BEST OF THE WEB
 University of California Museum of Paleontology |
You might think that paleontology is nothing more than the study of old bones, but as this site beautifully illustrates, it is much, much more. This monumental and exceedingly rich site accomplishes nothing less than telling the story of the growth and development of life on our planet. It's a tremendous undertaking that comprises well in excess of 2,000 individual Web pages, with new pages being added almost every day.
The site offers two main tracks for exploration. You can trace the story of life by examining its phylogeny -- the organisms that together make up the family tree of life. Alternatively, your journey can follow a chronological path, using the divisions of geologic time to organize your investigation. At every turn, the site places information in context, so it's never a dull recitation of facts. There are just the right amount of photos and other graphics, many of which take you to more information, when clicked.
The site is a textbook illustration of the Web's hypertext capabilities, with links aplenty for those side trips that make surfing the net so much fun. The bottom of nearly every page includes clickable icons for the site's Web Lift feature, which functions like an express elevator to take you quickly to pages about any type of organism or any period of geologic time.
 The Nine Planets |
Explore the far-flung wonders of the solar system with this picture-filled site that is intended for a general audience. The Nine Planets assumes a strong curiosity about our nearest neighbors in the cosmos, but doesn't require a technical background. You can follow a guided tour of planetary highlights or browse among the heavenly bodies that arouse your curiosity.
There's at least one page for each significant body in the solar system, including moons, comets, and asteroids. Photos abound, including many views from the Hubble Space Telescope, and the large number of QuickTime and AVI movies qualify this as a multimedia site. Music from Holst's The Planets complements a few pages, as does the author's voice.
The latest information and theories about each object is presented in a clear and engaging style that encourages you to explore deeper and deeper into the site. Many hypertext links are sprinkled throughout the text, leading you on fascinating side trips to learn about the astronomers and spacecraft that have advanced our knowledge. Technical terms are linked to a superb glossary that itself contains hundreds of links to other parts of the site. The Nine Planets makes the solar system come alive, and its intelligent use of links should serve as a model for other sites.
 Exploratorium Home Page |
San Francisco's famed hands-on museum of science, nature, art, and technology pioneered the concept of the museum as educational center. Unlike the exhibits in a stereotypical old-style museum, the Exploratorium's displays are meant to be touched and investigated. This beautifully-crafted site brings the museum's excitement and sense of
wonder to the Web.
The starting point for your online adventure is The Learning Studio. Here you'll find the latest news from the world of science, plus online versions of some of the Exploratorium's most popular exhibits. For real hands-on fun, check the Science Snackbook, which contains instructions for making your own versions of Exploratorium exhibits for use at home or at school. Most of the snacks are fairly easy to construct, yet illustrate important scientific concepts ranging from the components of light to an experiment in resonant frequencies. The Snackbook alone makes this site a winner.
The Learning Studio offers reliable links to other science and art sites around the Web as well. This is a site is a fantastic source of ideas for teachers. It's ideal for parents and children to visit together, too. In fact, adults will likely find themselves every bit as enthralled and stimulated as younger Net surfers.
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| 4. VolcanoWorld |
Violent and unpredictable, volcanoes are among the most intriguing of nature's wonders. This site brings together both historical and current information on the topic, as well as extensive background material. You can learn how volcanoes work, where they are erupting this very minute, and see numerous pictures of volcanoes in action and the geologic aftermath of past eruptions.
| 4.(tie) Views of the Solar System |
What makes this site special is its extensive coverage of both manned and unmanned space flight. You can spend hours learning about the Apollo lunar missions and other space spectaculars. There are plenty of photos and animations, too.
| 4.(tie) WeatherNet |
This logically organized site is noteworthy for its easy access to local weather forecasts, plus an archive of weather software you can download. The response time slows noticeably during major weather events, so disable image loading in your browser when there's a hurricane or blizzard in progress.
| 7. Project Galileo |
The amazing six-billion-mile journey of the Galileo spacecraft to the planet Jupiter is chronicled at this Jet Propulsion Lab site. Great graphics and daily updates make it special. One page is actually updated every minute!
