Curiosity Weekly – Episode Summary

Episode: How Everyday People Power Big Science
Host: Dr. Samantha Yammine
Guest: Dr. Karen Cooper, Professor at North Carolina State University
Date: October 1, 2025

Overview

This episode explores the vital role of everyday people—non-scientists—in driving big scientific discoveries through citizen science, participatory science, and community science. Dr. Samantha Yammine (“Sam”) interviews Dr. Karen Cooper, an authority on participatory science, to discuss how public participation is shaping scientific research, improving its reach and impact, and democratizing the process of discovery. The episode also delves into recent scientific findings on chocolate fermentation and a pioneering treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning to showcase the collaborative and innovative spirit in science.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Science of Why Chocolate Tastes So Good

Segment: [01:07–04:55]

• Chocolate’s appeal: Sam shares her obsession with chocolate and the complex flavors behind it.
• Research spotlight: Scientists in Colombia, collaborating with cocoa farmers, studied how the regional mix of microbes during fermentation gives each chocolate a distinct signature.
• Findings:
  • It’s the “right combination of microbes” involved in spontaneous fermentation that determine chocolate’s flavor (e.g., fruity vs. woody notes).
  • Researchers managed to map these microbes and created a “chocolate starter”—akin to a sourdough starter—to replicate desired flavors and consistency in the lab.
  • Their “starter” approach could help small farmers maintain quality in tough seasons and help large producers ensure consistency.
• Memorable Line:
  • “They did a bunch of experiments to narrow down an all star team of microbes to fine tune the flavor they wanted…like a sourdough starter, but for chocolate.” – Dr. Samantha Yammine [03:44]

2. The Power of Public Participation in Science

Segment: [06:55–20:18]

Why Is Citizen Science Important?

• Scope Challenge: The world is vast; scientists alone can't collect enough data for large-scale studies (e.g., microplastics in oceans, aurora sightings).
• Community Data: Everyday people are invaluable for gathering environmental data where they live—a more scalable and cost-effective solution.
• Key Quote:
  • “Gathering enough data from hard to reach places and people is often a lot more efficient and cost effective when those already on site do the data collecting.” – Dr. Samantha Yammine [06:55]

Defining ‘Citizen Science’ vs. ‘Community Science’

• Terminology debate: Some worry “citizen science” excludes non-citizens or implies legal status, while others see it as a civic opportunity for all.
  • Globally, “citizen science” is widely used; in the U.S., alternatives like “community science” are gaining traction.
  • “Community science” typically describes projects initiated by local communities to meet their own needs, distinct from the broader “citizen science,” which is more about mass contributions to large datasets.
• Notable Explanation:

  “It’s more to convey like a responsibility rather than like something that might restrict people. Because really, participatory projects, no matter what they end up being called, are open to all. That is the main goal, and they're also meant to benefit all.”
  – Dr. Karen Cooper [09:06]

Why Participate?

• Motivation: Participation often aligns with hobbies (birdwatching, weather monitoring, tracking stream health, etc.) and offers validation and purpose.
• Analogy to Democracy:

  “Some people, like, have to be persuaded that their one vote matters.... In some ways, the participatory sciences are like that too. Oh, it’s just my one observation. How could that be important? Well, if you keep it to yourself, it may never be important, but you share it with thousands, tens of thousands of others... We start to see so many amazing patterns and we learn new things.”
  – Dr. Karen Cooper [12:19]

Ensuring Scientific Rigor

• Skepticism: Some initially doubted the trustworthiness of volunteer-collected data.
• Quality measures: Strategies (training, statistical methods, consensus tools) ensure data reliability. Many peer-reviewed discoveries now rely on citizen science datasets.
• Quote:

  “It’s apples and oranges. It’s not that people who are sharing observations are sharing exactly the same type of observation a scientist would share. They're just sharing more of a different type of observation.”
  – Dr. Karen Cooper [14:26]

