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A New Space for Experimentation with Zooniverse

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Zooniverse is creating a new way for research teams to experiment with tools and approaches that aren’t currently possible within the standard Zooniverse Project Builder. These Custom Front Ends remain connected to Zooniverse infrastructure while giving researchers more flexibility to test new ways for volunteers to take part in research.

Building projects on Zooniverse

Since Galaxy Zoo launched in 2007, the founding of Zooniverse in 2009, and the launch of the Zooniverse DIY Project Builder platform (zooniverse.org/lab) in 2015, Zooniverse has helped hundreds of researchers and millions of volunteers work together to unlock data for research and discovery. The Project Builder provides a shared set of tools that enable research teams to create projects for a broad range of volunteers, data and task types. Every project undergoes extensive testing and review by both the Zooniverse team and our volunteer beta community to help ensure a high-quality experience across supported browsers and devices. We remain committed to supporting and advancing the Zooniverse platform, which is the foundation of Zooniverse and will continue to power the vast majority of projects in the years ahead.

Creating space for experimentation

At the same time, researchers are interested in having space for experimentation: for trying new modes of interaction, for complex projects that integrate machine learning, or just for doing something new that’s not easy to try within the Zooniverse platform. Zooniverse is interested in creating a place to learn about what researchers want and need and what works in practice with volunteers. 

Thanks to support from the National Science Foundation, Zooniverse is launching a new initiative that gives research teams that opportunity. We call these projects “Custom Front Ends,” but you can also think of them as experimental projects. 

What are Custom Front Ends?

Through this new style of project, research teams are building custom interfaces tailored to their specific research goals. They may include tools and interactions that are not currently available through the standard Zooniverse Project Builder, such as drawing directly on images with a paintbrush, adjusting image contrast on the fly, interactive machine-learning workflows, and more. 

Importantly, these projects remain connected to the Zooniverse ecosystem. Custom Front Ends continue to rely on Zooniverse infrastructure and API for services such as volunteer authentication, classification recording, and subject management, while giving researchers greater flexibility to experiment with new approaches.

How are they different from standard Zooniverse projects?

There are, however, some important differences between a Custom Front End and a standard Zooniverse project. Rather than undergoing the full Zooniverse beta test and content review process, Custom Front Ends receive a more limited review focused on ensuring that core functionality is working as expected. This may mean that some of them may encounter difficulties and rough edges beyond what a standard Zooniverse project might experience.

What happens to your data?

Data handling may also differ between projects. Some Custom Front Ends will use the Zooniverse database to store participant-contributed data and will operate under Zooniverse’s standard User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Security Policy. Others will maintain their own databases and operate under their own Terms & Conditions. Every Custom Front End will clearly explain which approach it uses and include easily accessible links to their policies. We encourage you to review the policies of any external project and consider any potential risks before participation.  

Learning through experimentation

By creating more space for experimentation, we hope to learn what new tools, interfaces, and workflows best support both researchers and volunteers. Some ideas may eventually become features of the Zooniverse platform, while others may remain specialized solutions for individual projects. Both outcomes help us better understand how researchers and volunteers can work together to advance research.

What happens next?

In April 2026, we held our first Custom Front End workshop with several research teams interested in developing these experimental project experiences. The first projects are expected to launch this fall, and we’ll continue working with additional teams over the coming years as part of this NSF-funded initiative, and beyond. 

As these experimental experiences become available, we will clearly indicate when participation takes place outside the Zooniverse platform. Volunteers will always be able to see when they are leaving zooniverse.org, and every project will clearly present its terms, policies, and data practices to volunteers. 

We’re excited to explore what becomes possible when researchers have greater freedom to experiment, and we’re grateful to the volunteers whose participation helps make that innovation possible.

FAQs

What does this mean for me as a volunteer? 

Custom Front Ends offer an opportunity to try new task types, tools, and ways of participating in research that aren’t currently available within the Zooniverse platform. Whether or not you choose to participate is entirely up to you.

When one of these external experiences is available, it will be clearly identified on the project’s landing page. You’ll see an announcement banner with information about the experimental workflow and a link to the external site where classification takes place. We will always make it clear when you are leaving the Zooniverse platform and entering a Custom Front End.

Who runs the Custom Front Ends?

Each experimental experience is designed, built, and operated by its own research team. While these projects connect to Zooniverse through our API and infrastructure, they are developed outside the Zooniverse platform. The research team is responsible for the project’s design and operation.

What data will Zooniverse share with Custom Front Ends?

You can choose to sign in to a Custom Front End using your Zooniverse account. If you do, the Custom Front End will have access to your user information (username, email).

Some Custom Front Ends use the Zooniverse database and operate under Zooniverse’s standard policies, linked above. In these cases, any project e-newsletters will be sent by Zooniverse.

Other Custom Front Ends maintain their own databases and operate under their own Terms & Conditions. In those cases, the project team may choose to send e-newsletters directly to you. Refer to the specific Custom Front End project policy for details.

Can I track my Custom Front End classifications in my Zooniverse stats?

Some Custom Front Ends will route classifications through Zooniverse, allowing your contributions and statistics to be tracked through your Zooniverse account. Others will not, and will make this clear to participants.

