jtotheizzoe: Continuing “Joe’s Answer Bag Week”: What sciency apps would you recommend for the science-interested iPhone owner? From: sandraisacaptain Congratulations on your promotion to Captain, Sandra. Let’s cue some Android user rage in 3 … 2 … 1 … Most days, I use my iPhone and iPad almost as much as my computer. I’ve gulped down a big glass of Apple flavored Kool-Aid, and I love it. There’s a plethora of science apps available for iOS devices, and I’m sure I won’t cover them all. But here’s a few of my favorites (keep your eye on the notes down below as I’m sure lots of people will chime in with their favorites, too): Space/Astronomy: NASA has a great free educational app where you can track spacecraft and learn about projects. For skywatching, I never look up without my iPad and GoSkyWatch, which is inexplicably free for the iPad only version (and a very underpriced $3.99 for iPhone/iPad compatible version). Seriously, it will change your life. Point it at something, it tells you what it is. It even draws constellations and has a red low-light mode. Biology/Chemistry: Molecules lets you input any Protein Data Bank or PubChem molecule identifier and then renders a 3-D version that you can rotate, zoom and space-fill. Must-have for molecular noodling on the fly. Biophilia may cost $12.99, but it’s the best music+science combo project ever made, plus Björk! Total bio-porn. Again, The Elements is pretty pricey for an app at $13.99, but it’s bar none the best app for exploring the periodic table. The HHMI Click and Learn app has good biology modules from Howard Hughes, so you know it’s trusted. The HHMI Bulletin is a great science magazine too (free!). In The Lab: There’s actually useful apps to get stuff done in lab! Life Technologies has a useful app called DailyCalcs that will calculate solution concentrations, convert units, figure out dilutions and give you cell culture plating tips. Nothing you couldn’t look up or figure out on a paper towel, but nice to have it handy for free. If you’re like me and you have to keep track of a lot of PDFs and research papers, I’m still torn on whether Mendeley or Papers is better. I use both, and I like both. One is free, of course. I use the iPhone onboard timer a lot. Simple, but useful. Math/Misc. WolframAlpha: There’s Wolfram reference support built into Siri, but the full app is like a math search engine/calculator/reference guide all in one. Very cool. Skeptical Science will help you refute climate deniers right from your pocket! What else you guys got? Notice I did not add Angry Birds Space to the list, although I gladly would in exchange for a free download, because every man has a price.

jtotheizzoe:

Continuing “Joe’s Answer Bag Week”:

What sciency apps would you recommend for the science-interested iPhone owner?

From: sandraisacaptain

Congratulations on your promotion to Captain, Sandra. Let’s cue some Android user rage in 3 … 2 … 1 …

Most days, I use my iPhone and iPad almost as much as my computer. I’ve gulped down a big glass of Apple flavored Kool-Aid, and I love it.

There’s a plethora of science apps available for iOS devices, and I’m sure I won’t cover them all. But here’s a few of my favorites (keep your eye on the notes down below as I’m sure lots of people will chime in with their favorites, too):

Space/Astronomy:

  • NASA has a great free educational app where you can track spacecraft and learn about projects.
  • For skywatching, I never look up without my iPad and GoSkyWatch, which is inexplicably free for the iPad only version (and a very underpriced $3.99 for iPhone/iPad compatible version). Seriously, it will change your life. Point it at something, it tells you what it is. It even draws constellations and has a red low-light mode.

Biology/Chemistry:

  • Molecules lets you input any Protein Data Bank or PubChem molecule identifier and then renders a 3-D version that you can rotate, zoom and space-fill. Must-have for molecular noodling on the fly.
  • Biophilia may cost $12.99, but it’s the best music+science combo project ever made, plus Björk! Total bio-porn.
  • Again, The Elements is pretty pricey for an app at $13.99, but it’s bar none the best app for exploring the periodic table.
  • The HHMI Click and Learn app has good biology modules from Howard Hughes, so you know it’s trusted. The HHMI Bulletin is a great science magazine too (free!).

In The Lab:

  • There’s actually useful apps to get stuff done in lab! Life Technologies has a useful app called DailyCalcs that will calculate solution concentrations, convert units, figure out dilutions and give you cell culture plating tips. Nothing you couldn’t look up or figure out on a paper towel, but nice to have it handy for free.
  • If you’re like me and you have to keep track of a lot of PDFs and research papers, I’m still torn on whether Mendeley or Papers is better. I use both, and I like both. One is free, of course.
  • I use the iPhone onboard timer a lot. Simple, but useful.

Math/Misc.

  • WolframAlpha: There’s Wolfram reference support built into Siri, but the full app is like a math search engine/calculator/reference guide all in one. Very cool.
  • Skeptical Science will help you refute climate deniers right from your pocket!

What else you guys got? Notice I did not add Angry Birds Space to the list, although I gladly would in exchange for a free download, because every man has a price.

Tags: science apps tech