The Scout Report - February 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-990217.html
KIDS Report
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/KIDS/archive/KIDS-990216.html
Volume 2, Number 11 of the Scout Report for Science & Engineering is available. The In the News section annotates nine resources on recent discoveries that provide support for the theory that deep sea hydrothermal vents may have been among the Earth's first "factories of life." The February 16 issue of the KIDS Report, written by and for K-12 students, comes to us from students of Theodore Roosevelt Jr. High of the Altoona Area School District in Altoona, PA. This issue features Internet resources on the American Civil War. [MD]
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DNA From the Beginning [RealPlayer, Shockwave, Javascript]
http://vector.cshl.org/dnaftb/
Provided by the DNA Learning Center (DNALC) at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, this site is "the world's first online, animated genetics primer - that takes a person from basic concepts of inheritance through up-to-the minute methods of DNA analysis." Specifically aimed at teenaged users without scientific backgrounds, the site has terrific potential for use in junior high or freshman-level biology courses. The site will be composed of thematic sections, each of which will contain a collection of key concepts which are taught using brief explanatory texts, various multimedia elements and animations, and short quizzes. Currently, only the first set of key concepts, covering Classical Genetics, is available. This section of the site discusses the "Mendelian inheritance, basic modes of human inheritance, genetic linkage, and variability." The next collection, covering the Molecules of Genetics, is scheduled for release in April. Visitors to the site have the option to log on as a guest or become a registered user. Registered users may set preferences, track pages that they have read, and keep score on their quizzes. [MD]
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The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading Report Card
NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card for the Nation -- NCES
Executive Summary
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main1998/1999500.shtml
Full-text [.pdf, 234p.]
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main1998/1999500.pdf
NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card National Highlights
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main1998/1999479.shtml
.pdf Version [12p.]
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pubs/main1998/1999479.pdf
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has recently placed online the full text, summary, and highlights of the NAEP 1998 Reading Report Card. In 1998, NAEP conducted a national reading assessment of fourth, eighth, and twelfth grade students and compared the results to those in 1994 and 1992. The report finds that, although scores did not increase for students at all levels of achievement, the national average reading score did rise for all three grades overall in 1998. The full text of the report provides "average scores and achievement level performance for the nation," as well as "results for subgroups of students defined by various background and contextual characteristics." Users looking for a summary of the major findings at a national level and an analysis of the at-home and school experiences that foster students' reading performance can turn to the Highlights report, available in HTML and .pdf formats. [MD]
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Alaska's Water Resources
http://www-water-ak.usgs.gov
The Water Resources of Alaska homepage is provided by the US Geological Survey. The goal of this project is to study and understand Alaska's hydrology (surface water, ground water, and water quality) for use and management of the nation's water resources. The site features a list of published reports and information about current projects as well as a vast amount of hydrologic data such as surface water, ground water, water quality, glaciers, water use, and hydrologic data reports. [SN]
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Security Service Records 1914-1945 - PRO [.pdf]
http://www.pro.gov.uk/releases/Mi51999/default.htm
The UK Public Record Office (last described in the January 8, 1999 Scout Report) has recently made a second release of Security Service Records (MI5), consisting primarily of personal files from British agents and enemy spies. Users may download catalog descriptions of the files in .pdf format or view overviews of the key documents at the site. Images of selected documents are also available, including files on Mata Hari, the first intelligence report on the capture of Rudolf Hess, images of a cardboard code carried by German spy Josef Jakobs, and a report on the use of Carrier Pigeons by German intelligence. Additional resources at the site include an overview of the first MI5 record release and a guide to accessing the records in person at the PRO in Kew. Although this release will be noticed mostly by researchers, anyone with an interest in wartime espionage will enjoy the selected full-text images. [MD]
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NASS-USDA 1997 Census of Agriculture [.pdf, .wk1]
http://www.nass.usda.gov/census/
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have released the findings of the 1997 Census of Agriculture, the nation's 25th comprehensive accounting of US agricultural production. Collecting data from every place in the country from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, the census contains data on topics such as land use and farm size, crops, livestock and poultry, market value of products, and production expenses. Users may access the thousands of pages of data at this site in several ways: full-text National, State, and County Tables; Highlights of the same; State and County Profiles; or a Quick Facts slide show. Note that most of the data reports are in .pdf format, while Statewide Summaries are offered in text, graphic, and Lotus formats. The site also offers the 1992 Census in its entirety and a number of related links for agricultural researchers. [MD]
