Spring 2002 InfiniBand Solutions Conference [.pdf]
http://www.infinibandta.org/events/past/spring2002/
InfiniBand is high-end architecture for computer input/ output systems. It is a very new technology and is scheduled to be available on the market late this quarter. With high profile companies like Intel, Microsoft, and Dell supporting the InfiniBand Trade Association, the technology is generating considerable interest within the industry. In the Spring 2002 InfiniBand Solutions Conference (held last month), speakers addressed the technology, its architecture and protocols, and the direction that it might take as it emerges. These presentations are given on the conference's Web site, and they provide a good insight into InfiniBand's beginnings. This site is also reviewed in the May 24, 2002 Scout Report. [CL]
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FAST 2002: Conference on File and Storage Technologies [.pdf, .ps, .mpg, .rm]
http://www.usenix.org/events/fast02/
Hosted by the Advanced Computing Systems Association at the end of January, 2002, FAST 2002 was the first Conference on File and Storage Technologies. It featured many representatives from industry and academia who discussed key areas of research. The event's Web site has a number of presentations and papers that were given during the conference. Although many are for members only, several can be freely downloaded. These include both presentations from the two keynote speakers, three presentations about "the future of storage technology," the best student paper, and the best overall paper. Video recordings of the five aforementioned presentations can also be downloaded; however, they are very large and require a fast Internet connection. [CL]
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Operations Research: Java Objects
http://opsresearch.com/OR-Objects/
OR-Objects 1.2.4 is the latest version of a very useful, free package "of 500 Java classes for developing Operations Research, Scientific and Engineering applications." Each class contains algorithms and data structures that are frequently needed by Java programmers, and they can be reused whenever a particular function is required. Instead of spending extra time implementing these, the programmer can simply include the necessary class. This can significantly speed the development process. The classes are grouped into several categories, which include graphing, geometry, probability, statistics, and matrices. Documentation about OR-Objects is available, but must be downloaded separately. [CL]
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ASCI at Livermore
http://www.llnl.gov/asci/asci_home.html
The main goal of the Advanced Simulation and Computing Program (ASCI) is "to ensure the safety and reliability of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile." The program is a collaboration between three national laboratories, and it operates some of the world's most powerful supercomputers. One of the most notable projects detailed on the ASCI Web site is the Terascale Simulation Facility (TSF). This massive undertaking, when completed, will accommodate computers several times faster than anything available today. Even more information is given about ASCI Purple, the first computer that will be installed in the TSF in 2004. There is a lot of current research as well as historical data included on the site, and newsletters and other resources are updated frequently. [CL]
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JMLR Special Issue on Shallow Parsing
http://www.ai.mit.edu/projects/jmlr/papers/shallowparsing.html
The Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR) is a publication that addresses new methods, techniques, and developments in this area of study. The topic of this special issue of the JMLR is shallow parsing. There are six papers that consider how natural language sentences can be analyzed and understood by intelligent systems. The process of shallow parsing accomplishes this by sampling a small portion of the text and inferring its meaning. The authors of each paper examine different approaches to the problem and discuss the results of their research. Shallow parsing is an important application of machine learning with many uses, such as "information extraction, summary generation, and question answering." [CL]
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SIAM Journal on Discrete Mathematics [.pdf, .dvi, .ps, .ps.gz, .ps.Z]
http://epubs.siam.org/sam-bin/dbq/toclist/SIDMA
The Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics publishes this quarterly Journal on Discrete Mathematics, which covers the latest research on a variety of subjects within the field. Mainly of interest to mathematicians and other highly experienced individuals, the journal offers articles that discuss topics such as "combinatorics and graph theory, discrete optimization and operations research, theoretical computer science, and coding and communication theory." The latest issue includes five articles that describe new algorithms and proofs, and elaborate on findings of previous research work. There is also an archive of past issues that dates back to 1994. [CL]
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The Journal of Functional and Logic Programming [.pdf, .ps, .ps.gz]
http://danae.uni-muenster.de/lehre/kuchen/JFLP/
This electronic journal, published by the European Association for Programming Languages and Systems, features "articles ranging from the theoretical foundations of functional and logic programming up to the application of such languages 'in the real world.'" While it is technically a yearly journal, articles are added online as they are accepted. There are volumes from the past eight years available on the Web site, with the 2002 edition currently having four articles. Each submission to the journal provides an in-depth topic analysis from experienced researchers in the field. [CL]
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Data Entity Dictionary Specification Language: XML/DTD Syntax [.pdf]
