JCU Faculty of Science & Engineering New Web Resources

Wood's Hole Ocenaographic Institution

2012-01-23T10:29:00.002+10:00

"The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is dedicated to research and education to advance understanding of the ocean and its interaction with the Earth system, and to communicating this understanding for the benefit of society.WHOI is the largest private non-profit oceanographic institution in the world."

http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7016

Global Invasive Species Database

2012-01-23T10:25:00.001+10:00

"Aims to increase awareness about invasive alien species and to facilitate effective prevention and management activities. It is managed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the Species Survival Commission of IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature)"

http://www.issg.org/database/welcome/

Undergraduate Research Ethics Cases

2012-01-20T12:32:00.005+10:00

How do you help undergraduate students learn about research ethics? Well you might try the three case studies developed by the University of Delaware's Undergraduate Science Education Program and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute designed to help students learn about this important subject. On this site, visitors will find the following studies: "Tripped Up", "Helping Hand", and "Organic Reactions". Each study describes a potentially tricky or nuanced ethical conundrum that an undergraduate student might encounter. For example, "Tripped Up" involves a student whose scientific results are "too hot for public consumption" and is told by his supervisor that he cannot present the findings at a national meeting. Each case study is complemented by a set of discussion questions and additional resources.

http://www.udel.edu/chem/white/HHMI3/EthicsCases.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

"Garage Demos": Physical models of Biological Processes

2012-01-20T12:24:00.003+10:00

Professor Diane O'Dowd is known for the creative classroom techniques she uses in her introductory biology courses at the University of California, Irvine. One day she will show up with tennis balls designed to stand in for hydrogen ions or with her daughter's old Halloween wig, which stands in for a membrane vesicle. This website provides visitors with fabulous examples of her work, known as "Garage Demos". The name comes from the fact that the materials for the demonstrations come from Professor O'Dowd's garage.

Currently, the site contains ten different demonstrations, including "Tennis Ball Buffer", "Garden Hose Plasmid", and "Styrofoam Blood Cells". The videos are all linked on YouTube, so visitors can even create their own playlist.The site is rounded out by demonstrations by Professor Richard Losik at Harvard and several other demonstrations dealing with sickle cell anemia and membrane fluidity

http://www.researchandteaching.bio.uci.edu/lecture_demo.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012.http://scout.wisc.edu/

Primer on Probability

2012-01-19T16:34:00.002+10:00

How did Gregor Mendel derive the Law of Segregation and the Law of Independent Assortment? Most budding geneticists know he used peas, but how exactly did he do it? This fine document from Professor Robert Merritt of Smith College provides explanations of Mendel's groundbreaking work, along with information on the basic rules of probability. The 20-page document was developed for "Your Genes, Your Chromosomes", a course that was offered through the Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program. The document explains how to test a hypothesis using The Chi-Square Test, and also covers topics such as sex determination and sex linkage, blood group, and gene interaction. Finally, the document contains a detailed explanation of the basic rules of probability and a selection of sample problems

http://www.hhmi.org/coolscience/resources/SPT--DownloadFile.php?Id=3

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Electrochemical Energy Systems

2012-01-19T16:25:00.004+10:00

The OpenCourseWare Initiative (OCW) has produced many wonderful free course materials on urban planning, philosophy, engineering, and mathematics. This recent offering from MIT's OCW collection presents material from the spring 2011 version of "Electrochemical Energy Systems". Taught by Professor Martin Bazant, the course "introduces principles and mathematical models of electrochemical energy conversion and storage." On this page, visitors can download and peruse the syllabus, read through the course calendar, and take a look at the lecture notes. The notes cover 39 different topics, including statistical thermodynamics, forced convention in fuel cells, and ion concentration polarization. Also, visitors are welcome to look over the problem sets and provide feedback on the course.
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/chemical-engineering/10-626-electrochemical-energy-systems-spring-2011/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2012. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Energetics, Structure, and Kinetics

2012-01-03T11:56:00.002+10:00

Based at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), this particular course website offers a "detailed analysis of three of the four classes of biological molecules (proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids) and the forces that shape them." Visitors to the site will note that they can view a description of the course here, and also look over the syllabus, lecture notes, course policies, and lecture references. The materials here are set up a bit like the courses offered via the OpenCourseWare initiative. The "Lecture Notes" area contains links to all nineteen in-class lectures, and the topics covered here include peptide bonds, DNA/RNA structure, protein interactions, and membrane protein synthesis. Also, visitors can learn about different molecular modeling programs and related materials.

