Webwatch

On genetics
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0122628/main.php
There is no end to the mysteries of DNA. Describing it as the “fundamental control centre of all living things”, this website explores DNA replication, genetic engineering and genetic diseases. It consists of articles, images and flash movies with a glossary explaining the more technical terms.

Revision time
http://www.explorelearning.com/
If you are revising before a science or mathematics examination, then consider this website as a testing ground. The site consists of thousands of worksheets relating to different topics. The only catch is that there is only a certain time slot in which you can use this service for free. So save the webpages up as fast as you can.

For geeks and others
http://www.geeknewscentral.com/
This interesting website belongs to Todd Cochrane, the author of Podcasting: The do-it-yourself guide. It features news items as well as the writer’s opinion pieces on various technology- and IT-related issues. It also features external links to websites that are worth visiting.

Skin deep
http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0211/feature2/index.html
There is definitely more to our skin than what meets the eye. This site delves into the minute details of our skin. It provides us with interesting facts and figures, close-up photographs with captions and, of course, a very fascinating article that helps us understand more about our skin.

Webwatch

Not too pretty!

http://www.nottoopretty.org/

We have all heard of the side effects that cosmetics can cause. Here is a website which delves deep into the chemistry of cosmetics. It includes a list of chemicals that can inflict long-lasting damage if care is not taken. Best of all, the site lists the companies whose products may be harmful.

For science enthusiasts

http://www.junkscience.com/

This website is primarily a collection of news stories on diverse, science-related issues. It focuses on global warming, global temperature changes, increasing gas emissions and Kyoto Protocol. There are special sections on ozone depletion and the consumers’ rights as well.


First in line

http://www.sbrlabs.com/

Still in its infancy, SBR Labs is the first Pakistan-based hardware analysis website. Focusing on games, storage devices, processors and motherboards, the site is sure to help those who are consistently upgrading their PCs. Since some sections are yet to be launched, keep visiting it for updates.

Spaced out

http://www.thespacereview.com/

This website is actually an e-magazine, titled The Space Review. It publishes well-researched and analytical articles relating to space programmes and the science of space exploration. Government policies are also discussed critically. You can enter your email address on the website after which you qualify for updates on new articles.

Discrimination

The Karachi University Academic Council has decided to reserve seats for A Level students rather than allowing them to seek admission on open merit. This will deny admission to many deserving students wishing to study natural sciences, visual studies and humanities.

Given that the decision came barely a month before admissions to Honours and DPharm classes, many students who passed their A Level examinations this July and have been waiting for the KU admissions will lose a year since several higher educational institutions admit students in August.

Webwatch

Mathematical Atlas
http://www.math-atlas.org/

This website is a ‘must-bookmark’ for all mathematics buffs. The site features an interesting, in-depth collection of mathematical information categorized neatly into algebra, geometry, statistics, number theory and so on. Within each sub-section, there are several related pages.

Wagner‘s Weblog
http://wagblog.internetweek.com/

Whether you are a webmaster or working on a related job, this site will be of great help to you. Not only can you consult it when you face some difficulty, but also visit it regularly to keep yourself abreast of the latest monitoring software. The site also features reviews of the helpful websites and in-depth ‘how-to’ articles related to your field of work.

Inside Tornadoes
http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0506/feature6/index.html

Who doesn’t love action-packed tornado movies like the Twister? On this National Geographic website, you can see the results of the work some real people have done on tornadoes — and that includes chasing them. You can browse through the photo gallery; find out what it is like inside a tornado; and read the diary of those who have been involved.

Web Monitoring Info
http://www.web-monitoring.info/

This blog delves into the business-related aspects of the internet as well as its technology. This is your one-stop resource for technology news bits, links to interesting debates vis-a-vis browsers, and reviews of latest software. Fancy yourself as a geek? Check out this site regularly.

Webwatch

Atlas of the Body
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/7140.html
This is an extremely comprehensive website detailing the different parts of the body. Divided into several sections, each section presenting information in further detail. Various disorders are discussed, with their symptoms. Illustrations accompany the text in many sections.


Anti-gravity
http://amasci.com/freenrg/antigrav.html
We have all heard about gravity. But who would have thought that there is something known as “anti gravity”? This website tells us that a number of scientists are working on the concept. Delve deep into the research presented here to find out the what, where, why and how of anti-gravity.

Technology trends
http://www.primidi.com/
This site features a blog by Roland Piquepaille, a computer consultant, who has specialized in high-performance computing and visualization. His blog concentrates on the latest technology, its features and impact on our daily lives. Overall, this is definitely an interesting read.


Things to Make and Do
http://www.emanator.demon.co.uk/bigclive/makendo.htm
This consists of do-it-yourself guides for a number of interesting products. You can follow the links to find out how to make colour-changing lights, floodlights, ozone, and a fuel magnet. All the guides have vivid illustrations. A word of caution: care should be taken when making the things mentioned because of dangers involved.

