Citizen science and “the makers, the scientists, the hobbyists”

This article gives an overview of the range and scope of activities that fall under the Citizen Science rubric: The Weird, Wild World of Citizen Science Is Already Here – Opinion/WIRED

Citizen Science is a somewhat vague term. It can mean hands-on research by amateur investigators or it can mean helping professional scientists sift through large data sets for rare items of interest.

There’s power in this diffuse definition, though, as long as new interpretations are welcomed and encouraged. By inviting and inspiring people to ask their own questions, citizen science can become much more than a way of measuring bird populations. From the drone-wielding conservationists in South Africa to the makeshift biolabs in Brooklyn, a widening circle of participants are wearing the amateur badge with honor. And all of these groups–the makers, the scientists, the hobbyists–are converging to create a new model for discovery. In other words, the maker movement and the traditional science world are on a collision course.