http://saf.bio.caltech.edu/bi170a/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Ningaloo Atlas

2012-01-03T11:50:00.001+10:00

"The Ningaloo Atlas is a partnership between government organisations, non-government organisations, researchers, industry, and the community to improve our understanding, raise awareness and celebrate the biodiversity, heritage, value, and way of life of the greater Ningaloo region"

http://ningaloo-atlas.org.au/

IPM Images

2011-12-23T11:45:00.002+10:00

" BugwoodImages provides an easily accessible archive of high quality images for use in educational applications. It is made up of four major website interfaces. These are ForestryImages, IPMImages, InsectImages, and Invasive.org.

The focus of BugwoodImages is on species of economic concern. Images cover invasive species, forestry, agriculture, integrated pest management, plants, insects, diseases, fungi, wildlife, fire and other natural resource issues. Images are reviewed for content and quality"

http://www.ipmimages.org/

Plant Genome Research Outreach Portal

2011-12-01T16:30:00.002+10:00

"The mission of the PGROP site is to provide a centralized access point for locating Plant Genome Research "Outreach" activities, programs and resources. The site seeks to be a portal that serves the needs of a wide-ranging audience. Whether you are a high-school student or teacher, an undergraduate or graduate student, university faculty, someone looking for opportunities for minorities and underrepresented groups, or a member of the public at large (and that includes everyone!) - you will find a wealth of information and tools at your fingertips as you walk through the portal"

http://www.plantgdb.org/PGROP/pgrop.php

Charles Darwin's Papers Online

2011-12-01T16:23:00.001+10:00

"For decades available only to scholars at Cambridge University Library, the private papers of Charles Darwin, one of the most influential scientists in history, can now be seen by anyone online and free of charge. This is the largest ever publication of Darwin papers and manuscripts, totalling about 20,000 items in over 100,000 electronic images.

This vast and varied collection of papers includes the first draft of his theory of evolution, notes from the voyage of the Beagle and Emma Darwin's recipe book."

http://darwin-online.org.uk/manuscripts_announcement.html

The Problem of Regeneration

2011-11-25T10:48:00.002+10:00

The tagline for the iBioSeminars website is "Bringing the World's Best Biology to You" and they deliver on their promise by offering talks on genetic engineering, nanotechnology, and other fields of scientific endeavor. Visitors are welcome to scan through all of their offerings, but they would do well to start with this authoritative look into the history of regeneration. Offered by Professor Alejandro Sanchez-Alvarado of the University of Utah School of Medicine, this three-part talk takes visitors through the world of regeneration via thoughtful examples, complete with illustrations, slides, and other relevant visual aids. In his talk, Alvarado talks about how the ancient Greeks were fascinated with the idea that animals could regenerate various body parts. He continues by discussing experimental work in the field, bringing the viewer up to the present day.

It's a remarkable talk, and visitors can also download it to watch on their iPod or other device

http://www.ibioseminars.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=197&Itemid=194

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Principles of Chemical Science

2011-11-25T10:37:00.004+10:00

The basic principles behind chemical science are the bedrock of a number of scientific endeavors, and this remarkable course from MIT's OpenCourseWare initiative is quite a find. Professor Catherine Drennan and Dr. Elizabeth Vogel Taylor created the materials for this course, and the site includes video lectures, lecture notes, and exams. Visitors will note that these materials can be found on the left-hand side of the page, and they can also be downloaded en masse via the "Download Course Materials" link. The topics covered here include the basic principles of atomic and molecular electronic structure, thermodynamics, acid-base and redox equilibria, and chemical kinetics. Also, visitors are encouraged to offer their own feedback on the course, or even provide a donation to help out with this initiative

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/chemistry/5-111-principles-of-chemical-science-fall-2008/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011.http://scout.wisc.edu/

