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https://theconversation.com/there-may-be-10-times-as-many-citizen-scientists-in-australia-as-we-thought-and-thats-great-news-for-science-267870>
"Until recently, the number of citizen scientists in Australia was estimated at
between 100,000 and 130,000 people.
But this is a major underestimate. My survey of about 20 key organisations
suggests there are likely more than a million in Australia.
There are only a limited number of professional (paid) scientists. But anyone
with a smartphone can log observations, and professional scientists
increasingly work alongside citizen scientists to collect and analyse valuable
conservation data.
Citizen science isn’t new. Perhaps the best-known citizen scientist was Charles
Darwin, who neglected to finish his medical degree in favour of studying
corals. Later, the prolific letter writer built a network of passionate
naturalists and collected their observations to gather evidence for his theory
of evolution.
But what is new is how easy it is to get involved – and how many people are now
lending their time and skills to the cause. It opens up the possibility of
science by the people, for the people."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
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mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
