Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette facts for kids
The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette (D.I.G.) was a very early online science magazine. It started on July 4, 1996. Many people think it was the first science magazine to be published online all the time. Edward Summer was its founder and publisher. This online magazine was hosted by Interport, an early internet company in New York City. Later, another company called RCN took over Interport.
The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette shared news about all kinds of science. It was especially interested in paleontology, which is the study of dinosaurs and ancient life. But it quickly grew to cover many other exciting fields. These included mathematics, physics, biology, sociology, and literature. It even covered motion pictures related to science.
A Magazine for Everyone: Worldwide Reach
Even though D.I.G. was first made for younger readers, its writing style was so good that people of all ages enjoyed it. It became popular all over the world! The magazine got mail from readers in more than 159 countries. By July 2006, it claimed to have readers in 175 countries. That's almost every country on Earth!
In its first five years, D.I.G. won over 30 awards. The National Education Association (NEA) even recommended it. They only recommended one other science website, which was by Bill Nye The Science Guy. D.I.G. was also featured on Netscape, in The New York Times, and in Natural History Magazine.
A Pioneer in Online Science
D.I.G. was one of the first websites to let real scientists talk directly with the public. They did this through early online discussion areas called "message boards." One special feature was called "The Bone Zone" (tm). Here, some of the world's most famous paleontologists could answer questions from the magazine's readers.
More than 24 well-known paleontologists, writers, artists, and journalists took part. This was a new way to help people learn and have fun online. It showed how the internet could connect experts with curious minds everywhere.
Dinosaurs on the Big Screen: Celluloid Dinosaurs
One very popular part of The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette was called Celluloid Dinosaurs. This section explored the history of dinosaur movies. But it wasn't just about films. It also looked at the art and science behind them.
Celluloid Dinosaurs showed that dinosaurs in movies like Jurassic Park or King Kong are made possible by many different sciences and stories. We only know dinosaurs from their fossils. So, showing them on screen or in books needs a lot of research and imagination. This feature has even been mentioned in university textbooks about paleontology.
