Imagining…
Where Science Meets Creative Writing
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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
- Curiosity Blog, Sols 4893-4899: Drilling at Campo Marte and a Visit From the Psyche Spacecraft
Written by Lucy Lim, Planetary Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Earth planning date: Friday, May 15, 2026 After freeing the rover’s arm from the “Atacama” block, we are ready to drill again! The new drill target will represent the same geologic stratum as Atacama, which is the layered sulfate unit above the boxwork
- Johnson Photographers Honored for Award-Winning Portraits
Three photographers at NASA’s Johnson Space Center who inspire the world through visual storytelling earned top honors in the portrait category at the 2025 NASA Imagery Experts Program Annual Awards. “Congratulations to all three on this impressive achievement and for capturing such breathtaking imagery,” said Johnson Director Vanessa Wyche. “Their work represents the collaboration, precision,
- Small and Large Grains Move Differently in Water
A shift in perspective: flume experiments show that grain entrainment is far more complex than traditional models suggest.
- The Fiery Tornadoes That Could Mop Up Oil Spills
More than 15 years after the Deepwater Horizon disaster, researchers are still searching for new ways to tackle disastrous spills. Some are looking to flaming twisters.
- Did this scientist go too far trying to save Ecuador’s wildlife?
Alejandro Arteaga’s efforts to identify and protect tropical reptiles and amphibians have entangled him in controversy
- A powerhouse species in peril | Science
Kelp forests capture carbon, clean oceans, protect coastlines, and more—and they need our help
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 19, May 2026. <br/>
- Evaluating the statistical realism of LLM-generated social science data
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 19, May 2026. <br/>SignificanceLarge language models (LLMs) enable the generation of data that could potentially be analyzed for social research. While the need for assessing the validity of such AI-generated data is widely recognized, we do not yet have a coherent …
- China moves AI brain implants from trials towards real-world use
Nature, Published online: 19 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01468-xChinese start-up firms are supercharging their efforts to develop algorithms for brain–computer interfaces that help people to walk and talk.
- Exclusive: Race begins to trial Ebola drugs amid current outbreak
Nature, Published online: 18 May 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01607-4Clinical trials for treatments against Ebola Bundibugyo virus are ‘in a strong position’ to be launched quickly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.