Designing Conference Posters

2011-11-15T14:29:00.002+10:00

Lecturer Colin Purrington provides high-quality tips on designing conference posters. He bills his suggestions as "gratuitous advice on how to prepare posters for scientific meetings, research conferences, and similar gathering of nerds." His humorous tone belies a distinct commitment to this area of visual representation, and his suggestions are contained with three areas: "What sections to include", "Dos and DON'Ts", and "Presenting your poster". Visitors can skip around to any of these suggestions, and they will find Purrington's style both down-to-earth and practical. The information here includes sample posters and basic suggestions about what information to include on such a poster.

http://colinpurrington.com/tips/academic/posterdesign

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011.http://scout.wisc.edu/

Flash Tutorials for Biological Sciences

2011-11-15T14:19:00.004+10:00

Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Biological Sciences and the Office of Technology for Education have created a suite of multimedia course materials to assist science instructors. The materials here are divided into four primary sections, including "Interactive Animations", "Biology Labs", and "Supplemental Interactives". In the "Interactive Animations" area visitors will find animations that illustrate cell membranes, transport functions (such as signal transdaction) and DNA replication. The "Biology Labs" area contains virtual lab exercises that deal with protein purification, membrane permeability, and osmosis. The "Supplemental Interactives" contains interactive features that address topics like the ICE structure. Here users can see the operation of covalent bonds, as well as the hydrogen bonds which form the structure.

http://telstar.ote.cmu.edu/biology/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011.http://scout.wisc.edu/

Knight Digital Media Center: Maps Tutorials

2011-11-09T10:39:00.002+10:00

This site of tools is designed to help people get started with using maps in their various publications and presentations. The presentations here include "Map Mashup Resources", "Google Map Basics", "Embedding Map Mashups" and "Map Mashups: Collaboration". Each of these presentations includes a video orientation that will help users get started quickly with their own work. A particularly useful resource is the "Embedding Map Mashups" tutorial, which will teach interested parties how to quickly embed their newly created maps into their own sites. The last section of the site is titled "Maps Links and Resources", and here visitors can learn about how maps are being used online to share information and also find a list of "100 Things to Do With Mashups".

http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/cat/maps

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011.http://scout.wisc.edu/

NOVA: scienceNOW: Explore Teacher's Guides

2011-11-09T10:31:00.003+10:00

This PBS website was designed by NOVA's scienceNOW group, and it offers a wide range of teacher's guides designed to be used in conjunction with the scienceNOW programs. The guides are divided into thirteen topical areas, including "Mathematics", "Physics" and "Space Science". The activities within each area are designed to be used for before and after viewing the scienceNOW programs, and they include activities around primate evolution, the 1918 flu epidemic, and mass
extinctions.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/educators/subject-anth.html

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011.http://scout.wisc.edu/

Royal Society journal archive made permanently free to access

2011-11-02T14:38:00.003+10:00

From the website: "The Royal Society has today announced that its world-famous historical journal archive – which includes the first ever peer-reviewed scientific journal – has been made permanently free to access online.

Around 60,000 historical scientific papers are accessible via a fully searchable online archive, with papers published more than 70 years ago now becoming freely available."

http://royalsociety.org/news/Royal-Society-journal-archive-made-permanently-free-to-access/

The American Phytopathological Society

2011-10-26T10:23:00.002+10:00

The American Phytopathological Society (APS) is a professional society dedicated to "high-quality, innovative plant pathology research." Founded in 1908, the APS continues to provide educational resources for those seeking to learn more about the science of plant pathology. One way they work to accomplish this goal is through this particular section of their website. The materials on this site include "Plant Disease Management Simulations", "Laboratory Exercises", and "Topics in Plant Pathology". The "Topics in Plant Pathology" area includes topical articles that deal with various aspects of plant pathology, including the use of reverse genetic tools for investigating gene function and the population genetics of plant pathogens. The "Laboratory Exercises" area contains two activities that can be used by college students studying plant pathology. The "Plant Disease Management" area contains a handful of simulations that will help students learn about the spread and management of some common plant diseases. Finally, the site is rounded out by an illustrated glossary of plant pathology.

