Science Surfing
- Ecosystems
Bee All
With continuing concerns about the decline of honeybees in North America—and especially the newly recognized Colony Collapse Disorder—here’s a site to learn more about the important role these and other bees play in plant health and agriculture. This academic site links to plenty of related places on the Web that also address threats to not […]
- Health & Medicine
Phytochemical Beauty
Our Food For Thought column recently published two offerings on health-related findings about genistein, a soybean constituent. Ever wonder what that chemical looks like? Or how about capsaicin—the spicy agent in hot chilies being explored as a painkiller, lycopene—the red pigment in watermelons that may protect our skin against harmful ultraviolet rays, or sulforaphane—a trace […]
- Astronomy
Help Spot Galaxies
Although computer programs can be written to sort galaxies into general categories, they would inevitably throw out the unusual, the weird and the wonderful, astronomers say. Because the human brain is much better at recognizing patterns, astronomers launched a site this week recruiting the public to help identify spiral galaxies on sky photos. Instructions are […]
- Ecosystems
Sawfish Central
Sawfish will soon be getting United Nations protection from exploitation. Right now, the only U.S. state where these ancient fish can generally be found—and then, only rarely—is Florida. Here’s a site to view the fish, a member of the shark family, and link to research aimed at rescuing populations of its seven beleaguered species worldwide. […]
- Humans
Bad Science
Ben Goldacre, M.D., a columnist for the British newspaper The Guardian, looks at science and medicine through a skeptical lens in this popular blog. Go to: http://www.badscience.net
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We’re Only Human . . .
Former Science News writer Wray Herbert blogs about human behavior for the Association for Psychological Science. Go to: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/onlyhuman/
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The Green Guide
National Geographic’s Green Guide offers objective information and practical advice to consumers on how to lead a greener life. Go to: http://www.thegreenguide.com
- Humans
Scitopia.org
This new site is a search portal to the digital libraries of leading science and technology societies. Enter a term into its search engine to find authoritative research, patents, and government documents. Go to: http://www.scitopia.org
- Earth
NOAA’s Virtual World
Players of the virtual reality game Second Life can now soar through a virtual hurricane, experience rising through the atmosphere atop a weather balloon, and more at the National Atmospheric Administration’s new site. Go to: http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/outreach/sl/
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Earth Portal
This Web site, created by the National Council for Science and the Environment, is a comprehensive, free, and dynamic resource for timely, objective, science-based information about the environment built by a global community of environmental experts. It features news, a forum, the Encyclopedia of Earth, and more. Go to: http://www.earthportal.org
- Health & Medicine
Cancer Risk—Understanding the Puzzle
The news is filled with stories about cancer risk. Some of the information can be confusing and contradictory. How do you know what to believe? This new Web site from the National Cancer Institute cuts through the hype to help you understand the plain and simple truth about cancer risk. Go to: http://understandingrisk.cancer.gov
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X-treme Microbes
This graphics-heavy online feature tells the stories of microbes that survive and even thrive in inhospitable environments, including bone-dry deserts, boiling acid, and radioactive rock. The National Science Foundation launched the site last month. Go to: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/microbes
