It wasn’t long after the invention of the internet that scientists discovered the potential for using computing power as a citizen science tool. One of the earliest examples was a computer program developed in the 1990s that allowed users to search for life on other planets. Now a new collaboration takes aim at something a little closer to home: An intersection between citizen science, health, and agriculture, with implications right here in the San Joaquin Valley. It’s 1 p.m. on a Friday, and Patrick Camarador is getting ready to livestream a video game. The UC Davis senior puts down his textbooks, puts on his headset and clicks on music. Some days, he plays games like Legend of Zelda or Splatoon, but for today’s game he puts on safety glasses and a lab coat. It’s a kind of inside joke with his streaming audience . “My name is Sockrates, also known as Patrick, and welcome back to Sock’s Lab,” he begins. The game is called Foldit . And it transforms hundreds of thousands of gamers like
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