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Inter-American Development Bank [.xls, .pdf]
http://www.iadb.org/exr/english/index_english.htm
Established in 1958, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funds cooperative efforts "to promote the economic and social development of Latin America." Current data on the economies, political systems, and cultures of the Americas is available from the IDB's economic, trade, and social databases with estimates of balance of payments, income distribution, and non-financial public sector statistics in comma-delimited format for downloading. Recent working paper series on sectral topics (1996-present) are also available, as well as IDB country reports with statistical tables and graphs. [MW]
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Journey North
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/
Journey North, an Annenberg/CPB "Learner Online" science education program, uses the Internet to track migration and signs of spring. Each year, students and teachers across North America go online (beginning on Groundhog's Day), to share their observations of the changing seasons. Targeting K-12 and high school students, the colorful homepage offers several interactive features -- from student or teacher discussion lists to the information-rich section Spring 1999. To get oriented, begin at How to use Journey North and click on the Orientation link. Then, select among several options. The Migrations project provides updated locations of a dozen birds and animals, from Bald Eagles to Hummingbirds, Manatees to Monarch butterflies, and Whooping Cranes to Whales. The Journey North News Calendar provides participants with an overview of upcoming information for focal species. And Signs of Spring uses indices like ice-out, leaf-out, and frogs to track the season's progress. This site could serve as a wonderful virtual lab for teachers seeking ways to integrate local classroom activities with global processes. [LXP]
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The Electronic Journal of Science Education
http://unr.edu/homepage/jcannon/ejse/ejse.html
Online since 1996, this free, peer-reviewed e-journal explores pedagogy and professional development in K-16 science education. The Journal features a mix of scholarly case studies and theoretical explorations of issues in science education. Both abstracts and the full text of all articles are available. Recent titles include "Realism versus Constructivism: Which is a More Appropriate Theory for Addressing the Nature of Science in Science Education?" "Using the Construction of a Science Education Web Site as a Focus of a Directed Study Course in Undergraduate Elementary Science Education," and "Survey of Physics Student Attitudes on Access to Problem Solutions." Users may also subscribe to the EJSE Mailing List, which announces new issues and serves as a forum on published articles. [MD]
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Treasures from Europe's National Libraries [Frames]
London Server
http://www.bl.uk/gabriel/treasures/entree.html
Frankfurt Server
http://www.ddb.de:80/gabriel/treasures/entree.html
Helsinki Server
http://renki.helsinki.fi/gabriel/treasures/entree.html
Den Haag Server
http://www.konbib.nl/gabriel/treasures/entree.html
Ljubljana Server
http://nuk.uni-lj.si/gabriel/treasures/entree.html
This major new exhibition from the Conference of European National Librarians and provided by Gabriel, Gateway to Europe's National Libraries, features almost 100 of the most precious artifacts from the collections of 24 National Libraries. Users may tour the exhibition by document type or topic, view selected highlights, or browse several indices (Library, Creator, Titles, and Date). Entries for each artifact include an image and brief description. Although the exhibit would greatly benefit from the addition of thumbnailed links to full-screen images of the artifacts, it is still a remarkable representation of Europe's cultural heritage over the past 1,000 years. It should also be noted that this is the first of multiple planned versions, and additional treasures will be added as they become available. [MD]
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CORONA Spy Satellite Images
http://www.fas.org/eye/
Between 1960 and 1972, the CORONA spy satellite program launched over 100 missions, which collected over 800,000 high-resolution images, including numerous shots of secret nuclear weapons facilities in the Soviet Union and China. Declassified in 1995, these images lay on the shelves of the National Archives until the past year, when the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) Public Eye Initiative collected "the best of the CORONA imagery of the nuclear weapons infrastructure of Russia, China, Israel, and other countries." On February 16, the FAS unveiled the first extensive look at CORONA imagery of Russia's nuclear weapons complex, presenting the images at a conference and on the FAS Website. At the site, users can read about the Public Eye Initiative, satellite imagery, and the implications of future publicly available commercial satellite images. They can also, of course, view the newly released images. These are divided into two categories: Nuclear Weapons Facilities and National-Level Nuclear Weapons Storage Sites. Along with numerous satellite photographs, each entry offers a history of the site and maps. Additional government surveillance images from World War II though Desert Storm, and including Libya, Sudan, Waco, Israel, Bosnia, and other locations, are available in the Image Intelligence (IMINT) Gallery, accessible from the main page. [MD]
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The Federalization of Criminal Law [.pdf, 269p.]
