Blog: Citizen Science Projects, People, and Perspectives
By Darlene Cavalier, Mar 08, 2010
This is a very cool, new entry in the ScienceForCitizens.net database. It’s from the folks at Innocentive, the world leader in open innovation. (We’ll have more to say about our blossoming alliance with them shortly.) For now, check out this Innocentive Challenge which seeks to advance knowledge about Type 1 Diabetes. Citizen scientists are invited … Read more “Harvard scientists want your thoughts on how to improve Type 1 Diabetes research. $5K prize!”
Categories: Citizen Science, Health
By John Ohab, Mar 03, 2010
Tired of winter? Are snowball fights, sledding, and snowmen just not cutting it anymore? I just might have the cure for those winter blues: SnowTweets, a new citizen science project that uses the popular micro-blogging service, Twitter, to gather snow depth measurements from all over the world. Measuring snow is actually as easy as sticking … Read more “Turn a snow day into a science experiment”
Categories: Climate & Weather, Computers & Technology
By Darlene Cavalier, Mar 02, 2010
A few weeks ago, I snapped a photo of my kids skiing in the Poconos (while I hung out in the lodge). I noticed this ladybug walking along the windowsill. A quick Google search informed me that it’s not uncommon for folks living in mountainous regions to be invested with ladybugs seeking shelter in the … Read more “Hey pretty ladybug: you come to this ski lodge often?”
Categories: Citizen Science, Insects
By John Ohab, Feb 25, 2010
The coolest new citizen science project may also be the HOTTEST! Launched this week, Solar Stormwatch is looking to citizen scientists to help spot explosions on the sun and track them across space to Earth. These explosions, also known as “coronal mass ejections” or “solar storms”, release high-energy particles that can be a safety hazard for … Read more “Watch Out for Solar Stormwatch!”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Physics
By Michael Gold, Feb 24, 2010
British astronomers have shed new light on an intriguing quirk in the anatomy of certain galaxies: a structure that looks like a bar running through a galaxy’s center. But how the researchers formulated their findings is just as interesting as the findings themselves. Their report is based on an analysis of a mountain of astronomical … Read more “Citizen scientists power cosmic research”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Computers & Technology, Other
By Darlene Cavalier, Feb 22, 2010
Have you ever seen the Milky Way from where you live? Most of us have not and it’s largely due to increased light pollution from outdoor lighting. Light pollution not only wastes between 2 to 10 billion dollars a year in energy and money but it causes human sleep disorders and disrupts habits critical to … Read more “View the Milky Way, help stem light pollution!”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science, Nature & Outdoors
By John Ohab, Feb 20, 2010
Here’s your chance to be part of science history! In the video below, Andy Farke and Matt Wedel introduce the Open Dinosaur Project, a collaborative research effort to develop a database of dinosaur bone measurements. The best part? You don’t need formal scientific training, a background in research, or even to have seen the Jurassic … Read more “Make Science History with the Open Dinosaur Project”
Categories: Animals, Archeology, Biology, Citizen Science, Geology & Earth Sciences
By Michael Gold, Feb 18, 2010
There is definitely no breed of citizen scientist more enthusiastic and dedicated than bird watchers. The results of last weekend’s birding binge are now being tallied on the Great Backyard Bird Count website—and they are mighty impressive. Here are some highlights: Total checklists submitted: 81,590 Total species observed: 582 Total individual birds counted: 9,443,847 Even … Read more “Nine million birds and counting”
Categories: Animals, Birds, Citizen Science
By Darlene Cavalier, Feb 16, 2010
This morning, a friend sent me a link to an article from Kid Gardening.org, a site that “helps young minds grow”. The article, Engaging Students through Citizen Science , highlights the benefits–to educators AND students–of participating in citizen science projects: [Students] think and act like scientists as they make careful observations, ask their own questions, … Read more “Engaging Students through Citizen Science”
Categories: Citizen Science, Education, In the News, Science Education Standards
By Darlene Cavalier, Feb 12, 2010
Yesterday, New Scientist magazine announced the latest project in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence: SETI Quest: SETIQuest is the product of astronomer Jill Tarter’s TED Prize wish. After being awarded the TED Prize last year, Tarter was given the opportunity to make a single wish before an auditorium full of the top names in technology … Read more “Announcing SETI Quest”
Categories: Astronomy & Space, Citizen Science
