The world through the Hubble's eye

Do you know who your great-great-great grandfather is? The answer would probably be in the negative.

Not for Miles Hochstein, who has painstakingly documented his life, tracing his roots and providing an elaborate chart tracing his ancestors.

In a site, he calls an "autodocumentary, not an autobiography" this New York based social scientist, health services researcher, editor and writer attempts to provide a photographic version of his life to the world. Miles wonders: "What if each life was an open book, a story waiting to be told? What kind of world would that be? And isn't it already?"

His homepage displays photographs taken from when he was six years old, to what he looks like today. Besides sections on ancestors and descendants, Miles also traces his wife's ancestors, provides links to similar projects and has a detailed note on the origin of his name. A project that might inspire you, especially if you have a lot of time on your hands!

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This is a dictionary with a difference. Besides giving you the meaning of the word and its pronunciation, it also links to relevant quotes from books.

There's pronunciation help where you enter a phrase and listen to how the word or phrase is spoken by a native speaker. And for a bit of fun, talk to Splotchy, an artificial intelligence robot, who even "responds to flirting when in a good mood"!

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How well do you know your own body? For example, do you know where your spleen can be found? If you don't, it's time to take up this challenge from BBC's special section on the Human Body.

There are psychological tests like 'Can you read faces?' and 'What sex is your brain?' to help you know yourself better.

Do you know people who strive to meet very high standards in everything they do? They are called perfectionists and if you know one, then this section will help you better understand them.

"Are your eyes being tricked by your brain? Put your senses to the test in our Senses Challenge." The prize? A picture of your own brain!

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'Out of the ordinary, out of this world' is the perfect description for the home of the Hubble Telescope. This NASA Origins mission seeks answers to fundamental questions about the universe and our place in it.

You can challenge yourself and have some fun in a trivia journey through the galaxy. Browse through the gallery for pictures of the universe through Hubble's eye -- planets, galaxies, nebulae and strange celestial phenomenon. Or you can learn more about how this Space Telescope takes pictures. And if you're feeling a little adventurous, the site also tells you how you can build your own Hubble Space Telescope out of parts you can find at local hardware and craft stores for under $20!

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If you're ever felt the urge to give up your job and hit the road on a long trip, then you're not alone. While most of us don't translate our feelings into reality, Mike Pugh decided to be different. He calls himself as an optimist from Chicago, USA and is on a one-year journey around the world.

In his journal, aptly named Vagabonding, Mike documents his day-to-day adventures as his trip progresses. He has been on the road for 298 days and is currently in Fort Portal, Uganda.

In his July 16 entry, Mike writes: "I've got kind of an intense situation going on right now. I'm up in my treehouse in Kibale National Park, it's perfectly dark outside, and I'm hearing things – big, mammoth things – moving around outside. Something is crashing through the bushes and trees just 30ft away from my perch."

Mike visited India in February this year and writes here about his first difficult week. You can also check on his route, browse through his gallery and read about his trip so far.

If you're not going anywhere this weekend, this could well be the next best thing!