# kb

id: big-and-ugly-rendering-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_and_Ugly_Rendering_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Big and Ugly Rendering Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_and_Ugly_Rendering_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:52.892173+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: big-and-ugly-rendering-project-20260505-0
summary:
Big and Ugly Rendering Project (BURP) is a non-commercial volunteer computing project using the BOINC framework for the rendering of 3D graphics that has been in hibernation as of 2020. The project website currently shows the status as "extended maintenance" until 2027. BURP utilizes the volunteer and grid computing software BOINC, to distribute computing tasks to volunteer computers. BURP is free software distributed under the GNU General Public License V3. Because BURP is used to refer to both the BOINC project and BURP back-end software, some confusion can arise when talking about other services running the BURP software. == History == The main BURP website went online on 17 June 2004. At that time the only supported renderer was YafaRay (Yet Another Free Raytracer). That August it became clear that YafaRay was not the best choice, and focus was shifted towards Blender, a renderer with more features and a compact file format. By the end of October enough tests had been done to show that not only is the distributed rendering of 3D animations possible, it can achieve performance that rivals many commercial render farms. The current trend of increasing network bandwidth throughout the world will make it even more


id: boinc-client-server-technology-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOINC_client–server_technology-0.md
category: reference
title: BOINC client–server technology
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOINC_client–server_technology
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:54.075741+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: boinc-client-server-technology-20260505-0
summary:
BOINC client–server technology refers to the model under which BOINC works. The BOINC framework consists of two layers which operate under the client–server architecture. Once the BOINC software is installed in a machine, the server starts sending tasks to the client. The operations are performed client-side and the results are uploaded to the server-side. == Design and structure of BOINC == BOINC is designed to be a free structure for anyone wishing to start a distributed computing project. BOINC consists of a server system and client software that communicate with each other to distribute, process, and return workunits. == Server structure == A major part of the BOINC system is the backend server. The server can run on one or many machines to allow BOINC to scale easily to projects of any size. BOINC servers run on Linux-based computers and use Apache, PHP, and MySQL for their web and database systems. Scientific computations run on participants' computers. After uploading from the user's client to a science investigator's database, the backend server validates and analyzes the results. The validation process involves running all tasks on multiple contributor PCs and comparing the results. BOINC servers also provide these features: homogeneous redundancy (sending


id: boinc-credit-system-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOINC_Credit_System-0.md
category: reference
title: BOINC Credit System
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BOINC_Credit_System
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:55.325387+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: boinc-credit-system-20260505-0
summary:
Within the BOINC platform for volunteer computing, the BOINC Credit System helps volunteers keep track of how much CPU time they have donated to various projects. This ensures users are returning accurate results for both scientific and statistical reasons. == Purposes for a credit system == Online distributed computing relies heavily, if not entirely, on volunteer computers. For this reason, projects such as SETI@home and other BOINC projects depend on a complicated balance among long-term users and the cycle of new users and retiring users. === Reasons for participation === Efficiency: Using a computer's resources which would otherwise be idle. To contribute to scientific research in general. To advance a specific field. To stress test computers, as with overclocking. For competition's sake (by joining a team). Some individuals and teams run numerous computers, with some dedicated specifically to BOINC in hopes of climbing to the top of the world charts. Some teams are institutional, e.g. universities and research centers. For personal benefit and recognition. Projects such as NASA's PlanetQuest plan on allowing individuals to name those planets discovered using their computers. Projects such as BURP, and Leiden Classical allow users to submit their own operations for use in the system.


id: charity-engine-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charity_Engine-0.md
category: reference
title: Charity Engine
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charity_Engine
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:56.601325+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: charity-engine-20260505-0
summary:
Charity Engine is a free PC app based on Berkeley University's BOINC software, run by The Worldwide Computer Company Limited. The project works by selling spare home computing power to universities and corporations, then sharing the profits between eight partner charities and periodic cash prize draws for the users; those running the Charity Engine BOINC software on their home computers. When there are no corporations purchasing the computing power, Charity Engine donates it to existing volunteer computing projects such as Rosetta@home, Einstein@Home, and Malaria Control, and prize draws are funded by donations. The company was founded by former journalist Mark McAndrew, who was writing a science fiction novel featuring a similar organisation. He abandoned the book in favour of creating the idea in real life, with the assistance of professor David Anderson from UC Berkeley who created BOINC. The company was incorporated in 2008, but did not start trading until 2011. The company received €70,000 of EU innovation funding through the Framework Programme 7 (FP7). == Protein folding == In August 2014 the Rosetta@home project reported Charity Engine had contributed over 125,000 new PCs to its grid. In January 2017, Charity Engine was credited as a significant contributor to solving


id: climateprediction-net-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net-0.md
category: reference
title: Climateprediction.net
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:58.949781+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: climateprediction-net-20260505-0
summary:
climateprediction.net (CPDN) is a volunteer computing project to investigate and reduce uncertainties in climate modelling. It aims to do this by running hundreds of thousands of different models (a large climate ensemble) using the donated idle time of ordinary personal computers, thereby leading to a better understanding of how models are affected by small changes in the many parameters known to influence the global climate. The project relies on the BOINC framework where voluntary participants agree to run some processes of the project at the client-side in their personal computers after receiving tasks from the server-side for treatment. CPDN, which is run primarily by Oxford University in England, has harnessed more computing power and generated more data than any other climate modelling project. It has produced over 100 million model years of data so far. As of June 2016, there are more than 12,000 active participants from 223 countries with a total BOINC credit of more than 27 billion, reporting about 55 teraflops (55 trillion operations per second) of processing power. == Aims == The aim of the climateprediction.net project is to investigate the uncertainties in various parameterizations that have to be made in state-of-the-art climate models. The model is


id: climateprediction-net-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net-1.md
category: reference
title: Climateprediction.net
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:58.949781+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: climateprediction-net-20260505-0
summary:
Classic Slab Model - The original experiment not under BOINC. See #The original model for further details. This model remains in use solely for the OU short course. BOINC Slab Model - The same as the classic Slab Model, but released under BOINC. ThermoHaline Circulation (THC) Model - An investigation of how the climate might change in the event of a decrease in the strength of the ThermoHaline Circulation. This experiment has now been closed to new participants as they have sufficient results. It was a four phase model totaling 60 model years. The first three phases were identical to the above Slab Models. The fourth phase imposed the effects of a 50% slowdown in the Thermohaline circulation by imposing SST changes in the north Atlantic derived from other runs. Sulfur Cycle Model - An investigation of the effect of sulfate aerosols on the climate. The experiment will model sulfur in a number of compound forms including dimethyl sulfide and sulfate aerosols. This experiment started in August 2005 and was a pre-requirement for the Hindcast. It is a 5 phase model totalling 75 model years. Timesteps are around 70% longer, making the model around 2.8 times longer than the initial


id: climateprediction-net-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net-2.md
category: reference
title: Climateprediction.net
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:58.949781+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: climateprediction-net-20260505-0
summary:
=== Explanation === Climate sensitivity is defined as the equilibrium response of global mean temperature to doubling levels of carbon dioxide. As of June 2025, current levels of carbon dioxide are 426 ppm and grew by 3.72ppm in the last year, compared with preindustrial levels of 280 ppm. Climate sensitivities of greater than 5 °C are widely accepted as being catastrophic. The possibility of such high sensitivities being plausible given observations had been reported prior to the climateprediction.net experiment but "this is the first time GCMs have produced such behaviour". Even the models with very high climate sensitivity were found to be "as realistic as other state-of-the-art climate models". The test of realism was done with a root mean square error test. This does not check on realism of seasonal changes and it is possible that more diagnostic measures may place stronger constraints on what is realistic. Improved realism tests are being developed. It is important to the experiment and the goal of obtaining a probability distribution function (pdf) of climate outcomes to get a very wide range of behaviours even if only to rule out some behaviours as unrealistic. Larger sets of simulations have more reliable pdfs. Therefore, models


id: climateprediction-net-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net-3.md
category: reference
title: Climateprediction.net
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climateprediction.net
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:49:58.949781+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: climateprediction-net-20260505-0
summary:
== Visualisations == Many volunteer computing projects have screensavers to visually indicate the activity of the application, but they do not usually show its results as they are being calculated. By contrast, climateprediction.net not only uses a built-in visualisation to show the climate of the world being modelled, but it is interactive which allows different aspects of climate (temperature, rainfall, etc.) to be displayed. In addition, there are other, more advanced visualisation programs that allow the user to see more of what the model is doing (usually by analysing previously generated results) and to compare different runs and models. The real-time desktop visualisation for the model launched in 2003 was developed by Jeremy Walton at NAG, enabling users to track the progress of their simulation as the cloud cover and temperature changes over the surface of the globe. Other, more advanced visualisation programs in use include CPView and IDL Advanced Visualisation. They have similar functionality. CPView was written by Martin Sykes, a participant in the experiment. The IDL Advanced Visualisation was written by Andy Heaps of the University of Reading (UK), and modified to work with the BOINC version by Tesella Support Services plc. Only CPView allows you to look


id: discovering-dengue-drugs-together-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovering_Dengue_Drugs_–_Together-0.md
category: reference
title: Discovering Dengue Drugs – Together
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovering_Dengue_Drugs_–_Together
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:01.464277+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: discovering-dengue-drugs-together-20260505-0
summary:
Discovering Dengue Drugs – Together (DDDT) was a World Community Grid project launched in 2007 sponsored by scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and the University of Chicago. Its goal was to identify new antiviral drugs effective against viruses from the family Flaviviridae. The project closed in 2015. Like all World Community Grid projects, Discovering Dengue Drugs – Together used a computational grid made up of thousands of client computers belonging to independent volunteers, in conjunction with servers that distribute portions of the work to the clients. == Phase 1 == The first phase of the project launched on August 21, 2007 and used AutoDock 2007 (the same software used for FightAIDS@Home) to test how well antiviral drug candidates are predicted to bind to the target virus's proteases. The specific viruses targeted by the project were: Dengue virus Hepatitis C virus West Nile virus Yellow fever virus Compounds predicted to bind strongly (protease inhibitors) were identified as potential antiviral drug candidates. Around 2.2 million compounds were examined in Phase 1, with around 20,000 of the best scoring compounds being passed to the second phase of the project. In 2008, the project was temporarily suspended because of


id: fightaids-home-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FightAIDS@Home-0.md
category: reference
title: FightAIDS@Home
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FightAIDS@Home
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:07.573692+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: fightaids-home-20260505-0
summary:
FightAIDS@Home is a volunteer computing project operated by the Olson Laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute. It runs on internet-connected home computers, and since July 2013 also runs on Android smartphones and tablets. It aims to use biomedical software simulation techniques to search for ways to cure or prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. == Methods == Olson's target is HIV protease, a key molecular machine of the virus that when blocked stops it from maturing. These blockers, known as "protease inhibitors", are thus a way of avoiding the onset of AIDS and prolonging life. The Olson Laboratory is using computational methods to identify new candidate drugs that have the right shape and chemical characteristics to block HIV protease. This general approach is called structure-based drug design, and according to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of General Medical Sciences, it has already had a dramatic effect on the lives of people living with AIDS. FightAIDS@Home makes use of the AutoDock VINA software, which tests how well a particular molecule binds to the HIV-1 protease. In October 2015 FightAIDS@Home Phase 2 was launched, using the computationally intensive Binding Energy Distribution Analysis Method (BEDAM) to "more thoroughly evaluate the top candidates


id: fiocruz-genome-comparison-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiocruz_Genome_Comparison_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Fiocruz Genome Comparison Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiocruz_Genome_Comparison_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:08.869428+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: fiocruz-genome-comparison-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Fiocruz Genome Comparison Project is a collaborative effort involving Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Institute and IBM's World Community Grid, designed to produce a database comparing the genes from many genomes with each other using SSEARCH. The program SSEARCH performs a rigorous Smith–Waterman alignment between a protein sequence and another protein sequence, a protein database, a DNA or a DNA library. The nature of the computation in the project allows it to easily take advantage of volunteer computing. This, along with the likely humanitarian benefits of the research, has led the World Community Grid (a volunteer computing grid that uses idle computer clock time) to run the Fiocruz project. All products are in the public domain by contract with WCG. == Description == The problem is that a very large information body (structural, functional, cross-references, etc.) is attached to protein database entries. Once entered the information is rarely updated or corrected. This annotation of predicted protein function is often incomplete, uses non-standard nomenclature or can be incorrect when cross referenced from previous sometimes incorrectly annotated sequences. Additionally, many proteins composed of several structural and/or functional domains are overlooked by automated systems. The comparative information today is huge when compared to the


id: gridcoin-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gridcoin-0.md
category: reference
title: Gridcoin
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gridcoin
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:12.521717+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: gridcoin-20260505-0
summary:
Gridcoin (abbreviation: GRC) is a cryptocurrency which rewards volunteer computing performed on the BOINC platform. BOINC was originally developed to support SETI@home, but has also been used for research in other areas. Gridcoin was created on October 16, 2013, by Rob Halförd. Initially using the energy-intensive proof of work, as used by Bitcoin, Gridcoin migrated to a proof of stake protocol in 2014, similar to Peercoin, in an attempt to address the environmental impact of cryptocurrency mining. An exploit was demonstrated in August 2017 that revealed the email addresses of Gridcoin users and allowed the theft of other users' work. The research team had disclosed the vulnerability to the developers in September 2016, and a patch was released in March 2017 with version 3.5.8.7. However the implementation of the fix introduced other issues. The implementation Gridcoin-Research was created as a fork of Bitcoin and Peercoin and is licensed under the MIT License. It uses Qt 5 for its user interface and prebuilt executables of the wallet are distributed for Windows, macOS, and Debian. == References == == External links == Official website


id: gridrepublic-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GridRepublic-0.md
category: reference
title: GridRepublic
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GridRepublic
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:13.762664+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: gridrepublic-20260505-0
summary:
GridRepublic is a BOINC Account Manager. It focuses on creating a clean and simple way to join and interact with BOINC. GridRepublic was started with a mission to raise public awareness and participation in volunteer computing with BOINC. GridRepublic was formed in 2004 by Matthew Blumberg as a mechanism to control the multiple projects from one place. The code for the BOINC software had to be redesigned to allow for the Account Manager system to be implemented. GridRepublic's website has won numerous awards including being named finalist at the 2007 SXSW Interactive Festival and the 2008 Stockholm Challenge. GridRepublic has also been the recipients of a Google Grant allowing for advertising through Google. == Projects == GridRepublic supports a wide range of the BOINC projects. The list of supported projects and the development status of projects are periodically updated. Some of its popular projects include: Climateprediction.net Climate change modeling on personal computers Einstein@home Pulsar stars from LIGO and GEO data Rosetta@home Protein folding research SETI@home Searching radio and light data for signs of intelligent life == Software == GridRepublic is a non-profit organisation, an online application, and software. The software is open source and a customized version of BOINC. ==


id: help-defeat-cancer-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_Defeat_Cancer-0.md
category: reference
title: Help Defeat Cancer
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_Defeat_Cancer
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:18.851891+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: help-defeat-cancer-20260505-0
summary:
The Help Defeat Cancer project ran on World Community Grid from July 20, 2006, to April 2007. It sought to improve the ability of medical professionals to determine the best treatment options for patients with cancers of the breast, head, or neck. The project worked by identifying visual patterns in large numbers of tissue microarrays taken from archived tissue samples. By correlating the pattern data with information about treatment and patient outcome, the results of this project could help provide better targeted treatment options. == References == == External links == World Community Grid - Research - Help Defeat Cancer


id: human-proteome-folding-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Proteome_Folding_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Human Proteome Folding Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Proteome_Folding_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:20.161559+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: human-proteome-folding-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Human Proteome Folding Project (HPF) is a collaborative effort between New York University (Bonneau Lab), the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) and the University of Washington (Baker Lab), using the Rosetta software developed by the Rosetta Commons. The project is managed by the Bonneau lab. HPF Phase 1 applied Rosetta v4.2x software on the human genome and 89 others, starting in November 2004. Phase 1 ended in July 2006. HPF Phase 2 (HPF2) applies the Rosetta v4.8x software in higher resolution, "full atom refinement" mode, concentrating on cancer biomarkers (proteins found at dramatically increased levels in cancer tissues), human secreted proteins and malaria. Phase 1 ran on two volunteer computing grids: on United Devices' grid.org, and on the World Community Grid, an IBM philanthropic initiative. Phase 2 of the project ran exclusively on the World Community Grid; it terminated in 2013 after more than 9 years of IBM involvement. The Institute for Systems Biology will use the results of the computations within its larger research efforts. == Publications == == See also == BOINC Folding@home Foldit Human proteome project List of volunteer computing projects == References == == External links == HPF page at WCG HPF updates by Dr.


id: siarhei-besarab-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siarhei_Besarab-0.md
category: reference
title: Siarhei Besarab
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siarhei_Besarab
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:54.075222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: siarhei-besarab-20260505-0
summary:
Siarhei Besarab (Belarusian pronunciation: [ˈsʲargej bʲesɐˈrab] ) is a Belarusian chemist, civil activist, and science communicator known for his contributions to popularizing science in the fields of radioactivity, nuclear safety, and environmental protection. A specialist in surface science, he formerly worked as a researcher at the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Following the 2020 Belarusian protests, Besarab was dismissed from his academic position. He subsequently became a prominent critic of the safety protocols at the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant and published analyses regarding the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. In June 2023, citing political persecution and facing charges from the Belarusian KGB, he left the country for the European Union == Early life and education == Siarhei Besarab was born in 1984 in the city of Novogrudok in the Grodno Region of western Belarus. He graduated with honors from Secondary School No. 3 in Novogrudok, where he won several awards at regional and national chemistry olympiads during his school years. In recognition of his academic performance in chemistry, Besarab received a local student distinction which included the ceremonial wearing of the academic gown belonging to Boris Kit, a rocket scientist originally from the region. Besarab received


id: siarhei-besarab-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siarhei_Besarab-1.md
category: reference
title: Siarhei Besarab
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siarhei_Besarab
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:54.075222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: siarhei-besarab-20260505-0
summary:
In 2020, he issued a scientific rebuttal to accusations against civil activist Stsiapan Latypau, debunking claims of a plot to poison law enforcement with agricultural chemicals. He also contributed to an appeal by Belarusian scientists condemning state violence following the contested presidential election, actions that led to his dismissal from the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry and a professional ban. His inclusion in the list of repressed Belarusian scientists prompted the scientific community to publish The Scientists’ Open Letter Against Repressions, signed by over 800 academics. In response to ongoing repression, Besarab co-founded the Belarusian Scientific Solidarity Fund to support persecuted scholars. He further opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine by publishing an open letter on behalf of the Belarusian scientific community, despite backlash from the NASB. As part of the Until All Are Free campaign, he became an advocate for political prisoner Artsiom Bayarski, a chemistry student targeted for his involvement in post-election protests. As a public defender of academic freedom Besarab has consistently highlighted issues in Belarusian science, such as censorship, lack of academic freedom, and opaque funding practices. His data-driven initiatives include mapping the repression of Belarusian citizens and scientists, producing analyses like the "map of


id: chemophobia-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemophobia-0.md
category: reference
title: Chemophobia
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemophobia
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:55.355931+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: chemophobia-20260505-0
summary:
Chemophobia (or chemphobia or chemonoia) is an aversion to or prejudice against chemicals or chemistry. The phenomenon has been ascribed both to a reasonable concern over the potential adverse effects of synthetic chemicals, and to an irrational fear of these substances because of misconceptions about their potential for harm, particularly the possibility of certain exposures to some synthetic chemicals elevating an individual's risk of cancer. Consumer products with labels such as "natural" and "chemical free" (the latter being impossible if taken literally, since all consumer products consist of chemical substances) appeal to chemophobic sentiments by offering consumers what appears to be a safer alternative (see appeal to nature). == Definition and uses == There are differing opinions on the proper usage of the word chemophobia. The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) defines chemophobia as an "irrational fear of chemicals". According to the American Council on Science and Health, chemophobia is a fear of synthetic substances arising from "scare stories" and exaggerated claims about their dangers prevalent in the media. Despite containing the suffix -phobia, the majority of written work focusing on addressing chemophobia describes it as a non-clinical aversion or prejudice, and not as a phobia in


id: chemophobia-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemophobia-1.md
category: reference
title: Chemophobia
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemophobia
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:55.355931+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: chemophobia-20260505-0
summary:
== Causes and effects == According to chemistry professor Pierre Laszlo, chemists have experienced chemophobia from the population at large, and asserts that it is rooted both in irrational notions and in genuine concerns (such as those over chemical warfare and industrial disasters). Gordon Gribble has written that the start of chemophobia could arguably be attributed to Silent Spring (1962), and that subsequent events such as the contamination of Times Beach (1983) and the Bhopal disaster (1984) only exacerbated the situation. These events have led to association between the word "chemical" and notions of things that unnatural or artificial and also dangerous, and the opposite has occurred, where goods are marketed as "chemical free" or "natural", to avoid this association, which in turn reinforces the misconception that "chemicals" are unnatural and dangerous. The chemical industry has moved to make chemicals used as flavoring or aromas using biotechnology instead of synthetic chemistry, as the products can be marketed as "natural". According to the industry advocacy group American Council on Science and Health, chemophobia is a growing phenomenon among the American public and has reached "epidemic" proportions among the general public. In a book published by the Council, Jon Entine writes that


id: citizen-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-0.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen science is research conducted with the participation of the general public, amateur or nonprofessional researchers, or participants from the fields of science, social science, and many other disciplines. The exact definition of "citizen science" varies, with different individuals and organizations having their own specific interpretations of its scope. Citizen science is employed in a wide range of areas of study, including ecology, biology, conservation, health and medical research, astronomy, media and communications, and information science. The applications and functions of citizen science in research projects are multifaceted. Citizen science can be used as a methodology in which public volunteers help in data collection and classification, thereby improving the scientific community's capacity. Citizen science can also involve more direct involvement from the public, with communities initiating projects researching environment and health hazards within their own communities. Participation in citizen science projects also educates the public about the scientific process and increases awareness about different topics. Some schools incorporate citizen science projects as part of their teaching curricula for this very purpose. == Background == The first use of the term "citizen science" appeared in a January 1989 issue of the MIT Technology Review, which featured three community-based labs studying environmental


id: citizen-science-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-1.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
A Green Paper on Citizen Science was published in 2013 by the European Commission's Digital Science Unit and Socientize.eu, which included a definition for citizen science, referring to "the general public engagement in scientific research activities when citizens actively contribute to science either with their intellectual effort or surrounding knowledge or with their tools and resources. Participants provide experimental data and facilities for researchers, raise new questions and co-create a new scientific culture." Citizen science may be performed by individuals, teams, or networks of volunteers. Citizen scientists often partner with professional scientists to achieve common goals. Large volunteer networks often allow scientists to accomplish tasks that would be too expensive or time-consuming to accomplish through other means. Many citizen-science projects serve education and outreach goals. These projects may be designed for a formal classroom environment or an informal education environment such as museums. Citizen science has evolved over the past four decades. Recent projects place more emphasis on scientifically sound practices and measurable goals for public education. Modern citizen science differs from its historical forms primarily in the access for, and subsequent scale of, public participation; technology is credited as one of the main drivers of the recent explosion of


id: citizen-science-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-2.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
=== Related fields === In a Smart City era, Citizen Science relies on various web-based tools, such as WebGIS, and becomes Cyber Citizen Science. Some projects, such as SETI@home, use the Internet to take advantage of distributed computing. These projects are generally passive. Computation tasks are performed by volunteers' computers and require little involvement beyond initial setup. There is disagreement as to whether these projects should be classified as citizen science. The astrophysicist and Galaxy Zoo co-founder Kevin Schawinski stated: "We prefer to call this [Galaxy Zoo] citizen science because it's a better description of what you're doing; you're a regular citizen but you're doing science. Crowd sourcing sounds a bit like, well, you're just a member of the crowd and you're not; you're our collaborator. You're pro-actively involved in the process of science by participating." Compared to SETI@home, "Galaxy Zoo volunteers do real work. They're not just passively running something on their computer and hoping that they'll be the first person to find aliens. They have a stake in science that comes out of it, which means that they are now interested in what we do with it, and what we find." Citizen policy may be another result of


id: citizen-science-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-3.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
They conclude that as citizen science continues to grow and mature, a key metric of project success they expect to see will be a growing awareness of data quality. They also conclude that citizen science will emerge as a general tool helping "to collect otherwise unobtainable high-quality data in support of policy and resource management, conservation monitoring, and basic science." A study of Canadian lepidoptera datasets published in 2018 compared the use of a professionally curated dataset of butterfly specimen records with four years of data from a citizen science program, eButterfly. The eButterfly dataset was used as it was determined to be of high quality because of the expert vetting process used on site, and there already existed a dataset covering the same geographic area consisting of specimen data, much of it institutional. The authors note that, in this case, citizen science data provides both novel and complementary information to the specimen data. Five new species were reported from the citizen science data, and geographic distribution information was improved for over 80% of species in the combined dataset when citizen science data was included. Several recent studies have begun to explore the accuracy of citizen science projects and how


id: citizen-science-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-4.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
=== Data governance, privacy and sovereignty === As citizen science becomes increasingly influenced by digital platforms and sensors, governance questions go beyond research ethics to include data protection law and community control over reuse. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), participatory projects that involve personal data can complicate the usual separation between professional researchers ("controllers") and participants ("data subjects"): citizen scientists may be considered joint controllers when they share or shape project purposes, which could expose volunteers to compliance responsibilities and create risks for both participant protections and project legitimacy. Practical guidance for citizen science therefore increasingly requires early planning for lawful data handling, clear allocation of responsibilities, and transparency about data flows across collection, storage, and sharing. A second governance challenge concerns power asymmetries in open data. Because volunteers often produce data while institutions handle and publish it, decisions about openness, attribution, and access restrictions can include unequal priorities and certain vulnerabilities. Ethical open-data practice in citizen science is therefore frequently framed as a matter of data governance, not only technical quality. These concerns also extend to environmental monitoring where data may be politically sensitive (e.g., pollution exposure, land use, biodiversity decline). Finally, monitoring initiatives have highlighted data


id: citizen-science-20260505-5
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-5.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
== Relations with education and academia == There have been studies published which examine the place of citizen science within education.(e.g.) Teaching aids can include books and activity or lesson plans.(e.g.). Some examples of studies are: From the Second International Handbook of Science Education, a chapter entitled: "Citizen Science, Ecojustice, and Science Education: Rethinking an Education from Nowhere", by Mueller and Tippins (2011), acknowledges in the abstract that: "There is an emerging emphasis in science education on engaging youth in citizen science." The authors also ask: "whether citizen science goes further with respect to citizen development." The abstract ends by stating that the "chapter takes account of the ways educators will collaborate with members of the community to effectively guide decisions, which offers promise for sharing a responsibility for democratizing science with others." From the journal Democracy and Education, an article entitled: "Lessons Learned from Citizen Science in the Classroom" by authors Gray, Nicosia and Jordan (GNJ; 2012) gives a response to a study by Mueller, Tippins and Bryan (MTB) called "The Future of Citizen Science". GNJ begins by stating in the abstract that "The Future of Citizen Science": "provides an important theoretical perspective about the future of democratized science


id: citizen-science-20260505-6
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-6.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
== History == While citizen science developed at the end of the 20th century, characteristics of citizen science are not new. Prior to the 20th century, science was often the pursuit of gentleman scientists, amateur or self-funded researchers such as Sir Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles Darwin. Women citizen scientists from before the 20th century include Florence Nightingale who "perhaps better embodies the radical spirit of citizen science". Before the professionalization of science by the end of the 19th century, most pursued scientific projects as an activity rather than a profession itself, an example being amateur naturalists in the 18th and 19th centuries. During the British colonization of North America, American Colonists recorded the weather, offering much of the information now used to estimate climate data and climate change during this time period. These people included John Campanius Holm, who recorded storms in the mid-1600s, as well as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin who tracked weather patterns during America's founding. Their work focused on identifying patterns by amassing their data and that of their peers and predecessors, rather than specific professional knowledge in scientific fields. Some consider these individuals as the progenitors of the citizen scientist concept,


id: citizen-science-20260505-7
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-7.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen science projects have become increasingly focused on providing benefits to scientific research. The North American Bird Phenology Program (historically called the Bird Migration and Distribution records) may have been the earliest collective effort of citizens collecting ornithological information in the U.S. The program, dating back to 1883, was started by Wells Woodbridge Cooke. Cooke established a network of observers around North America to collect bird migration records. The Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count, which began in 1900, is another example of a long-standing tradition of citizen science which has persisted to the present day, now containing a collection of six million handwritten migration observer cards that date back to the 19th century. Participants input this data into an online database for analysis. Citizen scientists help gather data that will be analyzed by professional researchers, and can be used to produce bird population and biodiversity indicators. Raptor migration research relies on the data collected by the hawkwatching community. This mostly volunteer group counts migrating accipiters, buteos, falcons, harriers, kites, eagles, osprey, vultures and other raptors at hawk sites throughout North America during the spring and fall seasons. The daily data is uploaded to hawkcount.org where it can be viewed by


id: citizen-science-20260505-8
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-8.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
=== Rocky reefs === Reef Life Survey is a marine life monitoring programme based in Hobart, Tasmania. The project uses recreational divers that have been trained to make fish and invertebrate counts, using an approximate 50 m constant depth transect of tropical and temperate reefs, which might include coral reefs. Reef Life Survey is international in its scope, but the data collectors are predominantly from Australia. The database is available to marine ecology researchers, and is used by several marine protected area managements in Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and the eastern Pacific. Its results have also been included in the Australian Ocean DATA Network. === Agriculture === Farmer participation in experiments has a long tradition in agricultural science. There are many opportunities for citizen engagement in different parts of food systems. Citizen science is actively used for crop variety selection for climate adaptation, involving thousands of farmers. Citizen science has also played a role in furthering sustainable agriculture. === Art history === Citizen science has a long tradition in natural science. Today, citizen science projects can also be found in various fields of science like art history. For example, the Zooniverse project AnnoTate is a transcription tool developed to


id: citizen-science-20260505-9
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-9.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
Video technology is much used in scientific research. The Citizen Science Center in the Nature Research Center wing of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has exhibits on how to get involved in scientific research and become a citizen scientist. For example, visitors can observe birdfeeders at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation satellite facility via live video feed and record which species they see. Since 2005, the Genographic Project has used the latest genetic technology to expand our knowledge of the human story, and its pioneering use of DNA testing to engage and involve the public in the research effort has helped to create a new breed of "citizen scientist". Geno 2.0 expands the scope for citizen science, harnessing the power of the crowd to discover new details of human population history. This includes supporting, organization and dissemination of personal DNA testing. Like amateur astronomy, citizen scientists encouraged by volunteer organizations like the International Society of Genetic Genealogy have provided valuable information and research to the professional scientific community. With unmanned aerial vehicles, further citizen science is enabled. One example is the ESA's AstroDrone smartphone app for gathering robotic data with the Parrot AR.Drone. Citizens in Space (CIS), a project


id: citizen-science-20260505-10
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-10.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
Not counting iNaturalist and eBird, the Zooniverse is home to the internet's largest, most popular and most successful citizen science projects. The Zooniverse and the suite of projects it contains is produced, maintained and developed by the Citizen Science Alliance (CSA). The member institutions of the CSA work with many academic and other partners around the world to produce projects that use the efforts and ability of volunteers to help scientists and researchers deal with the flood of data that confronts them. On 29 June 2015, the Zooniverse released a new software version with a project-building tool allowing any registered user to create a project. Project owners may optionally complete an approval process to have their projects listed on the Zooniverse site and promoted to the Zooniverse community. A NASA/JPL picture to the right gives an example from one of Zooniverse's projects The Milky Way Project. The website CosmoQuest has as its goal "To create a community of people bent on together advancing our understanding of the universe; a community of people who are participating in doing science, who can explain why what they do matters, and what questions they are helping to answer." CrowdCrafting enables its participants to create


id: citizen-science-20260505-11
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-11.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen science includes projects that help monitor plastics and their associated pollution. These include The Ocean Cleanup, #OneLess, The Big Microplastic Survey, EXXpedition and Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Ellipsis seeks to map the distribution of litter using aerial data mapping by unmanned aerial vehicles and machine learning software. A Zooniverse project called The Plastic Tide (now finished) helped train an algorithm used by Ellipsis. Examples of relevant articles (by date): Citizen Science Promotes Environmental Engagement: (quote) "Citizen science projects are rapidly gaining popularity among the public, in which volunteers help gather data on species that can be used by scientists in research. And it's not just adults who are involved in these projects – even kids have collected high-quality data in the US." Tackling Microplastics on Our Own: (quote) "Plastics, ranging from the circles of soda can rings to microbeads the size of pinheads, are starting to replace images of sewage for a leading cause of pollution – especially in the ocean". Further, "With recent backing from the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act, citizen science is increasingly embraced as a tool by US Federal agencies." Citizen Scientists Are Tracking Plastic Pollution Worldwide: (quote) "Scientists who are monitoring the spread


id: citizen-science-20260505-12
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-12.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen Sense (2013–2018): (quote) "Practices of monitoring and sensing environments have migrated to everyday participatory applications, where users of smart phones and networked devices are able to engage with modes of environmental observation and data collection." Breathe Project: (quote) "We use the best available science and technology to better understand the quality of the air we breathe and provide opportunities for citizens to engage and take action." The Bristol Approach to Citizen Sensing: (quote) "Citizen Sensing is about empowering people and places to understand and use smart tech and data from sensors to tackle the issues they care about, connect with other people who can help, and take positive, practical action." Luftdaten.info: (quote) "You and thousands of others around the world install self-built sensors on the outside their home. Luftdaten.info generates a continuously updated particular matter map from the transmitted data." CitiSense: (quote) "CitiSense aims to co-develop a participatory risk management system (PRMS) with citizens, local authorities and organizations which enables them to contribute to advanced climate services and enhanced urban climate resilience as well as receive recommendations that support their security." A group of citizen scientists in a community-led project targeting toxic smoke from wood burners in Bristol, has


