The Scout Report -- Volume 13, Number 12

http://www.physics.pomona.edu/sixideas/

Developed by Professor Thomas A. Moore of Pomona College, the Six Ideas That Shaped Physics textbook was designed to help students gain a contemporary perspective on the discipline, along with giving them the ability to better understand the organization of physics concepts. While the site doesnt allow visitors to access the actual textbook, physics instructors will find a number of helpful instructional materials here that they can use in the classroom. These resources include sections on optics, links to a number of useful computer programs, and some notes for instructors on how best to use these materials. Finally, a FAQ area rounds out the site. [KMG]

http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11729

Released in September 2006, this volume from the National Academy of Sciences summarizes the current status of health effects in veterans deployed to the Persian Gulf irrespective of exposure information. In laymans terms, the volume is primarily concerned with reviewing, evaluating, and summarizing the scientific and medical literature which addresses the current health status of Gulf War veterans. In its findings, the report notes that studies have not found a cluster of symptoms that constitutes a syndrome unique to Gulf War veterans, but those who served in the 1990-1991 conflict are at increased risk for developing anxiety disorders, depression, and substance-abuse problems. The report does note that there is evidence to suggest that there may be an elevated rate of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) among these veterans. [KMG]

http://www.inta-aivn.org/

Established in 1974 in Paris, The International Urban Development Association (INTA) is an international network that encourages the exchange of information, experiences and best practices on urban development and renewal across the world. The sites homepage offers access to the three sections that will be of greatest interest to most visitors, namely Forum, Services, and Institute. In the Forum area, visitors can review documents from various meetings and congresses that have looked at the redevelopment of public urban spaces, heritage development, and cross-border cooperation in the Caucasian region. The Services area contains commentaries by urban experts on proposed urban development plans, such as the proposed master plan for two sport sites in northeastern Paris and a regeneration scheme for the city of Nador in Morocco. Finally, the Institute section brings together documents from seminars and conferences held by INTA, such as those that have dealt with urban-based sports complexes and the competitive advantages of urban regions. [KMG]

http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/

Multimedia instructional tools for the physical sciences are rather in vogue these days, and a number of universities and colleges have developed creative resources in this area. One such set of resources happens to be the Physics Applets collection, created by staff members at the University of Oregons physics department. The interactive applets are divided into four sections, including mechanics, thermodynamics, astrophysics, and energy & environment. In total, there are over thirty different applets, and they include those that illustrate the concepts of potential energy, Keplers Third Law, and atomic emission. The site also includes a listing of credits, a help section, and information about this initiative. [KMG]

http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/

The creator of this site is one Gisele Glosser, who happens to be the Mrs. Glosser referenced throughout the site. She is also an experienced math teacher who has worked in New York and New Jersey. In an effort to assist her fellow educators, she has created this delightful collection of math lessons. Visitors will want to look over the lessons, which are listed in full here. While some of the materials require a fee, there are a number of lessons offered completely free of charge. In total, there are thirty free lessons here, and they cover such topics as probability, symbolic logic, understanding percent, and number theory. [KMG]

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/saha/

Recently, the Center for Disease Control released the 2007 State of Aging and Health in America Report. Its a valuable document for anyone with an interest in public health, gerontology, and other allied fields. This website contains the full text of the report, along with the 2004 report as well. Visitors will also appreciate the extra features offered here, which include state-based report cards that examine fifteen key indicators of older adult health, such as obesity rates, smoking habits, flu vaccine updates, and others. Obtaining these report cards is quite simple, as users just need to click on the state they are interested in. After doing so, they can examine the statistics for these fifteen indicators, and see how different states compare. Additionally, the site contains resources for journalists who wish to use these findings in various publications, and a general section titled Using the Report. [KMG]

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/130newphila/

Born into slavery, Frank McWorter would become Free Frank McWorter when he purchased his freedom in 1819. While living with his family in Kentucky in the 1820s, McWorter decided to move to a free state as soon as possible, and he left for Illinois in 1830. In 1831, he arrived at his new plot of land about twenty miles east of the Mississippi River. In 1836, the founded New Philadelphia, and it was the first town platted and registered by an African American before the Civil War. This particular website is part of the Teaching With Historic Places Lesson Plans series created by the National Park Service, and it is concerned with telling the story of New Philadelphia. On the site, visitors can look over historical documents such as maps, deeds, and other items that tell the story of the community. Educators will also appreciate the instructional materials offered here that will help them craft an interesting lesson for students. Additionally, the site also contains links to additional lesson plans and a primer on how to use these materials. [KMG]

