Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette
Encyclopedia
The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette (D.I.G.), founded July 4, 1996, was a pioneering online science magazine. It is arguably the first continuously published online science magazine in history.
The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette covered news related to all the sciences, but paleontology
in particular. Paleontology and dinosaur
s were only an initial topic that led to all forms of related sciences and other fields: mathematics
, physics
, biology
, sociology
, literature
, motion pictures.
The founder
-publisher was Edward Summer
. The webzine was hosted by Interport, an early ISP
in New York City
that was eventually taken over by RCN
.
Over the initial five years of publication, it was recognized with more than 30 awards. It was recommended by the National Education Association
(NEA) along with only one other science site published by Bill Nye
The Science Guy. It was a featured website in Netscape
, the New York Times, Natural History Magazine.
movies, but also of the related arts and sciences. The feature takes the viewpoint that dinosaurs as we know them in movies like Jurassic Park
or King Kong
are a product of the collaboration of many different sciences and literary disciplines. Dinosaurs exist only as fossils, so visualizing them on the screen (or in books) involves extensive research and imagination.
This feature has been cited in university level textbooks and standard reference works in the field of paleontology.
The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette covered news related to all the sciences, but paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
in particular. Paleontology and dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s were only an initial topic that led to all forms of related sciences and other fields: mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, motion pictures.
The founder
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
-publisher was Edward Summer
Edward Summer
Edward Summer has been an award winning painter, motion picture director, screenwriter, internet publisher, magazine editor, journalist and science writer, comic book writer, novelist, book designer, actor, cinematographer, motion picture editor, documentary film maker, film festival founder, and...
. The webzine was hosted by Interport, an early ISP
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that was eventually taken over by RCN
RCN Corporation
RCN Corporation, founded in 1993 and based in Herndon, Virginia, is the first American facilities-based competitive provider of bundled telephone, cable television and high-speed internet service delivered over its own fiber-optic local network to consumers in the Boston, New York, Eastern...
.
Awards and International Readership
Although it was originally intended for younger readers, the style of writing apparently made it accessible to readers of all ages and it was popular literally worldwide. The publication received mail from readers in more than 159 countries. The magazine currently (July 2006) claims to have readers in 175 countries.Over the initial five years of publication, it was recognized with more than 30 awards. It was recommended by the National Education Association
National Education Association
The National Education Association is the largest professional organization and largest labor union in the United States, representing public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college students preparing to become...
(NEA) along with only one other science site published by Bill Nye
Bill Nye
William Sanford "Bill" Nye , popularly known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, is an American science educator, comedian, television host, actor, mechanical engineer, and scientist...
The Science Guy. It was a featured website in Netscape
Netscape
Netscape Communications is a US computer services company, best known for Netscape Navigator, its web browser. When it was an independent company, its headquarters were in Mountain View, California...
, the New York Times, Natural History Magazine.
Pioneering Website
D.I.G. was one of the earliest websites to run continuous "public appearances" by working scientists. Organized through early "message boards," a feature called "The Bone Zone" (tm) allowed the world's most famous paleontologists to receive and answer questions from the magazine's readers. More than two dozen renowned paleontologists, writers, artists and journalists participated in this early experiment in public education and entertainment.Celluloid Dinosaurs
One of the most enduring features of The Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette is Celluloid Dinosaurs. Celluloid Dinosaurs is a history not only of dinosaurDinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
movies, but also of the related arts and sciences. The feature takes the viewpoint that dinosaurs as we know them in movies like Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
or King Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
are a product of the collaboration of many different sciences and literary disciplines. Dinosaurs exist only as fossils, so visualizing them on the screen (or in books) involves extensive research and imagination.
This feature has been cited in university level textbooks and standard reference works in the field of paleontology.