Internet Exercises

Zabludoff, Marc

In his piece "Fear and Longing," Zabludoff touches on the highly controversial issue of cloning. People tend to believe strongly in one side or the other. Take a look at the Human Cloning site at http://www.humancloning.org. You may find out some things that will surprise you.

Kleinfield, N. R.

Kleinfield gives his readers a glimpse into one of the many uses of virtual reality. This field is exploding and finding its way into many different parts of our lives. See for yourself. Take a look at the Virtual Reality Society web site at http://www.vrs.org.uk/.

Lemonick, Michael

Lemonick introduces his readers to a remarkable technology that most people have probably never heard of - nanotechnology. Here's a site that will give you more information on the subject, including a detailed definition: http://www.zyvex.com/nano/.

Dertouzos, Michael

Dertouzos explains that although computers have come a long way since their inception, they are still system- rather than user-focused. This shift to user focus is becoming more and more popular. This is apparent by the kinds of companies that are popping up like The Computer Sciences Corporation. See what they have to offer at http://www.csc.com/.

Siegel, Charles

In his piece "A New Declaration of Independence," Siegel suggests that technology has taken over in ways that are harmful to our lives rather than helpful. He suggests that in some sense we need to get back to basics. Some people believe that such a shift would include more home schooling. Take a look at Successful Home Schooling at http://www.digitex.net/koinonia/homeschool.htm to learn more about this movement.

Daum, Meghan

Daum, in "Virtual Love, " talks about the unbelievable difference between the person someone is online and the person someone is "in person." Here's another inside look at cyber-dating: http://www.mpath.com/dani/personal/match.htm. It addresses many angles of this relatively new phenomenon.

Write About It: Choose three of the sites above and click around them, taking notes, until you can relate their points of view to someone else. Share these views with a friend and find out where he or she stands on these topics. Write about your views in relation to your friend's thoughts and what the sites had to say about society in transition.