The authors of Finite Mathematics and Calculus Applied to the Real World have gone online with a useful resource for liberal-arts and business majors. The site consists of introductory discussions on various mathematical topics, such as calculus, logic, and finite mathematics, along with an online, interactive tutorial to help you come to grips with these subjects. The authors present their material in an attractive, easily understood format, making the learning process as painless as possible. While those with extensive mathematical education will learn little from this site, those who are learning math simply because they must should find this site a quick and easy introduction. - Mike Hase
The U.S. Geological Survey has more maps and data than you can shake a stick at, plus the stick. The site provides an extensive catalog of these dataland data, water data, satellite data, wildlife data, and on and on. While some of the data and maps can be downloaded for free, most of them are for purchase only (and can be ordered on-site). The site also contains a few exhibits, including several satellite images showing such infamous events as the Kuwaiti oil fires. I spent a lot of time poking around this vast site but was disappointed that there weren't more online exhibitions of the vast collection of data. - Mike Hase
Who are the penguins friends? And who are those who would delight in a bite of that tuxedoed waddler? You can find the answer to these and other fascinating questions in this source for all things penguin. Get species information and the lowdown on penguin behavior; what does it really mean when a penguin does the bill-to-axilla move? Learn about penguin reproduction and penguin relatives, and just where in that family tree did they stop flying? And find out about wannabe penguins; are puffins, razorbills, and auks really not related to penguins? - Emily Soares
By any measure, the Biosphere experiment was a catastrophe; ants and cockroaches took over the self-contained world, the humans began fighting for food, and the management team consisted of cult members who wanted to colonize Mars. Columbia University took over the impressive structure in the Arizona desert and has begun putting it to valid scientific use. The home page for this new initiative allows you take a cyber-tour of the dome, investigate the technical details of this engineering marvel, learn about the educational and research programs available, and view real-time plots of sensor data. Drop by to see the smoldering ruins of many scientific careers. - Mike Hase
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institutes Lighting Research Center (LRC), the worlds largest university-based lighting institution, has gone online with an attractive Web site dedicated to the many facets of lightingcommercial lighting, automotive lighting, residential lighting, and so on. Replete with archived articles, monthly features, and an engine to search the lighting newsgroup, the LRC site clearly shows that theres a lot more to lighting than meets the eye. Learn about lighting from the worlds leading experts and, if you wish to join this fabled group, read about RPIs graduate program. Not a site for the uninitiated. - Mike Hase
Why isn't this lab better known? The NREL, under the auspices of the Department of Energy, has quietly been doing groundbreaking research on renewable energy resources for the last 20 years. These people are getting energy out of the sun, the wind, biomass, you name it, with research ranging from cutting-edge solid state physics to biotechnology. The NREL Web site contains reams of information about all aspects of this research, with links to its various departments, as well as to other Internet resources, all in a surprisingly attractive, easily navigable format. Oil executives probably despise this place. - Mike Hase
Perhaps I came here expecting too much. With world-class exhibits and some of the largest natural science collections in the world, the Natural History Museum has long held a reputation as one of the premier museums on the planet. Unfortunately, while the museums Web site contains much of interest, it hardly does justice to this venerable British institution. Primarily filled with teasers about the museums holdings, as opposed to a virtual educational tour, the site left me feeling empty. If youre looking for content, visit the Case Studies and Science sections, or get on a plane and fork over the six quid to visit the museum itself. - Mike Hase
As a rule, anything that calls itself a science is not (compare physics to library science). The CBS demonstrates this truth with a Web site that contains little science but offers a great deal of energy-efficient technology for home and office. You can read the usual articles and newsletters, as well as work on constructing an energy-efficient home. An online cost calculator allows you to enter data about your current dwelling and get advice on lowering your energy bills. Of interest to the environmentally minded, this site can also help you save some cash on heating and cooling bills. - Mike Hase
The National Space Society (NSS) envisions "people living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth," and it expends much effort pestering NASA and our politicians to advance this goal. The NSS Web site contains several annotated links to other space-oriented sites, news flashes relating to space exploration, as well as a few blurbs from the NSS official magazine, Ad Astra. Although light on original content, the site does offer an interesting feature entitled Ask the Astronauts, which allows surfers to question such luminaries as Buzz Aldrin and James Lovell. If youre interested in space exploration, you could do worse than to start here. - Mike Hase