Identify Galaxies Using Spare Wetware Cycles

hazem invites us to have fun, learn about galaxies, and actually help astronomers by looking at pictures of galaxies and identifying the type. Warning: it's more addictive than Tetris. From the site: "GalaxyZoo... harnesses the power of the internet — and your brain — to classify a million galaxies. By taking part, you'll not only be contributing to scientific research, but you'll view parts of the Universe that literally no-one has ever seen before and get a sense of the glorious diversity of galaxies that pepper the sky. Why do we need you? The simple answer is that the human brain is much better at recognizing patterns than a computer can ever be. Any computer program we write to sort our galaxies into categories would do a reasonable job, but it would also inevitably throw out the unusual, the weird and the wonderful. To rescue these interesting systems which have a story to tell, we need you."

Comments

"More Addictive than Tetris"?

[Nova Express]

One wonders just how the subitter used to play Tetris...

"Tetris Diary: Day One. This will be an ongoing catalog of the various Tetris shapes I see while playing the game.

First: A cube. Good start!

Second: A clockwise L-shape. I can feel the tension mounting!

Third: A counter-clockwise L-shape. What are the odds??

Fourth: A counter-clockwise S-shape! A trend emerges!

Fifth: A clockwise S-shape. Unbelievable!

Sixth: A STRAIGHT LINE! WE HAVE A STRAIGHT LINE!!!!

I have now reached the top of the screen and the game has ended. Will start again and try to contain my unbelievable excitement over cataloging shapes."

Space.com plays Damage Control?

[pln2bz]

For a quick demonstrative primer in how public relations can be used to affect public opinion in the field of astrophysics, I highly recommend comparing the article run about the Galaxy Zoo in NewScientist.com compared to the AP article that has appeared on Space.com and elsewhere.

NewScientist Article:

http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn12241-publ ic-to-join-search-for-cosmic-axis-of-evil.html

Additional Background info here, linked to from that article:

http://space.newscientist.com/article/mg19425994.0 00-axis-of-evil-a-cause-for-cosmic-concern.html

Compare this to the Space.com - AP Article:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/070711_ap_on line_galaxies.html

For whatever reason, the article that Space.com decided to go with fails to mention anything about this project representing a threat to mainstream cosmology or the CMB. Astrophysical enthusiasts reading Space.com, in other words, would not be informed by that article that somebody has even alleged that there is a possible anomalous artifact within the cosmic microwave background. I'm not advocating anything here other than that this appears to be more than a mere "dumbing down" of a complicated story. They could have easily dumbed down the concept of aligned galaxies and why that introduces a problem for the CMB. Instead, we got the following, which appears to not suggest any threat level to BB Theory whatsoever:

The catalog would help researchers understand how galaxies form and interact.

"At some level, what we learn about these galaxies could tell us something quite fundamental about cosmology and particle physics,'' Nichol said.

This sort of "damage control", if I may call it that, is not really very helpful when it comes to layman trying to understand what to believe.

We must be very careful of how we promote certain sceintific theories over others. It would be very easy to create a false consensus within society using public relations in this way.

Re:sounds familiar

[Tablizer]

I've been doing this for about a week now and I swear up and down I've seen some of the same galaxies more than once.

To us white people, they all look the same.

Re:sounds familiar

[Tablizer]

I've been doing this for about a week now and I swear up and down I've seen some of the same galaxies more than once.

Slashdot editors should be relieved to know that dupes are a universe-wide phenomenon.