In the 1830s, Charles Darwin used a pen and paper to document finches and other fauna and flora in the Galápagos Islands. For the next century and a half, most scientists relied on the same tools to take notes or collect data. Today, Dave Anderson, associate professor of biology at Wake Forest University, follows in Darwin's footsteps--walking the Galápagos coast, searching for albatrosses and Nazca boobies. Instead of using a pen, however, he collects data with a personal digital assistant (PDA). He's not the only one: Handheld devices now appear in science classrooms, experimental laboratories, and medical settings. These minicomputers have the potential to push science ahead at a faster pace and with more accurate results.
For the most part, anything that a scientist does on paper can be done on a handheld device. Just an ordinary Palm or Pocket PC, along with some specialized software, can perform scientific feats, ...
