"Where did everything come from?" This is a big question, so it is only fitting that the answer is found in the Big History Project. This free online course, designed for high school students, takes learners on a journey through "13.7 billion years of history." With so much ground to cover, the course divides its contents into five chapters: The Universe, Our Solar System and Earth, Life, Humans,...

Humans haven't roamed the earth for long, and our presence on this planet only dates back around 190,000 years. There are approximately 4.3 billion more years of Earth's history to explore, and this interactive and edifying timeline created by National Geographic helps interested persons explore it. First-time visitors can click around within the timeline to read short descriptions of important...

This week's In the News focuses on discoveries that provide support for the theory that deep sea hydrothermal vents may have been the "factories of life" three and half billion years ago when Earth's atmosphere did not consist of any oxygen. A recent article published in Science (February 5, 1999, 283:831-833) discusses how scientists at Nagaoka University created an environment similar to a...

The Leakey Foundation is "a member supported organization committed to research related to human origins." This well-designed, interactive website offers a variety of information related to the research interests including information about Recently Funded Projects, Educational Resources, and News and Upcoming Events. One exceptional feature of the website is the Audio Archives that allows...