http://www.abanet.org./crimjust/fedreport.html
Released this week, this report by a blue-ribbon task force sponsored by the American Bar Association and chaired by former Attorney General Edwin Meese III is the product of a two-year study on the federalization of crime. The report finds that the majority of federal crime laws are passed by Congress for political reasons and may actually undermine state and local law enforcement. This site offers the full text of the report and its appendices in .pdf format. [MD]
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Third release of the George Washington Papers -- LOC
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/
The Library of Congress (LOC) National Digital Library has recently made the third Web release of the George Washington Papers (last discussed in the August 28, 1998 Scout Report). Totalling about 19,000 images, this release includes incoming correspondence, military reports and records, letters of reference for applicants for Federal office, military commissions and honorary degrees received by Washington, and notes he wrote on political and agricultural topics between 1760-99. Images are available in both GIF and JPEG formats. The three releases of the Washington Papers total approximately 50,000 images, one-third of the 147,000 that will eventually make up the complete online collection. [MD]
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Three Smithsonian Institution Exhibitions:
George and Martha Washington: Portraits from the Presidential Years
http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/gw/
Graphic Design in the Mechanical Age: Selections from the Merrill C. Berman Collection
http://www.si.edu/ndm/exhib/berman/
The Pichs Collection: Exploring Cuba's History Through Postal Stamps
http://www.si.edu/pichs/Exhibit.htm
Thanks to Web technology, visitors can take in all three of these small, geographically distant exhibitions, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and its affiliates, in less than an afternoon. The first exhibit, mounted by the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., includes a dozen portraits of George and Martha Washington, painted during the eight years that Washington served as first President of the United States. View all twelve as a page of thumbnails or browse the larger images and their lengthy captions. Next, travel to New York City by clicking a URL to view Graphic Design in the Mechanical Age at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, which tracks the development of modern graphic design during the 1910s through the 1930s. The Web version of this show presents about 20 selections from the over 200 on view at the Museum, arranged in four topical sections: Avant-Garde, Commerce, Politics, and Social Change. Finally, Exploring Cuba's History through Postal Stamps is the first collaboration between the Smithsonian and the San Carlos Institute of Miami, Florida. Curator Ronald E.G. Davies, Aviation Historian, National Air and Space Museum, presents images of stamps, letters, and postcards, some with drawings of Cuban airplanes, photographs of planes, maps, or text, on the brown paper background of an airmail package. [DS]
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Favorite Poem Project [RealPlayer, .pdf]
http://www.favoritepoem.org/
The brainchild of US poet laureate Robert Pinsky, the Favorite Poem Project aims to create for the Library of Congress a multimedia archive of 1,000 Americans of all ages and social backgrounds reading aloud their favorite poem. The project was announced in April 1998, and its official Website was launched on Valentine's Day. At the site, users can read about the Project's history and future, listen to and read selected poems, learn about the people who have submitted poems, and find out how they can submit their own favorite poem. Between its launch and April 2000, when Pinsky will deliver the first installment of the poetry archive to the Library of Congress, the site will continue to expand with more readings, message boards, and a teachers' section. [MD]
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Hispanic/Latino News Service [RichLink]
http://www.latinowww.com/
Created and maintained by Boston University Law Student Markos Alberto Moulitsas Zuniga, this site serves as a clearinghouse for Latino-interest news. Users will find daily news updates in English and Spanish with links to full-text articles in English- and Spanish-language US newspapers. The site also features opinion pieces, interviews, and a useful collection of related links. Users working on their bilingual skills will also appreciate a recently added feature that allows readers to immediately translate words or phrases in selected opinion pieces. [MD]
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Exploratorium: Frogs [Shockwave, RealPlayer, .mp3]
http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/index.html
This new exhibit from the Exploratorium (last described in the December 18, 1998 Scout Report) offers a peek into the world of Kermit's kin. Aimed at younger users, the site features several RealPlayer-enhanced feature stories on frogs, frog-researchers, and frog myths; a brief tour of Frog City USA; and interactive exhibits exploring frog calls and camouflage in nature. Additional features include instructions for making a rainstick, audio recordings of the rainforest, and a collection of annotated frog links. [MD]
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Internet2 Poised for Launch
Abilene Project
http://www.internet2.edu/abilene/
The Internet2 Project
http://www.internet2.edu/
