Category: Project Profile

by Russ Campbell Orchids have long held an enigmatic mystique.  Perhaps their origins as tropical and subtropical plants found in exotic locales and an early lack of understanding of how they survive have contributed to their status.  By the 19th century, orchids were a status of the British well-to-do. The famed voyager and scientist Charles […]

We started this year by making you curious about WeCureALZ – a groundbreaking new project that is set to fight Alzheimer’s. Now we want to tell you all about the ‘science’ in this citizen science project.

The beauty of citizen science is the ability for non-professional researchers to get up close and personal with science. Think about all of your experiences collecting data from your backyard, analyzing images of spring online, and learning about new topics in science, have you heard from the scientists you’re helping? In our new series, “Conversations […]

Follow a tree through its journey into spring! Citizen scientists can record budbursting, leafing and flowering with Track a Tree as seasons shift in the United Kingdom.

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? This question has engaged philosophers through the ages in discussions regarding observation and the knowledge of reality. Scientists in the PhenoCam Network are also interested in what goes on in forests when no one is around to observe […]

Help NASA understand clouds by reporting your observations with the citizen science project S’Cool

Individuals diagnosed with muscle-invasive bladder cancer face a difficult treatment decision – intensive radiotherapy or complete surgical removal of their bladder. Each option has benefits and draw backs, and there are limited data available to patients and physicians to help predict which treatment might provide the best outcome. Dr. Anne Kiltie, Associate Professor of Radiation […]

by Egle Marija Ramanauskaite Maybe you’re finding it hard to stick to that New Year’s resolution of making it to the gym every week. How about trying something easier instead? Like changing the world for example, by helping cure Alzheimer’s – one of the most devastating diseases that we face today.  How, you ask? Read on […]

Citizen scientists help make discoveries about how genetics may shape the way we taste food.  Turkey or ham? Stuffing or mashed potatoes? Pumpkin or apple pie? As I prepared for Thanksgiving this year, I reflected on all the culinary choices this feasting day offers and wondered why people who share a culture, a community, or […]

Editor’s Note: myObservatory is a SciStarter advertiser but had no editorial input or control over this blog post. by Kristin Butler When I attended the Citizen Science Association’s first national conference in San Jose earlier this year, I noticed a recurring theme: while there has been an explosion in the collection of data by volunteers across the […]