"Electric Technology is forcing us to reconsider and re- evaluate practically every thought, every action, and every institution formerly taken for granted. Everything is changing . . . dramatically."

-- Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), communications theorist, educator, and popular lecturer grew up in Canada and was affiliated with the University of Toronto from 1946 to his death in 1980. From 1963 onward, he directed the Centre for Culture and Technology at the university. Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964) and The Medium Is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects (with Quentin Fiore; 1967) are the books for which he is most noted.

NCSA and the Digital Revolution

"Magnetism in the Universe" and "Computing Charged Relationships" describe scientific research on NCSA's HPCC systems. Both projects would have posed intractable problems for McLuhan's generation of researchers. In "Alpha Shapes -- More Than a Pretty Picture" we learn about the mathematical underpinnings of one of NCSA's visualization tools for research. Holly Korab brings us up-to-date on the status of the I-WAY and its unique technological applications in her Special Report.

Outreach and education efforts at the center were especially active throughout the summer -- workshops for all ages, science teachers improving their skills and resources, and farmers using cyberspace are just some of the events.

A new NCSA-developed software tool is introduced in "On the Trail of 3D Images". Read about NCSA's Web-related collaboration with a number of federal agencies and learn about the center's goals in "Changing the Face of Government".

Reports of many center activities and a review of Neil Randall's book, "Teach Yourself the Internet: Around the World in 21 Days" complete this issue.

-- Fran Bond, Editor

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