Science Surfing

  1. Physics

    Powers of Ten

    Florida State University’s “Molecular Expressions” Web site offers a fascinating sequence of images, each one 10 times bigger or smaller in scale than the one preceding or following it. The journey ranges from a view of the universe 10 million light years away from the Milky Way to an impressionistic glimpse of a diminutive sea […]

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  2. Classic Body

    As part of an effort to put great works of fiction and nonfiction on the Web, Bartleby.com now presents the classic medical textbook Henry Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body in all its searchable glory. The electronic version of the 1918 edition features 1,247vibrant engravings, many in color, as well as a subject index with […]

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  3. Tech

    Super Truck

    Even James Bond might take notice. The SmarTruck, developed for the U.S. Army by the National Automotive Center and the Integrated Concepts and Research Corporation, serves as a vehicle for testing cutting-edge technologies. The current model incorporates a sophisticated information system, an adjustable air suspension system for varied terrain, and a slanted body style that […]

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  4. Earth

    Earth Art

    Brilliant, colorful patches of Earth, as seen in photographs snapped by the Landsat-7 satellite, can look like the work of abstract artists. A number of these beautiful, high-resolution images have now been assembled into an online gallery depicting “Our Earth as Art.” Go to: http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Herbal Activity

    The Alternative Medicine Foundation offers a searchable database that provides scientific and general information about the biochemical activity of a variety of herbs, from Achillea (Yarrow) to Ziziphus (Jujube). The entry for each herb includes warnings about dangers to human health and links to relevant abstracts in the scientific literature. Go to: http://www.herbmed.org

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  6. Humans

    World Development News

    SciDev.Net offers news, opinion, and information about science and technology, particularly those aspects that affect developing countries around the world. The Web site maintains extensive “dossiers” on such topics as research ethics, climate change, indigenous knowledge, genetically modified crops, and intellectual property, with more to come. Go to: http://www.scidev.net/

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  7. Health & Medicine

    Snow and Cholera

    Most people have heard of cholera, but few know anything about John Snow, the British doctor who determined how the disease is spread. Epidemiologist Ralph R. Frerichs of the University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health has created a Web site devoted to Snow’s life and accomplishments, including such items as the full […]

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  8. Health & Medicine

    Health on the Net

    Assembled by the Health on the Net Foundation in Switzerland, this Web site posts an array of advice on health problems, offers lists of scientific meetings, and reports results from new biomedical studies. Particularly useful is its library of biomedical terms, which includes an allergy glossary designed to help people decipher the immune system. To […]

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  9. Wonderful World of Color

    What causes color? This nicely illustrated Web site offers vivid explanations of the different ways in which color arises when light interacts with matter. Go to: http://webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/

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  10. Humans

    Einstein’s Vision

    Accompanying the Einstein exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, this Web site offers a captivating portrait of the most famous scientist of the 20th century. Several online essays probe Albert Einstein’s theories, providing insights into light, time, energy, and gravity. Others explore aspects of his life and times. Go to: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/

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  11. Humans

    Einstein’s Vision

    Accompanying the Einstein exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, this Web site offers a captivating portrait of the most famous scientist of the 20th century. Several online essays probe Albert Einstein’s theories, providing insights into light, time, energy, and gravity. Others explore aspects of his life and times. Go to: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/

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  12. Earth

    Disaster Pix

    If you’re one of those people who need to see the extent of intense weather events and great natural disasters–preferably as they are developing–this Web site is for you. Satellite images, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Operational Significant Event Imagery division, portray hurricanes, dust storms, snowfall, forest fires, volcanic plumes, and much […]

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