| 7.(tie) Bradford Robotic Telescope |
Armchair astronomers now have a 46-centimeter reflecting telescope at their disposal via the Web, thanks to the University of Bradford in England. After registering with the site (no charge), you submit observing jobs, and the scope decides for itself when the weather is clear, then snaps pictures of the area of the sky you've specified and lets you view the results online.
| 7.(tie) The Daily Planet |
The Daily Planet has recent news and research reports about earth science. Learn to read weather maps and make your own forecasts, find out about the earth's changing climate, and try out the Weather Visualizer, which displays almost-real-time weather forecasts and images for any region of the U.S.
| 10. ArchNet |
This virtual library for archeology from the University of Connecticut holds hundreds of links to archeology sites and servers. It should be your first stop on any Web search for information on ancient cultures and civilizations.
| 10.(tie) Comet Shoemaker-Levy (JPL) |
In the summer of 1994, the first cosmic collision ever witnessed by man occurred when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smashed into the planet Jupiter. This sites contains more than 1400 images of the event, along with commentary and analysis.
| 10.(tie) NASA Shuttle Web |
Keep current with space-shuttle science at this colorful site. The objectives and results of all 15 years worth of shuttle missions are explained, with sounds, photos, and animations providing supporting information.
| 10.(tie) Planet Science |
New Scientist magazine produces this site packed with science news, features, and commentary. News highlights are updated weekly with material from the magazine and from independent sources. Check out Strange Science for simple explanations of seemingly inexplicable phenomena.
| 10.(tie) Bad Science |
This site exists to correct commonly held scientific misconceptions, many of which are still being taught to students and propagated by the mass media. Subsections include Bad Meteorology, Bad Chemistry, and Bad Physics. If you thought you knew which way water swirls down a drain, think again!
| 15. Comet Observation Home Page |
The dirty iceballs that are comets are among the most enigmatic and beautiful objects in the solar system. A combination of solid background data and amazing photographs make this site worth your time. The site is continuously updated with new information.
| 15.(tie) Center for Mars Exploration |
Everything you might want to know about Mars research is collected at this site. There are interactive maps, descriptions of planned missions to the Red Planet, an extensive photo library, and The Martian Chronicle online newsletter.
| 15.(tie) B.E.A.M. Robot Games |
Fascinating site describes the B.E.A.M (Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics, and Mechanics) Robot Olympics. Great for learning what machine intelligence can accomplish, and how smart robots can be built from relatively simple components.
| 18. The Annals of Improbable Research |
Science takes a humorous turn at this site that examines really odd scientific research projects. You'll also find descriptions of exciting do-it-yourself projects, like the one that causes Strawberry Pop Tarts to explode in flames. Take a break and have some fun.
| 18.(tie) Comets and Meteor Showers |
You've probably seen a shooting star flash briefly across the sky on a clear summer night. This site will help you learn about these and other cosmic interlopers. Plenty of pictures and hints for observing are among the highlights here.
| 18.(tie) The Interactive Frog Dissection |
This justifiably famous Web site has recently been improved, although it's still a little slow at times. Just like in high school biology class, you're given a frog and a dissection kit. But unlike in school, the frog is a multimedia creation, and you can start over if you make a mistake. It's a superb example of online learning.
| 18.(tie) Preview the Heart |
This online tour of the human heart is not for the squeamish. Both drawings and color photos of the real thing are used to explain the organ's anatomy and function. You also learn about the circulatory system and other related structures.
| 22. AccuWeather |
Although AccuWeather is a commercial service, there's enough available free of charge to make this site very worthwhile. It features cool maps and traveler's forecasts for major cities around the world.
| 22.(tie) The Mad Scientist Network |
At this interactive site from Washington University, you can ask a question on a scientific topic and receive an answer from a qualified expert in the field. Are some breads healthier than others? Do parallel lines ever meet? The Mad Scientists have the answers.
| 22.(tie) Science Hobbyist |
If you want to do more than read about the activities of professional scientists, this site offers dozens of experiments you can perform yourself. A few of the experiments, while scientifically valid, are quite dangerous, so observe all precautions.
| 25. JPL Comet Hale-Bopp Page |
One of the brightest comets ever observed is coming soon to a sky near you. Comet Hale-Bopp will likely become visible to the unaided eye early in 1997, and it may be the brightest comet in more than 20 years. Clear explanations and numerous pictures let you keep tabs on this visitor from deepest space.
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