Imagining…
Where Science Meets Creative Writing
Find a story within the topics above
How can we look at fossils and understand what creatures roamed the Earth millions of years ago?
How can we predict the behavior of materials deep within planetary interiors?
How can we reverse humanity’s impact on the global climate?
How can we predict habitats for life on other planets?
Doing impactful, innovative research requires training our brain to imagine the elusive unknown, even when bounded by scientific evidence. Now, more than ever in the history of human civilization, there is a pressing need to exercise our imagination muscles. Writing scientific fiction while accounting for the real science is a powerful way to do just that—to learn what is possible, what is probable, how we can change the future, and what our responsibility is to the future generation of our species.
Most Recent Stories
-
-
Progress Without Morals
A scientist is trying to harness microbial properties to develop a fantastic tool. He believes he can; but should he?
-
For Today’s Inspiration
- Arctic Winter Sea Ice Ties Record Low, NASA, NSIDC Scientists Find
For the second consecutive year, winter sea ice in the Arctic reached a level that matches the lowest peak observed since satellite monitoring began in 1979. On March 15, Arctic sea ice extent reached 5.52 million square miles (14.29 million square kilometers), very close to the 2025 peak of 5.53 million square miles (14.31 million
- NASA’s IXPE Gets Fresh Look at Supernova
NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) mission has taken a new observation of a supernova, RCW 86, seen here in an image released on March 24, 2026. This observation helps fill in a fuller picture of what other telescopes have seen. The full image combines IXPE’s data with legacy observations from two other X-ray telescopes:
- Simplified Noon-Temperature Calculations for Planetary Bodies
By applying simplified equations, scientists cut down on the computation time required to map the surface temperatures of planetary bodies.
- How Internal Waves Transport Energy Thousands of Miles Across the Ocean
For the first time, researchers model energy fluxes from these large-scale underwater waves in and around the Southern Ocean.
- ‘Resurrection plants’ bounce back after years of drought. Do they hold lessons for crops?
Plant biologist Jill Farrant hopes “desiccation-tolerant” species can teach her how to make crops more resilient
- Distinctive DNA sequence features define epigenetic longevity of inflammatory memory | Science
Tissues harbor memories of inflammation, which heighten sensitivity to diverse future assaults. Whether and how these adaptations are sustained through time and cell division remain poorly understood. We show that in mice, epidermal stem cells store …
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 12, March 2026. <br/>
- Synthetic lethality between RB-loss and E2F3 inhibition in small cell cancers targeted by pyrimidine synthesis blockade
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 12, March 2026. <br/>SignificanceThe synthetic lethality of E2F3 inactivation in RB-deficient small cell cancer cells is established. E2F3 dependency is shared across RB-deficient cells originating from multiple tissues. The requirement for E2F3 in RB-deficient small cell …
- Why labs need a napping room to help you work, rest and play
Nature, Published online: 26 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00549-1A 30-minute snooze can boost creativity and help banish burnout, says neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli, author of The Brain at Rest.
- Trump’s new science advisers include 12 technology chiefs — and one academic
Nature, Published online: 26 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00977-zSparse academic presence on the US President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reflects a focus on technology and industry.