Learn node: Valkyrie, the July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler

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Posted on 30th December 2008 by Judy Breck in biography | history

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This learn node connects to six excellent online sources for learning about the July 20, 1944 plot to assassinated Hitler. The learn node was stimulated by the movie Valkyrie, which is based on the actual people and events of the plot. The internet is a new way, in the 21st century, to quickly assemble information about events from virtually any place and any time. If your interest is aroused by seeing the movie — or are teaching or learning about the Nazi resistance — the following links will fill in the facts and characters.

There is a Claus von Stauffenberg biography at the Jewish Virtual Library and a book available at Amazon.com (in German) about Claus von Stauffenberg’s wife Nina Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg. The Wikipedia article on Claus von Stauffenberg is one of several subjects related to July 20, 1944 plot that are covered in Wikipedia. A BBC feature describes the events of July 20, 1944: Hitler survives assassination attempt. A BBC report at the time of the 60th anniversary memorial of the attempt to assassinate Hitler, recalls the events and persons involved. And, of course, the homepage of the movie Valkyrie, about the assassination plot provides dramatization of the places and times of the German resistance to Hitler and of the plot itself.


Learn Node: Electoral College process, history, problems, and opinions

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Posted on 18th December 2008 by Judy Breck in history

This learn node clusters official, expert, and historical sources online that explain and explore the Electoral College process, history, problems, and opinions.

The National Archives provides a collection of Electoral College information for students, teachers, state officials, and interested citizens. From Professor Doug Linder’s series exploring Constitutional Law, is his extensive section Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: Should the Electoral College be abolished or modified? The Harper’s Weekly pages about Hayes vs. Tilden 1876-1877 include contemporary text and cartoons. From the Library of Congress is a Presidential Elections and the Electoral College collection relating to the Electoral College. History.com provides an overview of the origins and history of the Electoral College. As background for the establishment of the Electoral College, from Tufts University there is A New Nation Votes, a searchable collection of election returns from the earliest years of American democracy.

Learn node: Light echoes Tycho’s supernova that Brahe saw in 1572

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Posted on 4th December 2008 by Judy Breck in astronomy | biography | general science | history | sciences

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This learn node is about Tycho’s supernova that Brahe saw Nov. 11, 1572. As Yahoo! News reports, Brahe was astonished to see what he thought was a brilliant new star in the constellation Cassiopeia. The light eventually became as bright as Venus and could be seen for two weeks in broad daylight. After 16 months, it disappeared.

BBC reports the 2008 discovery by Max Planck Institute scientists, using telescopes in Hawaii and Spain to capture faint light echoes of the original explosion — in effect capturing a fossil imprint of Tycho’s famous supernova. Wikipedia’s excellent article on Tycho’s Supernova for more background. NASA’s dictionary defines supernova and other relevant terms. The Galileo Project has a fine biography of Tycho Brahe. MIT’s open courseware offers instruction on the Plasma Physics that is a major focus for Tycho’s supernova.

Animated learn node: new technology explains dolphin kick power

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Posted on 1st December 2008 by Judy Breck in about learn nodes | animals | biography | biology | engineering | general science | math | mechanics | sciences

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This learn node is centered in the 2008 discovery at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of how the dolphin kicks with huge power — something that has been a mystery called Gray’s Paradox. Six nodes emerge from the open internet in this animation, providing connected places to learn about dolphins and their power kick.

The center node takes you to the work of Timothy Wei, professor and acting dean of Rensselaer’s School of Engineering, to see how he has solved Gray’s Paradox using his new state-of-the-art water flow diagnostic technology — Digital Particle Image Velocimetry DPIV — that measures the force a dolphin generates with its tail. Other nodes are about DPIV, how the US Navy trains dolphins (a retired Navy dolphin stars in the Rensselear video), general dolphin information (from the San Diego Zoo), and open courseware from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine on marine mammal medicine including care of dolphins, who are cetaceans.