20111221

the interactive periodic table

App on Tap:

The Elements: A Visual Exploration

The Elements is a beefy educational iPad app with motion and interactive features that make studying the periodic table more interesting and more tangible.  

"If you think you've seen the periodic table, think again."  

The visual quality is high and appealing, and the technical information is supported by Wolfram Alpha.  Spending time with the app feels easy, either as a beautiful reference tool or a more pleasurable alternative to flashcards for rigorous memorization for school.  I didn't buy the 3D glasses to see the additional visual feature of the app;  I didn't feel I needed it.  

The downside:  the app is 1.71 GB so it takes a LOOOONG time to download (expect a couple of hours) plus it takes up a lot of memory space, which may very well be all fine if you expect and plan for it.

Here is a video showing how and why the creator (Theodore Gray), who authored the coffee table book and other periodic table related merchandise, decided to make the app. 



I learned about The Elements from another artist.  I read a review by Tina Hoggett on her blog, big ideas

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