http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/index.html

Young students can find the world of college physics difficult at times, and its always good to have a wide range of instructional materials on hand in case they need them. The University of Tennessees Physics Department has placed a number of these materials online, and this particular resource deals with the course Astronomy 162, which covers stars, galaxies, and cosmology. On the site, students and educators will be delighted to find twenty-eight separate sections that cover this material through illustrations, animations, and written explanations. Some of the specific topics covered here include the properties of light, energy production in stars, and stellar motion. Overall, its a great way for students to refresh their knowledge of these subjects, and educators can draw on some of these materials for their own lessons. [KMG]

http://www.nationaltrust.org/magazine/

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has received a number of awards for its magazine, Preservation, and their online version is well worth a look. The site is divided into several main sections, including Todays News, Preservation 911, and the Story of the Week. The Todays News feature is quite nice, and it contains brief profiles of current preservation stories written especially for this website. Recent stories have included profiles of neon signs in Los Angeles, brewery renovations in Milwaukee, and a list of the ten most endangered Civil War battlefields. The Preservation 911 area features pressing preservation stories submitted by preservation advocates, and the Story of the Week focuses in on a particular ongoing preservation issue. The site is rounded out by an online archive which allows visitors to search back issues from 1992 to 2006. [KMG]

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/eresources/archives/rbml/urban/

Born in Vienna in 1872, Joseph Urban came to the United States in 1912 with thousands of other immigrants. One of the distinguishing elements of Urbans life was that he would go on to design over 500 stage sets for more than 168 productions. By the time of his death in 1933, he had served as the art director of the Boston Opera, stage designer for the Metropolitan Opera, and had been in the employ of Florenz Ziegfeld, working on his famed Follies. This lovely online collection created by the Columbia University Libraries Preservation Division brings together many items that document his work for a number of these organizations. Within the collection, visitors will find images of 61 three-dimensional stage models, watercolor renderings, libretti, and other such materials. The site also contains a very lengthy and erudite series of essays on Urbans works, along with detailed information about how the collection was preserved and stabilized. [KMG]

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/dreamanatomy/index.html

For centuries, artists and physicians have rendered the human body and its anatomy in a myriad of ways, and with the invention of the printing press in the 15th century, the number of anatomical drawings and their like multiplied. Drawing on the collections contained within the National Library of Medicine, this revealing digital exhibit explores some of the ways in which human anatomy has been imagined and represented over the past five centuries or so. These images are divided into a number of thematic sections, including Anatomical Dreamtime, Getting Real, and Visionary & Visible. Visitors to the site can also view the winners in a related contest which asked children to draw what they thought the body looked like under the skin. [KMG]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/sister/index.html

While today we may take for granted that organized religion has taken on some of the trappings of entertainment and a spirit for showmanship, this trend was not common place in the early 20th century. One of the persons responsible for the melding of those two very different worlds was Aimee Semple McPherson, who was highly instrumental in bringing conservative Protestantism into mainstream culture and American politics. The long-running PBS series, American Experience, recently cast their eye on McPhersons legacy, and along with their documentary, they also created this complementary website. On the site, visitors can take a virtual visit to the Angelus Temple, which served as McPhersons headquarters, and also read transcripts of interviews with scholars who have studied her work and the nature of her faith. Visitors can also view a gallery of historic images, including a photo of McPherson in front of her famed Gospel Car. [KMG]

http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/flash/Titan/index.html

Only now are we beginning to learn about Titan, one of Saturns most intriguing and enigmatic moons. This particular site provides an overview of Titan, courtesy of NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory, located at the California Institute of Technology. After watching an introductory video segment about Titan, visitors can learn more in the Quick Facts section. The Latest Images area contains twelve of the latest images of Titan as captured by the Cassini spacecraft. Visitors should also not miss the 3D Globe area, which contains an interactive rendering of Titan which allows visitors to visit a number of features on this moon, including an ice volcano, drainage channels, and The Smile, the brightest spot on Titans surface. [KMG]

http://web.mit.edu/coal/

Across both the developed and developing worlds, the continued use of coal as an energy source has been of some concern as an agent in the process of global warming. Recently, a group of scholars at MIT convened to create an ambitious and forward-looking report titled The Future of Coal. The report was made possible through financial support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and a number of other organizations. Released in March 2007, the report emphatically states that carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is the critical enabling technology which will help reduce CO2 emissions. The report also suggests that a significant charge on carbon emissions is needed in the near term and that the U.S. government should provide assistance only to coal projects with CO2 capture in order to demonstrate technical, economic and environmental performance. Visitors to this site can read the report in its entirety, along with a complete glossary and appendices. [KMG]

http://www.celiaccentral.org/

With an increased interest in celiac disease, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness has expanded a number of their outreach programs, and this website provides some information on the disease and related matters. From the homepage, visitors may wish to start by looking over some of the news announcements. After this, they will want to move along to the Newsletter area, where they will find the current edition of their informative newsletter. Additionally, visitors may also wish to browse on over to the Do I Have Celiac? area, which contains a checklist which may help visitors determine whether they have the disease. Finally, the Events section contains information on gluten-free events and other such affairs. [KMG]

