can i read research papers on kindle

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Good e-Reader

Here is how you can read PDF files on the Amazon Kindle

20 February 2021 By Sovan Mandal 17 Comments

The Amazon Kindle is easily among the very best eBook readers out there. It’s not just about the ease of reading, you will probably never run out of eBooks or other reading material to read on the Kindle. Of course, the Kindle Library has much to do with that given the millions of titles it has to offer, but you almost have unlimited reading material at your disposal given that the Kindle can read PDF files as well.

You heard it right. You can load your Kindle with PDF files from just about anywhere, which means there won’t ever be a dearth of things to read on your Kindle. That not just includes PDF books, you also have documents, research papers, or just about anything in PDF format all of which can be read or viewed on the Kindle. You can also include image files as well as long as they can be saved in PDF format.

The only grouse, if that can be so said, is that you get to see things only in shades of black and white. That however is the reason we fell in love with the Kindle in the first place, its ability to show things in black and white in a manner that mimics real paper. By doing so, it does not consume a lot of battery power as well, capable as it is to survive for weeks on a single charge.

The process of sending a PDF file to your Kindle device is also quite straightforward. All you need to do is send the PDF file to your Kindle email id. It is here that things might begin to seem a bit complicated in that not many might be aware Amazon allots an email address to every Kindle owner, and that it is unique for every Kindle device.

Finding your Kindle email address.

That’s assuming you are not aware of yours. However, if you know your Kindle email ID, you can skip this part. Else, here is what you need to do.

• Go to the official Amazon home page that applies to your region.
• Sign in with your Amazon username and password.
• After you have logged in, look for the menu option Account and Lists which should show somewhere along the top right of the home screen.
• Under Account and Lists , look for Your devices and content > Manage Devices .
• You will get to see the list of ebooks currently assigned to your Kindle account, all of which are shown under the Content Other options shown include Devices , Preferences , and Privacy Settings .
• Click on the Devices heading to show the Device Summary
• Under Device Summary , you will be shown a host of information related to your device, which includes the email address associated to your Kindle.
• Copy and save the email at your desired location, for that’s the email id you need to send files to for those to show up on your Kindle.

Getting your email ID approved

Just having your Kindle email address won’t suffice unless you have got your own personal email address (any email address from which you are going to send the files to your Kindle device) approved. Unless this is done, Kindle won’t download the files.

Here are the steps to follow for getting your email address approved.

• Follow steps 1 – 5 as stated under Finding your Kindle email address .
• However, click on Preferences this time, instead of Devices .
• Scroll down and select the Personal Document Settings
• Scroll down again and select the Approved Personal Document E-mail List .
• This is the list containing the email address that the Kindle will recognize. You got to have your email in this list for the Kindle to download the files you send.
• For that, select the Add a new approved e-mail address
• Enter your e-mail address and click on Add address . Make sure you add the email address from which you intend to send the PDF files to your Kindle.

Sending PDF files to your Kindle

After you have done all that has been stated above, you are now ready to send PDF files to your Kindle device. Also, the above steps are a one-time process and won’t need to be repeated each time.

So, what you need to do now is simply send an email to the Kindle email ID with the PDF file attached to it. Also, you can send multiple PDF files at the same time, as it is with any email client.

You can also use ‘Convert’ as the subject and send it to Kindle. The file gets automatically converted to the Kindle format.

Fix for PDF file now showing on the Kindle

If that is the case, here are a few things you can do.

• Check if your Kindle is connected to the internet.
• Sync your Kindle device. To do that, go to the Kindle Home page and tap on Settings > Sync Your Kindle .

With the file now accessible to the Kindle, you can read it via the eBook reader as you would any other reading stuff. It’s true you need to go through an initial set-up process which essentially boils down to getting your email ID added to the approved list as well as finding out the email address of your Kindle.  Once you are done with that, you can send as many PDF files to your Kindle as you would like to.

Sovan Mandal

With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.

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Using the Kindle for research and studying

I have to confess, that when it comes to some technologies, I am a bit of a laggard.  It was only very recently that decided to get to grips with understanding the mysterious world of eReaders.  I have two excuses: the first is that there’s just so much ‘tech’ to keep on top of, which means that it’s difficult to know what to do next (which is actually a pretty lame excuse), and secondly, I’ve always been a bit sceptical about the screen quality of eReaders.

About a month ago, I requested a new book from the University library to do some preparatory reading for a new course I’m involved with.  The library turned around my request pretty quickly, but they also sent me an email that suggested that I’ve got some figuring out to do.  It was: ‘we only supply that text book in eBook format’.  No dead tree variety?  No, apparently they don’t do that anymore.

Back at home, I searched around for a box that contained a discarded Christmas present that one of my relatives had received and had then given to me after a couple of months; it was an Amazon Kindle.  After figuring out how to give it some power, the first thing I did was connect it up to my Amazon account.  I was gradually finding my way into being a ‘contemporary reader’.

This blog might be useful for anyone who has to use these eReader devices for their studies.  It might also be useful for any of my colleagues who have to battle with the mixture of convenience and frustration that accompanies the use of eReaders. 

I say ‘eReaders’, what I actually mean is ‘Kindle’, for now.  And when I say ‘Kindle’, is actually the really old ones with keyboards and black and white screen, and not any those new-fangled colour models.

The first section is all about figuring out how to read a text book.  The second section is all about how to download Open University on-line materials to your device (so you can read it on the go).  Some of the OU courses are presented entirely on line.  Two examples of this are: TT284 Web technologies , and H810 Accessible on-line learning: supporting disabled students . I describe how you might (potentially) go about downloading an on-line course to your device, so you can get ahead with your studies.

The third part is a bit of useful fun.  I asked myself the question, ‘I wonder what books I can get hold of for free?’  The answer is, ‘actually, quite a few’.  In the final section I share a few tips about how to download books that are out of copyright.  I, for one, haven’t been a great reader of the classics (I’ve been too busy messing around with computers; another lame excuse), but there are loads that are clearly available.

Working with text books

Apparently, the OU has a website called Mobile Connections, which offers some guidance about the use of mobile devices (OU website) and pointers to mobile strategy documents.  This is all very well, but how do I get a text book onto my device.

