Community Science

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Orye: Community science is something that's been around for a really long time too, as its own category. When you're walking around and you want to know what type of tree that is, you can just take a photo of it,. Orye: And then if once you upload it, if te it turns out that the automatic a i thing was wrong, regular people will be like, no, that's, uhally not an oak tree.

When you think of a scientist, do you think of a person in a lab coat? How about a teenager with a smartphone-- or even, yourself? Mary Ellen Hannibal is a science writer who argues that everyday people collecting data with simple tools like phones can make a big impact in the sciences, their lives, and their communities. She shares great tips on how to get involved with this vital, and hopefully enjoyable, work. Her book, “Citizen Scientist: Searching for Heroes and Hope in an Age of Extinction”, was named one of the best titles of 2016 by the San Francisco Chronicle. Mary Ellen’s previous work has appeared in the New York Times, Science, Anthropocene, Nautilus and many other publications. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman