Everything you ever wanted to know about bubbles is right here at Professor Bubbles' Official Bubbles Homepage, a tribute to those ethereal and short-lived wonders of natural art. From the Bubblesphere's opening screen, click on the moving bubbles image to bring up a menu of bubble info options. Start with the Bubble FAQ to learn the secrets of bubbles --- why does a transparent bubble have color? Why can't you make a square bubble? Why do bubbles pop? There's a "Bubble Tools" menu to show you how to create bubbles using a clothes hanger, tin can or your bare hands. You'll also find a recipe for bubble formula, the history of bubbles, and a game of Tic-Tac-Bubble for java-enabled browsers. And be sure to visit the invention arena: bubble-blowing gadgets and gizmos include a wooden contraption evocative of the Renaissance and a rock ring blower, circa The Flintstones.
As this page opens, the visitor is transported to Stonehenge in moonlight -- a midnight world of strange phenomena, myths, prophesies, and ancient wisdom.
You'll find an amazing array of oddities including the Riddle of the Sphinx, Roswell, the Dead Sea Scrolls, TWA Flight 800, flesh-eating bacteria, medical experiments, genealogy, UFOs, asteroids, humor, Native American lore, radio, writers, musical instruments, medicinal herbs, home remedies, pyramids, Atlantis, the universal flood, creation and afterlife myths, the Nazca lines, crop circles and a whole lot more. Don't leave before scrolling to the bottom of the home page and clicking on "Avatar SearchEngine of the Occult Internet" and Cool Links to Vampires, Witches, Gnostic and other offbeat sites (but beware, your "BACK" button may not return you to Morgana's page).
If you love the odd, the unusual, the strange and the off-the-wall, you'll definitely want to bookmark this site.-- Peggy Noonan
Okay, mystery buff, admit it. You watch detective programs on TV, read medical mystery novels, and follow murder in the news. If you're curious about the scientific side of crime-solving as well, this site is for you. Click on the tutorial devoted to firearms injuries, for instance and you'll learn about ballistics and lab methods as you study diagrams explaining bullet trajectories, rifling marks, and entrance and exit wounds. The section on drug abuse covers smoking, alcohol, IV drugs, and cocaine. Pictures of autopsied brains, lungs and other organs show what happens to the abuser's body. Warning: don't click on these or other in-site images unless you have a strong stomach. Many have low gross-out potential but some are graphic so don't let the kids surf here unsupervised. -- Peggy Noonan
Pirates, doubloons, jewels --if the lore of lost treasure makes your heart pound and you love unraveling puzzles, X marks the spot where your dreams can come true at The American Treasure Hunt Society's site for fantasy treasure hunting.
You won't be looking for real lost or sunken treasure but will solve lost treasure puzzles (based on past and current events) that were specifically created for treasure buffs to unravel.
Some searches require travel to a specific site, where you'll actually dig up the answer; some are one-day affairs that require you to be physically present at the treasure hunt site. Other hunts let you travel by modem and mouse from the comfort of your home PC.
If you like other kinds of puzzles and online games, you'll find great links here. And, if you prefer real treasure instead of fantasy, links will take you there, too.
Now, was that six paces south from the rock shaped like a camel or sixteen paces to the left ? -- Peggy Noonan
If you've ever wondered why the Solar System's planets are so different, or how big the universe is, or how weightlessness affects the human body, NASA FACTS ONLINE from the Marshall Space Flight Center should be on your bookmarks list.
You won't find glitzy gizmos, animation, sound or even pictures here, but you will get clear, concise and understandable answers to basic questions about the earth, the planets, the universe, space travel and NASA's plans for future exploration. --Peggy Noonan
Emerging diseases and outbreaks of Ebola-proportions fascinate us. The news media gives basic information but if you really want to stay on top of what's happening in the world of epidemics, Outbreak is the page for you.
Keep up with menu selections such as "The Latest News," including updates on active and new outbreaks; "General Information," for a history of disease; or "In-Depth Disease Coverage," where you'll find topics such as Hantavirus, Yellow Fever, Smallpox, Monkeypox, Dengue, antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus, and more.
You can also opt to be added to the Outbreak Announce mailing list. -- Peggy Noonan
Cyber-disasters -- if you haven't had one yet, wait a while, you will. Crashes, glitches and gaffes go with the territory. If you own or use a computer, experts say, you've either already survived at least one catastrophe or you're cringing in anticipation of the calamity you know is coming. Sooner or later the cyber-bugs are going to bite but you don't have to just sit there patiently and wait for it.
