| Title |
The SpikerBox: A Low Cost, Open-Source BioAmplifier for Increasing Public Participation in Neuroscience Inquiry
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
PLOS ONE, March 2012
|
| DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0030837 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Timothy C. Marzullo, Gregory J. Gage |
| Abstract |
Although people are generally interested in how the brain functions, neuroscience education for the public is hampered by a lack of low cost and engaging teaching materials. To address this, we developed an open-source tool, the SpikerBox, which is appropriate for use in middle/high school educational programs and by amateurs. This device can be used in easy experiments in which students insert sewing pins into the leg of a cockroach, or other invertebrate, to amplify and listen to the electrical activity of neurons. With the cockroach leg preparation, students can hear and see (using a smartphone oscilloscope app we have developed) the dramatic changes in activity caused by touching the mechanosensitive barbs. Students can also experiment with other manipulations such as temperature, drugs, and microstimulation that affect the neural activity. We include teaching guides and other resources in the supplemental materials. These hands-on lessons with the SpikerBox have proven to be effective in teaching basic neuroscience. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 46 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 14 | 30% |
| United Kingdom | 3 | 7% |
| France | 2 | 4% |
| Thailand | 1 | 2% |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | 2% |
| Brazil | 1 | 2% |
| India | 1 | 2% |
| Germany | 1 | 2% |
| Unknown | 22 | 48% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 32 | 70% |
| Scientists | 9 | 20% |
| Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 3 | 7% |
| Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | 2% |
| Unknown | 1 | 2% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 191 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 7 | 4% |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 1% |
| Germany | 1 | <1% |
| Switzerland | 1 | <1% |
| Brazil | 1 | <1% |
| Australia | 1 | <1% |
| Chile | 1 | <1% |
| Russia | 1 | <1% |
| Belgium | 1 | <1% |
| Other | 2 | 1% |
| Unknown | 173 | 91% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | 36 | 19% |
| Student > Bachelor | 32 | 17% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 31 | 16% |
| Student > Master | 21 | 11% |
| Other | 10 | 5% |
| Other | 26 | 14% |
| Unknown | 35 | 18% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 44 | 23% |
| Neuroscience | 26 | 14% |
| Engineering | 13 | 7% |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 12 | 6% |
| Psychology | 10 | 5% |
| Other | 44 | 23% |
| Unknown | 42 | 22% |