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Context for World Heritage Bridges

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Ancient (BCE-40 CE)
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Early Modern (15th-18th Century)
  • Engineering
  • Government
  • Images
  • Middle Ages (5th-15th Century)
  • Modern (18th-20th Century)
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://www.icomos.org/studies/bridges.htm

Author: 
Eric DeLony, National Park Service, US Department of the Interior
Excerpt: 

Bridging rivers, gorges, narrows, straits, and valleys always has played an important role in the history of human settlement. Since ancient times, bridges have been the most visible testimony of the noble craft of engineers. A bridge can be defined in many ways, but Andrea Palladio, the great 16th century Italian architect and engineer, hit on the essence of bridge building when he said "...bridges should befit the spirit of the community by exhibiting commodiousness, firmness, and delight." In more practical terms, he went on to explain that the way to avoid having the bridge carried away by the violence of water was to make the bridge without fixing any posts in the water. Since the beginning of time, the goal of bridge builders has been to create as wide a span as possible which is commodious, firm, and occasionally delightful. Spanning greater distances is a distinct measure of engineering prowess.

Annotation: 

DeLony provides an extensive overview of the history of bridges, from ancient Indian vine bridges, to Roman stone structures, to the North American viaducts and suspension bridges of today. In doing so, the text-laden website focuses on "World Heritage bridges," those recognized by the World Heritage Committee for their unique and lasting contribution to architecture, technology, and society. Nearly all of the 18 topical sections, each arranged in rough chronological order and covering a different type of structure, contain at least one photo, many of them taken by DeLony himself. A list of possible World Heritage bridges and a sizeable bibliography are at the foot of the essay.

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Computers/Information Technology
  • Consumer Technology
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Links
  • Personal
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://www.technocapitalism.com/

Author: 
Prof. L. Suarez-Villa
Excerpt: 

Technocapitalism is a new form of market capitalism that is rooted in technological invention and innovation.  It can be considered an emerging era, now in its early stage, that is supported by such intangibles as creativity and knowledge.

The WWW Virtual Library

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Ancient (BCE-40 CE)
  • Aviation/Space Exploration
  • Computers/Information Technology
  • Consumer Technology
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Early Modern (15th-18th Century)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Industrial/Military Technology
  • Life Sciences
  • Links
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine/Behavioral Science
  • Middle Ages (5th-15th Century)
  • Modern (18th-20th Century)
  • Personal
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Physical Sciences
  • Primary Source
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://vlib.org/

Excerpt: 

The VL is the oldest catalog of the web, started by Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of html and the web itself. Unlike commercial catalogs, it is run by a loose confederation of volunteers, who compile pages of key links for particular areas in which they are expert; even though it isn't the biggest index of the web, the VL pages are widely recognised as being amongst the highest-quality guides to particular sections of the web.

Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Computers/Information Technology
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Government
  • Mathematics
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://www.nist.gov/dads/

Author: 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, Paul Black
Excerpt: 

This is a dictionary of algorithms, algorithmic techniques, data structures, archetypical problems, and related definitions. Algorithms include common functions, such as Ackermann's function. Problems include traveling salesman and Byzantine generals. Some entries have links to implementations and more information. Index pages list entries by area and by type. The two-level index has a total download 1/20 as big as this page.

Annotation: 

The National Institue of Standards and Technology hosts this dictionary of algorithms, algorithmic techniques, data structures, archetypical problems, and related definitions. Entries are listed by area or type, and there is a search function as well. Each term has provides a definition and related terms, and many have information about implementation from NIST and other sites. This is a very useful resource for anyone working with, or studying, algorithms or data structures.

Building a Bridge

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Educational
  • Engineering
  • Government
  • Modern (18th-20th Century)
  • Professional Association
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://www.blythweb.co.uk/blythburgh/1794bridge.htm

Author: 
Veronica Baker-Smith
Excerpt: 

On June 23 1794, Robert Baldry and Richard Randall drew up an agreement for the building of "a new and substantial Bridge of brickwork over the River or Rivulet dividing the parishes of Ubbeston and Heveningham at and for the sum of seventy-six pounds". The two men were the Surveyors of Ubbeston, responsible for the supervision of all buildings within the village, and Robert Baldry was especially well placed to oversee this particular work since he had built the present Old Rectory for his own use eighteen years before (his initials can still be see on the chimney stack).

Annotation: 

The story of the rebuilding of a bridge over the Blyth between Heveningham and Ubbeston in 1794.

