Category Archives: Science education

Virtual Fly Brain

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Rating: Very Good

Strong Points: Easy to use, tutorials and demonstration videos are available

Weak Points: The new version of the website is still in beta testing

www.virtualflybrain.org

The common fruit fly, Drosophila melan­ogaster, is an important model organism, particularly in neuroscience research. The Virtual Fly Brain is an excellent resource for researchers who need to closely ex­amine the fly’s neuroanatomy. Users can select an area from an image of an adult fly brain to discover more information about it, including a detailed description of the area, any synonyms used to describe it, and links to references. There is also a search feature for users who know the name of their brain region of interest but not its location. Additionally, image and template data are available for download. The current website only includes information for the adult fly brain, but an updated version including larval information is currently in testing and available for users to peruse. The Virtual Fly Brain is an excellent resource for neuroscientists using Drosophila to interrogate the structure and function of the brain.

Source: GenEngNews, Jan. 2019, vol. 39 (1)  “Best of the Web”

NOAA Says The Polar Freezer is In Defrost Mode

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Report Card Highlights from NOAA

Surface air temperatures in the Arctic continued to warm at twice the rate relative to the rest of the globe. Arctic air temperatures for the past five years (2014-18) have exceeded all previous records since 1900.

Source: Dan’s Wild Wild Science Journal Dec. 20, 2018.  More data, graphs photos, text here:

NOAA’s Says The Polar Freezer is In Defrost Mode

 

 

 

 

 

CRISPR — HOW IT WORKS, an animation from HHMI

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Summary

Explore this dynamic interactive to learn the basic principles of how this revolutionary tool works and the many ways in which scientists are using it in their research.

Start Click & Learn

Since it was first described in 2012, CRISPR-Cas9 (often shortened to “CRISPR”) has generated much interest both for its exciting potential for treating genetic disease and potential ethical and safety concerns, such as by creating “designer babies” or “superhumans.” So far, CRISPR-based technologies are having the biggest impact in research laboratories where they are applied to a broad range of biological studies. These technologies are relatively cheap, easy to use, and allow researchers to ask new questions and get results faster than previously possible.

The CRISPR-Cas9: Mechanism & Applications interactive allows students to explore and learn about a biotechnology tool that is at the forefront of scientific research and hear directly from leading researchers about how they use CRISPR. It consists of a self-paced interactive animation and a series of short videos of different scientists who are using CRISPR-Cas9 technologies for basic research, medical, and agricultural applications.

In addition to the interactive, we’ve compiled a set of images, animations, and GIFs for use on social media, in the classroom, and for presentations to the public. Please credit HHMI BioInteractive when you use them.

Source: The BioInteractive Team <biointeractive@hhmi.org>

Human Anatomy Atlas 2018

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URL:http://apple.co/2De3BmW
  • Excellent (4 stars)
  • Great design and user interface (Strong points)
  • None (Weak points)
Platform: iPhone/iPad/Android (2017 version available)  
Cost:Free

“Human Anatomy Atlas 2018 is an excellent app that brings human anatomy to life. The app has beautifully rendered 3D images of the major anatomical systems that can be explored and dissected from the interface. However, the really interesting part of the app comes with the Augmented Reality feature. By allowing the app to use your phone’s camera, it finds a surface in your environment and places the anatomical model there, giving the impression that it is right in the room with you. This feature also allows the user to “dissect” the anatomical model, making this an incredibly useful accompaniment for anyone studying human anatomy. Human Anatomy Atlas 2018 is an incredibly designed and executed app that is not only informative but fascinating and fun to use, without the formaldehyde smell that typically permeates such an in-depth look at human anatomy.”

https://www.genengnews.com/best-science-apps/human-anatomy-atlas-2018/448

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News,  January 01, 2018 (Vol. 38, No. 1)

Best Science Apps

BioSciEdNet — the BEN Portal, catalyst for teaching & learning in the biosciences