You can strike back through this site, The Illustrated Guide to Breaking Your Computer.
Okay, maybe you can't afford to really take a power drill to your keyboard or swing a crowbar at the hard drive, but this site's hilarious illustrations and instructions for computer demolition will go a long way toward relieving your PC-induced stress. -- Peggy Noonan
Hare, Michaelangelo, PKZip300, AOL4Free -- Trojans and Trollers and Viruses, oh my! The world of computer viruses is intimidating to online "newbies," but even veteran online users get stung by credible-sounding stories of cunning new viruses that swipe your credit information, download all your personal files, and erase your hard drive.
That's why Rob Rosenberger, an internationally recognized expert on computer viruses and myths, created this site. Hoaxes and urban legends don't stand a chance in the cold (and witty) glare of Rosenberger's reality. Check out his alphabetical list of all the known viruses and what they're supposed to do, or read about the history of computer viruses.
Before you venture out to the wider web, be sure to cast your ballot in Rosenberg's Computer Virus Hysteria Award contest. --Peggy Noonan
Shipwrecked vessels preserved in the deep, cold waters of the Great Lakes provide a window into America's maritime history. Now, with this site supported by the State Historic Preservation Office of the Minnesota Historical Society, you can navigate the waters again.
Click on the image (or name) of one of the many ships depicted in the main menu and you'll find a wealth of wonderful information. Take the Thomas Wilson, for instance, a steel whaleback steamer loaded with Mesabi iron ore that collided with a wooden steamer and sank in 1902. A selection of photos shows the ship before and after she went to her 70-foot-deep home at the bottom of Duluth Harbor. Text pages describe the ship's attributes and history, including accident reports and details of how this tragic incident changed shipping rules. For a rich and evocative tour of some of history's most beautiful sunken ships, surf the waters here. --Peggy Noonan
The boundaries of reality are stretched to their limits at this fascinating site, where things are more -- and less -- than what they seem. Illusionworks not only plays with your perceptions, but offers clues and explanations that illuminate how and why the eye (or ear) has been fooled. Fortunately, revealing the science behind the trick doesn't spoil the fun. Remember the classic Old Woman/Young Girl drawing? Here you'll see several versions accompanied by the drawing's history, with insights and explanations. Animated, auditory and even 3D illustrations (if you don't have 3D glasses you can download a free resource) keep you clicking for more. This is a multimedia-intensive site, so if you don't have Plug-In enhancements like Shockwave, you'll need to download (free) them -- Don't miss out on the fun! --Peggy Noonan
This is the ultimate bird's-eye view experience! Ever wondered what Mt. St. Helens looked like before and after the eruption? Click on the map to see what the satellites see --and gain in-depth knowledge of environmental dynamics over time. Track the changing shape of lakes as irrigation depletes their resources, the desertification of land around highways, and more. --Patrick Weekes
Want to keep up with what the National Science Foundation is doing? Whether your interest is in math, science, engineering or educational programs, you'll find the latest news and information at Frontiers, the electronic newsletter of the National Science Foundation. Read articles such as "One Species: One Language," an exploration of a theory some linguists hold--that all languages on Earth, no matter ho dissimilar they may seem, are built from a single structure that is "hardwired to our brains." Or, click on "New Microwave Tool To The Rescue" and learn how a prototype microwave system can help locate earthquake victims when sniffer dogs and sound sensors can't. Other articles cover topics like a dog virus in the Serengeti, computer models of black holes and many more! --Peggy Noonan
Babylon 5 has garnered an impressive amount of attention and acclaim, the show won last year's Hugo award, and has also received Emmy awards for makeup and visual effects. If you ever wanted to know anything about the show, this is the place to go. If you want episode breakdowns, speculations, criticisms, histories and ratings, this site has got it. If you want character, actor or producer biographies, this site has that, too! Even if you're looking to purchase a prosthetic Minbari bone rodge or a model White Star fighter this is the page for you. Of course, if you just joined the show in its fourth season and need a little updare, this page will keep you hypnotized for hours. --Patrick Weekes
If you've ever wondered how macrophages fight infection, what happens under your skin when you get a splinter, or what the bacteria that causes ulcers (H. Pylori) looks like -- alive! -- then Cells Alive! is the site for you. This not-to-be-missed super science site converts your computer into a mega-powered microscope via the magic of great graphics, including movies and animation sequences. In fact, the art here is so stunning, it's easy to overlook the excellent informative text. Cells Alive! Also provides excellent links to related science sites and a search page to help you find what you're looking for in a hurry. --Peggy Noonan