You will be able to sign in to any Custom Front End using your Zooniverse account (if you choose to do so). If a Custom Front End is configured to submit classifications to the Zooniverse database, your contributions will automatically be linked to your account and reflected in your Zooniverse statistics. 

If a Custom Front End does not submit classifications to the Zooniverse database, your contributions will not appear in your Zooniverse statistics, and the project will clearly communicate this before you begin classifying.

What makes a Custom Front End different from a standard Zooniverse project?

Custom Front Ends are designed to give research teams greater freedom to experiment with new interfaces, workflows, and approaches to volunteer participation that aren’t currently possible within the standard Zooniverse Project Builder Platform (zooniverse.org/lab). Unlike projects built using the Project Builder, they do not undergo the full Zooniverse review and volunteer beta-testing process. 

Since these projects are experimental by nature, it’s possible that some of them may encounter difficulties and rough edges beyond what a standard Zooniverse project might experience. This is expected – and while it’s part of our learning process, it adds an element of risk that isn’t normally present in standard Zooniverse projects.

Also, as noted above, while some Custom Front Ends will use the Zooniverse database to store participant-contributed data and will operate under Zooniverse’s standard policies linked above, others will maintain their own databases and operate under their own Terms & Conditions. Every Custom Front End will clearly explain which approach it is using and have clear links. 

Do I have to participate in Custom Front End experiences?

No. Participation in Custom Front Ends is entirely optional.

Every Custom Front End will be clearly identified, and we’ll always make it clear when you’re leaving the core Zooniverse platform. Each will also clearly indicate whether it operates under Zooniverse’s standard policies (linked above) or under its own Terms & Conditions. If a Custom Front End uses its own policies, it will provide clear access to them. In those cases, any information you provide will be governed by that project’s policies rather than Zooniverse’s. This adds an element of risk that isn’t present in standard Zooniverse projects. 

How do I give feedback?

Every Custom Front End project will provide a way for you to share feedback with the team leading the project. Many will include a Talk discussion forum, just like standard Zooniverse projects. Others may use a different feedback mechanism, but they will clearly indicate how you can ask questions, report issues, or share comments.

If you have feedback about Custom Front Ends in general, rather than a specific project, you can contact the Zooniverse platform team in the normal way.

I’m a researcher and I want to build a Custom Front End! How do I start?

We’d love to hear your ideas! Please send an email with “Custom Front End” in the subject line to contact@zooniverse.org. We’ll put you in touch with the team members at Zooniverse who help facilitate these external, experimental experiences.

News

A New AI Ethics Framework for Zooniverse

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This post was written by Hillary Burgess and Sam Blickhan.

In June 2025, we announced an initiative to develop a set of recommendations for running AI/ML-engaged projects on the Zooniverse platform. After a year of collaboration and discussion with volunteers, experts in ethics, communications, AI, and participatory research, as well as Zooniverse project leads (noting that these groups are not mutually exclusive!), we are excited to finally share the results of this work.

Today, we launch the first-ever Zooniverse AI Ethics Framework, composed of Key Principles, internal actions taken by Zooniverse, and Recommendations for Project Teams that will guide the use of AI/ML on the platform going forward. This is a living Framework, and we are committed to improving and iterating as we receive feedback and the technological, social, and cultural context continue to evolve. This new page also includes information about AI/ML on Zooniverse, FAQs, and resources to learn more. You can find the new page at https://www.zooniverse.org/about/ai-ethics.

So, how did we get here?

Over the past 15 years, machine learning has been integrated into a wide range of Zooniverse projects—now nearly ⅓. As ML technologies have matured, public awareness of their existence has grown. Even though Zooniverse projects have incorporated ML techniques for years, the rise of ‘generative AI’ along with blanket adoption of ‘AI’ terminology has led to a range of public opinion about this technology, including within the Zooniverse community. Based on volunteer feedback received via email and Talk posts, we realized we needed greater transparency regarding their usage on our platform, and a set of shared expectations between project teams and volunteers around what it means to incorporate AI or ML into a Zooniverse project.

With support from the Kavli Foundation, in the second half of 2025 we held 4 virtual workshops and follow-on working sessions that brought together small groups of experts in participatory research, ethics, communications, Zooniverse leadership, and platform volunteers. Before each workshop, we sent surveys to the entire Zooniverse email list to ask project volunteers about:

  • Awareness of when and how AI/ML are part of Zooniverse projects
  • Potential benefits and risks of incorporating AI/ML
  • Interests and concerns related to AI/ML
  • Preferences and recommendations for how Zooniverse should proceed

These survey responses were not a qualitative research study on volunteer opinions about AI/ML, but were intended as a way to frame each discussion around community perspectives. The survey responses helped us to establish the discussion topics and agenda for each of the 4 virtual workshops, to ensure that broader community perspectives were represented, even though we were limited in the number of workshop participants.

A flow chart describing the process of gathering information in our Kavli AI Ethics project (image design by Hayley Roberts).

