We live in a world being thoroughly reconfigured by human activity. While individuals are insignificant in shaping our planet, the 6.6 billion people on Earth now rival natural processes in global impact. The term Anthropocene is being used to describe this new geologic epoch in Earth’s history, where humans are the dominant planetary agents of change. The Science Museum of Minnesota, in partnership with seven global change research centers at universities across the US, will create exhibits (both permanent and traveling), Internet kiosks and a collaborative website that seek to bridge the gap between scientific research and public understanding. The project aims to accelerate discussions about mitigating negative changes to our planet. In addition to general museum audiences, Future Earth also will target government, corporate, non-profit and community leaders, who are increasingly concerned about global change and looking for ways to better understand the impact of these issues on the policy decisions they influence.

The Future Earth Initiative is funded by the National Science Foundation. Learn More

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