Virtual Explorations

This week, I was asked to write an article about virtual explorations and using the internet to visit far off places.  This made me extremely happy, because I am an expert on this.  I love this stuff.

As a sneak peek (because people are itching to read my articles,) here's the coolest virtual explorations I've encountered recently:

• The Smithsonian: National Museum of Natural History I'm foaming at the mouth, this is so cool.  This is everything I've ever wanted out of a virtual museum exploration, and yes, that is something I've wanted.
• Sistine Chapel This has so little educational value, it's kind of funny, but it's so pretty.  I like the music too.
• Great Barrier Reef You know Google streetview?  Imagine that, but underwater.

I've discovered that when I'm confined to short articles, I sound more like an expert when I talk about subjects in which I'm not (at all) an expert.  (Don't tell anyone.)  When I know a great deal about something, I know where the pitfalls and controversies are, and I know where I will go on wild, tangent rants.  I know that I don't have space to go into it all, so I purposefully skim the surface.  Or maybe it's just my imagination, because only I would know that I'm doing that, so when I reread the piece I think, "But you left out my favorite part!"  The skin deep natural of the articles doesn't bother me when I don't care about the depth of the subject.