The great thing about online video is the ability to livecast (almost) as easily from the Arctic as a house in Idaho. Upcoming webcasts from Ice Stories: Dispatches from Polar Scientists promise extreme reports from the world’s fastest-warming places. Even if astronomy in Antarctica isn’t your bag, the San Francisco science museum Exploratorium’s site — with blog posts, panoramic photos, and videos from scientists and glaciologists — is well worth a visit. Yes, watching the solstice from both poles and looking at images of antifreeze fish can actually be a more intriguing than another cat trick video. The crew’s correspondence and Tweets are fun to read, especially given the seriousness of their work in extreme environments. What better way to celebrate the end of the International Polar Year this December?