Ralph J. Coppola --- r_j_coppola<at>hotmail.com

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Feature

With the recent seismic activities that have occurred in various parts of the globe, I thought that it would be a good time to do a feature on earthquakes and seismometers. The following is only a sampling of the host of DIY seismometer information that can be found on the Web.

• Redwood City Public Seismic Network
• Dave Saum’s --- How to Build an Inexpensive Seismometer
• Meredith Lamb’s seismographic instrumentation web site
• Andrew S. Loomis --- Build Your Own Seismometer
• How to build your own seismic station.
• A Vertical Seismometer For Classroom Demonstrations
• SA’s DIY Lehman Seismometer
• Dewayne Hill's Homebrew Vertical
• Calibrating your seismometer
• The AS-1 Seismic System
• The Amateur Seismologist Home Page --- The AS-1 supplier
• Calibration of a AS-1 Seismometer
• AmaSeis --- A program to acquire data from the AS-1
• Larry Braile’s  AS-1 Page
• Seismometers for Teaching and Research
• John C. Lahr’s Earth Science and Earthquake pages
• Notes on Seismic Sensor based on Diamagnetic Levitation
• Program for computing earthquake magnitude
• HYPOELLIPSE --- An earthquake location program for UNIX & DOS
• Indiana University’s Earthquake Science Institute
• Explore The Earth's Interior
• The UPSeis site teaches the public about planet Earth.
• Earthquakes from The British Geological Survey
• Manual of Seismological Observatory Practice (1979 Edition)
• The Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
• The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
• ODSN Plate Tectonic Reconstruction Service
• Hands-On Earth Science Learning Activities
• Can earthquakes be predicted?

Don’t forget to check the back issues of Wanderings and the Amateur Scientist CD for other related links.

Here are a couple of links related to past Features. The first is for a Scanning Tunneling Microscope and the second is for a DIY Sonoluminescence site.

Wanderings

The Tree of Life Web Project is a collaborative effort on more than 3,000 World Wide Web pages. The project provides information about the diversity of organisms on Earth, their evolutionary history, and characteristics.

Keigo Lizuka shows us how to make a three dimensional display using cellophane and a liquid crystal display screen.

Investigate amateur radio astronomy with using SIMPLE 20 MHz arrays.

The ornithopter is a machine that flies by flapping its wings - just like a real bird!

Physics 2000 demonstrates the various concepts of physics by relying heavily on the use of interactive Java applets.

Most of us have used the GOOGLE Search Engine at one time or another, but has anyone used GOOGLE Maps to find your directions anywhere in North America?

See how to read a vernier caliper. But do not load the Language Pack.

Uncertainties and Error Propagation --- Part I of Vern Lindberg’s manual on Uncertainties, Graphing, and the Vernier Caliper.

The Little Ship That Isn’t ? --- See Geoffrey M. Footner’s “USS Constellation: From Frigate to Sloop of War”.

Explore the World of Waves with Dr. Dan Russell’s Acoustics and Vibration Animations.

Thinkquest’s Interactive Sound Lab allows you to see and hear sound in action.

The Alchemy Web Site contains over 90 megabytes of information relating to alchemy in all its facets.

The Kids Room

Project-Based Science (PBS) was started in 1991 at the University of Michigan School of Education. Its goal is to empower K-12 science teachers to improve the way science classes are taught by involving students in finding solutions to authentic questions through extended inquiry, collaboration and use of technology.

learningscience.org is an organization dedicated to the sharing of the latest science learning methods. Tools such as real-time data collection, simulations, inquiry based lessons, interactive web lessons, micro-worlds, and imaging, can help make teaching science an exciting and engaging endeavour.

If you're a student looking for science project ideas or a teacher looking for some novel classroom demonstrations or hands-on activities, then perhaps John C. Lahr’s Fun With Science Site may be a good place to start.

Explore the world of mathematics with Jill Britton’s Topic Links and RUBBER Geometry pages

See the comments regarding California’s proposed changes to their K-12 Science Education Standards.

Bad Science! Are science skills being displaced by a focus on reading and math?

Richard P. Feynman --- Judging Books by Their Covers

TeachersFirst is a rich collection of lessons and web resources for K-12 classroom teachers and home schoolers.

Perhaps you can plan your summer vacation to include one or more of these interesting science museums.

Suppliers

Being listed here does not constitute an endorsement by SAS or me of any information, product or service.

Toronto Surplus & Scientific Inc carries a wide selection of interesting items.

On The Lighter Side

Here is the answer to the River Crossing Puzzle that was presented in Wanderings #96.

Start

1. cop  &  thief  ---->
2. cop  <----
3. cop  &  son  ---->
4. cop  &  thief  <----
5. father  &  son  ---->
6. father  <----
7. mother  &  father  ---->
8. mother  <----
9. cop  &  thief  ---->
10. father  <----
11. mother  &  father  ---->
12. mother  <---- 
13. mother  &  daughter  ---->
14. cop  &  thief  <----
15. cop  &  daughter  ---->
16. cop  <----
17. cop  &  thief  ---->

Now they are now all across the river!

From The Far Side

Nicholas A. Reiter’s paper --- “A Novel Method for the Extraction of Electrical Power from the Vacuum” cites Shawn Carlson’s “The Amateur Scientist” column "Detecting the Earth’s Electricity" as a reference.