[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6261\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESmartphone users sought\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPeople living in Athens, Bari, Barcelona, Belgrade, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Manchester, Milan, Rome and Toulouse can help researchers to measure pollution using an iPhone, a \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ispex-eu.org\/ispex-eu-campaign-2015\/how-to-join\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Especialised kit\u003C\/a\u003E, and a freely downloadable \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/itunes.apple.com\/us\/app\/ispex\/id584360175?mt=8\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003Eapp\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We provide participants with add-ons that enable their phone to dissect the spectrum and polarisation of sunlight reflected by aerosols in the atmosphere,\u2019 said Elise Hendriks, who runs the iSPEX project from Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018Smartphones have sensational sensors for optics, sound, geolocation, motion\u2026 And we use them to send photos of our cats.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProf. John Dudley, University of Franche-Comt\u00e9, France\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Aerosols are tiny particles that form one of the largest uncertainties in our current estimates of climate change,\u2019 said Hendriks. \u2018They also have a serious impact on human health and air traffic.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe numerous sources of aerosols and their susceptibility to weather conditions make it challenging for scientists to keep track of them. \u2018Crowdsourcing the measurements is not only increasing the scope of our research, it is getting citizens involved in answering some of the most vital scientific questions of our time.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMattis Gutsche, a Berlin-based animator and graphic designer, is one of the many European citizens collecting data for the project. \u0027At first, I couldn\u0027t see why scientists were asking people to take these measurements,\u0027 he said. \u0027I mean we probably have weather stations that already do the job properly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0027But I admit that there is something nice about being involved in the work. When it is not cloudy, that is.\u0027\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn total, 9 000 iSPEX optical kits have been donated by the EU-funded LIGHT2015 project, which is running the experiment, and Leiden Observatory will be collecting measurements until 15 October.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVolunteers\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe iSPEX project bypasses some of the typical hurdles of international research by standardising instruments and appealing to volunteers. The benefits run both ways, with participants learning about the capabilities of the tools at their disposal and overcoming apprehensions about their technical abilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What I find most exciting is how iSPEX uses these jewels of technology that lie idle in our pockets,\u2019 said Professor John Dudley at the University of Franche-Comt\u00e9 in Besan\u00e7on, France. \u2018Smartphones have sensational sensors for optics, sound, geolocation, motion\u2026 And we use them to send photos of our cats. What a waste!\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a European Research Council grantee working on non-linear optics and one of the lead architects of the UN\u2019s Year of Light, he is well acquainted with the rigours of photonic laboratory conditions. Still, he sees areas in which Europe\u2019s citizens have an edge over professional research institutes in this field.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Getting national bodies to do anything together is always a challenge,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe iSPEX measurement campaign runs alongside science lectures, art shows and even Girl Guide meetings as part of the UN-backed International \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.light2015.org\/Home.html\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022\u003EYear of Light\u003C\/a\u003E and Light-based Technologies. The idea is to explain the achievements of photonics to millions of people around the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Photonics studies the harnessing of light,\u2019 said Dr Jorge Rivero Gonzalez at the European Physical Society in Mulhouse, France. As part of the Horizon 2020 LIGHT2015 project, he is helping dozens of activities like iSPEX show people how photonics is transforming their lives.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDiscoveries including the blue light-emitting diode, the charge-coupled device, the laser and the fibre optic cable have recently garnered a series of Nobel Prizes and brought us the screens, cameras and internet connections that underpin the ongoing digital revolution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile we use photonics-based devices everywhere and every day, Dr Rivero Gonzalez points out that few of us have any idea how they work. He hopes that the International Year of Light is helping to bridge this gap by offering audiences of all trades and ages a hands-on introduction to photonics.\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003EHow to participate\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EIf you\u0027d like to join the study, which runs until 15 October, go to\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ispex-eu.org\/ispex-eu-campaign-2015\/how-to-join\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ethe iSPEX site\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;for full instructions, including information on how to access a smartphone add-on and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ispex-eu.org\/ispex-eu-campaign-2015\/measurement-guidelines\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eguidelines\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Efor taking measurements.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYou\u0027ll also need to download the app, available for iPhones 4, 4S, 5 or 5S, and live in one of the participating cities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce you\u0027ve submitted your measurement, your data will be colour coded and added to a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/ispex-eu.org\/ispex-eu-campaign-2015\/live-map\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Elive map\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;showing aerosol conditions across Europe. Once the study is finished, the final maps will be available on the iSPEX site.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-29xpwgpomibghkydyrdur6ta4tma7iivd1wr-6o7tqq\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-29xpWGPOMIBgHKyDyrDUr6TA4TMa7IIVd1wr_6o7tQQ\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]