1. Galaxy Zoo: In 2007, hundreds of thousands of citizen scientists helped classify millions of galaxies, leading to the discovery of a new type of galaxy, dubbed “green pea” galaxies, and yielding valuable data for astrophysicists studying galaxy evolution.
2. Foldit: Citizen scientists playing the online game Foldit were able to solve a complex protein-folding problem that had stumped researchers for over a decade. This breakthrough led to new insights into potential treatments for diseases like HIV/AIDS and cancer.
3. eBird: Launched in 2002, eBird is a citizen science project that collects data on bird sightings across the globe. The data has been used by researchers to study climate change impacts on bird migration patterns, track bird populations, and identify important bird habitats.
4. BioBlitz: A BioBlitz is an event where citizen scientists work with experts to identify as many species as possible in a designated area in a set amount of time. This type of crowd-sourced data collection has led to new species discoveries and helped researchers better understand ecosystems.
5. Zooniverse: With over 50 research projects across a variety of disciplines, Zooniverse is the world’s largest citizen science platform. Projects range from identifying animals in camera trap images to measuring the quality of air in different cities, and all rely on the collective power of citizen scientists.
6. Globe at Night: This citizen science project involves observing and reporting on the brightness of stars in the night sky. The data is used to track light pollution and its impact on urban environments and wildlife.
7. Stall Catchers: This online game asks players to “catch” stalls in blood vessels in the brains of mice. The data collected is used to identify potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
8. Old Weather: Citizen scientists help transcribe historical ship logs to create a database of climate and weather patterns from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The data has been used to study climate change impacts on Arctic sea ice and the North Atlantic Oscillation.
9. SETI@Home: By downloading a screensaver that analyzes radio telescope data, citizen scientists have helped search for extraterrestrial intelligence since 1999. The project has led to numerous scientific papers and increased interest in astrobiology.
10. Cicada Safari: In 2020, citizen scientists used the Cicada Safari app to track the arrival of Brood IX cicadas in the eastern United States. The data collected will help researchers understand cicada population dynamics and the impacts of climate change on these insects.
