[CAnet - news] Impact of Citizen Science on academic research

"Bill St. Arnaud" <[email protected]> Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:01:44 -0400
Newsgroups gmane.culture.publications.news
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For more information on this item please visit my blog at 

http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/ or http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com

-------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

 [Good article on the impact of citizen science on academic research.
Cyber-infrastructure will not only impact the way we do science at
universities but with the advent of clouds, grids, SOA, remote
instrumentation and Web 2.0 I believe we are entering a new renaissance era
where amateur scientists can have access to the same tools and techniques
used by professional researchers. Of course these same tools also allow us
to move power hungry laboratory and computer equipment off of our campuses
to more environmentally friendly zero carbon renewable energy sites -
accessible to all.  From a posting on Dewayne Hendricks list. BSA]

 

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08242008/postopinion/postopbooks/crowdsourcing_1
25790.htm 

 

"CROWDSOURCING"

Wired writer Jeff Howe's "Crowdsourcing" thesis is this: the "experts" -
whether they're top-tier physicists or movie-studio heads - don't have a
monopoly on the creation or distribution of information anymore. The crowd,
through technology that's been available for little more than a decade, has
broken that monopoly, transforming everything from entertainment to cancer
research.

.

Howe introduces this change with an amusing story about birdwatchers. Until
the Internet age, it was the experts who decided whether a bird is extinct
or not - and those experts still think they do. A few years ago, the
official scientific birdwatchers decided, after much study, that an extinct
bird in Mexico was actually not extinct.

But the amateur birdwatchers had long beaten them to this discovery with
their own online literature. "The birdwatchers were like, 'That's
interesting, but we did that a few years ago,' " one professional
ornithologist told Howe.

.

Before the 19th century, it was amateurs - often, but not always, from the
aristocracy - who made scientific discoveries, writing to each other to
share knowledge through informal societies like "the Invisible College,"
which later became the Royal Society.

But by the 1800s, universities and their increasingly specialized graduates
were jealous of the competition posed by amateurs, and started to shut them
out - successfully, until recently, when amateurs in fields ranging from
organic chemistry to investigative journalism could once again fairly
compete with the pros.

.

In science, an Italian homemaker with a heretofore unused organic chemistry
degree can put her talents to use after she puts her kids to bed, helping
companies like Procter and Gamble solve problems their own scientists
couldn't solve through a venture called InnoCentive. Participating companies
pay successful problem-solvers tens of thousands of dollars for their
breakthroughs. Video-renter Netflix has a $1 million reward on offer for
anyone who can increase a component of its customer-service software by 10
percent.

 

 

 

-------------------------------------

To subscribe or unsubscribe send e-mail to [email protected]

 

These news items and comments are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect
those  of the CANARIE board or management.

 

 

 

 


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<div class=3DSection1>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText>For more information on this item please visit =
my blog at
<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><a =
href=3D"http://green-broadband.blogspot.com/">http://green-broadband.blog=
spot.com/</a>
or <a =
href=3D"http://billstarnaud.blogspot.com">http://billstarnaud.blogspot.co=
m</a><o:p></o:p></p>

<p =
class=3DMsoPlainText>-------------------------------------------<o:p></o:=
p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>&nbsp;[Good article on the =
impact of
citizen science on academic research. Cyber-infrastructure will not only =
impact
the way we do science at universities but with the advent of clouds, =
grids, SOA,
remote instrumentation and Web 2.0 I believe we are entering a new =
renaissance
era where amateur scientists can have access to the same tools and =
techniques used
by professional researchers. Of course these same tools also allow us to =
move
power hungry laboratory and computer equipment off of our campuses to =
more
environmentally friendly zero carbon renewable energy sites &#8211; =
accessible
to all.&nbsp; From a posting on Dewayne Hendricks list. =
BSA]<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></=
p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>http://www.nypost.com/seven/08=
242008/postopinion/postopbooks/crowdsourcing_125790.htm
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></b></=
p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>&quot;CROWDSOURCING&quot;<o:p>=
</o:p></span></b></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Wired writer Jeff Howe's
&quot;Crowdsourcing&quot; thesis is this: the &quot;experts&quot; - =
whether
they're top-tier physicists or movie-studio heads - don't have a =
monopoly on
the creation or distribution of information anymore. The crowd, through
technology that's been available for little more than a decade, has =
broken that
monopoly, transforming everything from entertainment to cancer =
research.</span></b><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>&#8230;<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Howe introduces this change =
with an
amusing story about birdwatchers. Until the Internet age, it was the =
experts
who decided whether a bird is extinct or not - and those experts still =
think
they do. A few years ago, the official scientific birdwatchers decided, =
after
much study, that an extinct bird in Mexico was actually not =
extinct.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>But the amateur birdwatchers =
had long
beaten them to this discovery with their own online literature. =
&quot;The
birdwatchers were like, 'That's interesting, but we did that a few years =
ago,'
&quot; one professional ornithologist told Howe.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>&#8230;<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Before the 19th century, it =
was
amateurs - often, but not always, from the aristocracy - who made =
scientific
discoveries, writing to each other to share knowledge through informal
societies like &quot;the Invisible College,&quot; which later became the =
Royal
Society.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>But by the 1800s, =
universities and
their increasingly specialized graduates were jealous of the competition =
posed
by amateurs, and started to shut them out - successfully, until =
recently, when
amateurs in fields ranging from organic chemistry to investigative =
journalism
could once again fairly compete with the pros.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>&#8230;<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>In science, an Italian =
homemaker with
a heretofore unused organic chemistry degree can put her talents to use =
after
she puts her kids to bed, helping companies like Procter and Gamble =
solve
problems their own scientists couldn't solve through a venture called
InnoCentive. Participating companies pay successful problem-solvers tens =
of
thousands of dollars for their breakthroughs. Video-renter Netflix has a =
$1
million reward on offer for anyone who can increase a component of its
customer-service software by 10 percent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-------------=
------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>To
subscribe or unsubscribe send e-mail to <a
href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><o=
:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>These
news items and comments are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect
those&nbsp; of the CANARIE board or management.<o:p></o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoPlainText><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</=
o:p></span></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span
style=3D'font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></p>

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