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Internet Resource - WolframAlpha

This website is a computational knowledge engine whose purpose is to make all systemic knowledge immediately computable by anyone. As of now, Wolfram|Alpha contains 10+ trillion pieces of data, 50,000+ types of algorithms and models, and linguistic capabilities for 1000+ domains.

The Example button will provide you with a sampling of the computable possibilites in 29 diverse areas, including Socioeconomic Data, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Money and Finance, Statistics and Data Analysis, Food & Nutrition, Health & Medicine and others.

Or search the free text search window, give it a try, type in a date, city name, a calculation or ask for the median wage of an accountant.

This Week in CQ Researcher

Modernizing the Grid, by Jennifer Weeks,

February 19, 2010

Is the electric power system at risk?

The U.S. electric power grid – the nationwide system of interconnected regional power systems – is a century old and under strain. Long-term power demand has grown steadily since the 1980s, but investments in transmission have lagged behind. Three major blackouts in the past decade have raised concerns about providing electricity reliably.

Federal agencies are working with utilities, manufacturers and information technology companies to develop a modernized grid that uses computers to monitor the system. Advocates say this “smart grid” will be able to generate more electricity from renewable fuels and save money for businesses and families.

The Obama administration calls the smart grid an urgent priority and is spending billions to help design it. But some experts worry that a digital grid could be vulnerable to cyberattacks or that it will violate consumers’ privacy. Others say that promoting energy conservation or building new power plants near population centers would be more effective than building new high-voltage transmission lines.

• Can a “smart grid” resist cyberattacks?
  
• Will “smart meters” help consumers?
  
• Will modernizing the grid reduce pollution?
  

To read this article and others visit our Articles and Databases webpage and click on CQ Researcher. Select the Off Campus Access link for information on how to access this resource from off campus locations.

Check It Out

And Justice For All: The United States Commission
on Civil Rights and the Continuing Struggle
for Freedom in America.
by Mary Frances Berry

Starting with its formation in 1957 by President Eisenhower, Ms. Berry examines the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights' origins, challenges, and accomplishments, particularly during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement. The Commission's public hearings, reports, and extended jurisdiction were instrumental in the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Age Discrimination Act of 1978, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Ms. Berry, who chaired the Commission for 11 years, includes some very disturbing and heart-rending testimonies from government witnesses and local people amid attacks from Southern segregationists, death threats, and fear of reprisal

Although race, particularly discrimination against blacks, was the initial focus, over time attention shifted to other minorities, as well as women, gays, and the disabled. However, in later years, Berry notes a more politically partisan slant to the commission. She recommends that the commission both refocus on its original commitment and expand its scope to both civil and human rights so that America’s compliance can be placed in the context of international human rights standards to provide some much-needed self-criticism.

Check out And Justice For All: The United States Commission
on Civil Rights and the Continuing Struggle
for Freedom in America., available now on the library's New Book Shelf.

Essay contest deadline is March 3

The deadline for the Friends of the Library essay contest is Wednesday, March 3, at 5 p.m. This is your chance to win one of two $250 prizes.

For details go to swcwhatsnew.blogspot.com for February 3.

Access Science

The recent earthquake in Haiti has brought renewed interest in the science of earthquakes. AccessScience has compiled a selection of articles and multimedia on the subject. Listen to seismologist Kaye Shedlock of NSF, see pictures of EarthScape — NSF's observatory system of the Earth's movements, and watch videos and animations.

To read and listen to Access Science resources visit our Articles and Databases webpage and click on Access Science. Select the Off Campus Access link for information on how to access this resource from off campus locations.

This Week in CQ Researcher

Sleep Deprivation by Marcia Clemmitt,
February 11, 2010

Are chronically tired people at greater health risk?



New research links sleep deprivation to a large number of automobile and other accidents. Moreover, chronically sleep-deprived people are at higher risk for poor memories, mental illnesses, obesity, cardiovascular disease and early death. Yet today’s 24/7 culture fights against the human body’s biological need for about seven hours of sleep a night.

Some people are especially sleep deprived, notably teenagers and late-shift workers such as police officers, nurses and medical residents. Meanwhile, some experts worry that overuse of sleeping medications is becoming a serious problem. Newer medications like Ambien and Lunesta are in some ways “safer” than older drugs, but they also affect brain function and sleep patterns in ways that are still not fully understood. With primary-care doctors now able to prescribe these medications because of their greater apparent safety, more people may get into trouble with sleeping pills.

• Is sleep deprivation growing more widespread?
  
  
• Is progress being made in solving the problem of sleep deprivation?
  
  
• Is sleeping pill overuse a serious problem?
  

To read this article and others visit our Articles and Databases webpage and click on CQ Researcher. Select the Off Campus Access link for information on how to access this resource from off campus locations.

Got a Question? Need an Answer?