id: citizen-science-20260505-13
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-13.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
The distributed computing project Folding@home launched a program in March 2020 to assist researchers around the world who were working on finding a cure and learning more about the coronavirus pandemic. The initial wave of projects were meant to simulate potentially druggable protein targets from SARS-CoV-2 (and also its predecessor and close relation SARS-CoV, about which there is significantly more data available). In 2024, the project has been extended to look at other health issues including Alzheimer's and cancer. The project asks volunteers to download the app and donate computing power for simulations. The distributed computing project Rosetta@home also joined the effort in March 2020. The project uses computers of volunteers to model SARS-CoV-2 virus proteins to discover possible drug targets or create new proteins to neutralize the virus. Researchers revealed that with the help of Rosetta@home, they had been able to "accurately predict the atomic-scale structure of an important coronavirus protein weeks before it could be measured in the lab." In 2022, the parent Boinc company thanked contributors for donating their computer power and helping work on the de novo protein design including vaccine development. The OpenPandemics – COVID-19 project is a partnership between Scripps Research and IBM's World


id: citizen-science-20260505-14
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-14.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
In South Africa (SA), citizen science projects include: the Stream Assessment Scoring System (miniSASS) which "encourages enhanced catchment management for water security in a climate stressed society." The South African National Biodiversity Institute is partnered with iNaturalist as a platform for biodiversity observations using digital photography and geolocation technology to monitor biodiversity. Such partnerships can reduce duplication of effort, help standardise procedures and make the data more accessible. Also in SA, "Members of the public, or 'citizen scientists' are helping researchers from the University of Pretoria to identify Phytophthora species present in the fynbos." In June 2016, citizen science experts from across East Africa gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, for a symposium organised by the Tropical Biology Association (TBA) in partnership with the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH). The aim was "to harness the growing interest and expertise in East Africa to stimulate new ideas and collaborations in citizen science." Rosie Trevelyan of the TBA said: "We need to enhance our knowledge about the status of Africa's species and the threats facing them. And scientists can't do it all on their own. At the same time, citizen science is an extremely effective way of connecting people more closely to nature


id: citizen-science-20260505-15
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-15.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
The Hong Kong Birdwatching Society was established in 1957, and is the only local civil society aiming at appreciating and conserving Hong Kong birds and their natural environment. Their bird surveys go back to 1958, and they carry out a number of Citizen Science events such as their yearly sparrow census. The Bird Count India partnership consists of a large number of organizations and groups involved in birdwatching and bird surveys. They coordinate a number of Citizen Science projects such as the Kerala Bird Atlas and Mysore city Bird Atlas that map the distribution and abundance of birds of entire Indian states. RAD@home Collaboratory is an Indian citizen science research programme in astronomy & astrophysics. Launched on 15 April 2013, by Dr Ananda Hota, this programme uses hybrid model, social media platforms and in-person training of the interested participants. In 2022, the Collaboratory, using GMRT observations and archival data from other telescopes, reported discovery of an active galactic nucleus, a radio galaxy named RAD12, spewing a large unipolar radio bubble on to its merging companion galaxy. Recently, on 2 October 2025 the Collaboratory reported discovery of the farthest and most powerful Odd Radio Circle (ORC), RAD J131346.9+500320, using the LOFAR


id: citizen-science-20260505-16
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-16.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
=== Europe === The English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) is widely regarded to have been one of the earliest citizen science contributors in Europe (see § History). A century later, citizen science was experienced by adolescents in Italy during the 1980s, working on urban energy usages and air pollution. In his book "Citizen Science", Alan Irwin considers the role that scientific expertise can play in bringing the public and science together and building a more scientifically active citizenry, empowering individuals to contribute to scientific development. Since then a citizen science green paper was published in 2013, and European Commission policy directives have included citizen science as one of five strategic areas with funding allocated to support initiatives through the 'Science With and For Society (SwafS)', a strand of the Horizon 2020 programme. This includes significant awards such as the EU Citizen Science Project, which is creating a hub for knowledge sharing, coordination, and action. The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) was set up in 2014 to encourage the growth of citizen science across Europe, to increase public participation in scientific processes, mainly by initiating and supporting citizen science projects as well as conducting research. ECSA has a membership of over


id: citizen-science-20260505-17
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-17.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
Projects in Brazil include: i) Platform and mobile app 'Missions' has been developed by IBM in their São Paulo research lab with Brazil's Ministry for Environment and Innovation (BMEI). Sergio Borger, an IBM team lead in São Paulo, devised the crowdsourced approach when BMEI approached the company in 2010. They were looking for a way to create a central repository for the rainforest data. Users can upload photos of a plant species and its components, enter its characteristics (such as color and size), compare it against a catalog photo and classify it. The classification results are juried by crowdsourced ratings. ii) Exoss Citizen Science is a member of Astronomers Without Borders and seeks to explore the southern sky for new meteors and radiants. Users can report meteor fireballs through uploading pictures on to a webpage or by linking to YouTube. iii) The Information System on Brazilian Biodiversity (SiBBr) was launched in 2014 "aiming to encourage and facilitate the publication, integration, access and use of information about the biodiversity of the country." Their initial goal "was to gather 2.5 million occurrence records of species from biological collections in Brazil and abroad up to the end of 2016. It is now expected


id: citizen-science-20260505-18
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science-18.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:56.964572+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-20260505-0
summary:
== Conferences == The first Conference on Public Participation in Scientific Research was held in Portland, Oregon, in August 2012. Citizen science is now often a theme at large conferences, such as the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. In 2010, 2012 and 2014 there were three Citizen Cyberscience summits, organised by the Citizen Cyberscience Centre in Geneva and University College London. The 2014 summit was hosted in London and attracted over 300 participants. In November 2015, the ETH Zürich and University of Zürich hosted an international meeting on the "Challenges and Opportunities in Citizen Science". The first citizen science conference hosted by the Citizen Science Association was in San Jose, California, in February 2015 in partnership with the AAAS conference. The Citizen Science Association conference, CitSci 2017, was held in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, between 17 and 20 May 2017. The conference had more than 600 attendees. The next CitSci was in March 2019 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The platform "Österreich forscht" hosts the annual Austrian citizen science conference since 2015. == In popular culture == Barbara Kingsolver's 2012 novel Flight Behaviour looks at the effects of citizen science on a housewife in Appalachia, when her interest


id: list-of-citizen-science-projects-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_citizen_science_projects-0.md
category: reference
title: List of citizen science projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_citizen_science_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:58.227114+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-citizen-science-projects-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen science projects are activities sponsored by a wide variety of organizations so non-scientists can meaningfully contribute to scientific research. == Precis == Activities vary widely from transcribing old ship logbooks to digitize the data as part of the Old Weather project to observing and counting birds at home or in the field for eBird. Participation can be as simple as playing a computer game for a project called Eyewire that may help scientists learn more about retinal neurons. It can also be more in depth, such as when citizens collect water quality data over time to assess the health of local waters, or help discover and name new species of insects. An emerging branch of Citizen Science are Community Mapping projects that utilize smartphone and tablet technology. For example, TurtleSAT is a community mapping project that is mapping freshwater turtle deaths throughout Australia. This list of citizen science projects involves projects that engage all age groups. There are projects specifically aimed at the younger age demographic like iTechExplorers which was created by a 14 year old in the UK to assess the effects of bedtime technology on the body's circadian rhythm and can be completed in a classroom setting.


id: active-asteroids-citizen-science-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Asteroids_(citizen_science_project)-0.md
category: reference
title: Active Asteroids (citizen science project)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Asteroids_(citizen_science_project)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:50:59.411411+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: active-asteroids-citizen-science-project-20260505-0
summary:
Active Asteroids is a NASA partner citizen science project that successfully discovered active asteroids, including main-belt comets, quasi-Hilda objects, and Jupiter family comets. The project is hosted on the Zooniverse platform and is funded by a NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. It uses images from the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) to search for tails around asteroids and other minor planets. The research team is led by Colin Orion Chandler. As of April 2024 about 8300 volunteers carried out 6.7 million classifications of 430 thousand images. At the time only 60 active asteroids were known and 16 new active objects were discovered by this project, significantly increasing the sample of known objects. The success of the project did result in the development of Rubin Comet Catchers, a citizen science project using data by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and a similar approach as the Active Asteroids project. == Pre-launch preparation == Before the team launched the project, the team gained experience with DECam and published three papers. These include detection of activity around previously known active asteroid (62412) 2000 SY178, revealing 6 years of activity on 6478 Gault and activity discovered on the centaur 2014 OG392. == Discoveries == The project


id: ahi-pepe-mothnet-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahi_Pepe_MothNet-0.md
category: reference
title: Ahi Pepe MothNet
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahi_Pepe_MothNet
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:00.611613+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: ahi-pepe-mothnet-20260505-0
summary:
Ahi Pepe MothNet (styled Ahi Pepe | MothNet) is a citizen science initiative based in Otago, New Zealand that aims to raise the awareness of moths among teachers and students. == Name == Ahi Pepe (Māori for moth fire) refers to a traditional proverb (whakataukī) of Te Whiti o Rongomai about firelight attracting moths (pepe) instead of muttonbirds (tītī). == Activities == Ahi Pepe began in 2015 as a project with four Otago schools, and continued with funding from Participatory Science Platform, Unlocking Curious Minds, and the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge. Collaborators include Otago Museum, Orokonui Ecosanctuary, the University of Otago, Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, Landcare Research and schools across the South Island. In October 2016, Ahi Pepe worked with Orokonui Ecosanctuary to install moth traps inside and outside the predator-proof fence, and school children worked alongside entomologists to identify the moths caught. The project has produced educational resources for schools in both English and Te Reo Māori. The South Island guide is the first educational resource to be written in the Kāi Tahu dialect. In 2017, public donations enabled a delegation of Otago schoolchildren to give a presentation on Ahi Pepe at the World Indigenous Peoples Conference


id: amateur-astronomy-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy-0.md
category: reference
title: Amateur astronomy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:01.749920+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-astronomy-20260505-0
summary:
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing, studying, or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, telescopes, and other gadgets. Although scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers contribute to citizen science by monitoring variable stars, double stars, sunspots, and occultations of stars by the Moon or asteroids, as well as by discovering transient astronomical events, such as comets, galactic novae or supernovae in other galaxies. Amateur astronomers do not use the field of astronomy as their primary source of income or support, as well as typically having no professional degree in astrophysics or advanced academic training in the subject. Most amateur astronomers are hobbyists, while others have a high degree of experience in astronomy and may often assist and work alongside professional astronomers. Many astronomers have studied the sky throughout history in an amateur framework; however, since the beginning of the twentieth century, professional astronomy has become a clearly distinguished activity from amateur astronomy and associated activities. Amateur astronomers typically view the sky at night, when most celestial objects and astronomical events are visible, but others observe during the daytime by viewing the Sun and solar eclipses. Some observe


id: amateur-astronomy-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy-1.md
category: reference
title: Amateur astronomy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:01.749920+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-astronomy-20260505-0
summary:
=== Beginner telescopes === Beginner telescopes, commonly used by amateur astronomers to observe celestial objects in more detail, are a more powerful tool compared to other amateur equipment such as binoculars. Amateur astronomers often use four main types of optical telescopes: reflectors, refractors, hybrid, and Dobsonian telescopes. Reflector telescopes utilize mirrors while refractors use lenses, these combine to create the hybrid telescope, which uses a combination of both mirrors and lenses. The Dobsonian is a type of reflector with the addition of a base or mount. GOTO telescopes have become more popular since the 1980s as technology has improved and prices have been reduced. With these computer-driven telescopes, the user typically enters the name of the item of interest and the mechanics of the telescope point the telescope towards that item automatically. They have several notable advantages for amateur astronomers intent on research. For example, GOTO telescopes tend to be faster for locating items of interest than star hopping, allowing more time for studying of the object. GOTO also allows manufacturers to add equatorial tracking to mechanically simpler alt-azimuth telescope mounts, allowing them to produce an overall less expensive product. GOTO telescopes usually have to be calibrated using alignment stars


id: amateur-astronomy-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy-2.md
category: reference
title: Amateur astronomy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:01.749920+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-astronomy-20260505-0
summary:
=== Mobile apps === The advent of mobile applications for use in smartphones has led to the creation of many dedicated apps. These apps allow any user to easily locate celestial objects of interest by simply pointing the smartphone device in that direction in the sky. These apps make use of the inbuilt hardware in the phone, such as GPS location and gyroscope. Useful information about the pointed object like celestial coordinates, the name of the object, its constellation, etc. are provided for a quick reference. Some paid versions give more information. These apps are gradually getting into regular use during observing, for the alignment process of telescopes. === The internet === The popularity of imaging among amateurs has led to large numbers of web sites being written by individuals about their images and equipment. Much of the social interaction of amateur astronomy occurs on mailing lists or discussion groups. Discussion group servers host numerous astronomy lists. A great deal of the commerce of amateur astronomy, the buying and selling of equipment, occurs online. Many amateurs use online tools to plan their nightly observing sessions, using tools such as the Clear Sky Chart. == Common techniques == While a number


id: amateur-astronomy-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy-3.md
category: reference
title: Amateur astronomy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_astronomy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:01.749920+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-astronomy-20260505-0
summary:
There have been many significant scientific, technological, and cultural contributions made by amateur astronomers: George Alcock, one of the most successful visual discoverers of comets and novae. John E. Bortle, authored '"Comet Digest" in Sky and Telescope magazine and the monthly AAVSO circular for the American Association of Variable Star Observers. Created the Bortle scale to quantify the darkness of the night sky. Robert Burnham Jr. (1931–1993), author of the Celestial Handbook. Andrew Ainslie Common (1841–1903), built his own very large reflecting telescopes and demonstrated that photography could record astronomical features invisible to the human eye. Robert E. Cox (1917–1989) who conducted the "Gleanings for ATMs" column in Sky & Telescope magazine for 21 years. John Dobson (1915–2014), promoter of astronomy whose name is associated with the Dobsonian telescope. Robert Owen Evans (1937–2022) was an amateur astronomer who currently holds the all-time record for visual discoveries of supernovae. Giuseppe Donatiello, discovered twelve nearby dwarf galaxies in the Local Volume including the first galaxy to be named after its non-professional discoverer and three ultrafaint dwarf galaxies in the Local Group (Pisces VII, Pegasus V/Andromeda XXXIV and Andromeda XXXVI). Will Hay, comedian and actor, who discovered a white spot on Saturn. Walter


id: the-amateur-scientist-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amateur_Scientist-0.md
category: reference
title: The Amateur Scientist
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amateur_Scientist
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:02.950860+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-amateur-scientist-20260505-0
summary:
"The Amateur Scientist" was a column in the Scientific American, and was the definitive "how-to" resource for citizen-scientists for over 72 years (1928–2001), making it the longest running column in Scientific American's history. The column was regarded for revealing the brass-tacks secrets of research and showing home-based experimenters how to make original discoveries using only inexpensive materials. Since its début in 1928, "The Amateur Scientist" was a primary resource for science fair projects. It also inspired amateur experimenters, launched careers in science, and enjoyed a place of honor in classrooms and school libraries all over the world. Although always accessible to an amateur's budget, projects from "The Amateur Scientist" were often elegant and sophisticated. Some designs were so innovative that they set new standards in a field. Indeed, professionals continue to borrow from "The Amateur Scientist" to find low-cost solutions to real-world research problems. == Albert Ingalls == "The Amateur Scientist" traces its pedigree to May 1928, when Albert G. Ingalls began the column as "The Back Yard Astronomer." Ingalls told amateurs how they could get personally involved in astronomy by building professional-quality instruments and carrying out cutting-edge observations. The first sentence in the new column stated: "Here we amateur


id: ardusat-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArduSat-0.md
category: reference
title: ArduSat
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArduSat
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:05.326407+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: ardusat-20260505-0
summary:
ArduSat is an Arduino based nanosatellite, based on the CubeSat standard. It contains a set of Arduino boards and sensors. The general public will be allowed to use these Arduinos and sensors for their own creative purposes while they are in space. ArduSat is created by NanoSatisfi LLC, an aerospace company which in the words of Phil Plait has "the goal to democratize access to space" and was founded by 4 graduate students from the International Space University in 2012. ArduSat is the first satellite which will provide such open access to the general public to space. It is one of several crowdfunded satellites launched during the 2010s. Currently the project evolved to the company Because Learning. == Timeline of the project == == Technical features == === ArduSat-1 and ArduSat-X === The ArduSat project currently consists in two identical satellites: ArduSat-1 and ArduSat-X. == See also == 2013 in spaceflight == References == == External links ==


id: association-for-advancing-participatory-sciences-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_for_Advancing_Participatory_Sciences-0.md
category: reference
title: Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_for_Advancing_Participatory_Sciences
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:06.518929+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: association-for-advancing-participatory-sciences-20260505-0
summary:
The Citizen Science Association (CSA) (now renamed as the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences) is a United States member-based professional organization for practitioners and researchers of citizen science, where scientific research is conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or nonprofessional scientists. The Association aims to expand the reach, relevance, and impact of science and research in the United States and internationally. The CSA was founded in 2013 in the United States and was recognized as a charitable organization with a 501c3 designated status in June 2017. == History == The concept for the Citizen Science Association originated at the Public Participation for Scientific Research Conference in 2012 held in conjunction with the Ecological Society of America conference in Portland, Oregon. Through a series of NSF grants (DRL-0610363, DRL-1020909, and DRL-0813135) the network of citizen science projects and professionals was further developed and the Citizen Science Association formation as an official organization developed along with a website. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology hosted the beginning of the Association web content and the Schoodic Institute helped launch the organization and is a continuing fiscal sponsor the CSA. The CSA was renamed as the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences in April


id: asteroid-zoo-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_Zoo-0.md
category: reference
title: Asteroid Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroid_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:07.796373+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: asteroid-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
Asteroid Zoo was a citizen science project run by the Zooniverse and Planetary Resources, to use volunteer classifications to find unknown asteroids using old Catalina Sky Survey data. The main goals of the project were to search for undiscovered asteroids in order to protect the planet by locating potentially harmful near-Earth asteroids, locate targets for future asteroid mining, study the Solar System, and study the potential uses and advantages of crowdsourcing of astronomical data analysis. The project was created along with the ARKYD project through Kickstarter in 2014 and was funded with around 1.5 million dollars raised. In 2016, the Asteroid Zoo community exhausted the publicly available data, and the experiment was indefinitely paused. Asteroid Zoo produced several scientific publications during its run. == See also == Astronomy portal Zooniverse projects: == References ==


id: atlas-of-hillforts-of-britain-and-ireland-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Hillforts_of_Britain_and_Ireland-0.md
category: reference
title: Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Hillforts_of_Britain_and_Ireland
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:09.133755+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: atlas-of-hillforts-of-britain-and-ireland-20260505-0
summary:
The Atlas of Hillforts of Britain and Ireland was an online database of hillforts―fortified settlements built in the Bronze Age and Iron Age―in the British Isles. It was compiled by researchers from the University of Edinburgh, the University of Oxford and University College Cork, led by Ian Ralston and Gary Lock. On its launch in 2017 the atlas had 4,147 entries, which the researchers believe to be all of the extant hillforts in Britain and Ireland. A printed atlas is also planned. The data was collated from existing catalogues of archaeological sites such as the National Monuments Records and county historic environment records. Around 100 volunteers, described as "citizen scientists", also visited sites and contributed information and photographs to the atlas. The researchers noted that despite the conventional name "hillforts", under their definition, many are "not on hills and are not really forts". They included sites that are now only visible through cropmarks. The online atlas was hosted by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which funded the project, and makes use of Esri's ArcGIS web map application platform. The project also collaborated with Wikimedia UK to make the information in the atlas available to Wikipedia. == See also ==


id: atlas-of-living-australia-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Living_Australia-0.md
category: reference
title: Atlas of Living Australia
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_of_Living_Australia
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:10.296629+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: atlas-of-living-australia-20260505-0
summary:
The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) is an online repository of information about Australian plants, animals, and fungi. Development started in 2006. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an organisation significantly involved in the development of the ALA. The Atlas of Living Australia is the Australian node of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The ALA is being used to help assess suitability of revegetation projects by determining species vulnerability to climatic and atmospheric change. The Atlas of Living Australia is hosted by CSIRO and supported by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy. == See also == Australasian Virtual Herbarium Australian Plant Name Index Encyclopedia of Life GBIF == References == == External links == Belbin, L.; Williams, K.J. (2015). "Towards a national bio-environmental data facility: experiences from the Atlas of Living Australia". International Journal of Geographical Information Science. 30 (1): 108–125. doi:10.1080/13658816.2015.1077962. ISSN 1365-8816. S2CID 12847147.


id: aurorasaurus-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurorasaurus-0.md
category: reference
title: Aurorasaurus
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurorasaurus
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:11.504261+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: aurorasaurus-20260505-0
summary:
Aurorasaurus is a citizen science project which tracks auroras through crowdsourced observations from a mobile app and social media, namely Twitter and Facebook. == Development == Aurorasaurus was created by Liz MacDonald, a space physicist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, after she noticed a large amount of tweets about auroras during a 2011 solar storm that produced red auroras visible from Alabama. With Goddard scientist Nathan Case, MacDonald created a real-time map that displays the location of tweets that talk about auroras and have geolocation data. Aurorasaurus has been supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation. It has been developed through a collaboration between NASA, the non-profit New Mexico Consortium, Pennsylvania State University, and the company Science Education Solutions. == Usage == Aurorasaurus contains a real-time map that displays the location of tweets that talk about auroras and have geolocation data. Users then verify if the tweets indicate a sighting. Aurorasaurus also plots a "view-line" onto the map which shows users the predicted area in which they can see the aurora according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's aurora forecast model OVATION Prime. Once enough users report a sighting in an area or around


id: australian-citizen-science-association-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Citizen_Science_Association-0.md
category: reference
title: Australian Citizen Science Association
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Citizen_Science_Association
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:12.735625+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: australian-citizen-science-association-20260505-0
summary:
The Australian Citizen Science Association (ACSA) is a membership-based organisation that promotes public participation in science and research projects in Australia and internationally. The organisation provides a range of knowledge sharing, networking, professional development, advocacy and promotional opportunities for members and the community to participate in citizen science. The Association operates nationally as well as through five state-based chapters. ACSA is an incorporated association registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission in 2018. == Activities == The Association supports a range of activities including a national conference held every two years, workshops and training, bioblitz campaigns, a small grants program, public outreach and education, and collaboration with national and international organisations. The Association has a memorandum of understanding with other citizen science organisations including the US Citizen Science Association, the European Citizen Science Association, Citizen Science Asia and CitSci Africa Association. The ACSA is a member of the Citizen Science Global Partnership. == References == == External links == Official website


id: avibase-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avibase-0.md
category: reference
title: Avibase
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avibase
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:14.007888+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: avibase-20260505-0
summary:
Avibase is an online taxonomic database that organizes bird taxonomic and distribution data globally. The database relies on the notion of taxonomic concepts rather than taxonomic names. Avibase incorporates and organizes taxonomic data from the main avian taxonomic publishers (The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World, Handbook of the Birds of the World, BirdLife International, IOC Checklist and the Howard and Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World) and other regional sources (e.g. all editions of the American Ornithological Society Checklist of North American Birds since 1886). Taxonomic concepts in over 230 different taxonomic sources have been mapped and cross-referenced to Avibase concepts. The website also offers checklists for more than 20,000 geographic regions of the world, species pages with taxonomic information and synonyms, and tools for observers to maintain their own sightings and obtain reports, such as a map showing countries or eBird hotspots with target species. == History and purpose == Avibase was created and is maintained by Denis Lepage, currently senior director, data science and technology at Birds Canada. The data contained in Avibase has been gathered starting around 1991. The Avibase website was launched in June 2003 and has been hosted by Birds


id: backyard-worlds-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_Worlds-0.md
category: reference
title: Backyard Worlds
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_Worlds
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:15.194890+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: backyard-worlds-20260505-0
summary:
Backyard Worlds: Planet 9 is a NASA-funded citizen science project which is part of the Zooniverse web portal. It aims to discover new brown dwarfs, faint objects that are less massive than stars, some of which might be among the nearest neighbors of the Solar System, and might conceivably detect the hypothesized Planet Nine. The project's principal investigator is Marc Kuchner, an astrophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. == Origins == Backyard Worlds was launched in February 2017, shortly before the 87th anniversary of the discovery of Pluto, which until its reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006 was considered the Solar System's ninth major planet. Since that reclassification, evidence has come to light that there may be another planet located in the outer region of the Solar System far beyond the Kuiper belt, most commonly referred to as Planet Nine. This hypothetical new planet would be located so far from the Sun that it would reflect only a very small amount of visible light, rendering it too faint to be detected in most astronomical surveys conducted to date. However, models of the conjectured planet's atmosphere suggest that methane condensation could in some cases make it detectable in infrared


id: backyard-worlds-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_Worlds-1.md
category: reference
title: Backyard Worlds
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_Worlds
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:15.194890+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: backyard-worlds-20260505-0
summary:
In October 2018, a participant in the project discovered LSPM J0207+3331 – the oldest and coldest white dwarf known to host a circumstellar disk, despite being 3 billion years old. The time since this star became a white dwarf is far longer than the expected timescale for such disks to be cleared from a system. The disk consists of two rings at different temperatures. This star has been studied with the Keck telescope and is the subject of ongoing research. === W2150AB === At the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in January 2020 the discovery of the wide brown dwarf binary W2150AB was presented by Jacqueline Faherty. The L1+T8 co-moving system is separated by 341 au, being one of three brown dwarf binary systems where both objects are easily resolved by ground-based telescopes. The system has the lowest gravitational binding energy for a brown dwarf binary that is not young and with the primary being a L-dwarf or later. === WISE J0830+2837 === The discovery of WISE J0830+2837, the first Y-dwarf discovered by volunteers was also presented at the 235th meeting by project scientist Daniella Bardalez Gagliuffi. The Y-dwarf was not detected by the Hubble Space Telescope, but


id: backyard-worlds-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_Worlds-2.md
category: reference
title: Backyard Worlds
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backyard_Worlds
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:15.194890+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: backyard-worlds-20260505-0
summary:
=== Co-moving benchmark systems === The backyard worlds project found additional co-moving systems. 34 low-mass co-moving companions were discovered in 2022 with the NOIRLab Source Catalog DR2. Later in March 2024 an additional 89 ultracool dwarf companions were identified. This study increased the number of ultracool companions to FGK stars by about 42%. These benchmark system represent a wide variety of systems, including six systems with white dwarf hosts, systems with binary hosts or companions that are binaries, systems with old or young ages, systems with red or blue spectral types and systems with a wide separation of >1000 astronomical units (AU). One young co-moving system consists of GJ 900, a K7+M4+M6 triple star system and the T9-dwarf CW2335+0142, which is a planetary-mass object (~10.5 MJ). Another notable system is CW0627−0028AB, which is a wide T0blue+T3 dwarf system or a possible triple (L5+T2.5)+T3 system. If the distance is confirmed, it would be the widest substellar binary discovered at a separation of about 860 AU. The brown dwarf companion CWISE J060202.17-462447.8 (~52 MJ) to the white dwarf WD J060159.98-462534.40 is an additional contender for the oldest brown dwarf with an age of 10.9+2.6−2.0 billion years. Additional M+T co-moving systems were discovered


id: bhutan-biodiversity-portal-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan_Biodiversity_Portal-0.md
category: reference
title: Bhutan Biodiversity Portal
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutan_Biodiversity_Portal
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:16.506172+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bhutan-biodiversity-portal-20260505-0
summary:
Bhutan Biodiversity Portal (འབྲུག་སྐྱེ་ལྡན་རིགས་སྣ་འཆར་སྒོ།) is a consortium based citizen science website comprising key biodiversity data generating agencies and can be used by anyone. The portal is an official online repository of data on Bhutanese biodiversity. == History == Access to the updated and reliable information on the biodiversity of Bhutan for effective conservation was a major problem. The Bhutan Biodiversity Portal was created to address this issue. In 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, a project agreement was initiated under the framework of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which was formalized in 1994. Bhutan Integrated Biodiversity Information System(BIBIS) was created subsequently in 2002. The aim of the information system was to create a biodiversity platform which will be accessible to anyone interested in the biodiversity of Bhutan. The BIBIS was later upgraded and developed into a web-based web portal in 2008. Since 2011 the portal have been upgraded and developed into the present form. This gave birth to the present Bhutan Biodiversity Portal. The Present portal was officially launched on 17 December 2013 coinciding with the National Day of Bhutan by the then Minister of Agriculture and Forests, Lyonpo Yeshi Dorji. == Features == === Species pages === The


id: billion-oyster-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billion_Oyster_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Billion Oyster Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billion_Oyster_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:17.786042+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: billion-oyster-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Billion Oyster Project is a New York City-based nonprofit organization with the goal of engaging one million people in the effort to restore one billion oysters to New York Harbor by 2035. Because oysters are filter feeders, they serve as a natural water filter, with a number of beneficial effects for the ecosystem. The reefs they form increase habitat and subsequent marine biodiversity levels, and help protect the city's shorelines from storm surges. The Billion Oyster Project believes that engaging community members—especially young people—in reef restoration will lead them to become more environmentally aware in the future. The project aims to engage hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and community scientists in marine restoration-based STEM educational programming. It involves 80 restaurants in an oyster shell recycling program, which provides the project with shells for building new reefs. The project grew out of the activities of students at the New York Harbor School, as of 2025 located on Governors Island, who started growing and restoring oysters in New York Harbor in 2008. The school continues to be the project’s main educational partnership, involving students through internships and waterfront experience in seven Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Along with Harbor


id: bioblitz-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-0.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
A BioBlitz, also written without capitals as bioblitz, is an intense period of biological surveying in an attempt to record all the living species within a designated area. Groups of scientists, naturalists, and volunteers conduct an intensive field study over a continuous time period (e.g., usually 24 hours). There is a public component to many BioBlitzes, with the goal of getting the public interested in biodiversity. To encourage more public participation, these BioBlitzes are often held in urban parks or nature reserves close to cities. Research into the best practices for a successful BioBlitz has found that collaboration with local natural history museums can improve public participation. As well, BioBlitzes have been shown to be a successful tool in teaching post-secondary students about biodiversity. == Features == A BioBlitz has different opportunities and benefits than a traditional, scientific field study. Some of these potential benefits include: Enjoyment – Instead of a highly structured and measured field survey, this sort of event has the atmosphere of a festival. The short time frame makes the search more exciting. Local – The concept of biodiversity tends to be associated with coral reefs or tropical rainforests. A BioBlitz offers the chance for people to


id: bioblitz-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-1.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
The National Parks BioBlitz—Washington, D.C. was the cornerstone of the national event. Nearly 300 scientists and experts led more than 2,600 students and thousands of members of the general public in all 13 of the National Capital Region's parks. As of the closing ceremony on 21 May, nearly 900 species were recorded from this area alone. The Biodiversity Festival at Constitution Gardens on the National Mall served as a window to events across the country, with regular live feeds featuring species discoveries on jumbo screens located on the National Mall. E. O. Wilson, "father of biodiversity", was a significant part of the pre-BioBlitz events, including the Special Speaker Series at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the 2016 National Parks BioBlitz Scientist Dinner at National Geographic Headquarters on Thursday, 19 May. The BioBlitz Dance was a common activity throughout the festival weekend. Participants danced with John Griffith, founder of the dance, on the main stage several times at Constitution Gardens, and on the jumbotron from other park units across the nation. National parks and participating partners shared their BioBlitz activities via social media, using the hashtags #BioBlitz2016 and #FindYourPark. During the weekend's event, #BioBlitz2016 ranked in the


id: bioblitz-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-2.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
The Robert Bateman Get to Know BioBlitz started in 2010 to celebrate the international year of biodiversity. In a partnership with Parks Canada there were many sites all across Canada which celebrated bioblitzes on the international day of biodiversity (22 May). British Columbia There has been an annual BioBlitz in Whistler, BC since 2007. The 2013 BioBlitz reported 497 species. Metro Vancouver has hosted their annual BioBlitz at Burnaby Lake Regional Park since 2010. This bioblitz has much public participation with many activities including pond-dipping, nature walks and meeting live animals up close. The species count currently stands at 488, including a Western Screech Owl, Red-legged Frog, Brassy Minnows and Common Fern which, despite its name, had never been found in the area before. Ontario: The Royal Ontario Museum and several other organizations have sponsored BioBlitz in the Toronto area since 2012, with the 2015 event scheduled for the Don River watershed. The 2014 Humber BioBlitz had over 500 participants and counted 1,560 species, including 2 spiders that were new to Canada. The Rouge National Urban Park hosted a Bioblitz event on 24 and 25 June 2017. The previous Bioblitz at the park was held in 2013 where over 1700


id: bioblitz-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-3.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
=== Hungary === BioBlitz Events in Hungary are organized by the Hungarian Biodiversity Research Society http://www.biodiverzitasnap.hu/ since 2006, starting with the eco-village Gyürüfű and its surroundings in Baranya County. Since then the Society organizes BioBlitz Events (called also Biodiversity Days) every year, sometimes even several events a year, during which 60-80 experts and researchers contribute to a profound momentary inventory of a chosen area in Hungary, and from time to time in cross-border areas in joint-projects with neighbour countries. The Hungarian Biodiversity Research Society invites local inhabitants and the interested public to join their events, and focusses in its outreach to young local and regional pupils and their teachers just like students from Hungary and abroad. The BioBlitz Events are taking place in partnership with the local National Park Directories, Municipalities and Civil Organisations. A rather fresh approach is the involvement of high school students during their obligatory community/voluntary work into research and field work in the topics of biodiversity and nature protection based upon long term co-operation contracts with schools and educational centres. The main goals pursued by the Hungarian Biodiversity Research Society are to promote the correct understanding of biodiversity in its true context, based upon data collection,


id: bioblitz-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-4.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
=== Slovenia === Slovene's first BioBlitz took place on 19/20 May 2017, in Draga (in central Slovenia). The event was conducted during the project "Invazivke nikoli ne počivajo: Ozaveščanje o in preprečevanje negativnega vpliva invazivnih vrst na evropsko ogrožene vrste" and supported by the Slovene Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning. The event was held in cooperation with Societas herpetologica slovenica, the Botanical Society of Slovenia, the Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora, and the Slovene Dragonfly Society. During the event, 124 experts participated and 1,588 different species were found. BioBlitz Slovenia 2018 was held in Rače (in northeastern Slovenia) on 15/16 June. Altogether, 71 experts from 21 different organisations participated, and at the end of the 24-hour event 934 species or higher taxon were identified. BioBlitz Slovenia 2018 was organised by four NGOs: Societas herpetologica slovenica, the Slovene Dragonfly Society, the Botanical Society of Slovenia, and the Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora. A third BioBlitz Slovenia took place on 17/18 May 2019, in the Lož Karst Field. As a part of the project "Še smo tu – domorodne vrste še nismo izrinjene", it was supported by the Slovene Ministry of the Environment and Spatial Planning.


