The Next Information Age

Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence
Initiative Gets Increased NSF Support
NSF is proposing an additional $78 million in fiscal 1999 for its Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence (KDI), a wide-ranging effort to discover, collect, represent, transmit and apply information in revolutionary ways. KDI research will allow the study of vastly more complex systems than was formerly possible and provides a base for rapid advances in the understanding of learning and intelligent behavior in living and engineered systems.    More...

NSF Approves 29 New Connections to High-Performance Computer Network
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently announced that 29 additional institutions will be connected to the very high performance Backbone Network Service (vBNS), allowing scientists and engineers across the country to collaborate and share powerful computing and information resources. This latest round of connections brings the total number of institutions approved for connections to 92. The vBNS is a crucial player in the president's Next Generation Internet and is the initial interconnect for Internet2 member institutions.    More...

Scientists Seek First Glimpse of Solar
Features During February 26 Solar Eclipse
Scientists from several research institutes will aim new detectors at the sun's corona during the February 26 solar eclipse, searching for structures they've never before observed. The researchers are funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and are from several research institutes, including the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. This eclipse, which takes place in totality over the Caribbean, promises to be one of the most heavily studied in recent history.    More...

"Statement by NSF Director Neal Lane On
U.S. 12th Graders' Math and Science Performance"
The news is not good regarding the performance of U.S. 12th graders in math and science in the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). But when we ask a scientific question or measure an educational result, we are seeking facts. The fact is that we still have a long way to go to reach world leadership in K-12 math and science education. This news, though unwelcome, is instructive.    More...