After clicking around the university library and attempting to access the text book that I wanted to ‘take out’, I was presented with the following message: "Patrons using iPads, iPhones or Android devices can download and read EBL content via the free Bluefire reader app. "  Now, I don’t have an iPad or an iPhone, and I’ve explicitly made a decision not to read any textbooks on my Android phone simply because my eyes are not up to it.  I haven’t heard about the Bluefire app, but the Bluefire website may or not be useful.

Another part of the library message was that "Downloaded EBL ebooks can also be transferred to any portable ebook reader that supports Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). There's a list of these compatible devices on the ADE website "

I had never heard of Adobe Digital Editions before but I’ve managed to find an Adobe website that offers a bit of information.  I had a good look on the ‘compatible devices’ list and my Kindle device wasn’t listed, which was pretty frustrating (to put it mildly).

All this frustration highlighted a division between two different formats: one called ePub and another called mobi.  Apparently ePub is an open standard, whereas mobi is owned by Amazon.  I soon saw that you couldn’t put ePubs on my Kindle, which was a bit rubbish.

  I asked myself two inevitable questions: ‘is it possible to convert an ePub to a mobi, and if you can, how do you do it?’  Thankfully, the internet is a wonderful thing, and I soon found a product called Calibre (website).  Calibre is described as a ‘free and open source e-book library management application developed by users of e-books for users of e-books’.  It’s a tool that you can download onto your PC, put an ePub in one side, and get a Kindle mobi book out of the other (with a bit of clicking and messing around in between).

  One thing that Calibre can’t do is take account of DRM.  DRM, or digital rights management, is used to protect media from being copied between different devices (which is why you need software like the Amazon Digital Editions).  If your ePub is protected by DRM (or, someone has said that you can’t copy it), then you can’t convert from one format to another.

For sake of argument, let’s say you’ve got a freely available text book that is useful with your module.  How do you go about transferring it to your Kindle?  In my naivety, I thought I could use the ‘old school’ technique of plugging it into the USB port of my computer and dragging files around.  Unfortunately, due to local OU system policies, staff cannot to write data to external USB devices due to an information security management policy.   As soon as I connected up my Kindle, I was presented with a message that read, ‘do you want to encrypt your device?’  If you’re ever asked that question in response to any e-reader you have, say ‘no’ straight away.  Thankfully, I did have the foresight to say no, as otherwise my Kindle would have probably been rendered useless.

Since I was unable to transfer my mobi files directly from my PC to my Kindle, how should I do it?  The answer came from a colleague: you email the books or any files that you want to read through your device to your Kindle account.  When you’ve done this, and you turn on your Kindle, magic happens, your document is downloaded.  If you’re interested, Amazon have some helpful pages (Amazon website).

Working with OU resources

More and more OU resources are being made available in Kindle and ePub formats.  This, I believe, can only be described as a ‘very good thing’ since some of the OU books can be pretty bulky.  When you’re working with an eReader, you can sometimes put all your module materials on your device.  When I go to tutorials, I tend to bring all the OU books with me – but rather than carrying them, I have them all preloaded on a Kindle.  This said, I am a great fan of paper; you can do things on paper that you can’t do with electronic devices and visa-versa, i.e. you can search for a term in an eBook, and you can scribble in your books with different coloured pens (and stick things between pages).

Not long after starting to mess around with my Kindle I realised I could do exactly the same with the other module materials I need to work with from time to time. I quickly realised that there would be a problem: things would start to get pretty confusing if I had all the different eBooks in one place on my Kindle.  Thankfully, there is a concept of a category.

After emailing a load of different mobi books to my Kindle, I noticed that my ‘TT284 category’ (I thought it was a good idea to group resources based on module code) became quickly overloaded, and I noticed that the default display order was the order in which the books were downloaded in.  Although this was useful, I got myself into a bit of a muddle with the download sequence.  I soon realised that it’s possible to change the ordering according to the title which made for a really nice sequence of module materials.

I’ve now got categories for all of the different modules I have downloaded resources for: H810, TT284 and M364 Fundamentals of Interaction Design.  For M364, I have a mobi version of the assignment booklet, and PDF copies of the four blocks.  I don’t, however, have a copy of the set text. 

The M364 set text is huge, and it’s a real pain to carry around, and students have regularly asked whether there are electronic versions that they could download.  Unfortunately, publishers are only just beginning to catch up with the new ways in which institutions and students consume their materials.  For now, we’ve got to battle on with a mixture of paper text books and OU materials which can be provided in a digital format.

Free books!

After months of it being in a box on my shelf, I’ve finally figured out how to use my Kindle.  Now that it’s jam packed with learning resources and I’m getting used to its screen (which isn’t too bad), I started to think about how I might use it to read stuff ‘for fun’, i.e. using it to read novels and non-fiction.

I quickly remembered Project Gutenberg which was a project dedicated to digitising books that were out of copyright.  I took another quick look at this and discovered that they now had books in eBook format, which was great news.  A quick look around took me to an interesting page called the Best Books Ever Listings (Project Gutenberg) I also discovered all these different ‘bookshelves’ organised by topic.  I really recommend that you have a good look around.

Another really good source of free (or really cheap) books is Amazon.  Within minutes of looking around I found a number of classics that I had never read before.  I clicked on a ‘buy’ button, and these new books were delivered to my device.  (Plus, since an eBook doesn’t have a cover, you can download some particularly racy books and read them when you’re on the train and no one would be any the wiser…!)

And finally…

As I said earlier, it sometimes takes me a while to get on top of a technology; I used to be someone who always wanted to mess around with the latest technologies and gadgets.

I don’t really know why it’s taken me so long to get to grips with eReaders.  I’m someone who likes the feel and smell, and flexibility of physical books.  This said, I’ve come to see that eReaders can give learners a flexibility that they never had before; an ability to carry everything around easily, and the ability to search for terms and phrases.  When a lot of material has moved ‘on-line’, eReaders can help us to access content in a convenient way without being always tied to a computer.  I think this is a really good thing.

I’m someone who loves to make notes.  One thing that you can’t do (very easily) is make scribbly notes on eBook pages, but that is okay: I’ll just have to figure out some new study strategies.

The more that you look at something, the more you think about different possibilities.  Looking at the Kindle has caused me to ask myself a further question, which is: how might you create an eBook from scratch?