http://www.ccsds.org/documents/pdf/CCSDS-647.3-B-1.pdf
This report, published by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), is a recommendation for a common Data Entity Dictionary Specification Language (DEDSL) implementation to establish interoperability of data dictionaries. Specifically, it deals with XML Document Type Declaration and requires some technical experience using the languages. Organizations, users, and producers of space data products are the target audience of the report. The purpose of the CCSDS is to develop "standard data handling techniques to support space research," and its members include NASA, the European and Russian Space Agencies, and several others. While this report is the most recent finalized document, there are many other recommendations offered on the CCSDS Web site. [CL]
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Java Digital Signal Processing Editor [.pdf]
http://www.eas.asu.edu/~midle/jdsp/
Professor Andreas Spanias of Arizona State University has supervised the development of this online digital signal processing (DSP) system simulation utility. This utility has many functions that allow the user to generate various signals, create filters, and analyze the responses. Other functions include Fourier Transforms, convolution, autocorrelation, and several speech processing tools. The interface is well designed and easy to use, and there are plenty of examples and documentation. However, some features are missing from it, such as the ability to print and save. The software is still being improved, though, so these problems might be fixed in the future. [CL]
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Digital Logic
http://www.play-hookey.com/digital/
For electrical or computer engineering students or anyone with a passing interest, this site presents a very good overview of digital logic. The basics of both combinational and sequential logic are discussed, and the design of specific components such as counters and shift registers are also illustrated. A particularly interesting section is devoted to the inner workings of logic gates, which is important to fully understand digital design. This looks beyond the gate level into the transistors and other basic elements. Even though the material is very informative overall, one possible downside to this site is that some of the circuit diagrams are a little too closely spaced. [CL]
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Autodesk: Design Your Future
http://www.autodesk.com/dyf/dyfmain2.html
Design Your Future is an excellent program that encourages young women in middle and high school to pursue careers in math, science, and technology. It has extensive information that will answer many common questions and make technical fields seem more accessible, and even fun. There are many bios of working women, which describe the daily activities and challenges involved in their jobs. A lot of college advice is also provided on the site, including tips to help choose a career, find the right school, get financial aid, and apply. There is a special feature of the Web site that connects female Autodesk employees with girls to start a mentoring program; however, the registration process for this is not well outlined. [CL]
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An Innovation Odyssey
http://www97.intel.com/odyssey/index.asp
Every school day, Intel showcases a new story about creative projects that use technology in education. The stories come from teachers and schools all over the world, and the original ideas they present can help other educators introduce technology to students. Projects can be on any topic; the only condition is that they must use some kind of technology to help teach the material. Anyone can submit a project for possible appearance on the Web site, and participants can receive an Intel camera or microscope. The series will continue to run over the summer, and an archive of all previous stories is included. [CL]
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Technobuff
http://www.technobuff.com/
This site serves as a good starting point for people learning about Web development. It has introductory tutorials, tips, and software for programming in Java and HTML. The Java Start Kit is particularly useful for novice programmers. The informative articles on the site cover various special topics about Web design, and there are associated quizzes that reinforce the concepts. Several message boards are also available, allowing communication and problem sharing among the developer community. There is even a section with information on being a successful online entrepreneur. Many resources are given on this site; however, a short registration is required to access the quiz center, downloads, and message boards. [CL]
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National Library of Virtual Manipulatives for Interactive Mathematics
http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/nav/index.html
A team at Utah State University has assembled this impressive collection of interactive, educational online Java applets. The tools are suited for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. There are five main categories of applications, consisting of numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, measurement, and data analysis and probability. Each category has a number of applets that demonstrate various concepts. The applets present a problem and prompt the user for a solution. Graphical representations and answer checking complete the package. The ease of use and well-programmed Java applets make this a truly exceptional site. [CL]
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Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program
http://education.dot.gov/
