7 ways the web can make you smarter

April, 1999.
By Molly E. Holzschlag. (Link to original article.)

The Web is great for many things—making friends, getting closer to your family, shopping, and best of all—enriching your mind and your soul.

Have you ever wanted to explore the wilds of Africa, or touch the face of the Mona Lisa? Maybe you want to lend a hand to local causes, or reach out across the world to make a new friend. Perhaps you want to lose yourself in the depths of the Grand Canyon, or find yourself at the feet of Buddha.

On the Web, these mind-growing experiences are just a click away! Read on—and discover seven ways the Web can make you smarter.

1. Expand horizons with cyber travel

If you always planned to travel, but life got in the way—now's your chance! Using the Web, you can visit destinations all over the world, enjoy wildlife, learn about distant cultures, and even get detailed information to help you plan the trip you've always dreamed about.

The living Africa.

This excellent site gives in-depth information on the land, peoples, wildlife, and national parks of the world's largest continent.

Medieval Castles of the United Kingdom.

View photos and read about the intriguing history of some of the United Kingdom's most interesting castles.

National Parks of the United States.

The United States is home to diverse and awesome natural sites. Visit Bryce Canyon, Death Valley, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Zion, and more online—or find travel information for an offline adventure!

2. Visit the world's great museums

Whether you're an art collector or just an enthusiast, the Web is a rich resource for browsing the great and near-great artworks of the world. If you don't know a lot about art but want to know more, the Web is a great place to begin. Perhaps best of all, you can return to online museums again and again, right from the comfort of your home.

Le Louvre.

You don't have to fly to Paris to enjoy the Mona Lisa, although you might be inspired to do so after a visit to this most venerable museum.

Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Enjoy an awesome collection of masterpieces such as Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night." MOMA also features a gallery of contemporary artists.

The Smithsonian Institution.

A rich and diverse resource with individual museums on everything from aerospace to zoology.

Museum of International Folk Art.

Enjoy online exhibits and information from the world's largest collection of folk art. Silver work, religious imagery, toys—even yard art!

3. Get your degree

Were you in college but left to raise your family? Never got to go to college? Or maybe you have a degree, but you're interested in adding an advanced degree, or taking a degree in an entirely different subject area. There are some terrific schools online, and many of them are fully accredited.

The Distance Learning Network.

Eight networked community colleges working to bring a wide range of courses online.

The University of Phoenix.

The largest private national university offers fully accredited degree programs, on-site as well as online, in General Studies, Business and Management, Nursing, Education, and Information Technology.

New Promise.

This index for undergraduate and graduate level classes online lists over 3,700 open enrollment courses from more than 100 fully-accredited schools. You can search their impressive database by category, school, or keyword.

UCLA Extension.

This well-known university offers over 100 courses online, organized into four Communities of Study: Business, Computer & Information Systems, Education, and Writers. Within these topic areas you can find courses ranging from "Writing Nonfiction that Sells" to "Web Technology Fundamentals."

Stanford University.

This top-notch university offers a beautifully designed Web site, but a limited selection of courses.

ThirdAge Tech Brain Booster Tutorials.

If you're looking to pick up skills without committing to a semester-long university class, try these 5-10 minute tutorials. There are 20 tutorials offered, teaching a variety of Internet and PC skills.

4. Find in-depth news coverage

Most people know that the Web is a great place to get up-to-the-minute news. But you can also use the Web to get deeper into the issues that concern you. Whether you're interested in personal, local, national, or international politics, events, or issues, the Web can give you broad perspectives that TV, Radio, and newspapers simply cannot.

The White House.

If you want to get in touch with the President, or any of the U.S. federal officials, begin at the top.

The Hill.

Analyze the acts of the U.S. Congress in this specialty magazine delving into the daily details of what's happening on the hill.

News Specific to Cultures and Groups.

For a ton of news resources related to specific cultural, ethnic, religious, and other groups, begin here.

Energy and Environmental News.

Daily articles on issues concerning the world's energy resources and environmental challenges.

5. Make an international pen-pal

Corresponding with my first pen-pal in the 1960s, a girl my age from Australia, gave me an overwhelming sense of connection to the world. Of course, back then we relied on international mail—which was slow. Today, the pen-pal experience remains one of the best ways to understand another culture through the eyes of a real person—and you can do it using email!

ThirdAge Pen-Pals.

Meet people from around the world right here at ThirdAge. You'll be surprised how much you have in common.

Pen-Pals.net.

Make international friends, and join a global email pen-pal club, too!

The Pen-Pal Center.

A huge list of links for online and offline pen-pals.

6. Turn a hobby into a specialty

Whether you love gardening, cats, stamp collecting, or making dollhouses—the Web can help you take your hobby to the level of specialty. You can learn a lot about specific subjects—and you can contribute what you know by building a Web page covering the topic from a unique angle.

Crafts like egg art, handspinning, quilting, rubber stamping, needlecrafts—you name it—are all over the Web! Here are a few sites to get you started:

Aunt Annie's Craft Page.

Enjoy this one with your kids or grandkids. Annie presents a new project every week.

Goddess of Garbage.

Turn your old stuff into new with Carol A. Tanzi's monthly tips.

Top 100 Craft Sites.

Links to 100 craft sites around the Net.

7. Refresh your soul

If you're searching for that extra something in life, you can do your philosophical and spiritual seeking online. Perhaps you have a very satisfying spiritual life, but want to study or share your insights with other like minds. The Web offers an enormous range of opportunities to refresh your soul. Begin with these for a jumping-off place.

Faiths and Practices.

Beginning at African Religions, and not ending until Zoroastrianism, this portal page will help you tour all world religions.

Religious Tolerance.

This fascinating site, with the goal of offering religious tolerance through education, profiles many world religions and addresses hot topics.