Database of Zeolite Structures
The Database of Zeolite Structures is provided by the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association. Links include an Atlas of Zeolite Framework Types, Collection of Simulated XRD Powder Patterns for Zeolites, Catalog of Disordered Zeolite Structures, Schemes for Building Zeolite Framework Models, and Zeolite Structure References, as well as various publications. The database can be searched or browsed, and contains several useful tools such as the "input your data" link, which a
Seaworld: Water
An educational lesson plan entitled Water is offered by the Seaworld teacher resources Web site. Objectives of the unit include having students identify the three phases of water, discuss the hydrologic cycle, describe the structure of the water molecule and the properties of water, explain ocean currents, and more. The well designed lesson allows students to study various topics by reading provided text and completing the activities described such as measuring salt content in water and estimati
Climate of 2002 Preliminary Annual Review
The National Climatic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has made available the Climate of 2002 Preliminary Annual Review Web site. Visitors will find numerous charts; graphs; tables; and descriptions of global temperatures, temperature trends, regional temperatures, and global precipitation. A US climate summary, as well as information on significant events, the Atlantic hurricane season, and the western US wildfire season, is also available. The site has
Oil, Out of Control
Oil, Out of Control is an in-depth Whyfiles story that follows from news coverage of an oil spill off Spain's northwest coast in 2002. This Web site offers a straight look at the issues surrounding this and other famous oil spills, particularly that of the Exxon Valdez off Prince William Sound in 1992. The authors make clear the allegiances of people quoted in the story, while clearly explaining both the science and politics of oil spills and cleanup efforts. The Web site also features a news re
The ALPHA Lab at UC Berkeley
The Alpha Lab at the University of California at Berkeley researches and develops robotics systems for high-precision manufacturing. Specifically, it combines mathematical algorithms and industrial automation to build low-cost, reliable tools for "feeding, fixturing and grasping." The projects section of the lab's Web site describes a number of experiments and model implementations for robotics operation. Many of these have Java applets that demonstrate the principles involved in handling differ
Integrity in Scientific Research: Creating an Environment That Promotes Responsible Conduct
A new offering from the National Academies Press has been made available entitled "Integrity in Scientific Research: Creating an Environment That Promotes Responsible Conduct." The freely viewable and printable publication has chapter headings that include The Research Environment and Its Impact on Integrity in Research, Institutional Approaches to Fostering Integrity in Research, and Promoting Integrity in Research Through Education, as well as several informative appendixes. As science evolves
Patterns of Gene Expression in Drosophila Embryogenesis
A new image database of gene expression patterns in Drosophila embryogenesis is now available from the Berkeley Drosophila Genome Project (BDGP), a consortium of the Drosophila Genome Center. The BDGP team used "high throughput 96-well plate RNA in situ protocol to determine patterns of gene expression during embryogenesis for Drosophila genes represented in non-redundant sets of Drosophila ESTs DGC1 and DGC2." The entire set of image, microarray, and annotation data may be browsed or searched f
Howard Hughes Medical Institute 2002 Holiday Lectures on Science
The theme of this year's holiday lecture series from the Howard Hughes Medical Center is Scanning Life's Matrix, which offers a detailed look at genes and genomes. Educators interested in using these free Web casts in the classroom must fill out an electronic registration form. There are four scheduled lectures (airing December 5th and 6th, 2002) titled "Reading Genes and Genomes," "Probing Genes and Genomes," "Human Genomics: A New Guide for Medicine," and "Chemical Genomics: New Tools for Medi
CBC News: Scientists Investigate Toxin, Mussel Threats in Lake Erie
This Web site contains an article from CBC News, covering the fish and bird die-offs in Lake Erie the summer of 2002 that researchers believe may be due to type E botulism, which is in turn linked to the invasive zebra mussel population. The site offers a video interview with Phil Ryan of Canada's Ministry of Natural Resources.
The Complete Morris's British Birds 1891
Individually produced by Ash Midcalf, this Web site contains digitized images from the Reverend Francis Orpen Morris's A History of British Birds, published in 1891. Artist-naturalists like Morris and Audubon created painstakingly true-to-life depictions of the planet's flora and fauna in the days before reliable photography. Visitors to this Web site can browse through pages of thumbnails, choose from the complete list of images, or use the search feature to view any of the 394 prints available
The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is a collection of about 2000 World Wide Web pages containing information about the diversity of life. These pages are authored by biologists from around the world... Each page contains information about one group of organisms. The pages are linked one to another in the form of the evolutionary tree of organisms, with the pages branching off from a group's page being about subgroups. This vast site contains a large collection of biological images, most of which can be reproduced
Network Montana Project Instructional Materials
Montana State University maintains the Network Montana Project Instructional Materials Web site. The four subject areas covered include the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and mountain environments. Each of these contain "Information Rich Problem Solving Activities" categorized by expertise level ranging from novice to expert. In the geosphere novice level, for example, the Exploding Mountain exercise lets students compare before and after volcano images, learn about lava, and explore locati
Ready to Learn: All About Hepatitis C
This comprehensive online resource for information about Hepatitis C is provided as a public service by Schering Corporation, the medical research and development company. Anyone who has specific questions about Hepatitis C, or who wishes to learn more about the disease in general, should find this Web site of great use. The site offers a wealth of detailed information about this disease that affects over 170 million people worldwide. Causes, symptoms, transmission, prevention, and treatment are
Responsive Classroom
The Responsive Classroom® addresses some of the challenges present in any elementary classroom, be it first-grade mathematics or third-grade science, by offering "an approach to teaching and learning that fosters safe, challenging, and joyful classrooms and schools, kindergarten through eighth grade." Through this website, classroom teachers share "practical strategies for bringing together social and academic learning throughout the school day." They report that teachers in urban, rural, and s
Dealing with Waste: The Nuclear Debate
Developed by the Industry Supports Education initiative (ISE), this website allows teenagers to take part in an online debate about how to cope with nuclear waste and whether and how nuclear power should be used in the future. During the debate, the user has a discussion with a virtual devil's advocate (DA). Visitors can either take the role of being in favor of nuclear power or against nuclear power. After the DA makes a statement, the user selects a response that most closely matches his or he
Welcome to the Web
Welcome to the Web is a great place to learn the basics of using the Internet and the World Wide Web. It is tailored to children, but if inexperienced adults can get past the cartoon drawings, anyone can benefit from the site. The first section provides an overview of the Internet and some terminology. Next is a section on guestbooks, followed by an overview of Web browsers. "Searching the Net" and research techniques comprise the last two sections. Each category consists of several interactive
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
PBS: Quantum Computing
This episode of the PBS program Closer to the Truth provides some insight into quantum computing technology. The program summary discusses some of the potential uses for quantum computing and features excerpts from the program in which researchers from IBM's Watson Research Center, MIT and UC Berkeley were interviewed. Visitors can also download video footage of the show and the transcript. Short definitions for key terms such as Tunneling, Superposition, Entanglement, and Quantum Mechanics are
National Speleological Society (NSS)
At this website, the National Speleological Society (NSS) promotes its goals "to study, explore, and conserve cave and karst resources; protect access to caves; encourage responsible management of caves and their unique environments; and promote responsible caving." Individuals can view amazing images of the twelve preserves managed by NSS. Students and educators can investigate links offering virtual tours of caves, cave exploration safety, and materials about the geologic characteristics of ca
Toxicological Profile Information Sheet
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is continually assembling toxicological profiles for hazardous substances. This site contains 256 online profiles listed alphabetically by chemical name. Each profile begins with a non-technical public health statement discussing the chemical, its environmental and health effects, and risk of human exposure. A more technical version of this information can also be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.
