The Scout Report - March 19, 1999

Scout Report for Science & Engineering and KIDS Report
Scout Report for Science & Engineering
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/report/sci-engr/1999/se-990317.html
KIDS Report
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/KIDS/archive/KIDS-990316.html
Volume 2, Number 13 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates six resources on the discovery of a bioluminescent Octopus. The March 16 issue of the KIDS Report, written by and for K-12 students, comes to us from students of Memorial High School in Madison, Wisconsin. This issue features Internet resources on language. [MD]
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Early Canadiana Online (ECO)
http://www.canadiana.org/
A collaborative research project, ECO has created an outstanding online library of primary sources in Canadian history from the arrival of the first Europeans to the late 19th century, with particular emphasis on literature, women's history, native studies, and the history of French Canada. Composed of digital images of the pages from over 1,100 selected books and pamphlets, the collection may be searched by keyword, title, author, subject, or publisher or browsed by title or author. Search returns include title, author, subject, page length, and publisher. Users may choose to view the full text or examine each of the pages that matches their search. Users can also choose from four viewing sizes and navigate within the text from the individual imaged pages. The entire site is also available in French. [MD]
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World Population Profile: 1998 [.pdf, 167p., .WK1, .zip]
http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/wp98.html
Just released on the Web by the US Census Bureau, this report offers "a comprehensive assessment of world demographic prospects as we approach the end of this century and the beginning of the next." The report highlights major demographic trends and the roles played by the developed and developing nations in these trends, and identifies some of the key elements and questions behind global population change. In addition, the report features a special chapter on one of the most important health and demographic events of modern history: the worldwide HIV/AIDS pandemic. At present, users may download the full text, highlights, and detailed tables of Appendix A (in zipped or unzipped Lotus 1-2-3 format). In the near future, users should also be able to download the report by chapter and the three remaining Appendixes. [MD]
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Emilio Segre Visual Archives
http://www.aip.org/history/esva/
Niels Bohr Library
http://www.aip.org/history/nblbro.htm
Named in honor Emilio Segre, Nobel Laureate for nuclear and high-energy physics, the Emilio Segre Visual Archives contains approximately 25,000 historical photographs, slides, lithographs, engravings, and other visual materials related primarily to American physicists and astronomers of the 20th century. Almost 1,500 of these are currently available online, searchable by name, keyword(s), and category. Users can also browse a collection of "mini-exhibits," featuring photos, stories, and quotes revealing the "human face" of some of the most famous physicists in history. The Segre Visual Archives is part of the Niels Bohr Library of the Center for History of Physics at the American Institute of Physics (AIP) (last discussed in the February 7, 1997 Scout Report). The Bohr Library site features an online catalog, archival finding aids, oral history interview abstracts, and a link to the International Catalog of Sources (ICOS) for History of Physics and Allied Sciences. [MD]
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Blake Digital Text Project [Frames]
http://virtual.park.uga.edu/wblake/home1.html
Maintained by Nelson Hilton, Professor of English at the University of Georgia-Athens, this site will quickly become a favorite of Blake scholars. In addition to the full text of David V. Erdman's The Complete Poetry and Prose of William Blake, the site features a hypertext version of Songs of Innocence and of Experience which allows users to explore the various versions of Blake's masterpiece and "proceed from any given poem to any other which followed it in any edition, looping through the various juxtapositions Blake created in the intratextual, echoing world of Songs." In addition, the site also includes a powerful Blake Concordance. Concordance results link to a three-line context in the bottom frame of the page. [MD]
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Two New Online Databases from the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Atomic Spectral Line Broadening Bibliographic Database
http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Linebr/html/reffrm0.html
Stopping-Power and Range Tables for Electrons, Protons, and Helium Ions
http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/Star/Text/contents.html
Two databases containing Physical Reference Data are available online from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) (mentioned in the August 16, 1996 Scout Report for Science & Engineering). The first, Atomic Spectral Line Broadening Bibliographic Database, includes 800 references containing "numerical data, general information, comments, and review articles." Users can conduct fielded searches (e.g., Element, Mechanism, etc.) of Papers with Numerical Data or General Interest Papers without Numerical Data, or search via Additional Criteria such as Author and Journal. Results yield listings of the articles but no hyperlinks. The second database, Stopping-Power and Range Tables for Electrons, Protons, and Helium Ions, contains "three web databases, ESTAR, PSTAR and ASTAR, which calculate stopping-power and range tables for electrons, protons, or helium ions, according to methods described in ICRU (International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurements) Reports 37 and 49." In the Appendix section, users will find summaries explaining the significance of the calculated quantities. [SN]
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electronic Transactions [.pdf]
http://www.rgs.org/asptemp.asp?page=8publetr
The Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, a quarterly, peer-reviewed scholarly journal concerning "any theoretical or empirical subject on geography," has substantially changed its Web presence since its first review in the Scout Report May 30, 1997. Although the site no longer offers free access to current issues, it has placed the full text of over 1,500 articles and book reviews, the full back-run of the journal from 1935-1993, online in .pdf format. Users may search the archive by keyword(s), author, title, or year. Search returns include title, author, year, issue, and item type (article, book review, or commentary). Users may also view content lists for recent issues and titles and abstracts for forthcoming papers. [MD]
