NSDL Scout Report for Math, Engineering, and Technology
The ninth issue of the first volume of the MET Report is available. Its Topic in Depth section offers Web sites and comments about anti-terrorism technology.
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Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses from 1790 to 2000 [.pdf]
http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/pol02-ma.pdf
Since 1790, a US population tally has been administered and recorded every ten years. Measuring America, recently released by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau, documents this census of population from its initial start in 1790, when marshals counted 3.9 million US residents, to the year 2000, when the census totaled 281.4 million residents. This 149-page report traces the changes and growth of the US population by providing descriptions of the questionnaires used in each census, along with the instructions on how to complete them. The report also reveals how each census was conducted and information about its historical significance. On the whole, this document provides resourceful information for those involved with census-related research, as well as genealogists, historians, demographers, and others concerned with the evolution of the US population. [MG]
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Budget 2002: The Strength to Make Long-Term Decisions: Investing in an Enterprising, Fairer Britain
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/Budget/bud_bud02/bud_bud02_index.cfm?
Proudly presented by Her Majesty's Treasury Office, the 2002 annual budget makes public all the facts and figures of the United Kingdom's financial plan for the year. Accessible as separate HTML files, the reports featured on the Budget 2002 site cover a vast range of topics -- internal, external, domestic, European, and international. Detailing many new programs and increased support for pre-existing ones, the budget reflects a strong commitment to supporting some of Britain's most extensive social programs, in particular universal health care and old age pensions. As points of comparison, the site also features archived versions of previous budgets for the past five years. Equally worthy of note and deserving of study are the Chancellor of the Exchequer's remarks on Britain's relation to the new European monetary unit, the Euro, which many Brits oppose, while others support. User friendly, the site further facilitates access via its search engine, general topics, and FAQs lists. [WH]
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Status of Technology and Digitization in the Nation's Museums and Libraries 2002 Report
http://www.imls.gov/Reports/TechReports/intro02.htm
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a primary funder of digitization projects in US libraries and museums, issued this report in May, 2002. Based on a survey sent to state library agencies, academic libraries, public libraries, and museums, the report presents key statistics such as: 87% of museums, 99% of public libraries, and 100% of academic libraries and state library agencies use some kinds of technology, including desktop computers with standard office software, access to the Internet, and e-mail. The report provides a breakdown of which technologies are the most commonly used in different agency types. State library agencies ranked highest in digitization, with 78% reporting digitization projects in the last year. Many libraries -- 34% of academic and 25% public -- as well as about 30% of museums, had ongoing efforts. Overall, the report provides a wealth of statistics on what types of materials institutions would like to digitize and technologies they plan to implement. Also included are brief mentions and links to selected, exemplary digitization projects (funded by IMLS) in all agency types. The report is available in both HTML and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats. [DS]
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Untold Stories of D-Day
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0206/feature1/index.html
D-Day, 1944 -- an historical and momentous event during World War II --- is being highlighted and recognized for its mark in history. Nationalgeographic.com pays tribute to one of the critical invasions of World War II -- the invasion of Allied forces of the beaches of Normandy, France. There, users can hear the untold stories of five survivors who reveal testimonies of war that bring the Allied invasion of Normandy to life. Also, viewers can explore the sites and sounds of this June 6, 1944 invasion, as Tom Allen takes viewers back to the days leading up to the event; view an online photo gallery and war map; and send friends and/or relatives an online postcard featuring the battered American flag that was rescued by the U.S.S. Corry. In addition, war veterans can search for old comrades, as well as post tales and thoughts regarding that day. For veterans, historians, and anyone interested in war and American history, this is a wonderful site to explore. [MG]
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Emile Berliner and the Birth of the Recording Industry
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/berlhtml/
Emile Berliner, an innovative entrepreneur of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, invented the microphone, flat recording disc, and gramophone player. This online exhibit of Mr. Berliner draws from the Emile Berliner papers and sound recordings of the Library of Congress's Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division Industry. The collection consists of over 400 items from the manuscript collection and more than 100 sound recordings from the disc collection. Items in the collection range from correspondence, articles, lectures, and speeches to scrapbooks, photographs, clippings, and recordings. Most of the items date from the 1870s to the early 1930s, with a few items dating as late as 1956. Viewers may search the collection by keyword, or browse by recordings, subject, title, series, or name index. [MG]
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Slates, Sliderules, and Software: Teaching Math in America
http://americanhistory.si.edu/teachingmath/index.htm