Internet2, a project to bypass the congested public Internet and link research institutions via a high-speed network, takes its first big step forward this month with the launch of the Abilene test-bed. Abilene will initially link 70 research institutions with 13,000 miles of fiber-optic cable looped between New York and Seattle and operating at 2.4G bits per second. Designed to serve the academic research community, Internet2 will not be accessible to the general public, but new technologies developed and tested on the network will certainly eventually find their way to ordinary end-users. At the Abilene site, users can learn about the project's history and participants, view a network map and technical information, and read the latest news and highlights. The main Internet2 site also offers a project overview, information on participants and goals, notices of Internet2 events, and news and highlights. The site also contains links to information on Abilene's sister projects: I2-DSI (Distributed Storage Infrastructure) and I2-DVN (Digital Video Network). [MD]
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Mac OS Runtime for Java (MRJ) 2.1
http://www.apple.com/java/
Earlier this week, Apple released a major upgrade to the Mac OS Runtime for Java engine, bringing it into compliance with version 1.1.6 of Sun's Java Development Kit (JDK). Incorporation of Symatec Corporation's Just In Time (JIT) compiler for Java, as well as improvements in the handling of graphics, imaging, threading, and networking increase the speed of MRJ 2.1 by up to 500% over previous versions. This release makes Java on the Mac compatible with most current Java technologies, including JavaBeans, the JAR File Format, Java Database Connectivity, Java Native Interface, and a host of others. Additionally, support for AppleScript, QuickTime, and Swing are included. Users of Internet Explorer stand to benefit the most from this release, as Explorer allows the user to choose which Java Virtual Machine they would like to use. [PMS]
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WindowBlinds 0.40
http://www.stardock.com/products/windowblinds/
If you have too much time on your hands and you yearn to change the way Microsoft Windows appears on your computer, WindowBlinds, created by StarDock Systems, Inc., is for you. This interesting and entertaining application actually changes the way your Windows 95/98/NT desktop appears -- window borders, backgrounds, buttons, and more can all be altered to your liking. WindowBlinds comes with several already created desktop styles (called "skins") and many more independently created skins are available for download. One of the more amusing skins is the MacPC which makes your Microsoft desktop look like a MacOS system. StarDock also provides the ThemeBuilder utility which, though complex, aids in creating new skins. WindowBlinds is free and runs on Win95/98/NT. [CL]
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Capture of Abdullah Ocalan
Special Report: The Ocalan File -- BBC News [RealPlayer]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_280000/280453.stm
Ocalan's Capture: 'Turkey's Victory' and 'Turkey's Test' -- USIA
http://www.usia.gov/admin/005/wwwh9f18.html
Med-TV: Kurdish Satellite Television
http://www.ib.be/med/
Focus on Abdullah Ocalan & PKK -- Turkish Embassy
http://turkey.org/apo-pkk/apopkk.htm
On February 15, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan was captured in Kenya and brought to Turkey to face trial for terrorism. In response, a vigorous wave of protest by ethnic Kurds erupted across Europe, culminating in self-immolations and the occupation of embassies in several cities. The PKK has its roots in Turkey's leftist student organizations of the 1960s and has always maintained as its primary goal the establishment of an independent Kurdish state in southeastern Turkey. More than anyone, Ocalan has been responsible for the group's goals, strategy, and structure. Regarded as an arch-terrorist by some and a ethnic freedom fighter by others, Ocalan's capture has been widely celebrated in Turkey, and his arrest was followed by a renewed offensive against Kurds in northern Iraq. The forthcoming trial will be closely watched by western observers, especially in the EU, which has cited Turkey's human rights record as one of the reasons it has thus far resisted Turkey's overtures to join the Common Market. Some argue that Ocalan's arrest also illuminates US and European hypocrisy over the rights of ethnic minorities, claiming that the concerns demonstrated for Albanians in Kosovo are not shown for the condition of the Kurds in Turkey, a key NATO ally and secular Islamic state. BBC News has assembled a special report on Ocalan and the PKK, with profiles, analysis, the latest news, and related links. The US Information Agency (USIA) site offers an excellent collection of quotes on Ocalan's capture and the Kurdish problem from newspapers around the world, organized by region. MED-TV, a satellite channel broadcasting to Kurdish communities all over Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa, offers a weekly news review in English. This week's review naturally focuses on Ocalan's capture and Kurdish protests. The final site, provided by the Turkish Embassy in the US, offers a collection of statements and analyses representing the official Turkish view. Additional resources for understanding the PKK and Turkey's human rights record can be found in the Scout Report Signpost, the Scout Report's database. These include The International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Index: Patterns of Global Terrorism, Human Rights Watch World Report 1999, and the State Department's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. [MD]
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From the Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-1999.
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