saganappreciationsociety.org

NASA has a nifty web site covering selected topics from it's first 50 years. Reports say it has a Carl Sagan avatar during the 1970's portion of the Flash-driven site, so of course you have to check it out. If you want to save any files for posterity, you'll probably have to use Netscape 7.0 or 7.1 (hit Control I and check the Media tabs for .swf files to save). Other browsers probably won't permit this.

Avatar and animations at times seem pointless when actual video is available, but the animation of the Voyager is neat, and the Golden Record is nicely dealt with. Wait. Did they really take the NTSC standard and effectively rotate it on it's side? Because that's what 512 vertical scan lines suggests to me.

The "Links" lists the NASA home page first, and the Carl Sagan Portal second. All the other links are below that. Can't really disagree with that prioritization, but then we're biased that way. As of this writing, the Viking link brings up Voyager, and the Voyager link goes to a non-valid www.dfrc.nasa.gov. Skylab links to Viking, etc.

The 1960's were also interesting. They start outside with a recording by Paul McCartney (check vinyl record icon at top left if you don't hear him; there may be randomization). Star Trek fans aren't left out either. Inside the building you even see a little Snoopy astronaut on the wall, to the left of the JFK avatar. Beware the film projector with no "off" button. The 60's theater has some great footage worth seeing.

There appear to be no pause, stop or audio controls for certain items, so be prepared for that. You can also get 2 or more flash sessions going concurrently with no way of stopping them. The Credits appear to be hot links but in fact mouseclicks seem to be acting not on the text/names but graphic hotspots hidden underneath. If you have popup-blockers going that can add to the confusion. (I must have special DNA that allows me to find bugs in everything.) Each decade has multiple soundtracks controlled by a media player at top left of the window. Thankfully it has stop and track selection controls.

Bugs aside on can easily spend more than an hour lookign around. Well worth the vist.