id: bioblitz-20260505-5
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-5.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
First UK Marine BioBlitz undertaken by the Marine Biological Association and the Natural History Museum together with other partners. Wembury, South Devon 2009 Bristol – Organised by Bristol Natural History Consortium Northumberland – Organised by Northumberland Biodiversity Network New Forest National Park – Organised by New Forest National Park Authority Swansea – Organised by Swansea City Council Cairngorms – Organised by Cairngorms Biodiversity Dundee – Organised by Dundee City Council Leicester – Organised by Leicester City and County Council Isle of Wight – Organised by Isle of Wight Council London – Organised by OPAL Derby – Organised by Derby City Council Brighton – Organised by Sussex Wildlife Trust Bath – Organised by Bristol Natural History Consortium Mothecombe, Devon, – Marine and coastal BioBlitz – Organised by OPAL and the Marine Biological Association Jersey – Organised by the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Fife – Organised by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust and "Celebrating Fife 2010" Cambridge – Organised by Cambridge University Lincolnshire – Organised by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Nottingham – Organised by Nottinghamshire Biodiversity Action Group Flintshire – Organised by Flintshire County Council North Ayrshire – Organised by North Ayrshire Council Lancashire – Organised by Lancashire Wildlife Trust Kent – Organised


id: bioblitz-20260505-6
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-6.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
=== United States === Alaska: The Chugach National Forest and Alaska Department of Fish & Game-Diversity Program organized the first BioBlitz in Southcentral Alaska on 23 and 24 July 2011, to coincide with the International Year of Forests. Arizona: More than 5,500 people, including 2,000 students and 150 scientists, attended the 2011 Saguaro BioBlitz, (21–22 October) and discovered 859 species during the 24 hour inventory period. Included in that total were more than 400 species, mostly invertebrate animals and non-vascular plants, which were previously unknown in the park. The accompanying Biodiversity Festival had an integrated art program that included pieces featuring local species, created by local students, seniors, and artists. California: The Santa Monica Mountains NPS/National Geographic Society BioBlitz (30–31 May 2008) was accomplished through collaboration with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, California State Parks, and Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department. Six thousand participants discovered more than 1,700 species during the 24 hour inventory period. California: The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research hosted a BioBlitz in the San Dieguito River Park on the North Shore of Lake Hodges in Escondido 25–26 April. California: The San Diego Natural History Museum began hosting a yearly BioBlitz starting in 2008.


id: bioblitz-20260505-7
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-7.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
Many were new to the Park fauna, and a significant number were also new to the known state fauna. Maryland/DC/Virginia, 2006: The Nature Conservancy sponsored a Potomac Gorge BioBlitz where more than 130 field biologists and experienced naturalists volunteered their expertise in an effort to see how many species they could find. During a 30-hour survey period from Saturday, 24 June, through Sunday, 25 June their surveys revealed more than 1,000 species. Maryland: Jug Bay BioBlitz was sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission's (M-NCPPC) Patuxent River Park staff and rangers, 30–31 May 2009. Massachusetts 2006 collaboration between the Boston Museum of Science and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. The first bioblitz in a series sponsored by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation. The first bioblitz to utilize CyberTracker and NatureMapping technologies for data collection. On 25–26 June 2010, a BioBlitz was held in Falmouth, Massachusetts, using town conservation land and adjacent land owned by the 300 Committee (T3C), Falmouth's land trust. Surveys for 15 taxa were planned. About 120 volunteers participated. Preliminary estimate of 930 species found but this number is likely to increase as data are finalized. Full results to be published later in 2010


id: bioblitz-20260505-8
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz-8.md
category: reference
title: BioBlitz
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BioBlitz
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:19.084222+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bioblitz-20260505-0
summary:
== See also == Australian Bird Count (ABC) Bush Blitz an Australian Government variant of the concept co funded by BHP Billiton and with the participation of Earthwatch Australia Breeding Bird Survey Christmas Bird Count (CBC) (in the Western Hemisphere) City Nature Challenge Seabird Colony Register (SCR) The EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds Tucson Bird Count (TBC) (in Arizona, US) == References == == External links == BioBlitzes at National Geographic National BioBlitz Network (United Kingdom) Archived 1 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine


id: do-it-yourself-biology-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-it-yourself_biology-0.md
category: reference
title: Do-it-yourself biology
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-it-yourself_biology
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:20.296880+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: do-it-yourself-biology-20260505-0
summary:
Do-it-yourself biology (DIY biology, DIY bio) is a biotechnological social movement in which individuals, communities, and small organizations study biology and life science using the same methods as traditional research institutions. DIY biology is primarily undertaken by individuals with limited research training from academia or corporations, who then mentor and oversee other DIY biologists with little or no formal training. This may be done as a hobby, as a not-for-profit endeavor for community learning and open-science innovation, or for profit, to start a business. Other terms are also associated with the do-it-yourself biology community. The terms biohacking and wetware hacking emphasize the connection to hacker culture and the hacker ethic. The term hacker is used in the original sense of finding new and clever ways to do things. The term biohacking is also used by the grinder body modification community, which is considered related but distinct from the do-it-yourself biology movement. The term biopunk emphasizes the techno-progressive, political, and artistic elements of the movement. == History == The term "biohacking" as well as the concept of do-it-yourself biology has been known as early as 1988. Biohacking entered the San Francisco programmer and maker communities as early as 2005, through simple


id: do-it-yourself-biology-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-it-yourself_biology-1.md
category: reference
title: Do-it-yourself biology
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-it-yourself_biology
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:20.296880+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: do-it-yourself-biology-20260505-0
summary:
Restricted access to medical care and medicine has pushed biohackers to start experimenting in medically related fields. The Open Insulin project aims to make the recombinant protein insulin more accessible by creating an open source protocol for expression and purification. Other experiments that have involved medical treatments include a whole body microbiome transplant and the creation of open source artificial pancreases for diabetics, such as OpenAPS, Loop and AndroidAPS. Many initiatives have taken place using DIY Biology to help people medically during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Rapid Deployment Vaccine Collaborative (RaDVaC), which is a group made up of Harvard and MIT scientists who synthesized and researched a COVID-19 vaccine using their own personal lab. Other laboratory spaces created medical-grade face shields and other COVID-19 relief mechanisms in response to the pandemic. === Implants === Grinders are a subculture of biohackers that focus on implanting technology or introducing chemicals into the body to enhance or change their bodies' functionality. Some biohackers can now sense which direction they face using a magnetic implant that vibrates against the skin. === Art === In 2000, controversial and self-described "transgenic artist" Eduardo Kac appropriated standard laboratory work by biotechnology and genetics researchers in


id: do-it-yourself-biology-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-it-yourself_biology-2.md
category: reference
title: Do-it-yourself biology
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do-it-yourself_biology
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:20.296880+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: do-it-yourself-biology-20260505-0
summary:
== Criticism and concerns == Biohacking experiences many of the same criticisms as synthetic biology and genetic engineering already receive, plus other concerns relating to the distributed and non-institutional nature of the work, involving potential hazards with lack of oversight by professionals or governments. Concerns about biohackers creating pathogens in unmonitored garage laboratories led the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to begin sending its representatives to DIYbio conferences in 2009. The arrest and prosecution of some members for their work with harmless microbes, such as artivist Steve Kurtz, has been denounced as political repression by critics who argue the U.S. government has used post-9/11 anti-terrorism powers to intimidate artists and others who use their art to criticize society. Existing regulations are not specific to this field, so that the possibility of pathogenic organisms being created and released unintentionally or intentionally by biohackers has become a matter of concern, for example, in the spirit of the re-creation of the 1917 flu virus by Armed Forces Institute of Pathology researchers in 2005. In the US the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate has worked with the American Association for the Advancement of Science's National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity to convene a


id: birds-of-the-world-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_of_the_World-0.md
category: reference
title: Birds of the World
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_of_the_World
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:21.578694+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: birds-of-the-world-20260505-0
summary:
Birds of the World (BoW) is an online database of ornithological data adapted from the Handbook of the Birds of the World and contemporary reference works, including Birds of North America, Neotropical Birds Online, and Bird Families of the World. The database is published and maintained by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and collects data on bird observations through integration with eBird. The database requires a subscription to access the majority of its entries, but offers institutional access to many libraries and birding-related organizations, participating in the National Information Standards Organization's Shared E-Resource Understanding practice as a publisher. The database is frequently cited in regional checklists and distribution map studies, either as a point of comparison or a source of data. == History == Birds of the World was originally developed in the early 1990s through collaboration between the American Ornithologists' Union, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. The goal of the project was to produce an illustrated guide to all of the birds of the world; its first iteration was in the 17-volume Handbook of the Birds of the World, published by Lynx Edicions over the course of 22 years, from


id: birdtrack-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BirdTrack-0.md
category: reference
title: BirdTrack
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BirdTrack
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:22.762577+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: birdtrack-20260505-0
summary:
BirdTrack is an online citizen science website, operated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) on behalf of a partnership of the BTO, the RSPB, BirdWatch Ireland, the Scottish Ornithologists' Club and the Welsh Ornithological Society (Welsh: Cymdeithas Adaryddol Cymru). It is also available though mobile apps. BirdTrack allows birdwatchers to record the names and numbers of birds seen in a specified location anywhere in the world. It acts as a log for those wishing to maintain lists of their own sightings, but also feeds data into various scientific surveys, is used for research and conservation purposes, and generates maps for public consumption. The maps are rendered using OpenStreetMap data. BirdTrack is part of WorldBirds, a global initiative to record bird sightings. In October 2014, data from BirdTrack was used as evidence in the conviction of a gamekeeper for illegally killing ten Common Buzzards and an Eurasian Sparrowhawk. == References == == External links == Official website (web interface; login required) BirdTrack Android app tutorial on YouTube BirdTrack iPhone app tutorial on YouTube


id: blueberry-galaxy-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_galaxy-0.md
category: reference
title: Blueberry galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:23.966099+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: blueberry-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
Blueberry galaxies (BBs) are dwarf starburst galaxies that have very high ionization rates and some of the lowest stellar masses and metallicities. They are smaller counterparts of Green Pea galaxies (GPs), but are more compact being less than 1⁄3000th the size of the Milky Way, are less distant, existing in low-density environments that are within the local universe, and have lower luminosities. BBs form one of the youngest classes of star-forming galaxies with median ages ~70 Myr. Two BBs are among the most metal-poor galaxies known within the local universe. BBs were first named in the scientific literature by Yang et al. (2017) as GPs that were at a distance of redshift z=0.05 or less, although similar galaxies had originally been named BBs on the Galaxy Zoo website. While Yang et al. identified a sample of 40 BBs, a much larger sample was acquired using data from the LAMOST DR9 survey. Liu et al. found 270 BBs, as well as GPs and "Purple Grapes". Researchers undertook a systematic study of the star formation rates, metallicities and environments of the compact galaxies that have different colours because of the different positions of emission lines in the photometric bands. BBs at redshift


id: blueberry-galaxy-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_galaxy-1.md
category: reference
title: Blueberry galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:23.966099+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: blueberry-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
is the most massive and metal-rich one for which we have direct observational evidence of an old stellar population, the age of the stellar population to be ~5 Gyr and ~7 Gyr for the blueberry component and the stellar disk, respectively, GPs and BBs generally and their extreme emission-line properties are likely due to recent strong starburst events, potentially triggered by an external gas accretion process, the presence of old stars imply that mechanisms that allow the escape of ionizing photons in these local objects may be different from those at play during the epoch of reionization. In "FAST H I 21 cm Study of Blueberry Galaxies" (Chandola et al 2024) 28 BBs are studied using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope. The sample of BBs are observed over a 3 year period using FAST to measure the H I, or neutral hydrogen, using the 21 cm spectral line. By finding out the H I levels, the depletion rate of any H I 'reservoirs' can be deduced. Generally, the lower the stellar mass, the higher the amount of H I is present i.e. has not yet been used up in star formation. Two of the 28 are found to have these


id: blueberry-galaxy-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_galaxy-2.md
category: reference
title: Blueberry galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberry_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:23.966099+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: blueberry-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
While some authors continue to name these blue low-redshift compact starforming galaxies as BBs, some have broadened the original criteria for GPs and, perhaps confusingly, call BBs as GPs. An example of this is the study "New Insights on Lyα and Lyman Continuum Radiative Transfer in the Greenest Peas" (Jaskot et al. 2019) in which blue objects at very low redshifts are named as GPs . In this study, 13 blue and green galaxies at various redshifts are observed using the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) from which spectra are produced. The authors seek the levels of the ionizing Lyman continuum photons which might be important when considering the epoch of reionization in the early universe. In a 2011 study, Izotov et al. classified BBs as 'Luminous Compact Galaxies' but did not refer to them by name, stating that blue, purple and green Pea galaxies were the same type of object at distances between redshifts z=~0.02 to ~0.63. In the publication: "Proceedings of the conference 'The Interplay between Local and Global Processes in Galaxies', Cozumel, Mexico, 2016-4" (Hidalgo-Gámez et al. 2017a ), the authors in an accompanying presentation call galaxies similar to BBs 'Blue marbles' or purple Pea


id: breeding-bird-survey-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeding_bird_survey-0.md
category: reference
title: Breeding bird survey
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeding_bird_survey
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:25.137170+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: breeding-bird-survey-20260505-0
summary:
A breeding bird survey monitors the status and trends of bird populations. Data from the survey are an important source for the range maps found in field guides. The North American Breeding Bird Survey is a joint project of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Canadian Wildlife Service. The UK Breeding Bird Survey is administered by the British Trust for Ornithology, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The results of the BBS are valuable in evaluating the increasing and decreasing range of bird population which can be a key point to bird conservation. The BBS was designed to provide a continent-wide perspective of population change. == History == The North American Breeding Bird Survey was launched in 1966 after the concept of a continental monitoring program for all breeding birds had been developed by Chandler Robbins and his associates from the Migratory Bird Population Station. The program was developed in Laurel, Maryland. In the first year of its existence there were nearly 600 surveys conducted east of the Mississippi River. One year later, in 1967, the survey spread to the Great Plains states and by 1968 almost 2000 routes had


id: bugguide-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BugGuide-0.md
category: reference
title: BugGuide
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BugGuide
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:26.420467+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bugguide-20260505-0
summary:
BugGuide (or BugGuide.net) is a website and online community of naturalists, both amateur and professional, who share observations of arthropods such as insects, spiders, and other related creatures. The website consists of informational guide pages and many thousands of photographs of arthropods from the United States and Canada which are used for identification and research. The non-commercial site is hosted by the Iowa State University Department of Entomology. BugGuide was conceived by photographer Troy Bartlett in 2003 and since 2006 has been maintained by John VanDyk, an adjunct assistant professor of entomology and a senior systems analyst at Iowa State University. The website has been recognized for helping change the public perception of insects. According to gardening author Margaret Roach, "The site is where naturalists of all levels share photos of 'insects, spiders and their kin' to foster enthusiasm and expand the knowledge base about these often-overlooked (and as BugGuide points out, 'oft-maligned') creatures." == Statistics == According to VanDyk, BugGuide had over 809 million hits in 2010, averaging approximately 26 hits per second. He also stated that in early 2011 the site consisted of almost 34,000 written pages representing about 23 percent of the estimated insect species in North


id: robert-burn-naturalist-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burn_(naturalist)-0.md
category: reference
title: Robert Burn (naturalist)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burn_(naturalist)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:27.630993+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: robert-burn-naturalist-20260505-0
summary:
Robert Burn (born 1937) is an Australian naturalist and citizen scientist. He has described approximately 100 species of nudibranchs and has co-authored around 100 papers published in scientific journals spanning sixty years. He is the leading living discoverer of nudibranch species in Victoria, Australia. His first solo publication, Nudibranchs and related molluscs, was published in February 2016 by Museums Victoria where Bob Burn is Honorary Associate. The nudibranch genus Burnaia is named in his honor. == References ==


id: butterfly-count-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_count-0.md
category: reference
title: Butterfly count
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_count
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:28.855011+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: butterfly-count-20260505-0
summary:
Butterfly counts are often carried out in North America and Europe to estimate the populations of butterflies in a specific geographical area. The counts are conducted by interested, mostly non-professional, residents of the area who maintain an interest in determining the numbers and species of butterflies in their locale. A butterfly count usually occurs at a specific time during the year and is sometimes coordinated to occur with other counts which may include a park, county, entire state or country. The results of the counts are usually shared with other interested parties including professional lepidopterists and researchers. The data gathered during a count can indicate population changes and health within a species. == Sponsors == Professionals, universities, clubs, elementary and secondary schools, other educational providers, nature preserves, parks, and amateur organizations can organize a count. The participants often receive training to help them identify the butterfly species. The North American Butterfly Association organized over 400 counts in 2014. == Types of butterfly counts == There are several methods for counting butterflies currently in use, with the notable division being between restricted and open searches. Most counts are designed to count all butterflies observed in a locality. The purpose of a


id: carbon-mineral-challenge-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_Mineral_Challenge-0.md
category: reference
title: Carbon Mineral Challenge
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_Mineral_Challenge
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:30.153664+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: carbon-mineral-challenge-20260505-0
summary:
The Carbon Mineral Challenge is a citizen science project dedicated to accelerating the discovery of carbon-bearing minerals. The program launched in 2015 December with sponsorship from the Deep Carbon Observatory. The project ended in 2019 September, with 31 new carbon-bearing minerals found from 27 locations. == Background == Mineralogist Robert Hazen and his colleagues pioneered the concept of mineral evolution to explain how life and geology have intertwined throughout Earth's multi-billion year past. As part of that research, the group developed a model that combines the locations and distributions of known minerals to predict the number of unknown carbon minerals on Earth. The method is similar to statistical methods used in biology. Hazen and his group predicted that 145 carbon minerals remain undiscovered on Earth. A paper supporting the research, "Carbon Mineral Ecology", was published by American Mineralogist in 2015, and the Carbon Mineral Challenge was announced in 2015 at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco. Geochemist Daniel Hummer (Southern Illinois University) is the project lead. Carbon is the focus of the project due to the element's importance to life on Earth and how little is known about it. == Research Method == The research behind the


id: lin-chambers-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Chambers-0.md
category: reference
title: Lin Chambers
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Chambers
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:31.503524+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: lin-chambers-20260505-0
summary:
Lin Chambers (née Hartung) is an American physical scientist. She has developed and contributed to multiple international programs around science education and citizen science at NASA Langley Research Center. == Early life and education == Chambers is an alumna of East Lansing High School; her grandfather is the chemist Walter Henry Hartung. She obtained bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronautical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1985. She began working with the NASA Langley Research Center as an undergraduate student at RPI in 1983 through the NASA co-op program before permanently moving to Hampton, Virginia. She participated in the International Space University Summer Session in 1989 in Strasbourg, France. Chambers received her PhD in aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University in 1991. Her dissertation, advised by Fred DeJarnette, was the creation of a model to predict "radiation absorption and emission coefficients in thermochemical nonequilibrium flows." == Career == Per her training, Chambers began at NASA as an aerospace engineer. Her work focused on atmospheric entry of spacecraft. Starting in the mid-1990s, she adapted her expertise in radiative transfer to atmospheric science. This included working on the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) project to study the effect


id: amateur-chemistry-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry-0.md
category: reference
title: Amateur chemistry
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:32.846045+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-chemistry-20260505-0
summary:
Amateur chemistry or home chemistry is the pursuit of chemistry as a private hobby. Amateur chemistry is usually done with whatever chemicals are available at disposal at the privacy of one's home. It should not be confused with clandestine chemistry, which involves the illicit production of controlled drugs.[a] Notable amateur chemists include Oliver Sacks and Sir Edward Elgar. == History == === Origins === Amateur chemistry shares its early history with that of chemistry in general. Pioneers of modern chemistry such as Robert Boyle and Antoine Lavoisier were gentlemen scientists who pursued their research independently from their source of income. Only with the coming of the Industrial Revolution, and the rise of universities as research institutions, did any significant distinction between amateurs and professionals emerge. Nevertheless, amateur progress lasted well into the 19th century. For example, in 1886, Charles Martin Hall co-invented the Hall-Héroult process for extracting aluminium from its oxide whilst working in a woodshed behind his family home. The history of amateur chemistry ties in well with that of chemistry in general. The history of chemistry represents a time span from ancient history to the present. By 1000 BC, civilizations used technologies that would eventually form the basis


id: amateur-chemistry-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry-1.md
category: reference
title: Amateur chemistry
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:32.846045+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-chemistry-20260505-0
summary:
=== Canada === In Canada, a wide range of basic laboratory reagents such as nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide are restricted as "explosives precursors". Two of the main legal texts in Canada restricting the sale of certain chemicals are the Explosives Act, and the Explosives Regulations, 2013 (SOR/2013-211). Part 20 of the latter restricts the sale, acquisition, and storage of ten explosives precursors, namely, ammonium nitrate in solid form and with a nitrogen concentration >=28%, hydrogen peroxide >=30% conc., nitromethane, potassium chlorate, potassium perchlorate, solid sodium chlorate, nitric acid >= 75% conc., potassium nitrate, mixtures of potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate, and solid sodium nitrate. In 2021, the Canada Gazette published an amendment proposal to the Explosives Regulations, 2013 [1], which suggested measures including the classification of precursors into three tiers, and the addition of calcium ammonium nitrate, hexamethylenetetramine, aluminium powder, and acetone to the precursors list. In late 2008, Lewis Casey, an 18-year-old college student from Saskatchewan, was arrested for owning a small chemistry lab in his family's garage. After the raid, the police initially claimed that it was a meth lab, but withdrew the drug charge a few days later. The Crown withdrew criminal charges against him on


id: amateur-chemistry-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry-2.md
category: reference
title: Amateur chemistry
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:32.846045+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-chemistry-20260505-0
summary:
==== Italy ==== In Italy, regulations regarding explosives precursors have been approved as the Ministry of the Interior's Circolare 557/PAS/U/004997/XV.H.MASS(53)5, titled Identificazione e tracciabilità degli esplosivi per uso civile: - Indicazioni operative e gestione delle scorte. Regulation (EU) 2019/1148 was implemented through the Legge 23 dicembre 2021, n. 238, whose article 13 modifies the Decreto Legislativo 14 settembre 2009, n. 133, adding a whole chapter to the latter (Chapter II, after article 17). ==== Portugal ==== On the topic of explosives precursors, Regulation (EU) 98/2013, was transposed into the Portuguese legal system as the Decree Law 56/2016, of 29th of August. This Decree Law was, in turn, repealed by Decree Law 62/2021, of 26th of July, which transposes Regulation (EU) 2019/1148. ==== Spain ==== Since the 1940s, chemistry sets for kids have been available on the Spanish market, some of these including "Quimicefa", manufactured by the Valencian company Celulosa Fabril SA (CEFA), and later on by CEFA Toys SA; "Cheminova", by Jugetes Mediterráneo SA, from Aldaia, Valencia, later acquired by MB-Hasbro; "La magia de la ciencia: Química" by the Madrilenian company Grupo Anaya SA; and "Quimex", by Quimex, Granollers, Catalonia. On January 3, 1994, Eduardo Rey Díaz, a 13-year-old boy


id: amateur-chemistry-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry-3.md
category: reference
title: Amateur chemistry
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_chemistry
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:32.846045+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: amateur-chemistry-20260505-0
summary:
=== Norway === In September 2018, a 29-year-old physician and amateur chemist and his girlfriend were arrested at their home on in Nord-Jæren, two days after inquiring a local pharmacy about the availability of 35% hydrogen peroxide. He explained that he had an accident while camping, suffering a wound that he stitched himself. Being a physician and seeing the effect of flame-sterilizing on his surgical instruments, he was looking for a milder alternative that could also be used to disinfect wounds. However, his enquiry triggered the submission of an alert to KRIPOS, which sent a few police officers to the house. These officers would, in turn, find the chemicals from his lab, and arrest him. One law in this country that regulates flammable chemicals, gas cylinders, and explosive substances is the Fire and Explosion Protection Act (Brann- og eksplosjonsvernloven). === United Kingdom === In the UK it is a criminal offence for members of the general public to purchase, and for business to sell, certain types of poisons or explosives precursors to those of the former group without a valid EPP license. Purchasing substances on this list is restricted since 26 May 2015, and its possession is also restricted since


id: chronolog-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronolog-0.md
category: reference
title: Chronolog
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronolog
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:34.080981+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: chronolog-20260505-0
summary:
Chronolog is a citizen science environmental monitoring platform that enables public participation in time-lapse photography projects. It is used by parks, nature centers, wildlife organizations, schools, and museums to document ecological changes over time. Visitors to participating locations take photos at designated stations and submit them via email, contributing to crowdsourced time-lapse sequences. As of 2024, Chronolog operates in 48 U.S. states and 10 countries and has collected over 100,000 submissions since its launch in 2017. == History == Chronolog was founded in 2017 by Jake Rose and Ky Wildermuth. The platform began with a small number of photo stations in state parks in Maryland, United States. Since then, it has expanded to include sites across the United States and internationally. Chronolog has been adopted by national organizations in the United States such as the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. == Technology == Participating organizations–like state and national parks, wildlife preserves, museums, schools, local and state governments, nature conservancies, and wildlife nonprofits–install fixed photo stations at specific locations, typically overlooking landscapes of ecological interest. These stations guide visitors to align their smartphone cameras at a consistent height and angle. Users then email the photos to Chronolog, where


id: citizen-design-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Design_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Citizen Design Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Design_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:35.311229+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-design-science-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen Design Science is the combination of Citizen Science and Design Science. Design Science is known since the early 1960s when Buckminster Fuller defined it as systematic designing, whereas half a decade later Herbert A. Simon saw it more as the study of the design process. The term Citizen Science emerged in the 1990s as work that citizens of all ages and backgrounds conduct under the guidance of scientists, collecting data or inventing processes or artefacts. A contemporary example is the Zooniverse platform that enables people to “contribute to real discoveries in fields ranging from astronomy to zoology”. Citizen Design Science is a combination of both concepts for urban systems: it adds the combination of human observation, cognition, experience and local knowledge into a scientific framework that improves the planning, design, management and transformation of buildings and cities. Design Science contributes the methods and instruments, Citizen Science adds data and inventions. Thus, Citizen Design Science bundles individual observations and inventions into a bottom up flow of data and information to improve the planning and functioning of a city. As such this concept is taught at ETH Zurich and online == References ==


id: citizen-science-and-sustainable-agriculture-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science_and_sustainable_agriculture-0.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science and sustainable agriculture
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science_and_sustainable_agriculture
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:36.535563+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-and-sustainable-agriculture-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen science has been promoted as a strategy to further sustainable agriculture via public participation in research and case studies. Through public engagement, a variety of sustainable agriculture methods can be learned and practiced, in contrast to relying upon only professional-scientific studies to further research. Public participation is designed to allow those outside professional science to identify problems in sustainable agriculture that most directly affect them and help generate solutions through the collaboration between the broader public and researchers. As global patterns in the 21st century trend towards more extreme climate events, which can lead to disruptions in the food system and impact overall human health, citizen science and sustainable agriculture present a possible solution. Preliminary research indicates that there is opportunity for sustainable agriculture to be enhanced through citizen science, particularly in partnership with farmers, in advancing food justice and increasing understanding of diverse farming techniques and technologies. == Citizen science == Citizen science can be broadly defined as any type of research, data-collection, or knowledge-production that contributes to collective scientific understanding and fields, but is conducted by the public or non-professional scientists. There are multiple definitions and interpretations, indicating there is not one formal understanding. While the term


id: citizen-science-and-sustainable-agriculture-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science_and_sustainable_agriculture-1.md
category: reference
title: Citizen science and sustainable agriculture
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science_and_sustainable_agriculture
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:36.535563+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-science-and-sustainable-agriculture-20260505-0
summary:
=== Climate adaptation === Extreme climate events have increased the need for crop variety in order to sustain current food systems. Crop variety testing, also known as the tricot approach, involves the observation of three different crop varieties, fertilizer types, or a combination of both to evaluate which options work best. The tricot approach recognizes that there are gender inequalities in agricultural production and attempts to involve more women in the process. This approach has shown to be successful as it engages both researchers and farmers to find solutions that are specific to various environmental areas and needs. The tricot approach was employed on multiple plots in Nicaragua, Ethiopia, and India with farmers as citizen scientists. Each country analyzed climate effects on different seed varieties allowing them to adjust in the next planting cycle. This iterative process documented the replacement of seed varieties for climate adaptation allowing results to be replicated and scalable. === Pollination === Pollinators are an important aspect of human survival as many fruits, vegetables, and plants require cross pollination for reproduction. In urban areas pollinators face habitat loss as their natural environments are disrupted by human populations. A citizen science project, called Native Bee Watch, began


id: citizen-sourcing-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_sourcing-0.md
category: reference
title: Citizen sourcing
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_sourcing
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:37.829694+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: citizen-sourcing-20260505-0
summary:
Citizen sourcing is the government adoption of crowdsourcing techniques for the purposes of (1) enlisting citizens in the design and execution of government services and (2) tapping into the citizenry's collective intelligence for solutions and situational awareness. Applications of citizen sourcing include: The use of ideation tools by government agencies to collect ideas and suggestions from the public The use of problem-solving tools that allow citizens to identify and evaluate solutions to problems proposed The adoption of citizen reporting platforms, such as for crime or emergency response information The government monitoring of social media, such as Twitter, for situational awareness, such as with regard to natural disasters Citizen sourcing has gained prominence as part of the Obama administration's Open Government Initiative and is seen, in the words of Vivek Kundra, as a way of driving "innovation by tapping into the ingenuity of the American people" to solve those problems that are too big for government to solve on its own. Similarly, David Cameron of the British Conservatives believes that citizen sourcing mechanisms and the advent of Web 2.0 technologies will help usher in "the next age of government" by truly enabling citizens to act on John Kennedy's historic call to


id: city-nature-challenge-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Nature_Challenge-0.md
category: reference
title: City Nature Challenge
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Nature_Challenge
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:39.052027+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: city-nature-challenge-20260505-0
summary:
The City Nature Challenge is an annual, global, community science competition to document urban biodiversity. The challenge is a bioblitz that engages residents and visitors to find and document plants, animals, and other organisms living in urban areas. The goals are to engage the public in the collection of biodiversity data, with three awards each year for the cities that make the most observations, find the most species, and engage the most people. Participants primarily use the iNaturalist app and website to document their observations. The observation period is followed by several days of identification and the final announcement of results. Participants need not know how to identify the species; help is provided through iNaturalist's automated species identification feature as well as the community of users on iNaturalist, including professional scientists and expert naturalists. == History == The City Nature Challenge was founded by Alison Young and Rebecca Johnson of the California Academy of Sciences and Lila Higgins of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The first event took place in 2016, in which Los Angeles competed against San Francisco and won in all three categories (most observations, most species, most participants). In 2017 the challenge expanded to


id: clickworkers-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickworkers-0.md
category: reference
title: Clickworkers
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickworkers
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:40.218139+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: clickworkers-20260505-0
summary:
ClickWorkers was a small NASA experimental project that uses public volunteers (nicknamed "clickworkers" on the site) for scientific tasks. Clickworkers are able to work when, and for however long they choose, doing routine analysis that would normally require months of work by scientists or graduate students. The web site and database were created and maintained by one engineer, Bob Kanefsky, and advised by two scientists, Nadine Barlow and Virginia Gulick. The pilot study was sponsored by the NASA Ames Director's Discretionary Fund. As of March 31, 2020, the Clickworkers volunteer program appears to be defunct. None of the links to the program are functional, as of that date. == Identifying Martian craters == The original phase ran from November 2000 to September 2001, identifying and classifying the age of craters on Mars images from Viking Orbiter that had already been analyzed by NASA. The goal was to answer two meta-science questions: Is the public ready, willing, and able to help science? Does this new way of powering science analysis produce results that are just as good as the traditional way? In February 2001 clickworkers started processing new images from Mars Global Surveyor, surveying small craters never before cataloged. Clickworkers also


id: coastal-observation-and-seabird-survey-team-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_Observation_and_Seabird_Survey_Team-0.md
category: reference
title: Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_Observation_and_Seabird_Survey_Team
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:41.669062+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: coastal-observation-and-seabird-survey-team-20260505-0
summary:
Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) is a citizen science project of the University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, US, with a goal of monitoring marine ecosystem health with the support of citizens within coastal communities. With the help of hundreds of volunteers, COASST assesses beach conditions and identifies and tracks any carcasses of dead seabirds found. Data on the carcass of a seabird contributes to the creation of a baseline record for the death rates of various species of seabirds, including which beaches birds are found at and in what density. Any irregularities can be identified and evaluated, so the cause of any increased mortality can be identified. COASST works with state, tribal, and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups to help achieve their goals of monitoring and successfully establishing marine conservation solutions. == History == COASST was founded in 1998 by Julia Parrish with the goal of expanding long-term data collection on seabirds, including baseline data for discovering patterns of seabird mortality, natural or human-induced, through the program. Due to the increasing human use of coastal waters, Parish envisioned a program that could provide data on both resident and migrant species of birds; mortality rates after oil


id: community-collaborative-rain-hail-and-snow-network-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Collaborative_Rain,_Hail_and_Snow_Network-0.md
category: reference
title: Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Collaborative_Rain,_Hail_and_Snow_Network
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:42.848886+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: community-collaborative-rain-hail-and-snow-network-20260505-0
summary:
The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, or CoCoRaHS, is a network of volunteer weather observers in the United States, Canada, and the Bahamas that take daily readings of precipitation and report them to a central data store over the Internet. The program is an example of citizen science. == History == In 1997, the network was started in Larimer County, Colorado, after a flash flood in Spring Creek killed five people and damaged structures in the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, including hundreds of millions of US dollars in damage to the Colorado State University campus. The severity of the flood and its widespread spatial variability surprised meteorologists, and Nolan Doesken, a former assistant state climatologist for the state of Colorado, asked for precipitation measurements from private citizens in the area. About 300 responded to his emergency request for data. Said Doesken later: "The results of the data showed that more than 14 in. (36 cm) of rain fell over southwest Fort Collins, the area where the flood waters originated, while less than 2 in. (5 cm) of rain fell only 3–4 mi (5–6 km) east. The enthusiastic interest shown by volunteers and the great value of the


id: cooperative-observer-program-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_Observer_Program-0.md
category: reference
title: Cooperative Observer Program
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_Observer_Program
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:45.172194+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: cooperative-observer-program-20260505-0
summary:
The NOAA Cooperative Observer Program (COOP) is a citizen weather observer network run by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) and National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Over 8,700 volunteers from the fifty states and all territories report at least daily a variety of weather conditions such as daily maximum and minimum temperatures, 24-hour precipitation totals, including snowfall, and significant weather occurrences throughout a day that are recorded via remarks in observer logs. Some stations also report stream stage or tidal levels. Daily observations are reported electronically or over the phone, and monthly logs are submitted electronically or via the mail. Many stations are located in rural areas but the network also includes long-term stations in most urban centers. Observation locations include farms, in urban and suburban areas, National Parks, seashores, and mountaintops. Volunteers are trained by local NWS offices who provide rain gauges, snowsticks, thermometers, or other instruments. Data is initially received and analyzed by local NWS offices then ultimately stored and analyzed by NCEI, which also does final data quality checks. The program began with act of Congress in 1890 and grew out a network of observers developed by the Smithsonian Institution. It was a backbone of the


id: cosmic-ray-extremely-distributed-observatory-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic-Ray_Extremely_Distributed_Observatory-0.md
category: reference
title: Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic-Ray_Extremely_Distributed_Observatory
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:46.329093+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: cosmic-ray-extremely-distributed-observatory-20260505-0
summary:
Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is a scientific project initiated at the end of August 2016 by Polish scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kraków (researchers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary also joined the project) whose purpose is the detection of cosmic rays and the search for dark matter. Its aim is to involve as many people as possible in the construction of a global system of cosmic ray detectors, from which it will be possible to examine the essence of dark matter. Having a camera and a GPS module, a smartphone works well as a detector of particles from space. == Objective == The main objective of CREDO is the detection and analysis of extended cosmic ray phenomena, so-called super-preshowers (SPS), using existing as well as new infrastructure (cosmic-ray observatories, educational detectors, single detectors etc.). The search for ensembles of cosmic ray events initiated by SPS is yet an untouched topic, in contrast to the current state-of-the-art analysis, which is focused on the detection of single cosmic ray events. Theoretical explanation of SPS could be given either within classical (e.g., photon-photon interaction) or exotic (e.g., Super Heavy Dark Matter decay or annihilation) scenarios, thus detection


id: crowdfunded-satellites-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdfunded_satellites-0.md
category: reference
title: Crowdfunded satellites
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowdfunded_satellites
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:47.534590+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: crowdfunded-satellites-20260505-0
summary:
Crowdfunded satellites are artificial satellites that have been funded by using crowdfunding, rather than more traditional methods of financing by governments or corporations. Crowdfunded satellites are an example of public participation to research. Several crowdfunded satellites were launched in the 2010s, including SkyCube, KickSat, ArduSat, all of which resulted from successful Kickstarter campaigns. The Russian Mayak mission used the Russian Boomstarter platform. The Planetary Society's LightSail 2 mission may be the best known. In 2015, the project raised $1.2 million on Kickstarter from over 23,000 backers. It launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy on June 25th, 2019. The 3U-sized cubesat deployed a large solar sail after reaching orbit, which it successfully used to maintain its altitude. The spacecraft stayed in orbit for over 3 years, much longer than originally planned. == References ==


