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Inspiring a New Generation
Author Neal Stephenson recently launched the Hieroglyph project, to rally writers to reintroduce optimism into science fiction. That is pretty ironic, considering some of the dystopian visions he has painted of our future. But, as he … -
Sold out of science: embracing private collectors in natural history museums.
Is there such a thing as déjà prevu—the feeling of seeing something that you intended to write, but haven’t, yet? This feeling swept over me recently when I read a piece by Mark Carnall, curator at the Grant Museum of Zoology and … -
Mining Data in Colorado
In the 1850’s, the Fifty-Niners flocked to Colorado to join the gold rush. In 1879, it was silver that drew adventurers to the state with visions of riches. Now the History Colorado is prospecting for a new kind of wealth—data. The … -
Access: No Longer About Unlocking the Front Door
I’ve blogged about my brief experience with Google Glass at the Tech@LEAD conference. Turns out @nealstimler loaned that same pair of specs to Nik Honeysett, head of administration at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Today Nik shares his … -
Museums in an Age of Scale
On September 16-17, 2013, an eclectic crew descended on the National Building Museum here in D.C. for “Museums and the Learning Ecosystem: building the future of education”—a convening co-hosted by CFM and The Henry Ford, with the support … -
Smithsonian X 3D: Putting 3D to work for museums
Last week I played hooky from writing TrendsWatch 2014 to catch up on one of our 2013 picks: 3D scanning and printing. The Smithsonian X 3D conference featured speakers from around the world sharing the latest developments in this rapidly … -
Risky Business: tackling the securing challenges of technology
Focusing on the horizon, as futurists do, can distract us so much that we risk tripping over what is right under our feet. The truth of this statement was brought home to me recently by Steve Keller, founding partner in the Architect’s … -
Why “Free” Isn’t Always a Good Thing
The charitable sector is going through a period of painful self-examination about the unintended side effects of well-intentioned philanthropic efforts. TOMS, the popular “profit for good” shoe company that donates a pair of shoes to a … -
Choosing Roles: Can we advance action AND enhance experience?
In the course of my ongoing quest for stories of how museums make the world a better place, I met Douglas Meyer, a consultant who’s worked with a variety of nonprofits in the U.S. and internationally. For example, teaming with the firm of … -
Futurist Friday: Cloud Robots
Actually, the term is “cloud robotics” (machine-to-maching learning between robots over the web). But “cloud robots” sounds way cooler. In any case, your Futurist Friday assignment, this 5 1/2 minute video …
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Affinity Community Town Hall On-Demand Program
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On-Demand Programs
The American Alliance of Museums is launching new affinity communities in 2026! Organized …
Gettin’ To Know You: The Art of Networking
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On-Demand Programs
As museums and public history organizations navigate tightening budgets, political …
Scholarship Opportunity! Learn Museum Foresight
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Center for the Future of Museums Blog
I am happy to announce that applications are now open for the CFM Foresight Scholarship, …