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The real problems of real people need real solutions. That is the purpose of Real Citizen Scientists. It discovers workable solutions for a wide range of real problems that will help improve individual lives.

By working with university researchers, Real Citizen Scientists can 1) help discover or share insights and potential solutions to problems, and 2) help test out these solutions in their daily life to see how they can be improved. A Citizen Scientist might help . . .

• Brainstorm ideas on what causes a person to wake up happy versus grumpy (and how they can change it).
• Try out a new solution to reduce nighttime snacking and then report back on how it worked.
• Recount "quality time" experiences they've had with an aging parent to help develop "best practices."

Sign up on the "Join a Project" tab, and we'll match you up with a priority project.

Here's an example . . .

"Will my child be an obese adult?" "How can I prevent this?"
Helping concerned parents answer these questions was the goal of this project.

Over 500 Real Citizen Scientists teamed with researchers from the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Finland, and the US to help parents determine 1) whether their child might grow up to be obese, and 2) what they might do to prevent it (read here).

Adults who reported a lower BMI also reported having the following childhood experiences in common:

They slept a healthy number of hours on weeknights.
They frequently played outside with their families.
They had lots of friends.
Their families prepared meals in the kitchen.
Their parents talked with them about nutrition.

Adults who reported a higher BMI, also reported having the following childhood experiences in common:

Food was used as a reward or punishment at home.
They were bullied by peers.
They had obese parents and/or grandparents.
They drank juice and soda more than water.
Their parents often restricted their food intake.

Here's an example . . .

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