White fabric embroidered with bright colored CMYK circles with the logo for the center for science and the Imagination and the words 2023-24 Annual Report,

2023/24 Annual Report

Center for Science and the Imagination Center for Science and the Imagination Annual Report 2023/24 PDF   Download Annual Report PDF Center for Science and the Imagination Annual Report EPUB   Download

Text: "What will you be in the future?" over a woman looking off with icons of technology swirling around her head.

Veterans Imagination Project Community Workshops

Learn new skills to navigate your transition and define your post-service success.

Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Arizona STEM Acceleration Project (ASAP) is a new initiative transforming how Arizona’s K-12 educators deliver high-quality, hands-on STEM activities to our state’s future leaders.

Hear From Past Participants

How VIP Can Change Your Trajectory

The Applied Sci-Fi Project

The Applied Sci-Fi Project, made possible by support from the Sloan Foundation, is an event series and research project that brings together science fiction writers, futurists, scholars, and technologists to

EVOKE: The Collaborative Process

EVOKE: The Collaborative Process from Science & the Imagination on Vimeo.

Want to change the future? Start with a great story. EVOKE is a massive multi-player online educational game that uses narrative to help players develop 21st century skills and drive collaborative innovation.

Red white and blue poster of a futuristic city with a child on a podium and the title "How Kids got the vote"

Smithsonian Futures

Envisioning the future of Smithsonian museums and research units through collaborative imagination sessions with curators and staff.

Us In Flux

A series of short stories and virtual gatherings that explore how we might reimagine and reorganize our communities in the face of transformative change.

Images from the EVOKE pilot graphic novel

Evoke

Sponsored by the World Bank, this project brings together authors, artists, and experts to create stories, art, and instructional materials that inspire young people to solve global grand challenges.

History of the Future

Examining gripping cinematic visions of the future emanating from different moments in recent history.

orange background with small circles lined up on a string, with the text "Sound Systems The Future of the Orchestra"

Sound Systems

American orchestras face challenges relative to diversity, equity, relevance, sustainability. How do the embodied and cultural roles of performers and artists – enactors of aesthetic memories and futures – need

Screenshot from the video game 80 Days, showing steampunk machines superimposed on an image of the globe, with a headshot of speaker Deji Bryce Olukotun

Skill Tree

Examining and celebrating how video games imagine possible futures, build thought-provoking worlds, and engage people as active participants in interpreting stories.

Paper cutout of the words "Imaginary Papers" held in front of a flowering bush.

Imaginary Papers

Imaginary Papers is a quarterly newsletter. Each issue features brief pieces of writing from a diverse array of contributors, from scholars and journalists to cultural critics, and more.   Subscribe

Imagination Desk Podcast

In this occasional audio series, we chat with artists, scholars, and technologists about what inspires them and how they define and use imagination in their work.

A person stands in front of an upright display board with different digital displays, in a futuristic office place.

Veterans Imagination Project

The Veterans Imagination Project (VIP) builds on traditional and proven transition services like career counseling and art therapy and infuses them with future-oriented insights to create a holistic intervention for

Liz Colton from Yuma Arizona holds her certificate in from ASAP in front of the ASAP banner at the end of year conference.

Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Reimagining the education ecosystem in Arizona by supporting teachers and professional development organizations around the state.

Brendan O’Connor

In this conversation, Ed Finn and cognitive scientist Brendan O’Connor delve into the multifaceted nature of imagination, exploring its relationship with memory, its role in present experiences, and the dynamics of collaborative imagination. They discu…

Aarathi Krishnan

In this conversation, Ed Finn and Aarathi Krishnan explore the intricate relationship between imagination, risk governance, and the future. They discuss how imagination is essential for decision-makers to navigate the complexities of the modern world, …

Ken Liu

In this conversation, Ed Finn and Ken Liu delve into the significance of imagination in art, storytelling, and life. They explore how imagination shapes human experience, the collaborative relationship between artists and audiences, and the implication…

Taryn O’Neill & Tamara Krinsky

In this engaging conversation, Ed, Tamara, and Taryn explore the multifaceted nature of imagination and its critical role in creativity, filmmaking, and personal growth. They discuss their individual experiences with imagination, the importance of coll…

Ted Chiang

In this conversation, Ed Finn and Ted Chiang delve into the intricate relationship between imagination, storytelling, and the role of language in shaping human experience. They explore how writers and scientists share a fascination with the unknown and…

Nancy Baker Cahill

In this conversation, Ed Finn and Nancy Baker Cahill explore the intersections of interdisciplinary art, imagination, and technology. Nancy, an interdisciplinary artist and expanded filmmaker, discusses the importance of imagination in her work and its…

Walter Parkes

In this conversation, Ed Finn and renowned film producer, screenwriter, and media executive Walter Parkes (whose credits include WarGames, Sneakers, Men in Black, and Minority Report) explore the relationship between imagination and storytelling…

Imaginary Papers banner, with white paper cut out and folded to form letters with the brightly colored sheets below. In the top right corner, the number 21 is printed in black on a yellow circle of paper.

Imaginary Papers: Issue 21

Sarah M. Ruiz, Libia Brenda & Rachael Kuintzle

Imaginary Papers: Issue 20

Leah Newsom, Samuel Clamons & Andrew Dana Hudson

Expanding Our Solution Space: How We Can Build an Inclusive Future

By Deji Bryce Olukotun This essay was originally published by the Center for Science and the Imagination in Visions, Ventures, Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures, a 2017 collection