PolyThinkers Pad » Engineering http://www.poly.edu/library/blog fueling polythinking with library news, tips and more Tue, 13 May 2008 21:02:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 en New Collection of Springer e-books available on trial through May 31st http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 21:00:59 +0000 Ingrid databasesresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/ A wide selection of e-books at SpringerLink is now available for the Poly community to use on a trial basis through May 31st. SpringerLink offers journals and books in a variety of disciplines such as biomedicine, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, computer science, humanities, and economics. Free access to tables of contents, detailed abstracts and editorial background are available for every publication, and full text is offered for many.

Take a moment to run a couple searches in SpringerLink and see how easy it is to narrow your results to fit your criteria. You can also sign up for alerts on the latest titles in your field. Give it a shot and let us know if you find it useful by leaving a comment below. Your feedback will help us decide whether or not to purchase this resource for the library.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/05/13/check-it-out-new-collection-of-online-journals-and-e-books/feed/ New online resource: GreenFILE http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:16:54 +0000 Ingrid databasesgreenresearch http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/ Climate change, renewable energy, food shortages… unless you live in a cave, chances are you’ve heard or read about these important environmental issues in the media lately. Now you have a new resource at your disposal to help you research all things environmental: GreenFILE.

This bibliographic database from EBSCO draws on the connection between the environment and disciplines such as technology, health, education, and law. It contains nearly 300,000 citations of both scholarly and general interest titles, as well as government documents and reports. Full text is available for selected titles.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/03/31/new-online-resource-greenfile/feed/ “Grand Challenges” for 21st century engineers http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/20/grand-challenges-for-21st-century-engineers/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/20/grand-challenges-for-21st-century-engineers/#comments Wed, 20 Feb 2008 17:03:30 +0000 Ingrid biological engchemical engcivil engelectrical-computer engmechanical engmedicine http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/20/grand-challenges-for-21st-century-engineers/ An international group of leading technological thinkers identified the biggest challenges for engineers in the 21st century. Their conclusions are now available in the report, Grand Challenges for Engineering. The National Academy of Engineering released the report, which identifies 14 areas awaiting engineering solutions, on February 15, 2008.

Here’s the full list of challenges from the academy’s experts:

  • Make solar energy economical
  • Provide energy from fusion
  • Develop carbon sequestration methods
  • Manage the nitrogen cycle
  • Provide access to clean water
  • Restore and improve urban infrastructure
  • Advance health informatics
  • Engineer better medicines
  • Reverse-engineer the brain
  • Prevent nuclear terror
  • Secure cyberspace
  • Enhance virtual reality
  • Advance personalized learning
  • Engineer the tools of scientific discovery
]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/20/grand-challenges-for-21st-century-engineers/feed/ Just Released: Science and Engineering Indicators, 2008 http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/07/just-released-science-and-engineering-indicators-2008/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/07/just-released-science-and-engineering-indicators-2008/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:00:02 +0000 Ingrid reference http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/07/just-released-science-and-engineering-indicators-2008/ Science and Engineering Indicators, published by the National Science Board, provides a broad base of quantitative information on the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. Indicators are data that provide information on science and engineering as it relates to education, industry, research and technology. The report is intended to contribute to an understanding of the current environment and to inform the development of future policies. The document is available online for free in PDF format.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/02/07/just-released-science-and-engineering-indicators-2008/feed/ Need to know a standard? http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/#comments Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:12:41 +0000 Jana chemical engchemistryonline resourcesphysics http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/ The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the non-regulatory federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology. The agency publishes standards many of which are free, including Ceramics WebBook, Chemistry WebBook and Physical Reference Data. To satisfy your curiosity, check out the complete list at the NIST Data Gateway, and get to know your standards.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/28/need-to-know-a-standard/feed/ Social networking gets serious http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/15/social-networking-gets-serious/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/15/social-networking-gets-serious/#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:46:15 +0000 Ingrid http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/15/social-networking-gets-serious/ Social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace can be a fun way to keep in touch and procrastinate, but face it, sending your friends virtual gifts or turning them into zombies isn’t going to do much to advance your education or career. However, a growing number of web sites are applying the power of online networking to the academic and professional realm. So when you need a break from poking around Facebook, check out some of these alternative social networks geared to connect you with people and new ideas in your field.

