Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
Before I headed to Austin, TX last week for the SXSW music, film, and interactive conference (I helped put together a panel discussion there on the Future of Gaming for Discover Magazine and the National Science Foundation), I Googled “citizen science in Austin” and came upon the Texas Beewatchers. The organizer of this citizen science … Read more “What’s all the buzz about bees?”
Categories: Citizen Science, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors
Monarch butterflies need our help! The regal butterflies, hit hard by the torrential February rains in Mexico, are at their lowest population levels since 1975, according to Chip Taylor, director of Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas. The storms killed 50 to 60 percent of the breeding colonies in northern Mexico; the butterfly population … Read more “Help needed: monarch butterflies in trouble”
Categories: Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors
Are you a Westchester (NY), Putnam (NY), or Fairfield County (CT) resident just itching for a reason to dust off that old boombox? If so, the The Who’s Whoo-ing citizen science project needs you to play a CD of owl calls for 10 minutes and record if a response is heard. Using simple “call playback surveys”, the Mianus River … Read more ““Who’s whoo-ing” in your backyard?”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors
To fans of hummingbirds and “nature cams,” Phoebe Allens needs no introduction. She’s an intrepid little momma bird whose adventures in nurturing her young have been well documented by a Web cam pointed at her nest in a rose bush in Orange County, California. Now that spring is nearly here, it’s time for another exciting … Read more “The hummingbird versus Godzilla–on video!”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors
One of the many reasons I love to sneak up to Point Reyes is the night sky. It’s often stunningly clear up there compared to foggy, urban San Francisco, offering a gorgeous celestial show to anyone inclined to look up. But on a recent getaway, I was bummed to find out that I’d forgotten to … Read more “Phone apps for citizen scientists: What are you packing?”
Categories: Animals, Apps, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, Computers & Technology
This is a very cool, new entry in the ScienceForCitizens.net database. It’s from the folks at Innocentive, the world leader in open innovation. (We’ll have more to say about our blossoming alliance with them shortly.) For now, check out this Innocentive Challenge which seeks to advance knowledge about Type 1 Diabetes. Citizen scientists are invited … Read more “Harvard scientists want your thoughts on how to improve Type 1 Diabetes research. $5K prize!”
Categories: Citizen Science, Health
Tired of winter? Are snowball fights, sledding, and snowmen just not cutting it anymore? I just might have the cure for those winter blues: SnowTweets, a new citizen science project that uses the popular micro-blogging service, Twitter, to gather snow depth measurements from all over the world. Measuring snow is actually as easy as sticking … Read more “Turn a snow day into a science experiment”
Categories: Climate & Weather, Computers & Technology
A few weeks ago, I snapped a photo of my kids skiing in the Poconos (while I hung out in the lodge). I noticed this ladybug walking along the windowsill. A quick Google search informed me that it’s not uncommon for folks living in mountainous regions to be invested with ladybugs seeking shelter in the … Read more “Hey pretty ladybug: you come to this ski lodge often?”
Categories: Citizen Science, Insects
The coolest new citizen science project may also be the HOTTEST! Launched this week, Solar Stormwatch is looking to citizen scientists to help spot explosions on the sun and track them across space to Earth. These explosions, also known as “coronal mass ejections” or “solar storms”, release high-energy particles that can be a safety hazard for … Read more “Watch Out for Solar Stormwatch!”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Physics
British astronomers have shed new light on an intriguing quirk in the anatomy of certain galaxies: a structure that looks like a bar running through a galaxy’s center. But how the researchers formulated their findings is just as interesting as the findings themselves. Their report is based on an analysis of a mountain of astronomical … Read more “Citizen scientists power cosmic research”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Computers & Technology, Other
