Astronomers are now frequently collaborating with volunteer “citizen scientists” to help them explore a seemingly endless stream of images and measurements of the universe. Just imagine sitting with your laptop in your home and working in your spare time, and being able to unlock a new cosmic puzzle. This is what thousands of young school kids are doing, as citizen science projects in the country are on the rise. Here is your opportunity to join another interesting citizen science project, ” COSMIC” and all you need is an inclination towards science and basic understanding about data gathering.
Know About COSMIC
The Content-based Object Summarization to Monitor Infrequent Change (COSMIC) is a citizen science project run by JPL/NASA scientists and aims to build an image classifier to make arrangements onboard future orbiters similar to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO). These arrangements will be used to optimize how astronomers send images back to scientists on Earth. So, this work will benefit anyone who admires planetary science!
Astronomers will utilize your labels to train a pixel-based, machine learning image classifier. The pixels in the regions you recognize will be used to help their algorithms in classifying the pixels in new images when they are practiced on Mars. Moreover, volunteers will also help scientists to test projects before they are launched to check whether they are working properly. This may include working through some arrangements on the beta project to verify that it works, looking for any bugs, and filling out a survey at the end.
Usually, these ML algorithms demand a lot of training efforts, and that’s where your labels come in the picture! Astronomers are seeking high-quality boundaries to be drawn around each currently known landform example so the ML algorithms can get very good at identifying what scientists want to discover.
There will be many tasks for the volunteers, each concentrating on a single type of interesting landform. So brace up yourself as astronomers are looking forward to your contributions!
How to get involved in the COSMIC citizen science project?
Astronomers are looking for curious volunteers who can help them with classifications on data. There are no specific requirements needed for volunteering, just do as much or as little as you’d like. To get started as a classifications volunteer, you just need to visit the Projects page, go through it, find one you like the look of, and get yourself enrolled.
You can also check guidelines on what makes a project suitable on the Policies page, under ‘Rules and Regulations’. If you want to sign up as a beta tester, go to www.zooniverse.org/settings/email and select the option relating to beta testing. You will then receive an email when a project is ready to be tested.
If you’re keen to become a moderator on a project you’re participating in, go to the project’s About page and get in touch with the researcher. If you’d like to get more information on any of these different roles, you may contact them via the Contact Us page.
Well, citizen science is nothing but scientific work initiated by common people, in collaboration with scientists and research organizations. Fortunately, the concept is now earning rapid popularity in India, and citizen science projects have significant potential to contribute to environmental monitoring, regulation, and even decision making. “What is required is more proactive engagement and structuring of projects to assure their additional benefits.