The official website of the Coelacanth (pronounced see-la-kanth) Rescue Mission, this site displays photos of the living fossil since its discovery 50 years ago. Now as the 400 million year-old species really does approach extinction the Mission is looking to increase awareness and protect this ancestral fish. View recent photos from Indian Ocean divers and trace the Coelacanth's history in a collection of articles. You can even learn more about the fish's biology and behavior and new steps being taken to conserve it. See it before it's gone! --Stacey Hayde
From the sophomoric to the sophisticated, any question you've every wanted to ask about acience can be answered here. Covering anatomy and zoology -- and everything in between -- this interactive interface staffed by graduate and medical students at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO., is the ultimate resource for discovering the cause of hiccups or the efects of radiation. Want to know if goldfish sleep, or why a circle is 360 degrees? Then check the site's extensive articles or the virtual library of scientific information. Better yet, use the mad Scientists Question Form to submit your own query, and within three weeks you may be provided with answer from a student or doctor, a member of government or even a leader in the science industry. --Alyson Zamkoff
Okay, so they're not a hive-minded bunch of artificial life forms bent on destroying the world come 1997, but these robots can do some pretty cool tricks. The University of British Colombia has put together documentation, experiment results, and even movies detailing their attempts to get the robots to maneuver in changing environments, differentiate teams in "auto soccer," and move accurately on difficult terrain. Check this one out! --Patrick Weekes
It seems the trendiest beverage served these days is, above all things, milk. In fact milk consumption rose last year for the first time in twenty-five years! Now, from the very people who fill our magazines with milk-mustached celebrities, comes a website paying homage to the greatest of all calcium providers. Have a question about the caloric content of milk, or even its history? Then ask the Milk Mystic and become enlightened. If you're looking to lose or gain weight, or just maintain your current figure, type in a detailed account of you eating habits. From there, the website's Personal Trainer will steer you in the right direction with a crtique of your eating habits and a list of personal recommendations. Complete with recipes and images of celebrities touting their milk messages, this site is sure to make a splash among milk connoisseurs. --Alyson Zamkoff
So, you'd like to make a road trip to Mars, but you seem to have left your AAA Map in your other ship. Not to worry! This site has what amounts to a complete map of the red planet, allowing the user to click all the way around the world. If you're interested in seeing Mars to the nearesr square block, you can also check out links of several color maps of the planet. --Patrick Weekes
If you're into health or medical news, this is THE Cool Site for you. Check out this week's major medical story in News Flash or post a question for the visitong MD in Consultation Rooms. Top stories are featured in Latest Reports , complete with photos and video. A doctor's Q&A report and media reviews round out the menu selections. But if you don't see what you want click on Archives to search back issues. Be sure to sign up for a free weekly "First-To-Know" bulletin delivered by e-mail on Mondays. --Peggy Noonan
Do you ever wake up in the morning to find last night's dream lingering on? With Dream Link, there's no longer a reason to wonder what your dreams might mean. Just anonymously post your dream to the site, and people from around the world will provide you with their interpretations of your fantasies. You can even ask questions and offer your own insights as fellow dreamers post their myriad phantasms. Complete with surveys and techniques for influencing your nocturnal visions, dreaming has never been so exciting! --Alyson Zamkoff
The new and improved Star Wars trilogy is coming to the big screen starting late in January. Look to the little screen for the Internet site that will tell all. Test your knowledge of the Star Wars universe at the Death Star. Download and print out a Star Wars coloring book based on the swampy planet Dagobah. Or just click on the countdown clock to see how much time is left before the rebellion rises again. If you cried when Han was frozen in carbonite -- if you yelled in frustration when Luke put down his lightsaber after defeating Vader -- if you miss seeing glowing Jawa eyes flash, then you owe it to yourself to check out this site. The Force is back! --Patrick Weekes
The National Space Society's website, dedicated to the future of space exploration, is a virtual center of coll information. Not only can you read their bi-monthly magazine "Ad Astra" (which means "to the stars" in Latin) online, but you can also peruse space news from accross the nation with links to sites like CNN, MSNBC and The New York Times Online. What makes this site extra-special however, is the "Ask An Astronaut" section. My personal favorite, this section allows you to pose questions via e-mail to a different astronaut every month. Currently featured is JOHN GLENN himself! While you're there don't forget to pay a visit to their great collection of space oriented links and do some browsing in NSS's own line of pro-space clothing. --Stacey Hayde
The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence continues on this informative web site. From a sizable graphics library to descriptions of past, current, and future projects involving the search, to technical discussions on the latest equipment, this site is excellent for anyone interested in how exactly we can scan for intelligent life among the stars.True afficionados may also apply, through this site,to the SETI League. --Patrick Weekes
