The Scout Report - July 6, 2001

July 6, 2001

A Publication of the Internet Scout Project
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The Scout Report is a weekly publication offering a selection of new and newly discovered Internet resources of interest to researchers and educators. However, everyone is welcome to subscribe to one of the mailing lists (plain text or HTML). Subscription instructions are included at the end of each report.


In This Issue:

Research and Education

General Interest

Network Tools

In The News


Research and Education

Artefacts Canada
http://www.chin.gc.ca/Artefacts/e_artefacts_canada.html
Provided by the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), Artefacts Canada allows users to search and browse information about and images of millions of objects from Canadian museums and archaeological sites. The Humanities section includes all forms of visual art, clothing, jewelry, furniture, tools, surgical instruments, and other historical objects, many accompanied by images. The Natural Sciences area has over one million specimen records representing 28,000 different species with some images, while Archaeological Sites contains information on "70,000 archaeological sites administered by Canadian provincial, territorial, and federal government departments or agencies." For those unfamiliar with the terminology used in this wide variety of fields, performing an advanced search by browsing indices allows users to scroll through lists of index terms and automatically pop them into the search screen. There are also sample searches provided for each area, to retrieve, for example, ceremonial and sacred objects from the archaeological sites, or Impressionist art or costume and clothing in the humanities section. All searches can be limited to include only objects with images. [DS]
[Back to Contents]

Pro-Poor Tourism -- ODI [.pdf]
http://www.odi.org.uk/pptourism/index.html
Overseas Development Institute (ODI)
http://www.odi.org.uk/
Provided by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), an independent, UK-based, think tank, this site contains a selection of resources related to pro-poor tourism (PPT). Different than "sustainable tourism" and related initiatives, PPT is defined simply as "tourism that generates net benefits for the poor." At this site, visitors can learn more about PPT and read case studies, a report, a policy briefing, working papers, and other publications. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Historical Publications of the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station [.pdf]
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/historicpublications/
Kansas State University has placed online a fine collection of historical reports, bulletins, and circulars published by their Agricultural Experiment Station since 1888. These publications cover a range of topics typical for a state university agricultural extension department, from technical reports to notice of an egg-laying contest. These should be useful to anyone studying or interested in the history of agriculture or rural Kansas. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

"Toward True Security: A US Nuclear Posture for the Next Decade" [.pdf]
http://www.fas.org/ssp/docs/010600-posture.pdf
Executive Summary
http://www.fas.org/ssp/docs/010600-posture.htm
Recently released by the Federation of American Scientists, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Union of Concerned Scientists, this report proposes a new nuclear weapons policy for the United States. The authors argue that the current force structure and doctrine are obsolete and actually endanger, rather than increase, America's security and that of the rest of the world. The report analyzes the problems with current nuclear policy and proposes a number of solutions. Users may read the executive summary in HTML format or download the full text in .pdf format at the Federation of American Scientists site. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

West Africa Review (WAR) [.pdf]
http://www.westafricareview.com/war/
Published by the Africa Resource Center since 1999, WAR is a free biannual electronic journal that explores a range of issues of importance to the global African community and friends of Africa. Issues include editorials, articles, review essays, and interviews. The most recent features a Research Focus section on Sierra Leone. Users may sign up for email notification of when new issues are available. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment
http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/aric/eae/
Produced by the UK Atmosphere, Climate & Environment Information Programme, this site is designed as a one-stop resource for students and general users who have questions about atmospheric issues and terms. The encyclopedia is divided into sections, each of which contains a number of short definitions for selected terms. As a testament to the international appeal of the Simpsons, definitions for adults or younger users are noted by Mr. Burns and Bart Simpson icons, respectively. Also included are lengthy collections of related links and recommended reading. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

H-Atlantic
http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~atlantic/
This new H-Net discussion list concerns Atlantic World history from 1500 to 1800. The list is intended to be interdisciplinary and is open to faculty, advanced students, and independent scholars interested in early modern Atlantic history. Users can learn more about the list, read message logs, and subscribe at H-Net. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

General Interest

Great Images in Nasa (GRIN)
http://grin.hq.nasa.gov/
Provided by NASA, this site catalogs over 1,000 high-quality photos related to space and space exploration. The collection may be browsed by subject or center or keyword-searched. The images are offered as thumbnails with three resolution options and text descriptions. There are some really neat images here, and the site is well worth a visit. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

From Domesticity to Modernity: What was Home Economics? [QuickTime]
http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/homeEc/default.html
A joint effort of Cornell's Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections and students of a course in Cornell's Human Development department, this Website tells the history of home economics through a showcase of archival material. The exhibit makes the argument that Home Economics played a progressive role in the history of women's education, bringing "science to the farm home and women into higher education and leadership positions in public education, academia, government and industry." The exhibit itself is divided into a number of topical sections, each with a brief introduction and a series of photos, documents, and other artifacts. The site also includes a biographies section, a timeline, and a couple of video interviews. Researchers will appreciate the bibliography and the location section, which gives the location for each of the artifacts in the archive. This is a rich site, with much to interest both researchers and the general public. [TK]
[Back to Contents]

