On Monday, March 16th, I will be moderating a panel at SXSW Interactive called Back Off Man, I'm A Scientist: User Generated Discovery.
Broad access to vast amounts of raw data, along with ever more powerful tools, have given everyday people the ability to make significant contributions to scientific inquiry and enrich our understanding of the Universe. See how passionate amateurs are addressing the fundamental questions of our world.
I'm really excited about this panel and the speakers I've lined up to join me in discussing this great topic.
Kevin Schawinski is an astrophysicist at Yale University and a co-founder of the Galaxy Zoo project. If you haven't seen Galaxy Zoo yet, I highly recommend you check it out. You can help classify galaxies on your lunch break!
Matthew Shindell is a Ph.D. Candidate in the History of Science and Science Studies at the University of California, San Diego. He is also an accomplished poet. Matt will help us understand the meaning of science and the role that amateurs have played in the history of scientific inquiry.
Darlene Cavalier is the founder of ScienceCheerleader.com, a blog that promotes the involvement of citizens in science and science-related policy. Cavalier is a former Philadelphia 76ers cheerleader and holds a Masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied the role of the citizen in science.
If you have questions, suggestions, or ideas about what we should discuss during our panel, please feel free to send them along. One hour isn't a lot of time for a big topic like this, and we have plenty to cover, but I'd love to hear from others who are passionate about this topic.
