Google's Science Journal App Turns Your Smartphone Into A Super Convenient STEM Research Tool
Either for work or just for fun, science can be one of the most rewarding and exciting fields to delve into. This is something that Google apparently has a passion for as well, as the company has released a very cool new science app for Android devices. Called Science Journal, this app will let anyone with an interest in science create and manage their own projects.
The app is made even more useful by the fact that it interacts with Google's science initiative called Making & Science, and based on its name, it's not that hard to figure out what it's all about. Users of the app can easily browse the many projects available, and make use of the app to help manage and make progress with each one.
However, Science Journal isn't just a project tracking app. One of its biggest perks is that it can leverage your phone's advanced hardware and various sensors on board to measure and invoke a number of tests. The accelerometer can be used to track speed, for example, while the camera could be used to analyze light (or take a picture, of course).
In the event your phone doesn't have a sensor you need to complete a test, you can use the Science Journal app to interact with an Arduino configured with the sensors you might require. Given the popularity of Arduino in the DIY and maker spaces, this expansion capability really heightens the usefulness of the app considerably.
Science Journal is completely free, offers a huge amount of functionality, and encourages users to learn about science. If there's a downside at all, it's that the app is currently exclusive to Android. It seems inevitable that we'll see it at some point on iOS, however. This is one of those projects and services that Google often does just because it's the right thing to do to keep people interested in STEM studies and other tech-related fields. If there's a vested interest, it's that the app will hopefully help inspire future Google engineers and scientists in years to come.
