Why we love the interenet

He used often to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep, and every path was its tributary. "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say. "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. - J.R.R. Tolkien

With all the grim news out there it's easy to forget just how cool the internets tubes really are.

I was reminded of the fact by an article and discussion at WashingtonPost.com about the possibility of genetic linkages between modern humans and homo neanderthalis.

Without going into the specifics of the science involved what strikes me most is just how much information is available to someone interested in virtually any subject no matter how arcane.

On any subject imaginable a simple Google query leads to thousands of articles containing links to thousands of other articles on virtually any subject.

And once you take that path it can lead to, virtually, anywhere.