One of the most controversial theories to emerge from 20 th century science was proposed in 1968 by Rupert Sheldrake, a former Cambridge University theoretical biologist who has become a metaphysics and fringe science specialist. His "morphogenic fields" hypothesis --which says every living thing contributes its experience to a collective "memory pool"-- provoked the ire of colleagues worldwide.

According to Sheldrake, humans share a bond of interconnection with all other living things. That's why pet owners believe their companion animals are psychic --- they are psychic, or at least so attuned to your thoughts that they seem psychic, Sheldrake says. And it's why people believe they can tell when someone is staring at them. He claims his studies prove humans have a built-in stare-sentry that warns if undue attention is directed our way --- even if the "watcher" is a video camera.

But, is his theory valid?

Find out for yourself by visiting Sheldrake's Home Page --- and be sure to click the site's What's New button to pull up the "Stare Struck" article where you can tap a hotlink to learn more about Sheldrake *and* download your own stare-effect experiment materials.

--Peggy Noonan

The amazing abundance of beauty and biodiversity in North America might seem too vast to be threatened by any environmental dangers but we've already lost more than 50 percent of wetlands in the USA and 90 percent of old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest, according to World Wildlife Foundation scientists.

At the WWF's Living Legacy site, you can learn more about North America's resources: Check "Science and Maps" to view graphics showing the type and location of resources, endangered areas and conservation sites. Or pick "Top Ten Coolest Places You've Never Seen" to tour Western Canada's Queen Charlotte Islands, home of 1,000-year-old hemlocks and giant black bears, or California's Camp Pendleton, not only a US Marine Corps Base but also one of only five examples of Mediterranean scrublands in the world. This proactive site even gives you a chance to be political: Just fill in the blanks and have the WWF fax or email a letter from you to Bill Clinton and other folks deciding environmental policy from on high.

--Peggy Noonan