iPhone users can now seamlessly participate in important medical research thanks to ResearchKit, a groundbreaking new software developed by Apple. Announced by Jeff Williams at Monday's Apple Live event, ResearchKit is an open-source framework that allows medical researchers to gather research participants. Experts from medical institutions like Oxford, UCLA, and Cornell have developed apps with ResearchKit that enable iPhone owners to contribute to studies — something that, in the past, has been a tough feat.

mPower is one of these expert-designed research apps. Aimed at Parkinson's disease, mPower allows study participants to provide valuable information through simple tasks like walking, tapping their fingers, and saying "Ahhhh." While it's easy and quick for iPhone users to participate, the information provided through ResearchKit apps like mPower could redefine medical research. With apps targeting diabetes, breast cancer, Parkinson's disease, asthma, and cardiovascular disease, this software could help put an end to some of the worst afflictions in modern medicine. Your iPhone could literally cure cancer.

Users can download the first five ResearchKit apps starting today, and the software framework will be available to everyone starting in April. So what do you say . . . should we go change the world?