The Scout Report -- Volume 23, Number 15

Pierre de Fermat was a French lawyer and mathematician who may be thanked for major developments in geometry and calculus. He also wrote his last theorem in the margins of a paper. In the spirit of all the rich things scribbled in margins (paper and digital), Fermat's Library is a space where "professional scientists, academics and citizen scientists" can annotate one another's academic papers, mathematical equations, and more. Since 2015, the team behind Fermat's Library has provided a free open space for such collaborative annotation. To add comments to any paper, users simply select the paper and click on the portion of the text where they would like to comment, and type a note. As of this write-up, visitors can explore Alan Turing's "Intelligent Machinery, A Heretical Theory," Paul Krugman's "A Theory of Intelligent Trade," and the United States Government's Immigration Act of 1924. Readers are also encouraged to suggest their own papers for annotation by the community. [MMB]

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The Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) offers many excellent digital images and resources for students and scholars of art history and social studies alike. The organization is based at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) in Farnham, England, and can be explored in two different ways. The VADS image catalogue lets users browse numerous thematic Collections that span a wide range of time and place. Some collections of note include Designing Britain: Design Archives, University of Brighton, Imperial War Museum: Posters of Conflict, and Netherlands Decorated Books Collection: London College of Communication. Alternatively, visitors can browse The Learning Index (found under Resources) for educational materials that center on visual materials from the collection. For example, one such Learning Index collection, Calligraphy: An Education in Letter Form, features detailed information about the history of the art of calligraphy as well as external book and web resources. [MMB]

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The Hastings Center is a non-profit research organization dedicated to "address[ing] fundamental ethical issues in the areas of health, health care, life sciences research, and the environment as they affect individuals, communities, and societies." Established in 1969, the Hastings Center is currently headed by Mildred Z. Solomon, a bioethics scholar and professor at Harvard University's Medical School. Here readers will find the Center's official website that offers a glimpse into current and past research projects via the Our Issues and Who We Are sections. Visitors interested in keeping abreast of bioethics research can also use this site to learn more about ongoing research projects, such as an investigation of ethics and policy relating to prenatal testing, an exploration of the health of football players, and an examination of how gene editing in humans might affect "human flourishing." Additionally, the Publications and Resources section features a scholar-authored blog of contemporary bioethics issues along with links to journal articles, reports, and books published by the Hastings Center or Hastings Center scholars. [MMB]

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For scholars of Chinese history, the China Biographical Database Project (CBDB) offers biographical information about more than 360,000 individuals who lived in China over hundreds of years. The project is a collaboration between Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, the Institute of History of Philology of Academia Sinica, and the Center for Research on Ancient Chinese History at Peking University, and was made possible by the late Chinese historian Robert M. Hartwell's pioneering database, which he bequeathed to Harvard. To use this database, users can follow the link to the English query system via the Accessing CBDB Online section on the landing page. From here, researchers can look up an individual by name, or search via a variety of criteria (e.g. Social Distinction, Kinship Relation, Office). Visitors can also check out a variety of maps and social network analysis (SNA) via the Methodology tab, or explore the CBDB's YouTube channel via a link on the homepage. [MMB]

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Earlier this year, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, a division of the National Science Foundation, released the 2017 Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering report. This formal report, now in the form of a digest, is issued every two years and examines the degree to which women, people with disabilities, and people who identify as black, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native are underrepresented in Science and Engineering (S&E) education and employment. Readers may explore an interactive presentation of the report by selecting Digest from the homepage. The engaging format invites readers to explore trends in greater depth through detailed data tables and graphics. Data tables are also available as both PDFs or Excel files, allowing for easy viewing, printing or downloading for further analysis. [CDR]

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For math students and teachers, along with anyone looking to learn a bit more on the subject, PBS's Infinite Series will appeal. In this series of short videos (10-15 minutes apiece), mathematician Kelsey Houston-Edwards provides engaging explanations of upper-level mathematics concepts. In the most recent video (as of this write up), Houston-Edwards explains graph coloring and how the math concept relates to the popular puzzle, Sudoku. In another video, viewers learn about Pick's theorem and how it can be used to calculate the area of complex polygons. Each video is accompanied by additional resources, such as books and websites, for those who want to learn more. These videos are likely to appeal to viewers with a range of mathematical backgrounds: Houston-Edwards dedicates each video to complex, advanced mathematical concepts, but is also quite skilled at breaking down these concepts with accessible diagrams and simple vocabulary. [MMB]

