We have 1 week left to fund the OpenCTD, a low-cost, open source scientific instrument for science and education. I believe that scientific research should have as few barriers to participation as possible. I believe that not only should the results of scientific research be freely available to the public, but that the tools–software, hardware, and expertise–of science should be made as accessible as possible. In many cases, this is not possible. A sequencer costs what a sequencer costs. Stable isotope analysis comes with a heavy price tag. A Ph.D. requires a massive investment in time and energy and subsequently comes with implicit authority over a subject matter. But where the gates can be thrown open, they should be thrown open. The Ocean belongs to everyone. Above almost any other resource, the ocean is the common property of all humankind. The tools to study the ocean–vessels and instruments–are expensive, and this expense creates an unacceptably high barrier to entry for anyone interested in studying the ocean. I genuinely believe that all ocean stakeholders–scientists, commercial fishers, recreational users, industry, conservation NGO’s, mariners of all stripes–have something valuable to contribute to our ongoing understanding of the ocean. For this reason, above all else, myself and a small team are building open-source oceanographic instruments that are low-cost and accurate enough for robust, scientific studies. Help us build the OpenCTD and make the tools of oceanography accessible to everyone!
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 17:34:17 +0000
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