A tribute to the inventor of the traffic signal, this site has educational transportation material for almost anyone. Students from kindergarten to high school will find information, history, trivia, and games about every mode of transportation. Resources for teachers are also included, such as project suggestions and lesson plans. There are sections that can help students plan for a career in transportation, with lists of relevant colleges and universities. The one drawback is that most of the specific information is contained in links to other sites; however, the site's interface and centralized access to a wide variety of resources are what make it so useful. [CL]
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Appetizers and Lessons for Mathematics and Reason
http://whyslopes.com/
Math resources for both students and teachers are given on this site, spanning the general topics of arithmetic, logic, algebra, calculus, complex numbers, and Euclidean geometry. Lessons and how-tos with clear descriptions of many important concepts provide a good foundation for high school and college level mathematics. There are sample problems that can help students prepare for exams, or teachers can make their own assignments based on the problems. Everything presented on the site is not only educational, but interesting as well. There is certainly plenty of material; however, it is somewhat poorly organized. This does not take away from the quality of the information, though. [CL]
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Airborne Laser [.pdf, RealPlayer]
http://www.airbornelaser.com/
The Airborne Laser (ABL) is an advanced missile defense technology that is under development by Boeing, Lockheed Martin, TRW, the US Air Force, and the Missile Defense Agency. It is, at its most basic level, a huge, flying laser. However, the science and engineering needed to make it work are astonishing. An extremely powerful laser will be mounted on a Boeing 747 jet, and precise targeting systems will allow the laser to destroy ballistic missiles. The ABL Web site has much more information on the specifications, as well as project updates, pictures, and video. The most recent progress report, for the second half of 2001, is given as a six-minute RealVideo clip. [CL]
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Office of Spectrum Management [.pdf]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/osmhome.html
"The Office of Spectrum Management (OSM) is responsible for managing the Federal Government's use of the radio frequency spectrum." There are many informative features on the OSM Web site, most notably a collection of studies and reports about federal policies and regulations. Included in these reports is a long-range plan for accommodating the growing spectrum requirements of the government. Another interesting document is a detailed chart of frequency allocation in the US, which shows the range of frequencies reserved for specific radio services. The site is updated often with national and international news and hot topics. [CL]
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Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Desk Reference [.pdf]
http://www.federallabs.org/ContentObjects/Publications/T2_Desk_Reference.pdf
Released this month, the Technology Transfer Desk Reference is a publication of the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC). It is a 200-page guide that defines technology transfer, explains why it is important, and discusses how to implement it effectively. Although it is targeted at federal laboratories, other organizations can benefit from the material as well. For instance, certain sections describe "procedures that can be used to identify and transfer technologies from the government sector to the private sector." With technology advancing at the current rate, it is increasingly important to have proper transfer practices to avoid reinventing technologies that already exist. [CL]
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Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide [.pdf, .xls, .doc]
http://www.msdg.umn.edu/
The Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide addresses many environmental concerns, like deforestation and water pollution, that are a direct result of large-scale building construction. By suggesting more efficient practices in the development and operation of both new and renovated buildings, the authors of the guide hope to minimize these problems as much as possible. This Web site provides all the details of the guide. There are specific design strategies that are explained, with topics such as site location, water and energy use, and material selection. Other sections include information on the building life cycle, project documents, and case studies. [CL]
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Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers [.pdf]
http://www.autoalliance.org/
Composed of thirteen vehicle manufacturers, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is an advocacy group for the automobile industry with special focuses on vehicle safety and the environment. Its Web site is loaded with information about emerging technologies, fuel facts, and safety data. One outstanding resource is the Driver Focus Guidelines report, found in the Vehicle Safety section. This report, released last month, discusses the best practices of "driver interactions with future in-vehicle information and communications systems" such as cellular phones and navigation systems. There are many other features on the site, like detailed descriptions of alternative fuel vehicles, hybrid and fully electric vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. [CL]
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The Long Now Foundation
http://www.longnow.org/
The prominent computer science Danny Hillis envisions a 10,000-year clock, one that will put current perceptions of the future into a different perspective. This dream is now becoming a reality, and this Web site discusses many of the design principles that must be considered to make it fool proof. Items that need to be decided include what to display, how to display it, how to accurately time the clock (with little to no human intervention), how to power the clock, and the list goes on. Clearly, this is no simple task. Many engineering and scientific problems have to be addressed. This site has many more resources about this fascinating project. [CL]
