When we show you lists of applications in specific fields, we tell you how areas that until recently had remained on the sidelines of digitization and the rise of portable formats, have ended up being introduced into them. Education, health or travel are some of the most prominent. However, it is already possible to carry out other day-to-day actions such as planning workouts in the case of those who love sports, or being aware of world news instantly through the screens of tablets and smartphones. Another of the success factors of the platforms that help all this is the fact that they break all kinds of barriers, from geographical to age.
In recent weeks, we've shared more about apps designed to cover the year's major sporting events. Throughout the summer, we've also provided rankings of entertainment tools to help you stay up-to-date on all the events taking place. Today, we're going to tell you about a series of scientific applications that can be incredibly useful for those who want to learn more about how everything that happens around you and beyond actually works.
1. Science News
We begin with an app that provides instant updates on all the latest scientific discoveries , compiled from major general and specialized media outlets. Science News is divided into several categories, such as technology, health, and astronomy . It also includes a section of curiosities to make this field more accessible to users. It features a social networking component that allows users to share their favorite articles with friends. While it offers an offline mode , this has been criticized for malfunctioning. It has also received negative feedback for not having a more comprehensive database.
2. ScienceNews
Broadly speaking, this platform could be considered the English-speaking equivalent of the first one , although it can be an alternative if you have a good level of English. However, it has some important differences: Firstly, it offers a subscription option, with fees of up to €3,23 to unlock all its features. Secondly, it links to YouTube channels specializing in science, providing access to audiovisual content. It also features an offline mode that allows users to save news articles for later reading, as well as rate them and stay informed about current trends.
3. TED
The talks on this channel, which cover a multitude of disciplines, are becoming an increasingly popular resource in fields such as education. The platform is easy to use: simply access the video library and choose the one that interests you most. One of its strengths is that it offers subtitles in several languages. The presentations are grouped by category to facilitate searching, and it's also possible to share them via social media and with other users. Although it's approaching 50 million downloads , it has received criticism for unexpected crashes and login errors.
4.Curiosity
Organized into broad categories, this platform offers thousands of anecdotal facts about fields such as biology and anthropology, among many others. Its creators claim it's a good way to learn more about the world around us in a simple and understandable way for all audiences. However, its biggest drawback is that it's only available in English , requiring an intermediate level of the language to fully enjoy its content. New interesting facts are added daily, and it's only compatible with devices running Android 5.0 or higher.
5 POT
Finally, we come to the platform of the US space agency that put a man on the moon. In recent years, both this app for tablets and smartphones, and the agency's social media profiles, have gained millions of followers worldwide thanks to features such as over 14.000 real and up-to-date photographs sent by the major missions currently exploring space, as well as news, interactive maps, and live feeds from NASA TV . As is typical, it allows users to share all of this through the most popular social networks. It has become one of the most popular apps of its kind in the world, surpassing 10 million downloads, and it's completely free.
Are there any other tools missing from this list of apps? Do you think their inclusion in catalogs could be useful in making science more accessible to everyone and making it a field that attracts even more users' attention? More related information is available, such as a list of educational platforms that will be of interest to those of you who want to learn more about languages and other subjects using your tablets and smartphones.