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Parents' Guide to

Universe in a Nutshell

By Mieke VanderBorght, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Size up everything from elephants to electrons with a swipe.

Universe in a Nutshell Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

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Privacy Rating Warning

  • Unclear whether personal information is sold or rented to third parties.
  • Unclear whether personal information are shared for third-party marketing.
  • Unclear whether this product displays personalised advertising.
  • Unclear whether data are collected by third-parties for their own purposes.
  • Unclear whether this product uses a user's information to track and target advertisements on other third-party websites or services.
  • Unclear whether this product creates and uses data profiles for personalised advertisements.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (2 ):

This super accessible reference app gracefully brings the universe down to size. It can be really hard to wrap your head around the size of really big or really small things, but swiping through the scale makes the amazing size comparisons feel tangible. The graphics are nice, though some kids might appreciate seeing actual images of the objects, when available. Each object has a brief, and sometimes amusing, description. Since there's not much depth, these blurbs simply whet kids' appetites. They may be inspired to learn more but they'll have to go elsewhere to do so. In fact, the reference information here is really limited to just the basics. For example, though kids can get a sense of just how much bigger the sun is than a grain of salt, there are no explicit comparisons among any particular objects (e.g., how many salt grains could fit in the sun?). That said, there are some interesting and creative points on the scale such as the number of steps a human takes in a lifetime or the daily growth of a bamboo stalk. Universe in a Nutshell is approachable for anyone. But kids who like to geek out on science -- and on matters bigger or smaller than what they can tangibly imagine -- will particularly appreciate this experience.

App Details

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