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November 25, 2002
The butterfly collectors are back...
In the New York Review of Books, Freeman Dyson writes In Praise of Amateurs in all fields of science.
In recent years the field of astronomy has seen notable contributions from amateurs who have exploited the power of cheap computers and the global communication network made possible by the internet to coordinate and carry out long-term, intensive observations of astronomical phenomena. The most notable example is Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which memorably disintegrated and crashed into Jupiter almost a decade ago, but amateur observers like part-time air-guitarist Sir Patrick Moore have been reporting detailed observations of the Moon and other objects within the solar system for years.
The real question, Dyson suggests, is simple: which field of science is going to be next to move back into the age of the amateur?
Posted by John at November 25, 2002 09:46 PM
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Comments
DO MOSQUITO'S BITE BUTTERFLYS ?
Posted by: LARRY SCHAUGHNESSY at September 16, 2003 06:32 PM
where are the pics of butterflies???
Posted by: kirsty at May 21, 2004 09:38 AM
Posted by: John at May 22, 2004 01:41 PM