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“
BEN Portal: BioSciEdNet Science
www.biosciednet.org/portal
Originally featured in the 01-18-2013 Scout Report, we’ve decided to re-feature the BEN Portal: a project of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). For almost two decades the BEN Portal, which stands for BiosciEdNet, has sought to provide “seamless access to e-resources, but to also serve as a catalyst for strengthening teaching and learning in the biological sciences.” Today, the BEN Portal (which has also been affiliated with the National Science Digital Library since 2005) features publications from over thirty organizations, including the AAAS, the American Physiological Society, the Biotechnology Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and much more. Visitors are invited to conduct a text search in this collection or browse materials by subject. In addition, educators can browse teaching strategies by classroom level (K-12 educators; college faculty). The BEN Portal features both free resources and resources that require a subscription: users have the option to limit search results to free resources. [MMB]

Source:  Scout Report, Dec. 1, 2017 (direct quote)

Come hear about IOP Concise Physics e-books — Lewis 225 Friday noon

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On behalf of Morgan & Claypool Publishers, we would like to invite you to please join us

for a publishing presentation featuring the IOP Concise Physics e-Book collection.

Friday, October 13th at 12:15 PM

Lunch to Follow

Lewis Library (Room 225)

Joel Claypool (Vice President & Publisher) and Susanne Filler (Executive Editor) will:

  • Present the current state of the print and digital publishing industry
  • Demonstrate the industry-leading multimedia capabilities of the award-winning collection published in partnership with the Institute of Physics (IOP)
  • Discuss the publishing process from the initial proposal stage through to final publication

In 2014, Morgan & Claypool Publishers partnered with the Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP) to establish the IOP Concise Physics series, which is an award-winning collection of e-books written for students, teachers, and researchers. The IOP digital library has a growing worldwide dissemination via IOP’s large network of libraries and consortia, with over 600 institutions having unlimited access including Princeton University via:

https://pulsearch.princeton.edu/catalog?q1=IOP+concise+physics.&f1=in_series&search_field=advanced

The books within this series are intended to be shorter works (approximately 60-150 pages) with rapid publication timeframes.  Highlights include:

  • Full color in the print and e-book formats available for multiple e-reader devices
  • Multimedia capabilities such as unlimited videos and animations and no DRM
  • 115 published books with 250-plus manuscripts currently in development on emerging topics, cutting edge research, and innovative teaching methods

The IOP Concise Physics collection is actively seeking new book projects, and Joel Claypool and Susanne Filler would be happy to discuss this opportunity with you as well as elaborate on the expedited publishing process and streamlined workflow from the initial proposal stage through to final publication

For additional information about IOP Concise Physics, please visit

morganclaypoolpublishers.com/iop  /  iopscience.org

For additional books by Morgan & Claypool, please visit: http://library.princeton.edu/resource/4329

Please contact Susanne Filler at filler@morganclaypool.com / 908-630-7188 with any questions.

Encyclopedia of Life — now 10 years old!

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STS Science Resources

The Encyclopedia of Life is 10 years old!  It is freely available on the web.  From their statistics, as of May 11, 2017, they have 5.5 million pages.  Responsibilities are shared by interested groups and individuals.  “The founding partners of the project include the Field Museum of Natural History, Harvard University, the Marine Biological Laboratory, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Biodiversity Heritage Library.  The Missouri Botanical Garden later joined, and negotiations are ongoing with the Atlas of Living Australia.  Other partners are the American Museum of Natural History (New York), Natural History Museum (London), New York Botanical Garden, and the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew).”

 From https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Scientists_to_bring_all_species_together_in_Encyclopedia_of_Life

There is also a Wikipedia article about the EOL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclopedia_of_Life

Efforts began with plants, animals and fungi.  It appears now that microorganisms have been added, as they’d hoped.  If one searches for tuberculosis, there are many hits,  but many are not very productive.  Searching on the Genus is the key – Mycobacterium.   The site provides the NCBI ( National Center for Biotechnology Information) taxonomy for these organisms.  There are many  entries on Staphylococcus species.  Not all hits will be productive, and they urge inquirers to request information.

There are tabs for:  Overview, Detail, Data, Media (including some videos), Maps, Names, Communities (which include related EOL groups, e.g. “Birds of America”), Collections (on-line databases), Resources, Literature and Updates.  These headings also serve as filters or limits.

