Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
Look back at two shark citizen science projects featured on the SciStarter blog. Want to learn about and protect sharks? We’ve got you covered! Sharks often get a bad rap; they’re featured in the media as dangerous killers that prey upon helpless human beings and animals. Although shark attacks occur, they are rare; and attempts … Read more “How Are Cows and Purses Related to Sharks?”
Live in Los Angeles county? Photograph butterflies and moths, and help scientists study climate change. Interested in more moth and butterfly citizen science projects? We’ve got you covered! “Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today, I saw one…” [2] In the heat of summer monsoons, butterflies accompany the paddling … Read more “Waiting for a butterfly to flutter by with the Los Angeles Butterfly Survey”
NoiseTube allows citizen scientists to monitor noise pollution with a mobile app. Come to your senses! SciStarter has curated a list of projects for all 5 senses. I was overjoyed the first time I heard the peaceful fountain, twittering bird song, and gentle rustle of wind through the trees oustide my office window. Then, one … Read more “Recording The Noise Scape of Your Life with NoiseTube”
VerbCorner invites citizen scientists to answer fun questions about words and their meanings to eventually help train computers to understand language. SciStarter is shuffling science into the language department. Explore the science of words with these citizen science projects! Verb. Noun. Pronoun. Adjective. Adverb. Preposition. Conjunction. Interjection… If you’re anything like me, the sight of … Read more “VerbCorner – A Window Into The Brain One Thought At A Time”
If you’re looking for more projects for the holiday season, we’ve got 12 Days of Citizen Science for you! “On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” birds! Partridges, turtle doves, French hens, calling birds, golden rings (pheasants), geese and swans inhabit this festival folk classic celebrating food and merriment. Seabirds, … Read more “Surveying Seabirds of the Puget Sound this Holiday Season.”
Dig into even more Thanksgiving projects with your friends and family! Imagine: After months of treacherous sailing across the open ocean, skirting coral reefs and rocky shores, you alight upon lush tropical islands greeted by enticing aromas, unknown species, and a symphony of bird song… Four years into her circumnavigation of the globe, the HMS … Read more “Exploring the Biodiversity of the Galapagos Islands As “Darwin for a Day””
In a technologically savvy, hyper-caffeinated, on-the-go society, it can be nearly impossible to ignore distracting information. With flashing lights to deafening sounds, even our smartphones demand attention. How does the mind sort through these conflicting signals, allowing us to concentrate and process only the most important visual cues? Ignore That! was developed by Dr. Joshua … Read more “Mind Control, Concentration, and Color – Understanding the Stroop Effect”
This post is part of this week’s featured projects about water quality monitoring. Take a look! Despite over 70% of the Earth’s surface being covered in water, one in nine people do not have access to an improved water source.(1) Contaminated water kills more people than all wars, crimes and terrorism combined yet more people … Read more “A Picture Saves 1,000 Streams – Water Quality Monitoring on Your Smartphone”
This project is part of our Back to School 2013 round-up of projects. Read more about them! Breast cancer is the single most common cancer in women worldwide with roughly 1 in 8 women developing the disease each year. Chances are, a friend or family member is coping with this diagnosis right now. Following Angelina … Read more “Cancer Research in the Classroom – Accelerating Cures with the Click of a Mouse”
In the height of summer sunbathing, seaside shark sightings universally evoke childhood memories of Jaws, quickly followed by shouts of “Get out of the water!” Yet, fewer than 5 people a year (worldwide) die in shark attacks. Commercial fishing practices and by-catch look set to drive their extinction. Can scientists help save these vital predators? … Read more “Collecting Mermaid’s Purses at the British Seaside”
