Welcome to OpenLab, a multidisciplinary research initiative housed at Stanford University.

We make the impossible, possible.

About

Intro

To butcher Wittgenstein: The limit of my inspiration dictates the limits of my creativity. If the goal is unique, paradigm-shifting outputs, surrounding oneself with as many non-standard inspirations as possible is a good start.

We intentionally hire thinkers from radically different disciplines, allowing ideas and techniques to move rapidly between fields while creating unexpected connections. At OpenLab, researchers, artists, and other experts are constantly surrounded by unfamiliar tools, counterintuitive mental models, and adversarial perspectives, with truly special results.

Mission

Fundamentally, OpenLab is an experiment: an academic effort designed to defy academic norms; a cultural workshop with countercultural leanings; a moonshot factory for unconventional ideas. Our mission is to foster a truly collaborative multidisciplinary research space that encourages creative problem-solving. In this environment of “engineered serendipity,” thoughtful rule-breaking and an experiment-first ethos generate outputs impossible to replicate in any other setting. 

TL;DR: We put unexpected disciplines together, allowing our researchers to view and receive feedback on their work through a shifted perspective.

Get Involved

  • We host weekly research meetings that cover a wide variety of topics. We frequently invite external speakers to share their work or other niche passions—imagine something in the vein of academic TED talks

  • OpenLab routinely collaborates with industry, academia, governments, nonprofits, and individual stakeholders. If you're interested in working with us, please feel free to reach out to Reuben: ryoungbl@stanford.edu

  • OpenLab hosts three annual events: an interdisciplinary summit in the fall, a digital governance conference in the winter, and a research showcase in the spring. Please join our mailing list to stay up to date on news and upcoming events.

  • Interested in supporting our work? Individuals can make donations directly to OpenLab; larger entities can visit stanfordopenlab.org/members or contact Reuben at: ryoungbl@stanford.edu