Founded in 1780, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy's elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs. The Academy's unique strength lies in the distinguished leadership of its 4,000 Fellows and 600 Foreign Honorary Members and the wide range of expertise they bring to its multidisciplinary analyses of compelling contemporary issues. Now in its third century, the Academy continues to mobilize the intellectual resources needed to anticipate, examine, and confront the critical challenges facing our society.