Here are some of the key takeaways from these surveys and workshops:

The first workshop focused on Transparency and Communication Best Practices. The related survey had over 1,000 responses. Through those responses we learned that members of the Zooniverse community 1) have varied feelings about AI and ML, and 2) hold varying amounts of knowledge about what AI and ML are, how these technologies work, and their relationship to Zooniverse. These insights led us to realize the importance of providing information consistently, and in multiple ways/locations; as well as the importance of participants being able to choose whether or not to take part in  projects with AI/ML components. This phase of our work also introduced the idea that AI and ML are terms that encompass many different technologies and practices. In turn, many people suggested that Zooniverse adopt specific language and definitions. In response, we developed the 5 W’s approach to talking about AI/ML-engaged projects, which shares 5 key questions that all project teams incorporating AI/ML into their projects should be prepared to answer. Finally, these responses enabled us to contemplate the extent that Zooniverse could or should be a place of learning about these emerging technologies—an idea that sparked the way we’re asking project teams to describe their use of AI/ML, along with the creation of the Framework page and its accompanying resources

The second workshop covered the broad topic of Ethical Approaches to AI. The related survey (which had over 1,400 responses!) indicated that our community’s primary concern around AI/ML on Zooniverse was the potential negative impact on data quality. Other topics identified included environmental impacts and privacy rights. A recurrent theme was that not all AI/ML is the same (e.g. an algorithm versus generative AI), and so we should be sure to consider how different methods and uses might come with different risks and benefits. Most people felt conservatively about project volunteers using AI to assist with completing tasks, either thinking it is never appropriate or only appropriate for very specific tasks. Very few people reported having used AI to complete tasks while classifying on Zooniverse projects. The survey responses helped to remind the workshop participants that recommendations should reflect a wide range of potential AI/ML use, including by project volunteers (not just by research teams).

The third workshop dug deeper into Contextual Understanding, i.e. the ways that risks and benefits of AI/ML can shift depending on the methods used, the goals of the research, the project’s subject matter, the tasks that participants complete, and other factors. In short, we tried to figure out the ways that context matters. The preceding survey had over 1,300 responses, and the questions focused on topics like whether current AI/ML information on Zooniverse is accessible/understandable, where participants learn about these technologies, and their opinions about participating in projects that incorporate AI/ML. We wanted to better understand what might motivate or demotivate participation. The survey responses reinforced the fact that Zooniverse participants hold very diverse opinions and ideas about AI/ML, ranging from excitement to outright mistrust and that, above all, we needed to build not only transparency but also choice into our recommendations.

The fourth and final workshop focused on Downstream Data Protection, or what happens with data after a project closes, and what kind of impact AI/ML might have on current platform practices of making data open, or even open data policies in the broader research community. One benefit of open data is the potential for reuse, which is generally considered a positive attribute of a dataset, yet we heard concerns from the community around the new scale at which data can be retrieved and pulled into privatized AI/ML models. Both the pre-workshop survey (which received 635 responses) and the workshop itself explored the tradeoffs between the principles of open data—optimize for transparency, reuse, innovation, and data protection—with the goal to reduce the risk of future undesired uses. If given the binary choice between open or closed data, most survey respondents said they would err toward openness, which reflects current Zooniverse policy. In the workshop discussions, we explored options like data licensing and preference signaling, that are intended to maintain the benefits of open data while minimizing at least some potential negative outcomes. However, we ultimately recognized that this topic is a complex and active area of development that extends far beyond Zooniverse. It touches on issues of intellectual property, privacy, and even the long term sustainability of creative and research content creation as we know it. Our community may benefit from innovations and regulations still on the horizon, but in the meantime we have elected not to change our current policies and recognize the need for more conversation to take place around this topic.

After the workshops and working sessions, we took all of the input generated through the discussions and surveys and developed the first draft of the framework and recommendations. We shared the drafts back with workshop participants and alpha tested them with several project teams, including the Clump Scout II and Dark Energy Explorers projects. As we talked through the recommendations with these teams, they were able to update their projects (in particular the About pages), but also helped us uncover gaps, areas that needed clarification, and potential next steps.

Over the next year, we’ll continue the internal actions taken by Zooniverse by refining our project review process based on the recommendations for project teams, and iterating based on any feedback we receive during the process. Our leadership team will evaluate feedback from our community, and will update the framework on an annual basis. 

We hope you’ll take the time to read through the Framework and accompanying resources. If you have any feedback, we encourage you to share it with us via contact@zooniverse.org.

News

One BILLION Classifications!

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We are SO happy to announce that Zooniverse has reached an extraordinary milestone: 1 BILLION classifications contributed by volunteers!

To give you a sense of what an extraordinary milestone this is: if each classification only took 1 second to complete, 1 billion classifications would require 31.7 years of full-time effort. Based on a query of our Zooniverse statistics server, we estimate that these billion classifications are collectively equivalent to around 2,000 years of full-time effort. The scale of this milestone is utterly implausible for an individual, and highlights the extraordinary power and promise of digital participatory research.

Since the launch of Galaxy Zoo in 2007, 3+ million volunteers across 160 countries have taken part in more than 550 projects. These projects are hosted by teams based at a wide range of institutions, including research universities as well as laboratories, libraries, archives, museums, state and federal agencies, galleries, technical institutes, and community colleges. 

Together, the Zooniverse community has helped identify new astronomical objects, classify wildlife imagery, transcribe historical archives, map environmental change and support medical research, contributing to hundreds of scientific publications and discoveries along the way. Each of these billion classifications has helped lead to meaningful change in the world—they have contributed to our collective knowledge of cultural history; to our relationship with our planet; and to our understanding of the universe. 