Sponsored by the National Museum of American History, Teaching Math in America examines the evolution of math technology from the beginning of the nineteenth century through the end of the twentieth century. Divided into four sections, the site begins with the Early Republic, which explores the years between 1800 to 1860 when American children were using slates to write down their work. The second section, The World Stage, explores the late nineteenth century with the invention of geometric planes and modes, while the third section, The Cold War, explores the 1950s and 1960s with the invention of the blackboard protractor. The final section, The Information Age, brings viewers to the end of the twentieth century with the use of graphing calculators that could plot functions and manipulate symbols. Also included on this site is a Web resource section for math teachers that provide links to other math sites dealing with polyhedra and manipulatives, teaching tools and resources, and math history and education. In all, an enriching site for mathematicians and those interested in the history of math technology. [MG]
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1st AIAA/IAF Symposium on Future Reusable Launch Vehicles [.pdf, .ppt]
http://www.aiaa.org/research/index.hfm?res=5&workon=2&lumeetingid=647&use=2
The first Symposium on Future Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) was held in April, 2002, sponsored by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the International Astronautical Federation. This Web site has some of the presentations given at the symposium, dealing with several aspects of RLV design and operation. Many representatives from leading companies and international organizations shared their insights into current efforts, such as the X vehicles. A problem with the site is that the link to the presentation by Michel Rigault does not seem to be working. However, it could be obtained (along with several others that were too large to put online) by sending an email request to the address provided. This site is also reviewed in the June 7, 2002 NSDL MET Report. [CL]
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M is for Nottingham?
http://califia.hispeed.com/Incubation2/
A creative and innovative project at Nottingham Trent University in Britain has created a forum that teaches the craft of online writing through an online murder mystery. The project, M Is for Nottingham?, brings together students and writers from all over the world to collaboratively develop an online murder mystery, and offers students and the Internet community the opportunity to learn how to collaborate online to create narratives. Visitors of the site can visit Web pages that contain clues to the online mystery. As the readers progress through the story, they can click on clues in the text and visit Web sites to get more information, or can go to online conference areas to collaborate with other participants. Guests who want more involvement can enter the story by adopting ready-made characters, or can choose to create their own. Based on what they know, these more active participants can write segments that add new details and plot lines to the overall story. At the end of June, the submitted materials will be collected and a conclusion devised. The project will then hire actors to play out the finale at Incubation2, an international conference sponsored by the university's Online Writing Centre in July, where conference delegates will discuss whether online writing poses a threat to traditional books. [MG]
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2001 State Government Tax Collections
http://www.census.gov/govs/www/statetax01.html
The Census Bureau has released the 2001 State Government Tax Collections (STC) report, which lists data for 25 taxes imposed and collected by each of the 50 states. These items range from property taxes, to motor fuel and public utilities taxes, to alcoholic beverages and tobacco taxes, to income taxes. Users can view the summary table for individual states, or the ranking table where states are ranked according to total tax collected and by total tax per capita amounts. [MG]
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2002 Federal Register: Public Comments on the United States v. Microsoft Corporation Settlement
http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/usvms/msfr.html
An often scathing, exhaustive record for those who choose to consult it, the "Federal Register of Public Comments on the United States v. Microsoft Corporation Settlement" warrants even a cursory reading by anyone interested in the landmark case against the world's most powerful corporation. Containing more than 30,000 letters sent by private individuals, groups, organizations, and societies regarding the government's proposed settlement with Microsoft, the archive is a vast and varied one, allowing the public to gauge overall reaction to the case, how it was conducted, and its proposed outcomes. Made available by GPO Access, the letters are readable in either HTML or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) formats and are cataloged in thirty groups of one thousand letters each, archived in order of the date they were received. The entire archive is browseable by accession number and/or name of author. While not always easy reading, the archive is a unique record of the public's opportunity to sound off on a legal decision literally affecting everyone touched by Microsoft. [WH]
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Notable American Unitarians 1936-1961
http://www.harvardsquarelibrary.org/unitarians/index.html
Presented by the Harvard Square Library, this online project of the First Parish and the First Church in Cambridge (Unitarian Universalist) contains a list of philanthropic women and men who have made significant life contributions between the years of 1936-1961. Some of the people included on the list are James Luther Adams (Theologian of Power), Emily Greene Balch (Nobel Peace Laureate), Paul and Mary Blanshard (Fighters for Social Justice), Emily Taft Douglas (US Representative, Illinois), Margaret Laurence (First Lady of Canadian Literature), and Frank Lloyd Wright (Unitarian Architect). The site provides biographical information and achievements, as well as photographs and drawings of each honoree. [MG]
