October 1, 2005 (Vol. 25, No. 17)

URL:
http://www.firstscience.com/site/home/asp

Rating:
Strong Points: Fun,informative reading
Weak Points: None

Summary:
A quick view of this site reminded me of the delight I used to find as a kid whenever I saw a new issue of the Popular Science magazine. Like the magazine, the beat here is science in a very visible way. With catchy titles, such as “A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Moon” and “Artificial Cells,” the site’s designers know a thing or two about catching attention. The excellent photographs don’t do harm either. Topics covered are all over the scientific landscape—from space exploration to biology to physics to volcanoes. There’s an article of the week, a poem of the week (nice touch, by the way), a book of the week, and pull down menus full of articles that will make anyone curious. One of the strongest sites of its type I’ve ever seen, FirstScience ought to be a bookmark in every scientific educator’s browser. Superb.

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