http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/search.asp?id=1224

From his days as a young man studying at the University of Wisconsin to his time in the wilderness areas of California, John Muir evolved from a "fundamental Christian to tree-hugging Transcendentalist", and these rather glorious letters that he wrote during this long period are now available on this site, provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Here visitors can peruse more than 100 pages of original letters written by Muir which deal with a wide range of topics, including his student days in Madison, the birth of his first child, and the publication of his now famous autobiography. Perusing the collection, visitors can view the original handwritten letters side by side with typed versions and their transcriptions. Overall, this is a fine collection, and anyone with an interest in Muir or the history of the American conservation movement will enjoy it. [KMG]

http://americanhistory.si.edu/polio/

This Smithsonian National Museum of American History exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of effective vaccines to prevent polio. On April 12, 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk, a virologist working at the University of Pittsburgh with funding from the March of Dimes, announced his vaccine against the disease. In 1957, trials of Dr. Albert Sabin's vaccine began. Between 1955 and 1957, the incidence of polio in the U.S dropped by 85 to 90 percent. Since it draws upon the vast collections of the Smithsonian, the exhibit is lavishly illustrated with historical photographs, and all kinds of ephemera, such as an advertisement for Drinker-Collins respirators, "Polio Pioneer" buttons given to children who participated in Salk vaccine clinical trials, and a March of Dimes bank. The exhibit provides background information on polio-related topics including the March of Dimes, established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, an organization that took in millions of small donations to support the care of people who contracted polio and research into prevention and treatment; the history of vaccines; and the differences between Salk's killed-virus vaccine, and Sabin's live-virus vaccine. [DS]

http://www.businessofbaseball.com/

Major league baseball is an industry that involves billions of dollars of substantial investments, including those in player salaries, litigation, capital investment into stadia, and so on. This compelling site, developed by Maury Brown and Gary Gillette (the co-chairs of the Business of Baseball committee of the Society for American Baseball Research), provides a host of data on the "business end" of professional baseball. First off, there is the data section of the site, which includes detailed player salary information from 1985 to 2004, arbitration results, franchise valuation information, and league attendance from 1884 to 2004. Next there is the section that provides details on new stadium construction and on those stadiums currently being renovated. The site also contains additional articles on a wide variety of baseball-related topics and an interview section, where users can read well-thought-out Q&A sessions with such baseball luminaries as Bowie Kuhn and sports economist Andrew Zimbalist. [KMG]

http://www.einsteinyear.org/

Einstein Year marks the centenary of the three papers that Albert Einstein published in 1905, which of course, included the paper on photoelectric effect that led to his Nobel Prize in Physics. The primary aim of Einstein Year is "to enthuse young people, and those who influence them, about physics, whilst building a sustainable increase in public awareness of physics and its role in society." On the site, visitors can learn about the various ongoing activities being coordinated around the world, read a biography about Einstein, and check out the "Experiment" section, where users can explore physics through a number of simple and thoughtful experiments. A real highlight of the site is the "If you could teach the world just one thing about science" feature, which was conducted by the online magazine, spiked. The magazine asked dozens of scientists what "one thing" they would pick to teach the world about science, and their responses (including a few video clips) are posted on the site. [KMG]

http://www.pbs.org/strangedays/index_flash.html

Teaming up with PBS, National Geographic has created an intriguing four-part documentary series titled "Strange Days on Planet Earth" that is meant to explore a number of events and processes (such as climatic change and invasive species) and their long- and short-term effects across the planet. Hosted by actor Edward Norton, the series producer's have also created this complementary website where interested parties can learn more about these processes. For example, in the "One Degree Factor" section (which explores global climatic change), users can read interviews with experts working in this field and also learn about the relevance of this process to their own lives. The site also contains a nice glossary of terms and a place where individuals can offer their own comments on the program. [KMG]

http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/index.html

During the 20th century, there has been a concerted effort by a number of transnational organizations and advocacy groups to effectively lobby for the rights and protection of indigenous groups in all parts of the world. In 2000, the United Nations Economic and Social Council established the Permanent Form on Indigenous Issues to effectively address the needs of the 370 million indigenous peoples around the world. On the site, visitors can read official documents and proceedings created by the Forum's work, peruse a photo gallery of indigenous peoples, and read the text of various speeches on indigenous issues. Finally, visitors will also want to peruse the list of upcoming events sponsored by the Forum and also review its latest press releases. [KMG]

http://www.janegoodall.com/default.asp

Founded in 1977 by the noted primatologist Jane Goodall and Genevieve, Princess di San Faustino, the Jane Goodall Institute's primary mission is to "advance the power of individuals to take informed and compassionate action to improve the environment of all living things." Of course, many of its activities center around the importance of increasing overall awareness of primate habitat conservation and this is definitely the focus of this timely website. A fist stop for any visitor to the site should be the "Chimpanzee Central" section, where they may learn about the behavior of these primates, their use of tools, and the various issues surrounding the conservation of their habitats. Another compelling area of the site is the "Roots & Shoots" section, which provides educational information about these service-learning projects that "promote care and concern for animals, the environment, and the human community". [KMG]