Webwatch

Brain Connection

http://www.brainconnection.com/
This website can be termed a learning tool for students of biology. It explores the various sections of the human body (head, thorax and abdomen) in an interactive manner, describing the parts and functions of each. In order to test your knowledge, a few questions are also given.


Instant Anatomy

http://www.instantanatomy.net/
Ever wonder how our brain works? Here is one website you can use to find out just that. From the basic concepts regarding the brain and a few animated images, you can also discover the role one’s brain can play in pre-school achievement and different behavioural patterns. Book reviews and interviews with experts are also featured.


Mistakes in science textbooks

http://amasci.com/miscon/miscon.html
So you think your science textbook is the word of law? Think again. Various mistakes have been detected in science textbooks taught at secondary level. This website features links to some interesting magazine articles and studies conducted at various times, to disclose what errors have been found and how they can be rectified.


Man-made tornadoes

http://www.reelefx.com/Tornado/tornado.htm
Sounds strange, doesn’t it? This website claims that all those tornadoes, which cannot technically be called natural, are man-made. How are these tornadoes made? What are the different types that are created artificially? Find out all this and more on the website. Tornadoes are illustrated with some really cool photographs.

The Blogging Brigade

Why do people blog? This question has been posted on blog-related websites and has been the topic of discussions and theme of many blog entries. However, the exact motive behind blogging remains elusive. And so, the hunt for the answer to this question continues.

Dan Li (http://blog.lidan.net) is a second-year graduate student of mass communication at the College of Communication, Marquette University, Milwaukee. He has conducted a pilot study on “Blogging motives, uses and gratifications” with the assistance of his professor, Dr Robert Griffin. This scribe got hold of his study through the “Bloggers” community on Orkut (http://www.orkut.com), where bloggers from around the world were invited to fill out a detailed questionnaire, which, among other things, asks you to specify the number of blogs one has and the frequency of updates, etc. Participants were also asked to explain why they blog and that question had around 113 different options — one could select as many as were applicable.

The results were pretty interesting. But as there were only 75 respondents, it’s hard to say if they apply to all bloggers. Nevertheless, they make for some interesting observations of blogging trends.

For instance, results of the study showed that:

— 31 per cent of bloggers use their real name on blogs, while 69 per cent use an alias.

— 45 per cent have put up a photograph of themselves on their blog.

— 98.67 per cent bloggers allowed readers to comment.

— 44 per cent used trackback.

— 84 per cent of the respondents leave their emails on blogs.

— 45.3 per cent use guest books.

— 2.7 per cent use shoutboxes.

— 5.3 per cent don’t provide contact information on blogs.

Regarding the content of the blog, most respondents’ entries covered personal experience only, while others expanded the range of issues they wrote about, such as news, political issues, technology, hobbies, professions, academics and entertainment.

This writer got in touch with the student behind the study. When asked why he chose this topic for his study, Li said, “I am personally interested in the interaction of people and the internet. I first learned about blogs from http://blog.cnblog.org/, a community blog maintained by a group of people who introduced the concept in China. The more I go into the blogosphere, the more I want to delve into it from the perspective of communication. Compared to other forms of computer-mediated communication such as instant messengers, BBS, IRC, the concept of blog fits better into the definition of mass communication.” Li feels that blogs are a challenging subject and it is perhaps for this reason that not many studies have been conducted on the subject. “I believe studies on blog would be a key branch in the realm of computer-mediated communication but some fundamental studies are needed to pave the road for the future research. I want to be in the camp of explorers and apply what I learn in class into the real world. That’s why I did the survey on the topic,” he adds.

According to Li, there are five basic reasons why more and more people are choosing to blog — self-expression, storage of information, interpersonal communication, technical convenience and practical reasons. “Blogs are exclusive personal columns to publish ideas and comment on news. Theoretically, an average person can have his/her voice heard by millions of people and that doesn’t cost a lot.” Then there are others who use blogs to tell friends and families about their lives, especially when they are away from family. Li feels the “built-in functions like comments and trackbacks make blogs more resemble call-in radio shows. Bloggers broadcast like emcees and audiences have the options to comment on certain topics and have a conversation with emcees. Furthermore, some people blog to practice writing; some do it to make some money; and some use it to organize thoughts.”

Interestingly enough, Li’s study hardly included group and website blogs into account. “I do notice the rise of community blogs and think they would promote a sense of community among bloggers. However, I deliberately avoided such blogs in my survey in consideration of the operalization of my research. I hypothesize that bloggers from group blogs would be different from those maintaining single blogs in terms of motivations and would expect studies conducted from the perspective of organizational communication,” he said, when asked about this phenomenon.

So there you have it — another attempt to define the motives and uses of blogging. It remains to be seen whether or not there will be similar studies in future. But the fact that these studies are being carried out reflects the increasing importance of studying the trends in the blogosphere, along with maintaining one’s own blog.

Mean Std. deviation

Because it is fun 4.04 .796

Because I just want to do it 4.04 .667

I can write things at my own pace 4.07 .777

To record my thoughts and opinions 4.04 .706

To find someone of similar interests 3.32 1.029

4: Agree 5: Strongly Agree