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Chris Traver, 18, of Croton-on-Hudson, tracked noise levels in his community with the help of citizen science volunteers for his behavioral and social science submission to the Intel Science Talent Search. Chris's early fascination with smartphones inspired him to investigate how cellular devices could be used to collect noise data. His volunteers collected noise samples from their surroundings using an app called WideNoise. By overlaying the study results on the local geography, Chris created visualizations that he hopes will enable policymakers to better manage community noise levels. Chris believes his results also show how qualitative perceptions are an important aspect of noise pollution. For example, he noticed that a softer but unpleasant sound is more likely to cause distress than a louder, more tolerable sound. He notes that after participating in the study, many volunteers became more aware of noise pollution. Son of Todd and Carol Traver, Chris attends Croton-Harmon High School where he is president of the stage crew. He is founder and manager of a digital media business, has been co-captain of his travel club soccer team, and volunteers with Guiding Eyes for the Blind and the Westchester Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless.
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