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 In this
issue’s Web Line we begin an article devoted to sites about science and
mathematics. (Some of these have been already mentioned at the Bikwil
site.)
“Our infinite universe is merely a speck of dust . . .” The introductory
course at
Astronomy 101 is part of the huge
About Network of sites.
There are ten lessons (including a history of astronomy) and many useful
links.
An Atlas of the Universe begins at 12.5 light years from the sun and
progresses as far out as 15 billion light years. There are nine main
maps, each one approximately ten times the scale of the previous one,
plus some quite useful links and a glossary.
Closer to Truth “brings together leading scientists, scholars and
artists to debate the fundamental issues of our time.” Brain & Mind,
Creativity & Thinking, Health & Sex, Technology & Society, Universe &
Meaning — these are their main areas of concern. As well as the Web
site, CTT is disseminated nationally on US public TV, in a companion
book and on video and audio tapes. The site has a special HyperForum for
online discourse.
The Crystal Palace was erected for London's Great Exhibition of 1851,
using design and manufacturing technology that’s still considered
state-of-the-art 150 years later. This site is dedicated to explaining
those techniques, with textual discussion and an animated tour of its
structure inside and externally. This latter feature needs QuickTime 5
and, being graphics-intensive, requires your patience, though you can
look at still images instead, if you can’t wait.
At Curious and Useful Math you’ll find multiplication and division
tricks, calculator tricks, Bible numbers, even square roots by hand . .
. “There are also some entertaining trivia and math facts that are nice
to slip into casual conversation.”
Do you know how to calculate the date of Easter Sunday for any given
year? Get the full rundown on the matter (including common
misconceptions) from the U.S. Naval Observatory’s
Date of Easter. Dates
are given for all years up to 2024, so that should keep you happy for a
while. If you want to go further, use the lovely formula provided.
Designed at Cornell Uni for teachers and students, the pages at
Discover
Our Earth contain “a wide range of information related to the Earth
sciences, accompanied by images, graphs, maps, and movies”. For teachers
there are also curriculum guides, while for students there are also
activities to test hypotheses. (Needs Java..)
“The ability to see Earth from space has forever changed our view of the
planet. We are now able to look at the Earth as a whole, and observe how
its atmosphere, oceans, landmasses, and life interact as global
systems.” The Earth Today Web site provides a glimpse of the information
presented in the exhibition in the Rocketry and Space Flight Gallery of
the U.S. National Air and Space Museum.
M.C. Escher created fascinating works of art that exploit a wide range
of mathematical ideas. In fact, he himself said “for me it remains an
open question whether [this work] pertains to the realm of mathematics
or to that of art”. His drawings may be instantly recognisable today,
but it was not until he was in his mid-fifties that he acquired his
reputation. Visit
The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher to discover the
background to his work.
[ This article will be concluded in
the next issue. ]
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