http://africa.si.edu/exhibits/africanvision/

Despite recent news items announcing its financial troubles, the Smithsonian Institution carries on doing what museums are supposed to do, such as providing Web exhibits like this one featuring the Walt Disney-Tishman African Art Collection. Paul and Ruth Tishman began collecting African art in 1959, and donated their collection to the Walt Disney Company in 1984. In 2005, Disney gave the collection of 525 works to the National Museum of African Art at Smithsonian Institution, where it is now on display. At the Web site, viewers can choose to "Follow the Art" which means visitors can see the works arranged on a time line, from the 1490s to 2007. On this timeline users can examine over two dozen masks, zooming in on details and reading short or long captions and look at figural sculptures and ceremonial objects, including an early 20th century wooden bowl with figures carved by Olowe of Ise, a divination board, and a beaded crown. The show closes with a section called "Explore African Art" that provides a set of activities and further readings for families to do at home. [DS]

http://customsolutionsofmaryland.50megs.com/flashcards.htm/

Perhaps you would like a way to help memorize important chemical equations? Or perhaps you are preparing to memorize certain Gallic phrases for an upcoming trip to Lyons? This helpful application can help users with both situations, and a number of other similar dilemmas. Flash Cards 1.0 allows users to create their own flashcards, and they can import data from other sources, including websites and text documents. Additionally, a setup page gives users the ability to set the interval time between cards, their text color, and other variables. This version is compatible with all computers running Mac OS X 10.2 and newer. [KMG]

http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html

The SUPERAntiSpyware program has been through a number of versions, and this latest incarnation will be of great interest to those who have enjoyed the program, or those who are discovering it for the first time. This free version of the program can be utilized to scan hard drives, registries, and also remove spyware adware, and keyloggers. This particular version can be used on systems running Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, and 2003. [KMG]

Museums in state seek game plan to lure visitors
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07087/772944-37.stm

Need cash for arts? Move to Montreal
http://www.thestar.com/artsentertainment/article/196678

Museums: A Special Section [Free registration required for some of the articles included on this site]
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/arts/artsspecial/index.html

The Institute of Contemporary Art [Macromedia Flash Player]
http://www.icaboston.org/

Off Center: Outside Ideas From Inside the Walker
http://blogs.walkerart.org/offcenter/index.php

What is Art and Why Does it Matter? [Macromedia Flash Player, Real Player]
http://artgallery.yale.edu/pages/whatisart/whatisart.html

While museums have been a feature of human existence for millennia, a slight wrinkle in their function (and form) came about only a decade ago when the shiny surfaces of Frank Gehrys Guggenheim Bilbao was unveiled to the public. What had formerly been a somewhat sleepy town in Spain was in many ways transformed by the attention paid to this structure, and suddenly museums were seen as ways of reinvigorating the local economy in a novel and compelling way. In the United States alone, forty-six new museum projects are currently underway, and half of these projects have hitched their star to the promise of what some planners and policy wonks are calling the new cultural economy. Not all museums can afford such ambitious multi-million dollar expansion projects, and a number of niche museums continue to struggle. New York Times columnist Holland Cotter commented wryly on the double-edged sword of success in the museum world. In a recent column, he remarked, the more successful a museum grows, the more elitist it tends to become.
[KMG]

The first link will take visitors to an article from this Wednesdays Pittsburgh Post-Gazette which discusses the statewide effort in Pennsylvania to attract more visitors to museums and related destinations. Moving on, the second link leads to an interesting column by the Toronto Stars Martin Knelman. Here, Knelman talks about the attempts in Canada to create a national museums policy and its implications in the different provinces and urban areas. The third link will take visitors to a rather comprehensive special section of this Wednesdays New York Times dedicated to reviewing some of the latest developments in the museum world. Visitors can view several interactive features that profile new museums, the increased use of podcasts in museum tours, and the complete essay by Holland Cotter mentioned above. Speaking of new museums (or new buildings for old museums), the fourth link leads to the homepage of The Institute of Contemporary Art, which moved to a dramatic new structure located on Bostons waterfront. Visitors can view information about their current and upcoming exhibits here, and also check out some of their podcasts. The fifth link leads to the very cool Off Center blog created by the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Here, visitors can learn about new developments at the Walker, add their own comments, and also read about other goings-on in the world of contemporary art. The final link leads to a most enlightening website created by staff members and others affiliated with the Yale University Art Gallery. Visitors can learn about controversies in the world of art, learn about the details of select objects in the museums collection, and even take in an alternative audio guide to the Gallery. [KMG]