A different cat and mouse game

HAVE YOU come across this 'curious cat' on the net? She has a gargantuan appetite for knowledge and an insatiable capacity for explaining things. And thousands are fascinated by the way in which their questions and doubts are answered by the cat. In a sense, the cat is a doctor, as she feels the pulse of the persons questioning her and instantly finds a way to treat their intellect.

A school girl wanting to know which is the greater force - electricity or gravity - is led to an expert on the subject by the cat and quickly gets an absorbing answer to her query, something that is not bookish but well-explained. Another student wanting to know why animals are different receives a response from a specialist at an entomology museum who narrates how species of insects evolve and why they are different from each other.

The cat is obviously a mouse game for us but the great service she renders has earned applause and the site on which she sits pretty is one of the most frequented on the net for knowledge- seekers and researchers.

If you have a big question, or even a seemingly stupid one, on any branch of science or any other subject, then let the well- meaning cat get the scent of it and she will take you to the experts inside the lab to get the right answer.

This symbolic cat is named Dr. Universe. And her address is www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/. She is the brainchild of the Washington State University. The rationale behind the project is explained thus:

The same thing applies to science and other kinds of literacy as it does to the weather. Everyone talks about it, but nobody does anything about it. At least not right in the open.

And to know about the intricacies of the subject matter and what is being done in the field, one has to go to this doctor on the net. Going through the minefield of questions put to this generous cat and the answers given is a rich experience no knowledge-seeker would want to miss.

The Dr. Universe site features a question a day, as well as questions answered previously. It also has useful links and special sections are hosted now and then, the latest one being on genetics.

Fortunately, the net is home to similar sites that quench the thirst of geeks. Www.Askme.com is another useful site.

The unique feature of this site is that it hosts question boards on a variety of subjects and the answers given by netizens to queries are linked.

A scale is available for people to rate the answers. Not only will you be alerted by e-mail when an answer to your query is received with a link to it but you can also become an expert in answering queries on the subject of your choice.

The bulletin board method of asking questions lends an informal touch to the whole affair.

When someone who already knew the names of some unusual plants such as the Venus Fly Trap and Pitcher Plant wanted to know more about such plants, there was a response in five days from another who listed plants like Elephant's Ear, Devil's Tongue, Monkey Puzzle, Bachelor's Button, Naked Ladies (found even in north India) and Lady's Slipper! All culled from a garden encyclopaedia the person had. The answer was rated excellent with five stars.

Yet another place where you can look for answers and explanations to your queries is www.Askjeeves.com. This is slightly different from the others in that it encourages one to find out more about the question.

If you ask whether fish sleep it not only gives the explanation but also lists several other related questions on the life of fish that you may find interesting. Such links are illustrated and help understand concepts better.

Moreover, it has a meta search facility which enables one to probe deeper and deeper.

This site is current in nature and helps persons asking questions to relax, as it provides cinema and music videos.

By joining the science club at www.halcyon.com serious students of science can get to know subject-wise sites that satiate their inquiring minds.

Compiled by K.KIRUBANIDHI

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