In 2023, volunteers like you made over two million contributions to SciStarter Affiliate projects. That’s two million data points scientists wouldn’t have had otherwise.
The top five projects this year included both perennial favorites and newcomers, and touched on subjects near and far: the night sky, backyards and even inside our bodies. Check them out below, and if you haven’t yet, give them a try!
As the year comes to a close, we’re also celebrating citizen scientists who have gone above and beyond this year. We encourage you to read the story of SciStarter Ambassador Jim Webster and how and why he’s bringing citizen science to his community on the SciStarter blog. Read it here.
We’ll see you next year!
The SciStarter Team
Presented by: Human Computation Institute
Play a game on the free mobile app that directly accelerates research on Alzheimer’s disease.
Scientists have discovered links between stalls — clogged blood vessels in the brain — and Alzheimer’s. Reducing these stalls seems to reduce symptoms. Research is ongoing, but a bottleneck is sifting through footage from the brains of mice, scoring blood vessels as “flowing” or “stalled.”
Luckily, we can help. After a quick tutorial you can start scoring stalls and fighting Alzheimer’s.
Location: Online
2023 Contributions: 1,429,661
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
2023 Contributions: 227,745
Presented by: California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic Society
Have you ever been on a walk and wanted more information on an interesting flower or butterfly? iNaturalist can show you!
Snap photos of trees, insects, mammals or any flora and fauna to find out what they are. Every observation you upload also 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
2023 Contributions: 152,667
Presented by: NASA/Zooniverse
There are celestial bodies larger than Jupiter lurking near to our Solar System that have remained hidden because they’re so hard to spot.
These cool brown dwarfs can be spotted in telescope images of the night sky, and astronomers need your help to do it. Look through images of space and point out potential brown dwarfs near Earth.
Location: Online
2023 Contributions: 79,000
Presented by: Stanford Medicine
Become an RNA scientist and hunt for new RNA-based medicines with Eterna.
All you need to do is solve short, simple puzzles which help scientists sort and analyze data that can be turned into new therapeutic compounds.
Check out their latest article.
Location: Online
2023 Contributions: 71,856
WILD HOPE is a new series of short films highlighting the intrepid changemakers who are working to restore and protect our planet. Each half-hour episode inspires audiences with stories of bold interventions, unexpected alliances and nature’s resilience.
WILD HOPE is partnering with SciStarter to give viewers opportunities to act on the issues they’re learning about through citizen science. As you watch the series, explore projects that align with the topics featured in each episode on our new WILD HOPE microsite on SciStarter.
SciStarter LIVE!
Join the SciStarter team Tuesdays from 2-3PM ET to hear from project leaders, get tips on participating and learn about the impact of contributing to volunteer-powered science. Join in from anywhere via Zoom or watch the live stream on SciStarter’s Facebook page.
January 2: Your Year on SciStarter: Learn to explore your personal dashboard
Let’s take a tour of your SciStarter dashboard! Join us to learn how to navigate your personal dashboard and see all your 2023 successes. This is a great time to learn the tricks of the trade for earning more contributions this year, preparing for citizen science month and leveling up your accomplishments through certificates and badges.
January 9: Encore of MLK Day Project Sidewalk
MLK Day of Service is right around the corner. Millions of Americans have a day off in remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each January — and may choose to spend it serving their communities in his honor! Participating in citizen science is a great way to contribute to the greater good. Virtually explore cities around the world while rating accessibility features like curb ramps and problems like obstacles on sidewalks. Your data contributions will be used to target repairs and improve accessibility in cities around the globe! Watch here.
New Episode: Learn How You Can Help Medical Researchers!
By donating just a little bit of your time (and maybe some saliva and/or blood), you can make a meaningful contribution to medical research!
In this episode of our podcast, you’ll learn about three participatory research programs that need your help.
Science Near Me
What’s happening near you today? With Science Near Me, find a broad range of local and virtual science-related discussions, festivals, policy forums and events. Discover activities to do at home, online, star parties with local astronomy clubs, science nights at nearby bars and much more!
The Latest Blog Posts:
SciStarter Resources for Project Leaders & Facilitators
Pathways To Participate In Scientific Research
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!
