Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature

[Visited Oct'06] This award-winning site is based on Eric Chaisson's Universe: An Evolutionary Approach to Astronomy (1988) and his 2005 book Epic of Evolution: Seven Ages of the Cosmos (CH, Oct'06, 44-0905), as well as on a course he has taught at Harvard for 25 years. Chaisson is the director of the Wright Center for Science Education at Tufts University, and his experience in both teaching and public outreach are apparent in the clarity and completeness of the site. The history of the universe is divided into the same seven sections as in Chaisson's 2005 book: Particulate Epoch, Galactic Epoch, Stellar Epoch, Planetary Epoch, Chemical Epoch, Biological Epoch, and Cultural Epoch, with an additional section on the future. Each section is subdivided into seven subsections, and all of the sections can be reached through links that are intuitive and easy to use. The subsections average about five written pages in length, so the total amount of material is approximately equal to that in a 300-page book. In addition to text material, each section has a number of illustrations, several short but informative movies, a section on educational activities, and a useful set of references that includes links to relevant Web sites. The level is somewhat uneven: the educational activities are generally described as appropriate for grades 9 to14, but the textual material would challenge college-level students with no background in astronomy and physics. Even users with such a background would find it challenging to absorb so much material, especially if they were not experienced at reading text online. Overall, this site is a valuable educational service, and the author should be applauded for making so much material widely available at no cost. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General users; lower- and upper-division undergraduates.