Anyone who wants to can now close a mouse. On the Web, that is.
Those who need answers or are just curious about subjects ranging from cloning to DNA samples can find such information in an interesting way on an Internet Web site created and maintained by the U’s Genetic Science Learning Center.
The site was recently honored as one of the top five biology Web sites and was ranked in the top 50 science and technology sites by the online magazine Scientific American.
According to the magazine, there are “more than three billion Web pages to sift through,” but the judges narrowed them down to a few winners who have “something for everyone.”
And it does seem as if the site has something for everyone-from hands-on activities and interactive quizzes to resources for celebrating “DNA Day.”
School teachers can benefit from the “teacher resources” link. The site provides classroom activities, teacher development classes and workshops, and even a link to rent a genetics activity kit-in which students can learn “How to Extract DNA from Anything Living.”
The Spanish-speaking audience has easy access to the site as well; the “En Espaol” button is at the very top of the home page and quickly translates every activity into Spanish.
The “Click and Clone” page allows each viewer to clone an animated mouse. The page is full of visual and auditory enhancements, making it child- friendly while at the same time interesting to adults. The mouse being cloned-named Momi-even squeaks. Scientific American described the “Click and Clone” page as the site’s “crowning jewel.”
According to Jennifer Logan, co- director of the Genetic Science Learning Center, creative pages like Momi’s are one of the reasons why the site was picked as one of the top five.
The goal, she said, is “to make science fun and accessible to everyone, especially those who aren’t particularly science- oriented. Our animations and interactive activities are a big draw. Nobody likes to read huge blocks of text on a Web site. It’s so much more fun to do something than to just read about it.”
The site receives more than 40,000 visits per week during the academic year and has visitors from more than 100 nations, according to a recent statement. The site is funded through grants, making it free to the public.
The Web site can be visited at http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu.