Not mind maps this time - I just found this wonderful collection of concept maps for science and mathematics education (K12) from The National Science Digital Library.  The grade is indicated at each stage of increasing complexity in the subject matter, and clicking on a concept description provides a series of relevant web links for more information.
Changes in the Earth’s Surface
Plate Tectonics
Weather and Climate
Solar System
Stars
Galaxies and the Universe
Gravity
Atoms and Molecules
Conservation of Matter
States of Matter
Chemical Reactions
Evidence and Reasoning in Inquiry
Scientific Investigations
Scientific Theories
Avoiding Bias in Science
Mathematical Processes
Mathematical Models
Design Constraints
Designed Systems
Laws of Motion
Waves
DNA and Inherited Characteristics
Variation in Inherited Characteristics
Biological Evolution
Natural selection
Agricultural Technology
Communication Technology
Computers
Graphic Representation
Symbolic Representation
Ratios and Proportionality
Describing Change
Interaction of Technology and Society
Decisions about Using Technology
Flow of Energy in Ecosystems
Flow of Matter in Ecosystems
Cell Functions
Cells and Organs
Disease
Maintaining Good Health
Coping With Mental Distress
Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders
Influences on Social Change
Social Decisions
Heredity and Experience Shape Behavior
Culture Affects Behavior
Averages and Comparisons
Correlation
Statistical Reasoning
Systems
Manufacturing
Health Technology

The one child policy in China has resulted in a deficit of one hundred million women. A different ‘one boy’ policy would have saved millions of lives, and provided a balanced and declining population.

Where election candidates are within less than five per cent of each other in votes, each should serve half the term. In the most recent Mexican presidential election, the difference was 0.56 per cent.  

Not my ideas (I wish …) but Edward de Bono’s.  De Bono, originator of lateral thinking, co-opetition, Six Thinking Hats, the CoRT method for teaching thinking to children, has just announced:

The World Council For New Thinking.  More information at the snappily-named domain  http://www.worldcouncilfornewthinking.org

A new Beta version of Topicscape Pro, version 1.5 Beta, is now on-line.  You’ll need an account, which you will have if you have a full license or are a Beta User.  This is the second Beta release of Topicscape PE Pro and will be a free upgrade to all Topicscape 1.0 or Pro full license holders.  (More about applying for Beta User status at the end of this post).

An expired trial of Topicscape on your PC will not stop this Beta from running.  The Beta will expire on 30th April, but we shall either release a full version then, or release a new Beta with a later expiry date.

Here are some of the new things that the new Beta 1.5 does:

• Exports your 3D mindmaps to FreeMind and imports FreeMind files to make 3D mindmaps.

• Support thumb-drives / USB flash drives.

• Starts more quickly.

• Lets you capture knowledge in 3D concept maps using Association types to label links between topics.

• Supports rich text descriptions for topics.  2000 characters of plain text descriptions for topics or occurrences.

• Options to see a topic’s contents from the ‘Scape scene.

• Option to see loose associations more conveniently.

• Optionally uses your Google Desktop indexes for better file-content searching.

• Shows history of search terms used.

• Immediately jumps to the result if a search finds only one hit.

• Flags occurrences with color, or as ‘Finished with’ and search with these as criteria.

• See the “flagged” color of occurrences and topics in various lists for faster recognition.

• Shows just flagged topics in the ‘Scape if F6 is pressed.

• Toggles Quickzoom on and off, and fly while zoomed using CapsLock.

• Provides a new shortcut for leaving the Topic Center (double-left click on cone wall).

• ‘Tab’ around the topic in the ‘Scape.End, Shift+End, Page Up, etc., now work better.

• New shortcuts to make topics and occurrences.

• Can inform if a file dropped on the new “Duplicate?” panel is already in that Topicscape.

• Can merge topics.

• Offers to merge a topic and a folder with the same name when dropping the folder into Topicscape. 

Here’s the link for more about the new features and how to use them

And here’s the link for applications for Beta Users - we need some information about your PC to help us handle any bug reports.  If you apply, you will want to know this: We will only use your email address for the adminstration of the Beta tests and to inform you about new versions of Topicscape.  We will not pass the information to anyone else.  You can ask to be removed from our database at any time.

It’s hard to keep up with the on-line tools appearing to help those of us who often like to do our thinking in a visual workspace. 

Kayuda
Today Kayuda (http://www.Kayuda.com) popped up.  This is a concept mapping tool rather than one for mindmapping and describes itself as a visual wiki. It does call itself a mind-mapping tool but not having any center, mindmappers would probably disagree.  It’s in public alpha (there’s confidence for you!).

Online info mapping is becoming a lively and interesting space now. 

Bubbl.us
First there was Bubbl.us - basic bubble-diagrams (http://bubbl.us).  Watch the spelling!  I caught myself several times with bubble.us and reported certificate problems here.  Apologies to bubbl.us.

Mindomo.com
Next came Mindomo.com (http://www.mindomo.com), a site from Romania which gives an interesting on-line mindmapping experience.

Mindmeister.com
Then we had Mindmeister (http://www.mindmeister.com), from Germany and this seems to be the slickest and most complete, especially as it is still in private Beta and releasing new features periodically.  Sign up for their newsletter and you may get an invitation to the Beta.

I said “First there was Bubbl.us” but in fact long ago there was Mayomi.  It seems to have died now - its web page is a kind of open source advertising portal.

Roy

 Updated 03/19/2007:  Corrected mis-types in two URLs. 

MSN changed their search engine results page today.  As a result TopicCrunch could not process searches correctly.  We have fixed this and a new version is now online. 

All purchasers (and trial users whose installation has not expired) should download this and install it.  The link is here:

http://www.topicscape.com/TopicCrunch/download-topiccrunch.php 

Roy