Halloween A time for telling ghost stories extorting candy from your neighbors and yes contemplating the many science lessons wrapped up in this popular holiday Start with a look at the science behind the myths of zombies vampires and witches in the first Web site from studentBMJ a monthly medical journal for students with an interest in medicine 1 The next Web site from Washington State University offers a closer look at ergot the wheat fungus that may have sparked the Salem witch trials 2 Next spiders and pumpkins The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture clears up misconceptions about the muchmaligned spider 3 and the Home and Garden Television network provides tips on growing your very own enormous pumpkin And why make a mess bobbing for apples when you can instead learn all about them in a great Web site from the University of Illinois Extension 5 And Aboutcom has answered the ageold question of what to do with your Halloween candy score use it to model DNA 6 Why not The following site is the online companion to Red Gold The Epic Story of Blood an excellent PBS series that premiered in June of 2002 7 Last National Public Radios Science Friday produced a Halloween show in 1997 an interesting look at Mary Shelleys Frankenstein leeches and maggots and other things properly Halloweenish