ScienceMaster - December 2001 Newsletter

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Happy Holidays
I had a friend who had a monthly print newsletter that came out every month. And every month he started off by saying how quickly the year was passing, how, gee, summer is already here, and wow, it's Thanksgiving again. I always felt, doesn't he have anything else to say? Well the first thing I thought of when I sat down to write this intro today, was, you guessed it, gee, it's already the holidays, it's early afternoon and it's already dark out, boy the year sure has flown by. I guess that's why he did it each month. I promise not to start off each month this way, but it's actually a good lead in to the Official United States Time and time zones, (see below)

Oh, and have a happy holidays too!

Enrico Fermi Biography and new JumpStart pages on the Science of Space and Time (6 part series)
Enrico Fermi was one of the most important scientists of the last century. Learn about one of the fathers of the physics age. His greatest discoveries took place at one of the most exciting times for physics, when quantum physics was stunning scientists from around the world. After you learn about this giant of science, turn your attention to the Science of Space and Time, based on information from the Fermi Lab where quantum physics study is going strong. --> http://www.ScienceMaster.com/jump/index_jump_physical.php

Help Us Be The Best
Did you know that ScienceMaster is supported by the voluntary contributions of parents, teachers and students like you? Please help us to build the best science resource on the Internet. We've made it easy, by joining Amazon.com's Honor System. Want to help? Just follow the link to our own page on Amazon.com, to learn how. --> http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/pay/T1047U3TYFJHJZ/102-0328687-6143345

Amazing GRACE

If only Sir Isaac Newton were alive today! The mastermind of humanity's first scientific theory of gravity would surely be amazed by NASA's upcoming Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment. Back in Newton's day, most scientists figured Earth's gravity was constant everywhere. After all, world travelers weighed about the same no matter where they went. And apples seemed to fall at the same rate all over our planet.

Now we know better. Our planet is lumpy and so is its gravitational field. The variations are very slight, much less than 1 percent. Nevertheless, they are important. Check out our feature on GRACE and its implications for scientific discovery --> http://www.ScienceMaster.com/space/item/grace.php

Resources For Research and Learning
This month we want to let you know about some great all-around sites for research, learning, homework and projects. These are sites worth bookmarking. You'll refer back to them often if our writers are any indication.

Discovery Kids
Brought to you by the Discovery Channel, this site will appeal to any inquisitive mind. It's chock full of projects, stories, articles about, well, everything. Take a look at the Automatic Adventure Personality Profile, where you can personalize Discovery Kids just the way you like it. Whew, we had fun here. http://www.discoverykids.com

Britannica.com
Now that encyclopedia salesman have gone the way of the black and white TV where are you going to find the Encyclopedia Britannica, that mainstay of everybody's home library? Well, look no further than the Internet and free to boot, along with articles from top publications and links to tens of thousands of web sites. This site is an incredible research tool. So take a look. http://www.britannica.com

LibrarySpot
LibrarySpot is great start page that organizes and lists hundreds of the best resource and research sites on the net. Many are arranged into top 100 categories. Definitely a cool place to start. http://www.libraryspot.com

The Nobel Organization
One of the most prestigious awards for a scientist, as well as other notable contributors is the Nobel Prize. Established in 1900 it controls the estate of Alfred Nobel. Their web site which we discovered recently has previous on most of the scientists who have won prizes. Here then is a wonderful resource tool for science projects. Find your favorite prize winner and read about their work and their lives. http://www.nobel.se/about/index.html

Sunspots Exposed

Using techniques similar to medical ultrasound diagnostics, scientists have peered inside the Sun and discovered what lies beneath sunspots, planet-sized dark areas on the surface of our star. Sunspots are surprisingly shallow, say researchers, and they lie on top of swirling hurricanes of electrified gas big enough to swallow the planet Earth. Sunspots have fascinated people since the early 1600's when Galileo's observations of them contradicted the common belief that heavenly objects like the Sun were flawless. Sunspots have remained a mystery for nearly 400 years. At first glance, it seems they should rapidly disappear. Instead, they persist for weeks or more.

[Full Story] * Image courtesy NASA

Who regulates time zones?

Time zones were originally the responsibility of the Interstate Commerce Commission; the need for these came about from the use of railroads to transport interstate commerce. The four time zones (Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific) were established on November 18, 1883. In 1967, a congressional act transferred the duties of the Interstate Commerce Commission to the DOT.

In addition, DOT (and not NIST) is also responsible for the rules governing Daylight Saving Time.

Want to check out the latest time and view where the sun is right now? The Official United States Time --> [Full Story]

All About Snow
All About Snow, from the National Snow and Ice Data Center brings you, well, everything about snow.

If you want to know why snow is white, or why forecasting snow can be so difficult, visit their Q&A section. The Facts section brings together interesting facts and bits of information. The Glossary contains terminology and weather terms related to snow. Learn the difference between a blizzard and a squall, or find out what graupel is. NSIDC's Snow Gallery contains some historic photos of blizzards and snow from the National Weather Service. [Full Story]

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) is part of the University of Colorado Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, and is affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Geophysical Data Center through a cooperative agreement. * Image courtesy NSIDC

Quote of the Month
"We have no right to assume that any physical laws exist, or if they have existed up until now, that they will continue to exist in a similar manner in the future. "
Max Planck (1858-1947) Physicist

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