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For more information on these science news and feature story tips, please contact the public information officer at the end of each item at (703) 292-8070. Editor: Amber Jones Contents of this News Tip:
PBS Airs Series on Digital Divide as NSF Gears up to Address ItThe “digital divide,” the unequal spread of technology in American society, and its effects on youth are the topics of a series that premieres on PBS nationwide Friday, January 28, 2000. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the digital divide existed primarily in classrooms, and the issue centered on differences between affluent and under-funded school districts. But in the year 2000, the digital divide has permeated society at large and involves much more than computers in schools, says C. Dianne Martin, director of the computer science program in the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education. “Both children and adults who don't have Internet access now are potentially shut out from educational opportunities, job opportunities and valuable information about health, benefits, legal services, finances, politics and other areas important to being an informed citizen,” Martin says. “Today, more than ever, information is power, and those who don't have equal information access are quickly disempowered. The faster the technology moves, the greater the gap and the greater the disempowerment.” Martin says NSF's proposed National Science Digital Library has the potential to make high-quality science, math, engineering and technology education available across the Internet at a low cost, making it a key step toward addressing the digital divide. [Charles Drum] For more information:
Algal Food Quality, Not Quantity, Critical Factor in Healthy Lake EcosystemsResearchers funded by NSF say that an essential fatty acid in phytoplankton (tiny drifting plants) appears to be a major factor in growing robust communities of the small aquatic animals that keep fish populations thriving and water clear in lake ecosystems. The critical link in freshwater and marine food chains is often the one between tiny plants and animals (phytoplankton and zooplankton), according to Charles Goldman of the University of California at Davis and Michael Brett of the University of Washington in Seattle. Their research indicates that phytoplankton with high concentrations of the fatty acid omega-3 support much higher zooplankton growth rates, even if the overall amount of phytoplankton is relatively low. “Phytoplankton that are more nutritious can have a major impact on the overall food web,” explains Brett. “What this study shows is that the rate at which zooplankton ‘convert’ phytoplankton to zooplankton depends on the supply of this class of essential fatty acids.” The information may be important in enhancing the success of lake restoration efforts, he says, and provide a new tool for fisheries managers. [Cheryl Dybas] ‘Electronic Data Interchange’ to Speed NSF TransactionsIn December, NSF received its first grant proposal in Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) format. EDI is a computer-to computer data exchange system chartered through the American National Standards Institute. Some major universities recently began using EDI for their business operations. “Currently, FastLane is NSF’s primary Web-based link with universities for grants submissions and processing. While it is effective, large universities have indicated to us a preference for a more direct link between their internal grants database systems and federal agencies through direct computer-to-computer information exchange,” says Gerald Stuck, NSF’s deputy director for information systems. “EDI will allow universities to send and receive transactions in an almost ‘black box’ approach with little human intervention.” Acceptance of EDI will enhance NSF’s redesign and streamlining of its business transactions. The foundation is moving toward a fully integrated electronic, paperless proposal and awards system by October 2000. [Bill Noxon] For more information, see: http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov
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