Research and Education
http://www.molecularmovies.com/
The Scout Report is always on the lookout for new and compelling instructional materials in the sciences, and this new website of cell and molecular animations is a worthy find. The Molecular Movies site presents an organized directory of various animations, along with original tutorials for life science professionals who are learning 3D visualization techniques. These materials are divided into the following sections: "Showcase", "Learning", "Toolkit", and "News". The "Showcase" area contains animations listed by scientific area or individual animator or design studio. Currently, there are well over fifty animations offered here which demonstrate everything from cell invasions to DNA replication. Next up are the visualization tutorials (located in the "Learning" area), which allow users to learn about the techniques used in making such lovely animations. Visitors can browse these tutorials by skill level, software type, or topic area. Before leaving the site, visitors should also check out the site weblog for further updates and links to other related works. [KMG]
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Sloan-School-of-Management/15-220Spring-2008/CourseHome/index.htm
There's no time like the present to learn about global strategy and organization, and such edification is possible via this nice set of resources offered courtesy of MIT's OpenCourseWare initiative. This particular course is titled "Global Strategy and Organization" and it contains materials offered by Professor Donald Lessard's Spring 2008 version of this course. The primary goal of the course is "to provide the foundations for taking effective action in the multi-layered world of international business." On the course page, visitors will find a syllabus, readings, lecture notes, and various assignments. Of course, visitors who know they want all of these materials can just click on the "Download Course Materials" to download all of the above files. [KMG]
The Society for Applied Anthropology (SfAA) has moved into the world of podcasts quite nicely with this fine set of talks, lectures, and discussions culled from their annual meetings. The site was created and is currently maintained by Jen Cardew, a master's student in applied business anthropology at the University of North Texas. Those individuals who've never listened (or heard about) podcasts or weblogs may wish to first visit the "About Podcasts & Blogs" area on the homepage. After that, visitors can click on the "Short Cut to Podcasts" area to move directly to the podcasts, which include "Working with Governmental Agencies", "Mobile Work, Mobile Lives: Cultural Accounts of Lived Experiences", and "Embodied Danger: The Health Costs of War and Political Violence". All told, there are over two dozen podcasts currently available here, and more are on the way. Finally, visitors can sign up for their RSS feed here as well. [KMG]
http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.article.asp?a=3681
At a big auction, most people expect to see fine rugs, statues, and many other high profile items. In 1994, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began to auction off something a bit more abstract, yet just as important: a section of the electromagnetic spectrum for a new generation of cell phones, pagers, and other such devices. That particular auction is the starting point for this interesting article on the world of game theory created for the "Beyond Discovery" website. Offered as an educational resource, courtesy of the National Science Foundation, the article takes an interactive look into how game theory has been applied in a variety of settings, including auctions of all shapes and sizes. The article is divided into six thematic sections, including "The Rules of the Game" and "The Winner's Curse". Each section contains an explanation of a different aspect of game theory, written in lucid and jargon-free prose. At the bottom of each explanation, visitors are directed to other relevant online resources. Overall, it's a fine resource, and one that could be used in any number of courses, including economics, statistics, or finance. [KMG]
http://www.iupac.org/publications/pac/
Established in 1960, the journal Pure and Applied Chemistry is committed to publishing notable research papers arising from various international scientific events and projects that are sponsored by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). First-time visitors can view the "News" area to learn about the most recent work published in the journal, and then they may wish to move on to the embedded search engine displayed prominently on the homepage. Other sections on the site include "Editorial Board", "Notes For Authors", and "Publication Policy". Visitors with a deep and abiding interest in the journal may also wish to consult their RSS feeds, which include those related to the publication of new articles and reports from the IUPAC. Finally, the site also contains a drop down menu titled "PAC Archives" where visitors can browse the contents of each volume. [KMG]
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/History/subcollections/StereoFranceAbout.html
Emperor Napoleon III cast a great shadow over France during his reign in the middle of the 19th century, and he brought a tremendous amount of change to the nation. Not all of that change was welcome, and some of it took the form of massive urban projects, such as the rebuilding of Paris. This lovely online collection created by the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections group brings together 201 remarkable stereoviews from the Second Empire period. For those who might not be acquainted with such matters, stereoviews are created through the use of stereoscopy, which is a technique used to create the illusion of depth by presenting two images to the eyes. Each image is taken from a slightly different perspective, and the resulting images, when viewed through a stereoscope, appear three-dimensional. Visitors to the site can browse through the images at their leisure, and they will find documentation of Notre Dame, the Arc De Triomphe, and the Boulevard de Strasbourg here. Those persons with an interest in urban infrastructure and the creation of modern Paris will find much to admire and enjoy here. [KMG]
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG640.pdf
How can governments stimulate interest and demand in the arts? This compelling report from the RAND Corporation takes a close look at how well institutions in the United States cultivate demand for the arts and whether they should make this a higher priority item in the future. Authored by Laura Zakaras and Julia F. Lowell, this 151-page report was released in September 2008 and it contains six chapters that include "The Support Infrastructure for Youth Arts Learning" and "Enabling Individual Engagement with Works of Art". In the report the authors argue, "arts policies have long focused on supporting supply and expanding access while neglecting demand, which calls for cultivating the capacity of individuals to have engaging experiences with the arts." By the conclusion of their work, the authors conclude that "greater investment in comprehensive arts learning, particularly for the young is the most effective strategy for building demand." It's an intriguing proposition, and one that will be of great interest to arts administrators, policy analysts, and education specialists. [KMG]
The United Nations (UN) website contains a tremendous amount of data, and for some new users (and even those who are more experienced), it may be a bit overwhelming. Recently, the UN created this fine website designed to assist those who might need a bit of assistance with this whole process. On the UN Data site, visitors can simply type in their search terms, look over a list of popular searches, and even take a look at their "News" section, which offers up a selection of helpful recent additions. Further down on the homepage, visitors can look through the "Database Coverage" area. Here they can take advantage of some specially culled statistics, including data sets related to the World Health Organization (WHO), refugees, industrial commodities, and children. The site is rounded out by a "Glossary" section, which offers a nice summary of each term that might be encountered while utilizing the site. [KMG]
