Communications, features and articles | Educational Science

Mar 8, 2016

Apple vs. FBI: What's Really Going On?

Apple is embroiled in a battle with the FBI over an iPhone that was used by one of the shooters involved in the December attack that killed 14 and wounded 22 in San Bernardino, California. The two sides are involved in an ongoing court case over Apple's refusal to comply...

Mar 17, 2016

Drawn to Safety: Doodles Could Secure Your Phone

Tired of wracking your brain to remember the strings of words, arrangements of letters or random numbers that you chose for your latest password? Soon, you might be able to ditch all of them and unlock your phone, apps and accounts with a doodle. Researchers have found that doodle passwords...

Jun 24, 2016

What Brexit Vote Means for Science (in 140 Characters)

The United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union has left scientists and researchers questioning the future of their work, funding, collaborations and more. In a historic vote this week, 52 percent of participants in the U.K. voted in favor of the Brexit, as the referendum by British voters to...

Jul 14, 2016

'Snowfox' GPS Phone Helps Parents Keep Tabs on Young Kids

A new, screenless phone for young kids could help parents stay in touch with their children, without the adults having to worry that their kids are glued to smartphones. The new device, called Snowfox, also comes equipped with a GPS tracker, letting parents know where their kids are, while helping...

Aug 19, 2016

Smartphone-Connected Contact Lenses Give New Meaning to 'Eye Phone'

Apps allow you to link your smartphone to anything from your shoes, to your jewelry, to your doorbell — and soon, you may be able to add your contact lenses to that list. Engineers at the University of Washington have developed an innovative way of communicating that would allow medical...

Oct 19, 2016

3D-Printed Gadget Lets Kids Turn Smartphone into Microscope

A 3D-printed smartphone microscope system is making microbiology interactive by allowing schoolkids to experiment and play games with light-seeking microbes. The so-called LudusScope borrows its name from the Latin word ludus, which means play, game or elementary school. The device looks similar to a standard microscope, but can be docked...

Nov 21, 2016

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Outlines Projects to Reduce Fake News

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg posted a comment to his home page last night that finally addresses the problem of fake news on his social media site. Normally we wouldn't share specifics about our work in progress, but given the importance of these issues and the amount of interest in this...

Apr 20, 2017

Genius Bot: Chat with 'Einstein' Via Facebook Messenger

On April 25, National Geographic Channel will launch its first scripted television show, Genius, about the life of Albert Einstein. But before that happens, the channel is also planning for the famed scientist to make an appearance — of sorts — just in time for the March for Science this...

May 26, 2017

Spray-On Touch Screens? How to Turn Any Flat Surface into a Touchpad

The technique, dubbed Electrick by its inventors from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, relies on electrodes attached to an object made of or coated with any slightly conductive material. While not as precise as smartphone touch-screen technology, the resulting touchpads are still accurate enough to allow basic control functions, such...

Jun 7, 2017

Cracked Cellphone Screens Could Soon Be a Thing of the Past

Almost every smartphone owner knows the sickening feeling of watching your phone fall to the ground and seeing the screen splinter like a spiderweb into dozens of tiny pieces. The screens are one of the iPhone's major design flaws; they are made primarily out of silicone, a material that is...

Jun 28, 2017

No More Glare: 'Moth Eye' Smartphone Coating Doesn't Reflect Sunlight

Unusual structures on moth eyes that help the insects see at night have inspired a new anti-reflection film for electronic devices. The new technology could help users see their screens even in bright daylight. The film significantly reduces glare as well as the need to duck into the shade to...

Jul 25, 2017

This New Cellphone Uses Such Little Power It Doesn't Need a Battery

Imagine being out and about, only to realize that your phone's battery life is running dangerously low and there's nowhere nearby to charge it. Now imagine how liberating it could feel to not have to worry about that. A new cellphone prototype could one day provide such relief because it...

Aug 3, 2017

How US Navy's Futuristic Laser Weapon Uses Old-School Telephone Tech

The U.S. Navy's recent demonstration of its new laser weapon, designed to blast enemy drones out of the sky, proves that these systems no longer solely exist in the world of science fiction. But how do these so-called directed-energy weapons work? The idea for laser weapons has been around for...

Aug 21, 2017

Can You Photograph the Solar Eclipse with Your Phone or Tablet?

The total solar eclipse of 2017 is upon us, and many people are asking: Can I photograph the phenomenon with my cellphone or tablet? With a few caveats, the answer is yes. Today (Aug. 21), a partial solar eclipse will be visible from all of the U.S., and a total...

Jan 23, 2018

Man Bites Phone Battery, Exploding Battery Wins

That's a hard-learned lesson for a man who visited a Chinese electronic store shopping for a replacement battery and decided to apply his own technologically unsound method for verifying the batteries authenticity. He placed the battery into his mouth and bit down. The result? Pop goes the battery. MORE: Smartphones...