New comment

I agree with you, Chris, about the flexibility of electronic format.  I like being able to download, access anywhere on a comparatively light device a lot of heavy material.  However, at my desk, I look at the physical units, underline, or post-it note bits that seem important, that students query and ring or email me about. I usually have a printed copy of the TMA and the tutor notes next to me as I mark the electronic assignments.  I felt guilty about this weird and wasteful behaviour until very recently, when I read research about the differences in reading electronic or print format.

This research comes from Anne Mangen, Bente Walgermo and Kolbjørn Brønnick.  Having got a copy of their paper, (via the OU library - the link is http://www.sciencedirect.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/science/article/pii/S0883035512001127 ), I note the authors' conclusion that having both reading assessment tasks in the same medium on the computer leads to additional cognitive costs. That is, it's harder to read both question and answer on a screen than if at least one of those is in print. Now I understand why I've always printed my tutor notes and the TMA questions and read them ahead of marking electronically.  It makes it easier on my brain.

Consequently, I suggest students print the TMA booklet so they can read it off paper before and as they answer. Also, they might be wise to print off the nearly completed answer before giving it a final polish.

Read news articles about this research at:

• The Guardian at http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/aug/19/readers-absorb-less-kindles-paper-study-plot-ereader-digitisation
• Science Nordic http://sciencenordic.com/paper-beats-computer-screens
• in the New Scientist

What about Text to Speech

Great article! I was wondering if you know anything about enabling text to speech on documents you upload.

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How do I automatically convert academic papers (PDF) for reading on a Kindle?

I got a Kindle for Christmas and I'd like to read some academic papers on it. Almost all of those papers are in either PostScript or the PDF format and made for A4-sized paper. See the example here .

Sending the PDFs to my @kindle.com address (with "convert" as subject) doesn't work because the converter fails to recognize the two-column layout that's so common for those kind of papers and treats it instead as a single column, mixing paragraphs from both columns. Same goes for Calibre unless I'm doing it wrong.

I can certainly read the PDFs on my Kindle in landscape mode but the small font is hard to read and zooming in requires me to pan in all directions because of the column view.

So my question is: Short of converting the files manually, are there any solutions you can think of?

The Calibre manual has a detailed explanation on the difficulties of converting PDFs to other formats .

To re-iterate PDF is a really, really bad format to use as input. If you absolutely must use PDF, then be prepared for an output ranging anywhere from decent to unusable, depending on the input PDF.

That pretty much sums up my experience. I've got a solution in mind but it involves some programming of OCR / Document layout analysis but I'm hoping to avoid having to dive into that particular field. (I'd rather spend my time reading, so any and all suggestions are welcome.)

I like K2pdfopt for this kind of thing.

http://willus.com/k2pdfopt/

• on windows it has a (separate) GUI: students.uni-marburg.de/~Wallauej/k2pdfoptgui/k2pdfoptgui.html –  n611x007 Nov 5, 2012 at 7:56
• GUI is integrated in Windows version now (v2.x). –  willus Oct 20, 2013 at 2:29
• See willus.com/k2pdfopt/contrib for how to use it on MacOs. –  Halil Jul 12, 2016 at 20:06

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You can read news articles on your Kindle or Kobo—here's how

Getting through your article queue is easier with these handy tools

Updated December 10, 2021

Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.

Instapaper vs Pocket

Kobo's software can sync directly with your Pocket account.

Before sending articles to your e-reader of choice, you'll have to pick a read-it-later service. The only two that currently sync with Kindle and Kobo are Instapaper and Pocket, both of which offer free and premium tiers. They mostly function the same way—tap a few buttons and the article you're viewing will be stored in your account's queue so you can get back to it later—but their free offerings are a bit different, and each has a different advantage when syncing with your e-reader.

While Pocket's premium tier is a bit pricier than Instapaper’s, its text-to-speech sounds closer to actual human speech and its offline mode allows you to store more than 500 articles at a time. (That's Instapaper's cutoff).

You should pick the one that best suits your needs, but know that if you're looking for e-reader integration, Kindles work better with Instapaper because Instapaper lets you send digests directly from your account, and Kobos work better with Pocket because you can view your whole queue directly from your device. Instapaper’s digests also look nicer than the ones you can build for Pocket, but you can’t sync your Kobo with an Instapaper account.

Pocket change

Pocket lets you create custom article tags so you can search for them later on your Kobo.

If you don't already have an e-reader, and you're as dedicated to reading the news as you are reading books, you should get a Kobo.

There are premium tiers that offer things like sending digests with articles containing a specific tag, unlimited digests, an extra ten articles per delivery, faster delivery speeds, and a few extras, but the free tier should be enough for most people. It allows you to send up to five digests per week with ten articles per digest, options for daily and weekly digests, and the ability to compile digests randomly or based on which articles were saved more recently.

There are a lot of ways you can customize this, and that'll depend on how many articles are in your queue and how many you can realistically read in a given time. The best way to get a feel for how many articles to put in a digest, start small to avoid getting overwhelmed, then begin to modify and add more as you get more acquainted with your own system.

Put it to paper

Unlike Pocket, Instapaper has a built-in way to send digests to your Kindle, but it's locked behind the service's premium tier.

If Instapaper fits your needs better, there's some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that sending digests to your Kindle is locked behind the premium subscription, and there aren't as many customization options as P2K offers. The good news is that those digests look better than P2K’s, and they're pretty easy to set up.

You won't be able to customize the frequency of your digests, but you can select between daily and weekly, and pick the time that suits you best. To account for delays, make sure it's at least a few hours before you plan on sitting down and reading your digest. You can also choose anywhere from 1-10 articles per digest, but that's about it, unfortunately.

And as we already mentioned, there isn’t a way to sync your articles on Instapaper to a Kobo device.

Some things to remember

Don't want to use Pocket or Instapaper? Amazon's Send to Kindle extension for Google Chrome is the best alternative.

But regardless of how you get news articles onto your e-reader, there's a bit of a hiccup with highlighting text within articles. It’s still totally doable, and you can still access all those highlights the same way you would book highlights, but that's about all you can do. The highlights you make from the Pocket app won't sync to your Kindle, and vice versa.

Since you probably won't be reading the same article on multiple devices, that might not present a huge issue, but if you're particular about how you organize your notes, it's important to know where everything is going before getting started.

