The Scout Report
December 20, 2013 -- Volume 19, Number 51
Dear Readers,
The Scout Report will be on vacation December 27th and January 3rd. We will return with the January 10th, 2014 Scout Report.
Best holiday wishes and see you next year,
Max Grinnell, Carmen Montopoli, and Catherine Dixon
Editors
A Publication of Internet Scout
Computer Sciences Department, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Research and Education
Florence Knoll Bassett Papers, 1932-2000Historic Pittsburgh Census Schedules
Introductory Biology
Environmental Ethics Case Studies
National Institute of Nursing Research: Publications
Society of Architectural Historians: Digital Resources
ScienceBlogs
Maryland Geological Survey
General Interest
Boston Society of ArchitectsCenter for the Humanities and the Public Sphere
Art Deco and the Decorative Arts in the 1920s and 1930s
Arts and Aging: Building The Science
100 Resilient Cities
Canterbury and St. Albans: Treasures from Church and Cloister
Constitution Annotated
The Original Epcot Project
Network Tools
FilemailTweetQuereet
In the News
'Tis the season to ask, "What type of Christmas tree is this?"Copyright and subscription information appear at the end of the Scout Report. For more information on all services of Internet Scout, please visit our Website: https://scout.wisc.edu/
If you'd like to know how the Internet Scout team selects resources for
inclusion in the Scout Report, visit our Selection Criteria page at:
https://scout.wisc.edu/scout-report/selection-criteria
The Scout Report on the Web:
Current issue:
https://scout.wisc.edu/report/current
This issue:
https://scout.wisc.edu/report/2013/1220
Feedback is always welcome: scout@scout.wisc.edu
Research and Education
http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/florence-knoll-bassett-papers-6312
Born
in
1917,
Florence
Knoll
Bassett
is
an
American
architect
and
furniture
designer
whose
impressive
resume
includes
work
with
leaders
of
the
Bauhaus
movement
as
well
as
numerous
exhibitions
at
the
Museum
of
Modern
Art
during
the
1950s.
She
became
quite
well
known
for
her
reinvention
of
the
modern
office
space,
with
many
interior
designers,
architects,
and
others
becoming
inspired
by
her
work
over
the
decades.
This
digital
collection
from
the
Smithsonian's
Archives
of
American
Art
brings
together
over
1,280
items,
including
letters,
drawings,
sketches,
designs,
photographs,
and
more.
Visitors
will
find
that
the
material
has
been
divided
into
seven
series
ranging
from
Biographical
Material
to
Awards.
Additionally,
the
search
engine
provides
an
effortless
way
to
search
through
all
of
the
materials
.
Overall,
it's
an
amazing
look
at
the
career
of
this
modernist
pioneer.
[KMG]
http://digital.library.pitt.edu/census/
Have
you
ever
wanted
to
know
more
about
the
residents
of
19th
century
Pittsburgh?
Then
you're
in
luck,
the
Historic
Pittsburgh
Census
Schedule
lets
you
do
just
that.
Hosted
by
the
University
of
Pittsburgh's
Digital
Research
Library,
the
schedules
found
on
this
website
include
census
data
collected
from
1850,
1860,
1870,
and
1880.
Visitors
can
search
the
census
schedule
by
individual
name,
street,
or
even
city
of
birth,
occupation,
or
gender.
It's
a
rather
nifty
way
to
learn
about
the
cultural
and
geographical
milieu
of
the
Steel
City
during
this
period
of
dramatic
growth.
Historians
and
geographers
will
find
it
particularly
useful
and
it's
easy
to
see
how
spending
time
on
the
site
could
be
a
regular
part
of
their
research.
The
site
also
includes
access
to
other
components
of
the
Historic
Pittsburgh
site,
such
as
Maps,
Finding
Aids,
and
a
Chronology
of
key
events
from
the
city's
unique
history.
[KMG]
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/biology/7-013-introductory-biology-spring-2013/
This
lovely
offering
from
the
MIT
OpenCourseWare
project
takes
interested
parties
through
the
world
of
biology
via
course
readings,
discussion
questions,
assignments,
and
exams.
The
topics
cover
genetics,
cell
biology,
molecular
biology,
developmental
biology,
and
evolution.