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-0.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
Below is a list of projects that rely on crowdsourcing. See also open innovation. == A == Adaptive Vehicle Make was a project overseen by DARPA to crowdsource the design and manufacture of a new armored vehicle. Air Quality Eggs by WickedDevices are open-source hardware Internet of Things pollution monitors that facilitate citizen crowdsourcing of air quality readings Amara is a website that enables crowdsourced translations of videos from a variety of popular video hosting websites. The subtitles created are used to make online video content accessible to a wider audience, including the deaf and hard of hearing, and those who cannot understand the language of the source. Amazon Mechanical Turk, a platform on which crowdsourcing tasks called "HITs" (Human Intelligence Tasks") can be created and publicized and people can execute the tasks and be paid for doing so. Dubbed "Artificial Artificial Intelligence", it was named after The Turk, an 18th-century chess-playing "machine". The first crowdsourced documentary film is the non-profit The American Revolution, which went into production in 2005, and which examines the role media played in the cultural, social and political changes from 1968 to 1974 through the story of underground, free-form radio station WBCN-FM in Boston. When


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-1.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== C == California Digital Newspaper Collection In August 2011, the California Digital Newspaper Collection implemented crowdsourced OCR text correction of its digitized historical newspapers; some published as early as 1846 (California statehood 1850). CDNC is a project of the Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research (CBSR) at the University of California, Riverside. The CDNC is supported in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian. Historic Cambridge Newspaper Collection. In March 2011, the Cambridge Public Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, launched a digital collection of historic newspapers that implements crowdsourced OCR text correction. The freely accessible and keyword searchable database contains newspapers dating back to 1846 when Cambridge was established as a city. The Historic Cambridge Newspaper Collection is a project of the Cambridge Room, the Cambridge Public Library's Archives and Special Collections, and is supported by funding from the Community Preservation Act. Chicago History Museum on 14 October 2013, announced a project asking the public to furnish ideas for a future exhibition and reducing the most-often-submitted ideas to one assignment through a series of public votes. According to the American


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-2.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== D == The 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge focused on autonomous vehicles, requiring participating teams to create an autonomous vehicle that was able to successfully navigate traffic as well as complex maneuvers including merging, passing, and parking. To successfully complete the challenge, participating vehicles needed to complete a 60-mile course in less than six hours. Dell IdeaStorm is a website launched by Dell on 16 February 2007 to allow Dell "to gauge which ideas are most important and most relevant to" the public. The Democratic National Committee launched FlipperTV in November 2007 and McCainpedia in May 2008 to crowdsource video gathered by Democratic trackers and research compiled by DNC staff in the hands of the public to do with as they chose. The Daily Minor Planet is the Catalina Sky Survey's NASA-funded citizen science project focused on finding and tracking near earth asteroids, allowing volunteers to scan through nightly archival images from the 1.5 meter survey telescope at Mount Lemmon Observatory to discover new Asteroids. DesignCrowd, a crowdsourcing marketplace for graphic design and creative services, launched in February 2008 and helped run a contest for global footwear company HI-TEC. HI-TEC "estimated that using DesignCrowd.com [and crowdsourcing] for the project saved


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-3.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== F == Facebook has used crowdsourcing since 2008 to create different language versions of its site. The company claims this method offers the advantage of providing site versions that are more compatible with local cultures. FamilySearch Indexing is a volunteer project which aims to create searchable digital indexes for scanned images of historical documents. The documents are drawn primarily from a collection of 2.4 million microfilms made of historical documents from 110 countries and principalities. Previously, volunteers installed free software on their home computers, downloaded images from the site, typed the data they read from the image into the software, and submitted their work back to the site. A web-based indexing application was launched in 2014, and the installed version was later retired. The data is eventually made publicly and freely available at familysearch.org (the world's largest nonprofit genealogical organization) for use in genealogical research. Over one billion historical records have been transcribed to date. Folding@Home is a distributed computing project for disease research that simulates protein folding, computational drug design, and other types of molecular dynamics. The project uses the idle processing resources of thousands of personal computers owned by volunteers who have installed the software on their


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-4.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== I == IBM collected over 37,000 ideas for potential areas for innovation from brainstorming sessions with its customers, employees and their family members in 2006. iNaturalist is a citizen science website which allows users to contribute observations of organisms with images, start data-collecting projects, and crowdsources taxonomic identification of observations. The Indian rupee sign was developed in 2010, by using crowdsourcing to select its design through an open competition among Indian residents. InfoArmy is a crowdsourcing platform for business data. Users research online for competitive intelligence information on public and private companies to create iPad and web reports. Current researchers come from a variety of backgrounds and from six continents. InnoCentive, started in 2001, crowdsources research and development for biomedical and pharmaceutical companies, among other companies in other industries. InnoCentive provides connection and relationship management services between "Seekers" and "Solvers". Seekers are the companies searching for solutions to critical challenges. Solvers are the 185,000 registered members of the InnoCentive crowd who volunteer their solutions to the Seekers. Anyone with interest and Internet access can become an InnoCentive Solver. Solvers whose solutions are selected by the Seekers are compensated for their ideas by InnoCentive, which acts as broker of the


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-5
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-5.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== M == Mapillary is a service for sharing geotagged photos developed by Mapillary AB with the aim to represent not only streets but the whole world. All photos and data are shared using a Creative Commons license, most of the internal software is available under the MIT license and the full API is public. MateCat is a web-based computer-assisted translation (CAT) tool released as open source software under the Lesser General Public License (LGPL) from the Free Software Foundation. McMaster Postcard Project is a platform created by the William Ready Division of Archives and Research Collections at the McMaster University Library for crowdsourcing information about an archival collection of historical postcards, providing information on the card's country, province and city of origin, date, and other pertinent information in a "notes" section. Cards were previously categorized only by province, or by country for international cards. Microtask is a company that has developed a software platform for global distribution of short-duration tasks to online workers. The system supports automated quality assurance and provides service-level agreements for task quality and turnaround times. The Milky Way Project is a project that aims to identify bubbles in the Milky Way with users analyzing infrared


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-6
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-6.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== P == Path launched a project to crowdsource translations for its mobile platform in April 2012. Pepsi launched a marketing campaign in early 2007 which allowed consumers to design the look of a Pepsi can. The winners would receive a $10,000 prize, and their artwork would be featured on 500 million Pepsi cans around the United States. PhraseApp is a translation management platform that can be used to translate digital content, software, games and apps. It offers an in-context-editor and professional human translation. The Phylo video game invites players to give in to their addictive gaming impulses while contributing to the greater good by trying to decode the code for genetic diseases. Planet Hunters is a citizen science project where users can try to find extrasolar planets identifying patterns in the brightness data of stars retrieved by the Kepler Space Mission. Prova (Swedish for "to try") launched December 2008 as a crowdsource marketplace that connects businesses with professional ad designers to create print designs, audio ads, video content, and digital designs. Ad designers from all over the world compete for ad creation projects listed on the site. == Q == Quantum Moves is a game developed under the ScienceAtHome


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-7
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-7.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== S == SciStarter is a citizen science focused site that supports and promotes hundreds of projects that require crowdsourced help. Micro-tasks for volunteer supporters include things such as climatic observations, astronomical observations, image / video / audio capture, image tagging, audio description, data point assessment, etc. Secret London is composed mostly of Londoners who use the site to share suggestions and photos of London. Originally started as a Facebook Group in 2010 in response to a competition to win an internship at Saatchi & Saatchi, Secret London gained 150,000 members within two weeks. This early popularity prompted its founder, Tiffany Philippou, to appeal to the community to help build the group a website, which was launched 10 days later. SeeClickFix is a web tool that allows citizens to report non-emergency neighborhood issues, which are communicated to local government, as a form of community activism. It has an associated free mobile phone application. Similar to FixMyStreet. SESH (social entrepreneurship for sexual health) is a project that uses crowdsourcing to improve public health messaging, tools, and policies. The group has been recognized by the WHO-TDR as one of the leaders in social innovation for health. Individual crowdsourcing projects have created videos


id: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-8
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects-8.md
category: reference
title: List of crowdsourcing projects
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crowdsourcing_projects
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:48.753807+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: list-of-crowdsourcing-projects-20260505-0
summary:
== U == Unilever used the crowdsourcing platform IdeaBounty to find creative ideas for its next TV campaign for their snack food brand Peperami. Ushahidi (Swahili for "testimony" or "witness") is a website created in the aftermath of Kenya's disputed 2007 presidential election (see 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis) that collected eyewitness reports of violence sent in by email and text-message and placed them on a Google map. It is also the name of the open source software developed for that site, which has since been improved, released freely, and used for a number of similar projects. == W == Waze is a free turn-by-turn GPS application for mobile phones that uses crowdsourcing to provide routing and real-time traffic updates. "We Are The World 25 for Haiti (YouTube Edition)" is a massively collaborative charity song and music video produced by Canadian singer-songwriter Lisa Lavie and posted to the YouTube video sharing website to raise money for victims of the 12 January, 2010 Haiti earthquake. The video was the creation of a collaboration of 57 unsigned or independent YouTube musicians geographically distributed around the world. The Tokyo Times referred to J Rice's subsequently produced "We Pray for You" video, involving largely the same


id: the-daily-minor-planet-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Minor_Planet-0.md
category: reference
title: The Daily Minor Planet
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Daily_Minor_Planet
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:49.964596+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-daily-minor-planet-20260505-0
summary:
The Daily Minor Planet is a citizen science project run by the Zooniverse and The Catalina Sky Survey with a funding grant from NASA, to use citizen science volunteer classifications to discover asteroids with recent data from the G96 Mount Lemmon Survey 1.52 m (60 in) cassegrain reflector telescope. The main objective of the project is to search for undiscovered asteroids in order to protect the planet by locating potentially harmful Near-Earth asteroids. The main-belt asteroid 227711 Dailyminorplanet was named in honor of thousands of volunteers who have participated in this project. == List of Notable Discoveries == == See also == Backyard Worlds Active Asteroids (citizen science project) Disk Detective Galaxy Zoo Planet Hunters == References ==


id: decodoku-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decodoku-0.md
category: reference
title: Decodoku
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decodoku
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:51.333937+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: decodoku-20260505-0
summary:
Decodoku is set of online citizen science games, based on quantum error correction. The project is supported by the NCCR QSIT and the University of Basel, and allows the public to get involved with quantum error correction research. The games present the clues left in a quantum computer when errors occur, and encourage the players to work out how best to correct them. These puzzles are presented in a manner similar to typical casual puzzle games, like 2048, Threes or Sudoku, with the scientific background explained via the project website and YouTube channel. Thus far three games have been released: Decodoku, Decodoku:Puzzles and Decodoku:Colors. == References ==


id: digventures-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DigVentures-0.md
category: reference
title: DigVentures
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DigVentures
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:52.531274+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: digventures-20260505-0
summary:
DigVentures is a social enterprise working in archaeology, heritage participation, nature recovery, and citizen science. Founded in 2011 by Lisa Westcott Wilkins and Brendon Wilkins, it is headquartered in Barnard Castle, England. The organization is a Registered Organisation of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). DigVentures became known for crowdfunding and digital methods in archaeological fieldwork, enabling public participation in professional excavations. The organization has conducted projects across the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally, including excavations at Flag Fen and Lindisfarne, and the citizen science initiative Deep Time which combines archaeological discovery with habitat mapping for nature recovery. == History == DigVentures Limited was incorporated on 21 November 2011. The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists states that DigVentures has been a Registered Organisation since 2013. In 2012, DigVentures organized Flag Fen Lives, described in media coverage as the world's first crowdfunded archaeological excavation. The project raised £30,000 and engaged approximately 250 members of the public from 11 countries in a three-week excavation at the Bronze Age site of Flag Fen near Peterborough. The excavation involved partnerships with institutions including the British Museum, Durham University, University of Birmingham, and English Heritage. Archaeologist Francis Pryor, who discovered the site in the 1970s, later


id: disk-detective-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Detective-0.md
category: reference
title: Disk Detective
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Detective
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:53.749641+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: disk-detective-20260505-0
summary:
Disk Detective is the first NASA-led and funded-collaboration project with Zooniverse. It is NASA's largest crowdsourcing citizen science project aiming at engaging the general public in search of stars, which are surrounded by dust-rich circumstellar disks, where planets usually dwell and are formed. Initially launched by NASA Citizen Science Officer, Marc Kuchner, the principal investigation of the project was turned over to Steven Silverberg. == Details == Disk Detective was launched in January 2014, and was expected to continue until 2017. In April 2019 Disk Detective uploaded partly classified subjects, as Zooniverse did stop to support the old platform for projects, which was completed in May 2019. The project team began working on Disk Detective 2.0 that was then launched May 24, 2020, utilizing Zooniverse's new platform. The project invites the public to search through images captured by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and other sky surveys. Disk Detective 1.0 compared images from the WISE mission to the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Version 2.0 compares WISE images to 2MASS, Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS), Australia's SkyMapper telescope, and the unblurred coadds of


id: disk-detective-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Detective-1.md
category: reference
title: Disk Detective
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_Detective
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:53.749641+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: disk-detective-20260505-0
summary:
The Disk Detective project discovered the first example of a Peter Pan disk. At the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society the discovery of four new Peter Pan disks was presented. Three objects are high-probability members of the Columba and Carina stellar associations. The forth object has an intermediate likelihood of being part of a moving group. All four objects are young M dwarfs. The project has also discovered the first debris disk with a white dwarf companion (HD 74389) and a new kind of M dwarf disk (WISE J080822.18-644357.3) in a moving group. The project found 37 new disks (including HD 74389) and four Be stars in the first paper and 213 newly-identified disk candidates in the third paper. Together with WISE J080822.18-644357.3, the Disk Detective project found 251 new disks or disk candidates. The third paper also found HD 150972 (WISEA J164540.79-310226.6) as a likely member of the Scorpius–Centaurus moving group, 12 candidates that are co-moving binaries and 31 that are closer than 125 parsec, making them possible targets for direct imaging of exoplanets. Additionally, the project published the discovery a nearby young brown dwarf with a warm class-II type circumstellar disk, WISEA J120037.79−784508.3 (W1200−7845), located in


id: ebutterfly-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EButterfly-0.md
category: reference
title: EButterfly
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EButterfly
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:56.373119+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: ebutterfly-20260505-0
summary:
eButterfly is an online database of butterfly observations that collects data on butterfly abundance, distribution and phenology across North America. Naturalists, entomologists and other citizen scientists contribute observations in checklist form and the aggregated information is available through mapping and queries tools on eButterfly. eButterfly has a vetting system where a group of regional experts review submissions to ensure that the quality of data remains high. Photos can be added to any observation and eButterfly supports life lists and photo libraries for users. Observations can be entered directly to the eButterfly website. As of September 2015, eButterfly users have contributed over 225,000 observations. == History == eButterfly was launched in 2012 by Max Larrivée and Jeremy Kerr of the University of Ottawa. The project began as an effort to track changing butterfly ranges in Canada to determine how climate change may be impacting butterfly distribution in the country. It expanded to cover the U.S. in 2013 after partnering with Kent McFarland of Vermont Center for Ecostudies and Kathleen Prudic of Oregon State University. == Participation == Members of the eButterfly community enter butterfly sightings as part of regular surveys, organized butterfly counts or as incidental observations. There are checklists for


id: eterna-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EteRNA-0.md
category: reference
title: EteRNA
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EteRNA
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:57.597959+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: eterna-20260505-0
summary:
Eterna is a browser-based "game with a purpose", developed by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University, that engages users to solve puzzles related to the folding of RNA molecules. The project is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Stanford University, and the National Institutes of Health. Prior funders include the National Science Foundation. Similar to Foldit—created by some of the same researchers that developed Eterna—the puzzles take advantage of human problem-solving capabilities to solve puzzles that are computationally laborious for current computer models. The researchers hope to capitalize on "crowdsourcing" and the collective intelligence of Eterna players to answer fundamental questions about RNA folding mechanics. The top voted designs are synthesized in a Stanford biochemistry lab to evaluate the folding patterns of the RNA molecules to compare directly with the computer predictions, ultimately improving the computer models. Ultimately, Eterna researchers hope to determine a "complete and repeatable set of rules" to allow the synthesis of RNAs that consistently fold in expected shapes. Eterna project leaders hope that determining these basic principles may facilitate the design of RNA-based nanomachines and switches. Eterna creators have been pleasantly surprised by the solutions of Eterna players, particularly those of non-researchers


id: eterna-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EteRNA-1.md
category: reference
title: EteRNA
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EteRNA
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:57.597959+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: eterna-20260505-0
summary:
=== Direct player contribution === By August 2011, approximately 26,000 players had contributed RNA sequence designs and over 306 designs have been synthesized for in vitro testing. Eterna citizen scientists discovered a discrepancy in SHAPE and DMS chemical probing when reading strings of 7+ adenosine, and subsequently published their findings in Biochemistry in 2020. It is the first paper written exclusively by citizen scientists to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. In a 2023 paper, Eterna players design ribosomal RNA mutations for functional improvements (OpenRibosome Challenge). The players receive feedback from in vitro testing and in vivo (living E. coli) after each round to further tweak their designs. In a 2024 paper, Eterna players improved a research team's design of a minimized E. coli peptidyl transferase center (PTC). The improved version folds into a PTC-like structure without needing ribosomal proteins and interacts with small molecule analogs of tRNAs. The PTC is believed to be the most ancient part of the ribosome derived from the primordial RNA world and this work is a step closer to seeing the ancient version might have worked. === Algorithmic improvements based on human plays === In January 2014, the results from Eterna have been published


id: european-citizen-science-association-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Citizen_Science_Association-0.md
category: reference
title: European Citizen Science Association
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Citizen_Science_Association
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:51:59.057697+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: european-citizen-science-association-20260505-0
summary:
The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) is a membership based networking organization for practitioners and researchers of citizen science in Europe. ECSA was founded in 2014 in Germany and is registered as a charitable and member-based professional organization. == History == ECSA was launched in 2013. ECSA has a board of directors, elected by its members, and a collection of professional working groups that establish standards, identify best practices, help to focus research and technology, and explore the ethics of citizen science. In addition, it has an advisory board and a steering committee, which support the executive board. == Activities == It has held general assemblies each year since 2014, at which ECSA members and working groups present their initiatives and discuss how the organization’s vision can be further developed. The first biannual international ECSA conference was held in Berlin in May 2016. ECSA has initiated several strategic capacity-building programmes at the European and national scale, which have led to the development of outputs such as the Socientize Green and White Papers on Citizen Science in Europe and the Green paper Citizen Science Strategy 2020 for Germany. The European White Paper provided the basis for several actions and policies related


id: eyewire-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewire-0.md
category: reference
title: Eyewire
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyewire
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:00.312798+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: eyewire-20260505-0
summary:
Eyewire is a citizen science game from Sebastian Seung's Lab at Princeton University. It is a human-based computation game that uses players to map retinal neurons. Eyewire launched on December 10, 2012. The game utilizes data generated by the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research. As of March 2025, Eyewire has had around 350,000 players and resulted in the tracing of 6,000 neurons. Eyewire gameplay is used for neuroscience research by enabling the reconstruction of morphological neuron data, which helps researchers model information-processing circuits. It is also used to generate a training dataset to further improve the artificial intelligence that assists the player through the gameplay. A later project spawned from Eyewire is the Flywire project, which used a similar but more selective citizen science system for its tracing and annotation. Flywire builds on Eyewire and used AIs trained on the dataset produced by Eyewire players. Flywire would go on to complete and publish the first connectome of an adult fruit fly, a structure with about 140,000 neurons. A sequel project to Eyewire, Eyewire II, was announced on March 31, 2025. It is of a similar scale to Flywire, intending to trace over 100,000 new neurons. Eyewire II is open


id: four-thieves-vinegar-collective-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thieves_Vinegar_Collective-0.md
category: reference
title: Four Thieves Vinegar Collective
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thieves_Vinegar_Collective
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:01.584441+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: four-thieves-vinegar-collective-20260505-0
summary:
The Four Thieves Vinegar Collective is an anarchist biohacking group founded in 2015 by Michael Laufer. They have published instructions for the "EpiPencil", an epinephrine autoinjector, and the "Apothecary MicroLab", a do-it-yourself (DIY) device intended to make a variety of medications, most notably pyrimethamine (Daraprim). The medical community has criticized them for causing potential harm to patients with the DIY instructions, but Laufer claims to defend people's right to attempt their medical treatment. == Members == Four Thieves' membership is generally composed of technically trained people, but does not include medical professionals. == Views == Laufer has compared his work to that of Women on Waves, a group that provides abortion medication to women in areas where abortion is illegal. His motivation in founding the group is to provide medication to people when it is too expensive for them to afford, illegal to acquire, or unavailable due to it treating an orphan disease. He believes that providing lifesaving medication to those who need it justifies violating the intellectual property rights of pharmaceutical companies, and supports cognitive liberty. == History == Laufer, trained in mathematics, formed the group in 2008 during a graduate school trip to El Salvador. While visiting a


id: frogwatch-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FrogWatch-0.md
category: reference
title: FrogWatch
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FrogWatch
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:02.804821+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: frogwatch-20260505-0
summary:
A FrogWatch is any of several citizen science programs in which laypeople monitor amphibians. In a FrogWatch, people make recordings of frogs and other animals that live near them and send the recordings to databases for scientists and other people to hear and study. Not all FrogWatch programs are run by the same people. The Akron Zoo runs FrogWatch USA, Nature Canada runs FrogWatch Canada, the India Biodiversity Portal runs the FrogWatch in India, and other organizations run FrogWatches in other countries. The National Geographic Society developed the program that FrogWatch USA volunteers use to add information and that FrogWatch uses to study it. Volunteers record temperature with thermometers and listen for sounds made by specific types of frogs and toads. FrogWatch USA volunteers record frog habitats for three and a half minutes, starting one half-hour (30 minutes) after the sun goes down. In 2006, the National Wildlife Federation assessed the utility of FrogWatch USA for the U.S. Geological Survey and published its findings. It recommended continued funding based on "scientific value alone," though it also acknowledged its value as an educational tool and its ability to render research more cost-efficient. Scientists have used FrogWatch to study the way frogs


id: fungal-diversity-survey-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungal_Diversity_Survey-0.md
category: reference
title: Fungal Diversity Survey
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fungal_Diversity_Survey
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:04.094880+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: fungal-diversity-survey-20260505-0
summary:
Fungal Diversity Survey, or FunDiS, is a nonprofit citizen science organization formerly known as North American Mycoflora Project, Inc. FunDiS aims to document the diversity and distribution of fungi across North America “in order to increase awareness of their critical role in the health of ecosystems and allow us to better protect them in a world of rapid climate change and habitat loss.” The project encourages amateurs, working with professionals, to contribute observations to online databases vetted by experts, and to collect and document fungi for DNA barcoding. Fungal Diversity Survey, Inc. is a Charitable 501(c)(3) organization registered in Indiana, USA. == History == FunDiS grew out of an academic initiative to create a modern, comprehensive funga for North America. In 2012, some 70 academic mycologists and scientific-oriented mushroom collectors met at Yale University and called the initiative the North American Mycoflora Project. In 2017 at a meeting in Athens, Georgia, the project was reframed as a citizen science initiative and subsequently a nonprofit organization, North American Mycoflora Project, Inc. (NAMP) was launched in December 2017. In August 2020 the organization changed its name to Fungal Diversity Survey to reflect the fact that “fungi are their own kingdom - as


id: galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo-0.md
category: reference
title: Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:05.296570+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
Galaxy Zoo is a crowdsourced astronomy project which invites people to assist in the morphological classification of large numbers of galaxies. It is an example of citizen science as it enlists the help of members of the public to help in scientific research. There have been 15 versions as of July 2017. Galaxy Zoo is part of the Zooniverse, a group of citizen science projects. An outcome of the project is to better determine the different aspects of objects and to separate them into classifications. == Origins == A key factor leading to the creation of the project was the problem of what has been referred to as data deluge, where research produces vast sets of information to the extent that research teams are not able to analyse and process much of it. Kevin Schawinski, previously an astrophysicist at Oxford University and co-founder of Galaxy Zoo, described the problem that led to Galaxy Zoo's creation when he was set the task of classifying the morphology of more than 900,000 galaxies by eye that had been imaged by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey at the Apache Point Observatory in New Mexico, USA. "I classified 50,000 galaxies myself in a week, it


id: galaxy-zoo-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo-1.md
category: reference
title: Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:05.296570+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
== Volunteers == Galaxy Zoo recruited volunteers to help with the largest galaxy census ever carried out. Opening the project to the general public saved the professional astronomers the task of studying all the galaxies themselves, resulting in classification of a large number of galaxies undertaken in a shorter time than what smaller research teams would be able to do, classifying 900,000 galaxies in months rather than years if done by smaller research teams. Computer programs had been unable to reliably classify galaxies: several groups had attempted to develop image-analysis programs. Kevin Schawinski stated: "The human brain is actually much better than a computer at these pattern recognition tasks." However, volunteers astonished the project's organizers by classifying the entire catalog years ahead of schedule. An online forum was later set up two weeks after the initial start, partially due to a large volume of emails being sent around, to the point that it was troublesome for those receiving them to process and respond to them. This led volunteers to point out anomalies that on closer inspection have turned out to be new astronomical objects such as 'Hanny's Voorwerp' and 'the Green Pea galaxies'. "I'm incredibly impressed by what they've managed


id: galaxy-zoo-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo-2.md
category: reference
title: Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:05.296570+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
=== Galaxy Zoo 2 === This consisted of some 250,000 of the brightest galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Galaxy Zoo 2 allowed for a much more detailed classification, by shape and by the intensity or dimness of the galactic core, and with a special section for oddities like mergers or ring galaxies. The sample also contained fewer optical oddities. The project which collected classifications from February 2009 - April 2010 and closed with some 60 million classifications. === Galaxy Zoo mergers === This studied the role of interacting galaxies. Interacting galaxies are galaxies that exhibit a gravitational influence on one another. This influence is exhibited over the course of millions or even billions of years as two or more galaxies pass nearby one another. The near passage of two massive structures can cause the galaxies to be distorted and possibly merge. The Galaxy Zoo Mergers aimed to provide a set of tools that allowed users to randomly sample various sets of simulation parameters in rapid succession by showing 8 simulation outputs at a time. This started in November 2009 and was retired in June 2012. === Galaxy Zoo supernovae === Galaxy Zoo used images partner from the Palomar


id: galaxy-zoo-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo-3.md
category: reference
title: Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:05.296570+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
=== Related === In June 2019, citizen scientists through Galaxy Zoo reported that the usual Hubble classification, particularly concerning spiral galaxies, may not be supported, and may need updating. == Rotation of galaxies == One of the original aims for Galaxy Zoo was to explore which way galaxies rotated. Cosmologist Kate Land stated: "Some people have argued that galaxies are rotating all in agreement with each other, not randomly as we'd expect. We want people to classify the galaxies according to which way they're rotating and I'll be able to go and see if there's anything bizarre going on. If there are any patterns that we're not expecting, it could really turn up some surprises." In Galaxy Zoo 1, volunteers were asked to judge from the SDSS images whether the galaxies were elliptical or spiral and, if spiral, whether they were rotating in a clockwise (Z-wise) or anti-clockwise (S-wise) direction. The rotation, also called the chirality, of galaxies has been examined in several Galaxy Zoo related papers. Among the results a psychological bias was demonstrated. Galaxy Zoo scientists wanted to determine whether spiral galaxies were evenly distributed, or whether an intrinsic property of the universe caused them to rotate one


id: galaxy-zoo-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo-4.md
category: reference
title: Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:05.296570+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
The properties of Galactic Dust have been examined in several Galaxy Zoo papers. The interstellar medium of spiral galaxies is filled by gas and small solid particles called dust grains. Despite constituting only a minor fraction of the galactic mass (between 0.1% and 0.01% for the Milky Way), dust grains have a major role in shaping the appearance of a galaxy. Because of their dimension (typically smaller than a few tenths of a micron), they are very effective in absorbing and scattering the radiation emitted by stars in the ultraviolet, optical and near-infrared. Although the interstellar regions are more devoid of matter than any vacuum artificially created on earth, there is matter in space. These regions have very low densities and consist mainly of gas (99%) and dust. In total, approximately 15% of the visible matter in the Milky Way is composed of interstellar gas and dust. The study of dust in galaxies is interesting for many reasons. For example, the dimming effects of dust need to be corrected for to estimate the total mass of a galaxy from measurements of its light. Standard candles used to measure the expansion history of the Universe also need to be corrected for


id: gems-of-the-galaxy-zoos-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gems_of_the_Galaxy_Zoos-0.md
category: reference
title: Gems of the Galaxy Zoos
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gems_of_the_Galaxy_Zoos
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:06.480394+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: gems-of-the-galaxy-zoos-20260505-0
summary:
Gems of the Galaxy Zoos (Zoogems) was a gap-filler project which used the Hubble Space Telescope to take images of unusual objects found by volunteers classifying data from both Galaxy Zoo (GZ) and Radio Galaxy Zoo (RGZ). Between the HSTs' main observations, there is a short time that objects within that field of view can be imaged using gaps which last approximately 12 - 25 mins. The Zoogems project sought to use those small observation gaps to image 300 candidates taken from the two Zoos in order to better study and comprehend them. Starting observations in May 2018, HST Proposal 15445 had by the end of September 2023 imaged 193 of the 300 candidates with many of them having near 11 minute exposures. == Background == GZ is an ongoing crowdsourced astronomy project which invites people to assist in the morphological classification of a large number of galaxies. Initially, many of the objects that were imaged had been posted on the GZ Forum and Talk pages from Summer 2007 through various versions until 2017. The project Radio Galaxy Zoo started in December 2013, seeking to locate supermassive black holes. The science team wanted to identify black hole/jet pairs and associate