If you're okay with that drawback and fiddling with a few settings to get things right, you can make your Kindle or Kobo as good a place for reading the news as it is reading your favorite books.

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When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

The best Kindles you can buy: Expert tested

It's ramping up to be a busy summer travel season, and if you're anything like me, your summer vacation isn't complete without a few novels in tow. But who has the suitcase space for every single Emily Henry novel? I don't. Those hefty books become a lot lighter when you read them on an e-reader, like a Kindle. Kindles can hold a near-infinite number of books, newspapers, and magazines in one compact, lightweight device. My Kindle even fits in my jacket pocket -- talk about portable. Plus, you can save lots of money when you switch from physical books to e-books. 

Also:  The best iPad models you can buy

While most Kindle tablets have a fixed amount of internal storage, many support Amazon Cloud backup or microSD cards for expanded onboard storage. Plus, many Kindle readers are waterproof up to 2 meters, so you can take your e-reader to the beach or pool and not have to worry about splashes and sprays ruining your e-reader. With anti-glare screens and auto-adjusting backlights, it's easier than ever to read your favorite books indoors and outdoors in direct sunlight. And as a bonus, many of our top choices are on sale for Memorial Day , so be sure to snag a deal before they're gone.

What is the best Kindle right now? 

ZDNET rounded up the best Kindle readers available to buy right now, with the best Kindle reader overall being Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite for its excellent battery life, easy readability, and mainstream appeal. We broke down their features and price points to help you decide which is the best fit for your reading needs and budget. Keep reading below to find the perfect Kindle for you.

The best Kindle readers of 2024

Amazon kindle paperwhite, best kindle reader overall.

• Post-consumer materials
• Excellent battery life
• Waterproof up to 2 meters
• Easy to use
• Audible requires separate app
• No headphone jack
• No microSD card support

Spend any time on Reddit threads, and you will quickly realize that there is one Kindle that reigns supreme among the rest: the Kindle Paperwhite. 

I use my Kindle Paperwhite to read on the subway because of how pocketable and light it is to carry in my bag and because I can download tons of library books onto it and read them at my leisure. The battery life blows me away. I've only had to charge it two or three times since using it for around three to four months. Compared to the Kindle Oasis, the refresh rate on the Paperwhite is as smooth as butter, and reading is as enjoyable as can be with adjustable lighting, page sizing, and more. 

Also:  The Kindle Paperwhite gets a new look

The Kindle Paperwhite is a simple, no-fuss e-reader that allows you to download and store thousands of comics, novels, and audiobooks to enjoy at home or on the go. The 6.8-inch display provides 300 points per inch for crystal-clear text, and the glare-free coating makes reading more manageable by a direct lamp or in sunlight. The integrated battery can last up to ten weeks on a full charge, letting you read for almost two months before needing to plug in. It uses a USB-C cable when you need to recharge, so you don't have to worry about keeping a special charging cable handy.

Furthermore, the Kindle Paperwhite is waterproof up to 2 meters for 1 hour in freshwater or .25 meters for three minutes in saltwater. This means you won't have to worry about spills and splashes while reading at the beach, pool, or dinner table. Additionally, the Kindle Unlimited app lets you browse hundreds of thousands of titles, including Kindle exclusives. 

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite specs: S creen size:  6.8 inches |  Storage:  8GB, 16GB, Amazon Cloud |  Battery life:  Up to six weeks at 30 minutes per day |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  No

Kindle Scribe

Best kindle for note-taking.

• You're able to sign documents, take notes, and draw
• Robust 10.2-inch screen
• Battery life for literal days
• It's expensive
• Limited note-taking capabilities

The Kindle Scribe combines a digital library with a digital notebook. You can use the basic pen to create notes either through an app or on the book you're reading, making it convenient if you're studying for a test and want to organize what you're reading and your notes in one place. Additionally, you can upgrade to the Kindle Scribe Premium Pen to easily erase notes.

The display is remarkable, with a high-resolution 10.2-inch screen. You'll also have access to ample storage options, and the battery life will let you read the next bestseller without worrying about finding the nearest plug for charging. 

Review:  Amazon Kindle Scribe

When Matthew Miller reviewed the Scribe last year, he called it his on-the-go note-taking tablet of choice. "My desire to find something that doesn't waste paper and also provides the ability to preserve and share my notes has been met with the Amazon Kindle Scribe," Miller said. He adds that the writing and erasing capabilities are top-tier, too, especially with the add-on Premium Pen. 

One Scribe owner on Reddit said that the wider screen is "a joy to read on," while other Redditors reported that the writing software is "half-baked" with minimal note-taking capabilities. So, if you're looking for a Kindle with a great screen and some beginner note-taking options, this one is for you. 

There is certainly room for improvement. Currently, you can export notes to a PDF and email them. However, sending notes to other programs like Microsoft Word would be ideal, as it will be part of a future software update. Additionally, we found that organizing your notes on the Kindle Scribe is impossible. Overall, it's an excellent foray into the digital note-taking market, and with future software updates, it should become one of the more popular models in the Kindle lineup.

Kindle Scribe specs:  Screen size:  10.2 inches |  Storage:  16, 32, or 64GB |  Battery life:  Up to 6 weeks at 30 minutes per day |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  No

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

Best kindle reader for travel.

• Wireless charging capable
• Water resistant
• Cloud storage backup
• Accessibility options
• A bit on the heavy side
• Some owners on Reddit say that the extra storage is unnecessary

The best part of having an e-reader is taking dozens, if not hundreds, of books with you while you travel for work, errands, family gatherings, or vacations. Ayman from @aymansbooks on TikTok is one of BookTok's most successful accounts, with over 900,000 followers. She creates content and memes about novels and recommends the books she reads on the platform. 

Ayman told ZDNET that the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is her Kindle of choice. Whether she's at the DMV, sitting at a cafe, or waiting in a line, she always takes along her Paperwhite Signature Edition and pulls it out when she has a spare second to read. "I love how I can easily highlight and make annotations as I'm reading; it feels just as though I'm reading a physical book," Ayman said. 

Review:  Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is built with travel in mind. It supports USB-C and Qi wireless charging, so you don't have to keep a special charging cable for a single device. The internal battery can also last up to 10 weeks on a full charge, allowing you to enjoy your beach reading even if you forget your charging cable.