The
Study
Terms
section
is
quite
useful,
as
it
covers
a
host
of
useful
terms
from
cell
signaling,
immunology,
cancer
biology,
and
genetics.
Moving
on,
the
recitations
are
worth
a
look
as
they
offer
lecture
notes
in
a
succinct
and
learned
fashion.
It's
worth
noting
that
visitors
can
download
each
set
of
activities
separately
or
they
can
also
use
the
Download
Course
Materials
area
to
download
everything
at
once.
[KMG]
http://www.apsarchive.org/collection.cfm?collectionID=2385
The American Physiological Society (APS) has created a wide range of teaching resources through its collaborative digital library over the past several years. This particular corner of the site brings together a number of environmental ethics case studies which cover everything from GMOS to the fluoridation of drinking water. Currently, the site contains a dozen different resources, including "Food Aid and Population Control," "Reviving Extinct Species," and "Progress vs. Family Tradition." Resources can be filtered by Grade/Age level or even Pedagogy. Additionally, users are encouraged to craft their own resources and submit them for possible inclusion. [KMG]
http://www.ninr.nih.gov/newsandinformation/publications#.Uq4U1ChSFFI
Every
year
the
National
Institute
of
Nursing
Research
(NINH)
produces
a
raft
of
helpful
research
papers,
plans,
white
papers,
and
other
documents.
On
their
Publications
page,
users
can
look
through
some
of
these
documents,
which
include
"Palliative
Care:
The
Relief
You
Need
When
You're
Experiencing
the
Symptoms
of
Serious
Illness."
The
site
also
includes
the
FOCUS
Series,
which
constitutes
a
collection
of
information
sheets
that
provide
current
research
findings
on
topic
such
as
asthma,
behavioral
science
and
HIV/AIDS,
pediatrics,
and
women's
health.
The
site
also
contains
fact
sheets
from
the
National
Institute
of
Health
(NIH)
that
cover
matters
directly
related
to
the
world
of
nursing
research.
[KMG]
http://www.sah.org/publications-and-research/digital-resources
Based out of Chicago, the Society of Architectural Historians (SAH) has compiled this annotated list of digital resources that will edify and entertain those with an interest in the built environment. The thematic sections offer SAH Resources, Preservation Resources, Image Collections, and Regional Architecture. Within each of these are links to high-quality sites and useful resources, such as the SAH's in-house newsletter and blog. The Full Text Resource section is a rare gem as it includes complete versions of classic works like "Craftsman Homes" from 1909 and William Halfpenny's "Useful Architecture" from 1760. [KMG]
http://scienceblogs.com/
The
ScienceBlogs
site
brings
together
a
range
of
thoughtful
perspectives
on
science
from
science
writers,
commentators,
and
others.
On
the
homepage,
visitors
will
find
thematic
sections
that
include
Environment,
Humanities,
Education,
and
Brain
&
Behavior.
Each
of
these
areas
contains
recent
posts
listed
chronologically,
along
with
a
section
of
Editor's
Picks
and
Insights.
This
last
feature
provides
a
series
of
visual
illustrations
and
infographics
that
help
bring
the
subjects
to
life.
Channel
Surfing
is
another
great
component
of
this
site,
presenting
prominent
posts
in
a
column
format
that
makes
scanning
for
recent
topics
quite
easy.
Users
can
also
look
over
the
ScienceBlogs
twitter
feed
or
explore
a
number
of
dramatic
images
of
planets,
cells,
and
other
scientific
matters
within
Super
Photos.
[KMG]
http://www.mgs.md.gov/
The
Maryland
Geological
Survey
(MGS)
provides
excellent
information
about
the
geology
of
the
Old
Line
State,
along
with
public
reports
and
updates
on
various
ongoing
projects.
The
homepage
features
live
earthquake
data
and
maps
that
deal
with
oyster
habitat
restoration
projects,
fact
sheets,
and
new
reports
on
lead
concentrations
in
well
water
across
the
state.
The
Publications
area
contains
dozens
of
maps
(such
as
that
of
the
"Maryland
Gold
District")
and
links
to
Popular
Publications
such
as
"Caves
of
Maryland"
and
"Baltimore
Building
Stones
Tour."