  • BioMedExperts is a new scientific literature-based social networking platform that connects biomedical researchers. Sponsored by Collexis.
  • CR4 Conference Room 4 is a forum for engineers, scientists and technical researchers to discuss engineering news, seek technical help and get answers to questions. It’s supported by GlobalSpec, the Engineering Search Engine.
  • Epsilen offers, in addition to social networking for academics, several web based tools for course management, social learning assessment, peer review, and collaboration. It is the result of six years of research and development activities at the CyberLab, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology.
  • LinkedIn is not geared towards a specific discipline and is the largest professional networking site with over 17 million members.
  • Nature Network is a global network for scientists brought to you by the publishers of Nature. Boston and London are currently the only local hubs but more are coming.
]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2008/01/15/social-networking-gets-serious/feed/ Sounds of Science Podcast from The National Academies http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/12/12/sounds-of-science-podcast-from-the-national-academies/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/12/12/sounds-of-science-podcast-from-the-national-academies/#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:31:09 +0000 Ingrid medicinemultimedia http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/12/12/sounds-of-science-podcast-from-the-national-academies/ Rest your weary eyes and give your ears a chance to absorb some knowledge for a change. The National Academies provides a weekly podcast series, The Sounds of Science:

This informative and entertaining weekly series of audio podcasts puts the spotlight on the high-impact work of the National Academies. Focusing on a wide range of critical issues in science, engineering, and medicine, these short 10 minute episodes are a quick and easy way to tune in to all the key findings and important recommendations made by the Academies.

Not familiar with podcasts? Podcasts are audio files that are delivered directly to your desktop computer, and can be listened to on your computer or transferred to your iPod or other MP3 player. Learn more about podcasts on wikipedia.

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/12/12/sounds-of-science-podcast-from-the-national-academies/feed/ Friday Fun: Racing robots http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/09/racing-robots/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/09/racing-robots/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:59:02 +0000 Gavin mechanical engrobotstechnology http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/08/racing-robots/ A Robot driving competition, sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was won by a team from Carnegie Mellon. The race highlighted the great advances in robotic technology, featuring such maneuvers as making a left turn in the face of incoming traffic, and even cheating a little to get out of tricky situations.

The prize was given to the vehicle that could maneuver a 60 mile course in under six hours in a simulated city. The vehicles were unmanned, and once started, should not require any human instructions before the race was completed. Many variables, including how well the vehicles adhered to California driving regulations were factored into the judgment, and it was always understood that the winning vehicle was not necessarily the one with the fastest time. (A robot designed by Stanford actually crossed the finish line first). (more…)

]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/09/racing-robots/feed/ IEEE access restored, upgrades planned this weekend http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/07/ieee-access-restored-upgrades-planned-this-weekend/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/07/ieee-access-restored-upgrades-planned-this-weekend/#comments Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:43:15 +0000 Ingrid electrical-computer engonline resources http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/07/ieee-access-restored-upgrades-planned-this-weekend/ Service to the IEEE digital library has been restored.

Please note, on Saturday November 10, IEEE will be upgrading their digital library so you may experience an interuption in service for approximately 2-4 hours between 9 am and 1 pm. The update will include the following features:

  • Tabbed search results, including a beta test of Application Notes, practical content for working engineers
  • Citation (Known Item) search, RefWorks/BibTeX citation download, and improved author search
  • Subscriptions to IEEE Expert Now educational courses available through the IEEE Xplore platform
]]> http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/07/ieee-access-restored-upgrades-planned-this-weekend/feed/ Risky solar array repair completed with help from Poly grad http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/04/risky-solar-array-repair-completed-with-help-from-poly-grad/ http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/04/risky-solar-array-repair-completed-with-help-from-poly-grad/#comments Sun, 04 Nov 2007 12:59:21 +0000 Gavin aerospace http://www.poly.edu/library/blog/2007/11/04/risky-solar-array-repair-completed-with-help-from-poly-grad/ ShuttleDr. Scott E. Parazynski played the leading role in an extremely dangerous and complex mission to repair a damaged solar array on the International space station. Perched aboard a robotic arm, far out in space, in nothing but his space suit with a limited supply of oxygen that could well prove inadequate in the slightest mishap, Dr. Parazynski carried a specially made toolkit to the damaged area.

 

Italian astronaut, Paolo Nespoli, a two time Poly graduate, helped to keep Dr. Parazynski safe by reading out a long list of items to avoid touching and situations to guard against, while choreographing the spacewalk from inside the station. When Dr. Parazynski quipped, “I’m not sure there’s much left to touch,” Mr. Nespoli replied, “We’re not even halfway through the warnings.” Read more  in the article, Space Station Is Repaired in Spacewalk , in the New York Times.

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