Silver linings
IT’S PROBABLY too early to think of what benefits COVID-19 might bring, while the pandemic continues to take its deadly toll. But it’s one of the best aspects of human nature that we try to find good in the face of adversity. A quick flick through this issue of Australian Geographic reveals a theme that recurs time and again in our conservation and science reporting, the involvement of ordinary private citizens in essential research projects run by academic institutions. Once the preserve of the qualified research community, essential long-term field observations are now being carried out by members of the public, thanks in part to a combination of special smartphone apps, data-gathering websites and a fast-growing artificial intelligence capability that can quickly analyse vast amounts of data and imagery. In this issue…