Magnifying curiosity: Democratizing scientific tools for the masses to enable community based solutions for societal challenges

Science faces an accessibility challenge. Although information/knowledge is fast becoming available to everyone around the world, the experience of science is significantly limited. One approach to solving this challenge is to democratize access to scientific tools. We apply the principles of “Frugal science”; a philosophy that inspires design, development, and deployment of ultra-affordable yet powerful scientific tools for the masses. With planetary scale problems that require societal engagement at all levels; here we explore what happens to the world when every single kid in the world can carry a "one dollar" microscope in their pocket (Foldscope). We will focus on case studies from communities in coastal areas, micro plastic monitoring and toxic algae monitoring - to share lessons from large scale deployment (1 million foldscope deployed in 145+ countries) and paths forward.