id: gems-of-the-galaxy-zoos-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gems_of_the_Galaxy_Zoos-1.md
category: reference
title: Gems of the Galaxy Zoos
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gems_of_the_Galaxy_Zoos
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:06.480394+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: gems-of-the-galaxy-zoos-20260505-0
summary:
In October 2023, the magazine Sky and Telescope featured an article entitled "Unearthing galactic gems". In it, the science journalist Madison Goldberg summarises the project and talks to Tom Brown from the Space Telescope Science Institute about the process of gap-fillers. Spare Hubble time had been used before with the 45 minute "snapshot programs" but some unscheduled time remained. Brown said: "It just seemed like a waste to be throwing that time on the floor. Just a handful of minutes here and there, but still, it adds up." And so, the gap-filler project started using those small gaps in the timetable to take 11 minute exposures. Bill Keel, project lead scientist, explained that unusual galaxies can help us understand the universe today. He described the ZooGems category of 'overlapping galaxy pairs'. He said: "What’s unusual there is not the galaxies themselves, but the fact that one sits neatly behind the other in telescopic images." Samantha Brunker, a scientist studying Green Pea galaxies, said that the variety of unusual targets included in ZooGems is special. "If you’re going to paint a whole picture, you can’t leave out the weird things." == Various objects == NGC 1175, nicknamed the 'Peanut galaxy' is


id: genetic-genealogy-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy-0.md
category: reference
title: Genetic genealogy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:07.781194+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: genetic-genealogy-20260505-0
summary:
Genetic genealogy is the use of genealogical DNA tests, i.e., DNA profiling and DNA testing, in combination with traditional genealogical methods, to infer genetic relationships between individuals. This application of genetics came to be used by family historians in the 21st century, as DNA tests became affordable. The tests have been promoted by amateur groups, such as surname study groups or regional genealogical groups, as well as research projects such as the Genographic Project. As of 2019, about 30 million people had been tested. As the field developed, the aims of practitioners broadened, with many seeking knowledge of their ancestry beyond the recent centuries, for which traditional pedigrees can be constructed. == History == The investigation of surnames in genetics can be said to go back to George Darwin, a son of Charles Darwin and Charles' first cousin Emma Darwin. In 1875, George Darwin used surnames to estimate the frequency of first-cousin marriages and calculated the expected incidence of marriage between people of the same surname (isonymy). He arrived at a figure of 1.5% for cousin-marriage in the population of London, higher (3%-3.5%) among the upper classes and lower (2.25%) among the general rural population. === Surname studies === A


id: genetic-genealogy-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy-1.md
category: reference
title: Genetic genealogy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:07.781194+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: genetic-genealogy-20260505-0
summary:
Genetic genealogy has enabled groups of people to trace their ancestry even though they are not able to use conventional genealogical techniques. This may be because they do not know one or both of their birth parents or because conventional genealogical records have been lost, destroyed or never existed. These groups include adoptees, foundlings, Holocaust survivors, GI babies, child migrants, descendants of children from orphan trains and people with slave ancestry. The earliest test takers were customers most often those who started with a Y-chromosome test to determine their father's paternal ancestry. These men often took part in surname projects. The first phase of the Genographic Project brought new participants into genetic genealogy. Those who tested were as likely to be interested in direct maternal heritage as their paternal. The number of those taking mtDNA tests increased. The introduction of autosomal SNP tests based on microarray chip technology changed the demographics. Women were as likely as men to test themselves. === Citizen science and ISOGG === Members of the genetic genealogy community have been credited with making useful contributions to knowledge in the field, an example of citizen science. One of the earliest interest groups to emerge was the International


id: genetic-genealogy-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy-2.md
category: reference
title: Genetic genealogy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_genealogy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:07.781194+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: genetic-genealogy-20260505-0
summary:
=== Pedigree family trees === Pedigree family trees have traditionally been prepared from recollections of individuals about their parents and grandparents. These family trees may be extended if recollections of earlier generations were preserved through oral tradition or written documents. Some genealogists regard oral tradition as myths unless confirmed with written documentation like birth certificates, marriage certificates, census reports, headstones, or notes in family bibles. Few written records are kept by illiterate populations, and many documents have been destroyed by warfare or natural disasters. DNA comparison may offer an alternative means of confirming family relationships of biological parents, but may be confused by adoption or when a mother conceals the identity of the father of her child. While mitochondrial and Y-chromosome DNA matching offer the most definitive confirmation of ancestral relationships, the information from a tested individual is relevant to a decreasing fraction of their ancestors from earlier generations. Potential ambiguity must be considered when seeking confirmation from comparison of autosomal DNA. The first source of ambiguity arises from the underlying similarity of every individual's DNA sequence. Many short gene segments will be identical by coincidental recombination (Identical by State: IBS) rather than inheritance from a single ancestor (Identical by


id: genographic-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genographic_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Genographic Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genographic_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:08.969434+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: genographic-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Genographic Project, launched on 13 April 2005 by the National Geographic Society and IBM, was a genetic anthropological study that aimed to map historical human migrations patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples. The final phase of the project was Geno 2.0 Next Generation. Upon retirement of the site, 1,006,543 participants in over 140 countries had joined the project. == Project history == === Beginnings === In 2005, project director Spencer Wells created and then led the Genographic Project, which was a privately funded, not-for-profit collaboration among the National Geographic Society, IBM, and the Waitt Foundation. Field researchers at eleven regional centers around the world began by collecting DNA samples from indigenous populations. In the fall of 2012, the Genographic Project announced the completion of a new genotyping array, dedicated to genetic anthropology, called GenoChip. GenoChip was specifically designed for anthropological testing and included SNPs from autosomal DNA, X-chromosome DNA, Y-chromosome DNA, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). The design of the new chip was a collaborative effort among Wells of National Geographic, Eran Elhaik of Johns Hopkins, Family Tree DNA, and Illumina. The autosomal admixture analysis developed by Wells and Elhaik classified individuals by assessing their proportions of genomic ancestry


id: genographic-project-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genographic_Project-1.md
category: reference
title: Genographic Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genographic_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:08.969434+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: genographic-project-20260505-0
summary:
In April 2005, shortly after the announcement of the project, the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism (IPCB) noted its connections to controversial issues (such as concern among some tribes that the results of genetic human migration studies might indicate that Native Americans are not indigenous to North America). The IPCB recommended against indigenous people participating. The founder of IPCB, Debra Harry, offered a rationale for why Indigenous people were discouraged to participate in the Genographic Project. According to Harry, a Northern Paiute Native American and Associate Professor in Indigenous Studies at Nevada University, the Genographic Project resulted in a human genetic testing practice that appeared to mask an ulterior motive rather than mere scientific research. Particularly, the great concern about the possible political interest behind the Genographic Project, motivated the IPCB to preemptively alert the global indigenous community on the "not so altruistic motivations" of the project. Additionally, IPCB argued that the Genographic project not only provided no direct benefit to Indigenous peoples, but instead raised considerable risks. Such risks, raised by Harry in an interview released in December 2005, were used to advocate against the indigenous participation in the project. Another argument, made by IPCB founder Debra Harry, was


id: globe-at-night-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_at_Night-0.md
category: reference
title: Globe at Night
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globe_at_Night
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:10.291990+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: globe-at-night-20260505-0
summary:
Globe at Night is an international scientific research program that crowdsources measurements of light pollution in the night sky. At set time periods within each year, the project asks people to count the number of stars that they can see from their location and report it to the project's website. The coordinating researchers compile this information to produce a public, freely available map of global light pollution. By September 2011, almost 70,000 measurements had been made. The use of data collected by the public makes the program an example of citizen science. Globe at Night began as a NASA educational program in the US organized by the NOAO, and was expanded internationally during the 2009 International Year of Astronomy; it is an offshoot of the GLOBE Program, which focuses on school-based science education. == Scientific rationale == Light pollution, the introduction of artificial light into formerly dark ecosystems, has numerous adverse ecological effects. Exposure to artificial light can prove fatal for some organisms (e.g. moths that fly into a burning flame), can interrupt a life cycle phase for others (e.g. glowworms are unable to attract mates), and can reduce the possibilities for finding food (because of increased risk of predation).


id: great-cocky-count-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Cocky_Count-0.md
category: reference
title: Great Cocky Count
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Cocky_Count
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:11.590686+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: great-cocky-count-20260505-0
summary:
The Great Cocky Count is an annual census designed to provide accurate data about the number and distribution of black cockatoos. It is the largest single survey of black cockatoos in Western Australia. The count is a citizen science survey and is conducted at sunset one night in autumn, usually in early April. It was first held in 2010 and has been conducted each year since apart from 2020 (cancelled due to COVID-19). Over 700 registered volunteers participated each year at hundreds of locations between Geraldton and Esperance, Western Australia. The 2019 count had over 700 volunteers surveying over 400 sites, with the endangered Carnaby's black cockatoo being the main focus of the count but the critically endangered Baudin's black cockatoo and vulnerable forest red-tailed black cockatoo also being counted. In 2016 a total of 426 roost sites were surveyed by approximately 700 volunteers. The results included: 16,392 white-tailed black cockatoos recorded at 100 occupied roosts. 1,907 forest red-tailed black cockatoos recorded at 66 occupied roosts 4,897 Carnaby's black cockatoos were found at a single roost site It was estimated that 27% of the black cockatoos that inhabit the south west of Western Australia were counted in a single night.


id: hamsci-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HamSCI-0.md
category: reference
title: HamSCI
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HamSCI
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:12.857561+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: hamsci-20260505-0
summary:
The Amateur Radio Science Citizen Investigation (HamSCI) is an initiative to connect amateur radio operators with scientific researchers, and to use amateur radio as a citizen science tool to collect scientific data, particularly in geospace science. HamSCI holds annual workshops each year. Most HamSCI projects focus on the ionosphere. The central initiative of HamSCI is the Personal Space Weather Station, a project to conduct distributed sensing of space weather by developing modular hardware similar to traditional weather stations. == References ==


id: hanny-s-voorwerp-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanny's_Voorwerp-0.md
category: reference
title: Hanny's Voorwerp
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanny's_Voorwerp
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:14.035272+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: hanny-s-voorwerp-20260505-0
summary:
Hanny's Voorwerp (Dutch for Hanny's object) is an instance of an astronomical phenomenon called a quasar ionization echo. It was discovered in 2007 by Dutch schoolteacher Hanny van Arkel while she was participating as a volunteer in the Galaxy Zoo project, part of the Zooniverse group of citizen science websites. Photographically, it appears as a bright blob close to spiral galaxy IC 2497 in the constellation Leo Minor. == Description == Hanny's Voorwerp (HsV) is about the size of a small galaxy and has a central hole over 16,000 light years across. In an image taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, HsV is colored green, a standard false color that is used to represent the presence of several luminous emission lines of glowing oxygen. HsV has been shown to be at the same distance from Earth as the adjacent galaxy IC 2497, which is about 650 million light-years away. Star birth is occurring in the region of HsV that faces IC 2497. Radio observations indicate that this is due to an outflow of gas from IC 2497's core which is interacting with a small region of HsV to collapse and form stars. The youngest of these stars are several million


id: herpmapper-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HerpMapper-0.md
category: reference
title: HerpMapper
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HerpMapper
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:15.319395+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: herpmapper-20260505-0
summary:
HerpMapper is a cooperative citizen science project designed to gather and share information about reptile and amphibian (herp) observations across the planet. Contributors create records of their herp observations online or via its mobile application. Data are available to HerpMapper Partners – groups who use your recorded observations for research, conservation, and preservation purposes. In addition, the HerpMapper mobile application is used by multiple other herpetological atlas projects, and the Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program. HerpMapper's primary goal is to share data with professional conservation and research organizations to better conserve herpetofauna around the world. Because of this, HerpMapper does not share point-location information publicly because of over-collection and poaching concerns. This sets HerpMapper apart from many other citizen-science projects. == History == HerpMapper.org was officially launched in September 2013. It is currently a volunteer-run organization of professional herpetologists, IT specialists, and field herpers with decades of experience. HerpMapper is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. == Organizational structure == The HerpMapper Advisory Team includes nonprofit organization staff, state agency biologists, university faculty, IT professionals, and field herpers. == Data Access == Data are made freely available to professional conservation and research organizations. Data are made available via real-time online access or


id: inaturalist-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INaturalist-0.md
category: reference
title: INaturalist
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INaturalist
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:16.539666+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: inaturalist-20260505-0
summary:
iNaturalist is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists built on the concept of mapping and sharing observations of biodiversity across the globe. iNaturalist may be accessed via its website or from its mobile applications. iNaturalist includes an automated species identification tool, and users further assist each other in identifying organisms from photographs and sound recordings. As of 5 August 2025, iNaturalist users had contributed nearly 300 million observations of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms worldwide, and 400,000 users were active in the previous 30 days. iNaturalist serves as an important resource of open data for biodiversity research, conservation, and education, describing itself as "an online social network of people sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature." It is the primary application for crowd-sourced biodiversity data in places such as Mexico, southern Africa, and Australia, and the project has been called "a standard-bearer for natural history mobile applications." Most of iNaturalist's software is open source. It has contributed to over 4,000 research papers and is widely used by scientists, land managers, and conservationists worldwide. The platform has also been active in the discovery of new species and rediscovery of species previously


id: inaturalist-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INaturalist-1.md
category: reference
title: INaturalist
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INaturalist
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:16.539666+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: inaturalist-20260505-0
summary:
=== Automated species identification === In addition to observations being identified by others in the community, iNaturalist includes an automated species identification tool, first released in 2017. Images can be identified via a computer vision model which has been trained on the large database of the observations on iNaturalist. Multiple species suggestions are typically provided with the suggestion that the software guesses to be most likely is at the top of the list. A broader taxon such as a genus or family is commonly provided if the model is unsure of the species. It is trained once or twice a year, and the threshold for species included in the training set has changed over time. It can be difficult for the model to guess correctly if the species in question is infrequently observed or hard to identify from images alone, or if the image submitted has poor lighting, is blurry, or contains multiple subjects. In February 2023, iNaturalist released v2.1 of its computer vision model, which was trained on a new source model which performed significantly better than the previous models trained using a different source model. In April 2025 iNaturalist released an updated app for iOS, changing the original


id: inaturalist-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INaturalist-2.md
category: reference
title: INaturalist
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INaturalist
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:16.539666+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: inaturalist-20260505-0
summary:
In 2015, data from iNaturalist was used to show that the Hopkin's rose nudibranch (Ceratodoris rosacea) is moving northward. Photos uploaded to iNaturalist in 2022 were used to confirm that the New Zealand hermit crab (Pagurus traversi) had been sighted in Tasmania and Victoria, Australia. In February 2024, photos posted on iNaturalist were used to report on the use of artificial shells (primarily plastic caps) by hermit crabs In April 2024, iNaturalist data was used to show that the range of Himalayan giant honey bees (Apis laboriosa) had expanded southward to Thailand for the first time. iNaturalist data has also been used to investigate phenology, the study of how life changes with the seasons. A 2023 field study comparing iNaturalist lichen records with expert identifications in Portugal and Italy found that fewer than half of the species logged by platform users matched the specialists' determinations, and roughly 70 % of species-level identifications that appeared only on iNaturalist were wrong. The authors concluded that unchecked observations—especially of taxonomically difficult groups such as lichens—should be treated with caution when used for research, and they recommended raising the agreement threshold for "research-grade" status and providing clear imaging guidelines to volunteers. In a 2024


id: international-society-of-genetic-genealogy-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_of_Genetic_Genealogy-0.md
category: reference
title: International Society of Genetic Genealogy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_of_Genetic_Genealogy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:17.791008+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: international-society-of-genetic-genealogy-20260505-0
summary:
The International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) is an independent non-commercial nonprofit organization of genetic genealogists run by volunteers. It was founded by a group of surname DNA project administrators in 2005 to promote DNA testing for genealogy. It advocates the use of genetics in genealogical research, provides educational resources for genealogists interested in DNA testing, and facilitates networking among genetic genealogists. As of June 2013, it comprises over 8,000 members in 70 countries. As of July 2013, regional meetings are coordinated by 20 volunteer regional coordinators located in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, Egypt, Ireland and Russia. ISOGG hosts the ISOGG Wiki, a free online encyclopedia maintained by ISOGG members which contains a wide variety of educational resources and guidance for genetic genealogy consumers and DNA project administrators. The ISOGG Wiki contains ethical guidelines for DNA project administrators and ISOGG members perform peer reviews of DNA project websites of other members on request, following which the websites may display the ISOGG Peer Reviewed graphic. == Industry regulation and standards == In 2008 ISOGG supported the passing of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act designed to prohibit the improper use of genetic information in health insurance and employment in


id: ispot-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISpot-0.md
category: reference
title: ISpot
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISpot
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:19.051382+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: ispot-20260505-0
summary:
iSpot is a website developed and hosted by the Open University with funding from the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network with an online community intended to connect nature enthusiasts of all levels. Registered users upload images of wildlife observations, identify species, and discuss their findings with other members. This is intended to provide opportunities to learn more about the wildlife they have observed, and also provides a database of observations which is made available for scientific analysis. The site also provides some online identification tools. == Purpose == The natural history observational skills required for accurate species identification in the field are neglected in formal education at all levels. iSpot is intended to help solve this problem by combining learning technology with crowdsourcing to connect beginners with experts. == Communities == The communities as of 2015 include the original UK and Ireland, Southern Africa, Hong Kong, Chile (Spanish language) and Global, which covers everywhere else. These communities can link to their own taxonomic lists, or use the default Catalogue of Life list. In mid 2014 the global iSpot community exceeded 42000 registered participants. == Function == In a 2015 study it was found that over 94% of observations submitted to


id: michael-laufer-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Laufer-0.md
category: reference
title: Michael Laufer
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Laufer
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:20.290757+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: michael-laufer-20260505-0
summary:
Michael Swan Laufer (sometimes styled as Mixæl Laufer) is the de facto leader of the open-source anarchist biohacking network, Four Thieves Vinegar Collective. Laufer is notable for creating the EpiPencil, an open source alternative to the Epipen. == Education == Laufer has a Ph.D. in mathematics and physics from the CUNY Graduate Centre. == Career == Laufer was the director of mathematics at Silicon Valley's Menlo College, and a part time teacher of mathematics at San Quentin State Prison, California. Laufer is also a Senior Research Fellow at the UNESCO Crossings Institute. In 2008 Laufer went to El Salvador where he saw hospitals that had run out of birth control medicine, he founded the Four Thieves Vinegar Collective shortly afterwards. Laufer publicly shared videos in 2016 that illustrated how to manufacture generic version of the Epi-Pen epinephrine auto-injector from components readily available to the public. Laufer is working on a DIY controlled lab reactor that he calls the Apothecary MicroLab that will allow people to manufacture their own pharmaceuticals at home. The first version is able to manufacture pyrimethamine, the same drug that in 2016 increased in price in USA from $13 to $750 in 2019. Laufer's work is both


id: lost-ladybug-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Ladybug_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Lost Ladybug Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Ladybug_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:21.696562+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: lost-ladybug-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Lost Ladybug Project is a nonprofit organization in the USA focused on promoting citizen science and science education to children. Its mission is "to help children become confident and competent participants in science, identifying personally with science, so that we develop a generation of adults who are engaged in scientific discussions, policy, and thinking." == History == The Lost Ladybug Project was founded in 2000 when researchers from Cornell University worked with the 4-H Master Gardener program to survey ladybug populations across New York. With the discovery of a rare nine-spotted ladybug in 2006, the Lost Ladybug Project developed research methods and a database to log ladybug observations. Granted funding from the National Science Foundation in 2008, the Lost Ladybug Project has counted over 34,000 ladybugs since its inception and is now a nationwide project. Researchers and citizen scientists from across North America submit photographs to the Lost Ladybug Project to help track different ladybug species. == References ==


id: liz-macdonald-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_MacDonald-0.md
category: reference
title: Liz MacDonald
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_MacDonald
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:23.009290+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: liz-macdonald-20260505-0
summary:
Elizabeth MacDonald is a space physicist who works at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She is a co-investigator on the Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron Spectrometer on the NASA Radiation Belts Storm Probe mission. == Education == Elizabeth MacDonald was born in Walla Walla, Washington, to Bill and Alice MacDonald. MacDonald received a BSc in physics from the University of Washington, funded by a NASA Space Grant scholarship, in 1999. Her mentor, Ruth Skoug, encouraged her to remain in research. MacDonald completed her postgraduate studies at the University of New Hampshire, earning her PhD in physics in 2004. == Career == MacDonald specializes in plasma mass spectrometry, and has expertise in instrument development and data analysis and interpretation. After completing her PhD, MacDonald joined Los Alamos National Laboratory. At LANL she was the principal investigator for the Z-Plasma Spectrometer on the Department of Energy Space and Atmospheric Burst Reporting System geosynchronous payload. She also led the Innovative Research and Integrated Sensing team. She was principal investigator for the Advanced Miniaturized Plasma Spectrometer. She received the Los Alamos Awards Program recognition three times. Between 2009 and 2011 she led the Department of Energy funded Modular Advanced Space Environment Instrumentation. In 2012


id: karen-masters-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Masters-0.md
category: reference
title: Karen Masters
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Masters
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:25.410649+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: karen-masters-20260505-0
summary:
Karen Masters (born 1979) is an Astrophysicist and Full Professor of Astrophysics in Haverford College, Pennsylvania exploring galaxy formation. She is also the project scientist for the citizen science project Galaxy Zoo, and uses the classifications to study the evolution of galaxies. == Education == Masters was born in Birmingham and attended King Edward VI College, Nuneaton. She completed a BSc in Physics at the University of Oxford in 2000. She received a PhD in Astronomy from Cornell University in 2005, entitled "Galaxy flows in and around the Local Supercluster", under the supervision of Martha Haynes and Riccardo Giovanelli. == Research == In 2005 Masters moved to Harvard University to work as a postdoctoral researcher with John Huchra on a project to make the most complete map of the local Universe. Masters "unveiled the most complete 3-D map of the local universe (out to a distance of 380 million light-years) ever created" in 2011 at the 218th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. The map was created using data from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey. She moved to the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation at the University of Portsmouth in October 2008. She was appointed the Gruber Foundation IAU Fellow in


id: medialab-matadero-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medialab_Matadero-0.md
category: reference
title: Medialab Matadero
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medialab_Matadero
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:26.617955+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: medialab-matadero-20260505-0
summary:
The Medialab Matadero, formerly known as Medialab Prado, is a cultural space and citizen lab in Madrid (Spain). It was created by the Madrid City Council in 2000, growing since then into a leading center for citizen innovation. It follows a participatory approach, using collective intelligence methods (developed in living labs) and fast prototyping tools such as fab labs, to use and co-create digital commons. == History == The Medialab Matadero started in 2000 as a cultural program of the Madrid City Council within the cultural center Conde Duque. In 2002, it was named "Medialab Madrid", a space focused on the research, production and dissemination of cultural works around society, science, art and digital technologies. In 2007, it was moved to the basements of the old industrial building Serrería Belga (Belgian Sawmill), and renamed "Medialab-Prado" because of its new location next to the Prado Museum and the Paseo del Prado boulevard. This industrial building was originally built in 1920s and owned by Belgian migrants, and it remained in operation until the 2000 when it was sold to the City Council. In 2010, it received an honorary award from Prix Ars Electronica. In 2013, after an extensive refurbishment effort of the


id: the-milky-way-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Milky_Way_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: The Milky Way Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Milky_Way_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:27.830117+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: the-milky-way-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Milky Way Project is a Zooniverse project whose main goal is to identify stellar-wind bubbles in the Milky Way Galaxy. Users classify sets of infrared images from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). Scientists believe bubbles in these images are the result of young, massive stars whose light causes shocks in interstellar gas. == Details == The Milky Way Project works with data taken from the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer Galactic Plane Survey (MIPSGAL) and Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE). Only a small part uses WISE data. The project looks for bubbles, which can mean the formation of stars. The project also looks for knots, star clusters, and other objects such as young stars, supernova remnants, and newly discovered galaxies. == History == The Milky Way Project started as the ninth Zooniverse project in December 2010. The phase 1 worked with the colors: 4.5 μm for blue, 8.0 μm for green and 24 μm for red. This resulted in the Data Release 1 (DR1) of the Milky Way Project in 2012 with 5,106 bubbles, which can also be found in SIMBAD. The annulus tool that was used to mark the bubbles


id: monarch-watch-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_Watch-0.md
category: reference
title: Monarch Watch
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_Watch
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:29.163668+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: monarch-watch-20260505-0
summary:
Monarch Watch is a volunteer-based citizen science organization that tracks the fall migration of the monarch butterfly. It is self-described as "a nonprofit education, conservation, and research program based at the University of Kansas that focuses on the monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its spectacular fall migration." == Organization == The informal organization is largely supported by teachers and students participating in "classroom projects, collaborative research" among other opportunities. Its founder and director is Orley R. "Chip" Taylor, a "world-renowned expert on butterflies and their migration patterns." The organization creates and distributes tags to place on monarch butterflies in order to track their migration path from Canada and the United States to south-central Mexico. The tagging method used is derived from the one that was developed by Canadian scientist, Fred Urquhart. The tagging process was adapted by Orley Taylor to minimize the damage to the butterflies. Color-coded tags are glued to a monarch butterfly's wing. Volunteers have tagged over 1.5 million monarchs in the last 26 years from Colorado to Canada. == Monarch Waystation Program == The monarch butterfly is also known as the milkweed butterfly due to its subsistence on the milkweed plant for its habitat. Largely due to


id: mosquito-alert-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_Alert-0.md
category: reference
title: Mosquito Alert
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_Alert
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:30.363300+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: mosquito-alert-20260505-0
summary:
Mosquito Alert is a cooperative citizen science project, currently run as a non-profit and coordinated by four public research centers in Spain. The aim of the project is to study, monitor, and fight the spread of invasive mosquitoes transmitting global diseases such as dengue, Zika, Chikungunya or West Nile fever. The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) are some of the invasive species that Mosquito Alert watches out for. The project provided the first detection of the Asian bush mosquito Aedes japonicus in Spain in 2018, providing the first report of a population of mosquitos that were located 1,300 km from their previously nearest known location in Europe. Surveillance is carried out with the Mosquito Alert app, which allows anyone with a smartphone to take a photo and report the possible discovery of one of the mosquitoes studied as well as their breeding sites. A team of expert entomologists validates the photos received and notifies the participant of the result. With ongoing work also integrating automated deep learning into the identification process. The results are published on the public map, where users can consult and download the observations recorded since the project launched in


id: mushroom-observer-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom_Observer-0.md
category: reference
title: Mushroom Observer
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom_Observer
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:31.645094+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: mushroom-observer-20260505-0
summary:
Mushroom Observer is a collaborative mycology website started by Nathan Wilson in 2006. Its purpose is to "record observations about mushrooms, help people identify mushrooms they aren't familiar with, and expand the community around the scientific exploration of mushrooms". The community of about 12,000 contributing users collaborates on identifying the submitted mushroom images, assigning their scientific names by means of a weighted voting process. All photographs are subject to a Creative Commons license that allows their reuse by others without the need for remuneration or special permission, subject to the terms of the license. The software is open source and hosted on GitHub. == Growth == As of 2024, the website contains about half a million user-submitted mushroom observations illustrated by more 1.6 million photographs of nearly 20,000 species of fungi. In 2010, the website contained about 53,000 user-submitted mushroom observations illustrated by 101,000 photographs; up from 7,250 observations and 12,800 photographs in 2008. == References == == External links == github.com/MushroomObserver MushroomObserver software under MIT license on GitHub


id: national-moth-week-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Moth_Week-0.md
category: reference
title: National Moth Week
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Moth_Week
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:32.837986+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: national-moth-week-20260505-0
summary:
National Moth Week (NMW) is a citizen science project to study and record populations of moths. The annual event is held in the last week of July. It encourages scientists and non-scientists to participate in mostly night-time surveys of moths. People may participate via organized events, or individually from their own gardens. National Moth Week has partnerships with major online biological data depositories, and participants map moth distribution to provide information on life history aspects of moths around the globe. National Moth Week was founded in the United States in 2012 by the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission, a non-profit organization in New Jersey. Since its founding, National Moth Week participation has grown to include events in all 50 U.S. states and more than 80 countries worldwide. In 2023, there were thousands of registrants across all 50 states and 117 countries. == See also == Mothing == References == == External links == Official website East Brunswick Environmental Commission


id: observation-org-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observation.org-0.md
category: reference
title: Observation.org
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observation.org
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:34.106385+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: observation-org-20260505-0
summary:
Observation.org is a worldwide platform of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists to collect, validate and share biodiversity observations. Observation.org may be accessed via its website or from its mobile applications like ObsIdentify or Observation. By 2026, the database has grown to include over 314 million nature observations of 145,595 species, supported by 138 million photos contributed by 584,000 users. It is published and hosted in the Netherlands under Dutch and European law by the non-profit foundation Observation International. == History == The history of Observation International began in 2003 with the launch of Waarneming.nl. Since then, it has grown steadily, reaching 50 million observations in 2017 and over 154 million observations in 2026. Subsequently, the Belgian Waarnemingen.be followed in 2008 and includes over 93 million observations as of 2026. There were 5000 daily visitors and a total of 1.5 million after 5 years. During the COVID-19 pandemic location data of observations were hidden to prevent gathering of bird watchers. == Quality assurance == Quality assurance measures on Observation.org is managed by established species experts responsible for curating the reference set of observations. Automated validation, supported by artificial intelligence, uses this reference set to aid validators in managing the extensive dataset.


id: old-weather-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Weather-0.md
category: reference
title: Old Weather
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Weather
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:35.343451+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: old-weather-20260505-0
summary:
Old Weather is an online weather data project that currently invites members of the public to assist in digitising weather observations recorded in ship log books dating from the mid-19th century onwards. It is an example of citizen science that enlists members of the public to help in scientific research. It contributes to the Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth initiative. Data collected by Old Weather has been used by at least five different climate reanalysis projects, including HURDAT, SODA and ECMWF. In February 2013, the project was awarded the Royal Meteorological Society IBM Award for Meteorological Innovation that Matters. == Origins == Old Weather is a Zooniverse project and is a collaboration between researchers at many institutions, including the University of Oxford, Oxford Martin School, ACRE (International Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth), Naval-History.Net of Penarth, Jisc which encourages UK colleges and universities in the innovative use of digital technologies, the National Maritime Museum at Maritime Greenwich, London, and the UK National Archives, Kew, London. == Importance of volunteers == In the past, computer programs have proved unable to read handwriting reliably and the task is much better performed by humans and the results transferred to a digital form.