Try our Online Reference Chat Service

Real People - Real Help - Real Fast

24 hours a day, 7 days a week


http://www.swccd.edu/~library/ask.htm

ArtStor: Roy Lichtenstein

An additional 395 images of Roy Lichtenstein's works has been made available in the ArtStor Digital Library. This third release to the collection includes high-quality images of Lichtenstein's paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture from the 1970s along with the associated cataloging records, bringing the total number of images in the Roy Lichtenstein collection to 1,172 images.

To view the Roy Lichtenstein collection, go to the ARTstor Digital Library, browse by collection, and click on "Roy Lichtenstein." Or search the keywords: lichtenstein estate.

To view ARTstor from off campus locations you need to create an ARTstor account at http://www.artstor.org/index.shtml from any computer on the Southwestern College campuses.

Check It Out

Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives

by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser

The term digital natives refer's to anyone born after 1980. With the proliferation of iPods, video games, Facebook, YouTube, and smartphones, young people today face new multimedia opportunities and new problems.

The authors John Palfrey and Urs Gasser, are lawyers who specialize in intellectual property and information issues. They also serve as envoys between the generations, addressing issues that worry parents and educators, from privacy and safety concerns to the quality of digital information, the psychological and physical effects of information overload and excessive online time, and legal and ethical issues, all the while stressing the need for digital literacy and critical thinking.

Born Digital is a thought-provoking guide to understanding the first generation of digital natives. The authors urge parents, friends, and teachers--as well as corporations and law enforcement--to begin dialogue with those "born digital." Their new world comes with advantages, problems, and challenges for individuals and society.

Check out Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives , available now on the library's New Book Shelf.

This title is also available digitally in our electronic book collection.

FOL essay contest deadline one month from today

Once again the Friends of the SWC Library are sponsoring an essay contest for currently enrolled SWC students. There will be two prizes of $250 each. The essay prompt is based on this year’s College Book, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

Here is the essay prompt:In The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch is critical of our educational system. What does he identify as a key factor? Do you agree or disagree? Support your answer from your own experience.

Please note that only original submissions that are the student's own work will be considered. Please do not research or use any sources other than The Last Lecture. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in disqualification.

Essays must be no more than three pages and submitted electronically to essaycontest@swccd.edu before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3, 2010. Late entries will not be accepted! A separate page (not counted in the three maximum) must give the student’s name, SWC ID #, email address, and telephone number. This page will be separated from the essay and a code assigned to the essay so the judges will not know the identity of the student. No identifiers (name, ID #, etc.) are to appear in the essay itself.

Prizes will be given at the Student Awards Ceremony in May.

Questions? Contact Diane Gustafson at 482-6433 or dgustafson@swccd.edu

February e-book of the Month

The Procrastinator's Guide to Getting Things Done

By Monica Ramirez Basco

Everyone waits till the last minute sometimes. But many procrastinators pay a significant price, from poor job performance to stress, financial problems, and relationship conflicts. Expressly designed for people who want to make changes but would be easily daunted by an elaborate self-help program, this guide is packed with highly practical tips and suggestions.

Author and cognitive-behavioral therapy expert Monica Ramirez Basco peppers the book with easy-to-relate-to examples from "recovering procrastinators"—including herself. Inviting quizzes, exercises, and practical suggestions help you:

• Understand why you procrastinate.
  


• Start with small changes that lead to big improvements.
  


• Outsmart your own delaying tactics.
  


• Counteract self-doubt and perfectionism.
  


• Build crucial skills for getting things done today.

The Procrastinator's Guide to Getting Things Done will be provided with free, unlimited access February 1-28, 2010.

If you have already established a NetLibrary account through Southwestern College Library, visit http://www.netlibrary.com/ and log in to read "Procrastinator's Guide to Getting Things Done" or any of our other 21,000 electronic book titles from your home, work or any other off campus location.

This Week in CQ Researcher

Professional Football
by Kenneth Jost, January 29, 2010

Is the NFL doing enough to protect players?

Football is the most popular spectator sport in the United States, and with annual revenues topping $8 billion the National Football League is the country’s wealthiest professional sports organization. But the league was on the defensive during the 2009-2010 season because of a jarring debate over its alleged indifference toward player safety and health. Medical research now indicates a connection between concussions that players routinely suffer during games and long-term brain disease, including dementia. Under pressure from the NFL Players Association, news media and Congress, the NFL is belatedly acknowledging a possible link and trying to minimize the risk to players by, among other changes, limiting a player’s return to the game after a concussion.

Despite football’s popularity, the NFL is also facing economic difficulties. Attendance sagged during the 2009-2010 season, the future of lucrative TV contracts is cloudy and the league and the players’ union start out far apart as negotiations begin for a new collective-bargaining agreement.

• Should the National Football League do more to protect players?
  
• Should the NFL do more to control crowd behavior at games?
  
• Should the NFL do more to limit “showboating” by players?

To read this article and others visit our Articles and Databases webpage and click on CQ Researcher. Select the Off Campus Access link for information on how to access this resource from off campus locations.