BBC Radio 4: Hearing Colours, Eating Sounds [RealOne Player]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/hearingcolours.shtml
In this two-part radio series from BBC Radio 4, the condition of synaesthesia is explored through interviews with scientists and those who have been diagnosed with the condition. Synaesthesia is a condition in which the five senses intermingle, so that stimulation in one sense may give rise to a stimulation in another sense. For one example, certain letters of the alphabet may be associated with certain colors for a synaesthete. The program here is divided into two 30-minute sections. The first program explores the experiences of several synaesthetes, such as James Wannerton who tastes spoken words, and Jane Mackay, who sees shapes and colors when she hears music. The second part of the program “examines the mounting evidence that we all start life with the potential for synaesthesia." The study of this condition is pushing the boundaries of neuroscience, and this provocative exploration of this condition and its study offered by the BBC is quite engaging and informative. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]

Bering Climate [pdf]
http://www.beringclimate.noaa.gov/
The beauty of the Web as a communication tool for scientists is the opportunity for instantaneously exchanging and sharing datasets and finding. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has developed an amazing site, offering exceptionally well organized access to its databases including the categories of Climate Indices, Atmosphere, Ocean, Fishery, and Biology. These entire project is all part of a very well stated mission to better understand the complex relationship of climatic and ecosystem changes in Arctic and Bering Sea. As the site states, this can be a tricky issue doe to the fact that "climate change impacts ecosystems, and ecosystems serve as indicators for climate change." The idea is to develop indices which will help to monitor and measure changes in the ecosystems of these area. The Web is meant to be transitional and offer date as it is summarized and prepared for download. This site should be of great use to teachers and students interested in oceanography and ecology, as well as those interested in climatology. Yet, a project like this definitely demonstrates just how interdisciplinary the sciences have become in lieu of the forces of interrelatedness of nature and climate. [JPM]
[Back to Contents]

National Trust for Historic Preservation
http://www.nthp.org/index.html
Chartered by the United States Congress over fifty years ago, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit organization which was formed in order "to encourage public participation in the preservation of sites, buildings, and objects significant in American history." Since that time, the National Trust has worked to preserve a host of structures that have some importance to American culture and history, along with providing stewardship to 21 sites (including the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright) under their immediate direction. From the home page, visitors can learn about assistance programs available from the National Trust for preserving local Main Streets or structures, along with learning about the various sites administered by the Trust. Perhaps the most helpful section of the site is the area devoted to articles from the Trust’s monthly publication, Preservation. Here visitors can learn about ongoing preservation issues and read selected issues from the current issue and the online archives. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]

Ballparks of Baseball
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/
In some ways, nothing says summer in the United States like sitting outside in a ballpark and watching nine innings of America’s favorite sport. This loving tribute to the venues (past, current, and future) that have housed various professional baseball teams is a great way to learn about some of the most hallowed (and most reviled) ballparks around the country. The Features section of the site has some fun material, including updated news about ballparks (such as Citizens Bank Park, which is now under construction in Philadelphia), webcams, seating charts, and attendance figures. Within that same section, visitors can chime in and rate their experiences at the different ballparks around the country. For those looking for a trip down memory lane, look no further than the Past section, which is devoted to ballparks that are no longer in existence. Here visitors can read brief profiles and look at photographs of such legendary parks as old Shibe Park, and ones that have recently gone to their eternal reward, like the Kingdome in Seattle. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]

Remembering Harold: Photographs from the Harold Washington Archives and Collections [QuickTime]
http://www.chipublib.org/digital/hw/harold.html
Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, the late Harold Washington made history in 1983 when he was elected mayor after receiving 51 percent of the vote. Given the city’s racial segregation and at times tumultuous race relations, the victory was considered a major accomplishment in the annals of Chicago history. Drawing on the collections held by the Chicago Public Library, this online exhibit offers a small glimpse into the Washington mayoral era in the city through a collection of photographs, a brief video clip, and a virtual tour of the exhibit located in the Special Collections area of the Harold Washington Public Library in Chicago’s Loop. The image galleries are divided into six sections, including politics, famous persons, and ethnic and constituency groups. In the galleries, visitors can look at a number of candid photographs of Washington with local politicians, dignitaries, and famous celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey and Frank Sinatra. The site is rounded out by a short video clip of Harold Washington announcing his candidacy in the 1983 Chicago mayoral race. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]

Planetizen: The Planning and Development Network
http://www.planetizen.com/
Over the past few decades, many ideas in the field of planning have become almost buzz-words in the popular press, including Sustainable Development” and New Urbanism. With the increased interest in planning, PLANetizen was created three years ago as "a public-interest information exchange for the urban planning and development community." The site features a host of frequently updated links to recent news stories that address one of the facets of planning (such as gentrification), job opportunities, commentary, and conference announcements. Guests to the site may also elect to sign up for their electronic newsletter, and may even choose to have it delivered to any number of handheld devices, including Windows CE or Palm. The site also includes a list of the 20 "all-time greatest planning titles," which includes such familiar selections as "Good City Form" by Kevin Lynch and "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson. [KMG]
[Back to Contents]