I am Dr Chris Skinner, a STEM professional by day and a researcher and educator by night*. I specialise in imagination engines – numerical models and games. Both simulate the world and help us to travel through time and see the unseen.

On this website you can learn more about me, my work, and possibly about how I might be able to help or collaborate with you. Check out the Experience tab to find out more about my teaching, research publications, articles and blog posts, presenting and public speaking, and my science communication exhibits.

I have had an unusual and winding career so far: I’ve designed cycle parking as a transport planner; estimated rainfall using satellites as a PhD candidate; modelled thousands of possible future flood scenarios in the Humber Estuary as a researcher; and designed and led environmental-themed game-based science communication activities to thousands of people.

I am self-diagnosed ADHD and this has shaped the diversity and nature of my work. I see things as systems and make connections that others often miss. I love to try new things and get excited by innovation and disrupting entrenched paradigms. Mostly, I am enthusiastic about sharing the things I find interesting and seeking creative ways to do this. Creativity, playfulness, and imagination are core features of my work.

My current projects include:

Adventures in Model Land – a system to build game worlds for tabletop roleplay games (TTRPGs) based on numerical models.

GeoSkinner YouTube Channels – I create and share videos on themes of flooding, numerical modelling, and gaming. Occasionally all three together. There’s also GeoSkinner 360 with all my 360 content, and Extra Life, which is more random.

Games for Geoscience – I am the Geoscience Games Master and lead convenor for the annual Games for Geoscience and Geoscience Games Night sessions at the European Geoscience Union General Assembly.

LEGO (R) SERIOUS PLAY (R) – I am design workshops inspired by the LEGO SERIOUS PLAY method to help scientists be more creative and to help non-modellers better understand numerical models.

Project Prospero – For something a little different, this is a hobby project. I am building a Warhammer-themed train set inspired by the burning of Prospero narrative. It’s a different sort of combining games and models!

If you’d like to know more then reach out via the Contact page. If you’d like to support me, find out how on the Support Me page.

*not literally, it is usually on Wednesdays.