- Interactives . The Rock Cycle . Introduction
- "Rock Cycle is an interactive Web site where students can learn all about rocks and geology, the science of rocks. They will learn how rocks can be identified, how they are formed, and how they change over time. Students will identify the three major kinds of rocks and learn how to tell them apart. They will also discover how the different types of rocks are formed. Despite what students might assume, rocks actually change over time. Students will learn what kind of changes can happen to rocks, and about the processes that cause these changes. Putting all this knowledge together, students will understand that the rock cycle — a continuous pattern of change — helps explain what happens over and over again to the rocks in our earth." (Subject(s): )
 Lauren R. Donaldson Collection
- "This collection is a sampling of personal logs, photo albums, ephemera, and papers from the radiological surveys undertaken after atmospheric nuclear weapons testing conducted by the United States in the South Pacific between 1946 and 1964. The radiation research projects were administered by the University of Washington Applied Fisheries Laboratory. The selected material presented here in digital format represents the 1946, 1947, 1949, and 1964 surveys that took place primarily in Bikini and other atolls in the Marshall Islands. Most of the selections consist of scientific documentation. However, some material reflects the scientists' social life on the islands as demonstrated in such publications as the local newsletter "Bikini Backtalk" and leisure activities at the Back'N Atom Bar.... Altogether the Bikini and Eniwetok Atolls were the subject of seven separate series of atmospheric nuclear bomb tests between 1946 and 1958. The efforts of Dr. Donaldson and the Applied Fisheries Laboratory were significant in heralding the growing concern about the cumulative effects of nuclear bomb detonation in the natural environment. The consequences and lessons learned from the nuclear weapons testing in this region, however, are not easy to assess. To this day the people of Bikini remain scattered throughout the Marshall Islands and are still seeking compensation for the use of their lands as "the proving grounds" for atomic testing." This is but one interesting and important Webpage from the University of Washington Libraries' Digital Collection (Subject(s): Radiation)
- Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension)
- "Low blood pressure, also called hypotension, would seem to be something to strive for. After all, high blood pressure (hypertension) is a well-known risk factor for heart disease and other problems. In fact, in recent years there has been an ongoing downward revision of what is considered a normal blood pressure reading. A blood pressure less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) is now considered normal and optimal for good health. So, it's easy to understand why you might assume the lower the better when it comes to blood pressure. And it's true that for some people — those who exercise and are in top physical condition — low blood pressure is a sign of health and fitness. But that's not always the case. For many people, low blood pressure can cause dizziness and fainting or indicate serious heart, endocrine or neurological disorders. Severely low blood pressure can deprive the brain and other vital organs of oxygen and nutrients, leading to a life-threatening condition called shock." Thus begins this article from the Mayo Clinic.com on this compelling and difficult to comprehend condition. (Subject(s): Hypotension)
- California Courts: Courts: Supreme Court: Marriage Cases
- This high profile case is now before the California Supreme Court. It involves the issue of "same-sex" marriage; oral arguments were heard on March 4th. "Petitions for review after the Court of Appeal reversed and affirmed judgments in civil actions. This case includes the following issue: Does California's statutory ban on marriage between two persons of the same sex violate the California Constitution by denying equal protection of the laws on the basis of sexual orientation or sex, by infringing on the fundamental right to marry, or by denying the right to privacy and freedom of expression?" (Subject(s): Law)
 Measuring Worth
- "Intrinsic things are priceless. The love of your life or a beautiful sunset. There is no objective way to measure these, nor should there be. The worth of monetary transactions is also difficult to measure. While there is a price, wage, or other kind of transaction that can be recorded at a precise price, the worth of the amount must be interpreted. The price of a hamburger is probably worth more to a starving homeless person than to a very wealthy one. An allowance of five pennies a week was worth more to a child in 1902 than it is to a child today. It can be more difficult when the question is to determine the "historical" worth of something. The price, even deflated for inflation, is not enough. Was Andrew Carnegie richer than Bill Gates? Did Babe Ruth make more than David Beckham? Was the cost of a loaf of bread more then than now? These questions all depend on the context and the calculators on this web site enable users to make their own comparisons." (Subject(s): )
- Mesoweb
- "Mesoweb is devoted to the ancient cultures of Mexico and adjacent Central America, including the Olmec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Teotihuacan, Toltec, Aztec and Maya (reserving the word Mayan for the language and the word Maya for the people and their culture). This is, of course a huge area for any one website to cover, and so we have chosen to specialize in the Maya and, more particularly, Maya history, viewing it through the lens of archaeology and the related disciplines and the written records left by the Maya themselves. All text at Mesoweb was written, edited or proofread by Joel Skidmore or Marc Zender" (Subject(s): Mayas--Antiquities & Mayas--History)
- Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Pollutants (PPCPs)
- "Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Pollutants (PPCPs) refers, in general, to any product used by individuals for personal health or cosmetic reasons or used by agribusiness to enhance growth or health of livestock. PPCPs comprise a diverse collection of thousands of chemical substances, including prescription and over-the-counter therapeutic drugs, veterinary drugs, fragrances, and cosmetics. Studies have shown that pharmaceuticals are present in our nation's waterbodies. Further research suggests that certain drugs may cause ecological harm.... PPCPs have probably been present in water and the environment for as long as humans have been using them. The drugs that we take are not entirely absorbed by our bodies, and are excreted and passed into wastewater and surface water. With advances in technology that improved the ability to detect and quantify these chemicals, we can now begin to identify what effects, if any, these chemicals have on human and environmental health.