The
Data
section
is
also
quite
useful,
offering
a
number
of
informative
data
sets
on
sediment
distribution
in
the
Chesapeake
Bay
and
Baltimore
Harbor.
Finally,
the
Education
area
contains
an
"Ask
a
Geologist"
link
that's
quite
useful
for
getting
answers
to
Earth-based
queries.
[KMG]
General Interest
http://www.architects.org/
Established
in
1867,
the
Boston
Society
of
Architects
(BSA)
consists
of
over
3,500
members
and
produces
a
wide
range
of
professional
publications.
On
its
site,
visitors
can
look
through
eight
sections,
such
as
Programs,
Education,
and
Advocacy.
It's
easy
to
get
started
with
the
Latest
News
area,
which
features
updates
about
BSA
members
and
their
work
in
and
around
the
city.
Additionally,
the
homepage
contains
an
extensive
list
of
upcoming
events
and
featured
jobs.
Within
Programs,
visitors
can
become
familiar
with
the
various
services
offered
for
the
general
public,
including
walking
tours,
lectures,
and
online
exhibits.
The
BSA's
core
publication,
ArchitectureBoston,
is
a
must-read
and
contains
links
to
illustrated
articles
and
roundtable
conversations
on
urban
development,
green
design,
and
much
more.
[KMG]
http://www.humanities.ufl.edu/index.html
Founded
in
2005,
the
University
of
Florida's
Center
for
the
Humanities
and
the
Public
Sphere
is
a
rather
unique,
multi-disciplinary
hub
of
intellectual
activity.
With
a
stated
purpose
of
facilitating
and
promoting
university-level
humanities
research,
a
good
portion
of
the
material
here
is
aimed
at
an
internal
university
audience.
Yet
there
is
still
a
great
deal
to
explore
for
the
general
public.
The
Grants/Resources
area
contains
links
to
some
of
the
center's
digital
projects,
including
the
Digital
Worlds
Institute
and
Digital
Humanities.
Within
this
last
section,
visitors
will
find
an
excellent
list
of
recommended
readings
and
bibliographic
information.
Working
Groups
is
another
informative
section,
containing
information
on
the
center's
thematic
research
interests,
which
include
projects
on
medicine
and
culture
and
environmental
humanities.
[KMG]
http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/artdeco/index.php
This celebration of Art Deco and the decorative arts was lovingly crafted by the specialists at McGill University's Library. The original in situ exhibit that accompanied this site was crafted for the 10th World Congress on Art Deco. Here, visitors can browse through the images from the collection organized into categories that include Bon Voyage, Montreal Leisure, Interior Design, and Book Illustration. Visitors should not miss The Exhibition area as it features a thematic essay about the famous 1925 Paris Exposition International des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, which set the design world on fire with its promises of modernity and beautiful living. [KMG]
http://arts.gov/sites/default/files/Arts-and-Aging-Building-the-Science_0.pdf
How can the arts improve our lives as we age? It's a great question and one that is addressed in this 28-page report from the National Endowment for the Arts. Released in 2012, this report presents the official summary findings from a National Academies Workshop formally titled "Research Gaps and Opportunities for Exploring the Relationship of the Arts to Health and Well-Being in Older Adults." The report contains an executive summary, a brief background essay and several short chapters, including "Musical Training and Brain Function" and "Music Therapy for Dementia." It's an engaging work that sits at the intersection of arts, medicine, and public policy. [KMG]
http://100resilientcities.rockefellerfoundation.org/
The
future
of
cities
is
the
subject
of
much
hand-wringing
in
urban
policy
circles.
As
of
late,
a
popular
topic
has
been
the
concept
of
urban
"resilience"
and
the
Rockefeller
Foundation
has
taken
this
matter
on
with
its
100
Resilient
Cities
initiative.
On
its
website,
first-time
visitors
should
first
explore
the
"What
is
Resilience?"
area.
Here,
the
topic
is
explained
in
detail
and
an
infographic
links
to
a
number
of
helpful
resources.
Moving
on,
visitors
can
explore
the
foundation's
blog
and
some
of
the
Most
Read
entries,
such
as
"The
Five
Fastest
Growing
Cities"
and
"Slumdog
Urbanism."
Each
entry
features
a
comments
section
that
allows
visitors
to
chime
in
with
their
own
thoughts
on
resilience
in
the
21st
century.
