Science Surfing
- Humans
Engineer Girl
Presented by the National Academy of Engineering, this attractive Web site aims to encourage girls to consider engineering as a career. Site material provides a picture of what engineering is and why it is important. It includes profiles of women engineers in various roles and other career information. Go to: http://www.engineergirl.org/nae/cwe/egmain.nsf/?Opendatabase
- Computing
Computer Game Art and History
Curious about early video games or recent developments in game technology? This Web site accompanies the “Game On” exhibition, developed by the Barbicon Gallery and the National Museums of Scotland. An exhibition guide briefly explains what the various displays include. The education section offers tips for creating a video game as a classroom project. The […]
- Astronomy
Storms from the Sun
Interested in space weather and the effect of solar storms on Earth? The National Academies Press Web site offers the full text of the fascinating book Storms from the Sun: The Emerging Science of Space Weather, written by Michael J. Carlowicz and Ramon E. Lopez. Learn more about bizarre events on Earth caused by solar […]
- Earth
National Atlas
Provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, this Web site features an interactive map generator that allows users to view and download custom maps of the United States. The maps access a database that includes information about the nation’s agriculture, biological resources, climate, environment, geology, history, transportation, watersheds, population distribution, county boundaries, and other […]
- Astronomy
Strange Matter
What’s materials science? This engaging Web site for kids of all ages introduces “the study of stuff.” It describes how materials fit into different categories and provides accounts of what materials scientists do. Games and activities require a browser with a Flash plug-in. Go to: http://www.strangematterexhibit.com/
- Health & Medicine
Prostate Health
Many men over age 50 rarely sleep through the night. Instead, they find themselves awake and needing to urinate when, as younger men, this rarely happened. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases offers an excellent resource on the most common cause of frequent and urgent urination in men–benign prostatic hyperplasia, or […]
- Earth
Meteorite Crater
The Barringer Crater in Arizona is one of the more famous geological sites on Earth. This Web site recounts the history and science of the crater’s formation 50,000 years ago and provides information about its discovery, its purchase by D.M. Barringer, and its current status. Go to: http://www.barringercrater.com/
- Earth
Rocks for Kids
Can’t tell pyrite from magnetite? Looking for an entertaining, colorful introduction to rocks and minerals? The Mineralogical Society of America has created a Web site, aimed at kids, that provides information about minerals and their classification, properties, and uses. It includes a selection of games with a mineral theme. Go to: http://www.minsocam.org/MSA/K12/K_12.html
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Firefly Alight
The Firefly Files Web site is dedicated to “the sparks of bioluminescent light that inspire awe and wonder around the earth.” Developed by the Museum of Biological Diversity at Ohio State University, this site provides a variety of information about fireflies, from where they live to how they glow. Go to: http://iris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/projects/FFiles/top.html
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Different Views of Molecules
Interested in viewing molecular structures from different angles? Part of a Web site devoted to crystallography research, these pages provide colorful, interactive images of common, biologically important molecules, including amino acids, hormones, and nucleosides. Users can view and rotate a three-dimensional image of each molecule and obtain such information as its chemical formula. Requires a […]
- Humans
Ring World
Ever wonder what it might be like to live on a doughnut-shaped world? NASA has created a Web page that gives you a sense of what life would be like in a ringlike structure out in space, where there is no gravity except the centrifugal force generated by the structure’s spin. Simulation requires a Java-enabled […]
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Amphibian Atlas
Looking for a Montana tailed frog outside Montana or wondering in which state you might find a desert slender salamander? The U.S. Geological Survey has a Web site that identifies the places where different types of amphibians dwell across the United States. Click on any one of the 280 or so species of amphibians currently […]
