Scientists Should Talk to the Public, but Also Listen
Scientists increasingly understand why it's important to talk to the public, but few realize that science communication goes both ways
Stories by Caren Cooper
Science of the People, by the People and for the People
From the White House to your house, federal agencies support citizen science
Birdwatchers, Hunters Train Their Scopes on Conservation
Sparked by Richard Louv's book on Nature-Deficit Disorder, many organizations, agencies, teachers and the White House have made the push to get people outside for the benefit of their mental and physical health...
Zen in the Art of Citizen Science: Apps for Collective Discovery and the 1 Percent Rule of the Web
When it comes to online participation in collective endeavors, 99% of us typically take a free ride. From Wikipedia and YouTube to simple forum discussions, there is a persistent pattern known as the 90-9-1 principle...
Media Is Unreal: Bring Media Literacy into Science Literacy
Last year, a colleague struggling to find the right word to express her thoughts in a group discussion asked, “What is the opposite of media?” I paused before giving my answer, waiting to hear other thoughts...
Animal Care Ethics in Citizen Science: My Conundrum
Several recent blog posts and a session at Scio13 (discussed here) have addressed ethical issues in citizen science. Ethics in research is taken extremely seriously in academia: every single research project that involves human subjects gets reviewed by an independent committee (an Institutional Review Board, IRB) before it begins.When citizen science involves human subjects, it has to play by the same rules – even when it seems like there is no possible ethical conflict...
Pearls across the Zooniverse: When Crowdsourcing Becomes Citizen Science
Recently, Adam Stevens looked at where crowdsourcing ends and citizen science begins and raised his doubt that the projects in the Zooniverse qualify as citizen science.
The Citizen Science of Climate Change: We are not bystanders
Superstorm Sandy prior to the 2012 Presidential election put climate change on the mind of many voters. Earlier this month, a Federal Advisory Committee of 13 collaborating agencies released a Draft Climate Assessment Report for public review...
The Most Stressful Science Problem
Last week Forbes Magazine listed university professor as one of the top 10 least-stressful jobs. Academics, particularly scientists, were indignant and flooded Forbes with stories asserting stress levels that induce Einstein hair in a world that doesn’t appreciate their work...
Stone Soup for Thanksgiving: understanding bird disease through citizen science
When somebody opens their front door to pick up the morning newspaper and sees a dead bird below their hedge, they get curious for answers. As soon as they stoop down for a closer look, an Indiana Jones adventure unfolds within the confines of their backyard...
Victorian-Era Citizen Science: Reports of Its Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
In my last blog post, I introduced Matthew Maury, an American naval officer who began a citizen science project in the mid-1800s that transformed seafaring and drew society closer to science...
Retro Science, Part 1
My teen and tween daughters have started wearing big sunglasses. They feel confident and cool because they think this style is radically new and flamboyant.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Data
Ever since Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence, we celebrate with a day of relaxation, barbecues, and the pageantry of dazzling fireworks.
