Amateur Science!

Zooniverse provided a very simple layout for some quick citizen science. I found it rather easy to start on some of the tasks. It was a learning curve that I feel could be overcome by many children especially if they were accompanied by an instructor. I feel like that would be a good way to collect data for this. There are a ton of galaxies in the universe, and if this was included as part of the education system, then there would be a much greater range of data out there. If every school made each student classify galaxies for an hour a year, one would think the data pool could improve significantly in just a few years.

Citizen science is one of the more obscure facets of science. The vast majority of what gets done in scientific experimentation is almost an insult to the intelligence of a scientist. They have to do very repetitive tasks, which may seem brilliant for just a few hours at a time, but for a 40 year career it would be quite draining. This is why I think that having citizens carry out some of the experimentation could be quite useful. A simple competency test may be required, as the people who are completing the data for projects such as galaxy zoo are anonymous people on the internet. It seems to me like a great way to reduce the cost of carrying out science and adding entry level jobs that aren't restaurant related to the economy. Sounds like a win-win.

In terms of adding to the scientific community citizens can be a great resource of time. Carrying out trials simultaneously and increasing the efficiency of the scientific machine could put science, and as a result society, on the fast track to a better future. It would help further science just by making it something that happens more quickly. It could be as significant in the improvement of science as the industrial revolution was to transport. Everything would happen in far less time. Cures for diseases wouldn't be drawn out over twenty years, and people would be able to contribute more to the curing of them than just jogging 5 kilometers.

It could help the general public simply by being a source of understanding. More people would learn about what scientists do. The public image of a scientist might change significantly, and we could end up with a much larger pool of people interested in joining the scientific community in more serious terms. It could also prevent people from injuring themselves in the following manner.