“Glitches” in the Virgo antenna.
Photoluminescence activity at KM3Net.
Search for new particles at ATLAS/CERN.
The 4 demonstrator observatories (left column) Training course central poster and Activities of engagement (right column).
REINFORCE Research Infrastructures FOR citizens in Europe Project Objectives
The objectives of REINFORCE are the development of: multi-messenger science (Virgo, KM3NeT, CR) related to the Physics of the infinitely small (ATLAS@ LHC); environmental science through the imbedding of research infrastructures in the Geosphere/Atmosphere; multi-sensorial science: (sonification) and the development of a Roadmap with other Astroparticle Large Infrastructures; while in parallel developing societal aspects: diffusion of critical thinking, inclusion and diversity to art and science practices.
Citizen science to counter sceptics
Composite background image photographs by Testalize.me and the National Cancer Institute.
Fundamental scientific research has been integral to material progress and improvements in areas from the environment and biotope issues to medical treatment and cultural heritage, yet there is a strand of public opinion that remains wary of science. The Reinforce project aims to involve the public in research, which will ultimately help narrow the gap between science and society, as Professor Stavros Katsanevas explains.
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The fruits of scientific research are all around us in our everyday lives. However, there remains a common misperception of what scientific research involves and how results should be interpreted, says Professor Stavros Katsavenas, Director of the European Gravitational Observatory (EGO) in Pisa. “Rather than providing certainty, for me science is about the management of uncertainty. When you have a set of data you ask; what theory best describes that data, given the current measurements and their errors?” he outlines. The nature of this approach is not always widely understood however, resulting in a knowledge gap between scientists and wider society, an issue that Professor Katsanevas is working to address. “It’s important to heighten awareness of the methods that are used in scientific research, to help citizens actively participate in the making of science, and thus enhance the potential of scientific endeavours and in return increase critical thinking in society,” he says. Citizen science As the coordinator of the EU-funded Reinforce project, Professor Katsanevas now seeks to involve the public in scientific research to a greater degree, which it is hoped will help narrow the gap between scientists and wider society. There are four citizen science demonstrators within Reinforce, one on gravitational wave research, one on deep sea exploration, one on the search for new particles at CERN and one on cosmic ray muon images as a radiography tool from natural hazards (Volcanoes) to industrial and cultural (archaeology) prospection. Professor Katsanevas himself is closer to the first project, using the data of the Virgo antenna hosted at EGO, which aims to engage the
public in the search for gravitational waves. “With gravitational waves we metaphorically hear the sound of the universe, although it’s not sound that we actually detect, but an interferometric pattern of light that can be analysed directly in acoustic frequencies (10 Hz to 10 KHz). This pattern is due to deformations of spacetime, caused by violent events in the Universe, leading to minute displacements (1/1000 of the diameter of a proton) of the position of mirrors, at the end of two 3 km vacuum tubes, forming the Virgo antenna, illuminated by the same laser beam,” he continues. “This change of position leads to a change of the resulting interferometric signal, establishing thus together with our American (LIGO) and Japanese (KAGRA) colleagues the most precise ‘standard meters’ on Earth.”
of the atmosphere, instrumental ‘glitches’, anthropogenic noise created by passing trucks, helicopters, nearby windmills – all these can lead to changes in the position of the mirrors for example,” says Professor Katsanevas. The gravitational wave detector has on the order of a thousand ‘slow’ sensors to monitor the environment. As the sensitivity of the detector improves, it will become more and more important to remove ‘environmental or instrumental noise’ from data on gravitational waves from eventual cosmic signals of unknown form, a task in which Professor Katsanevas aims to involve the wider public. “We’re mainly asking citizens to work on analysis of these data,” he outlines. It’s important here to maintain people’s interest and provide regular feedback, so that people feel engaged and involved in the
With gravitational waves we effectively hear the sound of the universe. What we see are deformations of spacetime that lead to the displacement of two mirrors, which are positioned with great precision. This is an exciting period in the field, following the first detection of gravitational waves in September 2015 that gave the Nobel Prize to Barish, Thorne and Weiss there was the observation in 2017 of the collision and fusion of two neutron stars, that occurred around 130 million years ago. Using different observation instruments, from satellites to optical telescopes and radio telescopes, the Astrophysicists were able to follow the subsequent activity over a sustained period, marking the dawn of MultiMessenger Astrophysics as a field. Environmental factors can alter the position of these mirrors, introducing ‘noise’ to these captured cosmic signals. “Spontaneous seismicity, the passage of clouds, electromagnetic changes
task. “We don’t want to ask citizens to simply classify data. People are exercising their critical capabilities in analysing these signals and identifying noise or in our language glitches,” continues Professor Katsanevas. This is not only beneficial in terms of the research project, but also for the participants themselves, who have the opportunity to gain new skills and learn about cuttingedge research. In the demonstrator at EGO, Professor Katsanevas aims to involve senior citizens in particular. “We try to see how we can involve senior citizens and get their input to the development of science, we organised a series of 12 courses that created a certain enthusiasm and we have been asked
EU Research
Project Funding to repeat it next year,” he says. “We are also holding a number of Summer schools for example,” continues Professor Katsanevas. “We organise ‘challenge meetings’ within the demonstrators, and the people who gain the best results have the opportunity to interact directly with the people that created these programmes, go to specialised schools etc.”
