Best iPad Apps

Lifelong Learning

Best App for Brain Studies

3D Brain

Free Version: 1.1 | Dolan DNA Learning Center

Meant for neuroscience students, this app’s a worthy download for plain ol’ noggin owners, too. In addition to civilian-friendly prose, you get a first-hand look at how digital textbooks really can do more than print. The showcase feature: two dozen-ish 3D renderings of various neural structures. Twirl, zoom in, and rotate till your own head spins. Start your exploration in Whole Brain view; the accompanying info is divvied up into the same chunks you get with other brain parts: an intro followed by details on things like case studies, associated functions, and links to current research. The brainiacs behind this work are the good people at the world-famous Cold Spring Harbor lab.

CEREBRAL SPIN: Don’t forget to spin each model every which way: up, down, left, and right. The 3D drawings are richly illustrated at every angle. Especially cool are the structures that occupy both left and right sides. As you rotate the Corpus Callosum view, for example, each hemisphere turns transparent as it moves onto the foreground, giving you a better look at Mr. CC’s center-straddling position.

BRAIN DUMP: Key parts in each view are colorized, but you’ll want to tap the Labels button to see what’s what. Once you’ve finished playing with the models, some serious learning awaits in the info panel. The case ...