Distributed Science: A New Framework for Discovery

by Jack D. Hidary?

New tools of discovery are transforming the practice of science. Large online genomic datasets, for example, are leading to discoveries by labs that were not connected to the initial collection of that data.  Preprint sites such as arxiv.org are getting information out much faster in fields such as AI and in physics and making this information freely available.

There are also a growing number of online platforms that enable a large number of people to contribute to a scientific goal. Two examples are Eyewire and Fold.it: Eyewire is bringing together thousands of people to map the wiring of the visual cortex of the brain; Fold.it is a site that enables people to add to the collective knowledge of protein folding by leveraging our strong ability to rotate shapes in our mind and then translate this to foldings on the site. 

These platforms have been dubbed “citizen science” sites. While I believe that the coiners of this term had good intentions, it has unfortunately branded these sites in the eyes of full-time scientists as second-tier work that is not taken seriously. 

We propose to reframe this kind of activity as distributed science. All these platforms have a common element of distributing the work to many individuals and regions. Some of these individuals may, in fact, be professional scientists. In this era where users can quickly get up to speed on the latest developments in a scientific field and do cutting-edge research in certain fields online with no access to lab equipment, the distinction between working, full-time scientists and well-educated individuals who are doing science begins to blur and then disappear.

In this article we explore a number of large-scale science initiatives and advocate a change in nomenclature from “citizen science” to distributed science . Such a move would encourage greater acceptance from the established scientific community.

Here are examples of distributed science programs:

• Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) Chemistry and Flow Monitoring: This hands-on program, one of many distributed science programs offered by the HRWC, teaches volunteers of any age and level of experience how to collect water samples, measure stream flow, and sample runoff from rain storms, in order to assess the quality of local rivers and streams in Southeast Michigan. (explore other HRWC programs here)

• Eyewire: Eyewire facilitates the reconstruction of morphological neuron data generated by the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, as players solve puzzles to reconstruct 3D models of neurons from electron microscope images and map the connectome. (learn more on Eyewire's blog)

• Fold.it: Fold.it's objective is to fold selected protein structures as perfectly as possible, so that researchers can receive these near-perfect protein solutions and analyze them for a native state applicable to relevant proteins in the real world. The human-generated solutions from the game consistently outperform algorithmically computed ones, leading to biological innovation, such as the targeting and eradication of diseases.

• Stall Catchers: Stall Catchers was created by Cornell University's Schaffer-Nishimura Lab to study Alzheimer's disease (AD) by fast-tracking through gameplay the long and tedious process of identifying tiny stall vessels, which are places where blood flow to the brain is stalled, resulting in with memory loss and AD. (read more about the science behind Stall Catchers here)

• MalariaSpot: MalariaSpot facilitates the diagnosis of real cases of malaria through rapid blood screening when players to detect parasites in digitized images of blood smears. Before the game, it took "up to 30 minutes to identify and count the parasites in a blood sample that cause the disease," explains MalariaSpot and MalariaSpot bubbles founder Luengo Oroz.

• iNaturalist: iNaturalist shares observations made by naturalists with scientific data repositories, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, after they are confirmed and improved through the research strategy of community identification.

Distributed science is a powerful tool in the discovery process. With the widespread adoption of mobile technology there will be more opportunity to leverage these networks for real results. Traditional lab scientists can work hand-in-hand with distributed science networks to accelerate their work and open up the door to new kinds of discoveries.

Jack Hidary is Chairman of the Hidary Foundation -- www.hidaryfoundation.org -- all views expressed here are his own and do not represent the views of any company or organization. For questions and comments on this piece, please email [email protected].