Research and Education
http://www.foia.cia.gov/cpe.asp
The CIA has been involved in many activities and secret missions since its creation, and only recently has the general public been privy to the formerly classified analytic monographs and reference aids that the agency has created from the past. This particular release happens to highlight the CIA’s efforts from the 1950s through the 1970s to research various aspects of Soviet and Chinese internal politics and Sino-Soviet relations. All told, this collection contains 11,000 pages of analysis, spread across 147 documents. The documents are rather fascinating, and they include such titles as “Death of Stalin” from July 1953 and a rather intriguing piece titled “The Decline of Mao Tse-Tsung” from 1962. For anyone with an interest in international relations or political science, this collection will prove quite invaluable. [KMG]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/28_06_07unreportdesert.pdf
The phenomenon and process of desertification is one that is currently threatening one-third of the world’s population from Algeria to China. In December 2006, the United Nations convened a large panel of expert researchers to create a set of new, and hopefully, more effective policies that will help international organizations, national governments, and other concerned parties deal with the very real threat of massive desertification. The report itself is 37 pages and contains sections like “Innovations to Mainstream Desertification in the Policy Agenda” and “Connecting Policies for Desertification, Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss”. Fortunately, the report has a number of pragmatic solutions, including the adoption of environmentally sustainable farming practices, such as encouraging forests in dryland areas. [KMG]
http://www.mpifg.de/index_en.asp
Named after one of the 20th century’s great physicists, the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies “conducts advanced basic research on the governance of modern societies.” With a team of researchers working on a wide range of topics, the Institute’s home is in Cologne, and they have formal research agreements with the Center for European Studies at Harvard University, the Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Labour Studies, among others. From their homepage, visitors can read about their latest research, examine fellowship opportunities, and their public lecture series. Scholars will want to begin by visiting the “Research” section, which features information on their project areas, which include the sociology of markets, the governance of global structures, and institutional change in contemporary capitalism. The site also includes the “Publications” area. Here, visitors can read the latest working papers, discussion papers, and research reports written by researchers and staff members affiliated with the Institute. [KMG]
The Building Design site bills itself as “the architects’ website”, and it is a claim that is quite accurate and apropos. Designed to complement their print publication, the site is a treasure-trove of material for just about anyone who is involved in any aspect of building, including architects, design theorists, planners, and so on. As the magazine is based in the United Kingdom, there’s definitely a British Isles focus. Readers probably won’t mind as the site offers excellent coverage of the field in the “News” section, where they can sign up to receive email updates, watch some slideshows of new and proposed buildings, and read long-form pieces. Not surprisingly, the site is keeping up with the proverbial Joneses’ by offering a smattering of intelligent and lively blogs, coupled with podcasts that mix contemporary interviews and discussions with archived materials such as talks with Buckminster Fuller on his environmental philosophy. [KMG]
http://www3.brookings.edu/views/articles/200705frey.pdf
As the American population continues to age, there is a growing concern in some quarters that the government and the private sector might be ill-prepared with the increased demands of an older population. The Brookings Institution published a rather insightful 28-page paper on the growth of older America, authored by noted demographer William H. Frey. Drawing on analyses performed with data from past U.S. Censuses, Frey comments on a number of trends, including the migration of older Americans into economically dynamic Sun Belt areas such as Austin, Atlanta, and Dallas. The report makes excellent use of maps, charts, and graphs that track the projected growth of senior populations by state and the counties with the fastest-growing senior population. For urbanologists and planners, this report will be quite helpful. [KMG]
http://www.learner.org/resources/series126.html
Both new and experienced science high school teachers will find something of interest within this six-part series created by WGBH Boston. The creation of the program was supported by the Annenberg Media organization, and visitors can view all of these programs in the comfort of their home (or classroom). As the program site notes “The Teaching High School Science library will help teachers integrate national science standards and inquiry learning into their curricula.” The programs include classrooms investigating chemical reactions, experiments involving crickets, and explorations into how the Mars landscape may have formed. After viewing these programs, visitors can also view a list of related programs that are also made available as part of the Annenberg Media’s online video library. [KMG]
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/content.shtml
Created by Alexander Bogomolny, this site is a clearinghouse of fun and engaging mathematics exercises, puzzles, and other such activities that teachers can utilize in their classrooms. Of course, students might happen across the site and they might become math converts along the way. First-time visitors might wish to read Bogomolny’s “manifesto” for the site, and then they can dive right into the material offered here. The offerings are divided into a number of sections, including “Visual Illusions”, “Algebra”, and “Probability”. One particularly nice feature of the site is that many of the exercises and activities here are accompanied by helpful Java applets that include charts, graphs, and other such dynamic elements. Finally, visitors shouldn’t leave without visiting the “Mathematical Droodles” section as it’s both engaging and thought-provoking. [KMG]
http://www.ithaca.edu/aging/schools/
As the average age of persons in the United States continues to rise, there is a growing need to educate people about various aspects of gerontology. At Ithaca College, the staff members at the Gerontology Institute have worked to create a range of lesson plans that deal explicitly with aging issues. All of these plans have been field tested in the classroom and they were designed to meet rigorous New York state standards. After reading the “About The Project” section, visitors should head for the “Lesson Plans” area. Here teachers and other parties can download lesson materials such as “The Baby Boomers and Social Security” and “Myths and Facts About Aging”. The site also includes a list of suggested readings and related weblinks. [KMG]
