SciStarter Blog

Citizen science booster on the Colbert Report

Previously on this blog, Sci4Cits blogger Elizabeth Walter reported on Bard College’s novel attempt to bring citizen science into the minds of all freshmen through an intensive, mandatory, three-week course, aptly titled Citizen Science.

Bard’s President, Leon Botstein, is a passionate believer that citizen science activities hold the key to helping people reconnect to science and better understand the world around them. The more people understand about the scientific process–and how things work–the better able they are to participate more fully in our democracy. (It’s difficult to weigh in on science policy discussions centered on synthetic biology, for example, if one is uninformed on the topic.)

Sci4Cits and Bard are working together to arm freshmen and their professors with plenty of citizen science projects and a platform for them to share their experiences. We hope you will follow their three-week journey, starting in January, and share feedback on the students’ Sci4Cits member blogs!

In the interim, check out this amusing clip of Botstein on the Colbert Report, last night!

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Leon Botstein
www.colbertnation.com
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