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British Women Romantic Poets, 1789-1832
http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/English/BWRP/index.htm
Showcasing works by British women poets, this University of California-Davis site is a haven for scholars, students, and fans of the Romantic period. The goal of the project is the "design and development of highly accurate and reliable electronic editions of works published by British women poets between 1789 and 1832" with the initial texts coming from the UC-Davis Library's Kohler Collection of British Poetry, housed in the Department of Special Collections. Texts are selected with input from the project's Editorial Advisory Board (listed at the site) made up of scholars in the United States and Canada. The texts (there are 36 presently, with new titles being added) can be accessed via a listing of authors; some texts consist of whole books (several hundred pages) and some, a single poem. The creators have gone to great lengths to make the HTML versions as accurate as possible, including notations about special features or characters not included in the HTML version and scanned pages from the actual works which can be enlarged for greater detail. SGML versions of each piece are also available. Information about how to access the original works in the Kohler Collection is also included online as well as a list of links to related Web-based resources. [REB]
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Columbia Center for New Media Teaching & Learning (CCNMTL)
http://www.ccnmtl.columbia.edu/
The primary mission of the CCNMTL is to support Columbia faculty in the use of digital technologies for teaching and learning. However, the Center also plans to share the successful technologies and curriculum models it develops with the wider university community. This new site is the first step in that direction. College educators and media lab staff will find a number of items of use, including a Web Publishing Guide and overviews of ongoing projects at the Center. Probably the most useful section of the site at present is the EdCITE Reference Database of over 230 research and case studies on the effective use of technology in education. Searchable by title, author, keyword, descriptor, and discipline, the database offers citations to journal articles, Websites, and other relevant information resources on technology in education. Citations include author, title, source, resource type, date, education level, discipline, an abstract, and whenever possible a link to the full text. [MD]
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H-HistBibl: Study & Practice of History Librarianship
http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~histbibl/
Affiliated with the Association for the Bibliography of History [ABH] and the History Section of the American Library Association, this new discussion list from H-Net is aimed at "librarians, archivists, curators, and scholars interested in the practice and study of bibliographic and library services in support of historical study and teaching." The H-HistBibl site offers subscription information and will include searchable discussion logs, discussion threads, and related links. [MD]
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First Report of the Committee of Independent Experts [.pdf, 140p.]
http://www.europarl.eu.int/experts/
BBC Special Report: EU in Crisis
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_297000/297584.stm
Released on March 15, this report has created the worst political crisis in the European Union's 42-year history. The 140-page report by independent experts looked into charges of widespread fraud, nepotism, and corruption in the European Commission, the executive body of the EU, and found numerous cases where "commissioners or the Commission as a whole bear responsibility for instances of fraud, irregularities or mismanagement." In response, the President of the Commission, who is also the chief executive of the EU, and nineteen other senior officials abruptly resigned on March 16. This would be roughly equivalent to the entire US Cabinet resigning. Users can read the full text of the report, in HTML or .pdf format, at the European Parliament site. Users interested in further analysis of the crisis and the latest developments will want to visit the BBC Special Report site. [MD]
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The Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report and Financial Statement and Budget Report
http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/hmt/budget99/budget99.htm
On March 9, UK Chancellor Gordon Brown delivered the 1999 Budget. Consisting of two reports, the Budget offers the Government's assessment of "the medium-term economic and budgetary position" and sets out the Government's tax and spending plans. At this site, provided by the Stationary Office, users can view the full text of the Budget reports as well as the Chancellor's Budget Statement and a collection of news releases from the Treasury and other Government departments. [MD]
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Witness and Legacy: Contemporary Art About the Holocaust
http://sunsite.utk.edu/neighborhoods/witness/index.html
This Website presents Witness and Legacy, a travelling exhibition of 63 works of contemporary art which "explores the linkages between the Holocaust and creativity." Some of the artists represented in the show are Holocaust survivors, while others are their descendants. Probably the most satisfactory way to enter the exhibit is to select an image of one artist's work from the horizontal display on the bottom of your screen. Doing so takes you to that artist's section, containing more images and analysis of their work, portrait photographs, and exhibition history. The site also provides a collection of essays and animated tours, a resource section with links to additional holocaust information, discussion forums, and examples of ways in which Witness and Legacy has been used to teach about the Holocaust in schools. [DS]
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From the Back Alleys to the Supreme Court & Beyond [RealPlayer]
http://www.albany.edu/history/FromTheBackAlleys.html
The University at Albany History Department, SUNY (last discussed in the November 20, 1998 Scout Report) has added yet another fine resource to its homepage. The inaugural program in the site's History and Public Policy Documentary Series, From the Back Alleys to the Supreme Court & Beyond is a streaming audio adaptation of the video trilogy by the same name. Composed of five parts, each approximately a half-an-hour long, this program documents the history of abortion rights in America, from the untold stories of back alley abortions to the development of underground networks to Roe v. Wade to the current rollbacks in reproductive rights. For optimal audio quality, users may choose from three connection speeds for each segment. [MD]
