The Awesome Power of Citizen Science

The video explores the concept of citizen science, highlighting its historical roots and modern applications. It discusses how citizen scientists contribute to various fields, such as ecology, astronomy, and biology, through projects like the North American Breeding Bird Survey, SETI@home, and Galaxy Zoo. The video also covers the gamification of scientific challenges with platforms like Foldit and EteRNA, emphasizing the collaborative potential between amateurs and professionals. The future of citizen science is seen as promising, with technology making science more accessible to the public.

What is a key characteristic of citizen science?

• It is a new concept developed in the 21st century.

• It allows non-professionals to contribute to research.

• It involves paid professional scientists only.

• It requires a PhD to participate.

How has the perception of amateur scientists changed in recent decades?

• They are required to obtain formal training.

• They have become less involved in scientific research.

• They are still not allowed to publish research.

• They are now more respected and collaborate with professionals.

How do citizen scientists contribute to the North American Breeding Bird Survey?

• By counting bird species along survey routes.

• By designing new bird habitats.

• By funding the research projects.

• By training professional ecologists.

What is the primary role of volunteers in the SETI@home project?

• To manually analyze radio signals.

• To provide computer processing power.

• To design new radio telescopes.

• To write research papers on extraterrestrial life.

What is the main task of volunteers in the Galaxy Zoo project?

• To build new telescopes.

• To fund astronomical research.

• To classify galaxies by their appearance.

• To write software for data analysis.

What challenge did EteRNA gamers help solve?

• Designing symmetrical RNA structures.

• Developing new computer processors.

• Creating new video games.

• Building real-life laboratories.

What is a benefit of gamifying scientific problems?

• It reduces the need for professional scientists.

• It makes science accessible and engaging for the public.

• It increases the cost of research projects.

• It eliminates the need for data analysis.