Involving the public The search for cosmic phenomena not only holds fundamental scientific interest, but is also deeply inter-connected with what happens in the atmosphere around us. Data on cosmic rays is relevant to research into the movement of lava in certain volcanoes, while Professor Katsanevas says there are also further possibilities. “It’s also possible to look at how the presence or absence of clouds changes the rate of cosmic ray detection for example; our seismic sensors participate in the global seismic network; we have developed sophisticated software to distribute worldwide alerts on important events that can also be used for natural catastrophe events,” he says. These points demonstrate the wider societal value of scientific research and facilities like Virgo, with the data generated at the facility also being used in research into climate change. “We have also established memoranda of understanding with certain ecological teams, to try to see the impact of the tides here on the Tyrrhenian sea,” outlines Professor Katsanevas. Another front where REINFORCE is working is the inclusion of sensorially disabled communities. “With what has been called the Multi-messenger scientific revolution we can now probe the universe with different sensing elements – not only light and shadow, but also, always metaphorically speaking, sound, and in the future particles, falsifying thus the famous Blaise Pascal saying for whom ‘the eternal silence of the infinite spaces frightened him’,” adds a smiling Professor Katsanevas. “We
www.euresearcher.com
can thus move, always metaphorically from the multi-messenger to the multi-sensorial stance, and this is achieved by sonifying the astrophysical data and using the proper sonifying/hearing tools to analyse them. Thus we do not only increase inclusion by permitting non-seeing people to participate in the above Citizen Science endeavour, but at the same time we increase the perceptual capabilities of humanity, its capability to distinguish signal from noise more effectively, in light and/or sound. This program is included in REINFORCE, with the help of the Argentinian Astrophysicists Betriz Garcia and the well known blind astronomer Wand Diaz Merced.” This research comes firmly under the category of ‘hard’ science, yet the project’s agenda also extends into the human sciences. The renowned Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno collaborated with the project, producing pieces for an exhibition. “He explores questions around the traditional acquisition of knowledge, and how animals sense changes in their environment, such as how some animals can sense that an earthquake is imminent,” says Professor Katsanevas. The wider objective here is to engage the public in scientific research and encourage a greater level of scientific rigour amongst citizens, which Professor Katsanevas believes would ultimately put us in a better position to deal with emerging challenges in society, such as climate change, pandemic situations, and the overwhelming digitisation of our society. “Everybody should look at the reality they face with a certain methodology,” he stresses. The UN has designated 2022 as the International Year for Basic Science for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD), reflecting the wider importance attached to fundamental research. While Reinforce is set to conclude later this year, proposals have been submitted for further projects, and Professor Katsanevas is also actively involved in conferences and laying the groundwork for future collaborations.
REINFORCE has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 project call H2020-SwafS-2018-2020 under Grant Agreement no. 872859.
Project Partners
https://reinforceeu.eu/reinforce-team
Contact Details
Project Coordinator, Prof. Stavros Katsanevas, Director European Gravitational Observatory, EGO, Via Edoardo Amaldi 56021 S. Stefano a Macerata (Pisa), Italy T: +39 050 752 300 E: stavros.katsanevas@ego-gw.it W: https://reinforceeu.eu/ W: http://www.ego-gw.it Sites of the Citizen Science Demonstrators https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/reinforce/ gwitchhunters https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/reinforce/ new-particle-search-at-cern https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/reinforce/ cosmic-muon-images https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/reinforce/ deep-sea-explorers
Stavros Katsanevas
Stavros Katsanevas, professor at the University of Paris, is the director of the European Gravitational Observatory hosting the Gravitational antenna Virgo in Pisa. He has served as director of the Laboratory of Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology (Paris), deputy director of the National Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics of CNRS and chairman of the European Consortium of Astroparticle Physics.
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