Pursuit of the Extraordinary

Many people assume that advances in science and technology will enable humans to surmount a multitude of serious challenges that we face—some of which may even threaten our survival as a species. Yet, particularly in the United States, our investments in scientific progress, while significant in monetary terms, have been diminishing in audacity, scope, and inclusion. Dr. Mae C. Jemison discusses why we must consciously pursue an extraordinary tomorrow in order to build a better world today.

As a NASA astronaut aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, Jemison made history 25 years ago as the world's first woman of color to go into space. Today, Jemison leads 100 Year Starship, a global, nonprofit initiative to ensure that humans have the capacity to travel beyond our solar system within the next 100 years.

As RAND's 2018 Haskins Fellow, Jemison shares insights from her experience as a physician, inventor, environmental studies professor, science literacy advocate, development worker in Africa, and founder of two tech start-ups.

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