If the arts, journalism and NPR can do it, why can’t science? So thought our guest Dr. Jai Ranganathan about the fund-raising strategy known as crowdfunding, where the small contributions of many are bundled together to fund a larger project or purpose. Together, Jai and a fellow ecologist Dr. Jarrett Byrnes co-founded the #SciFund Challenge, a 45-day grand experiment where 49 scientists have posted research proposals on-line to raise money for a diverse array of projects – from explosive duck penises to the soundscape of the Bornean rainforest. As Jai explains to host Holly Menninger, a crowdfunding campaign – which necessarily harnesses the power of social media and requires fundraisers to directly engage their funders – will help scientists get out of the ivory tower and directly connect to society in new ways. The #SciFund Challenge runs Nov 1 -Dec 15, check it out!