Diciphering the Genetic Code: M. Nirenberg

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Biographical
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Exhibit
  • Government
  • Images
  • Life Sciences
  • Medicine/Behavioral Science
  • Modern (18th-20th Century)
  • Museum
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://history.nih.gov/exhibits/nirenberg/

Author: 
Stetten Museum, Office of National Institutes of Health History
Excerpt: 

Marshall Nirenberg is best known for “breaking the genetic code” in 1961, an achievement that won him the Nobel Prize. But what exactly is the genetic code? And how did he decipher it? This exhibit will explore genetics research in the 1950s and 1960s and explain the importance of Nirenberg's experiments and discoveries.

Annotation: 

"Diciphering the Genetic Code" is an online exhibit that explores Marshall Nirenberg's genetics research in the 1950's and 1960's and explains the importance of his experiments and discoveries. The exhibit includes an eight-section history of genetics research beginning with Gregor Mendel and ending with a copy of Nirenber's article in Science Magazine entitled "Will Society Be Prepared?" Images and descriptions of the instruments used in the lab are provided, as are brief biographies of many of the researchers involved. A glossary and links to related web sites are included. The site is well-designed and approachable, and is a good starting point for understanding the study of genetics.

Remembering Columbia STS-107

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Aviation/Space Exploration
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Government
  • Images
  • Links
  • Primary Source
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://history.nasa.gov/columbia/

Author: 
NASA History Office
Excerpt: 

The Columbia STS-107 mission lifted off on January 16, 2003, for a 17-day science mission featuring numerous microgravity experiments. Upon reentering the atmosphere on February 1, 2003, the Columbia orbiter suffered a catastrophic failure due to a breach that occurred during launch when falling foam from the External Tank struck the Reinforced Carbon Carbon panels on the underside of the left wing. The orbiter and its seven crewmembers (Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, David Brown, Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Michael P. Anderson, Ilan Ramon, and Kalpana Chawla) were lost approximately 15 minutes before Columbia was scheduled to touch down at Kennedy Space Center. This site presents information about the STS-107 flight, as well as information related to the accident and subsequent investigation by the formal Columbia Accident Investigation Board.

Annotation: 

This website from the NASA History Office has a wealth of information about the shuttle Columbia mission itself, the loss of the shuttle in February 2003, and the ensuing investigation. There are formal biographies of crew members, extremely detailed timelines, and a twenty-page document with accompanying acronym list entitled "STS-107 Accident Investigation Ground Track, Events Summary, and Sighting Data." A number of images and links to documents from NASA, Congress, and the White House are available, as is full information about the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, from its charter and members, to the six-volume report. Professionally-compiled bibliogaphies on Space Shuttles, the Columbia accident, and organizational culture are also included. Finally, reflections from the public gathered on the web are collected and displayed, adding individual responses to the loss of the shuttle to this very informative site.

The Newton Project

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Early Modern (15th-18th Century)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Images
  • Library/Archive
  • Links
  • Philosophy of Science
  • Physical Sciences
  • Primary Source
  • Secondary Source
  • University
URL: 

http://www.newtonproject.ic.ac.uk/

Author: 
The Newton Project, Imperial College
Excerpt: 

Although these achievements are fundamental to modern mathematics and physics, it is less well known that Newton himself placed great value on his private researches into theology and alchemy. Interest in the wealth of surviving manuscript material in these areas has increased dramatically in recent years, and the Newton Project was formed in 1998 to make all Newton's texts, both 'scientific' and 'non-scientific' (including those papers relevant to his three decades service at the Royal Mint), available to a broad readership in a form that is at once scholarly and accessible. The Project aims to create a printed edition of Newton's theological, alchemical and administrative writings and an electronic edition of all his writings, including his correspondence.

Review: 

The Newton Project is an effort to release online the complete record of Isaac Newton’s published and unpublished writings. Certainly, Newton was one of the most important figures in the history of modern science, and the Project offers a substantial contribution to this field by offering historians unprecedented access to his archives. Although the work is far from finished, the text offered on the site thus far is both a key resource for historians and a model for the online publication of historic manuscripts.

