If you’re here in New Orleans at the ACS meeting, time is running out to go to the Nature Publishing Group stand at the expo (booth #1247) to get your free Nature Chemistry lab coat.

In return for signing up for the Nature Chemistry and chemistry@nature.com e-alerts – which will keep you up-to-date with all chemistry content published at NPG – we’ll send you a Nature Chemistry lab coat. Some samples of the lab coats are available on the stand, so go and check them out and sign up for yours! (There are limited numbers available, so get there while stocks last!).

There’s also a chance to win a free iPod, and who doesn’t like iPods, especially free ones…

Stuart

Stuart Cantrill (Chief Editor, Nature Chemistry)

The future’s made of virtual insanity, according to one behatted sage. But it doesn’t have to be.

We’ve been playing with virtual environments for some time at Nature, holding regular scientific seminars in the online world Second Life.

There are several barriers to entry here. If you’ve never avatared your way around a computer-generated environment, you might be unsure of where to start, how to interact, and what the point of this virtual malarky is anyway. It can all get a little confusing and frustrating for the newbie.

We want to make it really, really easy for you.

Hence, a new web site to bring some virtual sanity to proceedings. The Second Nature (see what we did there?) portal tells you all you need to know about finding the best science in Second Life, including a beginner’s guide and an events calendar.

As well as Nature’s own virtual territory, we show you how to get to the Genome Island, the International Space Flight Museum, and others.

Got any questions? Ask away in the Second Life forum.

Go play!