citizen science

What can science centres teach us?

rabble staff — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 18:13:49 +0000

Science centres convey the principles, wonder and realities of the natural world to a public often overwhelmed by the jargon, pace and detail of science and engineering.

Science centres kindle passion for the natural world

rabble staff — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 14:45:01 +0000

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Like this column? rabble is reader-supported journalism. Chip in to keep stories like these coming.

As I write this I'm in Montreal just wrapping up my coverage of the Association of Science - Technology Centers (ASTC) annual conference.

What can science centres teach us? They convey the principles, wonder and realities of the natural world to a public often overwhelmed by the jargon, pace and detail of science and engineering.

Digging science: Citizens amplify knowledge about the natural world

David Suzuki — Tue, 05 May 2015 22:16:12 +0000

One of this year's most popular Sundance Film Festival entries, Tangerine, was shot with an iPhone 5S and edited with an $8 app called Filmic Pro. New technology has also made music easier to produce and distribute, inspiring independent musicians. Science, too, is now in the hands of citizens around the world. From the ocean depths to the outer reaches of distant galaxies, and from projects run out of home garages to research platforms with over a million volunteer contributors, science has never been more accessible to the average person. Citizen science can link people to an established project or encourage those working on their own.

We can all be 21st-century scientists

David Suzuki — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 19:00:06 +0000

Our ancestors may not have called themselves "citizen scientists" or organized to collect data for scientific inquiry, but they were keen observers of the natural world. Their survival often depended on being able to tease apart nature's complexity -- where to find game and when to sow seeds, collect berries and prepare for winter or bad weather.

But our modern, technology-obsessed lives increasingly divorce us from nature, with consequences for our health and well-being. Numerous studies now remind us of what we know intuitively: Spending time in nature makes us feel better -- helping with depression, attention deficit disorder, recall and memory, problem-solving and creativity. People who spend more time outside are also physically healthier.

Looking at the intersections between citizen science and citizen journalism

RPN Coordinator — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:23:45 +0000

citijou_podcast_-_rabble.mp3

Citizen science is a growing movement that’s joining professional scientists with regular people around the world. Together, they’re expanding scientific knowledge and giving us all a better understanding of the world we live in. Western University’s masters in journalism class are exploring this emerging movement.

This episode looks at how citizen science and citizen journalism differ and what they can learn from one another. How can citizen scientists and citizen journalists collaborate to get the general public interested in science?

Digging for stories and crowdsourcing data in the age of the amateur

rabble staff — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:31:01 +0000

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

A look at what citizen journalism can tell us about citizen science.

A group of 36 students in Western University's Master of Arts in Journalism class has spent three months studying and reporting on citizen science. Over the past three weeks we have been sharing our citizen science stories -- how it emerged and evolved, where it stands now and where it's going. This is the final feature article in this series. Visit our Citizen Science page to read previous articles.

John Keefe knew the cicadas were coming. He knew swarms of them would emerge from their burrows in the eastern United States this spring after 17 years underground, and he knew that would be a story worth telling.

Citizen science: Big Data

RPN Coordinator — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:10:02 +0000

big_data_podcast_-_rabble_version.mp3

Alyssa Ashton, Rubab Abid and Amar Shah are journalism students at the University of Western Ontario and part of a team producing this Citizen Science series for co-publication by rabble.ca and The Tyee. This is the second episode in a series.

This episode looks at the importance of big data and how citizen science can make big data accessible and understandable to the general public.

Big Data: The role of citizen scientists in the age of information abundance

rabble staff — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:24:42 +0000

Friday, May 3, 2013

Scientists have access to more information than ever before -- they need your help to sort it. The latest in our series on Citizen Science.

A group of 36 students in Western University's Master of Arts in Journalism class has spent three months studying and reporting on citizen science. Over the past three weeks we have been sharing our citizen science stories -- how it emerged and evolved, where it stands now and where it's going. Visit our Citizen Science page to read previous articles. The series concludes next week.

Stephen Brabin is very good at folding proteins. He twists and contorts their structures, bending them to his will. He does this, not for his living, but for fun.

Citizen science: Getting started

RPN Coordinator — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:48:21 +0000

isissciencepodcast_rabble.mp3

Citizen scientists: Vital to the future of science

rabble staff — Wed, 01 May 2013 00:28:29 +0000

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

While citizen science may not be equal to the work done in labs, professionals are working to design projects that still produce valuable scientific data, especially in the field of medical science.

A group of 36 students in Western University's Master of Arts in Journalism class has spent three months studying and reporting on citizen science. Over the next three weeks, we will be sharing our citizen science stories -- how it emerged and evolved, where it stands now and where it's going. We will be tackling scepticism about whether or not it is indeed science, looking at the effectiveness of gathering "big data" and introducing activists who are using citizen science to bring attention to their causes. To view all of the articles in this special series thus far, visit our Citizen Science page.

Can citizen science activism come to the rescue?

rabble staff — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:39:07 +0000

Friday, April 26, 2013

While the 'muzzling' of Canadian government scientists is worrying to some democracy advocates, citizen science activism is one movement that is providing greater transparency.

Citizen science through the ages: Looking back on amateur astronomers and blue-collar biologists

rabble staff — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:08:30 +0000

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Mysteries have been solved and the unknown has become known thanks in large part to those that call themselves citizen scientists.

Fred Urquhart and the mystery of the missing monarchs

Can't muzzle this: Check out our series on the rise of citizen scientists

rabble staff — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:04:52 +0000

This week we launch our new citizen science series of articles.

Science: Citizens getting back to basics

rabble staff — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:36:07 +0000

Friday, April 19, 2013

At a time when the Canadian government is being investigated for attempts to muzzle scientists, a form of science -- citizen science -- that can't be silenced may be all the more important.

A group of 36 students in Western University's Master of Arts in Journalism class has spent three months studying and reporting on citizen science. Over the next seven weeks, we will be sharing our citizen science stories -- how it emerged and evolved, where it stands now and where it's going. We will be tackling scepticism about whether or not it is indeed science, looking at the effectiveness of gathering "big data" and introducing activists who are using citizen science to bring attention to their causes.

Citizen Scientists: Future looks bright for DIY tech

rabble staff — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:04:47 +0000

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Citizen scientists are more than hobbyists. They are people who are striving to contribute to scientific growth.

When John Powell was 17 years old, he and four friends got together and did something daring: they bid on a NASA contract.

"We were bidding against Lockheed (Martin) and Boeing and General Dynamics and all the big guys, and there were initially 600 bidders and it got down to three," Powell said.

"That's when NASA discovered that we were all 17 and in high school."

Because of their age, they were denied the contract. But it was the beginning of JP Aerospace, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to building low-cost spacecraft and technology.