Here are the five projects that had the most participation among our SciStarter community of 150,000 registered users this year. Whether you are new to citizen science or a seasoned contributor, these projects are a tried and true testament to the wisdom of the crowd. Together, we’re helping to answer research questions no one scientist can answer alone.
And, in case you missed it, NORAD and NASA scientists joined us for our weekly SciStarter LIVE! event on Zoom to discuss how satellites are used to track Santa and how we can ground-truth satellite data to protect the planet! Here’s the recording on YouTube.
This free mobile app game helps all of us accelerate research on Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists have discovered links between stalls — clogged blood vessels in the brain — and Alzheimer’s disease. By reducing the number of stalls, the lab was able to restore memory and reduce other cognitive symptoms in mice.
Help scientists recognize and report stalls by watching videos from the brains of mice and scoring blood vessels as “flowing” or “stalled.”
Watch on SciStarter LIVE:
Stall Catchers – The 2022 #1 Project on SciStarter!
Location: Global
Count the number of squirrels near you and report your findings to help scientists learn about squirrel ecology.
Some neighborhoods may have multiple species while a nearby town only has one species — why is that? Fill out the Project Squirrel data sheet and submit with optional photos to help scientists better understand which squirrels live where.
Location: Global
Have you ever been on a walk and wanted more information on an interesting flower or butterfly? Wonder no more with the iNaturalist app.
Snap photos of trees, insects, mammals or any flora and fauna you see to find out what they are. Every observation you upload contributes to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. Scientists gather data about the natural world from your images — all you have to do is observe!
Location: Global
Report on the weather in your area — all you need is a rain gauge!
Register your location and then monitor how much rain, snow or hail falls. Submit your measurements through CoCoRaHS’s interactive website to provide data for natural resource, education and research applications.
Location: North America
Influenza and COVID-19 pose major risks to our health and wellbeing. Help doctors track outbreaks by letting them know your zip code and how you’re feeling. With enough contributors, researchers will be able to keep tabs on outbreaks, learn how infectious diseases spread and take action to prevent epidemics.
Participation usually takes less than a minute!
Location: North America
Announcing Nine Recipients of the First Annual SciSTARter Boost Awards!
After nearly a decade of grassroots, bootstrapping, and volunteering efforts, SciStarter is in a position to support others in our wake. SciStarter selected nine awesome people who are connecting others to citizen science.
Each received a $2,000 SciSTARter Boost, no strings attached.
Read the full story on the SciStarter blog!
SciStarter LIVE! Join us online at 2pm ET
Tuesday, January 3, 2023: Meet the SciStarter Team. Get to know Roland and Trevor from SciStarter LIVE! Typically they are behind the scenes ensuring our weekly Zoom event goes off without a hitch, but we are turning the cameras on them this week. Join us and ask them anything – about themselves, SciStarter, projects you’re curious about, ideas to improve SciStarter – or share your own experiences in citizen science! This event will be fun, informal, and lowkey. Register for the free event here.
In case you missed it: Santa Claus is coming to town, and NORAD is tracking him. In this special edition of SciStarter LIVE! we discussed satellites and citizen science with experts from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and NASA. Watch the recording here.
Science Near Me
Visit Science Near Me to find all kinds of science events and programs near you. Bonus: You can use your SciStarter account to log in!
New Blogs:
Announcing Nine Recipients of the First Annual SciSTARter Boost Awards!
The SciStarter 2022 Year in Review
Discover more citizen science on the SciStarter calendar. Did you know your SciStarter dashboard helps you track your contributions to projects? Complete your profile to access free tools. Want even more citizen science? Check out SciStarter’s Project Finder! With citizen science projects spanning every field of research, task and age group, there’s something for everyone!
