The first month of the 2016-2017 school year is over, meaning the workload for students and teachers is only going to get more strenuous. Luckily, Bing has rolled out new specialized searches with the hopes of offering students, teachers, and other academics more educational resources. The specialized searches are in a number of areas, such as astronomy, physical science, historical ancestries, and citations for essays or research papers. Bing has also integrated a virtual Rubik’s cube and the “World of Words” game into search results.
Here is an overview of the new education-themed search results from Bing:
Constellation searches
Astronomy no longer needs to take place only during the night. If a user searches for “constellation” or any individual constellation by name, Bing’s interactive constellation viewer will appear at the top of search results. By using location technology, the constellation tool is also able to display the stars and constellations that are currently above or below the horizon at that specific place. Below is an example of the constellation search conducted from Boston, MA:
Molecule searches
Science classes can be one of the most difficult subjects in school, but Bing’s molecule searches can help users better understand the subject. When any type of molecule is searched for, Bing now provides an interactive 2-D model of the molecule as the top result. When a user hovers over a part of the molecule, specific information is given at the bottom of the model. Below is an example of the molecule search using the water molecule or H2O:
Royal Family Tree Searches
Students enrolled in history classes are in luck because now when a user searches for a specific royal family or royal family member, such as “House of Tudor” an interactive ancestry tool is now given at the top of search results. Below is an example of the royal family tree search using Queen Elizabeth II’s family tree:
Citation Searches
For students writing essays and research papers, Bing now offers a citation tool that lists sample citation text. Examples for citing books, websites, videos, and journals in APA, MLA, and Chicago Manual of Styles are accessible using Bing’s citation tool. The example below shows a search for “APA citation website”:
World of Words Game Play
The “World of Words” interactive game has been added to the top of search results for word-play searches by Bing. Searches using the phrases “words that start with e” or “words that contain with c and end with y” will bring the World of Words game to the top of the search query.
Rubik’s Cube Solver
A virtual Rubik’s cube is now available on Bing when a search for “Rubik’s cube solver” or simply “Rubik’s cube” is completed. The virtual cube can rotate and has drag functions that make it possible for users to play their favorite toy from the 80’s from the comfort of their computer screen. Users are able to complete the puzzle on their own or use Bing’s instant solver to see step-by-step instructions on how to solve it.
With these useful assets by Bing, students should be able to cruise through this school year, and be back on summer vacation in no time!