Searching for ET: When the Crowd Supports the Sciences

February 28, 2012 8 Comments

There is no doubt that for most of us mathematics was not our most fascinating and popular school subject. However, since time-consuming calculation of data is an essential prerequisite in modern science this area is also relying on support from the crowd.

Google Map Maker – The Crowd Maps the World

February 22, 2012 12 Comments

Our world is changing at an incredible pace and since the Internet giant “Google” is also aware of the fact it is putting its trust in the Crowd to keep its “Google Maps” service up-to-date.

The service offered by “Google Maps” – in particular the “Google Street View” tool – has been highly controversial from the very start. Many people feel that it endangers their privacy and criticize the detailed collection and online disclosure of our living space. Nevertheless, many of us use the online maps regularly. With the help of “Google Maps” you can quickly calculate the fastest route to the movies or use “Google Earth” to check where to find the best parking spaces in a foreign city.

Social Seating Above the Clouds

The fact that Social Media is playing an increasingly important part in advertising is not a secret anymore. The Dutch KLM airlines are now planning something unusual with their community. As reported in the weekly journal “Die Zeit” , KLM wants to offer a so-called “social seating service” as of 2012.

Archived Memories: Crowdsourcing Unfolds History

Europeana 1914 -1918: Attic Finds are Storehouses of Knowledge

Not too long ago we reported on the archive project “Europeana 1914-1918”. In March 2011, in cooperation with the University of Oxford, the digital database “Europeana” invited the general public to contribute private memorabilia from the First World War and participate in the creation of a historic database.

The Measure of False Beauty

Last summer, Julia Roberts made headlines with “Too pretty to be true” and it was more than tabloid headlines. The British Advertising Standards Authority had banned a campaign by the L’Oréal cosmetics company. The reason: Julia Roberts, a forty-three year-old mother of three, just looked too perfect on the photos. The advertisers had done a lot of digital manipulation and banished blemishes and wrinkles from the Hollywood star’s face.