briefs

(U-WIRE) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Traumatizing experiences in science labs may no longer be… (U-WIRE) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Traumatizing experiences in science labs may no longer be necessary thanks to a recent breakthrough in Japan. Scientists produced pale-skinned frogs whose internal organs are completely visible.

The “transparent” frog is the result of a carefully bred recessive mutation and will enable studies of internal development from tadpole to maturity. If the use of transparent frogs is successful, it could significantly cut down on the number of dissections necessary for research.

More humane research is a common concern in the realm of scientific controversy.

“Over the years it has become evident that students are uncomfortable with it, so we have basically phased out the dissection of frogs in the classroom,” Fred Delcomyn, director of Integrated Biology [at the University of Illinois], said.

The Japanese team hopes the clear-skinned amphibians will be useful in research settings. Studies of the progression of diseases, such as cancer, in the frog could lead to new developments. Breakthroughs in chemical and toxin understanding could also be on the horizon. – Hannah Hess, Daily Illini

(U-WIRE) MEDFORD, Mass. – You’ve purchased fair trade coffee, committed to buying only sweatshop-free clothing and offset your carbon emissions on your last flight home. But according to one new organization, social responsibility is about to reach a new market as well: the personal computer.

Starting Nov. 12, the One Laptop Per Child organization will launch “Give 1, Get 1,” a program that will allow U.S. consumers to purchase their very own XO laptop, the famed $100-laptop previously restricted to mass orders placed by foreign governments in developing countries.

American buyers will pay $400, four times the $100 price tag the computers carry for foreign governments, and receive their own XO laptop, while also paying for a second laptop to be sent to a child in the developing world.

The idea, according to Tufts University professor of computer science Robert Jacob, is to accelerate development in poor countries by giving people there access to simple technology that many Americans grow up with.

The XO is designed to work as a learning tool in every environment, but it is specifically designed, with extreme durability and a long-lasting battery, for use within the developing world. – Jacob Eaton, Tufts Daily

(U-WIRE) PHILADELPHIA – Ithaca College professor Cyndy Scheibe wanted to use cover images from Newsweek magazine to create teaching materials. The magazine told her she could, but only if she paid photographers for the photos and asked the people in the pictures for their permission.

It proved a daunting task. Not only were the fees sizable, but the cover subject was Osama bin Laden – no one knew where to find him.

Stories like Scheibe’s are the backbone of a new study by [Temple University] professor Renee Hobbs, who worked with professors at American University in Washington, D.C., to examine how copyright law affects the quality of an instructor’s teaching.

Released in September, the findings showed many educators did not know how the law – specifically, the fair use doctrine – permitted them to use copyrighted material in lessons. As a result, the educators were less innovative in teaching and avoided using technology in their curricula.

Incorporated into the Copyright Act of 1976, the fair use doctrine provides four guidelines for educators using copyrighted material in the classroom. Together, the rules provide a base for determining whether or not use of copyright material is protected. Violations can result in hefty fines and lawsuits.

Hobbs said interviewees most frequently questioned whether they could legally integrate photocopied news articles, web downloads or music recordings into their lessons.

To further complicate matters, the study revealed that different schools operate under a wide range of interpretations. – Benae Mosby, Temple News