The Observatory of Tomorrow serves as a radar for the Museum of Tomorrow in that it receives and processes information from institutions of science, culture and technology in Brazil and abroad. The space verifies and updates content for the museum’s exhibitions. In addition, it promotes conversation about ideas and visions on topics relevant to the museum. Physicist and director of the observatory Alfredo Tolmasquim explains that, “The observatory has the ongoing mission to ask what are the major opportunities and threats to society over the next 50 years?”

Content for museum exhibits is updated in two ways. One is with the Brain system, which links to reputable institutions around the world to ensure that data in the main exhibition is current. Material is also updated in the observatory, where a team follows trends and seeks out topics that can be incorporated into the museum exhibition. The topics, according to the director, are “couriers of the future”.

The Observatory is a space for education and debate. It disseminates information about current pressing matters in the areas of science, technology, the environment, as well as society, behavior and politics by organizing events, debates, online workshops, a variety of meetings and discussions with guest speakers, and exchanges programs with a network of partner institutions, such as the Brazilian Academy of Science and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).