Zooniverse, co-founded by University of Minnesota professor, reaches one billion volunteer classifications

World's largest citizen science platform showcases the power of human discovery and artificial intelligence working together

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (06/29/2026) — Zooniverse, the world's largest citizen science platform, has reached a historic milestone of one billion volunteer classifications, marking nearly two decades of discoveries made possible through collaboration between researchers and more than three million volunteers around the globe.

Co-founded by Lucy Fortson, a professor in the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering's School of Physics and Astronomy, Zooniverse enables anyone regardless of scientific background to contribute directly to academic research by helping scientists classify and analyze vast amounts of data. The platform is jointly managed by the University of Minnesota, the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the University of Oxford.

The University of Minnesota community has remained deeply engaged with the platform throughout its history. More than 50 University of Minnesota research projects have been hosted on Zooniverse, enabling faculty, staff and students to engage the public in research spanning disciplines from astronomy and ecology to history and medicine.

Originally launched in 2007 to help astronomers classify galaxies, Zooniverse has grown into a global research platform supporting hundreds of projects across astrophysics, biomedical science, environmental science, history, archaeology, zoology and many other disciplines. Volunteer contributions have helped power more than 600 peer-reviewed scientific publications and countless discoveries, from identifying previously unknown types of galaxies to documenting new animal behaviors and advancing scientists' understanding of how cells respond to viral infection.

"What began as an effort to help astronomers classify galaxies has grown into a global research community tackling some of society's most important scientific challenges," Fortson said. "When we launched our first Zooniverse project nearly 20 years ago, I never imagined we'd reach one billion classifications. Our volunteers continue to amaze us with their curiosity, dedication and the discoveries they've helped make possible. We simply couldn't have done this without them."

The milestone highlights the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering's commitment to developing innovative approaches that accelerate scientific discovery. As researchers generate ever-larger datasets, platforms like Zooniverse demonstrate how human expertise and artificial intelligence can work together to solve problems neither could tackle alone. Many projects ask volunteers to review and improve classifications initially generated by machine learning algorithms, creating more accurate data while helping train future AI systems.

Just as important, Zooniverse has built a global community around scientific discovery. Volunteers collaborate with one another and with researchers through online discussion forums, often making unexpected observations that lead to entirely new avenues of research. That community includes strong participation from Minnesota. Over the past year alone, Minnesotans contributed more than one million classifications, helping researchers process data and accelerate discoveries across dozens of scientific fields.

Beyond advancing science, the platform also supports projects with direct humanitarian impact. One example is the Planetary Response Network, which asks volunteers to compare satellite imagery captured before and after natural disasters, providing emergency responders with timely information to support rescue and recovery efforts, including following the recent earthquake in Venezuela.

As Zooniverse celebrates its billionth classification, researchers are already looking toward the next billion.

"Citizen science allows anyone with an internet connection to contribute to real research," Fortson said. "Every classification helps move science forward."

Members of the public can explore active research projects and become part of Zooniverse's next billion classifications by visiting Zooniverse.org.

About the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering

Located in the heart of Minneapolis–St. Paul, one of the nation's most vibrant hubs for business, healthcare, manufacturing and technology, the University of Minnesota College of Science & Engineering (CSE) is where scientific discovery meets engineering ingenuity. Through partnerships with industry, government and communities across Minnesota and beyond, CSE transforms breakthrough ideas into innovation, prepares the next generation of leaders and creates solutions that improve lives, strengthen Minnesota and shape the future.