as abc 7 sheryl jennings learned, he's doing it by thinking small. >> that's a picture from a slum inenya. >> reporter: he isn't surfing the web, he's dropping in on a massive network of citizen scientists he helped create. >> the joy of science that we have needs to be shared. and so the types of tools that we make enable others to engage in scientific splorgs. >> reporter: we first met the professor when he was unveiling the fold scope. users fold the sheets into a device capable of examining object mistimes smaller than a human hair. and with the cost of under a dollar, the stanford team was able to ship more than 50,000 fold scopes to people in more than 130 countries. >> and that's really the real power of the tool. and since it's all documented, a kid in can look at a post from a kid in alaska or a kid in pennsylvania -- >> reporter: central website allows users to post their findings and collaborate. like identifying mosquitos that could carry deadly diseases, and now that legion of citizens scientists is kicking into overdrive. potentially revolutionizing the way scientific da