ScienceMaster - October 2001 Newsletter

WEB SITE NEWS

9-11
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the terrorist attacks on the United States. The world has indeed changed since our newsletter of last month, which now seems long ago. If you would like to help visit --> Help New York Now, a resource guide to help the City rebuild, including the orphaned children and Auction For America at eBay.com.

Though no one can ever know what leads people to violence and hostility, one thing is certain; educating young people and teaching them to think for themselves is key. There are many sides to every argument, but equipped with an educated mind, one can discard the weaker arguments and focus on ideas worthy of consideration.

Columns
The New York Institute of Photography makes a splash this month with tips on Underwater Photography. Get the best science pictures using the right techniques. -->
http://www.ScienceMaster.com/columns/columns.php

Learning Galleries
Our favorite artist Joe Tuccirone is back with a new 'Space Art Gallery' with some amazing artwork of galaxies, planets and more. Learning Galleries -->
http://www.monkeytime.com/sciencemaster/galleries/galleries.php
Amazing Coral Reefs
Coral reefs and associated seagrass and mangrove communities are among the most biologically complex and diverse ecosystems on Earth. They provide habitat to one-third of all marine fish species, build tropical islands, protect coasts from waves and storms, contain an array of potential pharmaceuticals, and support tourism and fishing industries worth billions of dollars. Coral reefs are also fundamental to the fabric of local communities, providing a source of food, materials, and traditional activities. But they are in danger. Learn more, turn to ScienceMaster Jumpstart pages -->
http://www.ScienceMaster.com/jump/life/reefs.php

SCIENCE NEWS AND LINKS

Understanding Biological and Chemical Weapons
The news is full of scary scenarios of biological and chemical weapons potentially being used by terrorists. The real facts will not eliminate the threat, but will certainly put it in a much more realistic context especially for young students. Here are some web sites and our book pick to help set the records straight.

To view fact sheets on Anthrax, Botulinum, Toxin, Plague, Smallpox and Tularemia visit Johns Hopkins University's Schools of Medicine and Public Health's web page -->
http://www.hopkins-biodefense.org/

Chemical and Biological Weapons in Our Times (Single Title: Social Studies: Current Events)
by Herbert M. Levine

"This is a balanced exploration of the subject, combining science, history, and philosophical commentary to provide an interesting, informative look at a multifaceted issue."
Reading level: Young Adult Grades 8-12
School & Library Binding - 127 pages (September 2000) Buy It Now.

CAMEX's Top Guns
Flying into the largest storms on Earth is all in a day's work for pilots on a NASA mission to explore hurricanes. It's a rather daunting job description: "Multi-engine aircraft pilot, substantial experience required, must be willing to fly into hurricanes." But some pilots with NASA's Convection And Moisture Experiment (CAMEX-4) do exactly that. With eyes wide open they deliberately fly over, around, and even into the biggest storms on Earth. These unusual aviators endure the dangers of flying through hurricanes in the hope that scientific data they collect will improve hurricane modeling and prediction, which in turn might help save property and lives.

Chandra Sheds Light on Galaxy M87's X-ray Jet

NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory has given astronomers their most detailed look at the X-ray jet blasting out of the nucleus of M87, a giant elliptical galaxy 50 million light years away in the constellation Virgo. The X-ray image of the jet reveals an irregular, knotty structure similar to that detected by radio telescopes and the Hubble Space Telescope. At the extreme left of the image, the bright galactic nucleus harboring a supermassive black hole shines. The jet is thought to be produced by strong electromagnetic forces created by matter swirling toward the supermassive black hole.

Brain Scan Patterns Identify Objects Being Viewed
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) scientists have shown that they can tell what kind of object a person is looking at — a face, a house, a shoe, a chair — by the pattern of brain activity it evokes. These landscapes of strong, intermediate and weak responses, in a visual processing area on the bottom surface of the brain, are different for each category of objects. The patterns may provide a key to deciphering the brain's code for recognizing objects and faces, say the researchers. James Haxby, Ph.D., NIMH Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, and colleagues, report on their functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in the September 28, 2001 Science. [Full Story]

Animal Diversity Website Amazing Face

We here much about diversity. Well here's a web site about real diversity, the kind that exists in the animal kingdom. This site, by the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology is an "online database of animal natural history, distribution, classification, and conservation biology."

The site is extensive, with thousands of species catalogued with text, pictures, photos , animation and sound. Many of the images come from some of the best animal photography collections. They site is also hyperlinked to allow easy travel through the site.

Visit the Animal Diversity Website -->
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/index.html

Leonardo da Vinci and the National Museum in Milan
You've got to be good to bill yourself as one of the most important technical and scientific museums in the world. If we base our opinion on their web site, we will have to agree. The "Leonardo da Vinci" National Museum of Science and Technology in Milan has created a beautiful and informative site. Learn about the scientists of the Renaissance and the genius of Leonardo da Vinci, as well as models of Leonardo's machines. [Versions in English, French and Italian]

Quote of the Month
"Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition."
Adam Smith - Scottish economist.

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