Produced by the National Academy of Sciences, Beyond Discovery is a periodic series (4-6 times per year) of case studies written by science writers in collaboration with "prominent scientists who have been directly involved with the discoveries being described." Each case study involves recent technological and medical advances, and highlights the role played by basic science. Articles are...
An extraordinary discovery of a previously unknown conifer genus and species has recently been made in northern Vietnam by an international team of botanists. This is the first new conifer genus discovered since 1994. This site is a press release from the National Science Foundation that describes the research and the importance of the discovery.
Utilizing a method described by Pliny the Elder (the first encyclopaedist), chemists from Tuebingen University and the Doerner-Institut have tracked the preservative used in the mummification process to an extract of the cedar tree. For many years, many Egyptologists believed that the embalming oil was extracted from juniper rather than cedar. Through their experiments, the team of scientists...
Many a great invention has come out of MIT, and it's nice to know that their OpenCourseWare initiative provides materials from a class titled "Development of Inventions and Creative Ideas" taught by Professor Robert Rines and Dr. Dedric Carter. The course "examines the role of the engineer as patent expert and as technical witness in court and patent interference and related proceedings." That's...
This site from the National Science Foundation (NSF) features the discoveries and advances of researchers who have put their NSF funding to good use. Start by reading the article feed that updates several times a week with profiles about investigators and their projects. Or browse by Research Area - Arctic & Antarctic, Astronomy & Space, Biology, and almost a dozen others - for more targeted...
This new site from the National Library of Medicine (NLM) will focus on the major scientific achievements of this century and the people behind them by making archival collections of prominent biomedical scientists publicly available. The site will feature collections donated to the NLM which contain published and unpublished materials, including books, journal volumes, pamphlets, diaries,...
Chicago-based Project Exploration "is the living classroom that involves students and the public in scientific discovery, by connecting kids and families to interactive exhibits, labs, unique science programs and real scientists." Project Exploration focuses on reaching city kids, but every kid (and teachers) should check out this wonderful Web site. Visitors will find tons of activities and...
Working as part of a joint expedition, scientists from India and the United States (including the well-known paleontologist Paul Sereno from the University of Chicago) announced this Wednesday that they discovered a new carnivorous dinosaur species in the Narmada River region in western India. Based on the bones located by the team, this newly discovered species of dinosaur was between 25-30 feet...
_Encyclopedia Britannica_ has opened its vast archives of Nobel Prize related material in this web special, designed to coincide with the upcoming 1997 awards. The site is highlighted by biographies of every individual and institution that has ever been awarded the prize. In all, there are over 1,000 articles from the encyclopedia, along with 450 multi-media offerings (images, audio and video)....
To celebrate J.J. Thomson's discovery of the electron in 1897, the American Institute of Physics (discussed in the February 7, 1997 Scout Report) offers an online centennial exhibit. The AIP site concentrates more on the discovery process itself, tracing it back to the 1850s, recounting the 1897 experiments, the response to them, and their ultimate legacy.