Science Surfing

Physics

Shadows of Reality

If you’re curious about different ways of viewing the fourth dimension, this Web site provides some intriguing glimpses of this strange realm. The site was created by New York artist Tony Robbin in advance of the publication of his book, Shadows of Reality, on the fourth dimension in relativity, cubism, and modern thought. The site […]

Math

Pentomino Pursuits

Pentominoes are flat shapes, or tiles, formed by joining together five unit squares. There are 12 different pentominoes. This set of simple geometrical objects has inspired a variety of puzzles and games, including the addictive pastime known as Tetris. The pentomino Web site, created by students of Belgian math teacher Odette De Meulemeester, provides all […]

Astronomy

Moon Zoom

Imagine riding a magic carpet around the moon and being able to zoom down to any point or appear magically at any location. NASA has developed software that allows you to interactively browse three-dimensional images of the moon, based on data obtained by the Clementine spacecraft. These Web pages provide information about downloading the software, […]

Health & Medicine

About Sinuses

This Web site from Dr. Wellington S. Tichenor examines the symptoms and treatment of sinusitis and other sinus diseases, as well as the interrelated problems of allergy and asthma. The site defines sinusitis and provides information on treatment regimens, fungal sinusitis, surgery, sinusitis in children, and more. Go to: http://www.sinuses.com/

Astronomy

Spooky Sounds of Saturn

For Hallowe’en, tune in to eerie, bizarre sounds from the Saturnian system. These NASA Jet Propulsion Lab Web pages provide sound files based on magnetometer data from Cassini spacecraft observations of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, radar echoes from Titan’s surface, Saturn’s radio emissions, and more. Go to: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/sounds/

Humans

Misleading Numbers

The “Number Watch” Web site focuses on “misleading” numbers that appear in the media and are often used to promote specific causes, as compiled by retired engineering professor John Brignell of the University of Southampton. Brignell also offers online resources on statistics and statistics education. The FAQ section includes answers to such questions as “Is […]

Earth

Iceberg Thrills

The Ocean World Web site offers lessons devoted to icebergs, accompanied by dramatic images. Students can learn about the different colors of icebergs, their classification, and their life cycle. The Web site also presents the dangers that icebergs pose to people as well as their potential benefits to desert dwellers. It includes a glossary and […]

Humans

Science Cinema

The Museum of the Moving Image has launched a Web site that features short films, interviews, and articles devoted to science and technology in movies. It includes streaming video of award-winning student films, a discussion of the time-travel, science-fiction movie “Primer,” and articles about the movie “Kinsey” and the controversy over an “intelligent design” film. […]

Math

Math Music

Curious about the sounds of pi, the music of Fibonacci numbers, the blare of chaos, or the chimes of a DNA sequence? This interactive Web site, developed by Jonathan Middleton and his team at Eastern Washington University, provides a variety of tools for composing music based on mathematical recipes that convert sequences of numbers into […]