Says Punch Taylor, Dartmouth's director oftechnical services: "We are really sort of waitingand hoping for the faculty to take a more activelead in showing us how to use the technology."

Some scholars say use of the networkwill be a boon because it allows for rapidexchange of data faster peer review of research.

Kirshner says the Internet is increasinglybeing used to transmit scientific information.

"For example, we obtained a picture of a newsupernova from an observatory in Chile over theInternet," Kirshner says. "Then we used thatpicture to prepare ourselves for space telescopeobservation."

In addition, a scientist in New Mexico has usedthe network to trigger a revolution in the highenergy physics field. A "pre-print" server set upby the scientist now allows physicists to submitand read papers before they are published in otherjournals.

"This server has in the three years of itsexistence completely changed how communicationhappens in the field of high-energy physics,"Shieber says. "Instead of waiting two years toread the latest results, physicists get them in 24hours.

For students, the Internet could make theresearch process more efficient. But that may openthe door for professors to demand more of theirstudents.

"The sort of projects you can assign to astudent was traditionally limited by the time youcould expect a student to spend on it," Law says."Now the time is reduced, and I think this willhave an incredible effect on coursework."

Ishir Bhan '96, co-president of Digitas, sayshe thinks students will cooperate more as use ofthe network increases. He also expects theUniversity's library system to shift from arepository for books to a repository forinformation.

"Until now, most of our information has beenstored in books, but I think that's changing asthe computer becomes a more convenient way foraccessing information," Bhan says.

Some colleges and universities arealready conducting some classes over the Internet.

"There are universities that are teachingcourses over the Internet using software to set updiscussion groups, and classes are being conductedthat way," says Deborah Kelley-Milburn, a researchlibrarian in Widener Library who works with thenetwork.

But Knowles says such courses are unlikely tohappen at Harvard. Students will still have tocome to Cambridge, the dean predicts, because noone can get a proper Harvard education over theInternet from, say, Nebraska.

"Insofar as the University is an interaction ofgroups of exceptional people," Knowles says, "thatinteraction isn't at its best from Omaha byscreen."

And the University, he says, is unlikely to letstudents outside Harvard view current lectures forfree.