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This April, become a citizen scientist

We often think of science as the sole domain of researchers who have made it their life’s work. But there’s also room for regular people to get involved. This is especially true in April, which is Global Citizen Science Month.

Citizen science is exactly what it sounds like — the opportunity for laypeople to get involved in science on whatever level of involvement they choose. From bird-watching to weather monitoring to measuring the brightness of the night sky, there is something to satisfy many areas of scientific interest.

One example of a citizen science initiative is the Sahim app, which launched in February. This app, which takes its name from the Arabic word for “contribute,” allows participants to record and upload data related to discarded single-use plastic. The data goes directly to the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi and helps scientists and policy makers create future directives.

Global Citizen Science Month is a collaboration between Arizona State University in the United States, SciStarter and the Library of Medicine. SciStarter, founded by Darlene Cavalier of ASU, has been running Citizen Science Month since 2016.

The program is dedicated to rallying people all over the world and encouraging their involvement in the advancement of science. The month includes programs and events hosted by citizen science project leaders and scientists to call upon people from all walks of life to get involved in scientific research in their communities or on a global scale.

IMAGE Credit: Unsplash

Involvement in a project can range from one person to millions. People participate in the “development of research questions and hypotheses, data collection, data analysis, drawing conclusions, and disseminating data,” says a team of researchers in a 2021 paper published in Springerlink. And the movement can be crucial for scientific development as data can be collected on a massive scale — data that one scientist could not collect on their own.

SciStarter is an organization that recruits, trains and equips citizen scientists globally. It currently has more than 3000 active and vetted citizen science projects and more than 100,000 participants, both running the research and looking to participate.

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A new era in tracking space debris

As space debris becomes an increasing threat to operational in Earth’s orbit, researchers from Khalifa University have developed a new approach to tracking it using vision sensors aboard satellites and advanced data fusion techniques.

Traditionally, most space debris is tracked from the ground, using radar and telescopes. Ground-based tracking is limited by weather, atmospheric distortion and visibility constraints, but satellites equipped with the right sensors can continuously monitor debris from space, independent of weather and lighting conditions. The challenges lie in making these systems both accurate and efficient.

The research, published in Acta Astronautica, tackles this by developing a data fusion framework that processes and combines measurements from multiple satellites to improve tracking accuracy. Beyond tracking space debris, this framework could be used for future space operations, including interplanetary exploration, space tourism and satellite-based internet services.

More: Cleaning up our space

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DATA to delivery

Welcome to Industry 4.0, considered by many experts to be the fourth industrial revolution. Artificial intelligence and data analytics are a big part of it and are already changing how supply chains work. Here are just some of the ways they make getting a product from the manufacturer to your home cheaper and more efficient.

IN THE FACTORY

Generative design: An algorithm receives design parameters (such as cost and information on available materials) and generates thousands of options to find the best one.

LISTEN TO THE DEEP DIVE

Order management: AIs handle complicated order information from multiple channels.

Quality control: Sensors inspect products for defects.

Predictive maintenance: AI monitors systems and machines for early signs something is about to break down, preventing expensive factory shutdowns.

Compliance management: AI manages the red tape when the same product is sold in different markets with different regulations.

Customization: AI may be used to create such customized orders as bespoke suits and made-to-order shoes. And in a process called “reshoring” or “nearshoring,” products made far away can be customized closer to the sale point at the last minute.

IN THE WAREHOUSE

Stocking: Digital cameras monitor inventory levels and AI robots pick, sort and pack products.

Finding damaged packages: Machine learning models scan and analyze images to spot damaged objects.

Helping workers with wearable technology: Smart glasses “read” barcodes. Natural language processing helps humans work hands-free to pick items more safely.

THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS

Supply chain visibility: Internet of Things (IoT) devices provide instant information about such conditions as the location and temperature of shipments. Businesses can spot bottlenecks, manage disruptions in real time and make data-driven decisions.

Collaborative supply chains: Multiple companies use data and analytics to work together to plan and execute supply chain operations. The cooperative approach allows the companies to serve similar customers or achieve a common goal.

DELIVERIES

Optimal routes: Vehicle routing algorithms (without problems) use such factors as capacity, delivery priorities and time windows to plot the most efficient routes.

Real-time conditions: AI can monitor weather, traffic and other conditions to reroute as necessary.

Autonomous vehicles: Truck platooning technology can permit a group of vehicles to operate extremely closely, reducing wind resistance and decreasing fuel consumption for transportation between factory and warehouse or retailer. Smaller vehicles will be used for deliveries. Algorithms optimize routes while AI helps vehicles avoid collisions.