The Alchemy Website and Virtual Library
http://www.levity.com/alchemy/
Spotted by ResearchBuzz, this site seems to be the be-all and end-all of alchemy on the Web, with "tens of thousands of pages of text, over 2000 images, over 200 complete alchemical texts, extensive bibliographical material on the printed books and manuscripts, numerous articles, introductory and general reference material on alchemy." The bulk of the site is divided into nine sections, including images, texts, modern articles, bibliographies, and discussion groups. Other content includes materials in six other languages and specialist sections on Islamic, Indian, and Chinese alchemy. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Free to Dance
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/
This site is a companion to a three-part documentary that recently premiered on PBS. The film explores the "crucial role that African-American choreographers and dancers have played in the development of modern dance as an American art form." Regardless of whether they have seen the film, users interested in American dance and African-American history will find this site useful and interesting. Content includes an annotated and illustrated timeline, historic and thematic essays, a selection of short biographies, related links, and teaching resources. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Buddhism in the US
http://www.asiasource.org/news/at_mp_02.cfm?newsid=54751
AsiaSource (originally reviewed in the September 3, 1999 Scout Report) has recently placed online a special report on Buddhism in the United States. The site features a number of articles and commentaries, links to temples and Buddhist associations, online magazines, and other resources. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

The Global 1000 -- BusinessWeek [.pdf]
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_28/b3740010.htm
This year's annual listing of the top 1,000 companies (by market capitalization) reflects the recent batterings endured by technology firms. For example, formerly the world's second-most valuable company, Intel has slid to thirteenth place. BusinessWeek's site offers the full listing, along with scoreboards, tables, and related content. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Network Tools

Internet Explorer 6 Public Preview
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/preview/default.asp
The latest beta version of Microsoft's browser is available for free download. New features include several new explorer bars: a media bar, image toolbar, contacts bar, and an integrated advanced search bar. Please note that this version of IE will only run on Windows 98 and newer. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

Best of the Web 2001 -- PC World
http://www.idg.net/ic_635284_1793_1-1681.html
Appearing in the August issue of PC World magazine, this article reveals a number of the magazine's top-rated sites for PC users. Categories include online services, technical reference, Web design, consumer advice, and downloads. The writers also reveal their top picks overall. No doubt many of these sites will be familiar to users, but these lists are always worth a look just in case. [MD]
[Back to Contents]

In The News

Extraordinary Prehistoric Cave Discovered in France
"Cave Reveals Spectacular Secrets" -- BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1423000/1423021.stm
"Cave art gives insight to life 30,000 years ago" -- Times
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,3-2001230838,00.html
"Prehistoric Cave Art Stuns Experts" -- Discovery News
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/reu/20010702/cave.html
"New Cave Art Discovered in France" -- Archaeology
http://www.archaeology.org/online/news/france.html
"Le tresor de Cussac : des gravures qui ont au moins 22 000 ans" -- Le Monde
http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,5987,3244--205403-,00.html
Researchers have made public photos of some amazing prehistoric engravings found in a cave in western France. The engravings in the Cussac Cave in the Dordogne Valley are estimated at up to 28,000 years old and are being hailed as a major discovery. The size and condition of the engravings are especially impressive, covering the walls with images of mammoths, rhinoceroses, horses, birds, and erotic feminine figures. The cave has already been classified as a national monument, and it is highly unlikely that it will ever be opened to the public. However, French officials have raised the possibility of constructing a replica in a nearby cave. Coverage and photos are available from the BBC, Times, Discovery News, Archaeology Magazine, and Le Monde.[MD]
[Back to Contents]


Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.

The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:

From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2001. http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/

The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:

Copyright Susan Calcari and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, 1994-2001. The Internet Scout Project (http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/), located in the Computer Sciences Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides information about the Internet to the U.S. research and education community under a grant from the National Science Foundation, number NCR-9712163. The Government has certain rights in this material. Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of the entire Scout Report provided this paragraph, including the copyright notice, are preserved on all copies.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or the National Science Foundation.


The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published weekly by Internet Scout
Michael de Nie
Susan Calcari
Rachael Bower
Travis Koplow
David Charbonneau
Emily Missner
Laura X. Payne
Debra Shapiro
Scott Watkins
Ed Almasy
Hilary C. Sanders
Manoj Ananthapadmanabhan
David Sleasman
Barry Wiegan
Pat Coulthard
Andy Yaco-Mink
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Editor
Executive Director
Director
Managing Editor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Contributor
Technical Specialist
Website Designer

For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout Project staff page:
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/about/team.html


Scout Report and Scout Report HTML Subscription Instructions

To receive the electronic mail version of the Scout Report each week, join the SCOUT-REPORT mailing list. This is the only mail you will receive from this list.

To receive the electronic mail version of the Scout Report in HTML format, subscribe to the SCOUT-REPORT-HTML mailing list. This is the only mail you will receive from this list.

[Back to Contents]


Internet Scout
A Publication of the Internet Scout Project

Comments, Suggestions, Feedback
Use our feedback form or send email to scout@cs.wisc.edu.

© 2001 Internet Scout Project
Information on reproducing any publication is available on our copyright page.