[PLUG-TALK] LHC Citizen Science

[Keith Lofstrom]

<https://arxiv.org/pdf/1610.02214.pdf>

`That looks weird' - evaluating citizen scientists' ability
to detect unusual features in ATLAS images of LHC (Large
Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland) collisions.

My conclusions:

1) Amateurs can be slightly better than expert-written
software at identifying "interesting" particle events.  

2) Many people will participate in science if invited.  It
isn't all big research budgets and underpaid grad students.

Imagine a future where people turned off the TV and other
canned distractions, and looked at our fascinating world
instead.  Detector tracks are esoteric, yet 170,000 people
participated.  I'm looking out the window at my back yard,
full of tall trees and bushes and squirrels and birds and
insects, and wondering what scientific discoveries are
hiding out there.  

Sun's out.  Time to find out!

Keith

P.S.  I use Scientific Linux, a Red Hat Enterprise Linux
clone supported by Fermilabs, optimized for particle physics
and useful for other scientific and engineering tasks.

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com
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