Friday 28 February 2014

Calling scientists: send your experiment out of this world

Calling scientists: send your experiment out of this world

ESA is selecting new experiments to float in microgravity, 400 km above
the planet on the International Space. Sounds out of your reach? Submit
an exciting science proposal and your experiment could be on the orbital
complex as early as 2016.

National Biodiversity Data Centre

National Biodiversity Data Centre

 The National Biodiversity Data Centre is a national organisation for the
collection, collation, management, analysis and dissemination of data
on Ireland's biological diversity. Biodiversity data are a key
requirement for understanding our natural surroundings, for tracking
change in our environment and for gaining a greater insight on how we
benefit from, and impact upon, the ecosystem goods and services provided
by biological diversity.

Monday 24 February 2014

Scientists say zircon gem discovered in rock in Australia is 4.4 billion years old

Crystal found on ranch confirmed as oldest piece of Earth

A 4.4 billion-year-old zircon crystal from the Jack Hills region of Australia. Now confirmed to be the oldest bit of the Earth’s crust, it is providing new insight into how the early Earth cooled from a ball of magma and formed continents just 160 million years after the formation of our solar system.

Tuesday 18 February 2014

PolarPortal:Daily updates on surface temperatures, glacier movements and the mass balance.

Home: PolarPortal

The Danish Arctic research institutions present updated knowledge on the condition of two major components of the Arctic: The Greenland Ice Sheet and the sea ice. Daily updates on surface temperatures, glacier movements and the mass balance of the Greenland Ice Sheet and reports on the extent of sea ice and temperatures in the Arctic Ocea.

Friday 14 February 2014

World Bank Climate Change Report

Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts, and the Case for Resilience

In the report launched in June 2013, scientists look at the likely impacts on three vulnerable regions if the world continues on its current trajectory and warms by 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial times by mid-century and continues to become 4°C warmer by 2100.  

Wednesday 12 February 2014

IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2013 Report

IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis, is the contribution of Working Group I (WGI) to the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This comprehensive assessment of the physical aspects of climate change puts a focus on those elements that are relevant to understand past, document current and project future climate change. The assessment builds on the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report (AR4)1 and the recent Special Report on Managing the Risk of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX)2 and is presented in 14 chapters and 3annexes.

Monday 10 February 2014

State of the Climate: Extreme Events mapped by year

State of the Climate: Extreme Events | NOAA Climate.gov

Climate scientists keep careful records of extreme events around the world to understand the type of climate hazards that different parts of the world are vulnerable to and whether those events are becoming more frequent or intense over time. From devastating cyclones to crippling drought, this map highlights the events that climate scientists from around the world have concluded should go down in the record books as the year's most significant. The map is an interactive version of the map compiled each year for the annual State of the Climate Report,edited by NOAA National Climatic Data Center scientists and published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society.

Massive open online courses:changing how we learn online

Moocs: changing how we learn online

The Mooc concept – which involves universities putting short courses online and inviting anyone in the world to sign up for free – took off in the US a couple of years ago and has attracted millions of learners worldwide.

Friday 7 February 2014

Academic Database Assessment Tool

Compare Databases | Academic Database Assessment Tool

This is a useful tool to compare journal title coverage and overlaps, check two databases of interest, and submit your selection. For example you might want to see which is more useful Scopus or Web of Science !

The Academic Database Assessment Tool (ADAT) was designed to help
libraries make informed decisions about investments in major
bibliographic and full-text databases. It allows users to compare
database title holdings, as well as key features of database and eBook
content platforms.

Monday 3 February 2014

WorldWideScience Search Engine

WorldWideScience

WorldWideScience.org is a global science gateway comprised of national and international scientific databases and portals. WorldWideScience.org accelerates scientific discovery and progress by providing one-stop searching of databases from around the world.

All-Island Research Observatory (Ireland)

All-Island Research Observatory | An TIonad Breathnaithe um Thaighde Uile-Éireann

The All-Island Research Observatory (AIRO) is a research unit and spatial data portal focused on improving evidence informed planning in Ireland.

AIRO collects, analyses and provides evidence and tools to support better planning and decision making. The key strengths behind the AIRO team are mapping, data analytics and visualisation, policy advice, research and training.

AIRO actively works to maximise the usage and benefit of publicly funded and readily available datasets in Ireland as well as highlighting the benefits of proper collection, management and dissemination of datasets across different organisations.

World University Rankings 2023

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023 include 1,799 universities across 104 countries and regions, making them the lar...