Covering the people, projects and phenomena of citizen science
Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
6 Ways to Be a Citizen Scientist From the Comfort of Your Couch
By Arvind Suresh, Dec 10, 2015
Take a break from online shopping and sharpen that brain by contributing a few minutes to science. Below, our editors present six projects in need of your help.
(And really, you know you’re going to abandon that online shopping cart, anyway!)
Some people seem to age faster than others. You can add to our knowledge of aging by guessing how old people are, based on their photos, or uploading your own images to be put to the test. Get Started!
To preserve important historical texts, documents are scanned and then made available to you for online transcription. This project uses gaming to make the task fun and to establish consensus transcriptions.
Classify online images from cameras placed across North America. Examine the photos for the presence of phenology cues like blooming flowers, changing leaves and other life-cycle changes to help track seasonal change over time.
Cybersecurity is a huge deal these days, and this program will teach you to protect your identity and prevent cyber attacks. It’s great for both kids and adults and offers resources for educators. Get Started!
Photo: Volunteer Science
Volunteer Science
Play alone or be matched with people from around the world as you interact with 2-5 minute-long online games. In the process, you’ll advance research about decision-making, personality traits and more.
Arvind Suresh is science communicator and a former laboratory biologist, he has a Master’s degree in Cell Biology and Molecular Physiology from the University of Pittsburgh. He enjoys reading, teaching, talking and writing science. Connect with him on Twitter @suresh_arvind.
