Back to the Science Writing Page

The Science of Cycling
The Exploratorium in San Francisco brings you this comprehensive site, chronicling the history and science of bicycles. Included are numerous illustrated explanations of the nature of bicycle wheels, frames, gears and materials, plus physics lessons on how you stay on when you go around a curve and what muscles you use to keep your bike going. The site also features a detailed timeline of major events in bicycle history, video interviews with bicycle experts including championship racers, and a neat Java applet that helps you determine aerodynamic drag/propulsion power as you ride. The site even gives a nod to Bicycle, a guitar band that "rolls across the country on bicycles and rocks in towns and cities along the way."

Biology and Medicine: Women in Science and Medicine
Though they've been invaluable contributors to some of the most important discoveries and achievements, it's only recently that pioneering women in science and medicine have garnered much attention. This site from World Book invites you to meet some of the most influential women in scientific and medical history and learn how their contributions made profound impacts on their specific fields of study. You can also test your knowledge with a women-in-science quiz and find more links to informative Web sites devoted to female scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and doctors.
More Biology and Medicine Picks

Technology: Bombs Away
These days the threat of nuclear attack is largely a political issue. But without science, there would be no atomic weapons. This Web site takes you back to the very beginning of the atomic age, chronicling the invention of the atomic bomb. Extremely comprehensive and easy to navigate, the site includes a detailed timeline, biographies of key scientists in the bomb's development, basic information and diagrams describing how nuclear bombs work, crucial historical documents, plus maps, videos and photos of A-bomb scientists, tests, and development sites.
More Technology Picks

Mind and Brain: Fermilab's Visual Media lectures
There's no more need to shout "Down in front!" when you can have a front-and-center seat anytime you want at these lectures given by some of the nation's premier physicists. Fermilab's Visual Media Services Web site now delivers streaming video talks for the scientist and non-scientist alike, on topics from particle physics to relativity (see the Physics for Everyone lecture series). A thumbnail video of the presenter is displayed next to the slide being discussed while a synchronized audio track plays along. All you need is a 56k modem, RealPlayer 7.0 (downloaded free from the Internet), and the desire to know what a Tau Neutrino is.
More Mind and Brain Picks

Environment: Global Warming Contribution
Curious how many pounds of carbon dioxide you spew into the atmosphere every year? This site, created by the World Resources Institute, can calculate an individual's "carbon dioxide footprint" based on monthly electric bills and vehicle gas mileage. The site rates users' contributions to global warming with an environmental angel or a skeleton wearing a gas mask. And if you're not happy with your rating, the site offers tips for minimizing your carbon dioxide footprint.
More Environment Picks

Astronomy: The INSPIRE Project
Listen to what your world is saying—literally—with this educational site from NASA. Hosted by their INSPIRE Project, which studies very low frequency (0-20 Kilohertz) radio signals, the site lets you listen in on some of the strange tweets, howls and pings floating around in the form of radio signals (both manmade and from natural forces like lightning) in Earth's magnetosphere. You can also learn how to join an INSPIRE research team or start one yourself.
More Astronomy Picks

Anthropology: Harappan Civilization
This elegant site whisks you back 5,000 years to the days when the mysterious Harappan civilization flourished in what is now India and Pakistan. A virtual tour of Mohenjodaro, one of the world's oldest cities, and a fascinating section exploring the yet-to-be deciphered Indus script are highlights.
More Anthropology Picks

Ancient Life: World of the Mayas
Explore the world of the ancient Mayas with this companion to the NOVA television series. The site features video interviews with Maya expert David Stuart and a detailed travel-log of a trip to the ruined city of Copan. But the best sections are the map of the Mayan civilization, which provides interesting historical tidbits on more than a dozen ancient cities, and the interactive tutorial on Mayan numbers and hieroglyphs. The site also includes a teacher's guide and numerous resources for further study on the Mayan civilization.
More Ancient Life Picks

Get some Perspective (www.powersof10.com)

Cozy up to a Volcano (www.volcanolive.com)

Browse Through NASA’s Photo Album (grin.hq.nasa.gov)

Know Your Place in the World (www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook)