Asterisk Labs is a worker-owned cooperative research laboratory applying deep learning, Earth observation, and climate science to unlock the value of underutilized public Earth data. The lab recycles and reuses open data across disciplines to enrich the planetary data commons and support climate understanding. Its first project focuses on using overlooked data to better understand Earth's climate.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Vast archives of public Earth data, from ground-based sources to satellites, remain grossly underutilized and siloed within their respective communities. Single measurements of Earth provide only limited views of a deeply interconnected planetary system, preventing a comprehensive understanding of climate and environmental processes.
Solution
Asterisk Labs is a worker-owned cooperative research laboratory operating at the intersection of deep learning, Earth observation, and climate science. The lab leverages AI to recycle and reuse data across disciplines, acting as a feedback loop in the planetary data commons. By applying advanced machine learning techniques to open data, Asterisk Labs enriches the planetary data commons and maximizes social and scientific impact. The cooperative structure enables long-term, deep collective research work that goes beyond surface-level collaboration, supporting open-science principles and sustained investigation into Earth's interconnected systems.
Target Audience
Primary stakeholders include scientific researchers, climate scientists, and organizations working with Earth observation data who need deeper insights from open data sources. The lab also engages with collaborators and consultation participants to gather expert and non-expert feedback for research projects.
Features
- Applies deep learning models to Earth observation and climate science data
- Recycles and reuses open data across scientific disciplines to uncover new insights
- Operates as a worker-owned cooperative, enabling long-term collective research
- Committed to open-science principles and maximizing social and scientific impact
- First project focuses on using overlooked data to understand Earth's climate