Zooniverse

Zooniverse is a collection of ‘citizen science' projects, which encourage members of the public to participate in scientific research, allowing scientists to work at greater speed and increase the scope and reach of their work.

Zooniverse is the work of the Citizen Science Alliance (CSA), a collaborative network of scientists and software developers managed by its partners, the universities of Oxford and Nottingham, the National Maritime Museum, Johns Hopkins University, the Royal Greenwich Observatory, the University of Minnesota and the Adler Planetarium.   

In 2007 the CSA launched Galaxy Zoo, which invited members of the public to help classify millions of galaxies. Its popularity allowed the Zooniverse to expand. There are now several fascinating live projects to participate in, with more on the way. 

HOW TO GET INVOLVED 

One account will serve for all the projects. So sign up and see which one you fancy contributing to. You can help map the surface of the moon, collaborate with astronomers exploring the universe, transcribe old weather logs to allow scientists to use metrological data from the past to predict climate patterns in the future, go on a hunt for supernovae, look out for explosions on the Sun and study simulations of the merging of galaxies!  

Inspirational, educative and enlightening, the Zooniverse is the sort of project that restores excitement to an internet undermined by vanity, trolling and the superficial connections of social media. This network, extraordinary beneficial to scientists and endlessly rewarding for volunteers, makes great use of our technologies, helping to establish vital links between the scientific community and the public. 

15 November 2010