News & Blog

The UCF Libraries subscribes to Physics Today, the flagship publication of the American Institute of Physics. This publication is the most influential and closely followed physics magazine in the world. Here are just some of the featured stories for this week:

A nonlinear look at music
Physics Update: Recorded music and other time series carry information on small and large scales. A new hierarchical analysis can help make sense of it all.
—Richard J. Fitzgerald

Science and journalism revisit the attribution of extreme weather to climate change
Science and the Media: Scientists report improved understanding: Attribution science now “brings climate change to our doorsteps.”
—Steven T. Corneliussen

Belgium drops request for US bomb-grade uranium
Politics and Policy: To reduce the risk of the material falling into terrorist hands, a US company will convert the uranium to fuel for Belgium’s research reactor.
—David Kramer

Want details about the presidential candidates and upcoming elections? Check out our Elections and Florida Elections guides, the Library of Congress Election Stats guide, or try Google’s recently updated search option, provided in conjunction with the Center for Responsive Politics, to see more about presidential elections and campaign finance.

Find more election/campaign resources at the following sites – or ask your librarian …

• Campaign Finance Disclosure Portal
• Elections: Fact Checking
• Open Secrets
• Opinion Polls
• Public Agenda
• Supervisor of Elections, Orange County, FL

(Image used above is “Creative Commons Vote image” by Theresa Thompson is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

Kanopy has recently added some great new films to its video streaming. New titles include Malala – Shot for Going to School, Chasing Bonnie & Clyde: When Texas Gets Smart on Crime, and A Requiem for Syrian Refugees. To browse more titles visit Kanopy’s website here.

One of UCF’s most interesting electronic resources is CQ Researcher. Its readable reports on political, economic, health, human rights, and many other topics always include a pro-con section, and key statistics, along with a timeline. CQ‘s most recent report on virtual reality is no different: did you know that reality-based game sales will hit $12 billion in 2018, or that the chronology for virtual reality begins in 1838? Click on databases on the Libraries’ front page to search for CQ Researcher and select it from the list of databases beginning with “C”. If you can’t think of a topic for a paper or research project, this is a great place to start!

Learn French with our newest resource: Mango Languages!

Content Includes

• Over 60 languages–Arabic to Yiddish
• English for Non-Speakers for 17 languages
• Special thematic & cultural modules, e.g., legal & medical Spanish, Brazilian & Spanish soccer, Oktoberfest German
• Film-based learning for Mandarin Chinese, English for Spanish Speakers, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Latin American Spanish

Features

• Online web-based platform with no downloads or installations needed
• Off-line access by downloading lessons to app on your mobile device
• Learn through conversations with memory building exercises
• Goal-based learning: conversational & grammar goals
• Cultural & grammar insights sprinkled into lessons
• Interactive words & phrases with semantic color mapping
• Pronunciation helpers with phonetic popups & audio
• Record your speech & compare it to audio from a native speaker

Students, Faculty, and Staff can create free accounts to track progress.

Ask Us if you need help!