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Manhattan Timeformations [Flash]
http://www.skyscraper.org/timeformations/intro.html
This original site, operated by The Skyscraper Museum, provides an excellent three-dimensional glimpse into New York City's architecture. The renderings and computer animations are especially poignant in light of recent events. There are four sections in all, which give information about "Manhattan's skyscraper districts through time," even before there were skyscrapers. Besides offering an historical perspective, the interactive models allow the user to change the view to see them from several angles. For more information about the history of skyscrapers and tall buildings all over the world, check out The Skyscraper Museum main page, which has a few other interesting features. [CL]
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Light Rail Transit Association
http://www.lrta.org/
Light rail has been an effective form of transportation for many years, and it is quite common in the US and throughout Europe. The Web site of the Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA) has extensive news, historical background, and information about light rail systems. A good overview of light rail is given that outlines its advantages over other transportation methods. One of the best features of the site is its world systems list, which is frequently updated with new light rail projects across the globe. There are also photo galleries of several light rail cars in operation in different countries. Only members can access the LRTA magazines, but the rest of the site's resources are available to anyone. [CL]
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Bridges
1. Bridge Basics
http://pghbridges.com/basics.htm
2. West Point Bicentennial Engineering Design Contest
http://bridgecontest.usma.edu/download.htm
3. The Bridges Project
http://128.42.22.60/scripts/bridges/front_end/index.asp?images=1&opennew=2&x=102&y=65
4. Discovery Channel: Engineering the Impossible: Gibraltar Bridge [RealPlayer]
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/eti/projects/bridgemain.html
5. Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program [.pdf, .ppt]
http://ibrc.fhwa.dot.gov/
6. Corrosion Protection: Concrete Bridges
http://www.tfhrc.gov/structur/corros/corros.htm
7. ASCE: Journal of Bridge Engineering [.pdf, .ps.gz]
http://www.pubs.asce.org/journals/be.html
8. Toothpick Bridges and Other Structures
http://www.asme.org/education/precollege/ideas/tpickbr.htm
Bridges have been drawing plenty of attention lately, with numerous construction projects around the world and the controversy over the deteriorating bridge infrastructure in the US. They have been an essential part of transportation for hundreds of years, and it is the job of civil engineers to design the safest, most durable bridges possible.
Bridge Basics (1) has a large list of different types of bridges with brief explanations. This is a good place for beginners to learn about various bridge designs and parts. The Web site of a nationwide engineering design contest (2) offers free West Point Bridge Designer software. This educational tool allows the user to create a custom virtual bridge model. Although this year's contest is over, another one is planned for next year. Rice University is the home of the Bridges Project (3), a comprehensive database of "all 74 1,000 ft. span bridges in the United States." For each of these, a short description and construction history are given, and some include photos and other interesting facts. The Gibraltar Bridge, a proposed nine mile bridge that connects Europe and Africa, was recently featured on the Discovery Channel's Engineering the Impossible (4). This Web site discusses its specifications, as well as the many challenges that must be overcome for it to be a reality. The Innovative Bridge Research and Construction Program (5) investigates new technologies that can be used in the "repair, rehabilitation, replacement and new construction of bridges" in the US. This is particularly important now, since a large portion of the countries bridges are badly in need of maintenance. A more specific area of research being conducted to protect bridge infrastructure involves the corrosion of steel reinforcements in concrete bridges (6). The material on this site provides an in-depth report on the findings of the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Technical reports and papers are published in the bimonthly Journal of Bridge Engineering (7). It covers almost any topic related to bridges, and is offered free online by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Fun activities for grade school students are given on this page (8). Separated into three levels of difficulty, the projects give students freedom to learn about and design any kind of bridge structure that interests them. A list of materials and criteria are given, but there are few explicit instructions, allowing for maximum creativity. [CL]
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Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology.
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
From The NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, & Technology, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2002. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/
The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:
Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2002. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.
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For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout Project staff page:
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