The greatest success of the Newton Project is its multi-layered presentation of the historical manuscripts. The Project fully utilizes the hypertext medium to balance the historical integrity of the subject with acts of editorial clarification. Each transcription can be displayed in several formats. The first, “normalised,” format is edited and omits deleted text, expands unfamiliar abbreviations, corrects spelling, and offers something like a final draft, which represents what Newton most likely intended a reader to see in his text. With this option, the editors allow a viewer to quickly access Newton’s writing without struggling to decipher the meanings of difficult marks and indications. The next format, termed “diplomatic,” attempts to preserve the process of the text’s original production by graphically indicating text that has been marked through, squeezed between the lines, or includes special characters. When a viewer rolls the mouse over these notations, a pop-up textbox gives an editorial note describing the nature of each irregularity. In addition to these two formats, photographic images of some manuscripts are available for closer reading and verification. A viewer can easily switch between these three formats to find the level of authenticity or editorial influence with which he or she is comfortable.

The site is well designed, attractive, and professional. The main text appears under the title banner in the middle and right side of the screen, while a list of navigation links on the left leads to a description of the project’s background, biographical information, and sections that highlight new, featured, and upcoming additions to the site. Individual pages are also cross-linked to make navigating the site simple. The site also includes an extensive bibliography, a guide to the source collections, and dozens of links to other Newton sites as well as many other history-of-science and manuscript publishing sites.

A final important consideration of online history is the concept of permanence. This idea is especially pertinent to the Newton Project because they only recently extended their funding for another five years. But, to the Project’s credit, the creators have already arranged for the online transcriptions to be deposited with the Oxford Text Archive to guarantee sustainability in the unlikely event that additional funding is unavailable in the future. Once again, the Newton Project has successfully addressed a major challenge of online history.

Miles Travis
Center for History and New Media
February 5, 2005

Doug Engelbart's INVISIBLE REVOLUTION

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Computers/Information Technology
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Links
  • Personal
  • Primary Source
  • Secondary Source
  • Video
URL: 

http://www.invisiblerevolution.net/

Excerpt: 

Welcome to the Invisible Revolution, the story of Doug Engelbart, the man who invented much of the computer environment we live in today - and still few know his name. This is his story, and the story of his fellow dreamers, thinkers, doers - revolutionaries - who changed our lives forever.

Annotation: 

This site represents a documentary film project produced by Frode Hegland, Fleur Klijnsma and others. The vision for the documentary is to present the story of how Doug Engelbart invented the mouse and began a revolution in information processing by popularizing the graphical and interactive, nonlinear
format that dominates computer technology today. The materials here include "a casual, rough and ready series of interviews, links to his seminal papers, and a cheat-sheet-like timeline." Although the site is essentially a companion to a film, the sections on Engelbart's life, vision, papers, and timeline can be very useful to historians. The site also has a list of the interviewees who contributed to the documentary's story with short bios that could link important personalities and establish new leads for researchers. The film clips might also be helpful or interesting to historians who want to explore documentary film or other visual modes of recording and conveying history.

A Thin Blue Line: The History of the Pregnancy Test Kit

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 11/08/2007 - 20:22.
  • Consumer Technology
  • Contemporary (Post-WWII)
  • Government
  • Images
  • Medicine/Behavioral Science
  • Modern (18th-20th Century)
  • Primary Source
  • Secondary Source
URL: 

http://history.nih.gov/exhibits/thinblueline/

Author: 
Office of NIH History
Excerpt: 

Am I pregnant? The answer to this age-old question once demanded a combination of guesswork, intuition, and time. In 1978, however, the long wait to know for sure became a thing of the past. Trumpeted by advertisements as “a private little revolution,” the first home pregnancy tests started appearing on drug store shelves that year. A quarter of a century later, innovations promise to make even the telltale thin blue line obsolete. This web site looks at the history of the home pregnancy test—one of the most ubiquitous home healthcare products in America—and examines its place in our culture.

The home pregnancy test works by identifying the presence of the “pregnancy hormone,” human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in urine. Research that led to a sensitive, accurate test for hCG was done by scientists in the Reproductive Research Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at NIH.

Annotation: 

A Thin Blue Line: The History of the Pregnancy Test Kit, an online exhibit at the National Institutes of Health, explores the history of the pregnancy test kit from the laboratory to the digital age and invites women to share their personal stories through an online survey. In addition to the scientific background on the research that led to the development of the test, it also includes an historical timeline of pregnancy testing, as well as early advertisements for the test and portrayals of the test in television. There are excerpts from oral histories and interviews with Judith Vaitukaitis, M.D. and Glenn Braunstein, M.D., who in the early 1970’s collaborated on the experiments that led to the sensitive assay for hCG, the “pregnancy hormone.” The site is an interesting introduction to a modern technology that is so widespread and easily accessible as to be taken for granted.

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