id: old-weather-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Weather-1.md
category: reference
title: Old Weather
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Weather
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:35.343451+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: old-weather-20260505-0
summary:
== Results == Initial results of Phase I will be published after data collection is complete and conclusions can be made. Indeed, the readings are still being assessed at a very broad level. But the distribution of temperature by latitude and wind force by latitude have been plotted for 120,000 results for which three readings have been taken. Large numbers of online volunteers at Old Weather from 2010 to 2012 transcribed historical weather data and naval events from the logbooks of the 314 Royal Navy ships of the World War 1 era. 350,000 pages were transcribed and include logs from ships present at the Battle of the Falklands, at Gallipoli, Mesopotamia, East Africa, and the China Station. Nearly all of the transcriptions have been edited and published. Brief details of all the ships can be found here. The Old Weather U. S. Federal Ships project is still ongoing. As of the end of 2023, 248 ship/years had been processed, with over 7.6 million weather observations digitized. Data from up to 20 different weather elements have been recorded. Data from the project was analyzed by NOAA to reconstruct what had long been described as a hurricane that hit Sitka in Alaska


id: open-air-laboratories-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Air_Laboratories-0.md
category: reference
title: Open Air Laboratories
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Air_Laboratories
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:36.652588+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: open-air-laboratories-20260505-0
summary:
The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is a UK-wide citizen science initiative that aims to get the public more involved with nature through a range of local and national projects. It aimed to make the public more interested in science through enabling them to record data for scientists across many areas of environmental science, and then see the interpretation of these records. It is a partnership organisation, led by Imperial College London, and includes leading museums, universities, environmental organisations, and Government agencies across the UK. It developed activities and resources, including seven national nature surveys, which allow people to get closer to their local environment while collecting important scientific data. It also arranges and take part in nature events and workshops around the country. Schools and other organisations took part as well as individuals. It is largely funded by the Big Lottery Fund and began in 2007, operating across England. There was an emphasis on involving disadvantaged people and communities. Community scientists were placed to facilitate the surveys. Since January 2014, it has begun expanding into Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland thanks to a further grant. == Soil and earthworm survey == The OPAL soil and earthworm survey was launched


id: open-insulin-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Insulin_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Open Insulin Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Insulin_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:37.866909+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: open-insulin-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Open Insulin Project is a community of researchers and advocates working to develop an open-source protocol for producing insulin that is affordable, has transparent pricing, and is community-owned. == History == The Open Insulin Project was started in 2015 by Anthony Di Franco, himself a type 1 diabetic. He started the project in response to the unreasonably high prices of insulin in the US. The project has been housed in Counter Culture Labs, a community laboratory and makerspace in the Bay Area. Other collaborators include ReaGent, BioCurious and BioFoundry. == Goals == The project aims to develop both the methodology and hardware to allow communities and individuals to produce medical-grade insulin for the treatment of diabetes. These methods will be low-cost in order to combat the high price of insulin in places like the US. There is also potential for small-scale distributed production that may allow for improved insulin access in places with poor availability infrastructure. Access to insulin remains so insufficient around the globe that "half of all people who need insulin lack the financial or logistical means to obtain adequate supplies". == Motivation == Researcher Frederick Banting famously refused to put his name on the patent after


id: open-source-medical-supplies-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Medical_Supplies-0.md
category: reference
title: Open Source Medical Supplies
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Source_Medical_Supplies
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:39.098868+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: open-source-medical-supplies-20260505-0
summary:
Open Source Medical Supplies is a not for profit organization that collates and shares open source designs to make personal protective equipment and other medical supplies needed in the COVID-19 pandemic. == Organization == Open Source Medical Supplies founded by Ja’dan Johnson and Gui Cavalcanti in March 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was escalating. Initial activities were coordinated through a Facebook group which grew to 52,000 members. A team of 130 people coordinate and filter the information in the group. == Activities == Open Source Medical Supplies provides a library of 195 DIY instructions on how to fabricate healthcare items including face masks. All designs are vetted by a team of thirty healthcare professionals. Open Source Medical Supplies has shipped over 15 million items of medical supplies. The group inspired the Open Source Ventilator Ireland Project. == See also == Shortages related to the COVID-19 pandemic Maker culture == References == == External links == Official website Open Source Medical Supplies Community (Facebook Group)


id: na-taki-osborne-jelks-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na'Taki_Osborne_Jelks-0.md
category: reference
title: Na'Taki Osborne Jelks
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Na'Taki_Osborne_Jelks
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:41.498998+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: na-taki-osborne-jelks-20260505-0
summary:
Na'Taki Osborne Jelks is an American environmental scientist. She is an assistant professor of environmental and health sciences at Spelman College, and a visiting professor of public health at Agnes Scott College. She is known for her activism in environmental justice and urban sustainability, for which she was named a Champion of Change by the White House in 2014. == Education and career == Jelks was born in Walnut Grove, Mississippi; her family later moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received her BS from Spelman College, her master's of public health in environmental and occupational health from Emory University, and her PhD from the School of Public Health at Georgia State University. Her PhD was awarded in 2016, for a thesis titled Combined Environmental and Social Stressors in Northwest Atlanta's Proctor Creek Watershed: An Exploration of Expert Data and Local Knowledge. Jelk's doctoral advisor was Christine Stauber. Her scholarship is focused on community engagement to identify environmental stressors in urban watersheds. == Environmental justice leadership == In 2001, Jelks co-founded the Atlanta Earth Tomorrow® Program, a National Wildlife Federation program that connects urban youth to nature, civic engagement, and leadership development. She is the board chairperson for the West Atlanta


id: ou-citizen-science-soil-collection-program-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OU_Citizen_Science_Soil_Collection_Program-0.md
category: reference
title: OU Citizen Science Soil Collection Program
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OU_Citizen_Science_Soil_Collection_Program
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:42.678889+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: ou-citizen-science-soil-collection-program-20260505-0
summary:
The OU Citizen Science Soil Collection Program is a University of Oklahoma crowdsourcing program collecting and examining soil samples for fungi that might contain anticancer activity. == Origins == The project started in 2010 to research fungi that could potentially help create a type of compound known as a natural product. This is done by obtaining the fungi from a soil sample collected from a volunteer who mailed it to the program. The program was created at the University of Oklahoma and works with biomedical science researchers as a part of the Natural Products Discovery Group. The goal of this program is to create a natural product with ingredients obtained from various fungi, found in soil, that will help fight against cancer. This program gained traction on social media in 2015 when a member of the site known as Reddit made a post about the program. Since then, users have been sending in their soil samples and sharing updates about the project through comments on the post. == Discoveries == The program has had one major discovery from the samples that have been submitted. The program found the natural product maximiscin. The sample came from a fungus named Tolypocladium. The


id: participatory-monitoring-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_monitoring-0.md
category: reference
title: Participatory monitoring
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_monitoring
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:43.870298+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: participatory-monitoring-20260505-0
summary:
Participatory monitoring (also known as collaborative monitoring, community-based monitoring, locally based monitoring, or volunteer monitoring) is the regular collection of measurements or other kinds of data (monitoring), usually of natural resources and biodiversity, undertaken by local residents of the monitored area, who rely on local natural resources and thus have more local knowledge of those resources. Those involved usually live in communities with considerable social cohesion, where they regularly cooperate on shared projects. Participatory monitoring has emerged as an alternative or addition to professional scientist-executed monitoring. Scientist-executed monitoring is often costly and hard to sustain, especially in those regions of the world where financial resources are limited. Moreover, scientist-executed monitoring can be logistically and technically difficult and is often perceived to be irrelevant by resource managers and the local communities. Involving local people and their communities in monitoring is often part of the process of sharing the management of land and resources with the local communities. It is connected to the devolution of rights and power to the locals. Aside from potentially providing high-quality information, participatory monitoring can raise local awareness and build the community and local government expertise that is needed for addressing the management of natural resources. Participatory


id: participatory-monitoring-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_monitoring-1.md
category: reference
title: Participatory monitoring
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_monitoring
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:43.870298+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: participatory-monitoring-20260505-0
summary:
For connecting knowledge systems: in efforts to bring Indigenous and local knowledge systems into the science–policy interface such as the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. For monitoring rapidly changing environments: to inform resource management in rapidly changing environments such as the Arctic, where Indigenous and local communities have detailed knowledge of key components of their environment, such as sea-ice, snow, weather patterns, caribou and other natural resources. In Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs: to connect environmental performance with payment schemes such as REDD+. For reinforcing international agreements: in efforts to link international environmental agreements to decision-making in the ‘real world’. === Typology === A typology of monitoring schemes has been proposed, determined on the basis of relative contributions of local stakeholders and professional researchers. and supported by findings from statistical analysis of published schemes. The typology identified 5 categories of monitoring schemes that between them span the full spectrum of natural resource monitoring protocols: Category A. Autonomous Local Monitoring. In this category the whole monitoring process—from design, to data collection, to analysis, and finally to use of data for management decisions—is carried out autonomously by local stakeholders. There is no direct involvement of external agencies. For an


id: participatory-monitoring-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_monitoring-2.md
category: reference
title: Participatory monitoring
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_monitoring
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:43.870298+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: participatory-monitoring-20260505-0
summary:
The infrastructure for data storage and management (computer programmes, hard drives and cloud storage). Local capacity should be strong enough to access, manage and retain control of the data. Data classification: discussions in the communities can set out how different types of data can be used – for example a traffic light system can define ‘red’ data that is confidential to the community, ‘amber’ data which should be discussed prior to any use, and ‘green’ data that is approved for release. Processes for data sharing: this defines the roles and responsibilities of different people, and the processes to be followed for requests to access data, dependent on how that data is classified. Reporting: the protocol can set out how data should be reported, for example specifying the manner and frequency with which findings are reported to the local community, and ensuring that technical data is presented in a way that is compatible with external systems (e.g. government databanks or processes to respond to findings). == See also == == References == == Further reading == Gardner, T.A. 2010. Monitoring Forest Biodiversity: Improving Conservation through Ecologically Responsible Management. Earthscan, London. Johnson, N. et al. 2015. Community-Based Monitoring in a Changing Arctic:


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-0.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
A Pea galaxy, also referred to as a Pea or Green Pea, might be a type of luminous blue compact galaxy that is undergoing very high rates of star formation. Pea galaxies are so-named because of their small size and greenish appearance in the images taken by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). "Pea" galaxies were first discovered in 2007 by the volunteer citizen scientists within the forum section of the online astronomy project Galaxy Zoo (GZ), part of the Zooniverse web portal. == Description == The Pea galaxies, also known as Green Peas (GPs), are compact oxygen-rich emission line galaxies that were discovered at redshift between z = 0.112 and 0.360. These low-mass galaxies have an upper size limit generally no bigger than 16,300 light-years (5,000 pc) across, and typically they reside in environments less than two-thirds the density of normal galaxy environments. An average GP has a redshift of z = 0.258, a mass of ~3,200 million M☉ (~3,200 million solar masses), a star formation rate of ~10 M☉/yr (~10 solar masses a year), an [O III] equivalent width of 69.4 nm and a low metallicity. They have a strong emission line at the [OIII] wavelength of 500.7


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-1.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
In November 2009, authors C. Cardamone et al. published a paper in the MNRAS titled "Galaxy Zoo Green Peas: Discovery of A Class of Compact Extremely Star-Forming Galaxies". Within this paper, 10 Galaxy Zoo volunteers are acknowledged as having made a particularly significant contribution. They are: Elisabeth Baeten, Gemma Coughlin, Dan Goldstein, Brian Legg, Mark McCallum, Christian Manteuffel, Richard Nowell, Richard Proctor, Alice Sheppard and Hanny Van Arkel. They are thanked for "giving Peas a chance". For more details see: Cardamone 2009 Physics The original 80 GPs were part of a sample from the SDSS data-release 7 (DR7), but did not include galaxies from other sources which might have been classed as GPs if they were in the SDSS sample. One example of a paper that demonstrates this is: In April 2009, J. J. Salzer et al. published a paper in the Astrophysical Journal Letters titled "A Population of Metal-Poor Galaxies with ~L* Luminosities at Intermediate Redshifts". In this paper, "new spectroscopy and metallicity estimates for a sample of 15 star-forming galaxies with redshifts in the range 0.29 – 0.42" were presented. These objects were selected using the KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS). 3 of these 15 when viewed as


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-2.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
=== 2010 - 2012 === In June 2010, authors R. Amorin et al. published a paper in ApJ Letters titled "On the oxygen and nitrogen chemical abundances and the evolution of the "green pea" galaxies". In it they explore issues concerning the metallicity of 79 GPs, disputing the original findings in Cardamone et al. They conclude, "arguing that recent interaction-induced inflow of gas, possibly coupled with a selective metal-rich gas loss drive by supernova winds may explain our findings and the known galaxy properties". For more details see: Two papers by Amorin In February 2011, authors Y. Izotov et al. published a paper in the ApJ titled "Green Pea Galaxies and Cohorts: Luminous Compact Emission-line Galaxies in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey". They find that the 80 GPs are not a rare class of galaxies on their own, but rather a subset of a class known as 'Luminous Compact Galaxies' (LCGs), of which there are 803. For more details see: Luminous Compact Galaxies In November 2011, authors Y. Izotov et al. published a paper in A&A titled 'Star-forming galaxies with hot dust emission in the SDSS discovered by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)'. In this paper, they find four


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-3.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
=== 2013–2015 === In January 2013, authors S. Parnovsky et al. published a paper in A&SS titled "H alpha and UV luminosities and star formation rates in a large sample of luminous compact galaxies". In it, they present a statistical study of the star formation rates (SFR) derived from the GALEX observations in the Ultraviolet continuum and in the H alpha emission line for a sample of ~800 luminous compact galaxies (LCGs). Within the larger set of LCGs, including the GPs, SFR of up to ~110 M☉/yr (~110 solar masses a year) are found, as well as estimates of the ages of the starbursts. In April 2013, authors A. Jaskot and M. Oey published a paper in the ApJ titled "The Origin and Optical Depth of Ionizing Radiation in the "Green Pea" Galaxies". Six "extreme" GPs are studied. Using these, the authors endeavour to narrow down the list of possibilities about what is producing the radiation and the substantial amounts of high-energy photon that might be escaping from the GPs. Following on from this paper, observations on the Hubble Space Telescope, totalling 24 orbits, were taken in December 2013. The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Advanced Camera for Surveys were


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-4.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
In a presentation to the AAS Meeting #229 in January 2017, Matt Brorby and Philip Kaaret describe the observations of two GPs and their x-ray emission. Using both space telescope programs Chandra GO: 16400764 and Hubble GO: 13940, they examine Luminous Compact Galaxies, both GPs, J0842+1150 and SHOC 486. They conclude: i) These are the first x-ray observations of GPs. ii) The two GPs studied are the first test of Lx-SFR-Z planar relation and that they are consistent with this. iii) Low-metallicity galaxies exhibit enhanced x-ray emission relative to normal metallicity starforming galaxies. iv) GPs are useful for predictions of X-ray output in the early universe. In March 2017, Yang et al. published a paper in the ApJ called: "Lyα and UV Sizes of Green Pea Galaxies". The authors studied the Lyman-alpha (LyA) escape in a statistical sample of 43 GPs with HST/COS LyA spectra, taken from 6 HST programs. Their conclusions include: i) Using GPs that cover the whole ranges of dust extinction and metallicity, they find about two-thirds are strong LyA emitters. This confirms that GPs generally are "the best analogs of high-z (redshift) Lyman-alpha Emitters (LAEs) in the nearby universe." ii) The authors find many correlations regarding


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-5
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-5.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
The JWST image used by Rhoads et al. is called SMACS 0723 and within it three galaxies that looked particularly far away were followed up using spectroscopic observations. This caught the attention of Rhoads et al. as the spectra of the three galaxies resembled GPs. Astronomer Trinh Thuan from the University of Virginia says he was amazed to see the similarity between the distant trio and GPs. Before JWST, the furthest GPs were measured at about 10 billion years after the Big Bang. Daniel Schaerer, an astronomer at the University of Geneva said that GPs can now be measured from only 700 million years after the Big Bang – "It's completely mind-boggling". As reported in Nature back in 2016, GPs are strong sources of ionizing radiation that are thought to be able to free the early universe from its 'dark ages'. Thuan said: "Now I really do think that these star-forming dwarf galaxies are the agent of reionization". A study published in the ApJ by Bhat et al. in January 2024 investigates the influence of jets on GPs and Green Beans. Using 12 subjects selected from the SDSS and Radio Sky at 20 cm survey, the team use the Large


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-6
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-6.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
== J0925+1403 and LyC leakage == In January 2016, a letter was published in the journal Nature called: "Eight per cent leakage of Lyman continuum photons from a compact, star-forming dwarf galaxy" by authors Y.I. Izotov et al. which was a result of observations carried out using the COS aboard the HST. The abstract states: "One of the key questions in observational cosmology is the identification of the sources responsible for ionisation of the Universe after the cosmic Dark Ages". It also states: "Here we present far-ultraviolet observations of a nearby low-mass star-forming galaxy, J0925+1403, selected for its compactness and high excitation... The galaxy is 'leaking' ionising radiation, with an escape fraction of 7.8%." These levels of radiation are thought to be similar to those of the first galaxies in the universe, which emerged in a time known as reionization. These findings have led the research team to conclude that J0925 can ionise intergalactic material up to 40 times its own stellar mass. GP J0925 is thought to be similar to the most distant, and thus earliest, galaxies in the universe and has been shown to 'leak' LyC. It is about 3 billion light years away (redshift z=0.301), or approximately


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-7
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-7.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
At the time this paper was published, only five Green Peas (GPs) had been imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Three of these images reveal GPs to be made up of bright clumps of star formation and low surface density features indicative of recent or ongoing galaxy mergers. These three HST images were imaged as part of a study of local ultraviolet (UV-luminous) galaxies in 2005. Major mergers are frequently sites of active star-formation and to the right a graph is shown that plots specific star formation rate (SFR / Galaxy Mass) against galaxy mass. In this graph, the GPs are compared to the 3003 mergers from the Galaxy Zoo Merger Sample (GZMS). It shows that the GPs have low masses typical of dwarf galaxy and much higher star-forming rates (SFR) when compared to the GZMS. The black, dashed line shows a constant SFR of 10 M☉/yr (~10 solar masses). Most GPs have a SFR between 3 and 30 M☉/yr (between ~3 and ~30 solar masses). GPs are rare. Of the one million objects that make up GZ's image bank, only 251 GPs were found. After having to discard 148 of these 251 because of atmospheric contamination of their


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-8
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-8.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
Color selection was by using the difference in the levels of three optical filters, in order to capture these color limits: u−r ≤ 2.5 (1), r−i ≤ −0.2 (2), r−z ≤ 0.5 (3), g−r ≥ r−i + 0.5 (4), u−r ≥ 2.5 (r−z) (5). If the diagram on the right (one of two in the paper) is looked at, the effectiveness of this color selection can be seen. The color-color diagram shows ~100 GPs (green crosses), 10,000 comparison galaxies (red points) and 9,500 comparison quasar (purple stars) at similar redshifts to the GPs. The black lines show how these figures are on the diagram. Comparing a GP to the Milky Way can be useful when trying to visualize these star-forming rates. An average GP has a mass of ~3,200 million M☉ (~3,200 million solar masses). The Milky Way (MW) is a spiral galaxy and has a mass of ~1,125,000, million M☉ (~1,125,000 million solar masses). So the MW has the mass of ~390 GPs. Research has shown that the MW converts ~2 M☉/yr (~2 solar masses per year) worth of interstellar medium into stars. An average GP converts ~10 M☉/yr (~10 solar masses) of interstellar gas into stars, which is


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-9
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-9.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
== GTC-OSIRIS spectrophotometry == In February 2012, authors R. Amorin et al. published a paper titled "The star formation history and metal content of the "Green Peas". New detailed GTC-OSIRIS spectrophotometry of three galaxies" in which they presented the findings of observations carried out using the Gran Telescopio Canarias at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory. They gather deep broad-band imaging and long-slit spectroscopy of 3 GPs using high-precision equipment. Their findings show that the three GPs display relatively low extinction, low oxygen abundances and high nitrogen-to-oxygen ratios. Also reported are the clear signatures of Wolf–Rayet stars, of which a population are found (between ~800 and ~1200). A combination of population and evolutionary synthesis models strongly suggest a formation history dominated by starbursts. These models show that these three GPs currently undergo a major starburst producing between ~4% and ~20% of their stellar mass. However, as these models imply, they are old galaxies having formed most of their stellar mass several billion years ago. The presence of old stars has been spectroscopically verified in one of the three galaxies by the detection of Magnesium. Surface photometry, using data from the Hubble Space Telescope archive, indicates that the three GPs possess


id: pea-galaxy-20260505-10
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy-10.md
category: reference
title: Pea galaxy
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pea_galaxy
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:45.109599+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pea-galaxy-20260505-0
summary:
=== Others === In 2021, Kanekar et al. reported the first detection of HI 21 cm line emission in 19 GPs using the Green Bank Telescope and Arecibo Observatory. Their results give the first estimates of atomic gas mass in Green Pea galaxies. In a study "Radio properties of green pea galaxies", authors Borkar et al. examine the radio properties of GPs using the Jansky Very Large Array. They observe 3 GPs to build their radio spectral energy distributions to verify the presence of AGN. Using new and archival data from both GPs and Blueberry galaxies, they assess the detectability of these sources, comparing radio luminosities with expectations from theoretical and empirical relations. They find that the majority of the sampled dwarf galaxies are highly underluminous and that their radio luminosity is significantly lower than empirical expectations. == See also == Blue compact dwarf galaxy – Small galaxy composed of up to several billion stars Dwarf galaxy – Small galaxy composed of up to several billion stars Galaxy formation and evolution – Subfield of cosmology Green bean galaxy – Very rare astronomical objects that are thought to be quasar ionization echos Haro 11 – Galaxy in the constellation Sculptor –


id: phylo-video-game-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylo_(video_game)-0.md
category: reference
title: Phylo (video game)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phylo_(video_game)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:46.345186+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: phylo-video-game-20260505-0
summary:
Phylo is an experimental video game about multiple sequence alignment optimisation. Developed by the McGill Centre for Bioinformatics, it was originally released as a free Flash game in November 2010. Designed as a game with a purpose, players solve pattern-matching puzzles that represent nucleotide sequences of different phylogenetic taxa to optimize alignments over a computer algorithm. By aligning together each nucleotide sequence, represented as differently coloured blocks, players attempt to create the highest point value score for each set of sequences by matching as many colours as possible and minimizing gaps. The nucleotide sequences generated by Phylo are obtained from actual sequence data from the UCSC Genome Browser. High-scoring player alignments are collected as data and sent back to the McGill Centre for Bioinformatics to be further evaluated with a stronger scoring algorithm. Those player alignments that score higher than the current computer-generated score will be re-introduced into the global alignment as an optimization. == Background == The goal of multiple sequence alignments in phylogenetics is to determine the most likely nucleotide sequence of each species by comparing the sequences of children species with those of a most recent common ancestor. Producing such an optimal multiple sequence alignment is usually


id: pl-ntnet-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pl@ntNet-0.md
category: reference
title: Pl@ntNet
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pl@ntNet
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:47.549515+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pl-ntnet-20260505-0
summary:
Pl@ntNet is a citizen science project for automatic plant identification through photographs and based on machine learning. Users take a photograph, and the system can identify it as one of more than 77,000 plant species. Pl@ntNet has processed more than a billion photographs from users. == History == This project launched in 2009 has been developed by scientists (computer engineers and botanists) from a consortium gathering French research institutes (Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Institut national de recherche en informatique et en automatique (INRIA) and the network Tela Botanica, with the support of Agropolis Fondation ). Starting in 2022, the Pl@ntNet system received many improvements as a result of research projects "MAMBO" and "GUARDEN" funded by Horizon Europe. Improvements included a standardised taxonomic list of species (using POWO), and an improved computer vision algorithm (using a vision transformer). == Platforms == An app for smartphones (and a web version) was launched in 2013, which allows to identify thousands of plant species from photographs taken by the user. It is available in several languages. As of 2019 it had been downloaded


id: planet-hunters-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Hunters-0.md
category: reference
title: Planet Hunters
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Hunters
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:49.006143+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: planet-hunters-20260505-0
summary:
Planet Hunters is a citizen science project to find exoplanets using human eyes. It does this by having users analyze data from the NASA Kepler space telescope and the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. It was launched by a team led by Debra Fischer at Yale University, as part of the Zooniverse project. == History == === Planet Hunters and Planet Hunters 2.0 === The project was launched on December 16, 2010, after the first Data Release of Kepler data as the Planet Hunters Project. 300,000 volunteers participated in the project and the project team published 8 scientific papers. On December 14, 2014, the project was re-launched as Planet Hunters 2.0, with an improved website and considering that the volunteers will look at K2 data. As of November 2018 Planet Hunters had identified 50% of the known planets with an orbital period larger than two years. === Non-Planet Hunters project: Exoplanet Explorers === In 2017 the project Exoplanet Explorers was launched. It was another planet hunting project at Zooniverse and discovered the system K2-138 and the exoplanet K2-288Bb. This project was launched during the television program Stargazing Live and the discovery of the K2-138 system was announced during the program.


id: pressurenet-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PressureNET-0.md
category: reference
title: PressureNET
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PressureNET
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:50.213780+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pressurenet-20260505-0
summary:
PressureNET was a crowd-sourced reporting network for barometric pressure data. It worked by having many users install it on cell phones having air pressure sensors (barometers) and GPS sensors. Once the location was known from the GPS data, it was able to send messages back to the server with the air pressure for that location on Earth. With enough users running the application it was possible to create useful, global pressure data. It used open source software running on Android phones, to collect data from locations around the world. The data was available on a public website. With the announcement in September 2014 that the first apple device with a barometer (iPhone 6) was to be released, work started on an edition of the app for that platform The Sunshine app beta testing began to get some publicity in 2015. The Android App website still exists, and the app source code is still available on GitHub; however, as of January 2016 there is no support for the Android app, and the iOS app is not free open source software as the PressureNet app was. PressureNet was acquired by Sunshine in early 2016. == See also == OpenSignals WeatherSignal Weather Underground


id: public-lab-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Lab-0.md
category: reference
title: Public Lab
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Lab
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:51.644468+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: public-lab-20260505-0
summary:
The Public Laboratory for Open Technology and Science (Public Lab) is a non-profit organization that facilitates collaborative, open source environmental research in a model known as Community Science. It supports communities facing environmental justice issues in a do it yourself approach to environmental monitoring and advocacy. Public Lab grew out of a grassroots effort to take aerial photographs of the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Since then, they have launched a range of projects, including an open source spectrometer, multi-spectral camera, and low-cost microscope. == Balloon Mapping == The aerial photography technique Public Lab is best known for involves lifting cameras above an area using tethered helium-filled weather balloons. == Open source environmental monitoring == Public Lab's community develops open source hardware, software, and other open methodologies to democratize environmental monitoring. Recognizing that cost, complexity, and lack of access can prevent communities from playing an active role in documenting environmental problems, the community publishes plans and guides for Do It Yourself monitoring projects that can be made at home. == References ==


id: quantum-moves-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Moves-0.md
category: reference
title: Quantum Moves
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_Moves
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:52.830088+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: quantum-moves-20260505-0
summary:
Quantum Moves is an online citizen science simulation video game where players move quantum atoms. The game is part of the ScienceAtHome umbrella project, developed by AU Ideas Center for Community Driven Research (CODER). CODER aims to merge theoretical and experimental quantum research with online community efforts to explore the potential for online citizen science in this otherwise highly specialized field. The objective of the game is to complete challenges that are simulations of logical operations in a quantum computer. The team behind the game are building a scalable quantum computer with a processor consisting of 300 atoms. Logical operations are performed by moving the atoms with optical tweezers. Moving atoms in a controlled way is a difficult task because the atom becomes excited and the atomic wave function delocalises. Approaching the presumed quantum speed limit is a huge challenge for quantum algorithms and the task that Quantum Moves players are asked to tackle. == Gameplay == In Quantum Moves, the atomic wave function is represented as a sloshy liquid in an energy potential well created by the optical tweezers. Players control the depth and the horizontal location of the well, simulating the path on the optical tweezers. The wave


id: questagame-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questagame-0.md
category: reference
title: Questagame
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Questagame
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:54.037819+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: questagame-20260505-0
summary:
QuestaGame, launched in 2014 in Canberra, Australia, is a mobile app game for photographing and identifying fauna, flora, and fungi. Sightings are verified by experts and gain points for players. The game leverages citizen science to help document species occurrences, adding data to databases such as Atlas of Living Australia. Ranger Vision is a classroom version. QuestaGame has been reported as driving citizen science by mapping biodiversity, discovering new species, and averting biosecurity risks. == Gameplay == To play the game, players submit sightings and/or identify the sightings of other players. The game defines sightings as documentation of a wild (not captive or domesticated) living organism. Players earn gold and increase their species collections, which are recorded on a leaderboard. Players can use gold to purchase better "equipment" and "supplies." The level of equipment rating determines the speed and detail that sightings are identified by other players, while supplies allow players to join and create quests. Players can join clans and compete with others in quests and challenges. Many clans join to form tribes. === Species identification model === The founder of QuestaGame, Andrew Robinson, advocates for "collective intelligence," where the expertise of humans is used for species identification, rather


id: rad-home-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAD@home-0.md
category: reference
title: RAD@home
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAD@home
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:55.231439+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: rad-home-20260505-0
summary:
RAD@home is a citizen science research collaboratory in India and the first such collaboration in Indian astronomy. It focuses on training university science students to make radio astronomy discoveries using the GMRT, which is a SKA pathfinder radio telescope, and other telescopes operating in multiple bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. It was designed to help students and the public to understand multi-wavelength images of galaxies, taken primarily from radio surveys such as NVSS (1400 MHz) with the VLA and TGSS (150 MHz) with the GMRT. In 2022, the Collaboratory, led by its founder Ananda Hota, discovered a unique AGN where the radio jet appeared to hit a neighbouring galaxy and bounced back forming a mushroom-shaped radio bubble. Initial hints of this rare process had been seen in the archival data, but confirmation was not achieved until targeted observation with the GMRT telescope at 325 MHz, or 90 cm, band. In October 2025, the Collaboratory discovered the farthest and the most powerful odd radio circle (ORC), named RAD J131346.9+500320; it was also the first ORC to be discovered through citizen science. The ORC was spotted by trained citizen scientists analysing the 144 MHz radio images of the sky obtained by the


id: radio-galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Galaxy_Zoo-0.md
category: reference
title: Radio Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:56.496533+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: radio-galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
Radio Galaxy Zoo (RGZ) is an internet crowdsourced citizen science project that seeks to locate supermassive black holes in distant galaxies. It is hosted by the web portal Zooniverse. The scientific team want to identify black hole/jet pairs and associate them with the host galaxies. Using a large number of classifications provided by citizen scientists they hope to build a more complete picture of black holes at various stages and their origin. It was initiated in 2010 by Ray Norris in collaboration with the Zooniverse team, and was driven by the need to cross-identify the millions of extragalactic radio sources that will be discovered by the forthcoming Evolutionary Map of the Universe survey. RGZ is now led by scientists Julie Banfield and Ivy Wong. RGZ started operations on 17 December 2013, and ceased collecting new classifications on 1 May 2019. == RGZ data sources == The project's scientific team are drawn mostly from Australia, with support from Zooniverse developers and other institutions. They use data taken by the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters (FIRST) survey which was observed at the Very Large Array between 1993 and 2011. Also used was data from the Australia Telescope Large Area


id: radio-galaxy-zoo-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Galaxy_Zoo-1.md
category: reference
title: Radio Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:56.496533+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: radio-galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
ii) Radio Galaxy Zoo: discovery of a poor cluster through a giant wide-angle tail radio galaxy. (May 2016) The abstract begins: "We have discovered a previously unreported poor cluster of galaxies (RGZ-CL J0823.2+0333) through an unusual giant wide-angle tail radio galaxy found in the Radio Galaxy Zoo project." It continues to explain that the analysis of 2MASX J08231289+0333016's surrounding environment indicates that it is within a poor cluster. Radio morphology suggests that, firstly, "the host galaxy is moving at a significant velocity with respect to an ambient medium like that of at least a poor cluster" and secondly that "the source may have had two ignition events of the active galactic nucleus with 10^7yrs in between." These suggestions reinforce the idea that there is an association between RGZ J082312.9+033301 and the newly discovered poor cluster. On The Conversation website in an article "How citizen scientists discovered a giant cluster of galaxies", Ray Norris writes about the above study. He explains that two Russian citizen scientists (CSs), Ivan Terentev and Tim Matorny, were participating in RGZ when they noticed something odd with one of the radio sources. It became clear that the radio source the two CSs had found "was just


id: radio-galaxy-zoo-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Galaxy_Zoo-2.md
category: reference
title: Radio Galaxy Zoo
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Galaxy_Zoo
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:56.496533+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: radio-galaxy-zoo-20260505-0
summary:
In November 2017, a team led by Omar Contigiani published a paper in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society studying the mutual alignment of radio sources. Using data drawn from the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty Centimeters (FIRST) and TIFR GMRT Sky Survey (TGSS), they investigate the most powerful radio sources, namely the largest elliptical galaxies emitting plasma-filled jets. The abstract begins: "We study the mutual alignment of radio sources within two surveys, FIRST and TGSS. This is done by producing two position angle catalogues containing the preferential directions of respectively 30059 and 11674 extended sources distributed over more than 7000 and 17000 square degrees." The FIRST sample sources were identified by participants in RGZ, while the TGSS sample was the result of an automated process. Marginal evidence of local alignment is found in the FIRST sample, which has a 2% probability of being by chance. This supports other recent research by scientists using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope. The abstract ends: "The TGSS sample is found to be too sparsely populated to manifest a similar signal." Results suggest that there is a relative alignment present at cosmological distances. v) Radio Galaxy Zoo: Compact and extended


id: reef-life-survey-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_Life_Survey-0.md
category: reference
title: Reef Life Survey
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reef_Life_Survey
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:52:57.811309+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: reef-life-survey-20260505-0
summary:
Reef Life Survey is a marine life monitoring programme based in Hobart, Tasmania. It is international in scope, but predominantly Australian, as a large proportion of the volunteers are Australian. Most of the surveys are done by volunteer recreational divers, collecting biodiversity data for marine conservation. The database is available to marine ecology researchers, and is used by several marine protected area managements in Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa and the eastern Pacific. == Function == Reef Life Survey provides data to improve biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of marine resources. They collect and curate biodiversity information at spatial and temporal scales beyond those possible by most scientific dive teams which have to work with limited resources, by using volunteer recreational divers trained in the RLS survey procedures. The University of Tasmania houses and manages the RLS database, and the data is freely available to the public for non-profit purposes through public outputs, including their website. == History == Reef Life Survey was started by researchers at the University of Tasmania and initially funded by the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) Program. This program is the core activity of the Reef Life Survey Foundation Incorporated – a not for


id: scienceathome-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScienceAtHome-0.md
category: reference
title: ScienceAtHome
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ScienceAtHome
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:00.281715+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: scienceathome-20260505-0
summary:
ScienceAtHome is a team of scientists, game developers, designers and visual artists based at Aarhus University, Denmark. ScienceAtHome does research on quantum physics, citizen science and gamification. ScienceAtHome also develops games that contribute to scientific research, and studies how humans interpret information to achieve results superior to some algorithmic approaches. Most ScienceAtHome games are casual games and require no formal scientific training. Over 150,000 people have contributed to ScienceAtHome citizen science projects by playing games. Research games are also part of a much larger movement of creating serious games that go beyond mere entertainment. The premise behind such games is that humans are better than computers at performing certain tasks, because of their intuition and superior visual processing. Video games are now being used to channel these abilities to solve problems in quantum physics. == History == The idea of computer players solving quantum problems came to Jacob Sherson's mind while he was doing research at Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, in the group of Prof. Immanuel Bloch. The first form of ScienceAtHome was announced in 2012 based on the idea that computer game players could solve quantum problems. It was then called CODER – "Pilot Center for Community-driven Research: Game


id: scistarter-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SciStarter-0.md
category: reference
title: SciStarter
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SciStarter
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:01.474892+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: scistarter-20260505-0
summary:
SciStarter recruits, trains, and equips people for citizen science research projects in need of their help. It was founded by Darlene Cavalier and is a research affiliate of Arizona State University's School for the Future of Innovation in Society. SciStarter is a collection of smart web tools and an event-based organization that connects people to more than 1,200 registered and vetted citizen science projects, events, and tools. New tools, developed by SciStarter with support from the National Science Foundation, enable citizen scientists to find, join, and track their contributions across projects and platforms. The organization's primary goal is to break down barriers preventing non-scientists from fully engaging in scientific research. == Approach, Activities, & Results == The organization received a grant from the Simons Foundation to create open, customizable, plug-and-play software tools for ease of use, including application programming interface (API) documentation. Once projects are reviewed and shared on the site, anyone living within the prescribed geographic area of a study with internet access to the site can input live data. Information about SciStarter projects are also shared on the organization's partner sites, who export or import records with the SciStarter database. SciStarter's partner organizations include CitSci.org, the Atlas of


id: sea-hero-quest-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Hero_Quest-0.md
category: reference
title: Sea Hero Quest
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Hero_Quest
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:02.643254+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: sea-hero-quest-20260505-0
summary:
Sea Hero Quest is a mobile game which contributes to research on dementia. It was designed by independent British game company Glitchers in 2016 in association with Alzheimer's Research UK, University College London and the University of East Anglia and with funding from Deutsche Telekom. The idea for the game came from neuroscientist Michael Hornberger of the University of East Anglia who collaborated with Hugo Spiers of University College London, Antoine Coutrot of CNRS and a group of six other neuroscientists. The game was designed to help researchers to understand the mental process of 3D navigation, which is one of the first skills lost in dementia. It was hoped that a large number of people would play the game, thus contributing much more data than could easily be obtained in a laboratory experiment. In August 2017, a virtual reality edition of the game was released. == Gameplay == The plot of the game involves a sea journey taken by a son in a quest to recover the memories his father has lost to dementia. There are three sections: navigation, shooting flares to test orientation, and chasing creatures. Each has been "carefully crafted to be as fun and exciting as it