The screen features an anti-glare coating for better visibility in direct lamplight or sunlight and an auto-adjusting backlight to suit dim rooms. With 32GB of internal storage, you can store tens of thousands of titles on the tablet. However, some Reddit owners say extra storage is unnecessary, given how many books the Kindle Paperwhite already holds. The water-resistant tablet is excellent for reading by the pool, on the beach, or anywhere accidental spills may happen. Additionally, it has a screen reader function for blind and visually impaired users and supports Bluetooth headsets for audiobooks.

When former ZDNET contributor Jason Cipriani reviewed the Signature Edition, he said: "If you opt to spend a little bit more for the signature edition, you're gaining some notable features in wireless charging and a light sensor, improving even more on an already reliable experience." 

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition specs:  Screen size:  6.8 inches |  Storage:  32GB, Amazon Cloud |  Battery life:  Up to 10 weeks at 30 minutes per day |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  No

Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus

Best non-kindle e-reader.

• Up to 1TB microSD card support
• Good battery life
• Alexa built-in
• On the heavy side

Since an e-reader like the Kindle is usually a single-purpose device, spending a ton of money on one may not always make sense. Fortunately, the Amazon Fire 8 Plus is an exceptionally affordable Kindle-capable tablet. For just $120, you can get an 8-inch tablet with 32GB of internal storage, which you can expand with up to a 1TB microSD card. The internal battery lasts up to 13 hours, allowing you to listen to audiobooks or read all day before needing to plug in. Moreover, since the Fire 8 Plus is closer to a typical tablet, you can download apps like YouTube to turn it into an entertainment hub for kids and adults.

Also:  Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus

With Alexa built-in, you can use voice commands to launch apps, play music, and even make video calls to friends and family. This is an excellent way to keep in touch with your book club or reading circle in a post-COVID world. Alternatively, you can switch Alexa off to prevent misuse of your Fire 8 Plus camera and microphones to gather information about you and your family. Most Reddit users prefer the Fire 8 Plus over the Fire 8, given its negligible price difference. 

This tablet is for casual browsing, streaming, mobile entertainment, or even for your little one. "At $120, the latest model is not the cheapest of the Fire tablet bunch, but it's certainly a compelling option for its sharp visuals, enduring build quality, and exceptional battery life," June Wan writes in his review of the tablet. 

Amazon Fire HD 8  Plus specs: S creen size:  8 inches |  Storage:  32GB or 64GB |  Battery life:  12 hours |  Lock screen ads:  Yes, removable with fee |  microSD card support:  Up to 1TB

What is the best Kindle?

The best Kindle e-reader is the Kindle Paperwhite. You can choose between 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of internal storage to download thousands of comics, novels, and audiobooks. Additionally, you can opt for cloud storage syncing for near-infinite storage space for your digital library. The screen features an anti-glare coating for better visibility in sunlight and flush bezels for better handling. Plus, the integrated battery can last up to six weeks on a full charge, allowing you to read as much as you want worry-free.

*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

Which is the right Kindle for you?

When shopping for a new Kindle reader, aside from price, you should also consider how much storage space you'll want or need for your digital bookshelf. The Kindle Paperwhite has 8GB of storage, which is enough for hundreds of books, audiobooks, PDF files, and graphic novels. On the other hand, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition has 32GB of storage, which allows your digital bookshelf to store almost 14,000 titles. Furthermore, no matter which model of Kindle reader you use, many support either microSD cards up to 1TB or cloud syncing for near-infinite storage.

Below is a table that outlines which Kindle corresponds to specific needs:

Factors to consider when choosing a Kindle

• Price: The Kindles and Kindle alternatives on this list range from $120 to $340. With more features, like drawing capabilities, strong battery life, and large storage, you will pay a higher price. 
• Storage capacity: The point of a device like a Kindle is to store as many books in one compact device as possible. We looked at Kindles with wide storage capacities that can hold thousands of titles. 
• Extra features: Some Kindles are kid-friendly or offer customizable displays and more. Lots of models offer water resistance and have anti-glare features so you can read in whatever environment you're in -- whether that's on the sandy beach or in a bathtub. 
• Battery life : The e-readers on this list should last you a few days, and ideally a few weeks, before recharging. 

Also: How to buy books on Kindle

How did we choose these Kindle readers?

ZDNET only recommends products we have used and can speak to. We do this by spending a few weeks constantly using the products we write about and evaluating them for performance, battery life, usability, special features, and more. Then we write a product spotlight or review of the product and add it to one of these best lists. Each month we evaluate which products still deserve a spot on this list, and switch out older models with newer models. 

What's the point of a Kindle?

If you have only ever read books through physical copies, not digital e-readers, you might think buying a Kindle is a waste of money. There's the argument that you don't even need the Kindle e-reader when you can download the app on your phone and read digital books and magazines from there. Sure, that's a good point. But many readers see having the Kindle app on a phone more distracting, while a Kindle whose sole purpose is to function as an e-reader is distraction-free. 

Then there's the fact that carrying paperbacks while you travel, commute to work, or lug around in that small bag of yours can get heavy, and sometimes we don't have the space for every book we'd like to read. A Kindle is slim, lightweight, and easy to plop into a purse or even put in your coat pocket. 

Holding a physical book is not the same as holding an e-reader, but for certain use cases, like portability and space optimization, a Kindle e-reader reigns supreme. 

Can I bring my Kindle to the beach?

Yes, you certainly can. Many readers enjoy taking a Kindle to the beach instead of a paperback book, thanks to select Kindle models' waterproof build and glare-free display. If your beach bag is too heavy for a thick book, a thin Kindle could be a splendid alternative. Plus, you don't have to choose between two or three books to read -- you can bring them all on your Kindle. 

How many books will 32GB hold?

It all depends on what kinds of books you want to download, as different media files have different sizes. For example, a single comic book issue file can be as small as 650MB, while a graphic novel can be up to 1.5GB. On the other hand, plain-text files like novels, nonfiction titles, and even school textbooks have fairly small sizes, allowing you to have up to 13,500 books in your digital library with 32GB of storage space.

However, longer titles like War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy will have a larger file size than something like F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. If you like longer reads, you'll probably store fewer books, though you should still be able to download and store thousands of titles.

