Blogs, wikis, and social-networking sites such as Facebook may get media buzz these days, but for scientists, engineers, and doctors, they are not even on the radar. The most effective tools of the Internet for such people tend to be efforts more narrowly aimed at their needs, such as software that helps geneticists replicate one another's…

Research has identified mentoring as a critical factor in the entry and survival of women and minorities in the social, natural, and physical sciences where they are underrepresented. Much research and many change-oriented programs in higher education have assumed that the presence of mentors is sufficient to ensure equitable access to scientific…

There is a misconception among social scientists that statistical analysis is somehow a technical, essentially objective, process of decision-making, whereas other forms of data analysis are judgement-based, subjective and far from technical. This paper focuses on the former part of the misconception, showing, rather, that statistical analysis…

Scientists are creating new and amazing materials by manipulating molecules at the ultra-small scale of 0.1 to 100 nanometers. Nanosize super particles demonstrate powerful and unprecedented electrical, chemical, and mechanical properties. This study examines how nanotechnology, as the multidisciplinary engineering of novel nanomaterials into…

This study explores how a historical genius with learning disabilities (LD) used his giftedness to surmount his disabilities. This study compared biographical data of a historical genius with LD to geniuses without LD using the posthumous diagnostic methodology. Niels Bohr, J. Robert Oppenheimer, and Enrico Fermi were selected for investigation.…

Although many decisions involve a stream of payoffs over time, political scientists have given little attention to how actors make the required tradeoffs between present and future payoffs, other than applying the standard exponential discounting model from economics. After summarizing the basic discounting model, we identify some of its leading…

Scientists understand that scientific ideas are subject to change and improvement. Fourth- through eighth- graders develop this understanding about the nature of science as they gather and examine fossil evidence from the Paleozoic era, record their findings, and read and write about science for authentic purposes as scientists do. Students…

This paper examines the impact of entrepreneurial initiatives within universities on scientific careers. Based on the career accounts of university-based bioscientists involved in a government-sponsored entrepreneurship training initiative, the paper explores the concept of academic entrepreneurialism. Three groups were identified in the data.…

Since librarianship is making available and exploiting information for the benefit of people, librarians must know about information resources, about people, and about systems for linking resources and people. They need (1) basic abilities--literacy and numeracy; (2) organizational qualities, including vision, a questioning approach, perspective,…

Reviews the history of cartography. Describes the contributions of Strabo and Ptolemy in early maps. Identifies the work of Gerhard Mercator as the most important advancement in mapping. Discusses present mapping standards from history. (CW)

This CD-ROM was designed as a resource for K-12 educators who are interested in teaching their students about the accomplishments of Chicano/Latino and Native American scientists. Profiles of 48 Latino and Native American scientists, mathematicians, and engineers have been written at the middle school and high school levels and are searchable in…

This article suggests use of information officers as means of making social science information system more human and discusses benefits resulting from their introduction in academic environment based on British experience. Nature of social sciences and scientists, information retrieval, and role of information officers are noted. Thirty-three…

The purpose of this study was to explore elementary school children's images of scientists with emphasis on how children define scientists, their idea of the nature of scientists' work, and factors that might influence the formation of their images of scientists. Twenty-eight 5th and 6th grade students were asked to draw pictures and write…

Describes the contributions of women in chemistry from the time of the ancient Mesopotamian civilization to the time of Maria Curie. (GS)

Communication is often thought to be a language problem. In reality, it is not so much words as commonality of background and value systems that make communication possible. Scientists need to improve their communication with non-scientists. (Author/RH)