Citrus Canker: The Pathogen and Its Impact
This Web site, currently featured on the home page of the American Phytopathological Society, contains a research report regarding the Asiatic citrus canker that has had devastating effects on Florida's citrus industry. The report, in a journal article format, thoroughly relates the natural history and current status of the disease, as well as detailing the methods and results of the (primarily genetic) experiments conducted in this study. One of the most appealing features of this Web site is t
Design of a Primitive Nanofactory
This 86-page paper, published in October 2003, was written by the Director of Research at the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology. He proposes "an architecture for combining large numbers of programmable mechanochemical fabricators into a manufacturing system, or nanofactory, capable of producing a wide range of human-scale products." Rather than calling for the development of entirely new technologies, the author attempts to describe a system that can be built with current engineering practic
MIT Space Systems Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) created the Space Systems Laboratory (SSL) in 1995 to engage in "cutting edge research projects with the goal of directly contributing to the present and future exploration and development of space." Users can find materials on current and past flight projects such as the Synchronized Position Hold, Engage, Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) and the Interferometry Program Experiment (IPEX). The website also features SSL's ground programs and re
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
UK Particle Physics, Astronomy, and Space Science (PPARC): Frontiers
The Frontiers publication offers the latest news and activities of the Research Council's funded projects and the UK Particle Physics, Astronomy, and Space Science's (PPARC) funded scientists. Produced three times a year, each issue is easy to navigate with quick links to the space science and particle physics articles on the Contents page as well as a keyword search. The website offers archives of the publication since 1997. Each issue contains five sections: the Contents, Editorial, Update, Fe
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.
EPA: RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) Online
The RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) "online database is designed to enable users to locate documents, including publications and other outreach materials, that cover a wide range of RCRA issues and topics." Users have three search options: Topics, Full Text, or Advanced searches. For those having trouble finding needed materials, the website offers a handy two-page reference guide. The What's New link offers information on the latest system changes and lists of the most recent or u
Sloan Digital Sky Survey
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey "will map in detail one-quarter of the entire sky, determining the positions and absolute brightnesses of more than 100 million celestial objects" as well as "measure the distances to more than a million galaxies and quasars." The website details the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) mapmaking strategies, timelines, survey progress, and project goals. Visitors can view the many fantastic images collected at the Apache Point Observatory, the site of the SDSS tel
Earth Science Week
The American Geological Institute organizes Earth Science Week (ESW) each year in October "to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth." The website offers highlights, evaluations, and news clippings of past ESW events. During the months leading up to ESW, users can search for Earth Science events taking place in their area. Teachers can find numerous classroom activities for grades K-12 based in the National Sc
Partnerships to Advance Learning in Science: Java Simulations
Provided by Iowa State University, the Partnerships to Advance Learning in Science: Java Simulations Web site contains several interactive science simulations. Visitors can explore advection, the energy budget, adiabatic processes, and radiation. For example, the mountain simulation teaches about adiabatic processes by allowing users to adjust various parameters such as temperature, dew point, mountain slope, and cloud base altitude. The simulation then blows a leaf over the mountain and moves i
Consensus CoDing Sequence Database
The Consensus CoDing Sequence (CCDS) Database "project is a collaborative effort to identify a core set of human protein-coding regions that are consistently annotated and of high quality. The long-term goal is to support convergence toward a standard set of gene annotations on the human genome." CCDS project collaborators include the National Center for Biotechnology (NCBI), European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI), Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute (WTSI), and University of California, Santa Cruz
Flesh and Bone: A New Generation of Scientists Bring Dinosaurs Back to Life
The online version of the March 2003 issue of National Geographic Magazine (NGM) includes this interesting multimedia feature about "a new generation of scientists [that] is using computer modeling and a better understanding of living animals to bring dinosaurs back to life -- virtually." In addition to the feature article, the Web site includes an online-exclusive image gallery, "On Assignment" notes from National Geographic writers and photographers, related Web links and other resources, and
Bush Cites Need to Develop Affordable Hydrogen-Powered Fuel Cells
In his State of the Union Address on January 28, 2003, President Bush made a case for further fuel cell development. Current efforts in this area have not determined how to efficiently produce or extract hydrogen for the cells. In hopes of solving this problem, Bush proposed a $1.2 billion FreedomFUEL initiative. The first site discusses the initiative and its potential to create a nearly pollution-free method of electricity generation.
Study Points to Acid Rain in Decline of Songbirds
New research from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology points to acid rain as a major cause of songbird decline, where previous research focused on forest fragmentation. This Web site is a brief article highlighting the research findings from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, published on the Natural Resources Defense Council's Web page.
Mathematics Animated
Professor Talman of the Metropolitan State College of Denver offers this site as a reference for both students and teachers of mathematics. It is an assortment of animations that demonstrate many mathematical concepts, which are often difficult to visualize. The only downside of the animations is the lack of explanation associated with them. Some have short descriptions, others are somewhat self explanatory, but the rest can initially be quite confusing.
Honey Bee Brain EST Project
Honey bee RNA data from a recent study at the W.M. Keck Center for Comparative and Functional Genomics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has been integrated with gene research on other organisms to create this database. The project is intended to provide updated information on honey bee genes, supplemented with information from other organisms to "suggest cellular roles, biological functions, and evolutionary relationships." Users can search for information by BLAST sequence, key
The Fields Institute: Lecture Audio and Slides
The Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences aims to "enhance mathematical activity in Canada by bringing together mathematicians from Canada and abroad, and by promoting contact and collaboration between professional mathematicians and the increasing numbers of users of mathematics." They support research in pure and applied mathematics, statistics and computer science, as well as collaborative projects between mathematicians and those applying mathematics in areas such as enginee
What is Design?
Children between the ages of nine and twelve will be drawn into this site that explores the world of design. It encourages "kids to develop critical viewing, technical mastery, artistic awareness, and practical, just, solutions." Many interactive games and activities are available, allowing users to create their own designs and share them with others. For example, children can design their own watch with a simple step-by-step process, and many watches are featured in a gallery. A wealth of infor
Planetary Fact Sheets
Offered by the National Space Science Data Center of NASA, the Planetary Fact Sheets Web site contains helpful information for students studying astronomy. The site lists links to all of the planets, their satellites, and their rings, as well as to tables comparing all the planets. The planet pages contain a photograph and a simple list of dozens of facts such as mass, volume, distance to the earth, temperature, and much more. Although not flashy, the information provided by this site can be ver
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
