Video games as interactive storytelling? Maybe not at first glance, but as Eric Hayot explains in his Daedalus essay, the interplay between game and narrative is real.

Our focus on issues of inequality in many areas of the Academy’s work – from convenings, to commissions and projects, to issues of Dædalus – illustrates what the Academy does best: explore contemporary challenges, identify solutions, and offer ways forward to advance the public good.

"Witnessing the death and destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in my hometown of New Orleans a decade ago triggered an obligation to test the utility of all that I have learned in a long career as a public health scientist."

Academy Member Jacqueline Jones, who is currently writing a book on the history of the Academy, was recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

Congressman Jim Himes (D-CT) and Congressman Bryan Steil (R-WI) were the featured speakers when the Academy hosted a bipartisan conversation about the economy and the future of democracy. They are the  chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth. The event - now available for viewing - was an opportunity to hear how members of Congress think about economic issues—from trade wars and globalization to inflation and its impact on the day-to-day lives of their constituents.

Janne E. Nolan reflects on John David Steinbruner's life, work, and immeasurable contributions to the Academy.

Established in 1958 to recognize distinguished achieve­ment in the field of literature, the Emerson-Thoreau Medal is awarded to an individual for their overall literary achievement. The first recipient of the award in 1958 was poet Robert Frost (elected to the Academy in 1931).

Inspired by the Academy report on "America’s Languages," Congressmen David Price (D-NC) and Don Young (R-AK) announced the establishment of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on America’s Languages in order to address our nation’s need for more bilingual citizens to help ensure national security, promote economic and job growth, and develop the potential of every U.S. student.

An article and embedded video exploring what the Commission on Reimagining Our Economy learned from listening sessions in Indian Country, which Commission recommendations would have the greatest impact on tribal nations, and the unique economic challenges and opportunities facing Indian Country.

On March 12, 2014, the Academy hosted a program at its 2006th Stated Meeting about “At Berkeley,” a new documentary by Frederick Wiseman. The program included screened selections from the film, followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, Robert J. Birgeneau, George W. Breslauer, and Mark S. Schlissel.

The Committee on Studies and Publications supports the Academy’s Council by regularly reviewing the progress of projects, considering topics for future studies, and evaluating publications, including Dædalus.

Benjamin Dearborn, an educator and inventor who was elected to the Academy in 1794, wrote to Academy president John Adams in August 1794, describing his design for a “Music Board” for the benefit of persons who are visually impaired...

President Jimmy Carter and Republican former Senators Olympia Snowe (ME) and Alan Simpson (WY) joined a majority of Americans across the political spectrum to support a Constitutional Amendment - as proposed in the Academy's Our Common Purpose report - addressing the explosive rise in election spending and the civic distrust and division it generates. 

For the past two years, members of the Academy’s Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship have engaged in research, round tables, and discussions about strengthening American democracy in the 21st century. Now, as the impact of COVID-19 surges through every aspect of American society, Commission members are applying their expertise in public policy and civic and political engagement to meet and understand critical challenges at the local and national levels.

Civil wars can give rise to major threats to international stability, including transnational terrorism, pandemics, mass migration and refugee flows, and regional instability. Particularly serious concerns include the ways that civil conflict can contribute to the emergence of infectious diseases, undermine efforts to respond to pandemics – such as through vaccine distribution – and generate transnational terrorism with a global reach.

William Henry Pickering, a Member of the Academy and an instructor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, photographed a total eclipse of the sun...

There are several ways members may be involved in the life and work
of the Academy.

A new report on a survey by the American Academy seeks to begin a process of informing academics on how to respond to anti-intellectual trends. Its key finding is that any attempt to lump together the doubters of science on the many important subjects will impair an effective response.

Danielle Allen writes about how Facebook is weakening our democratic institutions and what can be done to rebuild them. For solutions, she draws on recommendations in the Our Common Purpose report issued by the Academy Commission she cochaired.