Bug Bios: Insect culture may not seem such a hot topic but a visit to this intriguing site could just change your perception of the little-understood world of bugs. For one thing, it immediately establishes the important role insects play in every aspect of human culture, though that doesn't mean you'll ever stop hating cockroaches. Then there's the photo "bios" of the various insects, which actually offer some fascinating information about creatures that are so vital to our existence that the world might be a worse place without them. The articles are lucidly written; the piece on butterfly wing patterns in the Class Insecta is especially engaging. It's a pretty fast-loading page that will appeal to the young, the old and the plain curious.

Dive and Discover: Expeditions to the Seafloor: Go on a virtual diving expedition with a crew of scientific researchers in the Pacific Ocean to see how underwater volcanic activity is changing the face of the mid-ocean ridge. Besides being able to see a film of the volcanic seafloor, you get daily updates (the current expedition is until May 10) about the crew's progress and loads of "infomods" -- facts about topics like the earth's anatomy and vent biology. It may all sound a bit heavy, but even if you hate science, you should check out the site for the kind of interactive possibilities that will become a regular feature on the Internet in future. But you better free up a lot of space for this one. And if you have an aging PC, the memory demands for some of the downloads might be too much.

KidsHealth.org: A first-rate resource that offers advice on health and psychology for "parents, kids and teens". The "My Body" section is great at explaining how the body works, but it's the topics section, which offers articles like 'Dealing with Bullies', 'The Story on Stress', 'School Violence', 'When Somebody Dies' and 'Why Am I So Sad?', that's going to prove the most enlightening and helpful. There are interesting illustrations, and nice music, accompanying the pieces, and if you find the Shockwave/Flash annoying or slow-loading, you can opt for the less "flashy" pages.

Live Access to Climate Data: It's exactly what it says. A real-time interactive tool that lets you check such things like air temperature, windspeed, sea-surface temperature in any part of the world any time. All you have to do is set the perimeters and hit a few buttons and you'll get your readings. As simple as that. The 'Java Map', 'Data Set', 'View' and 'Zoom' buttons are also helpful, and if it all gets a bit too complicated for you, just hit the 'Help' button. Definitely a page anyone who plans their day obsessively around the weather should check out.

Qigong: Thanks to reader Boon Seong Low for e-mailing a couple of hyperlinks, the best of which is this Acupuncture.com page. Not so much about acupuncture as it is about a series of acupuncture-complementing meditational techniques that evolved from traditional Chinese martial arts, Qigong is all about harnessing one's "internal energy". According to the enlightening "brief history" by Yang, Jwing-Ming, reproduced from his book 'Qigong for Arthritis', Qigong (a sort of metaphor for air, vapour, the liquid element of clarity etc) has its roots in Buddhism. Anyway, there's plenty here to satisfy those seeking information on acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Links on the main page include 'Acupuncturists in Your Area', 'Practitioner Resources' and 'Student Resources'.

QuizBox: We're all suckers for quizzes, especially those that test our knowledge on superficial matters. And nothing could be more deliciously superficial than the quizzes and vanity-boosting personality tests that run along the lines of 'How do you eat fried eggs?' and 'What is you working style?' That's what you get at this page of "Love Tests, Personality Tests, Compatibility Tests, Riddles, Puzzles, Horoscopes, Jokes and fun quizzes for your personal enjoyment and intellectual stimulation". It's all quite neatly presented, and the 'Forums' section offers you a chance to expand on trivial topics that capture your imagination. You might also want to look at the horoscope readings which are surprisingly accurate. No toilet break needed for downloads. And cybergreenies will be glad to know that "this site (is) transmitted on 100% recycled electrons".

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