A citizen Science approach to improving public perception of low carbon society

• Grant number: 22/07560-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2022
• End date: June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Condensed Matter Physics
• Agreement: BG E&P Brasil (Shell Group)
• Principal Investigator: Caetano Rodrigues Miranda
• Grantee: Miguel Alfredo Vera Moreno
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Politécnica (EP)
• Associated research grant: 20/15230-5 - Research Centre for Greenhouse Gas Innovation - RCG2I, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Citizen Science provides the opportunity for the public to contribute to large datasets and engage in scientific research. In this context, we will create a platform that shows the data collected by citizen scientists through Volunteer Computing (VC) for scientific divulgation. In the first phase of this project, we will study climate changes, proposing citizen scientists contribute with the document, monitor, and send photographs, and other pieces of information of local regions to evidence of climate change, and environmental disasters. Then we will develop the interaction between research and the community through the molecular modelling of gases and other molecules using a VC system. The results obtained with the help of the volunteers will be post-processed using tools such as VR sonification, which can help us better understand and propose solutions to climate change, and also the creation of a molecularium for the general public. In the second phase of this project, we will apply methods based on social physics and machine learning on the available data on social media and the obtained data in the first phase. Physicists study societal phenomena and develop the interaction between research and the community through models based on statistical physics. The results obtained with the help of statistical physics, network Science, data analysis, and information technology, can help us better understand the public perception and social pressure on technologies towards a low carbon society. Many of the grandest challenges of our time are societal, and methods of physics are increasingly playing a central role in improving our understanding of these challenges, and helping us to find innovative solutions. This project is part of the Advocacy program at the Research Center for Greenhouse Gas Innovation (RCGI) on public perception and scientific dissemination in social networks on technologies towards a low carbon society. (AU)