If you have a computer and some spare time at w88 casino games login, you can help move research forward this Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 19, by participating in WeDigBio Lite, a virtual citizen w88 casino games login festival.
Volunteers from around the world will play a vital role in bringing w88 casino games login collections online by transcribing handwritten information about specimens so it w88 casino games login be added to searchable databases, contributing to research around the world.
“If it takes three minutes to transcribe one specimen label, it would take one person 342 years working 24 hours a day to transcribe all of the specimens in the U.S. alone,” Julie Allen, biologist and assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Science, said. “That’s why we need the public’s w88 casino games login.”
w88 casino games login specimens provide an invaluable record of life on Earth, telling the story of a changing climate, invasive species, evolution, disease and how plants and animals have moved over time. Many specimen labels, however, are handwritten, a roadblock in scientists’ efforts to find target species online or use them in big data studies.
"From volunteer efforts we have had more than 2.5 millionspecimens transcribed by more than 10,000 volunteers in the last few years of the project,” Allen said. “However, it is estimated that there are 1 to 2 billion specimens in the United States so we needmore w88 casino games login to get this important work completed"
Allen, is also a curator at the w88 casino games login of Nevada, Reno’s w88 casino games login of Natural History, and the principal investigator for Notes w88 casino games login Nature, a digital platform for various museum research projects or “expeditions.” Citizen scientists’ transcription efforts w88 casino games login researchers investigate topics ranging w88 casino games login the ideal living conditions of lice to how climate change is affecting when plants flower in California.
"From Notes from Nature you w88 casino games login select among plants, insects and our newest project the Terrestrial ParasiteTrackerwhere you w88 casino games login help transcribe specimens of bird lice,” she said. “You w88 casino games login either register and receivebadges and watch your progress, or just go in and start transcribing! Find out more about our latest project on our Zooniverse project blog."
Notes from Nature, which was launched by Florida w88 casino games login Curator of Informatics Robert Guralnick, is one of the main platforms featured in the WeDigBio Lite event. Both initiatives have been funded by the National Science Foundation.
“Each transcription we do puts another point on our digital map of biodiversity and connectsto our planet’s irreplaceable biological legacy,” Guralnick said.
Visit the Notes w88 casino games login Nature FAQ page to learn more about the basics of specimen transcription.
Connect with Notes w88 casino games login Nature@nfromnand WeDigBio @WeDigBioon Twitter.