updated Wed. September 18, 2024
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Discover Magazine (blog)
January 24, 2018
December 21st, 2017, just might enter the history books as the first day a citizen science trophy was ever awarded to a school. The trophy, bestowed to 250 students for contributing to Alzheimer's research, is now proudly displayed next to sports trophies & special achievement awards at a middle school inÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
January 18, 2018
If you feel like this year's flu season is a rough one, that's because it is. CBS News recently reported that this year's flu virus is dominated by a particularly nasty strain, H3N2, which has reached almost every corner of the country, causing prolonged illness in many and in some instances, death. The veryÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
December 6, 2017
In January 2016, a young sea turtle named Grace was found floating cold and listless next to a dock in Awendaw, South Carolina. She was rescued by compassionate locals to the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Care Center™ for life-saving medical treatment. Grace, who was the size of a dinner plateÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
May 16, 2017
With the summer approaching, so are the mosquitoes. Now a UN-backed global platform will align citizen scientists from around the world to track and control these disease-carrying species. By Yujia He. Mosquitoes are an annoying and unavoidable part of the warmer season. Their constant buzzingÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
March 15, 2017
Despite the current administration's efforts to roll back the Clean Water Act and dismantle the Environmental Protection Agency, interest and participation is growing in a new EPA- and stakeholder-led citizen science project that aims to inform clean water management. The Cyanobacteria MonitoringÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
January 31, 2017
Hundreds of millions of people depend on the ocean for their livelihoods, and almost 3 billion rely on it as a protein source. But countless threats — overfishing, destructive fishing practices, bycatch, dishonest catch reporting, habitat destruction — threaten our oceans and the people who depend on them.
Discover Magazine (blog)
October 1, 2016
Some of you have been keen to hear more news about the project to fight Alzheimer's – EyesOnALZ (formerly known as WeCureALZ), which we introduced in the earlier posts of this series. And guess what – we have big news to tell! And a brand new citizen science game to invite you to! Don't worry ifÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
September 22, 2016
Brandywine Creek, which runs through southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware, once powered the mills that supported European settlements in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Today, people rely on the creek for recreation and as a source of drinking water. SciStarter contributor Russ CampbellÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
June 4, 2016
When you think about wildlife you might encounter while boating, fish, turtles, and waterbirds all come to mind. But a growing group of citizen scientists in Wisconsin is using boats to find a whole different type of animal – bats. In parts of the state, bat monitoring by boat, canoe, or kayak has become the go-toÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
April 22, 2016
Earlier this year, we introduced you to WeCureALZ – a groundbreaking new project that for the first time is set to use the power of citizen science to conduct Alzheimer's research. Enabled by the support of the BrightFocus Foundation, the team is already preparing for the alpha testing of our first onlineÃâà...
Scientific American (blog)
February 5, 2016
The ECAST Network (Expert and Citizen Assessment of Science and Technology), an organization founded by Arizona State University, the Museum of Science, Boston; the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, SciStarter, Science Cheerleader, and the Loka Institute mediates forums where the public andÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
December 5, 2015
As monarch butterflies take their annual migratory trip to the west coast in winter, citizen scientists help researchers keep track with the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count. Find more migration projects on SciStarter! by Eva Lewandowski. Every autumn, the western North American population of monarchÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
August 17, 2015
In the new world of Big Data, we've learned how to acquire great data, but we're still struggling with accessing it, understanding it, and putting it to work. That's especially true with environmental data, where the urgency of problems facing people right now is driving efforts to turn raw digital input intoÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
July 19, 2015
How about giving me a quick lift? Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) (Image credit: Dave Huth/Flickr/CC BY-NC 2.0). Citizen scientists of the Salamander Crossing Brigades in New Hampshire help thousands of salamanders safely across dangerous roads in their migratory journey to the vernalÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
June 29, 2015
Civic minded citizen scientists in your community help meteorologists and the National Weather Service stay abreast of inclement weather with on-the-ground data. Earlier this week, the Midwest and Northeast were slammed with tornados and thunderstorms that grounded planes and held up trains.
Discover Magazine (blog)
March 2, 2015
With our ever-increasing connectivity and reliance on the internet, cybersecurity is a growing concern. Despite all the cautionary warnings about cyber safety, individuals, companies and government agencies still fall victim to attack. So what does it take to stay safe? NOVA, in partnership with computerÃâà...
Discover Magazine (blog)
May 20, 2014
I'm an information junkie. Talking about science, technology and design excite me. My idea of funny? Wry, with lots of puns. I'm a romantic at heart and I love jazz. And as you might guess from the fact that I'm writing this article, I'm a citizen science enthusiast. If you're wondering about how different from (orÃâà...