Take the question of the Internet's potential as an educational tool. To hear some people talk, you might think that a few minutes on the Net would turn Bart Simpson into a science whiz. Nevertheless, vast educational resources do lie deep inside the Internet, but mining them requires patience, or an accurate treasure map. If you know where to look, the Internet hands over a world of scientific information and activities for children. Other Internet sites invite children to participate in international experiments in which they can enter their data, examine data posted by children around the world and discuss results.
Children can even visit science museums, where virtual exhibits are waiting.
In fact, you can go just about anywhere. Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Sciences, believes that much of the Internet's promise lies in widespread interactions within a community of scientists, educators and students. The fact that it's a community makes it much more stimulating and productive. Many educational communities already exist in cyberspace. Students can have access to supercomputers, immense data sets and even powerful equipment such as telescopes, which take them close to the cutting edge of science.