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Nature Picture Library
http://www.naturepl.com/frmsns.html
While a commercial enterprise, the Nature Picture Library offers viewers free online access to thousands of high-resolution photographs in its database. Containing fantastic shots of flora and fauna in settings of every variety, the Nature Picture Library is a great graphic resource for those in search of images of the natural world. Images can be purchased for direct downloads or can be stored online for free by registered users in lightboxes of their own design. The picture library allows registrants to create and store as many as fifty lightboxes for online consultation. A great way to see the world and all its creatures, the Nature Picture Library is sure to provoke awe, admiration, and devotion from users of every age. [WH]
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Globastat: Country Rankings and World Statistics
http://Globastat.com/
This interesting site by Globastat features country rankings in more than 140 categories based on the CIA World Factbook 2001. Categories are divided into eight individual sections -- Geography, People, Government, Economy, Communications, Transportation, Military, and Analysis -- and provides data for 198 countries. Users should be aware that the site contains promotional material and should not be surprised to see flashing icons stating "Rebuild Your Credit," or "Answer Trivia to Get Your Gifts." In spite of this, the site provides comprehensive graphs with productive information for people with varying interests. [MG]
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Greenstone Digital Library Software
http://www.greenstone.org/english/home.html
Greenstone is a suite of software designed to build and distribute digital library collections. Produced by the New Zealand Digital Library Project at the University of Waikato, this innovative tool was created to "empower users, particularly in universities, libraries, and other public service institutions, to build their own digital libraries." The software consists of the Collector, which helps create new collections, modify or add to existing ones, or delete collections; and the Administration, which allows the addition of new users, summarizes the collections in the system, and gives technical information on the installation. Also included is a section comprising the Greenstone manuals, and a section that tells about the Greenstone software and where the New Zealand Digital Library Project originated. The software runs on Windows and Unix, and both source codes and binaries are available for downloading on the site. [MG]
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Google Web APIs
http://www.google.com/apis/
Google has recently begun offering access to their Web APIs in a service, now in beta, titled Google Web APIs. After downloading a developer's kit and registering for a Google account, programmers and Web developers can incorporate Google search technologies into their own computer programs. The provided license key allows 1,000 automated queries per day per Google account. Google hints at some possible programming ideas for the new service, including programs that would auto-monitor the Web for new information on a subject, glean market trends and research over time, or even allow the use of Google's spell-checking capabilities. Even though users need to register for a Google account and have limited daily queries, the service is free. [TS]
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Release of the 2002 Human Trafficking Report
4 Million Being Held as Slaves?
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,405009654,00.html
Powell Decries 'Human Slavery'
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20020606-981410.htm
19 Countries Blacklisted For Human Trafficking
http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,3772-1471223,00.html
Implementation of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act
http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/intlrel/hfa76351.000/hfa76351_0X.HTM#STATE
Powell Presents 2002 Trafficking in Persons Report
http://usinfo.state.gov/cgi-bin/washfile/display.pl?p=/products/washfile/latest&f=02060505.glt&t=/products/washfile/newsitem.shtml
Ambassador Nancy Ely-Raphel's Remarks at the Special Briefing
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0206/S00032.htm
Wednesday, June 5, Colin Powell released the second annual report on human trafficking in persons that put the annual number of victims between 700,000 and 4 million persons. According to the report, the United States, which was not barred from scrutiny, trafficked 50,000 persons between April 2001 and March 2002. The report, which is issued annually, was prepared in response to legislation approved in October 2000 to highlight the problem of persons being taken across international borders to work in sweatshops and brothels.
This year's report examined 89 countries and categorized them in three different tiers. Nineteen countries have been placed in the unacceptable "Tier 3" category. These countries include Bahrain, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia, Cambodia, Greece, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Sudan, Tajikistan, and Turkey. Another 52 countries have been listed in the "Tier 2" category, which means they are "not meeting the minimum standards," but making "significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance." Eighteen "Tier 1" countries are described as complying fully with the standards. Countries with less than 100 cases involving transit or destination of trafficking victims were excluded from the report, and other countries were excluded due to lack of information. For more information regarding this story, viewers may access the first three news links listed above. The fourth link is a copy of the hearing on the implementation of the trafficking victim's protection act held before the House Committee on International Relations. Finally, links five and six are copies of Secretary Colin Powell's and Ambassador Nancy Ely-Raphel's remarks, respectively, concerning the release of the 2002 report at the special briefing held in Washington, DC. [MG]
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