id: seakeys-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaKeys-0.md
category: reference
title: SeaKeys
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SeaKeys
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:03.974925+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: seakeys-20260505-0
summary:
SeaKeys is a large collaborative marine biodiversity project funded through the Foundational Biodiversity Information Program in South Africa. The purpose of the project is to collect and distribute genetic, species and ecosystem information relating to marine biodiversity in southern Africa, which may be used to support informed decision-making about the marine environment. == Purpose == The aim of the project is to collect and make available genetic, species and ecosystem information about Southern African marine biodiversity. This information is expected to be useful to support conservation planning to inform decisions regarding exploitation of marine resources. === DNA barcoding === There is a known deficit in marine and coastal biodiversity databases for most taxa in South Africa. SeaKeys is part of an effort to change this. A part of the project is to use DNA barcoding of common, invasive, commercially important, rare and endangered marine species to aid estimating species diversity and distributions. The barcodes are accessible through the Barcode of Life Database == History == The project public launch was held at the Iziko South Africa Museum on 18 March 2014. == Management == The SeaKeys project is managed though the South African National Biodiversity Institute marine programme under Dr


id: setilive-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SETILive-0.md
category: reference
title: SETILive
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SETILive
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:05.228360+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: setilive-20260505-0
summary:
SETILive was an online project of Zooniverse that utilized live participants to analyze radio telescope data in real time to recognize patterns to find extraterrestrial intelligences (ETI's). The project ceased live operations on 12 October 2014, but still allows archival analysis. == Project == The project was launched in February 2012 as part of Jill Tarter's 2009 TED Prize Wish. SETILive uses data provided by the Allen Telescope Array and presents it visually so that the public can collectively search for radio signals. The project focuses on radio frequencies that automated detection systems ignore due to the prevalence of man-made noise. Jill Tarter hopes that human analysts will be able to detect low signal-to-noise transmissions which confuse computers. The telescope scans the zone between a known star and a known planet where liquid water is possible. This is called the habitable zone. The website displays one to three different scans of an area of space. Its energy is measured and put into a waterfall display. Users must identify the areas of high energy—signals—by making two points through which a line is drawn. Users classify signals as: broken, continuous, or parallel. Users then must classify the signal as: erratic, wide, or


id: sharkbook-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharkbook-0.md
category: reference
title: Sharkbook
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharkbook
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:06.401850+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: sharkbook-20260505-0
summary:
Sharkbook is a global database for identifying and tracking sharks, particularly whale sharks, using uploaded photos and videos.In addition to identifying and tracking sharks, the site allows people to "adopt a shark" and get updates on specific animals. == Creation == Sharkbook is the result of collaboration between Simon J Pierce of the Marine Megafauna Foundation and Jason Holmberg of Wild Me. The software is Open Source and is now being used by other biology projects. == Identification of individual sharks == Whale sharks have unique spot patterning on their sides, similar to a human fingerprint, which allows for individual identification. Scuba divers around the world can photograph sharks and upload their identification photographs to the Sharkbook website, supporting global research and conservation efforts. Additionally, the software automatically searches social media sites like YouTube and Instagram to look for images of whale sharks and adds them to the database. Sharkbook software uses special pattern-matching software to identify the unique spots on each shark. This software and algorithms were originally adapted from NASA star tracking software used on the Hubble Space Telescope. This software uses a scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm, which can cope with complications presented by highly variable spot


id: smithsonian-transcription-center-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Transcription_Center-0.md
category: reference
title: Smithsonian Transcription Center
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Transcription_Center
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:07.640397+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: smithsonian-transcription-center-20260505-0
summary:
The Smithsonian Transcription Center is a crowdsourcing transcription project that aims to assist with the preservation and digitization of handwritten material in the Smithsonian Institution. The Transcription Center cites five reasons why transcription matters: discovery, humanities research, scientific research, education, and readability. Collections available for transcription include such documents as scientist field notebooks, artist diaries, astronomy logbooks, botany and bumblebee specimens and certified currency proofs. The Smithsonian Transcription Center began in June 2013 and spent approximately a year in a beta test phase. On 12 August 2014 the Transcription Center website was launched to the public. As well as transcribing, volunteers review the submitted work before it is sent for approval. The final transcription is then checked by Smithsonian staff and once accepted, both the original images of the work and the transcription are kept on line. The Transcriptions Center has an open call for anyone wanting to join in on transcribing documents for their many projects. Researches, educators, history buffs, amateur social scientists, and citizens are welcome to volunteer to transcribe for any of the many projects. The Transcription Center hopes that it will engage the public by making the Smithsonian Institution collections accessible. == References == == External


id: society-for-amateur-scientists-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Amateur_Scientists-0.md
category: reference
title: Society for Amateur Scientists
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Amateur_Scientists
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:08.840850+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: society-for-amateur-scientists-20260505-0
summary:
The Society for Amateur Scientists (SAS) was a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to "helping ordinary people do extraordinary science". It was the first organization ever created for the generalists of citizen science. Rather than supporting a narrow interest, such as amateur astronomy or archeology, SAS supported amateur research into all fields of science and in so doing, it helped to launch the modern citizen science movement. == History == The Society for Amateur Scientists was the brainchild of Shawn Carlson, Ph.D., a physicist from the University of California, Berkeley's Center for Particle Astrophysics. Inspired by the example of his grandfather, a gifted amateur scientist named George Donald Graham, Carlson founded SAS in San Diego, California on January 1, 1994. Members of the founding Board of Trustees included Nobel Prize winner Glenn Seaborg and Guggenheim Fellowship winner Paul MacCready. Dr. Carlson led the organization for 16 years until he closed it to pursue other interests in science education. In 1995, Scientific American magazine tapped Carlson, due to his leadership in the citizen scientist community, to write their long running column The Amateur Scientist. During the six years that Carlson wrote this column, SAS grew to a reported 2,000 members. In 1999,


id: stardust-home-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust@home-0.md
category: reference
title: Stardust@home
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stardust@home
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:10.051926+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: stardust-home-20260505-0
summary:
Stardust@home is a citizen science project that encourages volunteers to search images for tiny interstellar dust impacts. The project began providing data for analysis on August 1, 2006. From February to May 2000 and from August to December 2002, the Stardust spacecraft exposed its "Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector" (SIDC), a set of aerogel blocks about 0.1 m2 (1 ft2) in total size, to interstellar dust. The collector media consist of 130 blocks of 1 and 3 cm thick silica-based aerogel mounted in aluminum cells. In order to spot impacts of interstellar dust, just over 700,000 individual fields of the aerogel will have to be visually inspected using large magnification. Each field, which is composed of 40 images, will thus be termed a "focus movie". Stardust@home will try to achieve this by distributing the work among volunteers. Unlike distributed computing projects, it does not try to harness the processing power of many computers. It uses them only to distribute and present the tasks to humans. This approach is similar to the earlier Clickworkers project to find Martian craters. Participants must pass a test to qualify to register to participate. After registering and passing the test, participants have access to the web-based


id: steve-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEVE-0.md
category: reference
title: STEVE
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEVE
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:11.440695+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: steve-20260505-0
summary:
STEVE is an atmospheric optical phenomenon that appears as a purple and green light ribbon in the night sky, named in late 2016 by aurora watchers from Alberta, Canada. The backronym later adopted for the phenomenon is the Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement. According to analysis of satellite data from the European Space Agency's Swarm mission, the phenomenon is caused by a 25 km (16 mi) wide ribbon of hot plasma at an altitude of 450 km (280 mi), with a temperature of 3,000 °C (3,270 K; 5,430 °F) and flowing at a speed of 6 km/s (3.7 mi/s) (compared to 10 m/s (33 ft/s) outside the ribbon). The phenomenon is not rare, but had not been investigated and described scientifically prior to that time. == Discovery and naming == The STEVE phenomenon has been observed by auroral photographers for decades. Some evidence suggests that STEVE observations may have been recorded as early as 1705. Notations resembling the phenomenon exist in some observations from 1911 to the 1950s by Carl Størmer. The first accurate determination of the nature of the phenomenon was not made, however, until after members of a Facebook group, Alberta Aurora Chasers, named it, attributed it to


id: steve-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEVE-1.md
category: reference
title: STEVE
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STEVE
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:11.440695+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: steve-20260505-0
summary:
=== 2019 === "How Did We Miss This? An Upper Atmospheric Discovery Named STEVE" "First Observations From the TREx Spectrograph: The Optical Spectrum of STEVE and the Picket Fence Phenomena" "Color Ratios of Subauroral (STEVE) Arcs" "A new dataset of STEVE phenomenon related observations spanning multiple solar cycles" "Subauroral Green STEVE Arcs: Evidence for Low-Energy Excitation" "Magnetospheric Signatures of STEVE: Implications for the Magnetospheric Energy Source and Interhemispheric Conjugacy" "High-Latitude Ionospheric Electrodynamics Characterizing Energy and Momentum Deposition during STEVE Events Reported by Citizen Scientists" "Steve: The Optical Signature of Intense Subauroral Ion Drifts" "Optical Spectra and Emission Altitudes of Double-Layer STEVE: A Case Study" "The Vertical Distribution of the Optical Emissions of a Steve and Picket Fence Event" "Identifying STEVE's Magnetospheric Driver Using Conjugate Observations in the Magnetosphere and on the Ground" "STEVE and the Picket Fence: Evidence of Feedback-Unstable Magnetosphere-Ionosphere Interaction" "Possible Evidence of STEVE in Dynamics Explorer-2 Data" === 2020 === "Early Ground-Based Work by Auroral Pioneer Carl Størmer on the High-Altitude Detached Subauroral Arcs Now Known as "STEVE"" "Early Evidence of Isolated Auroral Structures in the 100 km Height Regime Observed at Subauroral Latitudes by the Aurora Pioneer Carl Størmer" "Early Ground-Based Work by Auroral Pioneer Carl


id: tabby-s-star-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star-0.md
category: reference
title: Tabby's Star
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:12.633620+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tabby-s-star-20260505-0
summary:
Tabby's Star (designated as KIC 8462852 in the Kepler Input Catalog, and also known by the names Boyajian's Star and WTF(Where'sTheFlux?) Star) is a binary star in the constellation Cygnus approximately 1,470 light-years (450 parsecs) from Earth. The system is composed of an F-type main-sequence star and a red dwarf companion. Unusual light fluctuations of Tabby's Star, including up to a 22% dimming in brightness, were discovered by citizen scientists as part of the Planet Hunters project. The discovery was made from data collected by the Kepler space telescope, which observed changes in the brightness of distant stars to detect exoplanets. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the star's large irregular changes in brightness, but as of 2024, none of them fully explain all aspects of the resulting light curve. It has been suggested that it is an extraterrestrial megastructure, but evidence tends to discount this suggestion. In September 2019, astronomers reported that the observed dimmings of Tabby's Star may have been produced by fragments resulting from the disruption of an orphaned exomoon. Tabby's Star is not the only star that has large irregular dimmings; other such stars include young stellar objects called YSO dippers, which have different dimming


id: tabby-s-star-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star-1.md
category: reference
title: Tabby's Star
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:12.633620+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tabby-s-star-20260505-0
summary:
On 20 May 2017, Boyajian and her colleagues reported, via The Astronomer's Telegram, on an ongoing dimming event (named "Elsie") which possibly began on 14 May 2017. It was detected by the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, specifically by its telescope in Maui (LCO Maui). This was verified by the Fairborn Observatory (part of the N2K Consortium) in Southern Arizona (and later by LCO Canary Islands). Further optical and infrared spectroscopy and photometry were urgently requested, given the short duration of these events, which may be measured in days or weeks. Observations from multiple observers globally were coordinated, including polarimetry. Furthermore, the independent SETI projects Breakthrough Listen and Near-InfraRed Optical SETI (NIROSETI), both at Lick Observatory, continue to monitor the star. By the end of the three-day dimming event, a dozen observatories had taken spectra, with some astronomers having dropped their own projects to provide telescope time and resources. More generally the astronomical community was described as having gone "mildly bananas" over the opportunity to collect data in real-time on the unique star. The 2% dip event was named "Elsie" (a homophone of "LC", in reference to Las Cumbres and light curve). Initial spectra with FRODOSpec at the two-meter


id: tabby-s-star-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star-2.md
category: reference
title: Tabby's Star
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:12.633620+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tabby-s-star-20260505-0
summary:
== Luminosity == Observations of the luminosity of the star by the Kepler space telescope show small, frequent, non-periodic dips in brightness, along with two large recorded dips in brightness two years apart. The amplitude of the changes in the star's brightness, and the aperiodicity of the changes, mean that this star is of particular interest for astronomers. The star's changes in brightness are consistent with many small masses orbiting the star in "tight formation". The first major dip, on 5 March 2011, reduced the star's brightness by up to 15%, and the next 726 days later (on 28 February 2013) by up to 22%. (A third dimming, around 8%, occurred 48 days later.) In comparison, a planet the size of Jupiter would only obscure a star of this size by 1%, indicating that whatever is blocking light during the star's major dips is not a planet, but rather something covering up to half the width of the star. Due to the failure of two of Kepler's reaction wheels, the star's predicted 750-day dip around February 2015 was not recorded. The light dips do not exhibit an obvious pattern. In addition to the day-long dimmings, a study of a century's


id: tabby-s-star-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star-3.md
category: reference
title: Tabby's Star
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:12.633620+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tabby-s-star-20260505-0
summary:
One proposed explanation for the reduction in light is that it is due to a cloud of disintegrating comets orbiting the star elliptically. This scenario would assume that a planetary system around Tabby's Star has something similar to the Oort cloud and that gravity from a nearby star caused comets from said cloud to fall closer into the system, thereby obstructing the spectra of Tabby's Star. Evidence supporting this hypothesis includes an M-type red dwarf within 132 billion kilometers (885 AU) of Tabby's Star. The notion that disturbed comets from such a cloud could exist in high enough numbers to obscure 22% of the star's observed luminosity has been doubted. The smooth shallow ingress and sharp egress of some dimming events, as well as some symmetric triple dips, are difficult to explain with the comet scenario. Instead, a few asteroid-like bodies embedded in a dust cloud may better explain the star's light curve. Submillimetre-wavelength observations searching for farther-out cold dust in an asteroid belt akin to the Sun's Kuiper Belt suggest that a distant "catastrophic" planetary disruption explanation is unlikely; the possibility of a disrupted asteroid belt scattering comets into the inner system is still to be determined. === Younger


id: tabby-s-star-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star-4.md
category: reference
title: Tabby's Star
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabby's_Star
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:12.633620+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tabby-s-star-20260505-0
summary:
=== Intrinsic luminosity variations === The reddening observed during the deep dimming events of Tabby's Star is consistent with cooling of its photosphere. It does not require obscuration by dust. Such cooling could be produced by a decreased efficiency of heat transport caused e.g. by decreased effectiveness of convection due to the star's strong differential rotation, or by changes in its modes of heat transport if it is near the transition between radiative and convective heat transport. The "missing" heat flux is stored as a small increase of internal and potential energy. The possible location of this early F star near the boundary between radiative and convective transport seems to be supported by the finding that the star's observed brightness variations appear to fit the "avalanche statistics" known to occur in a system close to a phase-transition. "Avalanche statistics" with a self-similar or power-law spectrum are a universal property of complex dynamical systems operating close to a phase transition or bifurcation point between two different types of dynamical behavior. Such close-to-critical systems are often observed to exhibit behavior that is intermediate between "order" and "chaos". Three other stars in the Kepler Input Catalog likewise exhibit similar "avalanche statistics" in their


id: tela-botanica-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tela_Botanica-0.md
category: reference
title: Tela Botanica
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tela_Botanica
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:13.870659+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tela-botanica-20260505-0
summary:
Tela Botanica is a collaborative network of francophone botanists (about 47 000 enrolled in 110 countries at the beginning of 2020). It served as a model for the network of entomologists Tela Insecta, which is developing in partnership with Tela Botanica. == Context == The Tela Botanica network was created with the aim of supporting the renewal of botany in the French-speaking world, in the context of the protection of the planet's resources and the need for their sustainable exploitation. == History == The Tela Botanica network was created in December 1999 and is managed by a French association: Association Tela Botanica. Its founding members include three legal entities (the Société botanique de France, the botanical review La Garance voyageuse and the association ACEMAV) and the initiator of the project is Daniel Mathieu. The headquarters of the association is located at the Institute of Botany of Montpellier (Montpellier 2 University). In four years, the network doubled its number of registrants, whereas it took seven years to reach the ten thousandth registrant. The 20,000th member joined the association on April 22, 2013. By 2014, the network has approximately 24,000 registered members and approximately 13,000 pages of the site are accessed daily.


id: tracking-the-wild-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_the_Wild-0.md
category: reference
title: Tracking the Wild
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tracking_the_Wild
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:15.186208+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: tracking-the-wild-20260505-0
summary:
Tracking the Wild is a social media platform built specifically for wildlife. The platform has a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, it is a social media tool to share wildlife sightings and provide a host of reserve specific information. On the other hand, the platform embraces crowdsourcing and citizen science to generate valuable wildlife sightings data for conservation research. == History == Development of Tracking the Wild started in Cape Town in early 2012 by husband and wife team John White and Natalie White. The company officially launched in February 2014 with their website and Android app followed by the launch of their iPhone app in September 2014. In April 2017 John & Natalie starting working on a new platform, Birda, a social network designed specifically for the global birding community. == Participation == The Tracking the Wild platform is based on the crowdsourcing of valuable wildlife sightings by citizen science. Tracking the Wild users submit their wildlife sightings in the form of images and/or video together with a sighting's date and time, GPS location and species name. This open data is then incorporated into an online database and shared with wildlife researchers at the University of Cape Town's


id: ubiome-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBiome-0.md
category: reference
title: UBiome
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBiome
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:16.320591+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: ubiome-20260505-0
summary:
uBiome, Inc. was an American biotechnology company based in San Francisco that developed technology to sequence the human microbiome. Founded in 2012, the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019 following an FBI raid in an investigation over possible insurance fraud involving the US health insurance program Medicare. In 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged two of the cofounders (Jessica Richman and Zachary Apte) with defrauding investors. The couple were also charged with federal crimes including conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering. Since 2021, the FBI has considered the founders to be fugitives. == History == === Founding === The company was founded by Jessica Richman, Zachary Apte, and Will Ludington who were scientists in the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences. In November 2012, uBiome generated $350,000 through a crowdfunding campaign. The founders received mentoring and funding from Y Combinator and further funding from Andreessen Horowitz and 8VC. Jessica Richman was also found to have lied about her age to get on tech lists such as Forbes 30 under 30. She was in her forties at the time. === Insurance fraud investigation and liquidation === In April 2019, FBI agents raided the uBiome office in an investigation over possible


id: vigie-crat-re-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigie-Cratère-0.md
category: reference
title: Vigie-Cratère
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigie-Cratère
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:18.681849+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: vigie-crat-re-20260505-0
summary:
Vigie-Cratère is a citizen science project from France in which laypeople help scientists find craters on the surface of the Earth left by meteorites by viewing satellite photographs. Vigie-Cratère is part of a larger program called Vigie-Ciel. France's National Museum of Natural History, CNRS, University of Paris Saclay, Institut de recherche pour le développement, Paris Observatory, Grenoble Alpes University, Universcience, the Pythéas Institute, and the Natural History Museum Vienna pay for Vigie-Cratère. == References == == External links == Official website


id: visionature-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visionature-0.md
category: reference
title: Visionature
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visionature
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:19.971637+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: visionature-20260505-0
summary:
Visionature is a citizen science program initiated by the Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux (LPO) in 2007. It is now managed by around fifty French associations under the Faune-France umbrella and coordinated by the Ligue pour la protection des oiseaux. Its goal is to qualitatively and quantitatively expand knowledge about numerous species found in metropolitan France, track their evolution, and support conservation efforts. The program allows participating amateur naturalists to record observations of various taxa through the Faune-France web portal. This nature platform contains over fifty million data points, with birds making up the majority. Used in about a dozen European countries, the Visionature system centralizes nearly 300 million data points collected through various means including the mobile app NaturaList. == References == "Visionature : la science participative au service des oiseaux". lpo.fr. 2 March 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2023. == External links == Faune-France web portal


id: wikiaves-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiAves-0.md
category: reference
title: WikiAves
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WikiAves
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:21.383958+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: wikiaves-20260505-0
summary:
WikiAves is a free Brazilian site of bird watchers and aims to support, publicize and promote the activity of bird watching, through photographic and sound records, species identification and communication between observers. On the site are registered photos and sounds of bird species that occur in Brazil. The site was founded on December 16, 2008, and developed by Reinaldo Guedes. As of December 2018, there were over 2.4 million photos and 150,000 sound recordings of 1,880 different species, contributed by 30,000 users. Users contribute images and sound files, along with tentative identifications, and the community helps confirm the species photographed. According to Fatbirder's Birding Website, WikiAves ranks first in online popularity of bird watching sites. According to the Commented List of birds of Brazil by the Brazilian Ornithological Registries Committee, 1919 bird species have been identified in Brazil. So 98.3% of bird species scientifically registered in Brazil have a WikiAves record. == References == Luigi, Ceccaroni; Jaume, Piera (October 25, 2016). Analyzing the Role of Citizen Science in Modern Research (in English). [S.l.]: IGI Global. ISBN 9781522509639


id: world-water-monitoring-day-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Water_Monitoring_Day-0.md
category: reference
title: World Water Monitoring Day
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Water_Monitoring_Day
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:22.653132+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: world-water-monitoring-day-20260505-0
summary:
World Water Monitoring Day was an international day established in 2003 by America's Clean Water Foundation (ACWF) as a global educational outreach program. The program, subsequently named the "World Water Monitoring Challenge" and "EarthEcho Water Challenge," aims to build public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by empowering citizens to carry out basic monitoring of their local water bodies. Roberta (Robbi) Savage, ACWF's president and CEO created WWMD, and Edward Moyer was the first WWMD Coordinator. A simple test kit enables everyone, children and adults, to sample local water bodies for a set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Information on purchasing low-cost test kits is available from the current sponsoring organization, EarthEcho International, and the results of monitoring events are then shared with participating communities around the globe on the sponsor's website. World Water Monitoring Day was originally celebrated annually on September 18. This date was initially chosen to be a month later (October 18) to recognize the anniversary of the US Clean Water Act, which was enacted by Congress in 1972 to restore and protect the country's water resources. In 2007, the date was changed to


id: xeno-canto-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeno-canto-0.md
category: reference
title: Xeno-canto
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeno-canto
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:23.990831+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: xeno-canto-20260505-0
summary:
xeno-canto is a citizen science project and repository in which volunteers record, upload and annotate recordings of birds, orthoptera, bats, frogs and land mammals. Since it began in 2005, it has collected over 1,000,000 sound recordings from more than 12,900 species worldwide, and has become one of the biggest open collections of wildlife sounds in the world. All the recordings are published under one of the Creative Commons licenses, including some with open licences. Each recording on the website is accompanied by a spectrogram and location data on a map displaying geographical variation. Data from xeno-canto has been re-used in many (a few thousand) scientific papers. It has also been the source of data for an annual challenge on automatic birdsong recognition ("BirdCLEF") since 2014, conducted as part of the Conference and Labs of the Evaluation Forum. The website is supported by a number of academic and birdwatching institutions worldwide, with its primary support being in the Netherlands. == History == xeno-canto, which translates to "strange sound", is a sounds-only project seeking to highlight sounds of birds, rather than images or videos. xeno-canto was launched on May 30, 2005, by Bob Planqué, a mathematical biologist at VU University Amsterdam, and


id: alan-alda-center-for-communicating-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Alda_Center_for_Communicating_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Alda_Center_for_Communicating_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:39.815969+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: alan-alda-center-for-communicating-science-20260505-0
summary:
The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science is a cross-disciplinary organization founded in 2009 within Stony Brook University's School of Communication and Journalism, in Stony Brook, New York. Its current director is Laura Lindenfeld. Its goal is to help scientists learn to communicate more effectively with the public, including policymakers, students, funders and the media. It was inspired by Alan Alda, the actor, writer and science advocate, in whose honor it was renamed in 2013, and is supported by Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. == Programs == All Alda Center programs are based on the Alda Method, a form of communication training that blends improvisational theater exercises and message-design strategies. The Method helps scientists and researchers connect more directly with listeners and respond more spontaneously to their needs. By 2020 there had been 15,000 attendees at these improv workshops. In 2012, Alda and the Center issued the "Flame Challenge", asking scientists to come up with the best explanation for a flame for an intended audience of 11-year-olds. == References == == External links == Official website


id: associa-o-brasileira-de-editores-cient-ficos-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associação_Brasileira_de_Editores_Científicos-0.md
category: reference
title: Associação Brasileira de Editores Científicos
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associação_Brasileira_de_Editores_Científicos
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:41.024172+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: associa-o-brasileira-de-editores-cient-ficos-20260505-0
summary:
The Associação Brasileira de Editores Científicos (ABEC Brasil), is a Brazilian nonprofit organization founded in 1985, and dedicated to the advancement of publication of scientific journals. ABEC Brasil is headquartered in Botucatu, São Paulo (state), Brazil and its president is Sigmar de Mello Rode. == History == ABEC Brasil was founded on October 11, 1985, during the Second Meeting of Scientific Journal Editors, at ICB/USP. Its first President was Francisco Alberto de Moura Duarte. == Activities == ABEC Brasil is interested in developing and improving the publication of scientific journals, and stimulates this through regularly publishing material of scientific editorial interest, promoting of conferences, seminars and courses, and maintaining contact with institutions and related societies in Brazil and abroad. == See also == SciELO Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature National Council for Scientific and Technological Development == References == == External links == Official website


id: bristol-dinosaur-project-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Dinosaur_Project-0.md
category: reference
title: Bristol Dinosaur Project
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Dinosaur_Project
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:42.325979+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bristol-dinosaur-project-20260505-0
summary:
The Bristol Dinosaur Project is a public engagement and educational initiative run by the University of Bristol. It began in 2000, and since then the Bristol Dinosaur Project team has visited hundreds of schools and spoken to tens of thousands of children, as well as appearing at science fairs in Bristol and elsewhere. == Background == The Bristol dinosaur, Thecodontosaurus antiquus, was found in 1834, and named in 1836, and did not achieve much recognition locally, either at the time of discovery, in the 1830s, nor later, when it was restudied, in the 1870s, 1900s, or 1990s. After the re-examination of specimens collected in the 1830s, still located in Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, and the collection of additional specimens from Tytherington quarry, in the 1970s, local paleontologists and geologists realised the potential to use the newly reinvigorated research programme as a means to include the public, especially local children, in the excitement of scientific discovery. == Funding == Initially, the Bristol Dinosaur Project was funded by the University of Bristol using widening participation funds. These were funds intended to reach out to local schools that did not have a reputation for sending many children to university. By sending


id: bugscope-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugscope-0.md
category: reference
title: Bugscope
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugscope
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:43.582620+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: bugscope-20260505-0
summary:
Bugscope is a web-based science outreach program that connects K-12 classrooms with microscopists at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at UIUC to explore insects under a high-powered scanning electron microscope (SEM). Launched in 1998, Bugscope allows students to observe microscopic details of insects and other organisms, sparking curiosity and fostering scientific discovery. The program has reached students globally, offering live, interactive sessions that align with educational standards. == Award == The Science Prize for Online Resources in Education (SPORE) from AAAS was awarded to Bugscope for its impact on science education in 2011. == References ==


id: committee-on-the-public-understanding-of-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_on_the_Public_Understanding_of_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Committee on the Public Understanding of Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_on_the_Public_Understanding_of_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:44.887355+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: committee-on-the-public-understanding-of-science-20260505-0
summary:
The Committee on the Public Understanding of Science or Copus was founded in 1985 by the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS), the Royal Institution and the Royal Society. Copus came about as a result of the 'Bodmer Report' by the eminent geneticist Walter Bodmer. The aim of Copus was to interpret scientific advances and make them more accessible to non-scientists. It played a part in developing the public understanding of science it establishing standards for communicating science and technology The Copus Grant Schemes was set up in 1987 and the last round of grants was for 2003/4. The scheme was funded by the Office of Science and Technology and the Royal Society. 25 grants worth a total of over £750,000 were awarded in 2003/2004. In 2000 The new Copus Council was formed to be a more inclusive partnership for science communication in the UK. In 2002 following a report commissioned by the Office of Science and Technology the Copus Council was discontinued. == References ==


id: czexpats-in-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czexpats_in_Science-0.md
category: reference
title: Czexpats in Science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czexpats_in_Science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:46.121793+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: czexpats-in-science-20260505-0
summary:
Czexpats in Science is an organization founded in 2018 with the aim of connecting Czech scientists who are currently working overseas and those who have come back to the Czech Republic after gaining experience abroad. == Objectives and activity == The initiative's core mission is to foster connections among Czech scientists overseas, facilitate information sharing, and aid the return of Czech scientists to their homeland. The organization's activities encompass both online and offline aspects. Online activities are primarily centred around the Map of Scientists project, which highlights the workplaces of 290 Czech scientists across 37 countries worldwide (as of March 2020). Additionally, the organization produces blogs detailing individual researchers' experiences abroad and short articles aimed at popularizing the achievements of Czech scientists overseas. Offline activities include the annual pre-Christmas gathering of scientists in the Czech Republic, local meetings of Czech researchers in various countries, and the organization of workshops aimed at supporting Czech students' international journeys. == Support and cooperation == The association is supported from various sources, including the Experientia Foundation, the Neuron Foundation for the Support of Science, as well as contributions from private companies and crowdfunding via darujme.cz. Collaboratively, the association partners with several Czech universities, the


id: doitpoms-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DoITPoMS-0.md
category: reference
title: DoITPoMS
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DoITPoMS
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:47.309128+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: doitpoms-20260505-0
summary:
Dissemination of IT for the Promotion of Materials Science (DoITPoMS) is a web-based educational software resource designed to facilitate the teaching and learning of Materials science, at the tertiary level for free. == History == The DoITPoMS project originated in the early 1990s, incorporating customized online sources into the curriculum of the Materials Science courses in the Natural Sciences Tripos of the University Cambridge. The initiative became formalized in 2000, with the start of a project supported by the UK national Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL). This was led by the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge with five partner institutions, including the University of Leeds, London Metropolitan University, the University of Manchester, Oxford Brookes University, and the University of Sheffield. This period of cooperation lasted for about 10 years. The FDTL project was aimed at building on expertise concerning the use of Information Technology (IT) to enhance the student learning experience and to disseminate these techniques within the Materials Education community in the UK and globally. This was done by creating an archive of background information, such as video clips, micrographs, simulations, etc, and libraries of teaching and learning packages


id: easiness-effect-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easiness_effect-0.md
category: reference
title: Easiness effect
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easiness_effect
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:48.572476+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: easiness-effect-20260505-0
summary:
The easiness effect is the claim that as a result of science popularization laypeople develop an overconfident scientific understanding. This results in science-related decision-making that reflects a misunderstanding of popular science rather than the judgment of professional scientists. == Context == Rainer Bromme and Susan Goldman, writing in the Educational Psychologist describe the context, stating: "Challenges to understanding science include determining the relevance of information, the tentativeness of scientific truth, distinguishing between scientific and nonscientific issues, and determining what is true and what is false." Scotty Hendricks, a contributing writer to BigThink.com, notes that popular science writers might have to start considering the effect that their work has on the general public. == Evidence == Scharrer and her co-authors studied the claimed effect by inviting laypeople to read popular science articles or articles with more scientific detail, publishing their results in Public Understanding of Science. The subjects were then interviewed to judge their scientific opinions and confidence in those opinions, in relation to the material that they had read. Scharrer's team inferred that there was a statistically significant effect of scientific overconfidence and willingness to override expert opinion. In some of their experiments, Scharrer's team attempted to counteract the easiness


id: ec1-science-and-technology-center-in-d-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC1_Science_and_Technology_Center_in_Łódź-0.md
category: reference
title: EC1 Science and Technology Center in Łódź
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EC1_Science_and_Technology_Center_in_Łódź
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:49.785877+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: ec1-science-and-technology-center-in-d-20260505-0
summary:
EC1 Science and Technology Centre is a science centre located in the former Heat Power Station in Łódź, Poland. Primarily Łódź Power Station (Polish: Elektrownia Łódzka) was a first city power station producing electricity for citizens. Operational since 1907, expanded in 1929, worked till 2000 and regarded as a historical monument due to its architectural values. Revitalised since 2010 and adapted for cultural and educational purposes. The exhibition was opened on 7 January 2018 and it is a part of the EC1 Łódź - City of Culture complex. The institution is co-run by the City of Łódź and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The name EC1 is an acronym referring to the later, but also to the historical name of the facility, i.e. the Heat and Power Station No. 1 in Łódź (Polish: Elektrociepłownia nr 1 w Łodzi). The science centre is addressed to a wide audience to popularising science, technology and allow visitors to perform experiments including: acoustics, electromagnetism, magnetism, fluid mechanics, optics, thermal conductivity, radioactivity. == Exhibition == The exhibition area is over 18 000 m2 and the total cost of equipment was PLN 45.5 million (about €10.4M), of which nearly PLN 18.4 million (about €4.2M)