This site is dedicated to the scientific issues associated with the occurrence of PPCPs in the environment." (Subject(s): Environment)
 Project Lifeline: A Lifeline for Delinquent Mortgage Borrowers
- "Mortgage lenders desperately want past-due borrowers to open the mail and pick up the phone. Project Lifeline, billed by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson as "a targeted outreach to homeowners 90 days or more delinquent that may lead to a pause in the foreclosure process." The initiative is more about the outreach than the pause. Industry experts say that delaying the foreclosure sale of a house is standard procedure when the borrower is willing and able to discuss a workout of some kind. So what Project Lifeline really amounts to is the targeted outreach. "Project Lifeline is aimed at homeowners who face a real risk of losing their home, but have not yet addressed the problem," Paulson says, adding: "Our hope is that today's announcement will reach them, and they will reach out immediately for help." In other words, Project Lifeline's goal is for seriously delinquent borrowers to stop ignoring the letters and phone calls from their mortgage companies, and instead call and ask for help." (Subject(s): Mortgages)
- DHS: REAL ID Proposed Guidelines: Questions & Answers
- "REAL ID is a nationwide effort intended to prevent terrorism, reduce fraud, and improve the reliability and accuracy of identification documents that State governments issue. Where did this effort originate? The 9/11 Commission recommended that the U.S. improve its system for issuing secure identification documents. In the Commission’s words, “At many entry points to vulnerable facilities, including gates for boarding aircraft, sources of identification are the last opportunity to ensure that people are who they say they are and to check whether they are terrorists.” The Commission specifically urged the federal government to “set standards for the issuance of…sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” Congress responded to this key recommendation by passing the Real ID Act. What is a REAL ID license needed for? The REAL ID Act requires that a REAL ID driver’s license be used for “official purposes,” as defined by DHS. In the proposed rule, DHS is proposing to limit the official purposes of a REAL ID license to those listed by Congress in the law: accessing a Federal facility; boarding Federally-regulated commercial aircraft; and entering nuclear power plants. DHS may consider expanding these official purposes through future rulemakings to maximize the security benefits of REAL ID." (Subject(s): )
- Science of Music
- This interesting and interactive Website has been produced as part of the San Francisco-based Exploratorium: "What is music? Is birdsong music? How about the tap-tap-tap of a hammer, or the wail of a creaking door? Is playing a garbage can different than playing a drum? Explore the science of music with us, through these online exhibits, movies, and questions. Along the way, you can compose, mix, dance, drum, experiment, and above all…listen." (Subject(s): Music)
- Frontline: Secret History of the Credit Card
- This is the companion Website for a program that was originally broadcast in November 2004 on the PBS show Frontline: "It's one of the most wonderful times of the year for the banking industry's most lucrative business: credit cards. In the coming weeks, millions of Americans will reach into their wallets and use plastic to buy an estimated $100 billion in holiday gifts. But at what cost? In "Secret History of the Credit Card," FRONTLINE® and The New York Times join forces to investigate an industry few Americans fully understand. In this one-hour report, correspondent Lowell Bergman uncovers the techniques used by the industry to earn record profits and get consumers to take on more debt. "The almost magical convenience of plastic money is critical to our famously compulsive consumer economy," Bergman says. "With more than 641 million credit cards in circulation and accounting for an estimated $1.5 trillion of consumer spending, the U.S. economy has clearly gone plastic."" (Subject(s): Consumer Credit--United States, Credit Cards--United States & Finance, Personal--United States)
- Spectrum Biographies
- This Website provides students with brief biographies for a variety of notable Americans and a few notable world figures. It also contains biographies for each of the 43 American Presidents (Subject(s): Biographies)
 State Legislative History Research Guides on the Web
- This Website provides visitors with a "Compiled list of state legislative history research guides available on the web and electronically." This means that a user can trace any historically proposed law and/or not enacted into law as it moves through the legislative process. (Subject(s): Law--History & Legislators, State--United States)
- Wall Street Journal: 2008 Election
- "Learn more about the 2008 Presidential Election with news and headlines from the Wall Street Journal." WSJ has produced this special Website as part of their online newspaper to highlight and report on this year's election. While most of their news reports hang on Presidential race, some glimmerings of information on the State races and for the Congress can be found here. (Subject(s): Elections--United States)
- American Experience: Wayback, Presidents: The Secret History | PBSKids Go!
- "American Experience is known for its award-winning documentaries and Web site on the Presidents. Presidents: The Secret History looks at a few colorful aspects of presidential history in a format designed especially for kids. The site features a cartoon elephant and donkey, who look at historic, unusual campaign memorabilia from American presidential campaigns. Kids weigh in on the issues that are important to them, and what qualities they would seek in a president. And kids can explore a dossier of "secrets" -- little-known facts about each of the American presidents." (Subject(s): Presidents--United States--History)
 The World Artist Directory
- "The World Artist Directory is the internet's source for locating accomplished artists worldwide. Since acceptance is based solely on quality of technique and expression, only 25% of artists that apply qualify for inclusion. As a result, you can be assured that you will be listed among some of the world's finest artists." (Subject(s): Artists)
- The World Awheel
- "America's long love affair with the automobile has overshadowed its earlier infatuation with the bicycle. Although human-propelled, wheeled devices have been around since at least as early as the late eighteenth century, the earliest bicycles were generally regarded as toys for fools and the idle rich.... The bicycle had a profound cultural impact at the turn of the twentieth century. Traces of the golden age of cycling can be found today in the colorful body of printed literature that has survived from the period.... The Lilly Library at Indiana University houses a large collection of books, trade catalogs, periodical literature, photographs, sheet music, manuscripts and ephemera related to the early history of cycling. The collection could hardly have found a better home. Although Indiana is associated with automobile racing today, Indianapolis was once home to a large number of bicycle manufacturers.... A sample of the library's holdings is presented here." (Subject(s): Bicycles--History)
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