
This is a Scientific American article that argues that the results of the first human cloned embryo are misleading.
Surgical Robot Competition: Introducing Engineering in Medicine to Pre-College Students
This paper was introduced at the annual conference and exhibition of the American Society for Engineering Education in June 2002. It was presented by a group of students and a professor from John Hopkins University, who each specialize in different areas of engineering and computer science. They propose a method for integrating "off-the-shelf robotic technology with current real-world engineering challenges" to teach secondary school students about robotics and its applications in medicine. This
Predicting Invasions of Nonindigenous Plants and Plant Pests
This Web site contains the free book Predicting Invasions of Nonindigenous Plants and Plant Pests provided by the National Academies Press. Compiled by the US Board on Life Sciences and the Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources, this 194-page book explores the difficulties in predicting the immigration and impact of exotic species. Researchers active in this field may find this free resource of use.
ANSTO: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) "is responsible for delivering specialised advice, scientific services and products to government, industry, academia and other research organizations." Researchers can learn about the Organization's ion beam analysis, accelerators, environmental systems, and additional facilities, capabilities, and services. The website offers pdf files of the organization's annual reports, news flashes, and media releases. Individuals can learn
Curtin University of Technology: Physics Research
This website presents Curtin University of Technology's applied physics research primarily in the areas of isotope science, remote sensing, materials research, and marine science and technology. Researchers can discover the University's collaborative efforts in projects to determine the age of Western Australian rocks and minerals, the concentrations of impurities in the Antarctic ice, and other isotope science research. Students can find out about educational opportunities covering remote sensi
Salmonella.org
From the University of Illinois, Professor Stanley Maloy and Assistant Professor Rob Edwards' Web site Salmonella.org is dedicated to the study of the Salmonella bacteria genome. The site offers news and information on the bacteria's various strains, including everything from tips on preventing the infection to links to genomic sequencing data. Any Salmonella researcher or enthusiast will find this uncluttered and straightforward compilation useful.