Impactful Discoveries Made with Public Assistance

• Night sky studies: Observations from volunteers worldwide (e.g., GLOBE at Night) revealed the extent of light pollution and its effect on visibility of constellations.
• Monarch butterfly migration: Decades of student and teacher tagging of butterflies led to the revelation that monarchs migrate thousands of miles from the Midwest US to Mexico—a “huge mystery solved” thanks to everyday participation.
  • “It was a lot of teachers, actually, and their students capturing and putting little tiny tags on monarch butterflies... before finally there was someone who spotted... a tagged monarch in Mexico.” – Dr. Karen Cooper [16:35]
• Songbirds and climate change: About half of our knowledge comes from citizen science data.
• Education and pride: Student involvement fosters pride and excitement in contributing to new scientific knowledge.
  • “How much pride you would have as a young student to see that you contributed to this new body of knowledge.” – Dr. Samantha Yammine [18:00]

3. The Future and Evolution of Citizen Science

Segment: [18:27–20:18]

• Beyond observations: Dr. Cooper hopes contributors will eventually share not just data, but also their values and priorities, helping guide scientific direction.
• Data ownership: Wishes for a future where people are “more intentional with our data... for this thing that I value and I want to advance and help with that discovery and that effort,” rather than handing over control.
• Complementing tech and human input: The future involves blending public input with remote sensing for richer discoveries, emphasizing “what people experience on the ground in real life, in addition to what the sensor is telling us.”
  • “There’s an unlimited number of things that we don’t know and that we could pursue. I also hope that... people come to see that their data are really valuable in so many ways...” – Dr. Karen Cooper [18:46]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dr. Karen Cooper:
  • “Citizen science refers to... these big efforts that generate these large data sets where people add all their local expertise and observations.” [10:39]
  • On finding the balance in terminology: “From a public perspective, people should call it whatever they want.” [10:14]
• Dr. Samantha Yammine:
  • “Are there people who are perhaps skeptical of this type of science who maybe say it's not as real or rigorous if a study was based on data that was contributed by everyday people…?” [13:55]
  • “I really love the example you gave of the students and their teachers… such a great educational tool.” [18:00]

Additional Science Spotlights

Fermentation, Microbes, and Chocolate

• Scientific collaboration with farmers is changing how chocolate is made and how unique flavors are understood and replicated. [01:07–04:55]

Breakthrough: Treating Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Segment: [22:57–25:20]

• The problem: Carbon monoxide poisoning causes ~1,500 deaths/year in the U.S. Current treatments are slow.
• The innovation: University of Maryland researchers engineered a protein (based on a bacterial sensor) that more effectively binds carbon monoxide, allowing it to be quickly removed from the bloodstream (tested in mice, not yet in humans).
  • “After injecting mice with their new engineered protein, their bodies cleared half of the carbon monoxide from their blood in less than a minute.”
• Potential impact: Could become a fast first-response antidote, revolutionizing CO poisoning treatment.

Episode Structure and Segment Timestamps

• Chocolate Science & Fermentation: [01:07–04:55]
• Introduction to Public Participation in Science: [06:55–08:06]
• Defining Citizen Science / Community Science: [08:08–11:49]
• Why Participate / Value of Public Data: [11:49–13:32]
• Combating Skepticism, Ensuring Rigor: [13:55–15:23]
• Major Discoveries from Citizen Science: [15:23–18:00]
• Future Visions / Data Ownership: [18:27–20:18]
• Breakthrough in Carbon Monoxide Treatment: [22:57–25:20]

Conclusion

This episode demonstrates that major scientific breakthroughs—from mapping butterfly migrations to understanding the flavors in chocolate—are increasingly powered by regular people who participate, observe, and contribute. Dr. Karen Cooper and Dr. Samantha Yammine expertly emphasize that science is for everyone and that the collective contributions of volunteer observers worldwide are crucial for progress. Their vision for the future calls for shared curiosity and ownership—not just of data, but of big questions—making science a truer reflection of our collective priorities.