PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: N/A
DATES: Ongoing
What Is Citizen Science?
Research often involves teams of scientists collaborating across continents. Now, using the power of the Internet, non-specialists are participating, too. Citizen Science falls into many categories. A pioneering project was SETI@Home, which has harnessed the idle computing time of millions of participants in the search for extraterrestrial life. Citizen scientists also act as volunteer classifiers of heavenly objects, such as in Galaxy Zoo. They make observations of the natural world, as in The Great Sunflower Project. And they even solve puzzles to design proteins, such as FoldIt. We'll add projects regularly—and please tell us about others you like as well.
Projects
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Mind & Brain
Ignore That!
Help researchers better understand people’s ability to ignore unnecessary information
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Joshua Hartshorne DATES: Ongoing -
Evolution
Canid Howl Project
Help researchers understand the communication of wolves, dogs and coyotes
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Various DATES: Ongoing -
More Science
Fatty Acids: The 6th Taste? (Denver, Colo.)
Help Denver’s community-based Genetics of Taste Lab explore the possibility that there are more than just the five known tastes of sweet, sour, salty, umami (savory) and bitter
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Nicole Garneau/Richard Mattes DATES: Ongoing -
Space
Lost at Night
Help astrophysicists georeference the position of cities which appear in images taken from the International Space Station (ISS)
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: José Gómez Castaño DATES: Ongoing -
More Science
Marine Metre Squared
New Zealand citizen scientists monitor the diversity living things found on beaches
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: N/A DATES: Ongoing -
Space
Zooniverse: Asteroid Zoo
Scientists scanning our solar system need your help to find asteroids for the exploration of their mineral properties
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Various DATES: Ongoing -
Space
Radio JOVE
Radio JOVE students and citizen scientists observe and analyze natural radio emissions of Jupiter, the Sun and the galaxy
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Jim Thieman/Chuck Higgins DATES: Ongoing -
Evolution
Zooniverse: Penguin Watch
Join researchers in sorting through 200,000-plus penguin images to help improve efforts at penguin conservation
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Various DATES: Ongoing -
Technology
Dear Professor Einstein
Transcribe letters written by members of Albert Einstein’s Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists following World War II
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: N/A DATES: Ongoing -
More Science
Zooniverse: Floating Forests
Help scientists uncover the history of Giant Kelp forests around the globe
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Various DATES: Ongoing -
More Science
The Seabird Ecological Assessment Network (SEANET)
Conduct year-round beached bird surveys in order to identify and record information about bird mortality along the eastern coast of the United States
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Julie Ellis, Research Assistant Professor DATES: Ongoing -
Technology
NOVA Cybersecurity Lab
Explore the world of coding, cyber scams and online safety
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Various DATES: Ongoing -
Evolution
SharkFinder
Help paleontologists generate a more complete picture of ancient ocean life
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Aaron Alford and Jason Osborne DATES: Ongoing -
Technology
NOVA RNA VirtuaLab
Find the patterns that dictate RNA design
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Adrien Treuille, Computer Scientist DATES: Ongoing -
Technology
Wildlife Tracker
Help scientists study the impacts of habitat fragmentation on wild animals by tagging photos taken by motion-detecting cameras
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Yiwei Wang, PhD candidate DATES: Ongoing -
More Science
LifeScanner
Discover the diversity of living organisms around you and contribute to a global knowledge base on biological diversity
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Sujeevan Ratnasingham, Director of Informatics DATES: Ongoing -
More Science
New England Basking Shark and Ocean Sunfish Project
Help researchers learn about the biology and ecology of the second-largest living fish
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: N/A DATES: Ongoing -
Health
Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health (BEACH) Program
Help monitor the health of Washington State beaches
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: Debby Sargeant, BEACH Program Manager DATES: Ongoing -
Space
Globe at Night 2014
Citizen scientists observe and report evidence of light pollution
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PRINCIPAL SCIENTIST: N/A DATES: Ongoing