Science & Technology Almanac

The Science & Technology Almanac 2002 links the year’s current news to encyclopedic and almanac-style information on science and technology. This combination of news stories and reference material in one volume allows readers to investigate current news, encyclopedic content, and historical information in a completely integrated way. A user can conduct further research on details discussed in the news items simply by referring to a related part of the almanac.

A good example can be seen in the story about the threat of future earthquakes in India in the Earth Science news section. After reading the article, which describes the shifting plate tectonics of the region and the devastating Bhuj earthquake that occurred in January 2001, users can investigate related material found in the Earth Science reference section immediately following the news section. They will find information on continental drift and plate tectonics, including an illustration depicting continental drift over the past 245 million years, as well as an extensive section on earthquakes, including an overview on earthquakes, definitions of the different types of fault lines and elastic waves, a table comparing the Richter and Mercalli scales that are used to measure earthquakes, and tables listing the largest recorded earthquakes in history—both worldwide and in the United States. This year’s almanac also features a completely updated table covering the major earthquakes of 2001, including the one in India, with information about each earthquakes date, Richter measurement, and casualties and damage.

This edition of the almanac is completely updated, offering revised statistical tables, updated facts and figures, and full news coverage from October 1, 2000, to December 31, 2001. A new calendar of events has been included and the extensive directory has been updated completely.

The structure of this edition is the same as that the first three. The first section, Discipline by Discipline, presents concise reports of the past year’s prominent news stories, together with comprehensive reference sections that include basic facts, figures, statistics, and concepts in Astronomy & Space, Chemistry, Computers & Internet, Earth Sciences, Environment, Health & Medicine, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Meteorology & the Weather, Physics, and Technology

The Discipline by Discipline section is followed by a review of important topics in Science, Technology, & Society (STS), including controversial issues raised by the year’s events and trends, and a roundup of important government regulations in the sci-tech arena. The STS section ends with a wrapup of new media published and produced during the year.

Following the STS material is People & Prizes, which presents obituaries of major figures in all sci-tech disciplines who have died in the past year, as well as concise dictionary-style biographies of over 250 people throughout history who have had an impact in the scitech arena. It also includes information on current and past science and technology award winners.

Science & Technology Around the World includes concise statistical portraits of all countries in the world, along with regional comparisons of similar data. This is followed by the History of Science & Technology section, which includes a chronology and list of inventions and discoveries.

The book is rounded out by appendices, including a calendar of science-related events and meetings and a comprehensive directory. A glossary, a bibliography, and a full name, place, and concept index follow the appendices.

As an almanac, the book will be updated every year. Each new edition will feature prominent news stories from the past year together with updated facts, figures, and statistical reference material, a new STS section, reports on all new prizes and new media for the year, updated directory information, and a new calendar of events.

All material is current as of December 31, 2001. However, when events following the December deadline affected major news stories, we provided an editor’s note at the end of the story summarizing those developments. In an effort to get the book published more quickly, we may have missed some material that occurred after our deadlines. Finally, as with all books covering a vast amount of detailed information, mistakes and omissions may have occurred. We apologize in advance for any that may appear here and welcome readers’ comments, suggestions, and corrections.

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