Research and Education
While there are many ways to parse out the information found within the periodic table of elements, the University of Nottingham has gone above and beyond with their own novel version. Their version happens to have a short video about each element, and visitors will find each short clip interesting, informative, and fun. Visitors can click on each element as they wish, and they can also learn about some of the presenters who have contributed to this initiative. The "Extras" section contains additional short videos about the chemistry of tea, some holiday specials, and a series of blooper reels. The site is going "global" as well, as a number of the films have captions in different languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, and Indonesian. Praise for the site continues to come from various quarters, including from such personages as Nobel Prize recipient Roald Hoffmann who recently said, "I not only liked it, but loved it… like the best reality show I saw." [KMG]
http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/exhibits/patriotism/
Many universities have reflected on how their institutions have changed during periods of war, and University of North Carolina archivist, Janis Holder, and her colleagues recently created this thoughtful digital collection that looks into that very subject. They began by asking how war affected the university as it carried out its primary educational mission and how students and faculty were directly affected by various wars. The result of their labors is this online exhibit, which brings together primary documents from the university's archives, such as journals, photographs, convocation addresses, and newspaper articles. The different sections on the site include "Civil War", "World War I", and "World War II". Within each section, visitors will learn about the university's response and service as each conflict emerged, and also about the effects that each event had on students, faculty, and members of the local Chapel Hill community. [KMG]
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/
This very helpful website addresses the toll disasters can have on mental health and provides healthy ways to cope. The site includes information on how parents can talk to their children, teachers can talk to their students, and how adults can talk to each other about a disaster. One good place to start is the link "Tips for Talking About Disasters", which is located under the heading titled "Information for Individuals and Families". The link "Video: Coping with a Traumatic Event" allows visitors to watch, listen, or watch with captions, a short podcast that explains how people react differently to traumatic events. The Virginia Tech shootings is the event used to explain how people's reactions can vary widely. A series of downloadable tip sheets, called "After the Storm", are available for adults, parents of children, and parents of youth, in Spanish, English and Vietnamese, each with their own link, found in the middle of the page. Under the heading titled "Information for Specific Groups", at the bottom of the page, are three links to information for "Responders", "Health Professionals", and "States and Planners". [KMG]
The mission of the Nevada Natural Heritage Program is "to help coordinate the resource needs of Nevada's diverse biological heritage with human activities." Their website presents a wide range of resources for persons who might be interested in learning about their work in such fields as ecology, land management, land use planning, and conservation. A good way to start is in the "Special Program Area" section, which can be found on the left side of the homepage. Here visitors will find "Ecology Program", which provides information about Nevada's diverse biological heritage contained within special reports, vegetation coverage maps, and atlases of Nevada's mountain ranges. That's not all; also available in the special program area are the Rare Plant Atlas, wildflower reports, and information about ongoing efforts to create an online catalog of the mosses, hornworts, and liverworts of Nevada. The site is rounded out by a listing of the laws and regulations which govern the activities of the Nevada Natural Heritage Program. [KMG]
Started in 1818, the American Journal of Science (originally called The American Journal of Science and Arts) is the oldest scientific journal published without interruption in the United States. Today the Journal deals only with geology and related earth science, but for many years it covered a wider range of scientific and artistic endeavors. Recently, staff members at Carnegie Mellon University's library decided to create an online collection, which contains over 140 volumes of the Journal. Visitors can search the entire contents of the collection at their leisure, or they can just browse around for a bit. For historians of science and those with a curiosity about what scientists and others found of importance in the 19th century, this collection will be invaluable. The site is rounded out by a FAQ area and a link to other digital collections created by Carnegie Mellon University. [KMG]
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/digital/collections/eastasian/bunraku/
Bunraku is a form of tremendously complex puppet theater that is the result of the extremely focused efforts of puppeteers, narrators, and musicians. The art form was first developed in the seventeenth century, and its popularity peaked in the eighteenth century as major playwrights began to develop elaborate plot lines. Drawing on the remarkable Bunraku collection of Barbara Curtis Adachi, the Columbia University Libraries has created this gallery which includes photographs of different productions, information about authors, and performers. Those persons new to Bunraku will want to start by clicking on "The World of Bunraku" area. Here they can read an essay about noted Bunraku author Chikamatsu Monzaemon and listen to music from a Bunraku production. After that, visitors can search the entire online archive, or browse through the collection by play title, author, performer, or production. [KMG]
Started in 1993, New Europe is a weekly publication that covers 49 countries, with a particular focus on institutions in the European Union (EU). Their site offers access to the contents of their print publication, along with additional information on their outreach activities that involve higher education, media groups, and think tanks. Users may wish to start by looking through the "EU Update" area on the left-hand side of the page. Here they will find news stories and investigative reporting that looks into the governmental organization and politics surrounding the European Union. Further down the page, visitors can look through sections such as "Business Update", "Regional News", and the individual country news area, which covers nations from Albania to Uzbekistan. [KMG]
http://www.scu.edu/ethics-center/events/podcasts.cfm
Based at Santa Clara University, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics is dedicated to creating and sustaining meaningful research and dialogue on ethical issues in critical areas of American life, such as bioethics and character education. Along with their important publications, they have also made some other nice resources available on their website. One resource is the "Heard on Campus" series of podcasts that can be listened to here in their entirety. The offerings extend back to September 26, and currently there are 50 podcasts available. Some of the conversations and lectures here include titles like "Bailouts, Fairness and Moral Hazard: Ethnical Challenges in Dismal Economic Times", "The Scope of Executive Power", and "No-Bid Contracts for Iraqi Oil". Taken as a whole, this site is a veritable cornucopia of thoughtful discussions and debate about a wide range of topics that are both timely and eternal. [KMG]
