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Foldable and 3D printed microscopes are broadening access to the life sciences, low-cost and open microprocessors are supporting research from cognitive neuroscience to oceanography, and low-cost and open sensors are measuring air quality in communities around the world. In these examples and beyond, the things of science – the physical tools that generate data or contribute to scientific processes – are becoming less expensive, and more open.

Recent developments, including the extraordinary response to COVID-19 by maker and DIY communities, have demonstrated the value of low cost and open source hardware for addressing global challenges. These developments strengthen the capacity of individual innovators and community-based organizations and highlight concrete opportunities for their contribution to science and society. From a policy perspective, work on low-cost and open source hardware– as well as broader open science and open innovation initiatives– has spanned at least two presidential administrations.