We're trying out crowdfunding for our next spider catching expedition using Experiment.com. Check out the project page here: http://experiment.com/projects/why-are-some-jumping-spiders-so-colorful?

To us, this is as much about funding as it is about communication. The great thing about Experiment.com is that even small donations get people personally invested, and the site enables the researcher to give regular updates and share the fascination that drives scientists. We plan to do a video diary while we're out in the field, and lab notes as we work back on campus.

Science communication usually happens when the work is done, when months and years of work are distilled into a publication and, for the lay public, into short news articles. The process of science is a mystery to many people, and often involves images of serious white-coated folks hunched over bubbling beakers in a sterile lab. That applies even to students in the sciences, who all too often get their first real exposure to scientific work in grad school. So aside from enabling us to start an exciting project, we think approach can show people how basic science is done. 

We have recently begun to document and characterize dynamic visual signals in Habronattus jumping spiders. These adorable animals are tiny and not easily photographed, and even harder to film. Males react dynamically to the female and will approach and retreat many times during courtship. We are currently testing different camera configurations to image dances at high resolution, one of our first "ultra hd" 4K videos is embedded below. Luckily, in this species the male will stay close to the female once he feels reasonably safe.