Four free apps to help you explore the wonders of our world
That device you have in your pocket is great at helping you stay connected with friends and navigate around the city. Our smartphones can also be incredible tools to explore different layers of the world around us. As digital technology keeps improving, it’s easier than ever to use sensors and virtual reality to create more educational and fun experiences. Here are a few of the many apps that enable you to see the world just a bit differently.
Stargazing
Astronomy apps bring the wonder of stargazing down to earth, accessible to anyone curious enough to point a phone at the sky. Use these augmented reality apps to spot and identify constellations, planets, satellites, and more.
Android: SkyView Free | iOS: Night Sky
Observations for NASA
You can also turn your phone into a portable laboratory to contribute to official scientific research using the NASA Globe Observer app. Take pictures and record conditions about cloud cover, land cover, or mosquito habitats, then submit the collected data to NASA. These observations are used by NASA scientists to validate, interpret, and understand satellite data from space.
Android: GLOBE Observer | iOS: GLOBE Observer
Art and History
If you want to take a break from the present-day world and dive into history, check out the BBC’s Civilisations AR app. This app provides you with a virtual collection of dozens of to-scale historic artifacts. You can place an ancient Egyptian mummy in your living room and then walk around it, zooming in for closer study.
Android: Civilisations AR | iOS: Civilisations AR
Blindness
For an altogether different experience in a world without sight, you can download Notes on Blindness: Into Darkness. Released as both a feature film at Sundance 2016 and an immersive virtual reality project, the interactive true story recreates what it was like for author John Hull to slowly became totally blind. You can explore both the sensory and psychological effects of blindness through Hull’s actual audio diary. The virtual reality experience is viewable on a smartphone with or without a headset.
Android: Notes on Blindness VR | iOS: Notes on Blindness VR