Some examples of this impact include:

  • In 2009, a group of Galaxy Zoo volunteers discovered a new class of small, bright green galaxies (nicknamed “Green Peas”).
  • In 2018, the Penguin Watch project provided scientific evidence that led to the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands expanding protection for its Marine Protected Area, which contains what is likely the largest colony of penguins on Earth.
  • Since 2021, our volunteers have helped translate Zooniverse projects into more than 20 languages (and counting), expanding the potential of our work around the world. Our translators shared that many of them are driven by the desire to help their communities find the same meaning and satisfaction that they get from contributing to real research.
  • In 2024, researchers at Lancaster University launched the digital Davy Notebooks collection, which includes more than 13,000 pages of handwritten text from Sir Humphry Davy’s (1778-1829) entire notebook collection, all transcribed by Zooniverse volunteers. This is the first time these documents have been transcribed and annotated in full, and are now publicly available for anyone to access.

The Zooniverse teams at the Adler Planetarium, the University of Oxford, and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities want to express our overwhelming appreciation for everyone who has ever taken part in a Zooniverse project, whether through classifying, building a project, serving as a Moderator, contributing to conversations on Talk, or sharing projects with friends and family. We could not have reached 1 billion classifications without you.

This milestone belongs to everyone who has contributed their time, attention and expertise over the years. Every classification represents a small act of participation in research and a shared effort to better understand our world and universe together. We’re so proud of our community for reaching 1 billion classifications! We can’t wait to see what incredible discoveries and outcomes the next billion brings.

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3 million volunteers!

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Congratulations, Zooniverse! Today we have reached an extraordinary milestone: 3 million volunteers contributing to people-powered research around the world.

From classifying galaxies and discovering exoplanets to tracking wildlife, transcribing historical records, and supporting research in ecology, climate science, cell biology, and the humanities, our community has helped make real science possible at a scale no individual team could achieve alone.

This moment belongs to you. Every click, classification and careful observation adds up to something larger: new knowledge, new questions and a more open way of doing research. Zooniverse is global because you are. Thank you for being part of this and for continuing to shape what participatory science can become.

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ZOONIVERSE TRANSLATED PROJECTS LIST: APRIL 2026

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The latest list of Zooniverse projects in languages other than English is in.

As always, thank you to Zooniverse volunteer Sallyann Chesson for preparing this updated list of translated projects, and to all our volunteer project translators for their ongoing contributions.

Please note that we will no longer be posting these lists, as the Zooniverse’s updated Project Page now allows you to filter projects by language. You can read more about the new interface here.

Do you want to become a Zooniverse translator? Are you a research team member looking to translate your project? Here is what you need to know.

