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Building the Internet of Museum Plushies
Meet Badger. She represents the zoo spokes-animal of the future: wi-fi enabled, web-connected, capable of understanding spoken language and powered by a Siri-like artificial intelligence. Also cute and fluffy. Plush Badger From World … -
Slowing Down to Focus on the Art
I cited the international Slow Art Day in TrendsWatch2015 as one effort to encourage people to bring leisurely attention to bear on the museum. As Slow Art Day 2015 is fast approaching—it’s on April 11—I tracked down two museums that have … -
Monday Musing: Millennial Anti-Materialism
I read an article in the Washington Post last Friday that resonated with some nascent thoughts on the role of museums shaped by audiences born between 1980 and 2000. The story, by Jura Konclus, looks at the “seismic shift of stuff” … -
On Morning Coffee & Museum Activism
Last weekend, Starbucks announced it will stop putting the slogan “Race Together” on coffee cups. Their spokesperson said this was a previously scheduled move, but to many it looked like a response to the flak the company has been taking … -
What Do Ethical Consumers Expect of Museums?
An open letter released today calls on natural history and science museums to “cut all ties with the fossil fuel industry and funders of climate change obfuscation.” The letter, signed by scientists and by one former museum trustee & … -
Crowdsourced Resources on Open Data
A lot of great folks joined me for last Friday’s Tweet chat on open data. Here’s a compilation of the resources, recommendations and questions shared by participants, to help you Find me on Twitter@futureofmuseums with your exploration of … -
Futurist Friday: The Longest Wait for a Book EVER
I came across Katie Paterson’s Future Library Project in the course of researching TrendsWatch 2015, and cited it as an example of “slow culture.” Extremely slow–Paterson has planted a forest to supply paper for … -
Visualizing the Future
As someone who reads a killing amount of text every week—news, blogs, email, journals, newspapers, reports, even (luxury of luxuries) books—I find switching over to nonverbal mode to be a sweet relief. Besides, other modalities (pictures, … -
More on the Wacky World of Museum Economics
“Food should be more expensive.” That’s a core message of the locavore/sustainable food movement, and it doesn’t resonate so well with most folks. It sounds ridiculous on the face of it—who wants to pay more for food? But proponents of … -
Monday Musing: TrendsWatch Watch
Here’s a quick roundup of recent stories related to the themes in TrendsWatch 2015 (Haven’t got your copy yet? Download the free PDF here. Print copies will be available in the AAM Bookstore soon.) Open Data Here’s a story I featured in …
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A Letter from the Frontlines of the AI-pocalypse
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Center for the Future of Museums Blog
This is the second in a series of posts I hope will help readers navigate the perils and …
July Advocacy Alert: Take Action on the Proposed Rule on Federal Grants, Invite Congress Next Month, and Upcoming Webinar
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Advocacy Alert
Advocacy Alert – July 1, 2026 In this Alliance Advocacy Alert: Take Action: Voice Your …
The Awe Advantage
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On-Demand Programs
Watch this online workshop about the science and emotion of awe. Led by postdoctoral …