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ProPublica, in partnership with 38 other news organizations and civil rights groups (including The Guardian, WNYC, and PBS NewsHour, to name just few), recently launched Documenting Hate, a project that collects stories of hate crimes and bias incidents. As the project notes, there is currently "no reliable data on the nature or prevalence of this violence." Individuals who have experienced or witnessed hate or bias are invited to share their experiences via the Tell Your Story section of this website. Visitors are prompted to answer a variety of questions about the incident, including the type of incident, where the incident occurred, and why the victim(s) were targeted. While visitors must provide a name and contact information to complete this form, the project notes that it "will not share your name and contact information with anybody outside our coalition (of newsrooms) without your permission." Meanwhile, reporters may gain access to data and story leads by providing their information on the Get Involved page. There is also a well-developed Resource page for those who have experienced hate crimes and bias incidents. [MMB]

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Medical professionals, students, patients, and the generally curious will enjoy TeachMeAnatomy, a comprehensive anatomy encyclopedia comprised of over 700 color images. Each image is accompanied by a detailed description with key vocabulary words highlighted. All of the material here has been written and edited by a volunteer team of medical students, doctors-in-training and senior clinicians and users can see when each article was last revised. All material is presented in a visually appealing, easy-to-read format, making TeachMeAnatomy a great teaching and learning tool. Visitors may browse these annotated illustrations by category (e.g. The Basics, Neuroanatomy, Back, Abdomen), or explore three-dimensional models of the skeletal system, nervous system, muscular system, lymphatic system, and cardiovascular system. [MMB]

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The Kew Royal Botanic Gardens' State of the World Plants is an interactive, multimedia report that recently earned a Webby nomination for best Science site. It's easy to see why: the report is full of gorgeous photographs, fascinating graphs, and informative maps. As this website notes, the report offers "a baseline assessment of our current knowledge on the diversity of plants on earth, the global threats these plants currently face, and the policies dealing with them." Supplemental features of this report are organized by chapter, ranging from New Plant Discoveries (featuring photographs and descriptions of six newly identified genera from around the world) to Climate Change (where visitors can explore an interactive map that highlights how plants in different areas of the world are being affected by climate change) to Extinction Risk (an extensive interactive sunburst chart that allows people to see the various factors that place one in five of the world's plants at risk for extinctions). Those interested may download an 84-page PDF of the report for additional text, photographs, and charts. [MMB]

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The David and Gladys Wright House Foundation is designed to preserve and celebrate the house that architect Frank Lloyd Wright built for his son, David, and daughter-in-law, Gladys, between 1950 and 1952. Constructed on Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, this home features a unique spiral design that also informed Wright's work on the Guggenheim museum. This distinctive design also enables visitors to the David and Gladys Wright house to experience spectacular views of the surrounding environment. For those of us unable to visit the home in person, this website offers a stunning Virtual Tour. In this section of the website, visitors can explore photographs, videos, and an interactive floor plan of the house. The last feature is especially engaging, as it allows visitors to pause and zoom in on aspects of the house that are of interest and explore all angles of any given room. In addition, visitors can learn more about specific architectural features and furniture through a series of of notes that can be viewed by hovering over a series of white and blue circles that appear during this virtual tour. Those interested in learning more will find links to articles of interest in the Mission section of this website. [MMB]

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This website, courtesy of the Colonial Williamsburg Museum, features clothing and accessories from seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth century America and highlights the dramatic changes in fashion over time. The collection is culled from two recent exhibits at the Williamsburg museum as well as from an exhibit on the history of accessories at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Art Museum. Visitors can explore photographs of these programs in two different ways. New visitors may want to start with the Explore section for a few especially interesting items in the collection. These items include a fan from the eighteenth century featuring images of Roman gods and goddesses; a pair of women's high heels circa 1730-1750; and a men's pocketbook with the embroidered label "Constantinople, 1749." Meanwhile, in the Learn section, visitors can browse clothing and accessories by categories such as Formal, Fashionable, Everyday, and Lifecycles (the last category features clothing worn for Weddings, Pregnancies, and Mournings). Visitors will find numerous photographs, that may be examined in detail using a handy zoom feature, accompanied by descriptions of featured clothing and their symbolism (visitors can find specific information about each item by viewing them). [MMB]