ArabicMonkey Health Explorerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer
ArabicThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
ArabicGhanaPhenoPulsewww.zooniverse.org/projects/bofosubamfo/ghanaphenopulse
BanglaBurst Chaserwww.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser
BanglaKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
CzechPenguin Watchwww.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch
CzechChimp&Seewww.zooniverse.org/projects/sassydumbledore/chimp-and-see
CzechGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
GermanBackyard Worlds: Planet 9www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9
GermanMonkey Health Explorerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer
GermanDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
GermanChimp&Seewww.zooniverse.org/projects/sassydumbledore/chimp-and-see
GermanPRINTwww.zooniverse.org/projects/printmigrationnetwork/print
GermanBackyard Worlds: Cool Neighborswww.zooniverse.org/projects/coolneighbors/backyard-worlds-cool-neighbors
GermanThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
GreekNew Particle Search at CERNwww.zooniverse.org/projects/reinforce/new-particle-search-at-cern
SpanishBackyard Worlds: Planet 9www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9
SpanishRadio Meteor Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/radio-meteor-zoo
SpanishGalaxy Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo
SpanishPenguin Watchwww.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch
SpanishDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
SpanishChimp&Seewww.zooniverse.org/projects/sassydumbledore/chimp-and-see
SpanishPlanet Hunters TESSwww.zooniverse.org/projects/nora-dot-eisner/planet-hunters-tess
SpanishDisk Detectivewww.zooniverse.org/projects/ssilverberg/disk-detective
SpanishNew Particle Search at CERNwww.zooniverse.org/projects/reinforce/new-particle-search-at-cern
SpanishBurst Chaserwww.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser
SpanishGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
SpanishKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
SpanishRubin Alert Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tobiasg/rubin-alert-explorers
FrenchBackyard Worlds: Planet 9www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9
FrenchRadio Meteor Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/radio-meteor-zoo
FrenchBeluga Bitswww.zooniverse.org/projects/stephenresearch/beluga-bits
FrenchGalaxy Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo
FrenchMonkey Health Explorerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer
FrenchPenguin Watchwww.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch
FrenchSuperWASP Variable Starswww.zooniverse.org/projects/ajnorton/superwasp-variable-stars
FrenchWild Mont-Blancwww.zooniverse.org/projects/crea-mont-blanc/wild-mont-blanc
FrenchDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
FrenchChimp&Seewww.zooniverse.org/projects/sassydumbledore/chimp-and-see
FrenchPlanet Hunters TESSwww.zooniverse.org/projects/nora-dot-eisner/planet-hunters-tess
FrenchDisk Detectivewww.zooniverse.org/projects/ssilverberg/disk-detective
FrenchScience Scribbler: Placenta Profileswww.zooniverse.org/projects/msbrhonclif/science-scribbler-placenta-profiles
FrenchRedshift Wranglerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/jeyhansk/redshift-wrangler
FrenchCloudspotting on Marswww.zooniverse.org/projects/marek-slipski/cloudspotting-on-mars
FrenchBlack Hole Hunterswww.zooniverse.org/projects/cobalt-lensing/black-hole-hunters
FrenchFrog Findwww.zooniverse.org/projects/ollibruuh/frog-find
FrenchBurst Chaserwww.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser
FrenchBackyard Worlds: Cool Neighborswww.zooniverse.org/projects/coolneighbors/backyard-worlds-cool-neighbors
FrenchThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
FrenchGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
FrenchKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
FrenchSunspot Detectiveswww.zooniverse.org/projects/teolixx/sunspot-detectives
FrenchNotes from Nature – CAS Plants to Pixelswww.zooniverse.org/projects/md68135/notes-from-nature-cas-plants-to-pixels
HindiDisk Detectivewww.zooniverse.org/projects/ssilverberg/disk-detective
HindiBlack Hole Hunterswww.zooniverse.org/projects/cobalt-lensing/black-hole-hunters
HindiBurst Chaserwww.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser
HindiThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
HungarianGalaxy Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo
HungarianGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
IndonesianKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
ItalianBackyard Worlds: Planet 9www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9
ItalianMonkey Health Explorerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer
ItalianSuperWASP Variable Starswww.zooniverse.org/projects/ajnorton/superwasp-variable-stars
ItalianDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
ItalianChimp&Seewww.zooniverse.org/projects/sassydumbledore/chimp-and-see
ItalianPlanet Hunters TESSwww.zooniverse.org/projects/nora-dot-eisner/planet-hunters-tess
ItalianDisk Detectivewww.zooniverse.org/projects/ssilverberg/disk-detective
ItalianCloudspotting on Marswww.zooniverse.org/projects/marek-slipski/cloudspotting-on-mars
ItalianBlack Hole Hunterswww.zooniverse.org/projects/cobalt-lensing/black-hole-hunters
ItalianBurst Chaserwww.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser
ItalianThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
ItalianKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
ItalianSpace Umbrellawww.zooniverse.org/projects/vickitoyedens/space-umbrella
ItalianRubin Comet Catcherswww.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/rubin-comet-catchers
ItalianSovraimpressioniwww.zooniverse.org/projects/astorino/sovraimpressioni
JapaneseBackyard Worlds: Planet 9www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9
JapaneseRadio Meteor Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/radio-meteor-zoo
JapaneseAurora Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/dwhiter/aurora-zoo
JapaneseGalaxy Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo
JapaneseSuperWASP Variable Starswww.zooniverse.org/projects/ajnorton/superwasp-variable-stars
JapaneseDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
JapanesePlanet Hunters TESSwww.zooniverse.org/projects/nora-dot-eisner/planet-hunters-tess
JapaneseDisk Detectivewww.zooniverse.org/projects/ssilverberg/disk-detective
JapaneseRedshift Wranglerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/jeyhansk/redshift-wrangler
JapaneseCloudspotting on Marswww.zooniverse.org/projects/marek-slipski/cloudspotting-on-mars
JapaneseBlack Hole Hunterswww.zooniverse.org/projects/cobalt-lensing/black-hole-hunters
JapaneseCloudspotting on Mars: Shapeswww.zooniverse.org/projects/matteocrismani/cloudspotting-on-mars-shapes
JapaneseBurst Chaserwww.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser
JapaneseBackyard Worlds: Cool Neighborswww.zooniverse.org/projects/coolneighbors/backyard-worlds-cool-neighbors
JapaneseThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
JapaneseGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
JapaneseKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
JapaneseSunspot Detectiveswww.zooniverse.org/projects/teolixx/sunspot-detectives
JapaneseSpace Umbrellawww.zooniverse.org/projects/vickitoyedens/space-umbrella
JapaneseRubin Comet Catcherswww.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/rubin-comet-catchers
JapaneseGalaxy Zoo: Tidal Taleswww.zooniverse.org/projects/astrohayley/galaxy-zoo-tidal-tales
KoreanDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
KoreanRedshift Wranglerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/jeyhansk/redshift-wrangler
DutchRadio Meteor Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zooniverse/radio-meteor-zoo
DutchDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
DutchPRINTwww.zooniverse.org/projects/printmigrationnetwork/print
DutchKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
PolishBackyard Worlds: Planet 9www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9
PolishGalaxy Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo
PolishGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
PortugueseBackyard Worlds: Planet 9www.zooniverse.org/projects/marckuchner/backyard-worlds-planet-9
PortugueseDisk Detectivewww.zooniverse.org/projects/ssilverberg/disk-detective
PortugueseBlack Hole Hunterswww.zooniverse.org/projects/cobalt-lensing/black-hole-hunters
PortugueseDear Monsieur Sampaio…www.zooniverse.org/projects/mhnc-dot-up/dear-monsieur-sampaio-dot-dot-dot
PortugueseBackyard Worlds: Cool Neighborswww.zooniverse.org/projects/coolneighbors/backyard-worlds-cool-neighbors
PortugueseGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
PortugueseKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
PortugueseRubin Comet Catcherswww.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/rubin-comet-catchers
RussianGalaxy Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo
RussianMonkey Health Explorerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer
RussianBlack Hole Hunterswww.zooniverse.org/projects/cobalt-lensing/black-hole-hunters
RussianBurst Chaserwww.zooniverse.org/projects/amylien/burst-chaser
RussianThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
RussianKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
RussianRubin Comet Catcherswww.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/rubin-comet-catchers
TurkishThe Daily Minor Planetwww.zooniverse.org/projects/fulsdavid/the-daily-minor-planet
TurkishKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
TurkishSunspot Detectiveswww.zooniverse.org/projects/teolixx/sunspot-detectives
TurkishRubin Comet Catcherswww.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/rubin-comet-catchers
UkrainianDisk Detectivewww.zooniverse.org/projects/ssilverberg/disk-detective
UkrainianGaia Variwww.zooniverse.org/projects/gaia-zooniverse/gaia-vari
Chinese-SimplifiedMonkey Health Explorerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer
Chinese-SimplifiedPenguin Watchwww.zooniverse.org/projects/penguintom79/penguin-watch
Chinese-SimplifiedDark Energy Explorerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/erinmc/dark-energy-explorers
Chinese-SimplifiedKilonova Seekerswww.zooniverse.org/projects/tkillestein/kilonova-seekers
Chinese-SimplifiedRubin Comet Catcherswww.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/rubin-comet-catchers
Chinese-TraditionalGalaxy Zoowww.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo
Chinese-TraditionalMonkey Health Explorerwww.zooniverse.org/projects/mbarrierz/monkey-health-explorer
Chinese-TraditionalRubin Comet Catcherswww.zooniverse.org/projects/orionnau/rubin-comet-catchers
CitizenScience, News

