DataONE (Data Observation Network for Earth) is a searchable repository of environmental and climate data.  Provided one has the necessary software to open the files used to create the data, a researcher can access and use the data collected by another for their own research project.   DataONE respectfully asks that if a researcher uses data stored in DataONE for their research, they cite DataONE and … Continue reading DataONE: a brief overview

This past year I attended a webinar all about a resource known as ScienceCinema. This resource is run through the United States Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) and offers conference recordings, promotional videos, research recordings, interviews, and other materials produced by the DOE National Laboratories, DOE research facilities, and the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Though the materials are limited to material … Continue reading Science Cinema

Over the past five years, an increasing number of academic libraries have begun to provide access to virtual reality technologies. Whether through makerspaces, development labs, or old-school circulation, academic libraries are either growing or considering their role in the ever expanding world of virtual reality. Technology such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR and many others are pushing libraries to … Continue reading Unity – A Game Engine for Virtual Reality

Have you ever found a random pill in your purse, on the floor, or elsewhere and forgotten where it came from and what it is? Luckily, there is a free resource from the National Library of Medicine that can help you identify those mystery pills! Pillbox is a website that can be searched by various characteristics of the pill you want to identify, including imprint … Continue reading Identifying Mystery Pills with Pillbox

Recent posts on STS-l about citizen science projects reminded me of the citizen science site, Zooniverse. Zooniverse is a directory of citizen science projects, organized by broad subject areas such as Arts, Climate, History, and Physics. Obviously not all of the projects included in Zooniverse are being conducted in the sciences, so the meaning of citizen science perhaps needs a little clarification. Citizen science is … Continue reading Zooniverse – A Citizen Science Directory

Most of us can use help understanding a scientific concept at some point. There are popular quotes attributed to Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman espousing the opinion that if you cannot explain something simply, or to a six year old, you do not really understand it. Even if the words were not uttered by the eminent physicists, I imagine the logic behind them, the value … Continue reading 5 Levels of Science Communication by Wired

In recognition of the advancing hurricanes, I would like to remind everyone of the abundant information available at USGS.gov, the United States Geological Survey, and NOAA.gov, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and their many tools for collecting data and keeping watch. Each significant hurricane has a web page, or go to The National Hurricane Center.  Go directly to the NHC link to see the … Continue reading National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Latest Thinking is an open-access video journal that provides summaries of research findings from several branches of academics, including life sciences, physical sciences, medicine, and engineering. The goal of Latest Thinking is to increase the impact of the author’s research and promote transparency of the scientific process. Each video averages around 10 minutes and contains five parts: research question, methods, findings, relevance, and outlook. The … Continue reading Latest Thinking

The Mathematics Genealogy Project (MGP) is an online reference tool for mathematicians from all over the world.  Entries list where and when mathematicians received their degree, the title of their dissertation, the name of their advis0r, and the name of all of the students they then advised.  The names of the advisor and the students can be clicked on, which is a great way to … Continue reading Mathematics Genealogy Project