CosmoQuest is an organization that over the last few years has created a great community dedicated to “citizen science.” It is a virtual research facility where anyone can join in and perform activities that will help true scientific programs. One of these programs (which I understand enough to speak about) is their Moon Mappers program:
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) has taken millions of photos of the moon. These photos have craters… LOTS of craters. It takes a lot of scientific manpower and software… um… computing power… to map those craters. What does this mean? Scientists have spend a LOT of time studying photos instead of analyzing the data those photos provide us. So, CosmoQuest has a program where YOU can go in and map those craters.
That’s only one example of “citizen science” that CosmoQuest organizes and/or promotes.
But now, CosmoQuest is dealing with governmental funding cuts to science education and research. But they’re not going to sulk about it. They’re going to do something about it. This weekend CosmoQuest is holding a “Hangout-a-Thon” to raise money. And since I love these people, and they do great work, we’re going to help.
On Sunday, June 16th, spend a little bit of Father’s Day hanging out with Beyond The Wall. It will be a short video live show, from 6:15 to 7 pm Eastern time, and we will be joined by Dr. Pamela Gay and Dr. Nicole Gugliucci to talk about “Weather in Westeros!”
For background on the Hangout-a-thon, go here.
If you are interested in science in any way, check out the entire schedule of the Hangout-a-thon here.
Here is the google plus event page for the event.
We will post the URL for the video info here and on Facebook on Saturday afternoon, as soon as I have it. Please come watch. And seriously, I’ve never asked you for money. So if you have liked the Beyond the Wall for the last 3 seasons, please consider donating to CosmoQuest through the link below.
Here’s the description from the Cosmoquest website:
Help us save science education from sequestration!
On March 22, 2013 we found out that many NASA EPO programs will be suspended as a direct result of US budgetary sequestration. The full ramifications are still being learned, but we are proactively working to raise money to make sure that CosmoQuest can continue to support its staff and its programs. As we are able, we will also use any monies we raise to contract amazing people whose jobs are negatively impacted by budgetary cuts.
Your donation will support science education
that produces science!
