The Glory of Citizen Science - James B. Meigs, Commentary Magazine
The Glory of Citizen Science Tech Commentary Two days after Christmas in 1831, a soft-featured gentleman set sail from Plymouth, England, aboard a modest brig-sloop. The ship was embarking on a two-year voyage of exploration, and the 22-year-old former divinity student had been invited to serve as the expedition’s naturalist. Though he had taken only a few courses in what was then called natural philosophy, he’d been recommended for the post by a prominent botanist. Better yet, his wealthy father was able to pay his way on the voyage, which meant the expedition could forgo a salary. In s...