Those of you not living in an orbiting space station for the past several months have probably heard about Paramount's latest Star Trek feature. Even if you're already sick of the commercials, posters, e-mails and action figures, this site is well worth checking out. After logging on as a crewmember (I was a Betazoid male, although Klingon seemed the most common) you can tour the ship, download teasers from the movie, and generally revel in your Trekkiness. --Patrick Weekes
Web-surfer, science buff AND booklover? The National Academy Press Web Site is for you. With more than 1,000 online publications (and 4,000 as of next year), NAP offers the latest, hottest and best science books from the National Academy of Sciences and its affiliated institutions. Volumes are aranged in 15 searchable subject categories ranging from nutrition to engineering, chemistry to health care. Unlike other online book sites that tease with sample chapters, NAP provides the ENTIRE BOOK--read online, download or buy it using their protected checkout desk. There's even a Bargain Basement section where prices are slashed up to 50%, and browsers can link to Topic of the Week discussion groups, Science in the Headlines, and NAP's own Cool Science Sites. --Peggy Noonan
So you've read all the stories here at OMNI and have deep-down hankering for something a little bit closer to the wild side. Take a deep breath , sqeeze your eyes shut, and jump headfirst into Cosmic Visions, the online sci-fi/fantasy magazine. Hard science fiction, fantasy and tales of the just-plain-weird mixed liberally with some of the most breathtaking art to grace the web make this magazine well worth watching. Oh, and for those of you who like to get into these things early, they're just about to come out with issue number four. --Patrick Weekes
Are you a director, relater, socializer, or thinker? Find out at The Platinum Rule, a web site based on the book of the same name by behavioral scientist and market strategist Dr. Tony Alessandra. At The Platinum Rule you can take this quick and easy personality quiz, free of charge, to determine your own behavioral category and improve on your weaker points. OR, you can take the quiz for someone else, to better understand their behavioral patterns and get to know them better. The answers aren't earth-shattering, but the questions can be very useful. And it sure is fun! --Stacey Hayde
Calling all stargazers and amateur astronomers! SKY Online is the ultimate site for keeping track of eclipses, comets, meteors and more. A weekly column called "Sky At A Glance" lists daily events of interest in our ever-changing sky and offers a preview of upcoming features in Sky andTelescope Magazine. Visitors can catch up on new hardware by browsing test reports on telescopes and other accessories and improve their stargazing skills with regular tips from "The Bckyard Astronomer." A host of other worthwhile astronomy links are also included. Attention astronomy buffs: SKY Online is a must-see. --Stacey Hayde
Interested in the possibility of life on Europa, the ice-locked Jovian moon? This page gives an overview on the possibilities for life, compares the relative climates of Europa and certain areas of Earth, and even offers a quick primer in speculative exobiology.
Did scientists really discover Martian life in a meteorite? Check here for a variety of opinions, both optimistic and skeptical. The page also gives a variety of information on the history of human studies of Mars, earlier controversial discoveries suggesting life on the Red Planet, and a healthy dose of speculation.
Have you ever imagined yourself living in space? This page explores the experience of those aboard the celebrated Russian space station, Mir. Look here for specs on the space station's modular architecture, a history of science experiments conducted onboard, and a chronology of Mir missions. Don t miss the schedule of upcoming Mir activities. For those with an interest in Russian society, this site examines how station personnel have managed to negotiate the political upheavals of the time.
This award-winning site provides entertaining UFOlogy for die-hard believers and skeptics alike. The latest news on sightings and abductions are intertwined with information on future NASA missions and unexplained phenomena.
No matter how you slice it and dice it, this in-depth tour of the brain will raise your IQ. View the human thinking organ from every conceivable angle and with every imaginable affliction, disorder, or disease. Take the "Can You Name the Brain Structure?" quiz, and don't miss Keith Johnson's hotlinks to other medical and brain science sites. If brain anatomy is your passion, cerebrate here.
It makes sense that Planet Science magazine, perhaps the best weekly coverage of science available anywhere, would create a Web site worthy of note. From the latest news and gossip to the scoop on the Nobel aspirants, this arena covers science with a flare. Don't miss it, but please beware: This is not the magazine. For the full scope, you've still got to subscribe to the print version.
They didn't make them like this in high school back in the good old days, and they probably still don't--absolutely the most dazzling Periodic Table of the Elements we've ever seen.
Online experiments in consciousness, direct from The Consciousness Research Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Test your precognition, fill out the luck questionnaire, and play the virtual slot machine here.
