LIFT 08 -- where you learn something new every day
By Bruce Sterling EmailFebruary 08, 2008 | 9:58:37 AM
(((It would have been worth coming here just to hear about "Citizen Cyberscience" and "Powerpoint Karaoke."))) http://galaxyzoo.org/

(((There are now fifty of these web-based collaborative science efforts, from Seti@Home to Asia@Home, and CERN in Geneva will be starting a "Citizen Cyberscience Centre.)))

Welcome to GalaxyZoo , the project which 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.

(((Powerpoint Karaoke is the amusing practice of downloading random powerpoints off the web with search engines, then faking an impromptu speech as the slides go by. Best done while drunk.)))