Back in the 1980s and early 90s, the lending library and annual subscriptions to children's magazines were our only windows to everything beyond what we learnt in school. This varied from unravelling the delights of India's rich folklore and mythology to the wonders of pop culture and slice-of-life adventures; so yes, we learnt lessons from a scheming mantri, a wise-cracking crow, even a bumbling donkey and a diminutive Caucasian superhero in red pants. Apart from Tinkle and Amar Chitra Katha, Asterix, Tintin and Target, there was a magazine called Sci-Fun [bless my mother for discovering this gem] that made an impression in my list of favourites. As the name suggests, it was a fascinating look at the wonders of science and technology, and an eye into the future.

As updates and alerts about International Museum Day started reaching my inbox since last week, I was reminded of this one edition. The magazine's far-sighted editors had crafted a cool storyboard about how computer scientists [didn't so many from that time wish to become one when they grew up?] had created a system where we could virtually see the displays and exhibits inside public landmarks, including museums and tourist attractions from our home TVs with the mere click of a key. It surely was their idea of a virtual tour, and what has today become the core focus and thought around how content is being routed and consumed in a world coming to terms with an unforgiving, invisible virus.