Do You Have What It Takes to Find the Future?

April 1, 2011 1:05 PM

"The New York Public Library launched a website Friday to introduce a massive, smartphone-based scavenger hunt that will officially kick off May 20 with an invitation-only, all-night lock-in in New York City. The game, which will continue through 2011, works by getting players to download an app for their iPhone or Android-based smartphones and then head to the library's Stephen A. Schwarzman building, which celebrates its centennial this year, to play (folks not near New York can play a digital version on the Web)."*

"Find the Future is the first game where winning means writing a book. Work together with the other players to complete the 100 Quests, and your contribution will go into the permanent collection of The New York Public Library — to be checked out and read by Library users for decades to come!

The final publication will be available for purchase online and to view at the Library after the event." *

"To enter for a spot, respond to the question below through the game website:

'Just imagine who you are ten years from now. What do you want for the world? What extraordinary goal do you want to achieve? When you have a vivid picture of your future, just fill in the blanks:

"In the year 2021, I will become the first person to _______________.'"

posted by ericb (12 comments total)

Learn How to Play.

Discover Your Powers

Get Inspired.

posted by ericb at 1:05 PM on April 1, 2011

That looks pretty neat. The quality of the comments, dare I say, seems equal to, or greater than, those seen hereabouts.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:19 PM on April 1, 2011

NY Public Library To Hold Overnight Treasure Hunt

"The majestic main branch of the New York Public Library is seeking 500 people to spend the night there on a scavenger hunt designed to tap into their inner creativity and potential as they explore its miles of rare treasures.

The hunt, called 'Find the Future: The Game,' was created for the library's centennial celebration by Jane McGonigal*, renowned for designing games that tackle real-world problems.

'We realized that if we could bring players face to face with these treasures, these world-changing objects from the past, they would be able to tap into their own world-changing potential,' said McGonigal, the author of the best-seller 'Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World.'

... Taking a page from the hit movie 'A Night at the Museum,' the 500 participants, working in groups of eight, will traipse all over the magnificent marble interior of the Fifth Avenue library, including the beautiful Adam A. Rose Reading Room and 18-mile-long underground stacks.

In keeping with the library's 100th anniversary theme, 'Find The Future,' the players will be looking for 100 objects, with clues where to find them appearing via an app on their mobile devices. Each group will have time for about three to four objects."

* -- Jane McGonigal's February 2010 TED Talk [video | 00:20:14].
posted by ericb at 1:20 PM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

So it's a group research project on a vaguely-defined topic to be completed in one night with people you don't really know?

Reminds me of Geography 7.
posted by Aizkolari at 1:22 PM on April 1, 2011 [2 favorites]

I'm not going unless Stevie is pitching in the crab claws
(pdf reprint of WSJ article)
posted by JPD at 1:26 PM on April 1, 2011

And now I have to watch Ghostbusters again.
posted by Plemer at 2:00 PM on April 1, 2011

"In the year 2021, I will become the first person to _______________.'"

To have every world leader as a friend on my Facebook page.
posted by clavdivs at 2:27 PM on April 1, 2011

Another creative writing exercise by Jane McGonigal? Colour me surprised! /sarcasm

But seriously, this time it actually makes sense given the objective. Although I would be seriously amazed if it managed to pull in that many people who weren't already in to reading and writing.
posted by adrianhon at 2:35 PM on April 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I would say, Find The Future for a library is nominally better than U2 wanting to name their current tour Kiss The Future. (An idea which, thank the gods, fell by the wayside.)
posted by hippybear at 2:56 PM on April 1, 2011

This sounds like a lot of fun. I'd really love t take part. Now to figure out what to write for that application question.
posted by cmgonzalez at 6:33 PM on April 1, 2011

Can we please call it the Main Branch? Please?
posted by thecaddy at 12:15 AM on April 2, 2011

I'm officially one of the 500. Yay!
posted by cmgonzalez at 10:08 AM on April 29, 2011