The National Weather Service says the East Coast is in for a "very active" hurricane season in 2006. The agency is now sharing radar data from its network of next-generation Doppler radars, allowing scientists to analyze these enormous datasets with supercomputers. High-speed connections enable researchers to develop accurate models and forecasts of severe storms in real time.

Other scientific projects have also benefited from high-speed sharing of huge files. For example, archeologists all over the world are viewing CT scans of mummies made at the University of Pennsylvania, while astronomers search sky surveys at the University of Illinois’ National Virtual Observatory and review NASA data collected by a spacecraft trailing a comet.