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
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Progress Without Morals
A scientist is trying to harness microbial properties to develop a fantastic tool. He believes he can; but should he?
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For Today’s Inspiration
- NASA Identifies More Than 40 Space Technologies for Collaboration
NASA selected 41 proposals from 37 companies to advance technologies in support of the agency’s goals to establish a long-term presence on the Moon and enable human exploration of Mars. These American companies, picked from NASA’s 2025 Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO), will mature technologies creating solutions for space transportation, planetary surface operations, and lunar
- Euclid Sees Heart of Milky Way
Euclid, an ESA (European Space Agency) mission with NASA contributions, took a new look at the heart of our Milky Way galaxy, seen in this image released on June 24, 2026. This observation overlaps with a region scientists will observe with NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching later this summer. This sneak peek gives
- Extensive Sand Dune Loss Threatens California Coast
Aerial photos combined with lidar data show the extent of the problem.
- Measuring Microplastics in Every Ocean Layer
Small bits of plastic don’t just float at the sea surface—they span the entire water column. Scientists need consistent methods to track these particles and to better understand the hazards they pose.
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 25, June 2026. <br/>
- Video games help push the boundaries of AI
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 25, June 2026. <br/>
- CRISPR’s next act: the companies editing the epigenome to treat disease
Nature, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01976-wA handful of start-up firms are testing therapies that target specific epigenetic markers to treat everything from high cholesterol to a rare muscular disorder.
- The surprising career parallels between footballers and researchers
Nature, Published online: 26 June 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01794-0Sarah Blackford reflects on how early-career scientists and professional football players share similar motivations, pressures and challenges.