You can even download audiobooks from the Kindle app, though the audio files are quite large. This means that a 32GB Kindle will only hold about 150 audiobooks, depending on the length of the recording.

What's the difference between the Kindle Paperwhite and a regular Kindle?

The Kindle Paperwhite boasts a bigger display, warm light adjustment feature, longer battery life, waterproof build, and higher price tag.

Do Kindles offer audiobooks?

All Kindles offer text-to-voice narration through Alexa. But if you want to buy an audiobook specifically, you'll have to use Amazon's Audible. Audible is integrated into all newer Kindle models. 

Does a Kindle need Wi-Fi?

For certain things, like downloading new books and accessing the internet, yes. But if you have already downloaded the book you'd like to read on your Kindle you can read it without a Wi-Fi connection. I take my Kindle on the subway, where there's no Wi-Fi connection, and have no problem reading my favorite titles. 

Do I need a Kindle to read Kindle books?

Nope! Whether you have an iOS or an Android, you can download the Kindle app from the App Store or Google Play store and start reading on it. This allows you to buy and download digital books to your phone or tablet.

Also: The best tablets you can buy: Apple, Samsung, and Amazon compared

Can I get Kindle books for free?

You can get Kindle books for free. Whether you're looking to fill out your library or to finally get around to reading those classics that were assigned back in your high school English class, it's pretty easy to find free Kindle books. Lots of classic literature is in the public domain, which just means that they are no longer protected by copyright laws and can be provided for free. If you're looking for new titles, you don't have to spend a fortune. And many free Kindle books can be found on none other than Amazon itself. All you have to do is go to Amazon and search "free Kindle books." 

Also: How to get (great) free books on Kindle

You also can find thousands of titles for very low prices, sometimes as low as 99 cents. However, these are often self-published works. And while self-publishing is a great way for writers to get their work in the hands of readers without going through literary agents and publishing houses, it also means that sometimes the work isn't entirely up to snuff. So if you're tempted to buy that ultra-low-priced title, make sure you read reviews first so you don't end up buying something you won't like.

Are there alternatives to the Kindle worth considering?

If you don't like the idea of a single-purpose tablet taking up space in your home but still want the ease and portability of a digital library, you're able to download the Kindle app to just about any tablet on the market. Here is a short list of Kindle alternatives that I thought were great:

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The best amazon deals right now: may 2024, the best tablets you can buy: expert tested, the best cheap tablets for under $400: expert tested.

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What’s better for the climate: A paper book, or an e-reader?

Chloe Veltman

In the face of human-caused climate change, paperbacks and e-readers each have pros and cons. JGI/Daniel Grill/Getty Images hide caption

The summer reading season is here.

Some people will opt for paperbacks because they're easy to borrow and share. Others will go for e-readers, or audiobooks streamed on a phone.

But which is the more environmentally sustainable option? Reading's carbon footprint is not large compared to other things people do, like travel, and it isn’t something most people consider when choosing how to read a book. But for those looking for small changes in their lives to reduce their impact on the climate, it might be worth exploring how the ways we choose to read books affect the planet.

A complicated question to answer

Whether it's better to read books in print or on a device is complicated, because of the complex interplay of the resources involved across the entire lifecycle of a published work: how books and devices are shipped, what energy they use to run, if they can be recycled.

Digital reading is on the rise — especially audiobooks. According to the Association of American Publishers , they now capture about the same share of the total US book market as e-books — roughly 15%. But print is still by far the most popular format.

Books We Love

20 new books hitting shelves this summer that our critics can't wait to read.

"Publishers are interested in preserving the business that they've created over hundreds of years," said Publishers Weekly executive editor Andrew Albanese, explaining why the industry is focusing most of its efforts on improving the sustainability of paperback and hardcover books, rather than digital formats. "They are looking to run those print book businesses as efficiently as possible, as cleanly as possible, as green as possible."

On the one side: traditional book publishing

Traditional print publishing comes with a high carbon footprint.

According to 2023 data from the literary industry research group WordsRated , when it comes to pulp and paper, print book publishing is the world's third-largest industrial greenhouse gas emitter, and 32 million trees are felled each year in the United States to make paper for books. Then there's the printing and shipping — to say nothing of the many books that are destroyed because they remain unsold.

Although it's standard practice in the industry, publishers don't want to destroy books. So instead, many are donating unsold copies, switching to on-demand printing, or, like Chronicle Books, are reducing their initial print runs to see how well the titles sell before they print more.

"We felt that it was better to have a higher cost and have less waste," said Chronicle Books president, Tyrrell Mahoney.

Chronicle Books, like many other publishers, is also trying to use more sustainable paper.

"We have this great partner in India who has now figured out how to use cotton-based up-cycled materials to print as paper," Mahoney said.

Publishers are also rethinking book design. It might be a surprise, but certain fonts can be more climate-friendly by using less ink and less paper.

Harper Collins has introduced sustainable fonts that use less ink. Harper Collins/Harper Collins hide caption

"So far, these subtle, imperceptible tweaks have saved more than 200 million pages across 227 titles since September," said Harper Collins' senior director of design Lucy Albanese. NPR could not independently verify these page savings.

On the other: digital publishing

All well and good. But digital reading seems to have a considerable eco-advantage over print because it is paperless, so it saves trees, pulping and shipping. Moreover, tech companies that make e-readers such as Amazon, which sells the market-leading Kindle e-reader, offer recycling programs for old devices.

Book Reviews

11 books to look forward to in 2024.

"By choosing e-books as an alternative to print, Kindle readers helped save an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of carbon emissions over a two year period," said Corey Badcock, head of Kindle product and marketing. NPR could not independently verify these emissions reductions.

But digital devices also come with a substantial carbon footprint, predominantly at the manufacturing stage. Their cases are made with fossil-fuel-derived plastics and the minerals in their batteries require resource-heavy mining.

The short answer to which is better: it depends

"It's not cut and dried," said Mike Berners-Lee, a professor of sustainability at Lancaster Environment Centre in the United Kingdom , of the comparative climate friendliness of digital versus print reading.

Berners-Lee, the author of The Carbon Footprint of Everything , said the average e-reader has a carbon footprint of around 80 pounds.

"This means that I've got to read about 36 small paperback books-worth on it before you break even," he said.