2.50 MILLION ACTS OF SCIENCE: JOIN US FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE MONTH

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This April, Citizen Science Month invites people everywhere to take part in something special: 2.50 Million Acts of Science in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.

SciStarter weekly online events

In addition to hundreds of projects and events scheduled throughout the month, our friends at SciStarter are organising weekly, online events where volunteers from around the world will work on the same project at the same time, guided by the scientists leading the research. 

These events are part of Do NASA Science LIVE! and the Acts of Science: Connected series, and all participation during these events counts toward 2.50 Million Acts of Science.

Events featuring Zooniverse projects

April 2 | What’s the Weather Like on Mars?

2 PM ET and 9 PM ET

Help analyze cloud images from Mars through the Cloudspotting on Mars project and support scientists studying the Martian atmosphere.

Register on Zoom

April 22 | Earth Day Animal Spot-A-Thon

11 AM ET and 6 PM ET

Celebrate Earth Day by identifying wildlife in trail camera images through Snapshot Wisconsin and help researchers monitor animal populations.

Register on Zoom

April 29 | Comets, Clues, and Our Cosmic Story

6 PM ET and 9 PM ET

Explore astronomical data and help scientists investigate comets and our solar system through Rubin Comet Catchers.

Register on Zoom

During each event, you’ll:

  • Contribute to real scientific research
  • Work alongside volunteers across the globe
  • Hear directly from project scientists
  • Ask questions and learn how your efforts support discovery

No prior experience is required. Open to ages 13 and older.

Small acts of science lead to big impacts.

We hope you’ll join us in April!

— The Zooniverse & SciStarter Teams

News, Who's who in the Zoo

Who’s who in the Zoo – Kameswara Bharadwaj Mantha

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Name: Kameswara Bharadwaj Mantha (Senior AI/ML Research Scientist)

Location: University of Missouri-Kansas City

Zooniverse projects: Galaxy Zoo, Galaxy Zoo: Weird & Wonderful, Galaxy Zoo: Clump Scout, Cosmic Disco, MindMapper, many more probably 🙂

What is your research about?

My research is broadly about using AI, machine learning, and human-guided data analysis to make sense of large and complex scientific datasets across multiple fields. I have worked in areas ranging from astronomy and imaging-based science to biomedical and health-related research, and what connects all of these spaces is the same core challenge: we now generate far more data than any one person can carefully analyze alone. My work focuses on building ways for computational tools and human insight to work together so that we can identify meaningful patterns, unusual cases, and scientifically important signals more effectively.

What excites me especially is that this idea translates naturally across disciplines. In one setting, it might involve helping classify or discover unusual structures in astronomical data, whereas in another, it might involve biomedical images, disease-related patterns, or genetic data that can inform better diagnostics or drug discovery. I am particularly enthusiastic about the biomedical side of this work because of its direct potential to improve how we understand disease and develop better treatments. For me, projects like these are exciting because they sit at the intersection of discovery, data, and impact. Such work allows us to use large-scale human participation and AI not only to handle complex datasets, but also to ask better scientific questions and discover previously unknown landscapes.

How do Zooniverse volunteers contribute to your research?

Zooniverse volunteers play a central role in my research because they help generate the kind of high-quality human insight that large scientific datasets often still need. In many of the problems I work on, whether in astronomy or other data-rich areas, there is simply too much information for a small research team to inspect carefully by hand. Volunteers help by identifying key patterns, classifying structures, flagging unusual cases, and, importantly, surfacing examples that may not fit neatly into existing categories. That is especially exciting to me because those “hard-to-describe” or unexpected cases are often where new science begins. Rather than thinking of volunteers as just helping label data, I see them as active contributors to discovery and to the design of better collaborative human-AI systems.

