Importance

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, access to information is a fundamental right for all human beings, as it enables everyone to be in a position to exercise their rights and responsibilities. However, many people still have their basic rights denied because scientific information often has complex and highly technical language, making it difficult to understand. By democratizing information, that is, making it more didactic and inclusive, access can be granted to lower socioeconomic layers of society who may not have had the opportunity to complete their education, for example.

Furthermore, we can mention communities that lack concrete and efficient internet access, limiting their opportunities to access educational and scientific materials. Therefore, integrating information into a single platform would allow users to address their doubts more quickly and accurately. Thus, by facilitating access and making it more appealing to society, human rights are reaffirmed.

Scisight does just that, introducing convenience to society when it comes to exercising their rights to scientific information, which integrates highly relevant topics such as the management of extractive activities, fishing, agriculture, vulnerable communities, and other subjects related to the environment and society, especially those primarily connected to nature.

Problem

In the Information Age, various processes and daily activities have been improved and have become increasingly faster, such as streaming and food delivery platforms, for example. This convenience makes society more impatient and resigned, both in daily life and in scientific knowledge research. Furthermore, often in project execution, the population lacks knowledge of where and how to find essential information on a particular subject, thus delaying the completion of projects, scientific research, and school activities.

Additionally, bridging this missing gap in the ecosystem and in society at large, especially in vulnerable and minority communities, results in a lack of source verification, the spread of stereotypes, and fake news, as well as harming the environment and populations with fewer resources.

Moreover, communities vulnerable to extractive practices in nature or to ethnic and economic power relations are directly affected by environmental racism, which puts their lives in danger and at a disadvantage. An example is Brazilian riverside communities, which depend on the health of rivers and the fish they catch for sale and personal consumption. According to Lays Helena Paes e Silva, a Ph.D. in Social Sciences, a very recurring and significant problem is the exclusion of minorities and poorer populations in the formulation of environmental policies, which would reduce cases of environmental racism and ensure greater equality in urban and rural demographic distribution.

Solution

Considering the problems mentioned, the idea and execution of a platform to solve them was born. Thus, Scisight is a website with a search algorithm that uses machine learning and natural language processing, which means that it scores highly specific information based on the user's question. The information is obtained from government agency datasets, which cover a wide range of topics and subjects. By employing machine learning for the search, it allows the user to gain a better understanding of the subject, without needing to know which government data sources to consult, enabling them to ask the site as they would ask a friend or a teacher. This type of interaction gives the user a feeling of warmth and trust, as they receive clear, simple and didactic answers, without any preconceptions about their previous knowledge or academic background. The data is presented more precisely and graphically, thus including thousands of people who felt excluded from science or unable to learn from scientific articles or more complex websites, guaranteeing their basic right of access to information.

According to Anandakrishnan (1985), scientific communication is a reflective tool regarding the relationships between science, technology, and society. It is responsible for scientifically educating society and increasing its political involvement in decision-making processes, and it is extremely important in the construction of a democratic society.

Thus, by integrating knowledge dissemination with environmental and social causes, we arrive at the Scisight project, which promotes the spread of ecological and community data and guides users in socio ecological actions, raising awareness in a simple and inclusive manner and enabling greater public participation.

Methodology

The methodology employed in the development of Scisight is guided by the need to make access to scientific information more inclusive and accessible. The project relies on advanced technologies, including machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, to simplify access to the vast range of government data available.

Data Collection: We use data sources from government agencies, covering diverse areas and topics, ensuring that the information is comprehensive and reliable. We also trained our machine learning model with 1500 sentences generated (via GPT-4) with specific contexts in mind.

Intelligent Search Algorithm: The heart of Scisight is its intelligent search algorithm. It analyzes users' questions and classifies relevant information based on its specificity, ensuring accurate answers. Our prototype model is designed to process as little data as possible, but still have good accuracy:

Loss refers to a metric used during the training of machine learning models to quantify how far the model's predictions are from the actual expected results. In other words, loss represents the model's error during training. From the screenshot, you can see that our algorithm can learn the 1500 training data points.

Then, with the information from the user's input analyzed by the NLP model, we are able to understand what are the best possible indications to make to the user and how we can explain the data in a clear and objective way.

Clear and Didactic Communication: Our approach aims to eliminate language and technical barriers. Answers are presented clearly and didactically, regardless of the user's level of knowledge.

The user doesn't need to know exactly where they need to look for information about their query, or how to interpret that information. By knowing the context in which the user is inserted, i.e. what type of information they are looking for and what scientific area they are connected to (whether they are working or studying), we can correlate data and look for the best information and offer insights into this.

Inclusion and Public Participation: Scisight not only provides information, but also guides users to take socio-ecological action. This raises awareness and enables greater public participation in environmental and social issues.

By combining advanced technology with a commitment to equal access to information, Scisight seeks to build a democratic society where scientific knowledge is accessible to all, promoting positive actions for the environment and vulnerable communities.

Conclusion

Scisight plays a crucial role in promoting equal access to scientific information and defending human rights. By simplifying the search for scientific information and making it accessible to everyone, regardless of their level of knowledge, it combats barriers such as technical language and the lack of internet access in some communities. This not only enables people to understand scientific issues, but also promotes inclusion and empowerment for action on socio-ecological issues.

In an age of speed and convenience, Scisight's commitment to the democratization of scientific knowledge is more important than ever. Reducing gaps in access to information, especially in vulnerable communities, is essential to combat stereotypes, fake news and environmental injustices.

By integrating advanced technology with social and environmental objectives, Scisight becomes an agent of positive change. It empowers individuals to understand and act on scientific issues, contributing to a democratic society where everyone can exercise their rights and responsibilities, promoting a more equal and sustainable future.

2023 NASA Space Apps Challenge

SciSight