Kids 12 and under

The National Institute for Basic Biology in Japan wants you to become a scientist!

Look at the picture above. You could guess a lot of information from this photo of a Mallard duck. It has a green head, so it’s probably a male. There is snow, so it’s probably winter. There is a band on this duck’s foot: it was put there by scientists to keep track of where this bird goes! If you go to the iNaturalist website (https://www.inaturalist.org/), where this picture was shared, you could even see where and when the picture was taken (February 11th, 2024, 11:01 AM, in Brunswick, USA!).

There is always more than meets the eye to a picture. So what could you tell from comparing two pictures? Ten? 174 million pictures? What would you do with all of the pictures in the iNaturalist database, if you were the leader of a whole team of scientists with super-powerful computers? Maybe you would find new species in the database. Or maybe you'd look for the secrets of the evolution of species... Send your ideas to The National Institute for Basic Biology using this form. The best idea will win [a prize], and maybe even be implemented  by professional scientists. Become a community scientist today!

How to Participate:

Please outline your idea in less than 300 words and submit it through the form below. Tell us why you find that idea interesting interesting, what you think the world would learn from the results, and the methods you think will be necessary to realize it. We will also need your name and email address to contact you if you win.

Submission Deadline:

Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Selection Process:

Ideas will be carefully reviewed by a selection team at the Institute of Basic Biology. Selected ideas may have the opportunity to be pursued as research projects. Additionally, individuals who propose outstanding ideas may be invited to participate in the project or present their findings.

Scientific progress begins with each individual's small idea. Join us in exploring the mysteries of life and embarking on a journey of new discoveries.

Prize:

The winner will receive a Science Kit curated by the NIBB. The science kit contains the items below.

Observe the natural world at all scales!

Images used with the consent of their respective owners.