Imagine a future you are excited to live in, that you can’t wait to get to. If it’s difficult, you’re not alone. Dystopic visions of the future dominate popular culture, but what if we empower each other with hope by letting ourselves dream? That’s why Yale Planetary Solutions hosts Sci X Sci-Fi, a new conversation inspired by South by Southwest (SXSW), between world builders and those innovating and inventing.
Author Annalee Newitz was Sci X Sci-Fi’s Creative-in-Residence
At a Glance
Imagining what could be through creative outlets
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Yale and New Haven community members who participated in Sci X Sci-Fi 2025
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Workshops, lectures, and events across campus and in New Haven
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4 Days
The inaugural “creative-in-residence” shared their expertise over the course of a week
“While Sci-Fi has a reputation for lifting up stories that often tilt toward dystopian imaginings of the future, Sci X Sci-Fi was a wonderful reminder that the genre can also challenge us to imagine a future where scientific advancement can benefit all of human kind particularly when we center the wellbeing of all people in that advancement.”
Dawn Leaks Ragsdale, Executive Director of The Center for Inclusive Growth
Can Science Fiction Help Us Envision a Better Future?
March 27, 2025
In an interview, Annalee Newitz, the inaugural “creator-in-residence” of a new Yale series called “Sci X Sci-Fi,” explains how science fiction can help point the way to a thriving tomorrow.
Scenes from Sci X Sci-Fi 2025
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BIOMES lecture, “Avoiding Dystopia in Theory and Practice” at the Yale School of the Environment
Panelists Annalee Newtiz, Dawn Leaks Ragsdale, and Julie Zimmerman at the New Haven Free Public Library
Green chemistry students developed elevator pitches to share about their research quickly and clearly