I’ve written before about the opportunities to contribute to citizen science, but did you know that your smartphone can also be put to scientific use?
The good news is that there are a number of science related apps that are entertaining and in many cases absolutely free!
1. APOD
The Astronomy Picture of the Day website has been around for many years, providing a daily feast for the eyes with a never ending stream of beautiful astronomical images accompanied by brief explanations. Now this beauty can be yours on your cellphone, with a new background image every single day. Enjoy the Universe’s beauty and learn its mysteries all at the same time.
The app is simple to install and once on your device provides a number of simple settings. You can direct it to automatically change your background, whether to update only while connected through Wi-Fi, and there’s even an option to save the images to your SD card if you want to keep them for viewing later.
The great thing about this app is that if you open it, it provides information on the current and previous displayed images, so you can very easily expand your knowledge of the universe. (Free – Android/IOS)
2. NASA App
Continuing the space theme, did you know that NASA provides a free app to keep you up to speed on everything the agency is doing? From the latest mission updates, to photos of their work, both on Earth and in space, videos, news, features and much more. If you’re interested in space, what’s out there, and the people helping to make it happen, this is the app for you.
There are a host of customization options, including allowing the app to set your wallpaper automatically. You can even get live information on launch countdowns as well as future and planned missions. What’s more it even provides access to live TV and radio shows on a range of NASA and space related topics.. (Free – Android/IOS)
That wraps up this quick introduction. Be sure to check back to see more coverage of science related apps.