The
site
is
rounded
out
with
a
nice
subscription
feature,
allowing
readers
the
opportunity
to
receive
email
updates
once
new
material
is
published
on
the
site.
[KMG]
http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/canterbury/
This
remarkable
exhibition
from
the
Getty
Foundation
brings
together
two
rare
masterpieces
of
Medieval
English
art:
stained
glass
from
Canterbury
Cathedral
and
illuminations
from
the
St.
Albans
Psalter.
First-time
visitors
can
watch
a
short
preview
of
the
in
situ
exhibit
and
then
move
on
to
detailed
online
exhibition
galleries.
The
Behind
the
Scenes
area
offers
first-hand
commentary
from
manuscripts
curator,
Kristen
Collins,
and
her
time
studying
the
St.
Albans
Psalter.
The
Cult
and
Place
section
offers
up
commentary
on
the
major
figures
associated
with
these
two
artistic
marvels,
Saint
Thomas
Becket
and
Christina
of
Markyate,
a
holy
woman
associated
with
the
Abbey
Church
of
St.
Alban.
It's
a
fantastic
look
into
this
aspect
of
the
medieval
world
and
art
historians
will
thoroughly
enjoy
this
exploration.
[KMG]
http://beta.congress.gov/constitution-annotated
What
exactly
does
the
United
States
Constitution
mean?
It
is
subject,
of
course,
to
ongoing
meditation,
debate,
argument,
and
interpretation.
This
useful
site
provides
one
lens
of
interpretation
of
the
Constitution,
based
primarily
on
Supreme
Court
case
law
and
legal
analysis.
Visitors
can
look
over
each
section
of
the
Constitution
individually,
including
all
of
the
articles
and
amendments.
Additionally,
the
site
contains
a
complete
table
of
Supreme
Court
cases,
along
with
those
cases
that
have
been
overruled
as
well
as
proposed
amendments
that
have
not
been
ratified.
Additionally,
the
site
contains
a
gallery
of
significant
primary
source
documents
from
American
history.
Interested
users
should
not
forget
to
download
the
helpful
app
that
is
also
included
here.
[KMG]
https://sites.google.com/site/theoriginalepcot/
Most
people
do
not
realize
that
the
original
vision
of
Walt
Disney
World
included
a
plan
for
an
Experimental
Prototype
Community
of
Tomorrow
(EPCOT),
known
today
as
Epcot.
This
wonderful
exercise
in
online
journalism
brings
together
a
veritable
cornucopia
of
material
related
to
the
planning
and
original
concept
for
this
proposed
community.
The
site
contains
over
a
dozen
areas,
such
as
Epcot
Model,
CGI
Rendering,
Concept
Arts,
Essays,
and
even
Walt
Disney's
Biography.
The
Essays
area
is
a
masterstroke,
containing
pieces
like,
"Epcot
and
the
heart
of
our
cities"
and
"The
Mouse
that
roared."
The
real
core
of
this
whole
idea
is
contained
within
the
26
minute
film
crafted
by
Disney
and
his
colleagues
to
promote
their
vision;
it
must
be
watched
in
its
entirety
to
fully
appreciate
this
fascinating
master
plan.
For
folks
interested
in
the
future
and
past
of
urban
visions,
this
site
is
a
true
dream.
[KMG]
Network Tools
http://www.filemail.com/
Filemail gives visitors the ability to send large files quickly and seamlessly without any registration. It can be integrated with popular email programs and the size limit on files is 100MB, which is quite useful. This particular version is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]
http://www.qureet.com/
So much Twitter, so little time? TweetQureet allows interested parties to receive their most relevant tweets from the Twitter timeline in a daily email digest. The program will use existing followers and tweets to determine your key interests and topics. Overall, it is quite handy and easy to use. This version is compatible with all operating systems. [KMG]
In the News
Christmas tree wars: Making fir fly
http://www.economist.com/blogs/schumpeter/2013/12/christmas-tree-wars
Christmas trees are no get-rich-quick crop
http://www.montereyherald.com/business/ci_24742075/christmas-trees-are-no-get-rich-quick-crop
Work on a Christmas tree farm is year round
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_24731168/work-christmas-tree-farm-is-year-round
From Pre-Christmas Tree to O Tannenbaum
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rick-steves/from-pre-christmas-tree-t_b_4462595.html
National Christmas Tree Association
http://www.realchristmastrees.org/dnn/default.aspx
The American Christmas Tree Association
http://www.christmastreeassociation.org/
Around
the
holiday
season,
some
families
spend
hours
agonizing
over
what
type
of
Christmas
tree
to
purchase.
