Category: Citizen Science

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

National Lab Day is the brain child of Jack Hidary who wants to improve science, technology, engineering, and math education in the U.S.A. Through National Lab Day, scientists are matched with teachers in need of their intellectual capital. Much like you–citizen scientists–are lending your brains to science, scientists participating in National Lab Day are lending […]