James Whitaker

The term “citizen science” is relatively new to our vernacular, but the concept has been in practice for many centuries. Some of the most important scientists in our history fit into that role, with Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin being prominent examples. There is also a rich history of citizen science occurring in astronomy, where the primary observation tool is simple and reproducible: the telescope. Wealthy enough to support themselves, they worked independently from academic institutes, setting their own schedules

“Will there be a thunderstorm today?” is the big question I set out to solve when I started PressureNet. During Canadian summers in Quebec and Ontario, where my cofounder Phil and I lived, the answer is usually “who knows?”. The local weather reports would say things like “30% chance of a thunderstorm this afternoon”. But the problem is, “this afternoon” spans about 4 hours, and “30% chance” means that it probably won’t happen – but maybe it will? This kind