http://www.apsnet.org/edcenter/advanced/Pages/default.aspx

The New York Academy of Sciences Environmental Sciences and Sustainability Link

2011-10-26T10:21:00.003+10:00

The New York Academy of Sciences Environmental Sciences and Sustainability link has a variety of articles relevant to this topic. For example, the article entitled "Flood-Resilient Waterfront Development in New York City: Bridging Flood Insurance, Building Codes, and Flood Zoning" from the annals, is about creating waterfront developments that are resilient to floods, and thus able to account for climate change trends. There are also multiple podcasts that visitors can listen and learn from, such as the 20-minute "The Secret Lives of Bees" podcast, which discusses the 200 species of bees that live in New York City and the Great Pollinator Project. The podcast "Between Earth and Sky" will be of interest to visitors who are fascinated by trees, as veteran forest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni explains the connection she has found between humans and trees.

http://www.nyas.org/Topic.aspx?tid=a43f6ad6-0e70-49ce-9f03-afb7b87de3e5

Teaching College-Level Science and Engineering

2011-10-17T09:51:00.001+10:00

Created by Professor Sanjoy Mahajan during his time at MIT, this very helpful resource is designed for those persons interested in how to become more effective as science instructors at the college level. The materials cover such subjects as teaching equations for understanding, designing meaningful exam and homework questions, creating interesting lectures, and how to plan a course. On the site, visitors will find homework for his original version of the course, along with readings, helpful handouts, and other materials. Finally, the site also includes a bit on grading philosophies and a list of other helpful books, such as "Thinking Physics"and "Voyages in Conceptual Chemistry".

http://mit.edu/5.95/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011.http://scout.wisc.edu/

Stem Cell Resources

2011-10-12T10:53:00.001+10:00

The mission of the Stem Cell Resources website is "to provide timely, reliable, high-quality and scientifically credible stem cell information for the educational community worldwide." The website is a division of Bioscience Network which publishes online science education materials. On the site, visitors will find a stem cell image library, a multimedia area, and a special section titled "For Educators". In the "For Educators" area, visitors will find links to a primer on stem cells and links to educational resources on stem cells from curriculum to case studies to lesson plans from such trusted sources as the Australian Stem Cell Centre and the National Institutes of Health. Moving on, the "Multimedia" area includes videos that show how embryonic stem cell lines are made, along with other animations and graphics on the topic. Additionally, the site's "SCR Library" area includes the link to the Stem Cell Image Library, which provides dozens of photos of stem cells taken from researchers at the University of Cambridge and other institutions.

http://www.stemcellresources.org/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/

MAE 10: Introduction to Engineering Computations

2011-10-12T10:33:00.001+10:00

The Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) 10 course at the University of California at Irvine is a recent addition to their Open Courseware Initiative, and it is well worth a look. The main goal of the course is "to develop computational programming skills and learn computational tools to be used in the solution of engineering problems." The topics covered within the course materials include basic Matlab commands, flow control, selective execution, and modular programming. The course was created by Paul Nissenson, and visitors can click on the "Begin Course" button to get started. Here they will find a syllabus, homework problems, discussion notes, and lecture notes. Finally, visitors who find the course helpful can also provide a testimonial for use on the site

http://ocw.uci.edu/courses/course.aspx?id=129

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/

Molecular Logic: Browsing Stepping Stones

2011-10-05T11:30:00.003+10:00

Created by the Concord Consortium with support from the National Science Foundation, the goal of the Molecular Logic website is "to develop students' understanding of molecules, their interactions and the consequences of these interactions." The researchers and specialists in charge of the site have selected ten physical-chemical principles that underlie many biological processes. They call them "Molecular Stepping Stones", and the site includes entry-level model-based activities for each of these steps. Some of the steps have multiple parts, and visitors will note that each section includes an interactive activity and notes for teachers. Some of the subjects covered here include molecular folding, chemical reactions, and the structure and function in proteins.

http://molo.concord.org/database/browse/stepping-stones/

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/

National Science Foundation: Disasters

2011-10-05T10:40:00.004+10:00

This interactive Special Report from the National Science Foundation (NSF) profiles the latest in disaster research from the NSF and the "Critical Role of Research". First-time visitors will want to start by clicking on the "Understanding Disasters" area. Here they can learn about the NSF's work on observing, modeling, identifying, studying, and analyzing various disasters. Each subarea includes Flash videos, charts, and images.

http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/disasters/index.jsp

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2011. http://scout.wisc.edu/