Galaxy Zoo 2 ( 2)

I have just finished reading Dr Chris Lintott's very good article about Galaxy Zoo in the September Issue of Physics World  and was struck by some of the testimonials from the contributors to the original survey.  They are intelligent, erudite and informed, just what you would expect from people who are so enthused by astrophysics that they were prepared to spend hours in front of the computers classifying distant galaxies, or is it?  

I think that the scientists might be missing a trick, after all here we have 10's of thousands of people all involved in one gigantic research project and nobody is asking who they are or why there are there.  With a small well worded 'give us a few details about yourself' intro for new classifiers, scientists could have a potential database of information about people who are prepared to spend time on this fascinating project.  

OK I hear you ask, why would a Physicist be remotely interested in the kinds of people doing the classifying?  Well for a start, the data could be used to influence how Physics is taught in schools.  I'm sure that I'm not the only classifier whose experience of Physics in school was a lesson in total bafflement - though in my defence our Physics teacher did run off with a girl in the Lower Sixth the year I was due to sit my O level and the supply teacher our school managed to find at short notice was worse than useless.

I would be fascinated to know who is doing all this classifying, are the majority scientists?  Or are they people who really enjoyed science in school but never had the opportunity to take their interest any further than buying a cheap telescope for their kids? Or are they one of the hundreds of amateur astronomists around the country for whom an interest has become a passion? Or are they like me? 

My son is a Physicist, my daughter a Mathematician and my husband is a Banker while I am just a dreamer.  I look at the galaxies presented to me and stare in awe and wonder at them.  I'm blown away by the colours and shapes and get foolishly excited when I see something that I don't expect to see.  I don't have a telescope or know the name of the constellations (apart from Orion's Belt) and I've literally fallen out of my chair trying to spot shooting stars (we were camping in France and Dave and the kids were getting excited watching a meteor shower but by the time they had shouted  'look at that Mum' the damn thing had passed over and I had to crane  my neck so far back I fell out of the chair)

The only astronomy I do is when I'm walking the dogs. I once got  so excited when I spotted Venus that I fell up the kerb!  But I love being a part of Galaxy Zoo 2 and take my role very seriously. I honestly believe that us dreamers have something to give to the scientific community even if it is only enthusiasm and not a thirst for greater knowledge or understanding of the solar systems.  I just want to keep looking at the sky and dreaming and what's so wrong with that?