Knowledge commons

A photograph of one of the first hot air balloon flights; an 1833 map of the US showing an eagle “sitting atop the nation” and several accounts of the lives of the Native Americans during the 19th century. All these can now be accessed at the click of a mouse. Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), a non-profit initiative to create a large-scale public digital library, opened its virtual doors in April.

Biblophile On Web

IT'S a sign of times. A virtual medium that tells us about the printed world. Not something new. For years now, established publishing houses have put up information like book catalogues and forthcoming releases on their websites.

Blood, sweat and tears

Google bullies a lexicon

The word, ogooglebar, is used regularly in the Swedish language. It means “something that cannot be found on the Web using a search engine”, and was under consideration by the Language Council of Sweden for addition to the latest edition of the country’s official dictionary.

Most disease maps unreliable

Why is accurate mapping important? Accurate mapping helps quantify global burden of infectious diseases, assess the likelihood of disease outbreaks and explore the propensity of disease emergence and evolution. It also acts as a tool of international biosurveillance. What motivated you to do the study? Interviewee:  B. Katherine Battle

Vignettes from our natural world

THE world’s “environmental emergency” is providing inspiration for a growing movement of artists whose work focusing on habitats and social issues aims to raise awareness. This site is one of them. Actually, it is much more than artwork, though the site’s moniker and the striking images on its home page could lead a reader to overlook its text content. That would be a pity, for the images preface rich textual information.

Guided tour of birdlife

AT the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, scientists, conservationists, engineers, educators and students all work together for a common purpose: to understand birds and other wildlife, to involve the public in scientific discovery, and to use this knowledge to protect biodiversity. This website showcases the work of this project.

BBC feels the heat

In a climbdown, BBC has admitted getting its facts wrong in its flagship TV series Africa. In the episode broadcast on February 6, iconic presenter David Attenbourg told viewers: “Some parts of the continent have become 3.5°C hotter in the past 20 years.” BBC has since admitted “that is disputable” and has re-edited the episode.

Footprints of flying

WITH the problem of climate change acquiring increasing urgency, activists are turning the heat on industry. In Europe, the aviation industry has become a target. The website features reports and opinion pieces on issues surrounding aviation and its impact on the environment. It also features statistics from the aviation sector, mainly European though.

Tsunami bomb

A new book has revealed rare historical gems buried in New Zealand’s national archives, including a bizarre World War II plan to create a “tsunami bomb” and military files detailing supposed UFO sightings. Author Ray Waru said he wrote Secrets and Treasures to highlight the material publicly available at Archives New Zealand in Wellington.