CRAYFIS Initiative: Is it Worth Joining?

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In summary, the conversation discusses the CRAYFIS initiative and whether it is worth participating in. One concern raised is the potential for such apps to be used for global surveillance. The proposed solution is to use smartphones as a ground detector array to observe cosmic rays at ultra-high energy levels. The small size and low efficiency of each sensor is offset by the large number of active phones. The conversation ends with a comment about the automatic collection of information by the application.
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Frimus
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Hi all,
what do you think about CRAYFIS initiative? Is it worth to participate?
 
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I don't know but it sounds pretty cool. The only reservation I have about such apps is how easily they could be used as trojan horses for tools of global surveillance, but there are so many other existing tools for that, it may be a silly concern here.

Observing Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays with Smartphones - Daniel Whiteson, Michael Mulhearn, Chase Shimmin, Kyle Brodie, Dustin Burns (Submitted on 10 Oct 2014)
We propose a novel approach for observing cosmic rays at ultra-high energy (>1018~eV) by repurposing the existing network of smartphones as a ground detector array. Extensive air showers generated by cosmic rays produce muons and high-energy photons, which can be detected by the CMOS sensors of smartphone cameras. The small size and low efficiency of each sensor is compensated by the large number of active phones. We show that if user adoption targets are met, such a network will have significant observing power at the highest energies.


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Automatically Collected Information
In addition, the Application may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device you use, your mobile devices unique device ID, the IP address of your mobile device, your mobile operating system
Yeah, not downloading this, but it does sound cool.
 
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Related to CRAYFIS Initiative: Is it Worth Joining?

1. What is the purpose of the CRAYFIS Initiative?

The CRAYFIS Initiative is a global project that aims to create the world's largest network of mobile phones to study cosmic rays. The purpose of this initiative is to utilize the power of smartphones to collect data on cosmic rays and contribute to scientific research.

2. How does the CRAYFIS app work?

The CRAYFIS app runs in the background of your smartphone and uses your device's camera to detect cosmic rays. When a cosmic ray hits your phone's camera, it creates a small flash of light which is captured by the app. This data is then sent to a central server for analysis.

3. Is it safe to join the CRAYFIS Initiative?

Yes, it is completely safe to join the CRAYFIS Initiative. The app only uses your device's camera and does not collect any personal information. Additionally, the amount of radiation emitted by cosmic rays is very low and is not harmful to humans.

4. How can I join the CRAYFIS Initiative?

To join the CRAYFIS Initiative, you can download the CRAYFIS app from the App Store or Google Play Store. Once the app is installed, simply open it and follow the instructions to join the network. You can also visit the official website to learn more and join the initiative.

5. What are the benefits of joining the CRAYFIS Initiative?

By joining the CRAYFIS Initiative, you will become part of a global network of citizen scientists contributing to cutting-edge research on cosmic rays. You will also have the opportunity to learn more about astrophysics and participate in various activities and challenges. Additionally, there may be opportunities for your data to be included in scientific publications and presentations.

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