“Man makes a great fuss about this planet which is only a ballbearing in the hub of the universe” Christopher Morley

I am always looking for good websites that gives a better understanding of anything we use or are a part of. The site virtual science center is one of those that really puts information into perspective when it comes to the Earth. The site runs though a series of questions answering big concepts like how big are the oceans and what is the planet made up of. Through visual trips around the spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way we gain more understanding of our place with in the cosmos. The site uses flash to really show off the info with sound, animation and just great visuals. This site could easily be enjoyed by young and old. If you are of a science mind then give this one a try.

“The earth is what we all have in common.” Wendell Barry

In honor of Earth Day this weekend I thought I would write about environmental information that can be had on the internet. One example of this is the Earth Day site itself. It has items like project switch, a plan to have people change over from older light bulbs to newer more energy efficient ones. Even though Earth Day has come and gone this does not mean you need to wait till next year to start in helping. Begin at the site and see what greener pastures it takes you to.Give it a try.

“You think you’ve got problems, what are you supposed to do if you’re a manically depressed robot? " Marvin the robot Hithikers Guid to the Galaxy

Many years ago I read the Red Mars books by Kim Stanley Robinson. The initial book is set only about 15 years into the future and I was fascinated by their armband computers. They would talk to their computer and give it tasks like researching all newspapers to find a particular article. There was no wasting of time sifting through hundreds of useless web pages. When the answer was found it was reported by the computer, but not in a dry uncaring voice but one with personality. Searchbots is a research project that I have been using for a while. It is not perfect and is still being tested, but it is fun and useful. Essentially you design a searchbot and then you fill it with your personal information. Telling it what you know and what your interests are. Once this is done you can ask it questions. For some questions it will send you an email periodically when it finds items of interest. You then go through some of the sites rating them for relevance. This helps you in the future so that it can understand your needs. There are many ways of getting info. Someone in the searchbot universe asked how to cook corn and because my bot knows I know something about cooking it asked me. I answered it and the message was sent back to the original bot and then onto the person asking it. Without going on forever, it is a lot of fun with some decent results. For a more complete understanding take the tour to learn more. Give it a try and get yourself a personal searchbot.

I have an existential map; it has 'you are here' written all over it. Steven Wright

So you have become a map fanatic and you have searched all throughout planet Earth so it is time to go where no one, sort of, has gone before. Yes it is time to head to . . . the Moon. Google has mapped Mars and the Moon. Unfortunately the Moon is not as mapped. You can look at the elevations, the visible and infrared spectrum. Also there are stories from landings and occasionally you can find the exact landing point. Give it a try!

Watch the donut, not the hole.

Now I have been there too. I mean you are trying to explain the theory of black holes and how they work and no one has any idea what you are talking about. A problem as common as the day is long. Well, fret no longer there is a fantastic site that explains the Anatomy of a Black Hole. It uses small video and great explanations to demystify a very hard subject. Even if you don’t care about space, check it out because it is really cool. Give it a try!

I am over the MOON about this one

Ok it is a buyer’s market in the real estate world but there seems to be a limited supply of land. What is a person to do? Well, why buy boring old Earth real estate with all of it’s gravity. How about a cheap market that is out of this world? Ok that should be enough clues. Someone came up with a supposed loophole in the Moon’s ownership policy. It seems a country cannot own property on the Moon but an individual can. So the Lunar Registry came into being. You can now purchase an acre for about $20.00. Who knows if this actually does anything but I would pay for a certificate that says I own land on the Moon. Also stranger things have happened to something supposedly worthless. Who knows years from now that land could be very valuable or not. Give it a look if not a try.