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1998 Tax Planning Guide
http://www.dtonline.com/taxguide98/cover.htm
For US residents, tax day is fast approaching, and even those who have already filed their returns may want to pay a visit to this year's version of the Deloitte and Touche LLP Tax Planning Guide (originally reviewed in the December 18, 1997 Scout Report for Business and Economics). Focusing on long-term financial and tax planning, the site features a host of resources, including an overview of recent and future tax changes, a financial planning checklist, an extensive discussion on Taxes and Your Financial Plan, a collection of tax tools, numerous tips and strategies for different taxpayers, and general and specialized future tax strategies. Also included is a link to the Deloitte and Touche LLP and Tax News & Views detailed summary of the tax provisions in last October's appropriations bill. [MD]
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Botany.com
http://www.botany.com/
Gardeners of all abilities will find a use for this online Encyclopedia of Plants. Browseable by common or botanical name and category (bulbs, perennials, trees and shrubs, etc.), the site offers a general description, cultivation and propagation instructions, and information on the different varieties and hybrids. While some plant entries are short and all would benefit from the inclusion of photos, each offers a useful introduction. Additional resources at the site include a Dictionary of Botanical Words; links to botanical gardens, associations, and societies; and online sources for weather information around the world. [MD]
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Three March Madness Sites
FinalFour.net
http://www.finalfour.net/
College Hoops Insider [RealPlayer]
http://www.collegeinsider.com/
Coach's Edge [RealPlayer, WindowsMedia, Shockwave]
http://www.coachesedge.com/
These three sites will appeal to Internauts who wish to follow the remainder of the 1999 NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments online. The first, the official NCAA tournament site (reviewed in the March 14, 1997 Scout Report), contains links to live game cybercasts; scores; feature stories, rosters, and statistics for each team; and tournament brackets. College Hoops Insider provides excellent coverage of the Men's Tournament, featuring seventeen columnists, interviews, short pieces on all the coaches, feature stories, Power Ratings, and RealPlayer Audio selections. Finally, arm-chair coaches will enjoy the in-depth analysis and animated scouting reports for both tournaments at the Coach's Edge. The site also offers audio reports for each team and tournament news updates. [MD]
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RealGuide
http://realguide.real.com/
RealNetworks, the industry leader in streaming audio and video, debuted a new comprehensive portal to streaming media programming this week. The site offers programming from over 1,700 radio and TV stations and about 500 live events daily. All programming is organized in topical sections: News, Music, Sports, Sci-Tech, Society/ Culture, Money, and others. Each section is further divided into subtopics. For instance, under Sci-Tech, users will find programming on subjects such as Aviation, Computers, Environment, Internet, Paranormal, Space, Y2K, etc. Additional resources include a Beginner's Guide and a keyword(s) search engine. [MD]
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Internet Explorer 5.0
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/
Download Page
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/ie5all.htm
Yesterday Microsoft introduced version 5.0 of its Internet Explorer (IE) browser. This latest version offers a number of features designed to automate tasks and save users time, including an improved version of Autosearch, which was first introduced in IE 4.0. Other new components include Related Links, similar to Netscape's What's Related Function, tighter email integration, and a Windows Radio Toolbar. IE 5.0 is currently available for Windows 95/98/NT, Windows 3.1, and UNIX platforms. [MD]
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Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0
http://www.adobe.com/prodindex/acrobat/readstep.html#reader
Adobe has released version 4.0 of its popular and free .pdf reader. New features in this version include improved integration with Web browsers and improved support for longer documents and PostScript. Users may download the reader for a variety of platforms from the site. [MD]
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Dow Jones at 10,000
CNNfn Special Report: The Dow at 10,000
http://cnnfn.com/specials/dow10000/
Stocks -- NPR's Morning Edition [RealPlayer]
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/archives/1999/990319.me.html
EduStock
http://tqd.advanced.org/3088/
The Dow Jones industrial average passed the 10,000 mark twice this week, opened this morning just a few points shy of the milestone, and will, in all probability, finish the day in record territory. While the breakthrough to 10,000 has no significance in and of itself for the market, it is a symbol of the strong optimism over America's improbably steady growth in the face of economic reversals all over the world. The CNNfn (financial network) has produced a special report, analyzing the Dow as a market benchmark, speculating about its future after 10,000, and offering the opinions of eight financial experts. National Public Radio's Morning Edition reported today on the history of the Dow, a collection of just 30 stocks handpicked by the Wall Street Journal, and its suitability as a barometer for US industry. Users can listen to the piece, in RealAudio format, at the program's site. A Thinkquest site (last reviewed in the November 27, 1998 Scout Report), EduStock offers a well-organized tutorial on the stock market, what it is, how it works, and how investors choose and manage portfolios. The site also features a free realtime stock simulation, company profiles, and related links. Users interested in additional resources for understanding the stock market and its record-breaking performance will find a number of items in the Scout Report Signpost the Scout Report's database. These include the Dow Jones Internet Index, the Internet Daily Stock Report, and riskview.com:On-line Risk Management. [MD]
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