Category: Do-It-Yourself

Are you up to the (water) challenge, today?

By Peter Madden, Sep 18, 2012

When you wake up in the morning and start your daily routine—take a shower, brush your teeth, cook breakfast—do you ever stop to wonder where all that water you’re using comes from? It’s availability (or lack thereof) is certainly not a common worry in the United States, where as of 2005 (the latest assessment of … Read more “Are you up to the (water) challenge, today?”

Categories: Biology, Citizen Science, Contest, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Health, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Science Education Standards

Citizen Scientists Go Back to School

By Peter Madden, Sep 10, 2012

It happens every year, and you’re right: it’s just not fair. After nearly three months of uninterrupted fun, gone are the barbeques, ball games and pool parties that dominated the summer schedule just as Labor Day signals the sudden arrival of the shorter, colder, and more structured days of the school year. But before you … Read more “Citizen Scientists Go Back to School”

Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Insects, Nature & Outdoors, Science Education Standards, Workshops

Recycle, Reuse, Reboot: FreeGeek, A National Movement

By Lily Bui, Jun 26, 2012

Enter on the side of the building. Look carefully, or else you’ll miss the sign. Walk down the stairs and turn right. Never mind the lack of windows, dim lighting, and pungent smell of coffee grinds. You have now entered FreeGeek, an underground lair of a nonprofit that harnesses the power of local volunteers to … Read more “Recycle, Reuse, Reboot: FreeGeek, A National Movement”

Categories: Citizen Science, Computers & Technology, Do-It-Yourself, Science Education Standards, Workshops

First open-source satellite project puts citizen science sensors in space.

By Nick Fordes, Jun 17, 2012

What would you do if you had one week to control a research satellite? That probably depends on who you are. Amateur photographers might want to take time-lapse photos of the moon to frame in series in their living room. University researchers might want to measure levels of ozone variation on earth across earth’s latitudes. … Read more “First open-source satellite project puts citizen science sensors in space.”

Categories: Citizen Science, Contest, Do-It-Yourself, Science Cheerleaders

The importance of thinking scientifically

By Anne Toomey, Apr 01, 2011

What does it mean to think scientifically? If you asked me this question when I first moved back to New York three years ago, I’m quite positive I would have said something like, “What do I know? I’m not a scientist,” and pointed the questioner in the direction of the nearest pocket-protecting nerd in the … Read more “The importance of thinking scientifically”

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Biology, Citizen Science, Climate & Weather, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Physics, Science Education Standards

Top Citizen Science Projects of 2010

By John Ohab, Dec 31, 2010

Which citizen science projects in our Project Finder were the most visited in 2010? Check out the top 10! Is your favorite on this list? If not, tell us about your favorite citizen science project(s) on your very own (free) member blog! 10. Foldit: Solve Protein Puzzles for Science Foldit is a revolutionary new computer … Read more “Top Citizen Science Projects of 2010”

Categories: Animals, Astronomy & Space, Biology, Birds, Climate & Weather, Computers & Technology, Do-It-Yourself, Ecology & Environment, Geology & Earth Sciences, Nature & Outdoors, Ocean & Water, Physics, Science Education Standards

Singing along to science

By Elizabeth Walter, Nov 30, 2010

Songs have helped me remember a lot of academic information – from learning all 50 states* in alphabetic order when I was in elementary school to figuring out which French verbs take “être” (to be) in the past tense by humming  “Heigh Ho” from the musical Snow White. My science classes got in on the … Read more “Singing along to science”

Categories: Astronomy & Space, Biology, Chemistry, Citizen Science, Do-It-Yourself, Physics, Science Education Standards

Innocentive wants to hear from YOU! (Earn $5K in the process.)

By Darlene Cavalier, Apr 07, 2010

Innocentive built the first global Web community for open innovation where organizations or “Seekers” submit complex problems or “Challenges” for resolution to a “Solver” community of more than 200,000 engineers, scientists, inventors, business professionals, and research organizations in more than 200 countries.   Innocentive’s CEO Dwayne Spradlin called ScienceForCitizens.net (and our sister site, ScienceCheerleader.com) “close … Read more “Innocentive wants to hear from YOU! (Earn $5K in the process.)”

Categories: Citizen Science, Do-It-Yourself, In the News

Electronic DIY-ers grow in Brooklyn

By Susan West, Mar 30, 2010

Part art, part science, NYC Resistor is a “hacker collective” that shares information about and builds electronic…stuff. Amazing stuff: an interactive embroidery machine, books that “breathe,” cyber woodpeckers, a painting robot. Not surprisingly, the founders include folks like Bre Pettis, who produces a weekly video podcast called “Weekend Projects” for Make: Magazine; Nick Bilton, the … Read more “Electronic DIY-ers grow in Brooklyn”

Categories: Computers & Technology, Do-It-Yourself