Google Earth science

Abstract

Google Earth has made a wealth of aerial imagery available online at no cost to users. We examine some of the potential uses of that data in illustrating basic physics and astronomy, such as finding the local magnetic declination, using landmarks such as the Washington Monument and Luxor Obelisk as gnomons, and showing how airport runways get their numbers. Close inspection of the images provided by Google Earth reveals that most of them are actually obtained via camera-equipped planes rather than satellites.

Twenty years of exceptional success: The molecular education and research consortium in undergraduate computational chemistry (MERCURY)

“…Padgett left the consortium, Gao ( Central State ) rejoined, and Kelly Anderson ( Roanoke College , physical), Aimée Tomlinson ( North Georgia College , physical), and Sudeep Bhattacharyay and Jim Phillips ( University of Wisconsin‐Eau Claire , biophysical and physical) joined, bringing the total to 17 MERCURY investigators. We published 79 peer‐reviewed papers, [ 159–237 ] or 1.5 papers/faculty/year, which is three times the rate for physical science faculty at undergraduate institutions. [ 46 ] The Shields group's collaboration with Brooks Pate resulted in a Science paper on the structures and energetics of the gas‐phase water hexamer, [ 160 ] which has been cited over 250 times.…”