Matters of Public Concern

• Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease - Health Advisory
  The Health Protection Branch of Health Canada has issued an advisory concerning recent reports of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in Canadian blood donors and the subsequent voluntary withdrawal of a number of biological products, derived from the blood of these donors, from the Canadian market.
• Information Concerning BSE for the Scientific World
  This UK site attempts to spread data needed to understand bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE, or "Mad Cow Disease"]. The pages also contain information for anyone not used to the heavy science, such as Definitions of terms, Biology of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, History of BSE, Research into BSE, Action of the UK Government, and World reaction to BSE.
• Molecular Genetics of Human Prion Diseases in Germany
  Abstract of a paper dealing with transmissible, neurodegenerative illnesses such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS).
• Neurosciences on the Internet
  Contains a searchable index of neuroscience resources available on the World Wide Web and other parts of the Internet. Neurobiology, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, psychology, cognitive science sites and information on human neurological diseases are covered.
• Parenchymal Infections: Prions
  Scrapie is a chronic disease of sheep which is transmitted by a filterable particle that is resistant to heat and formalin fixation. The human disease kuru, which is also caused by a filterable particle, is found in the Fore speaking people of New Guinea. The disease is perpetuated through the practice of cannibalism. These people eat the bodies of their own dead. Because only the women and children eat the brains, kuru is usually not found in the adult male population. Having discovered the relationship between cannibalism and kuru, the practice of cannibalism has been stopped and the incidence of the disease has abated. Kuru has a slow onset and is manifested by cerebellar signs and shaking ataxia. Death occurs with 18 to 24 months. Until recently, the infective agents of kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, and scrapie in sheep were presumed to be slow, latent viruses. The latest hypothesis is that these diseases are caused by prions. Prions are composed of protein and are much smaller than viruses.
• RebPage - The Brain in Health Disease
  A site that helps you to keep up with recent developments in the understanding, treatment and diagnosis of brain disorders. Its focus will be to look for the principles underlying brain dysfunction, to promote the use of this knowledge in clinical applications, and to inform patients, their family, physicians and other people about improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of any brain disorder.
• The Prion Diseases
  Prions, once dismissed as an impossibility, have now gained wide recognition as extraordinary agents that cause a number of infectious, genetic and spontaneous disorders. This excellent, yet comprehensive review paper by the discoverer of prions explains the mechanism of action of these stealth infectious agents.

Chemistry and Climate

• Atmospheric Ozone
  "Wrapped around the Earth is the atmosphere, which has evolved over the course of billions of years. Without this protective blanket, life as we know it would be impossible. The thickness of the atmosphere, though, is in proportion to the thickness of the skin on an apple, and it is more fragile than we would like to imagine."
• Ozone 1995 , or Ozonläget under 1995
  A page by Weine Josefsson of SMHI, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, discussing ozone depletion and future impacts of a thinner atmospheric ozone layer. The page in English is still in the works.
• Ozone Depletion FAQ
  Index of /text/faq/usenet/ozone-depletion/
• The Ultraviolet Forecast
  NOAA/EPA UV Index Forecast by the Climate Analysis Center, National Weather Service, Washington DC, USA. An explanation of what the UV index means can be found in the USA Today Weather Pages.
• Volcanoes and Global Climate Change
  "Volcanic eruptions are thought to be responsible for the global cooling that has been observed for a few years after a major eruption. The amount and global extent of the cooling depend on the force of the eruption and, possibly, its latitude. When large masses of gases from the eruption reach the stratosphere, they can produce a large, widespread cooling effect."

Ethics in Science

• Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's ELSI Project
  "Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's ELSI (Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues) in Science program is a pilot project designed to stimulate discussions on the implications of selected areas of scientific research. These modules probably will be most useful to educators and students at the middle school level. However, older students may benefit from some of the information as well."

Nuclear Energy & Science in Warfare

• Nuclear Information World Wide Web Server
  
• Nuclear Weapons Archive
  "The purpose of this archive is to disspell some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings about the physics and effects of high energy explosive devices, and hopefully encourage public discussion about these matters."
• Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
  Provides information on the Chemical Weapons Convention but also on other issues relating to toxic chemicals and chemical protection.
• Todd's Atomic Home Page
  This page contains a "personal collection of references to all things nuclear".
• Unofficial Integral Fast Reactor Home Page
  "When the IFR project was on the verge of unparalleled success in nuclear fuel recycling, our shortsighted Congress decided to shut it down."
• US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Home Page
  "The primary mission of the NRC is to ensure that public health and safety are protected in the many different peaceful uses of nuclear energy."

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