What makes Zooniverse particularly important in my work is that I am interested not only in the final scientific answer, but also in how humans and machines can learn from each other. Volunteers can help us build more reliable training datasets, evaluate where machine-learning models succeed or fail, and identify “unknown unknowns” that are cases where automated systems might miss because they fall outside the patterns the model has already learned. That question has been central to some of my published work, including research on how citizen science and machine learning can be combined for more effective identification of unknown or unusual structures in big data.

Through Zooniverse, I hope to answer both scientific and methodological questions. On the scientific side, the goal is to better characterize complex structures and rare phenomena in large datasets. On the methodological side, I want to understand how to efficiently use volunteer’s time with machine learning, how disagreement or uncertainty in classifications can itself become scientifically meaningful, and how citizen science can be used for genuine discovery. That broader theme runs across my work in Zooniverse-related collaborations, including citizen-science projects connected to galaxy morphology, unusual object identification, and human-in-the-loop AI systems.

What’s a surprising or fun fact about your research field?

A weird and wonderful part (pun intended!) of the domains I work in is that sometimes the most valuable data points are the ones that do not belong. We spend a lot of time building systems to classify things and putting them in pre-determined buckets. However, the discoveries often emerge out of the outliers: the object that looks wrong, the signal that breaks expectations, or the pattern no one thought to search for. In that sense, “mistakes,” surprises, and oddballs can end up being the most scientifically useful part of the dataset. I believe this notion transcends beyond astronomy into any domain; In fact this same philosophy led me down a path of scientific discovery in the core biomedical domain!

Kameswara Bharadwaj Mantha (Senior AI/ML Research Scientist)

What first got you interested in research?

First, I wanted to become a medical doctor. Human body and its function fascinates me to this day. I carry with me a tinge of obsession for learning something new. As life took be down a different path, into pursuing engineering, I have been finding my way back into doing what I want for over a decade or so. That’s when I decided to pursue my graduate school in more fundamental science domains, such as Physics, and eventually in Astrophysics. My first research experience was in studying galaxies and their evolution. Astronomy made me realize the true breadth of knowledge and my place in the universe. It unlocked a new avenue in my learning and scientific research capabilities and I eagerly applied it to learning and contributing to biomedicine.

What’s something people might not expect about your job or daily routine?

My expertise and daily job related duties lies at the junction of Astrophysics, applied Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, and core biomedical clinical research. One potentially unexpected item that may come as a surprise is, how many times and how fast I have to switch gears from talking about distant galaxies, to microscopic cellular level genes, to aerospace optimizations, and to cybersecurity, often in back-to-back settings 🙂 … I love it though!

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?

Reading and collecting medical textbooks, listening to medical talks/test prep videos, hosting and creating podcasts, playing chess, planning road trips, cooking and experimenting with cuisine fusions, having philosophical discussions … and generally learning new things 🙂

What are your favourite citizen science projects?

Etch A Cell; Infection Inspection; Eyes on Eyes; Genome Detectives;

What guidance would you give to other researchers considering creating a citizen research project?

It is really important to double/triple check if the task is broken down into the the most intuitive and low cognitive burden way. Volunteers appreciate tasks that are to the point and can contribute meaningfully to the overall research goal. Next, communication with the volunteers is really important! Talk to your volunteers and engage with them!

News, Who's who in the Zoo

Who’s who in the Zoo – Michelle Yuen

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In this edition of Who’s who in the Zoo, meet Michelle Yuen, a Zooniverse backend developer.

Who: Michelle Yuen, Backend developer at Zooniverse

Location: Adler Planetarium, Chicago USA

Zooniverse projects: Panoptes, ERAS (Stats service), Talk API, Caesar

What’s something people might not expect about your job or daily routine?

People assume I just sit and code all day, but most of my time is spent playing detective with invisible problems—tracking down mysterious server crashes, optimizing data no one ever sees, or convincing stubborn APIs to behave. Basically, I fight invisible fires and hope no one notices.

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?

Outside of work, I enjoy playing tennis and pickleball. I enjoy cuddling with my cat, Bela. I love all things Disney and am also a cozy gamer—I’m currently hooked on Dreamlight Valley. I’m passionate about baking and often bring in my test recipes and treats for my colleagues at the Adler to try.

What are you favourite citizen science projects?

I’ve enjoyed working with Active Asteroids in the past and even spoke about Zooniverse at a tech conference, where I highlighted what the classification process looks like using Active Asteroids as an example project (you can learn more here).

What guidance would you give to other researchers considering creating a citizen research project?

Remember that community matters. Treating volunteers as partners, staying engaged, and sharing progress helps make the experience rewarding for everyone involved 🙂

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

It’s really wonderful to see how thoughtful and engaged the Zooniverse community is—from volunteers to researchers and everyone in between. The genuine enthusiasm people bring to supporting and advancing research is incredibly meaningful. I’m deeply grateful to be part of this community; it truly makes coming to work each day a joy.

News

DISCOVER ZOONIVERSE PROJECTS IN A WHOLE NEW WAY

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We’re happy to introduce an updated Projects page on Zooniverse, designed to make it easier, faster and more enjoyable to find projects that match your interests.