Some
enjoy
the
durability
of
an
artificial
tree
(no
watering
required)
while
others
remain
staunchly
committed
to
real
life
firs
,
pines,
or
other
conifers.
Recently,
The
Economist
reported
on
an
ongoing
kerfuffle
between
two
trade
groups:
the
National
Christmas
Tree
Association
(NCTA)
and
the
American
Christmas
Tree
Association
(ACTA).
The
NCTA
represents
farmers
who
grow
Christmas
trees
as
an
agricultural
crop
while
the
ACTA
claims
to
speak
for
both
tree
farmers
and
those
who
produce
and
market
artificial
trees
for
market.
Jami
Warner,
a
spokesperson
for
the
ACTA
commented,
"We
believe
that
both
kinds
of
trees
are
good
trees
and
it's
up
to
the
consumer
to
decided
what
is
right
for
themselves."
Meanwhile,
the
NCTA's
spokesperson,
Rick
Dungey,
entered
the
fray
by
referring
to
artificial
trees
as
"plastic
tree-shaped
decorations."
Undoubtedly,
the
debate
over
which
tree
is
best
will
continue
on
for
many
Christmases
to
come,
regardless
of
one's
personal
preference.
[KMG]
The first link leads to the mentioned article from The Economist, commenting on the ongoing tussle between these two trade organizations. The second link will take visitors to a piece about the world of Christmas tree farming, courtesy of this Tuesday's Monterey Herald. Moving on, the third link will whisk users away to a great piece from the Chico Enterprise Record about the life of noted local Christmas tree farmer, Joe McNally. Next, is an interesting piece on the history of Christmas trees from celebrated travel guru, Rick Steves, courtesy of the Huffington Post. From there, visitors can in turn explore the official homepage of the National Christmas Tree Association or the official homepage of the other major Christmas tree trade group, the American Christmas Tree Association.
Below are the copyright statements to be included when reproducing annotations from The Scout Report.
The single phrase below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing any portion of this report, in any format:
From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout 1994-2013. https://www.scout.wisc.edu/
The paragraph below is the copyright notice to be used when reproducing the entire report, in any format:
Copyright © 2013 Internet Scout Research Group - http://scout.wisc.edu
The Internet Scout Research Group, located in the Computer Sciences Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides Internet publications and software to the research and education communities under grants from the National Science Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and other philanthropic organizations. Users may make and distribute verbatim copies of any of Internet Scout's publications or web content, provided this paragraph, including the above copyright notice, is preserved on all copies.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, or the National Science Foundation.
To receive the electronic mail version of the Scout Report each week, subscribe to the scout-report mailing list. This is the only mail you will receive from this list.
To subscribe to the Scout Report, go to
http://archives.internetscout.org/subscribe.
To unsubscribe from the Scout Report, go to
http://archives.internetscout.org/unsubscribe
The Scout Report (ISSN 1092-3861) is published every Friday of the year except the last Friday of December by Internet Scout, located in the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Department of Computer Sciences. Funding sources have included the National Science Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Libraries.
Internet Scout Team | |
---|---|
Max Grinnell | Editor |
Carmen Montopoli | Managing Editor |
Catherine Dixon | Outreach Coordinator |
Edward Almasy | Director |
Rachael Bower | Director |
Kendra Bouda | Metadata and Information Specialist |
Sara Sacks | Internet Cataloger |
Jaclyn Lang | Internet Cataloger |
Tim Baumgard | Web Developer |
Corey Halpin | Web Developer |
Kyle Piefer | Web Developer |
Zev Weiss | Technical Specialist |
Tyler Stank | Technical Specialist |
Debra Shapiro | Contributor |
Avery Redlitz | Administrative Assistant |
Chris Wirz | Administrative Assistant |
For information on additional contributors, see the Internet Scout staff page.