Research and Education
These days, there are a multitude of websites dedicated to moving images of all types, and it can be difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. Fortunately, the Moving Image Collections (MIC) has been working on creating such collections since 1994, and they have done so with the kind support of the Library of Congress, the Association of Moving Image Archivists, and the National Science Foundation. Essentially, the MIC contains a number of online collections of different archived media, and in many cases, visitors can view the moving images themselves directly from the site. Visitors can use the “Collection Explore” feature to search the MIC Union Catalog, which lists moving images collected and managed by participating organizations. Fourteen total organizations participate and they include the CNN Library, KYUK-TV, and the Academic Film Archive of North America. A simple search using the word “history” returned programs on archaeology and wine production, beekeeping, and bioterrorism, and visitors can customize other searches as well. [KMG]
With thousands of websites and blogs dedicated to providing the latest technology news, it can be difficult to find a place that contains intelligent and thoughtful conversations about the impact of technology on society. TechNation is a weekly public radio program that fills the bill quite nicely, and visitors can listen to the show on this website. On the site, visitors can learn about the program’s host, Dr. Moira Gunn, and also listen to past shows. Some of the compelling topics in recent months have included explorations of gene therapy and related biotechnology developments and the latest innovations in brain surgery. Overall, the program is a fine way to keep up to date with some of the developments in the world of technology and their broader implications for the general public. [KMG]
Democracy building and creating constitutions anew are difficult and quixotic things, so it is good to know that the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) provides resources in these two areas, as well as a number of related subjects. Their additional areas of expertise include electoral processes, democracy and gender, and democracy assessments. First-time visitors may wish to start their journey through the site by looking over the “About Us” section, then they might move along to their “Latest Publication” area, which includes the full-text of such document as “Politics and Poverty in the Andean Countries” and “Political Parties in South Asia: The Challenge of Change”. Visitors who are seeking information on specific geographic regions of the world can click on an interactive map to look over reports, working papers, and press releases dealing with these various regions. Additionally, the site features access to several prodigious databases, including one on voter turnout and political finance laws and regulations. [KMG]
With headquarters in La Molina, Peru, the International Potato Center seeks to reduce poverty and achieve food security through research activities on not only the potato, but also on the sweet potato, and other root and tuber crops. The Center has a staff of scientists from 25 countries working on these pressing topics, and visitors with like-minded interests will appreciate the diversity of materials offered on the site. The site has a number of sections, and those dedicated to the potato and the sweet potato are most deserving of a visit. Within each of these sections, visitors can learn about each crop, its conservation, the pests and diseases that threaten each one, and a wide array of related statistics. It should be noted that the homepage itself is a great source of updated news reports on these plants, and recent items have included information on new growing techniques for potatoes (such as aeroponics, which involves suspending tubers) and the nutritional benefits of these plants. [KMG]
http://www.masshist.org/endofslavery/
Massachusetts was home to a number of powerful abolitionist and anti-slavery groups during the 18th and 19th centuries, and this fine online exhibition created by the Massachusetts Historical Society brings together a number of primary documents that tell the stories of African Americans and abolitionist movements in the commonwealth. With financial assistance from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Society has crafted an exhibition that is divided into a number of thematic sections, including “The Struggle for Freedom”, “The Legal End of Slavery in Massachusetts”, and “Revolutionary Participation”. Each of these sections contains an informative essay, coupled with images of historical documents ranging from receipts for slaves to letters written by various individuals involved in the anti-slavery movement. Visitors will also appreciate such little-seen gems as letters from African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War. [KMG]
Drawing on new and rather novel computer-aided mapping programs, scholars have been able to bring together a number of disparate data sources that deal with a diverse set of disciplines. One such project has recently appeared online, and it is called HEALTHmap. Created by a team of researchers based at the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences & Technology, the project brings together aggregate data on diseases around the world, and in doing so, has created an important new way to visualize and think about various public health situations and potential epidemics. Specifically, the site draws on data from the World Health Organization, Google News, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Using a series of boxes, visitors can toggle on and off various diseases on the world map, including dengue fever, meningitis, E.coli, and dozens more. Overall, it’s a very good resource for anyone with an interest in public health or data visualization. [KMG]
http://www.learner.org/resources/series196.html
Teaching algebra can be a difficult proposition, and at times, those who have just entered the field of mathematics education can feel a bit overwhelmed. Stepping in to provide a bit of assistance is this series of instructional videos, created by WNET in New York, working with funding from the Annenberg Media Foundation. The program contains eight parts, and interested parties will have the opportunity to explore strategies for teaching a number of topics, such as variables, systems of equations, linear functions, and exponential functions. After visitors complete a free registration form, they will have access to all eight parts of the series. It’s a well-done set of instructional programs, and the exercises draw on a number of practical situations, such as a proposed hot dog vending scheme and other business situations. [KMG]
http://www.aip.org/history/cosmology/
Understanding the universe and space in all its complexity has consumed the passions of many people over the millennia. With an interest in bringing material from the world of scientific cosmology to the web-browsing public, the American Institute of Physics and the Center for History of Physics have created this website. The site is divided into two primary areas, titled “Ideas” and “Tools”. In the “Ideas” section, visitors can read essays about the development of cosmology from the time of the Greeks all the way up to the present. And moving over to the “Tools” section, visitors can learn about important related events, including the invention of the telescope and the golden era of refractors. The site is rounded out with a collection of links for further reading, such as the “Cosmology 101” site created by NASA and a 1955 National Academy of Sciences briefing on cosmology. [KMG]