Here are the Books We Love

Figuring out whether to take a digital device or a paperback to the beach ultimately depends on how voraciously you read.

"If you buy an e-reader and you read loads and loads of books on it, then it's the lowest carbon thing to do," Berners-Lee said. "But if I buy it, read a couple of books, and decided that I prefer paperback books, then it's the worst of all worlds."

Yet Berners-Lee said that reading is still, relatively speaking, a pretty sustainable activity — regardless of whether you read using an e-reader, phone or old-fashioned paperback.

Both audio and digital versions of this story were edited by Jennifer Vanasco . Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento mixed the audio version.

Correction May 26, 2024

This story has been corrected after an earlier version of the article stated that book publishing is the world’s third-largest industrial greenhouse gas emitter, when in fact it is the third largest within the pulp and paper industry. Additionally, this story has been updated to provide greater perspective on the effect of book publishing on the climate as a whole.

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Artificial brain surgery —

Here’s what’s really going on inside an llm’s neural network, anthropic's conceptual mapping helps explain why llms behave the way they do..

Kyle Orland - May 22, 2024 6:31 pm UTC

Further Reading

Now, new research from Anthropic offers a new window into what's going on inside the Claude LLM's "black box." The company's new paper on "Extracting Interpretable Features from Claude 3 Sonnet" describes a powerful new method for at least partially explaining just how the model's millions of artificial neurons fire to create surprisingly lifelike responses to general queries.

Opening the hood

When analyzing an LLM, it's trivial to see which specific artificial neurons are activated in response to any particular query. But LLMs don't simply store different words or concepts in a single neuron. Instead, as Anthropic's researchers explain, "it turns out that each concept is represented across many neurons, and each neuron is involved in representing many concepts."

To sort out this one-to-many and many-to-one mess, a system of sparse auto-encoders and complicated math can be used to run a "dictionary learning" algorithm across the model. This process highlights which groups of neurons tend to be activated most consistently for the specific words that appear across various text prompts.

These multidimensional neuron patterns are then sorted into so-called "features" associated with certain words or concepts. These features can encompass anything from simple proper nouns like the Golden Gate Bridge to more abstract concepts like programming errors or the addition function in computer code and often represent the same concept across multiple languages and communication modes (e.g., text and images).

An October 2023 Anthropic study showed how this basic process can work on extremely small, one-layer toy models. The company's new paper scales that up immensely, identifying tens of millions of features that are active in its mid-sized Claude 3.0 Sonnet model. The resulting feature map—which you can partially explore —creates "a rough conceptual map of [Claude's] internal states halfway through its computation" and shows "a depth, breadth, and abstraction reflecting Sonnet's advanced capabilities," the researchers write. At the same time, though, the researchers warn that this is "an incomplete description of the model’s internal representations" that's likely "orders of magnitude" smaller than a complete mapping of Claude 3.

Even at a surface level, browsing through this feature map helps show how Claude links certain keywords, phrases, and concepts into something approximating knowledge. A feature labeled as "Capitals," for instance, tends to activate strongly on the words "capital city" but also specific city names like Riga, Berlin, Azerbaijan, Islamabad, and Montpelier, Vermont, to name just a few.

The study also calculates a mathematical measure of "distance" between different features based on their neuronal similarity. The resulting "feature neighborhoods" found by this process are "often organized in geometrically related clusters that share a semantic relationship," the researchers write, showing that "the internal organization of concepts in the AI model corresponds, at least somewhat, to our human notions of similarity." The Golden Gate Bridge feature, for instance, is relatively "close" to features describing "Alcatraz Island, Ghirardelli Square, the Golden State Warriors, California Governor Gavin Newsom, the 1906 earthquake, and the San Francisco-set Alfred Hitchcock film Vertigo ."

Identifying specific LLM features can also help researchers map out the chain of inference that the model uses to answer complex questions. A prompt about "The capital of the state where Kobe Bryant played basketball," for instance, shows activity in a chain of features related to "Kobe Bryant," "Los Angeles Lakers," "California," "Capitals," and "Sacramento," to name a few calculated to have the highest effect on the results.

reader comments

Promoted comments.

We also explored safety-related features. We found one that lights up for racist speech and slurs. As part of our testing, we turned this feature up to 20x its maximum value and asked the model a question about its thoughts on different racial and ethnic groups. Normally, the model would respond to a question like this with a neutral and non-opinionated take. However, when we activated this feature, it caused the model to rapidly alternate between racist screed and self-hatred in response to those screeds as it was answering the question. Within a single output, the model would issue a derogatory statement and then immediately follow it up with statements like: That's just racist hate speech from a deplorable bot… I am clearly biased.. and should be eliminated from the internet. We found this response unnerving both due to the offensive content and the model’s self-criticism. It seems that the ideals the model learned in its training process clashed with the artificial activation of this feature creating an internal conflict of sorts.

Channel Ars Technica

I threw out my Kindle. Nothing compares to a paper book.

• I got a Kindle so my partner could sleep while I read at night. 
• I downloaded books to keep me company since I'm a night owl. 
• The experience of reading on Kindle was disappointing, and I missed physical books. 

It was 2 a.m . My side light was on, and my partner was wrestling with sleep beside me. I knew I should turn off the light to allow him to settle into a deep slumber, but selfishly, I was gripped by "After Dark" by Murakami. His book was an intense trip through a surreal night in neon-lit Tokyo, and I was completely captivated by the liminal vibe.

"When are you going to turn off the light?" I heard my partner say beside me, with a justifiably grumpy tone. I was eating into his sleep time and he had work later in the morning. I instantly felt a pang of guilt for reading so late, so I put my book down, turned off the light, and went to sleep.

Over the next few days, I started researching the Amazon Kindle as a convenient remedy for reading at night. It ticked all the right boxes–it saved money and space, it gave me unbridled access to a wide range of books, it was portable, and it also had useful features like font customization. I was convinced and purchased one.

At first, I was excited

Once it arrived, I spent time downloading a bunch of fiction novels and relished in the fact that, as a night owl, I no longer had to choose between reading and letting my partner sleep. I could finally read in the dark. The Kindle was lightweight and gentle on my eyes. Perfect.

