Introduction: The Crowd and the Cloud: Episode 1 (02:20)

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Smartphones, computers, and mobile technology allow citizen scientists to collect information about the world. There are more mobile phones than people on earth. This video describes how every person can help advance scientific knowledge, speed up innovations, and combat issues.

Citizen Science (02:18)

Waleed Abdalati defines the crowd and the cloud. Learn how citizen scientists record information on climate change, mapping the brain, crowdsourcing, and monitoring ocean currents using technology.

"CoCoRaHs" Volunteers vs. Extreme Weather (07:27)

Nolan Doeskin describes a localized storm that devastated a community in 1997; five people perished. The Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow Network gathers daily measurements on precipitation and monitors extreme weather conditions across North America. Chad Gimmestad demonstrates how the organization sends out warnings to local television stations and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

"CoCoRaHs" Volunteers vs. Extreme Weather— Mapping (05:01)

CocoRaHs volunteers collect measurements about snow and hail across North America. Dan Matthews describes how he collects data about snow. During a large storm in 2013, CoCoRaHs volunteers accurately mapped the progression and got help to the worst affected areas.

OpenStreetMap: Responding to Gorkha Earthquake (06:00)

Nama Budhathoki escaped with his son when the first tremor began. Red Cross workers describe how online participants improve openstreetmap.com. The website helped during the Haiti earthquake and the Philippines disaster.

OpenStreetMap: Responding to Gorkha Earthquake— Local Information (05:12)

Mikel Maron explains how users can log in and improve the map of Ecuador. OpenStreetMap relies on volunteers to help apply local knowledge to satellite imagery. Budhathoki and Dale Kunce attend a map-a-thon in Washington, DC.

EyesOnALZ: Speeding Up Alzheimer's Research (06:08)

Deidre Lovell never thought her mother would be diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The U.S. spends $236 billion a year caring for patients with the disease. Chris Schaffer and Nozomi Nishimura explain recent advances in Alzheimer's research at Cornell University.

EyesOnALZ: Speeding Up Alzheimer's Research— Larger Capacity (03:03)

Pietro Michelucci met with Stardust and Eye Wire to learn how their approaches can speed up research. Andy Westphal and Amy Robinson Sterling explain how they recruited volunteers to help with their projects. The EyesOnALZ project determined that with crowdsourcing techniques, they could perform a year's worth of research in two weeks.

EyesOnALZ: Speeding Up Alzheimer's Research— Crowdsourcing (04:27)

Coralee Burch teaches retirees in Florida how to play the Stall Catcher's game. Sterling, Westphal, and Michelucci describe the impact of crowdsourcing.

Public Lab: The BP Spill and Aftermath (06:34)

Lieutenant General Russel Honore describes how BP controlled access to the site, contained information after the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and operated in a no response capacity. Shannon Dosemagen worked with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade to help crisis map the site. Jeff Warren offered cameras to the watchdog organization.

Public Lab: The BP Spill and Aftermath: Part Two (02:57)

Scott Eustis uses cameras to look at coal export terminals, watching for violations of the Clean Water Act. Every year, Public Lab hosts a" barn raising" to educate the public. Honore heads up a Green Army.

New Faces of Citizen Science (03:23)

Experts describe the impact of crowdsourcing on their organizations. Citizen scientists explain why they volunteer.

Credits: The Crowd and the Cloud: Episode 1— Even Big Data Starts Small (01:46)

Credits: The Crowd and the Cloud: Episode 1— Even Big Data Starts Small