50×50: Science Across America Launches as Nationwide Media Initiative Spotlighting Science in Every State

Produced by the Independent Media Initiative (IMI), the first-of-its- kind nationwide project will pair 50 creators and 50 scientists across all 50 states ahead of its Fall 2026 debut.

50×50: Science Across America is a groundbreaking media project from the Independent Media Initiative (IMI) that pairs 50 creators and 50 scientists across all 50 states to produce 50 original videos released over 10 weeks in 2026. Timed to coincide with America’s 250th anniversary, the project meets scientists where they really are: across laboratories, field sites, hospitals, factories, and research institutions nationwide, offering a panoramic view of American science to be viewed on the world’s largest platform: YouTube.

Participating creators include John Green, Hank Green, Adam Savage, Xyla Foxlin, Emily Graslie Destin Sandlin and Joe Hanson, with additional creators and scientific partners to be announced in advance of launch.

The initiative is being creatively led by Emmy-nominated producer Chris Cechin-De la Rosa, whose credits include My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, Connected, and the groundbreaking generative feature documentary Eno, and who has developed projects for Anthony Bourdain, Oprah Winfrey, and Anne Hathaway, among others.

Complementing the video series, 50×50 will also include a national ten-stop Road Show featuring creators, scientists, and public audiences in cities across the country.

50×50: Science Across America launches with founding support from HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Winn Family Foundation, and the Shanahan Family Foundation, with additional support from the Allen Institute and The Brinson Foundation.

“Science is happening in communities all across the United States. 50×50 brings YouTube creators and audiences into direct engagement with scientists in their own backyards. By bringing together voices from every state, it takes an unapologetically positive view of American science at a scale that hasn’t been attempted before,” said Stuart Sevier, Founder and President of IMI.

“The United States has built a system for supporting and conducting science that has profoundly shaped the course of human progress,” said science creator Joe Hanson. “50×50 is an extraordinary opportunity to highlight that.”

About the Independent Media Initiative

The Independent Media Initiative (IMI) is a nonprofit organization building a public media ecosystem for the internet era. IMI supports exceptional creators through awards, prizes, and an annual festival, and helps audiences watch what matters.