Scientists working on the project put gene sequencing information on the Net, allowing access to other scientists throughout the world. Meanwhile, in Ontario, the mother of a baby with a rare genetic disorder uses the Net to find professionals, other parents in similar situations and any information they have to share. In space there is no sound. Not so in cyberspace, where new audio Net technologies promise to let us hear the world's chorus, and become our own broadcasters. From official religions with millions of followers, to sites for potential cults still looking for their first converts, the Internet offers a spiritual smorgasbord for every hungry, curious or questioning cybersoul.
New technologies create communities that can last for seconds or years.
Now new Internet video conferencing technology can eliminate online anonymity, possibly ushering in an era in which co-workers, friends and total strangers can enter each others' worlds with the click of a mouse. The Internet will shape their lives and they, in turn, will shape the Internet. From the boardrooms of high-tech corporations to an island off the coast of Washington State to the back streets of East Palo Alto, California, a new generation of kids is already creating life on the Internet.