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
- APOD: 2026 September 17 – A Treasure Chest in the Carina Nebula
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 September 17 – A… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. A Treasure
- Summer Goes Out With a Heat Dome
Temperature records toppled across the central and southern U.S. as the autumnal equinox approached.
- Volatile Organic Compounds Have Been Underestimated in the Carbon Cycle
Better tracking of these reactive compounds is essential for understanding how the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere interact.
- The Effects of Polar Night and Day on Arctic Air Masses
Cold air outbreaks and warm air intrusions link Arctic and midlatitude weather and climate. But a lack of data on these events, especially in winter, limits our understanding.
- Marine bacteria cooperate to break down complex algal carbohydrates
Nature, Published online: 16 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02873-yMarine algae produce sulfated carbohydrates called fucoidans that are chemically too complex for any bacteria to digest alone. Instead, marine bacteria split the task between them in a modular fashion: some strains degrade the molecular backbone, whereas others remove the side branches.
- Assessing biological degradation of non-hydrolysable synthetic polymers
Nature, Published online: 16 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41586-026-10918-5The evidence for biological degradation of non-hydrolysable synthetic polymers is critically evaluated to propose best-practice principles for experimental design that should promote reproducibility and impact across this field.