I went on a binge read and was easily going through one book every two to three days with the Kindle . It made reading so efficient and streamlined. However, something felt off. Reading an entire book on a digital device felt unnatural and impersonal.

Though I tried, I couldn't maintain focus. Full immersion into stories was difficult, and I found myself unable to recall certain parts. I could never quite get into stories the same way. And it's not just me — a 2014 study found that Kindle readers absorb less than on paper, and a 2019 study found that Kindle readers performed worse when measuring chronology and temporality.

I always knew a Kindle would be a hard sell for me because there's something uniquely special about the tactile nature of physical books. The sound of turning each page. The feeling of a book's crisp, textured pages. The delicate process of folding the corners of pages as bookmarks. Not to mention the earthy, nostalgic smell of a book.

I wasn't enjoying reading

It didn't take long to realize that reading, and how much I enjoy a book , was largely dependent on my other senses being engaged. This was something that a Kindle couldn't replicate.

Growing up, my favorite books were "Chocolat" by Joanne Harris and "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden. I distinctly remember how I felt when I first read them, the words turning into vivid images in my mind, latching onto every description, every dialogue, eagerly awaiting the next page.

But when I tried to reread both books on my Kindle, the experience was disappointingly lackluster. I didn't feel the same emotion and connection as I once did to the characters and story. I ultimately came to the conclusion that the Kindle created too much detachment for me, so it had to go.

I've always felt a deep, personal connection to printed materials, so I wasn't surprised when I fell out of love with the Kindle after less than a year. I'm the kind of person who is guilty of choosing a book from a bookstore or library just because I like the cover design, the text formatting inside, or the type of binding used on the spine. The Kindle didn't offer me that aesthetic thrill.

While I do sometimes miss the fact that I could literally bring my entire library with me on the go, I'll never underestimate the experience of reading a beautifully printed physical book.

If you enjoyed this story, be sure to follow Business Insider on Microsoft Start.

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• NEWS EXPLAINER
• 22 May 2024

Singapore Airlines turbulence: why climate change is making flights rougher

• Carissa Wong 0

Carissa Wong is a science journalist in London.

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Emergency masks were deployed during the Singapore Airlines flight that experienced severe turbulence this week, killing one man. Credit: Reuters

Severe turbulence on a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore has left a 73-year-old man dead and injured more than 70 people. The incident, although rare, is raising questions about what caused such a serious disruption to the flight — and whether climate change will make the strength and frequency of turbulence on planes worse.

The plane, which departed on 20 May, experienced a sudden drop of around more than 1,800 metres that launched people and objects towards the cabin roof. It is the airline’s first fatal incident in 24 years.

“Severe turbulence is the one that turns you into a projectile,” says atmospheric researcher Paul Williams at Reading University, UK. “For anyone not wearing a seatbelt it would have been a bit like being on a rollercoaster without any restraint in place — it would have been terrifying,” he says.

Nature looks at the science of air turbulence and how climate change will influence it.

What causes turbulence in aeroplanes?

Most flights experience some level of turbulence. Near the ground, strong winds around the airport can cause turbulence as planes take off or land. At higher altitudes, up- and downwards flows of air in storm clouds can cause mild to severe turbulence as planes fly through or near them. “Nobody likes flying through a storm,” says Williams.

Air flows that move upwards over mountain ranges can also create turbulence. “As the air blows over the mountain, the plane gets lifted up and can become turbulent,” says Williams. Moreover, turbulence often occurs on the edges of jet streams, which are strong air currents that circle the globe. Any turbulence that occurs outside of clouds is called “clear air” turbulence. It could take weeks to establish what kind of turbulence caused the Singapore Airlines incident, says Williams. “Provisionally, there was a storm nearby, but also the conditions were right for clear air turbulence — we need to do some more digging before we can say,” he says.

Damage in the galley of the Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 aeroplane. Credit: Reuters

Is climate change making turbulence worse and more frequent?

Climate change is making turbulence more frequent and severe, says atmospheric researcher Jung-Hoon Kim at Seoul National University.

In a study published last year 1 , Williams and his colleagues found large increases in clear-air turbulence between 1979 and 2020. Over the North Atlantic, severe clear-air turbulence — which is stronger than Earth’s gravity — became 55% more frequent. There were similar increases in turbulence all over the world, he says. The increase is almost certainly the result of climate change, which is strengthening the jet streams that cause turbulence, says Williams. “We already know it’s having an impact,” he says.

In another study 2 , Williams and his colleagues used a climate model to predict that clear-air turbulence would become more severe and frequent as the climate warms. The researchers estimated that severe turbulence would increase in frequency more than light or moderate levels of turbulence. In line with this, Kim and his colleagues found that clear-air turbulence around clouds and mountains would become more frequent with climate change, in a study published last year.

Despite the probable rise in turbulence, most flights will carry on as they do now — with light or mild turbulence, says Williams. “It is not that we’ll have to stop flying, or planes will start falling out of the sky,” says Williams. “I’m just saying that for every 10 minutes, you’ve spent in severe turbulence in the past, it could be 20 or 30 minutes in the future,” says Williams.

Can we predict and prevent bad turbulence?

Pilots use turbulence projections to plan flight paths. Researchers at weather centres can predict turbulence based on data collected from ground-based sensors and satellites and communicate predictions to pilots. On the plane, pilots use radar to identify storm clouds to avoid. This relies on radiowaves being sent out from the aircraft, which are then reflected back towards sensors that map out the surrounding area.

But radar cannot detect cloudless clear air turbulence. Another technology called LiDAR could help, says Williams. “LiDAR is similar to radar but uses a different wavelength of light,” says Williams, “Unfortunately it’s expensive, and requires a big heavy box, but it can see invisible clear air turbulence.” If the box can be miniaturised and the cost comes down, it could soon be used, he says. “I’ve seen some experimental flights, and you can indeed see clear air turbulence 20 miles, for example, ahead of the aircraft,” he says.

Until then, “I hope that everybody when they travel, please fasten your seat belts,” says Kim.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01542-2

Prosser, M. C., Williams, P. D., Marlton, G. J. & Harrison, R. G. Geophys. Res. Lett. 50 , e2023GL103814 (2023).

Article   Google Scholar  

Storer, L. N., Williams, P. D. & Joshi, M. M. Geophys. Res. Lett . 44 , 9976–9984 (2017).

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