For referencing in Wikipedia, see Citing sources.

In general, a reference is something that refers to or designates something else, or acts as a connection or a link between two things. The objects it links may be concrete, such as books or locations, or abstract, such as data, thoughts, or memories. The object which is named by a reference, or to which the reference points, is the referent.

The term reference is used with different specialized meanings in a variety of fields, as follows:

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Library of Congress: What's New in Science Reference

New Everyday Mystery: How does a stone "skip" across water?
When skipping stones spin, speed, shape and angle are the crucial factors, with angle being the most important.
New Everyday Mystery: How does a stone “skip” across water?
When skipping stones spin, speed, shape and angle are the crucial factors, with angle being the most important.
New LC Science Tracer Bullet: Science Education
Science matters. Almost no one disagrees. Agreement on how science is taught, the curriculum designed, the method used, and the measure of literacy achieved is quite another matter. Almost everyone has an opinion or suggestion. This compilation provides references and resources that highlight methods, curricula, standards, and strategies that promote learning in the nation’s elementary, middle, and secondary schools. Many of the books and resources list activities and projects designed to engage and capture the imagination of the K-12 student. Some provide incentives and novel ideas for science teachers, methods of integrating standards into the classroom, or new ways of making connections between mathematics and science, looking at physics, or exploring the environment. Other materials seek to inspire and enthuse both teacher and student, to encourage further study and/or careers in the sciences, or to advance science literacy through the school into the community.
Upcoming Lecture: Avoiding the Fate of the Mayans
The Maya civilization, at its peak, was one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world. But after flourishing for a thousand years, it abruptly disappeared. Thanks to Landsat satellite data and climate models, NASA archaeologist Tom Sever has gained insights into the event known as the Maya Collapse. His findings can inform our lives today. Sever will present a lecture at the Library of Congress titled "Avoiding the Fate of the Mayans" at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6, in the Mary Pickford Theater on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. Press contact: Donna Urschel (202) 707-1639 Public contact: Science, Technology and Business Division (202) 707-5664
New Science Reference Guide: Earth Day
A guide to online resources produced by the Science Reference Section of the Library of Congress as well as relevant sites from other organizations.
New LC Science Tracer Bullet: Time
Before the development of modern science, and for most of human existence, time was perceived as a circle or spiral; a cyclical pattern of renewal and rebirth. More familiar to us now is the Western tradition of linear time, a forward moving direction, a flow that represents a line between the past and the future implicit with the idea of progress. As the discoveries of evolution have come to underpin most of modern science so the "arrow of time" has become a given in our collective consciousness. You can'tt see it or smell or taste it or hear it, yet it is of the physical world. We witness evidence of time all around in death and decay. Yet perception of time is largely a human phenomenon and certainly we are the only creatures who measure it, apply tools to it, and create tools to use it. Time is an aspect of the natural world and the characteristics of physical time are determined by the processes of the physical world. It is the essence of cosmology, astronomy, and physics but is equally important in the disciplines of biology and geology. Certainly it is critical to modern technology. The precision of its measurement drives our daily lives. As Tolkien wrote in The Hobbit, it is "This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town And beats high mountain down." From Newtonian to Einsteinian physics and quantum mechanics to thermodynamics and satellite communications, time is of the essence to virtually all scientific disciplines. This bibliographic guide attempts to present a selection of works across the sciences, and is not intended as a comprehensive bibliography, but is designed -- as the name Tracer Bullet implies -- to put the reader "on target."

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