Search by tag «Citizen Science» 14 results

• Sport, Recreation, Intellectual Hobby: What is Birdwatching and How it Helps Scientists

  Birdwatching became a popular hobby after the release of Field Guide to Birds book by naturalist Roger Peterson in 1934. Currently the greatest numbers of birdwatching enthusiasts are in Great Britain and the USA, where they include up to 10% of the population. It’s not just a popular hobby but a billion-dollar industry. Mass amateur observations of birds are used by scientists when studying bird ranges and migrations. But in Russia birdwatching is still in its infancy. Why? How do you popularize amateur bird studies? How is it useful to the ornithologists and what technologies do birdwatchers need? Nina Sadykova, a science communicator at the Institute of Plant and Animal Ecology of the Urals Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a popularizer of birdwatching came to ITMO University’s summer school of the Russian Geographical Society “Geography for Everyone”. She’s also developing a mobile app for identifying birds of Russia in collaboration with ITMO’s “Science Communications” Masters students.

  24.08.2018

• Vacation With a Purpose: Science Tourism and Citizen Science

  Summer is already on the wane, but we still have almost a month of holidays left. For those who’ve become fed up with lazing on some beach and can't think of abandoning science and research even during their vacation, we’ve prepared a list of citizen science activities that will help make the most of their time.

  06.08.2018

• Gut Microbiome Showed Positive Response to High-Fiber Diet in Two Weeks

  The research team from ITMO University, NSU, MIPT, “Atlas Biomed Group” and “Knomics” company analyzed the impact of short-term changes in diet on the condition of the gut microbiome. Assessing changes in the microbiome structure of 248 volunteers, the researchers concluded that diet enriched with food fiber significantly changes the balance of gut bacterial species in two weeks. Obtained results will be used for a personal dietary recommendation system. This will be helpful for both healthy people and those who suffer from metabolic disorders and run the risk of atherosclerosis or diabetes. The study is published in Nutrients.  

  06.06.2018

• How Citizen Science Helps in “True” Research

  How can snapshots of the night sky develop science? Why are professional scientists always looking for birdwatchers and amateur naturalists? How can people without a degree discover planets and co-author research articles? Julia Lorke, a specialist in science communication, researcher at the London Museum of Natural History, gave answers to these and many more questions about citizen science in an open lecture at ITMO University, that was organized by the Science Communication Office.

  11.05.2018