Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Profiles in Science: The Paul Berg Papers

Profiles in Science: The Paul Berg Papers [http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/CD/] - Nobel Prize-recipient Paul Berg has made major contributions to the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology for fifty years. This Profiles in Science feature from the National Library of Health contains biographical information on Berg, along with correspondence, laboratory notebooks, portraits, legislative records, reports, and articles related to his work and times. Visitors can start their visit within the site by reading his extended biography, which is divided chronologically into areas like "Protein Synthesis, Tumor Viruses, and Recombinant DNA, 1959-1975". The documents themselves offer a variety of insights into Berg's career, his interactions with other scholars, and the milieu of this type of scientific research over the second half of the twentieth century. >From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/

The Biology Project: The Chemistry of Amino Acids

The Biology Project: The Chemistry of Amino Acids [http://www.biology.arizona.edu/biochemistry/problem_sets/aa/aa.html] - The Biology Project at the University of Arizona doesn't shy away from the big (or little) questions of life and science, and this helpful educational resource will be another educational arrow in the quiver of science educators from Seattle to Tashkent. The site provides a basic introduction to amino acids, offering a brief description of their role as the "building blocks" of protein. After reading the introduction, students can learn about the structure of amino acids, and then take on a few exercises in the "Test yourself" section of the site. Of course, that's not all, as visitors can also learn about each amino acid separately, and there's even a handy legend that makes learning that much easier. [>From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2008. http://scout.wisc.edu/]

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence

Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence

http://www.massviolence.org/

Created as part of an interdisciplinary international effort to take a critical look at the phenomenon of mass violence, the Online Encyclopedia of Mass Violence is supported by a number of organizations, including The Center for International Research and Studies and The Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah. The primary purpose of the Encyclopedia Project is "to create a regularly updated electronic database focusing on massacres and genocides of the 20th century." First-time visitors can use the interactive map of the world on the homepage to begin their exploration of the site. Within each region of the world (and by extension, each individual country), visitors can read chronological indexes, case studies, and take a look at scholarly reviews of works related to each region or country's genocides or massacres. Visitors should not miss the "Latest contributions" area, which includes the latest works from the Project. Recently featured items here have included an evaluation of The Boxer Uprising and the Burundi Killings of 1972. Overall, it's a very ambitious project, and one that scholars and members of the general public will want to check up on from time to time.