Near Death Newsgroup For the ultimate near-death bulletin board, link up here.
Near Death Homepage For the mystical perspective on the other side, look here. Not much science, but high on anecdotal reportage and philosophy. For takes on the NDE from Plato's, look here.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the microscopic world. Look, especially, for the awesome gallery of microscopic art capturing pollen, blood cells, including our defensive white blood cells, diamonds, insect antennae, and more. Come here to take the "What Is It?" NanoQuiz, and participate in nano-dialogs with other enthusiasts.
The ultimate A-Life site: Live animations you can watch evolving online include Planet Wa-Tor (Watch those sharks drive fish to the edge of distinction); Morphs (Evolve and grow your own community of pet morphs, pick your favorite morph and post it!); Swarm (Oh, that flocking behavior); and much more. This is a four-star production.
This new, twice-yearly periodical explores the mysteries of science, nature, and history. For anyone drawn to reports of high strangeness, anomalies, or UFOs. Kudos to site creators Patrick Huyghe and Dennis Stacy for making the Point Survey's top five percent. Great job, guys!
Scouting around for a science fair project? Make an electric motor. Simple as can be.
There's a primordial soup brewing in cyberspace. For a tour of the online ecosystems devoted to artificial life--A-life in the vernacular--read on.
Artificial Life & Intelligence Archive When it comes to A-life, this is the list of lists. Evolution starts here.
Artificial Life Online So you want to play God? Create your own life forms with the programs here.
A-Life at Yahoo Check out Yahoo's favorite A-life links. (Does Yahoo miss anything?)
A-Life Games Links to games and gaming, worldwide, created with the techniques developed by the A-Life crew. This site is pure fun.
Fractal Critters Artificial Pets.
X-FILES LINKS PAGE A collection of virtually every X-File tribute on the WWW, this site will hook you up to home pages created by the show's devoted fans. Look here also to link to a mock FBI X-Files page, where you must enter a "secret" password to access the Bureau's paranormal resources, a list of unsolved X-Files cases, and more.
JENNIFER'S X-FILES PAGE Watch this space for X Files news, X Files convention info, and (for those who just cannot resist) a synopsis of the season finale. (Will Mulder survive? Will Scully be murdered? Will the show return next season? Find out here.)
X-FILES EPISODE GUIDE Summaries of the programs from episode one.
ALT.TV.X-FILES The ultimate X-Files chat group.
Finally, since the stars of The X Files are unremittingly intellectual, they have attracted similar characteristics in their fans. The brainy duo have become this year's pin-ups for the cerebral set, and have spawned numerous clubs for those who find sexiness in brains, not brawn. If you count yourself among that number, you may want to join the Gillian Anderson testosterone brigade (for guys) or the David Duchovny estrogen brigade (for gals).
The David Duchovny Estrogen Brigade 3
The Gillian Anderson Testosterone Brigade
The Gillian Anderson Neurotransmitter Association
This could be the best environmental resource on the WWW. A computer network and grassroots community all rolled into one, this site connects you to numerous altruistic projects in which you may participate, informs on hazardous waste, forestry and water resources, and provides the full calendar of environmental events around the world. If there is a single node at which the eco-net is thickest, it is here.
For everything you ever wanted to know about the solar system, this is the place to be.
Originally created for doctors hoping to earn continuing education credits at the Marshall University School of Medicine, this site is a wonderful experience for just about anyone. As a net-savvy "doctor-in-training," you may ask the online patient just about anything. You can also take vital signs, order up blood tests and x-rays (not to mention virtually any diagnostic test or tool available to a real M.D.) Render your diagnosis, and Marshall University will e-mail your results (pass or fail) in a minute or less.
One of the first great science sites to appear on the World Wide Web, The Virtual Frog Dissection Kit is a "must hit" for anyone interested in that realm where education and entertainment collide. If you've ever been opposed to the killing of frogs for anatomy class, sickened by the smell of formaldehyde, or just plain grossed out by the sensation of laboratory scissors cutting through the taut green stretch of chemically treated skin, "The Kit," was made for you. To simulate the basics of high school biology, click on the splayed green frog, "cut" the skin, and examine organs one by one. The program also enables you to enlarge the frog and organs and even create movies of the dissection you have done.
Ride this official NASA page to surf past the Sun's largest planet. Look here for the "Amazing Galileo Fact of the Day" as well as background information and the very latest from Jupiter.
To nominate sites for OMNI's Cool Science column, send email to Cool Science. If any of these links don't work, please email the webmaster immediately.
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