Technology - Dec. 16, 1998
Our world is moving fast into the future. Cars don’t need gas to run, college courses can be accessed through the Internet and robots are performing like humans. Explore the history behind today’s technology and get a glimpse of future developments using the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site:
https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/
Here are the best sites for getting your schoolwork done or for just having fun.
Level 1
Space Place: Blast off to Mars with the Deep Space I probe and find out about the telescopes and other equipment that scientists use to explore space. Create your own spacecraft, see space science in action and share your visions of the future.
https://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/
Get a Grip on Robotics: Today’s robots may not look like they do in “Star Wars,” but they can build cars, help with scientific research and even explore space. See 3-D animations of how robots work, explore what effect using robots may have on jobs and our society and get a peek into what robots may do in the future.
https://www.thetech.org/hyper/robots/teaser/
The Headbone Derby-Invention Snatchers: Did you know inventions can be a century in the making? Join Iz and Auggie on their adventures through the history of inventions.
https://www.headbone.com/derby/invent
Level 2
Brain Spin: Look into the future of telephones and telecommunications. Find out how fiber optics, something so small, can do so much. Discover who Alexander Graham Bell was, learn how phone calls are made and see if you can solve the problem of not enough phone numbers.
https://www.att.com/attlabs/brainspin/
Vision of the Future: En Route: Explore wild new technologies that can make our lives more interesting and enjoyable. Find out about virtual traveling, video postcards and even multimedia clothing.
https://www.design.philips.com/vof/vofsite7/index.htm
The History of Invention: The Internet was invented about 25 years ago, but it would never have been possible without computers and telephones. Trace the development of important innovations through this illustrated timeline and then make your own suggestions for important inventions of the future.
https://www.cbc4kids.ca/general/the-lab/history-of-invention/default.html
Level 3
Electric Vehicle (EV) Information Network: Imagine driving a car and instead of stopping at a gas station for fuel, you drive home and plug it into an outlet overnight to charge it for the next day’s ride. This site explains how electric cars work, how they help the environment and even how a gas car can be converted to an electric vehicle.
https://www.radix.net/~futurev/
Blast Off to the Virtual Planet: Learn about the pioneers of virtual reality and how different inventions made virtual reality possible. Try a virtual reality adventure, visit exhibits, learn about devices that are used to create alternate realities and find out how virtual reality is used in space exploration.
https://library.advanced.org/12516/
NOVA Online: Bomb Squad: Robots often are used to perform dangerous tasks, such as handling hazardous waste and defusing bombs. View video clips of robots at work and find out what the next generation of robots might be like, including how they might think and operate on their own using artificial intelligence.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/robots/
Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This column was designed by Kate Su, Nghiem Tran, Alicia Hsieh, Devon Kim, Ashley Ahn and Eric Keith.
EXPLORER’S QUEST
What five parts must a machine have in order to qualify as a robot?
CLUE: Get a Grip on Robotics
Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point now covers more than 50 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Go to https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.
Answer to last week’s Quest: Langston Hughes
