Science can be a dirty business—all rubber gloves and fume cupboards.
But if you’ve always fancied experimenting without the hassle of actually being
a scientist, help is at hand. The joy of scientific discovery divorced from the
daily grind of life at the bench can be found in “virtual laboratories”.
Would-be geophysicists can see the Earth move at
http://vcourseware5.calstatela.edu/VirtualEarthquake/VQuakeIntro.html.
The site trains you to pinpoint and measure a simulated earthquake.
Persevere and you get a certificate to print out and cherish.
If biology is more your thing, visit the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at
www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/vlabs.html. Try…