id: festival-of-nature-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_Nature-0.md
category: reference
title: Festival of Nature
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_of_Nature
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:51.045406+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: festival-of-nature-20260505-0
summary:
The Festival of Nature is an annual science festival in the UK which describes itself as the UK's largest free celebration of the natural world. The festival takes place in June across Bristol, and Bath. Featuring events, including lectures, tours and film screenings on subjects of science, natural history and the environment. The festival, run by Natural History Consortium, has taken place across the region since 2003. Historically, the festival has held events at, We The Curious, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, Bristol Zoo, the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England, though there are many other events across the cities, such as at Blaise Castle Estate and Leigh Woods National Nature Reserve. Notable past speakers include broadcasters David Attenborough and David Bellamy, geneticist Steve Jones and primatologist Jane Goodall. The Natural History Consortium also organises 'Communicate', a conference of scientists, environmentalists, broadcasters and journalists, who meet to discuss the issue of communicating conservation issues to the public, as well at the UK's BioBlitz network. == References == == External links == Festival of Nature


id: hype-in-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_in_science-0.md
category: reference
title: Hype in science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_in_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:53.468272+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: hype-in-science-20260505-0
summary:
In science communication and academic publishing, hype in science is the exaggeration and sensationalism of scientific discoveries when submitting discoveries to scientific journals and when publicizing results in the news media. Hype in science has been seen to come as a result of scientists working in an increasingly competitive field where the discoveries published by an individual have large ramifications on that individual’s income and career path. In order to make their work stand out, many scientists will exaggerate their findings and embezzle their writing with affirmative terms. Many studies have been completed that show how the frequency of terms that may be used to affirm or exaggerate findings has increased in recent decades as academia and the competitiveness of science journals increases as well. Scientific journals engage in hype in science as well as the scientists. Journals are more likely to publish articles which use more exciting and positive language. These articles are what get the non-scientific general public interested, and therefore are contenders for press releases and articles in mainstream news outlets. == Sources of hype == Hype in science occurs at every level of scientific publication. The objectives at each level are mostly the same, but the


id: i-m-a-scientist-get-me-out-of-here-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_a_Scientist,_Get_me_out_of_here!-0.md
category: reference
title: I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here!
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I'm_a_Scientist,_Get_me_out_of_here!
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:54.701433+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: i-m-a-scientist-get-me-out-of-here-20260505-0
summary:
I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here! is an online science enrichment activity that runs throughout term-time in the UK. School students interact with scientists in text-based live chats in themed 'Zones'. At the end of the event the school students vote for their favourite scientist and the winner is awarded prize money to support further science communication. == Background == Pilots for I'm a Scientist, Get me out of here began in 2008, and were well received by school students and teachers. It was founded by Shane McCracken of Gallomanor Communications. The activity is divided into several zones, which focus on either general science or a specific industry. The funding for each zone is provided by an associated learned society, organisation or industry. Prior to 2020, the competition format was similar to The X Factor, and school students vote for the winner based on answers they receive to their questions submitted online and in live, text-based chats with the scientists. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m a Scientist became an 'on demand' activity with Zones lasting longer, and scientists staying until the end of each Zone. Participating scientists are given an opportunity to develop their communication skills whilst school


id: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival-0.md
category: reference
title: Insect Fear Film Festival
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:57.277260+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
summary:
The Insect Fear Film Festival or IFFF is an annual free event held every spring since 1984, and is the first university-sponsored event of its kind in the U.S., typically taking place on a Saturday in February. Organized by the Entomology Graduate Students Association at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the festival blends education with entertainment. It showcases films, shorts, and TV episodes that highlight insect biology and celebrate the role of insects in popular culture. The purpose of the event is to dispel fears of insects by providing relative knowledge while various insect-themed monster movies are shown. Before the films begin, May Berenbaum, the festival organizer, the UI Entomology department head and professor, typically introduces each film, providing scientific context, debunking inaccuracies, and exploring why we fear insects. She also points out "biological improbabilities" and filmmaking flaws, often noting that some films are "so bad they’re actually entertaining." (However, the organisers often have to watch the films several times in order to identify a theme and select the best films. "It’s really excruciating sometimes," Berenbaum said.) The festival typically includes several animated shorts and two or three feature-length films. The evening usually starts with a family-friendly film, as parents and


id: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival-1.md
category: reference
title: Insect Fear Film Festival
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:57.277260+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
summary:
=== Insect art contest === Since 1993, the lFFF also features an Insect Art Contest for K–12 students, since 1993, inviting them to explore their creativity while learning about insects. Students (K–12) are encouraged to submit artwork that depicts insects and arthropods in any medium. The contest aims to inspire young minds to appreciate the beauty and complexity of these creatures, fostering a deeper understanding of the insect world. Winning entries are often displayed at the festival, providing an opportunity for students to showcase their work to the community. In 1990s, the contest was held with the Natural History Museum, where the winning drawings were displayed for two weeks. Due to the pandemic, the 2021 and 2022 Insect Art Contests were held online with a virtual art gallery to showcase students' artwork. In 2023, the contest returned to an in-person format. The insect-themed artwork contest is usually due by mid-February annually. Please submit your artwork to the Entomology Graduate Student Association (EGSA), UIUC, or contact the IFFF coordinators, typically the EGSA presidents, for details. === Bugscope === At the Insect Fear Film Festival (IFFF), attendees will have the opportunity to experience a $600,000 high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) firsthand, gaining


id: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival-2.md
category: reference
title: Insect Fear Film Festival
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:57.277260+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
summary:
=== 39th annual Insect Fear Film Festival (2022) === The 39th IFFF, themed "Venomous," took place online via Zoom on February 26, 2022. This year's festival featured a variety of engaging and educational activities, including a special presentation by Justin Schmidt, creator of the Schmidt Sting Pain Index, which rates the pain caused by insect stings. Attendees could explore a virtual insect petting zoo, learn about venomous insects through the Bugscope, and take a virtual tour of the Illinois Natural History Survey's insect collection. The event also included fun and interactive elements such as bee ventriloquism, insect-themed crafts, and an art contest featuring insect-themed artwork created by local K-12 students. The film program consisted of a mix of animated and live short films divided into three segments: first, exaggerated comic depictions of insect stings; second, dramatic or humorous reactions to stings, including severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis; and third, scientific insights into the world of venomous arthropods, showcasing their various venom delivery methods and potential beneficial uses. A highlight was a live stinging demonstration to provide a first-hand look at the process of venom delivery. The festival highlighted the fascinating diversity of venomous insects, from honeybee stings used for


id: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival-3.md
category: reference
title: Insect Fear Film Festival
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:57.277260+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
summary:
=== 33rd Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (2016) === The 33rd Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (IFFF) took place on Saturday, February 27, at 6 p.m. in Foellinger Auditorium, with the theme "Exploding Arthropods." The event, hosted by the Entomology Graduate Student Association, highlighted real-life explosive insects, such as bombardier beetles, which spray hot chemicals as a defense, and exploding carpenter ants, which sacrifice themselves to protect their colonies. Parasitoid wasps, whose larvae chew their way out of their hosts, also contributed to the theme. These natural "explosions" were mirrored in the festival's films, featuring mutant cockroaches and giant, lava-breathing tarantulas. The evening featured three films: Palm Rot (2015; 7.5 minutes), Bug (1975), and Lavalantula (2015). The event began with Palm Rot (2015; 7.5 minutes), a short animated film introduced by the event special guest and its creator, Ryan Gillis. Following that, Bug (1975) told the story of a scientist who unintentionally created a breed of intelligent, combustible cockroaches. The evening concluded with Lavalantula (2015), in which giant, lava-spewing tarantulas wreaked havoc in Los Angeles after a volcanic eruption. === 32nd Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (2015) === The 32nd IFFF was held on February 28, 2015, at 6 p.m.


id: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival-4.md
category: reference
title: Insect Fear Film Festival
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:57.277260+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
summary:
=== 27th Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (2010) === The 27th IFFF, held on February 27, 2010, centered on the theme of prehistoric insects. The event offered an intriguing look into the origins of today's insects, with highlights including fossils like Meganeura, a dragonfly-like creature with a wingspan of nearly 30 inches that lived around 300 million years ago, and trilobites—ancient arthropods that once inhabited the seas. The evening featured animated shorts The Deadly Mantis (1957), where a giant mantis is freed by nuclear testing, and Monster on the Campus (1958), in which a dragonfly's blood contamination turns a scientist into a Neanderthal. The evening also featured screenings of Black Scorpion (1957), in which volcanic activity unleashes giant scorpions in Mexico, followed by Deep Freeze (2001, also known as Ice Crawlers), which depicts the reappearance of grad-student-eating trilobites in the Antarctic. === 26th Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (2009) === The 26th IFFF, themed "Centipede Cinema," took place on February 28, 2009. The event focused on myriapods (centipedes and millipedes), which, despite their many legs, are arthropods, not insects. Centipedes, known for their predatory habits, and millipedes, which feed on decaying matter, were featured for their unique characteristics. The festival


id: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-5
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival-5.md
category: reference
title: Insect Fear Film Festival
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:57.277260+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
summary:
=== 21st Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (2004) === The 21st IFFF, held on February 28, 2004, focused on "genetically engineered insects." This year's theme traced the evolution of insect horror films, from radiation fears in the 1950s to insect mutations in the 1970s. With the rise of gene manipulation in the early 1980s, genetically modified insects became a new horror movie trope, reflecting public fears about the potential risks of emerging technologies. The short films included Bus of the Undead (2001)from Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Insect Inside (1998) from The Powerpuff Girls. This year showcased three featured films: The Tuxedo (2002), in which Jackie Chan stars in a story where genetically engineered water striders grow to enormous size and threaten freshwater supplies. The film inaccurately suggests water striders have queens, which they do not. Mimic (1997), suggested by movie critic Roger Ebert, follows an entomologist who creates genetically modified "Judas Breed" cockroaches to combat a deadly disease, only for the bugs to evolve into human-like creatures that prey on people in New York City's subways. Despite the absurd use of litmus paper to identify the "Judas breed" of cockroaches, the film effectively highlights the dangers of genetic experimentation


id: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-6
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival-6.md
category: reference
title: Insect Fear Film Festival
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect_Fear_Film_Festival
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:57.277260+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: insect-fear-film-festival-20260505-0
summary:
=== 15th Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (1998) === The 15th Insect Fear Film Festival (IFFF), held in February 1998, focused on "Roaches Redux." Dr. Berenbaum, the organizer, remarked on the irony that, in 1997, Americans spent approximately $250 million on cockroach poisons, only to spend nearly the same amount watching movies about them. Short films of this year included animated Raid commercials from the 1960s, Warner Brothers' Bingo Crosbyana, episodes of Santa Bugito, and the trailer for Twilight of the Cockroaches. Feature-length highlights included War of the Coprophages (1996), an X-Files episode where Agent Mulder teams up with entomologist Dr. Bambi Berenbaum to battle possible alien cockroaches; Joe’s Apartment (1996), a comedy about a young man befriending singing, dancing cockroaches in New York, with special effects by UIUC alumnus Chris Trimble; and Men in Black (1997), featuring a cockroach-like alien. === 14th Annual Insect Fear Film Festival (1997) === The 15th IFFF, held in February 1997, embraced an "all ants, all the time!" theme and marked the first year the festival was held in Foellinger Auditorium. AN(T)imated shorts of this year included Dance of the Ants, Gay Anties, Ant Pasted, Ants in the Plants, One Less Ant, and Porky’s


id: intellectual-freedom-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom-0.md
category: reference
title: Intellectual freedom
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:58.522346+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: intellectual-freedom-20260505-0
summary:
Intellectual freedom encompasses the freedom to hold, receive and disseminate ideas without restriction. Viewed as an integral component of a democratic society, intellectual freedom protects an individual's right to access, explore, consider, and express ideas and information as the basis for a self-governing, well-informed citizenry. Intellectual freedom comprises the bedrock for freedoms of expression, speech, and the press and relates to freedoms of information and the right to privacy. The United Nations upholds intellectual freedom as a basic human right through Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which asserts: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The institution of libraries in particular values intellectual freedom as part of their mission to provide and protect access to information and ideas. The American Library Association (ALA) defines intellectual freedom as "the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement can


id: intellectual-freedom-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom-1.md
category: reference
title: Intellectual freedom
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:58.522346+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: intellectual-freedom-20260505-0
summary:
In the Supreme Court's upheld decision to deny citizenship to Rosika Schwimmer, a Hungarian immigrant, because she refused to pledge to take up arms to defend the United States out of her pacifist views and beliefs, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. personally disagrees with the defendant's views but professionally upholds Schwimmer's position when he writes, Some of her answers might excite popular prejudice, but if there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other it is the principle of free thought – not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought we hate. === Library Bill of Rights (1939) === The American Library Association adopts the Library Bill of Rights affirming "that all libraries are forums for information and ideas." Originally a three-point declaration to guide services in American free public libraries including statements on "growing intolerance, suppression of free speech, and censorship," today the Library Bill of Rights includes six basic policies to guide library services that affirm intellectual freedom. === Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) === Following World War II, the United Nations adopts The Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a "foundation of human


id: intellectual-freedom-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom-2.md
category: reference
title: Intellectual freedom
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:58.522346+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: intellectual-freedom-20260505-0
summary:
=== Intellectual Freedom Committee === The Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) is a council committee of the American Library Association (ALA), composed of 11 ALA members who are appointed by ALA's Council to serve 2-year terms. The Intellectual Freedom Committee functions as an advisory and educational arm of the ALA's commitment to intellectual freedom. The IFC recommends policies concerning intellectual freedom and censorship, drafts guidelines for library professionals to advocate and defend intellectual freedom including The Universal Right to Free Expression and Importance of Education to Intellectual Freedom, and drafts policy statements adopted by the ALA including several interpretation statements on the Library Bill of Rights such as: Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Gender or Sexual Orientation Free Access to Libraries for Minors Prisoners' Right to Read Statement on Library Use of Filtering Software The IFC drafts and submits statements to the ALA as part of the committee's charge to "recommend such steps as may be necessary to safeguard the rights of library users, libraries, and librarians, in accordance with the first amendment to the united states constitution and the Library Bill of Rights as adopted by the ALA Council [and]


id: intellectual-freedom-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom-3.md
category: reference
title: Intellectual freedom
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:58.522346+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: intellectual-freedom-20260505-0
summary:
=== Freedom to Read Foundation === The Freedom to Read Foundation was incorporated in 1969 by members of the American Library Association. Although founded by ALA members, the FTRF is a separate organization from ALA with separate membership focused upon the legal defense of intellectual freedom for libraries, librarians, library staff, and library trustees. While the FTRF participates in intellectual freedom education efforts, the FTRF primarily aims to "support and defend librarians whose positions are jeopardized because of their resistance to abridgments of the First Amendment; and to set legal precedent for the freedom to read on behalf of all the people." In the foundation's commitment to "the principle that the solution to offensive speech is more speech, and the suppression of speech on the grounds that it gives offense to some infringes on the rights of all to a free, open and robust marketplace of ideas," the FTRF awards and distributes grants to aid intellectual freedom litigation, directly participates as a party to intellectual freedom litigation, and submits amicus curiae briefs in freedom of speech and freedom of the press cases. FTRF assistance to library staff whose jobs have been jeopardized due to their defense of intellectual freedom "attempts


id: intellectual-freedom-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom-4.md
category: reference
title: Intellectual freedom
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:58.522346+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: intellectual-freedom-20260505-0
summary:
The Fear of the Word: Censorship and Sex. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1974. Ideas and the University Library: Essays of an Unorthodox Academic Librarian. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1977. Defending Intellectual Freedom: The Library and the Censor. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1980. To Free the Mind: Libraries, Technology, and Intellectual Freedom. Littleton, CO: Libraries Unlimited, 1983." Awarded to acknowledge authorship in the area of intellectual freedom, the IFRT considers "single articles (including review pieces), a series of thematically connected articles, books, or manuals published on the local, state or national level in English or English translation" for receipt of the Eli M. Oboler Award. === John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award === Since 1976, the ALA's Intellectual Freedom Round Table annually sponsors the John Phillip Immroth Memorial Award. Consisting of a $500 prize and a citation, the award "honors the courage, dedication, and contribution of a living individual, group, or organization who has set the finest kind of example for the defense and furtherance of the principles of intellectual freedom." Upon his death in 1979, the award was renamed for John Phillip Immroth, the founder and first Chair of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table. The Immroth award differs from other intellectual


id: intellectual-freedom-20260505-5
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom-5.md
category: reference
title: Intellectual freedom
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_freedom
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:58.522346+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: intellectual-freedom-20260505-0
summary:
=== United States === In the aftermath of the September 11th attacks issues concerning the suspension or reduction of civil liberties in the name of national security have arisen. Legislation such as the Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002 and the USA PATRIOT Act (often shortened to the Patriot Act) of 2001 encroach upon intellectual freedom rights to privacy and freedom of information to enhance domestic security from potential terrorist threats and acts. The Patriot Act in particular has come under fire from numerous intellectual freedom organizations. The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) has criticized the Patriot Act as unconstitutional, especially when "the private communications of law-abiding American citizens might be intercepted incidentally," Additionally, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) maintains that the lower standard applied to wiretaps "gives the FBI a 'blank check' to violate the communications privacy of countless innocent Americans". The American Library Association (ALA) has partnered with American libraries in opposition to a provision in Section 215 which allows the FBI to apply for an order to produce materials that assist in an investigation undertaken to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities. The "tangible things" that can be targeted include "books, records, papers, documents, and


id: international-centre-for-integrated-mountain-development-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Centre_for_Integrated_Mountain_Development-0.md
category: reference
title: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Centre_for_Integrated_Mountain_Development
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:53:59.782758+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: international-centre-for-integrated-mountain-development-20260505-0
summary:
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre founded in 1983, serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. The HKH region is a vast area, encompassing mountain ranges stretching from the Hindu Kush range in northern Afghanistan to the Arakan range in Myanmar, with the Himalayan range as its spine, and also includes the Tibetan Plateau. ICIMOD's mission is to promote partnerships amongst the regional member countries to secure a better future for the people and environment of the region. ICIMOD is headquartered at Khumaltar in the city of Lalitpur, located in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal. At Godavari in Lalitpur, ICIMOD has a Knowledge Park which exhibits some applications of ICIMOD's theoretical and field research. In addition, ICIMOD has country offices in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ICIMOD's partner organisations include national and international scientific institutions, government agencies, donor agencies, and the private sector, both within the region and outside. == History == === Origins === In December 1974, the idea of creating an institution to promote the ecologically sound development of mountainous regions was discussed at


id: national-council-for-science-and-technology-communication-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Council_for_Science_and_Technology_Communication-0.md
category: reference
title: National Council for Science and Technology Communication
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Council_for_Science_and_Technology_Communication
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:02.242914+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: national-council-for-science-and-technology-communication-20260505-0
summary:
The National Council for Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC) is a scientific programme of the Government of India for the popularisation of science, dissemination of scientific knowledge and inculcation of scientific temper. Established under the Department of Science and Technology, it "is mandated to communicate Science and Technology to masses, stimulate scientific and technological temper and coordinate and orchestrate such efforts throughout the country." Following the science communication plan introduced in the Sixth Five-Year Plan of India, NCSTC was established in 1982. == Objectives == NCSTC has three major objectives: For developing a building capacity for informed decision and promote scientific thinking to the Indian communities. For the development of society using scientific knowledge and organise programmes using different media to reach every citizen. To conduct outreach activities, including training in science and technology communication, awareness programmes, dissemination of scientific knowledge, award incentives, promote scientific research, develop international co-operation, while providing special attention to women. == History == The Government of India in its Sixth Five-Year Plan in 1980 introduced an elaborate scheme for the promotion of science and technology. It constituted a Cabinet Committee on Science and Technology (CCST) on 3 March 1981. Chaired by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi,


id: natural-frequency-statistics-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_frequency_(statistics)-0.md
category: reference
title: Natural frequency (statistics)
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_frequency_(statistics)
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:03.422873+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: natural-frequency-statistics-20260505-0
summary:
A common question in medicine is how likely it is that someone has a disease when they get a 'positive' test result. Because some people without the disease also test positive, not everyone who tests positive has the disease. Expressing the probabilities using natural frequencies – absolute counts from a sample showing the joint probabilities (disease x test result) – makes the question easier to answer. For example, by stating that 100 out of 10,000 women have breast cancer, 90 out of 100 with breast cancer have a positive mammogram and 990 out of 9,900 without breast cancer have a positive mammogram. In contrast, people struggle when you give the same information as conditional probabilities. That is, when they are given information in a format like this: 80% of women with breast cancer test positive on a mammogram, whereas 9.6% of healthy women also get a positive test (false positive). One percent of women has breast cancer. People often neglect the base rate of people with breast cancer when given this information (base rate fallacy), leading them to overestimate how likely it is someone has the disease given a positive test result. In one study, only 6% of medical students


id: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center-0.md
category: reference
title: Notre Dame QuarkNet Center
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:04.641333+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-0
summary:
The Notre Dame QuarkNet Center at the University of Notre Dame was established in 1999. QuarkNet is a nation-wide program that pairs university faculty with high school teachers and students to perform summer research related to physics, astronomy, chemistry, and biology. Along with Notre Dame, QuarkNet centers are sponsored by dozens of other universities. The Notre Dame QuarkNet Center is regarded as a flagship center for the program. The program was started by particle physicists associated with Fermilab in Illinois and CERN in Switzerland and has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the United States Department of Energy (DoE). == 1997 to early 2000s == === Randal Ruchti and Patrick Mooney === In 1997, professor Randal Ruchti of the University of Notre Dame began efforts to teach particle physics to local high school students in the South Bend, Indiana community. In particular, he wanted to link students to experiments being conducted at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Illinois and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland. Ruchti had also been selected as a United States educator coordinator for the LHC. Ruchti engaged young people with demonstrations at the annual Science Alive event hosted by the South Bend


id: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center-1.md
category: reference
title: Notre Dame QuarkNet Center
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:04.641333+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-0
summary:
=== Tom Loughran === Tom Loughran of the University of Notre Dame participated in a summer 2000 Research Experience for Teachers (RET) experience at the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center under the guidance of professor Ruchti. Loughran had obtained a Ph.D. in philosophy from Notre Dame in 1986. Loughran would go on to work in various aspects and offshoots of the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center and Fermilab such as the I2U2 education program, Michiana BioEYES, and the Notre Dame Extended Research Community (NDeRC). === Smithsonian cosmic rays === In the Summer of 2001, Randal Ruchti and Barry Baumbaugh of Notre Dame installed a cosmic ray detector in a permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. The detector was included in the "Explore the Universe" exhibit that highlighted instruments built by astronomers and scientists. Ruchti and Baumbaugh's detector was the only live functioning device in the exhibit and utilized a night vision scope to project live views of cosmic ray particle tracks on a screen. The night vision scope detected faint pulses of light generated when high energy particles pass through a bundle of special fiber optic material in the device. The building of cosmic ray detectors


id: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center-2.md
category: reference
title: Notre Dame QuarkNet Center
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:04.641333+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-0
summary:
=== Siemens Competition === In 2006, junior students Mengwen Zhang (Penn High School) and Kristen Anderson (Bremen High School) were selected as finalists for the Siemens Competition for scientific research held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The students had presented their QuarkNet summer research project named "Performance of Scintillating and Waveshifting Fibers for Particle Detectors". The research was related to the particle accelerator at CERN. Both students were introduced to the QuarkNet program by their high school science teachers. Anderson and Zhang performed their research project under the direction of QuarkNet staff members Dan Karmgard and Mark Vigneault. Anderson obtained a bachelor's degree from MIT and now works in the aerospace industry. Zhang was the Penn High School co-valedictorian and later obtained her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from UC Santa Barbara and works as a patent engineer. === CRiL === In 2007, Marian High School junior Tony Coiro and LaLumier High School junior Caleb Phillps worked at the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center under the direction of Dan Karmgard, Jeff Chorny, Danielle McDermott, then an Arkansas high school physics teacher, research technician Mike McKenna, and physicist Barry Baumbaugh of Notre Dame. Their project was to build a table-top cosmic


id: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center-3.md
category: reference
title: Notre Dame QuarkNet Center
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:04.641333+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-0
summary:
=== I2U2 === In 2008, Tom Loughran was selected as Education Program Leader for the Interactions in Understanding the Universe (I2U2) program. This NSF-funded effort had been established by Marge Bardeen of Fermilab. Within I2U2, Loughran would spearhead the continuing development of e-Labs which had been used by other QuarkNet teachers nationally. Work on e-Labs became part of the summer research performed at the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center. The e-Labs were designed as a free resource that would link data and researchers from academic settings to high school educators and students. The e-Labs drew on work in cosmic rays, observations from the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment within the LHC, and data from the LIGO gravitational wave experiment. In 2009, Loughran sponsored a Notre Dame workshop for local teachers to showcase the new LIGO e-Lab. Physics teacher Mark Kirzeder of Marian High School stated that "It's going to be a neat application." Kirzeder would go on to become a QuarkNet teacher in 2010. He had taught mathematics at Mishawaka Marian High School since 2005 and would be appointed principal of the school in 2014. === ILC === In 2009, a group of Notre Dame faculty and local high school teachers


id: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-4
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center-4.md
category: reference
title: Notre Dame QuarkNet Center
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:04.641333+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-0
summary:
=== Notre Dame DVT === In 2013, Ken Andert of LaLumiere High School attended the Live Interactive Planetarium Symposium held at Seminole State College in Sandford, Florida. Andert started work as a QuarkNet teacher in 1999 and has worked with astronomy professor Keith Davis of Notre Dame in the university's Digital Visualization Theater (DVT) at the Jordan Hall of Science. The DVT is a 136-seat, 50-foot-domed planetarium theatre. The Notre Dame QuarkNet DVT group was established in 2008. Along with Ken Andert and Keith Davis, other participants include Ed Fidler of New Buffalo High School and Notre Dame QuarkNet staff member Jeff Marchant. Andert and Davis teach summer QuarkNet students the foundations of 3D animation by using professional modeling and rendering software. Along with LaLumiere students, Andert and Davis created a 3D simulation of particle collisions from the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva, Switzerland. The simulation was designed to be projected onto a planetarium dome and was presented at the 2013 Sanford, Florida planetarium symposium. In 2016, LaLumiere students Camille Goethals and Oliver McNeil presented a simulation of the entire ring of the Large Hadron Collider at the Notre Dame DVT. To


id: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-5
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center-5.md
category: reference
title: Notre Dame QuarkNet Center
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_QuarkNet_Center
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:04.641333+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: notre-dame-quarknet-center-20260505-0
summary:
In 2023, Kenneth Cecire spoke at the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023) in Nagoya, Japan. The talk detailed the building of Cosmic Watches at the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center. Invented by Spencer Axani of MIT, the Cosmic Watch is an inexpensive cosmic ray detector that can be utilized in high school and university physics classes. Before, the Notre Dame QuarkNet Center had a long-term project to build and test larger, tabletop size cosmic ray detectors for use in the classroom. In an effort provide less expensive units that could make up a class set of detectors, Notre Dame QuarkNet teacher Dan Kallenberg of Adams High School had spearheaded the construction of several Cosmic Watches during the summer of 2019. In 2020, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cecire and Kallenberg, along with collaborator Joel Klammer, were part of an "Accel Kitchen" workshop held at the Hiroo Gakuen school in Tokyo where they performed Cosmic Watch experiments and demonstrations. In 2022, Kallenberg, with help from Senior Technician Daniel Ruggiero and summer students, built 48 Cosmic Watches that would be provided to local and national QuarkNet teachers for testing. Miki Ohtsuka, a visiting teacher from Waseda Honjo Senior High


id: pathological-science-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_science-0.md
category: reference
title: Pathological science
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathological_science
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:05.888446+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: pathological-science-20260505-0
summary:
Pathological science is an area of research where "people are tricked into false results ... by subjective effects, wishful thinking or threshold interactions." The term was coined by Irving Langmuir, Nobel Prize-winning chemist, during a 1953 colloquium at the Knolls Research Laboratory. Langmuir said a pathological science is an area of research that simply will not "go away"—long after it was given up on as "false" by the majority of scientists in the field. He called pathological science "the science of things that aren't so." In his 2002 book, Undead Science, sociology and anthropology Professor Bart Simon lists it among practices that are falsely perceived or presented to be science, "categories ... such as ... pseudoscience, amateur science, deviant or fraudulent science, bad science, junk science, pathological science, cargo cult science, and voodoo science." Examples of pathological science include the Martian canals, N-rays, and cold fusion. The theories and conclusions behind all of these examples are currently rejected or disregarded by the majority of scientists. == Definition == Pathological science, as defined by Langmuir, is a psychological process in which a scientist, originally conforming to the scientific method, unconsciously veers from that method, and begins a pathological process of wishful


id: physics-outreach-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach-0.md
category: reference
title: Physics outreach
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:07.185423+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: physics-outreach-20260505-0
summary:
Physics outreach encompasses facets of science outreach and physics education, and a variety of activities by schools, research institutes, universities, clubs and institutions such as science museums aimed at broadening the audience for and awareness and understanding of physics, including through trust-building with non-expert audiences. While the general public may sometimes be the focus of such activities, physics outreach often centers on developing and providing resources and making presentations to students, educators in other disciplines, and in some cases researchers within different areas of physics. == History == Ongoing efforts to expand the understanding of physics to a wider audience have been undertaken by individuals and institutions since the early 19th century. Historic works, such as the Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, and Two New Sciences by Galileo Galilei, sought to present revolutionary knowledge in astronomy, frames of reference, and kinematics in a manner that a general audience could understand with great effect. In the mid-1800s, English physicist and chemist, Michael Faraday gave a series of nineteen lectures aimed towards young adults with the hopes of conveying scientific phenomena. His intentions were to raise awareness, inspire them and generate revenue of the Royal Institution. This series became known


id: physics-outreach-20260505-1
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach-1.md
category: reference
title: Physics outreach
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:07.185423+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: physics-outreach-20260505-0
summary:
=== France === Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (Paris) is the largest French science museum, and contains permanent exhibits and hands-on experiments. Palais de la Découverte (Paris) contains permanent exhibits and interactive experiments with commentaries by lecturers. It includes a Zeiss planetarium with 15-metre dome. It was created in 1937 by the French Nobel Prize physicist Jean Baptiste Perrin. Musée des Arts et Métiers (Paris) focuses on the preservation of scientific instruments and inventions. Other science museums that are part of the Cultural Center of Science, Technology and Industry (CCSTI) exist all across France : Espace des Sciences (Rennes), La Casemate (Grenoble), the Cité de l'espace (Toulouse). === Germany === Deutsches Museum (Munich) is the world's largest science museum. One of the most popular events is the high voltage demonstration of a Faraday cage as part of their series on electric power. === Islamic Republic of Iran === Iran Science and Technology Museum (Tehran) is the largest science museum in Iran. This museum, by holding varied scientific and educational programs, provides the required situation for creation and propagation of scientific thought in the society. One of these programs is the "Physics Show". === Netherlands === NEMO (Amsterdam) is the


id: physics-outreach-20260505-2
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach-2.md
category: reference
title: Physics outreach
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:07.185423+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: physics-outreach-20260505-0
summary:
=== Internet === MinutePhysics is a series of educational videos created by Henry Reich and disseminated through its YouTube channel. It displays a series of pedagogical short videos about various physics phenomena and theories. Physics World publication, run by the Institute of Physics, started explaining scientific concepts through its YouTube channel. Palais de la Découverte in Paris hosts online videos that display various interviews about science, including physics. Unisciel, a French online university, hosts educational videos through its YouTube channel. Veritasium is a series of educational videos created by Derek Muller and disseminated through its YouTube channel. It displays a series of pedagogical short videos about science, including physics. Saint Mary's Physics Demonstrations is an online repository for physics classroom demonstrations. It shows teachers the experiments they can do in class while also hosting videos of said experiments. Periodic Videos is a portal of educational videos explaining the characteristics of each element and supporting topics such as nuclear reactions. The project is sponsored by the University of Nottingham and hosted by Prof. Sir Martyn Poliakoff. == Prominent individuals == === Austria === Fritjof Capra is an Austrian-born American physicist, who attended the University of Vienna, where he earned his Ph.D.


id: physics-outreach-20260505-3
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach-3.md
category: reference
title: Physics outreach
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physics_outreach
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:07.185423+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: physics-outreach-20260505-0
summary:
== Funding sources == American Physical Society awards grants up to $10,000 to help APS members develop new physics outreach activities. Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter (ICAM) provides grants and fellowships for physics outreach. Wellcome Trust, while mostly focused on biological sciences, the Wellcome Trust also touches on physics and encourages physics outreach. They aim to improve biology, chemistry, and physics A levels in the UK. Institute of Physics (IoP) The IoP aims to provide positive and compelling experiences of physics for public audiences through engaging and entertaining activities and events. The public engagement grant scheme is designed to give financial support of up to £1500 to individuals and organisations running physics-based events and activities in the UK and Ireland. == Awards == Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people Klopsteg Memorial Award is presented by the American Association of Physics Teachers and given in memory of the physicist Paul E. Klopsteg Kelvin Prize is awarded by the Institute of Physics to acknowledge outstanding contributions to the public understanding of physics. The Michael Faraday Prize for communicating science to a UK audience is awarded


id: popsicule-20260505-0
file: data/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popsicule-0.md
category: reference
title: Popsicule
tags: science, encyclopedia
source_url: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popsicule
date_saved: 2026-05-05T06:54:08.424844+00:00
instance: kb-cron
parent: popsicule-20260505-0
summary:
Popsicule (also referred to as the Popsicule) is the Science in Popular Culture and Entertainment Hub of the Australian National University. Established in 2022 by Anna-Sophie Jürgens, a Senior Lecturer in science communication, it is based within the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science. Through interdisciplinary research, teaching, and creative public engagement initiatives, the hub focuses on the cultural meanings of science, examining how popular culture shapes public discourse, understanding, and cultural ideas about science, as well as the relationship between science and society. Its activities include courses, publications, film screenings and discussions, the development of science communication formats, and collaborations with scientists, artists, and cultural practitioners. In 2025, Popsicule received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Programs that Enhance Learning at ANU. == History == Popsicule was established in 2022 at the Australian National University by Anna-Sophie Jürgens. It developed from Jürgens’s research on the cultural meanings of science, humour, and popular entertainment, as well as from her teaching in science communication and popular culture. From its inception, Popsicule combined research, teaching, and public engagement activities, functioning as a platform for science engagement and research collaboration, a teaching laboratory, and a space for student publications. Its work has


