In our blog this month (http://learningis4everyone.blogspot.com) , we're exploring "Citizen Science". The topic caught my eye after an article in Campus Technology (http://campustechnology.com/articles/49118/ ) about "Galazy Zoo". In Galaxy Zoo (http://www.galaxyzoo.org/), " Users log into the site, then are shown images of galaxies (and other cosmic entities). They then enter information about they images they see. What makes it exciting for volunteers (aside from just being able to help out on a major astronomy project) is the fact that most of the images have never been seen by human eyes before. "

This isn't the first time science has turned to the general public to tap into the vast numbers of ordinary curious citizens. The website, Citizen Science (http://www.citizensci.com/) features a wide array of categories with which anyone can assist, from the Great Lakes Worm Watch (!) to phenology (the study of when things happen in nature) to the grand old favorite, birding.

The idea of searching together for answers, sharing our observations and collected data, and collating our various points of views in the hopes of coalescing some conclusions is an engaging and promising one, I think, and a trend that I hope continues and strengthens!

Terri Willingham
Learningis4everyone.org