Gamers Help Scientists Discover New Planets

Hevva

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Aug 2, 2011
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Gamers Help Scientists Discover New Planets



Players of browser-based star stalking game Planet Hunters may have helped scientists to identify two new exoplanets.

Planet Hunters [http://kepler.nasa.gov/], a browser-based game which tasks you with finding evidence of exoplanets in Kepler's data. Now, after their first month of searching, the game's users have found their first two possible exoplanets.

The Kepler mission creates its data by compiling the light fluctuations of a particular star over a 30 day period. If that light signal dips at any point, it could mean that a planet is passing between Kepler and the star; this is known as a transit pattern. Planet Hunters, seen in the accompanying screenshot, asks you to look through light data from several stars and decide whether or not you can see any transit patterns. If you think you see a transit, simply pull a small box over the time when the dip occurred and send your discovery off to the Kepler team. It can be a little difficult to tell what exactly you're meant to be looking for at first, but the site is littered with tutorials and guides to help you on your search.


The Kepler team announced the discovery in helped to crack an AIDS-related protein problem [http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/arxiv/pdf/1109/1109.4621v3.pdf] which had eluded scientists for 15 years; now, they've helped to uncover two new exoplanets in deep space. Right now, the future of "citizen science" looks like a bright one.


Source: i09 [http://io9.com/5844283/citizen-scientists-find-two-new-earth+like-planets-using--planet-hunters]


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ShindoL Shill

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Jul 11, 2011
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they help cure AIDS, not to mention the other parts of FoldIt and Phylo, now they're finding planets.

why arent these bastards getting me metal-coated bone claws and the healing factor?

and i hope Fox News doesnt make a whole 'this is teh evilz' thing like they did with the eco-power sim game.
 

Scarim Coral

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Oct 29, 2010
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I wonder if these newly discover planets will be name after something game related? It better not be the planets "Leet" or "Noob" etc.
 

Findlebob

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Mar 24, 2011
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Great they have found potentially planets that are a few million years old depending on the distance and the time the light took to get here. Impossible to say if their even still their let alone their state.

If my thinking is wrong here im sure someone will correct me.
 

Torrasque

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Aug 6, 2010
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Scarim Coral said:
I wonder if these newly discover planets will be name after something game related? It better not be the planets "Leet" or "Noob" etc.
I vote we name it Bob. Or Lol. I think we can all enjoy those names.
Substitute Troll said:
"This was a triumph."
My sentiments exactly :)

Now all we need is a game where we create vaccines to combate viruses and diseases, and cancer will become a thing of the past.
 

Pumpkin_Eater

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Mar 17, 2009
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Let's also not forget that a huge chunk of the top 1000 or so Folding at Home teams are gaming communities.
 

manythings

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Raiyan 1.0 said:
Congrats gamers, you've done Gordon Freeman proud.
They plugged something in? HEYO!

OT: I dunno it doesn't sound so much like "gamers doing amazing things" as "gamers using incredibly important, well thought out technology as directed which can result in amazing things".
 

Beryl77

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Mar 26, 2010
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Oh my god! Thanks a lot for this news, I love these kind of stuff. I wanted to go to sleep because it's very late but I guess I'll be planet hunting for the next few hours, even though I have to go to uni tomorrow.
 

Draconalis

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Sep 11, 2008
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That is just awesome, and amazing.

I commend the scientist for being creative enough for using people's boredom to their advantage.
 

Robert0288

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I don't think it has anything to do with gamers. All this is doing is appealing to the nerd within us, and then convincing us to do minimum wage menial tasks for them. Sure its for a good cause. But these discoveries could have just as easily happened by paying a Chinese gold farming sweatshop $100 and have them go over a month or 2 of data.
 

Druyn

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TrilbyWill said:
they help cure AIDS, not to mention the other parts of FoldIt and Phylo, now they're finding planets.

why arent these bastards getting me metal-coated bone claws and the healing factor?

and i hope Fox News doesnt make a whole 'this is teh evilz' thing like they did with the eco-power sim game.
I would love to see how they argue "curing aids is bad."