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You've probably heard of "crowdsourcing," the very 21st-century term coined in 2006 in Wired magazine. This new word, a twist on the idea of outsourcing, describes the practice of posing a question or challenge to the public, and asking for individuals to contribute a small piece to the project goal. Successful examples of online crowdsourcing include Kickstarter, a fundraising website for individual projects; National Geographic's own search for the tomb of Genghis Khan; and the uber crowdsourcing phenomenon, Wikipedia.

All of which is to say, the concept and practice of crowdsourcing has found a place in 21st-century society. But recently, I've started noticing a crowdsourcing niche, one that has yet to be named but I believe deserves to be singled out as its own phenomenon. Let me give you some examples.

We're thrilled to announce that the new website for the 2012 Google Science Fair launched this morning (at 12:01 GMT, to be precise)! National Geographic is very proud to be partnering with Google and our friends Lego, Scientific American, and the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) on this groundbreaking program, following an extremely successful inaugural year in 2011. We're especially honored to be offering one of the banner prizes, a scientific voyage to the Galapagos Islands!




So, what it's all about!

The Google Science Fair is an online science competition seeking curious minds from the four corners of the globe. Anybody and everybody between 13 and 18 can enter. All you need is an idea!

Like, what kind of idea?

...It could be a new take on particle physics, or game theory. It could be a cost-effective way to provide clean water to a remote community, or maybe a project like reducing the carcinogenic properties of grilled chicken (that was one of last year's winning entries). It should definitely be inspired! Everyone has a question. What's yours?

Ok, now I'm interested. How  do I participate?

It's a simple 4-step process:
1. Register
2. Get parental consent
3. Build your project site
4. Submit your project

Learn more about National Geographic's participation in this post on the Nat Geo News Watch blog, and visit the Google Science Fair website to get all the additional details you need to enter!

Village [Human Geography]
Noun. A village is a small settlement usually found in a rural setting. It is generally larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town. Some geographers specifically define a village as having between 500 and 2,500 inhabitants.

In most parts of the world, villages are settlements of people clustered around a central point, such as a church or a marketplace. This is called a nucleated settlement. Village inhabitants usually engage in primary activities such as farming, fishing and mining, which provide basic goods and services for inhabitants and for people in surrounding areas. Villages function as trading centers and, often, as units of local government. With their homes built close together, villages also increase residents' ability to defend themselves against threats.

A special opportunity for high schools from our friends at NEEF. We encourage you to enter the contest to showcase how your school is using technology and addressing energy issues--two of our favorite topics.  Visit neefusa.org/energyaward for more information and to enter by February 10. Good luck!

 

SustainUS, United States Youth for Sustainable Development, is calling for submissions to its annual CitizenScience essay contest. This year, the competition theme will focus on the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, sustainable development, and current challenges in line with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Here are five reasons why you should enter:

1. Share your passion for addressing the world's toughest challenges through sound science.
2. Join the SustainUS delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on Status of Women in New York.
3. Present your work and communicate the importance of youth involvement to international leaders.

Boundless Boundaries [All Geography]
Noun. A boundary is a real or imaginary line that separates two things. In geography, boundaries separate different regions of the Earth. There are many different types of boundaries...

Physical Boundary: A physical boundary is a naturally occurring barrier between two areas. Rivers, mountain ranges, oceans, and deserts can all serve as physical boundaries.

Political Boundary: Political boundaries are the dividing lines between countries, states, provinces, counties, and cities. These lines, more often called borders, are created by people to separate areas governed by different groups.

This collection of Monday Funday Photos of the week puts a geographic spin on New Year's celebrations as we track down some of the most interesting traditions across the globe. For Americans, New Year's is the first day of the year in the Gregorian calendar: January 1. There are often fireworks at midnight to celebrate the new year. In the southern part of the United States, black-eyed peas are thought to bring luck and prosperity for the new year, greens (usually collards) bring wealth, and pork is served because pigs root forward, the same direction as time moves (National Geographic Kids).

Everywhere around the country, champagne toasts mark the occasion with a clinking of glasses. Throughout the rest of the world, however, New Year's is celebrated very differently. Join me for a photo journey to lands far and wide as people all over the world countdown to a fresh start!

Salvador: "Torito Pinto": a New Year's event where people get an adrenaline rush from dressing in wet clothes and chasing people with fireworks on their heads.

The people of Bhaktapur celebrate New Year's Eve by drawing a carriage manually through the main Durbar (a historical court in India). The event includes a massive amount of team work, lots of laughter, and delighted spectators.

Around the world, Christian followers decorate Christmas trees and homes with bright lights, wreaths, candles, holly, mistletoe, and ornaments. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many people go to church. Christmas in the United States brings together customs from many other countries and cultures. Scandinavian descendants in states such as Minnesota celebrate the Feast of St. Lucia by eating saffron buns, while Cajuns in Louisiana eat Kings Cake from the Festival of the Epiphany in early January through Mardi Gras in February.

Sinkhole [Physical Geography]
Noun. A sinkhole is a hole in the ground that forms when water dissolves surface rock. Often, this surface rock is limestone, which is easily eroded, or worn away, by the movement of water.

In a landscape where limestone sits underneath the soil, water from rainfall collects in cracks in the stone. These cracks are called joints. Slowly, as the limestone dissolves and is carried away, the joints widen until the ground above them becomes unstable and collapses. The collapse often happens very suddenly without warning. Water collects in these collapsed sections, forming sinkholes.


Sinkholes also form when the roofs of caves collapse. Sinkholes are often funnel-shaped, with the wide end open at the surface and the narrow end at the bottom of the pool. Sinkholes vary from shallow holes about 1 meter (3 feet) deep, to pits more than 50 meters (165 feet) deep. Water can drain through a sinkhole into an underground channel or a cave. When mud or debris plugs one of these underground caves, it fills with water to become a lake or a pond. (National Geographic Education)

Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, a holiday honoring the Maccabees' victory over King Antiochus, who forbid Jews to practice their religion. For eight nights, Hanukkah is celebrated with prayer, the lighting of the menorah, and food. A menorah has nine candles, a candle for every night, plus a helper candle. Children play games, sing songs, and exchange gifts. Potato pancakes, known as latkes in Yiddish, are traditionally associated with Hanukkah and are served with applesauce and sour cream. (National Geographic Kids)

To learn more about Jewish history and traditions, check out Hidden History, a National Geographic Education article that explores the history of the little-known Crypto-Jews in Latin America. Tune in next week as the My Wonderful World blog takes a look at another holiday celebrated by many Americans and others around the world: Christmas!

Photo Credits: Mike Perkins (Nat Geo Your Shot) & Julia Elena Calderon (Nat Geo Your Shot)
--Julia for My Wonderful World