I tried cardinal, but Cardinalis cardinalis — the scientific name, Genus and species — works  best, if you are looking for our most common red bird.

There are data which indicate species to species interactions, from this site:  http://www.globalbioticinteractions.org/  There are many links to many collections.

I looked up cedar and from starting to browse through <6400 entries, I soon (within the first page of 25) came upon Cedrus libani, and found much information, including a video about the restoration of the “Cedars of Lebanon”.   The page steers one to many “traits” including the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) status, which is “vulnerable” for this tree:   Its populations are declining.   Searching can be a bit tricky.  Scientific name works best.

 

UK Medical Heritage Library

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UK” The UK Medical Heritage Library now available online for free – 10 May 2017

A £1m project to digitise more than 15 million pages of 19th century medical texts has been completed and the material is now available online for free. It has taken three years to convert these historic published works for use in the 21st century by learners, teachers and researchers.

Covering much more than just medical sciences, this enormous library of text and images encompasses consumer health, sport and fitness, diet and nutrition, along with some weird and wonderful historical medical practices such as phrenology and hydrotherapy.

The project was jointly funded by education technology solutions not-for-profit, Jisc, and Wellcome Library, which contributed its entire 19th century collection, along with content from nine partner institutions: Royal College of Physicians of London, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, Royal College of Surgeons of England, University College London, University of Leeds, University of Glasgow, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, King’s College London and the University of Bristol. As a collective, this will make a valuable resource for the exploration of medical humanities.

The aim has been to create a comprehensive online resource for the history of medicine and related sciences, which significantly increases the availability of digitised text for teaching, learning and research.

The collection, called the UK Medical Heritage Library, is completely open and can now be accessed for free via Jisc’s Historical Texts resource or via the Wellcome Library’s website.

Brought to you by Scope e-Knowledge Center, a world-leading provider of Abstracting & Indexing (A&I) Services, Knowledge Modeling Services (Taxonomies, Thesauri and Ontologies), Metadata Enrichment & Entity Extraction Services.”

Click here

Source:  Knowledgespeak Newsletter

PBS: Crash Course Astronomy Videos

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PBS: Crash Course Astronomy Videos  
www.pbs.org/show/crash-course-astronomy/episodes
“Crash Course Astronomy is a 46-episode PBS series that educates the public about all things astronomy. Each episode is approximately ten minutes in length and covers topics ranging from Moon Phases to Black Holes to Gamma Ray Bursts. Written and hosted by astronomer and blogger Phil Plait, Crash Course Astronomy features clear, accessible explanations of astronomical phenomena accompanied by engaging (and helpful) images, videos, and animations. Episodes can be enjoyed individually – although many reference previous episodes, which may inspire viewers to explore the series chronologically. Crash Course Astronomy is a great resource to include in any science classroom, and may broadly appeal to anyone looking to make sense of astronomy-related news stories, whether they cover exoplanets or eclipses. [MMB] ” The Scout Report Dec. 9, 2016.astronomy-videos

Earth Primer (fun) and Map of Life (for citizen science)

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Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2016 | American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
Earth Primer by Chaim Gingold

Level: Elementary and Middle School
Platform: iOS money icon

Website external link icon

Earth Primer is a cross between an intro to earth science textbook and an interactive sandbox game. This creative application allows students to play with the powerful concepts that make up the physical aspects of our planet. Manipulate glaciers, volcanoes, biomes, weather systems, and more and experience how all of these structures combine to affect the makeup of our awesome planet.

Tip: Use Earth Primer to reinforce content in an earth science class.

app icon

Map of Life by Map of Life

Level: Middle School, High School
Platform: iOS | Android

Website external link icon

Map of Life is a field guide applicable to anywhere in the world. Search species by category and/or location, and contribute to the map by recording your sightings in your location. Several categories of species are represented, such as trees, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Choose a type of species and view images, read about characteristics and habitat, and view a map showing range. Helps with conservation efforts worldwide!

Tip: Great application for classes using GIS data. Use Map of Life on science field trips to report wildlife and to identify plants and animals.