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The Treatment is a weekly KCRW radio show (broadcasted out of Santa Monica, California) hosted by Elvis Mitchell. In each thirty-minute episode, Mitchell engages in a long form interview with an individual working in entertainment, art, or pop culture. Mitchell interviews a wide variety of authors, actors, artists, and film directors (among others), giving this show a broad appeal. Recent guests include author Michael Tisserand (who recently penned a biography of cartoonist George Herriman, creator of "Krazy Kat" comics); film director Ry Russo-Young (who directed the new film When I Fall); clothing designer Devon Scott; and comedian and Get Out director, Jordan Peele. The in-depth interview style of The Treatment will likely appeal to fans of shows such as Fresh Air or fellow KCRW show Bookworm. Interested listeners can check out all past episodes on this website or subscribe on iTunes. [MMB]

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During World War I, doctors and librarians in the United States joined forces to provide books to soldiers recovering in hospitals. Many librarians, such as Louise Sweet, a hospital librarian at the United States Army General Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, believed that it was important to select (or, if you will "prescribe") the correct books for convalescing soldiers. The correct books, many librarians and health professional believed, could aid in a soldier's recovery, while other manuscripts might hinder this process. Louise Sweet had four general guidelines for selecting books for patients, including "Objectivity of plot - stories preferably of action that carry the reader along zestfully and give him no time for retrospective bypaths" and "Avoidance in hospital literature of pathological characters and illnesses." With this online exhibit, created by history scholar Mary Mahoney, visitors can learn more about these war time librarians and early twentieth century attitudes about "healthy" reading. [MMB]

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The Set Up is a collection of interviews with a wide variety of creative people (including designers, developers, writers, academics, and artists) about the digital tools they use in their work. Hosted by self-described "web nerd" Dan Bogan (who hails from Australia), new interviews are published twice a week. Bogan emphasizes that his website is not affiliated with any particular tech company and is not intended as a fan site, but is rather a way to get to know the creative processes of a number of interesting individuals. Visitors to this website can explore interviews by release date in the Interview section or by the interviewee's line of work in Categories. Each interview includes the same four questions: Who are you and what do you do?; What hardware do you use?; What software do you use?; and, What is your ideal setup? Finally, visitors may want to check out Community, where Bogan links to inspirational and related websites. [MMB]

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From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology comes Wall of Birds, an interactive resource that allows visitors to learn about birds from around the world and across time. This project is based on Jane Kim's spectacular mural "From So Simple a Beginning: Celebrating the Evolution and Diversity of Birds," which Kim painted at Cornell Lab in 2014 and 2015. In this mural, dozens of birds are arranged on a world map to portray each species' origin. In addition, Kim includes sketches of prehistoric birds, representing the evolution of birds over time. These depictions recall the gorgeous illustrations that accompanied nineteenth-century Audoban guides while also displaying Kim's unique artistic approach and skill. Additionally, the Cornell Lab has annotated each of Kim's illustrations with information about each bird species, past and present. As visitors view the mural, they are invited to zoom in on detailed illustrations and click on a specific bird to learn more. The Wall of Birds offers a spectacular way to learn about the diversity of birds in the world. [MMB]

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This page from the Musee des Beaux-Arts provides ready access to 14 identified collections within the Musee's impressive holdings, which include paintings, sculptures, drawings, and objets d'art dating from the fifteenth century to the twenty-first. "Who owns these paintings" presents paintings on deposit at the Musee des Beaux-Arts as part of a national art repatriation effort, Musees Nationaux Recuperation (MNR: National Museums - Recoveries). This effort seeks to return works of art, that were stolen or taken by the Nazis during World War II, back to their owners. A complete catalogue of MNR works is online at http://www.culture.gouv.fr/documentation/mnr/. "Le jardin des sculptures" is a three-minute video walk-through of the sculpture garden. Remodeled in the 1990s, the sculpture garden is one of two interior courtyards with a glass ceiling so that sculptures can be viewed in natural light. Visit "Still Lifes" for images of flowers and fruits, including Redoute roses, or the collection titled Rouen for views of the museum's home town. [DS]

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Bear is a note taking application for iOS devices that allows users to sort notes by categories and create to-do lists. This application will likely most appeal to iCloud users who want to quickly access notes across iOS devices. Bear allows users to organize notes through hashtags, or quickly reorganize to do lists with a "pin top" option. In addition, users can check off boxes on to-do lists and use a strikethrough feature to edit their thoughts. Users can also import notes from Evernote. [MMB]

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Readers looking for a new screen recording tool may want to check out Loom, a free Google Chrome browser extension that allows users to capture what they see on their screen and easily share with others. Once downloaded, the tool requires a Google or Microsoft account to get started. Users then have the option to simply capture what is on the screen, or use microphone audio and webcam features for more detailed annotation. Saved videos may be shared with other users, downloaded, or posted to social media accounts. Loom is currently only available for Google Chrome, but may soon be available for other browsers. [CDR]

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