Produced by the Independent Media Initiative (IMI), the first-of-its-kind nationwide project pairs 50 creators and 50 scientists across all 50 states ahead of its Fall 2026 debut.
AUSTIN, Texas, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 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. Coinciding with America’s 250th anniversary, 50×50 meets scientists where they are: laboratories, field sites, hospitals, factories, and research institutions nationwide, offering a panoramic view of American science for 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 announcing in advance of launch.
The initiative is 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 documentary Eno, and who has developed projects for Anthony Bourdain, Oprah Winfrey, and Anne Hathaway.
50×50 includes a national ten-stop in-person Road Show featuring creators, scientists, and public audiences in cities across the country.
50×50: Science Across America launches in partnership with Emmy award-winning 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 all across the United States. Instead of centralizing production, 50×50 lets audiences see what’s happening in their communities by bringing together YouTube creators and scientists that are members of their communities. We’re taking an unapologetically positive view of both American science and independent media at a scale that hasn’t been attempted before. At no other point in history could we have done this project,” said Stuart Sevier, co-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.
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SOURCE The Independent Media Initiative
