Der Citizen Science-Niedergang oder wie man eine gute Idee verhunzt: Ein wissenschaftshistorisches Lehrstück zur Gegenwart

Abstract

This Opusculum reflects critically on an important period in modern science. The German philosopher Gernot Böhme (1937-2022) called it the "Baconian Age" in 1993. Paul Crutzen (1933-2021), who won the Nobel Prize for his role in discovering the hole in the stratospheric ozone layer, called it with a wide resonance the "Anthropocene" around 2000. To this day, this epoch is largely characterised by the rise of two widely conflicting sciences, economics and ecology, which have led to serious general problems in contemporary science. In 1995, sociologist Allan Irwin (*1955) published the idea that amateur scientists could and should play an important role in supporting ecological ideas, calling their scientific role "citizen science". The author of this Opusculum underlined this in 2014 as an important means to overcome the mistakes of the Anthropocene. The text describes the general framework, the rise and fall of Irwin's idea, distinguishing between different stages, countries and actors. At present, it has lost most of its original power and has become a mere method of professional science. Nevertheless, we urgently need a transformation of our scientific identity.