The new page brings together improved navigation, long-requested features like sorting by language, and a refreshed visual design that aligns with Zooniverse’s evolving front-end experience.

Read on to learn more or go explore the new Projects page at
https://www.zooniverse.org/projects.

Filter Projects by Language

One of the most requested features from our global community is finally here: project filtering by language.

Zooniverse is used by volunteers all over the world. Thanks to our amazing translators, projects are increasingly available in multiple languages. The new language filter makes it much easier to discover projects you can participate in comfortably, whether you’re looking for projects in Japanese, Czech, French, Italian or other languages.

This update helps make Zooniverse more accessible and more welcoming to the diverse community that makes participatory science possible.

Explore Projects by Organisation

The new Projects page also introduces the ability to browse projects by organisation.

On Zooniverse, organisations are research groups, institutions, observatories, universities, museums, and other teams that host and manage projects on the platform. Many organisations – such as Notes from Nature and Rubin Observatory – run multiple projects over time, often connected by shared research goals or themes.

With organisation listings now visible on the Projects page, it’s easier to discover related projects from the same research team, follow the work of organisations you’re interested in and get a clearer sense of the research communities behind the projects.

A Refreshed Look and Feel

Alongside these new features, the Projects page has been visually redesigned to match Zooniverse’s new front-end design system.

The updated layout improves consistent navigation across the platform. Project cards, filters and search tools are more clearly structured, making it simpler to scan, compare, and jump into projects that catch your eye.

This design update reflects ongoing work across Zooniverse to create a more cohesive and intuitive experience for everyone who takes part.

Built for Discovery

Whether you arrive knowing exactly what you’re looking for or just want to browse and see what’s happening across Zooniverse, the new tools are there to help you discover projects that match your interests and curiosity.

Take a look, try out the filters, explore new navigation, and enjoy the updated experience.

Have fun, and happy classifying!

News, Who's who in the Zoo

Who’s who in the Zoo – Oluwatoyosi Oyegoke

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In this edition of Who’s who in the Zoo, meet Oluwatoyosi Oyegoke, a Zooniverse backend developer.

Who: Oluwatoyosi Oyegoke, Backend developer at Zooniverse

Location: University of Oxford

Zooniverse projects: Panoptes API, Panoptes Python Client & CLI, KaDE (Knowledge and Discovery Engine), BaJor (Azure Batch Job Runner), Active Learning Pipelines

What is your research about?

My work focuses on helping scientists manage the huge amount of data created by Zooniverse projects. These projects can produce millions of images from telescopes, wildlife cameras, or research surveys. Volunteers classify these images, and I build the systems that collect this information and make it useful for researchers.

I work on the Panoptes API, which is the core platform that stores project data and volunteer classifications. I also improve the Python client and CLI so researchers can easily access and analyse their data. Another part of my role involves building and maintaining the machine learning pipelines. These pipelines take the volunteer classifications, train models, run predictions, and manage large Azure Batch jobs.

In simple terms: scientists and volunteers create the data, machine learning tries to learn from it, and I build the tools and backend systems that help everything work together smoothly. My work makes it easier for researchers to understand very large datasets by improving the platforms and workflows behind the scenes.

How do Zooniverse volunteers contribute to your research?

Zooniverse volunteers play a central role in how the whole platform functions. They create the classifications that flow through the systems I work on, and their input is what brings each project to life. When a project is created, volunteers are the ones who generate the data that the platform processes, stores, and makes available to researchers.

My work focuses on the core systems behind this experience. I help maintain and improve the Panoptes API, the tools researchers use to access data, and the pipelines that handle classification processing and machine learning.

Everything depends on volunteers contributing high-quality classifications, and their work is what keeps the entire platform active and meaningful. What I find exciting is seeing how thousands of people from around the world can come together and create data that supports real scientific discovery. My role is to make sure the systems behind that process are fast, reliable, and able to handle the huge amount of participation that Zooniverse projects receive.

While I do not work on individual research outputs, the systems I help build and maintain support all the scientific papers, datasets, and discoveries that come from Zooniverse projects. Without volunteers, and without the infrastructure behind them.

What’s a surprising or fun fact about your research field?

For me, one surprising thing is how global the participation is. A project can receive classifications from people in completely different parts of the world within the same minute. It amazes me how many people contribute to science from their sofa, their commute, or wherever they happen to be.

What first got you interested in research?

I love working on systems that have a direct impact, and the mix of technology, community, and science is what keeps it exciting.

What’s something people might not expect about your job or daily routine?

One thing people might not expect is how often small changes make a big impact. Sometimes a single line of code or a small optimisation can improve performance for millions of classifications. It’s a very technical role, but it’s also rewarding to know that quiet, invisible work can support so many people doing science together.

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?

Outside of work, I spend my weekends playing football with friends. I also spend a lot of time playing video games like FIFA and GTA. It’s my favourite way to unwind and switch off. I also enjoy watching documentaries, especially ones about historical events, and I love exploring new technologies just out of curiosity. It keeps things fun and gives me something new to learn all the time.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I’d just like to say that being part of Zooniverse has shown me how powerful community-driven science can be. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps move real research forward. It’s a privilege to help build the systems that make that possible, and I’m excited to see what volunteers and researchers will discover next.

The world's largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. This research is made possible by volunteers—millions of people around the world who come together to assist professional researchers.