Public participation in scientific research – termed “citizen science” – is growing, in numbers of projects, participants, and data points. Learn more about the exciting opportunities, as well as the challenges, that citizen science provides, and how you can get involved, here! SoundCitizen‘s Amanda Bruner is quoted.   

Big Data. A catchy name, with a shadowy similarity to phrases like Big Brother. Why is the concept of big data gaining so much attention, and what does its creation and use mean for science and society? Read up here; UW’s Ed Lazowska is cited. 

Ever wonder how scientists go about predicting the seasonal sea ice low point? Researchers from the Applied Physics Lab’s Polar Science Center use many different kinds of data throughout the year to make these predictions, and this year that includes NASA sea-ice thickness measurements from airplanes. They added their prediction to a crowd-sourced project called Sea Ice Outlook, an effort supported by the U.S. 

David Montgomery, a UW geologist, is the author of a new book that explores the long history of religious thinking on matters of geological discovery, particularly flood stories such as the biblical account of Noah’s ark.  Read more about his book here. 

With the 2012 London Olympics drawn to a close, so starts the task of breaking down parts of the 500-acre Olympic Park that housed the world’s finest athletes for the past two weeks. But, the London 2012 Organizing Committee and the Olympic Delivery Authority are already two steps ahead. In their effort to keep this year’s games both water and energy efficient, these groups designed and built Olympic park with sustainability in mind.