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
- Curiosity Blog, Sols 4975-4981: Happy 14th Landing Anniversary
By Susanne P. Schwenzer, Professor of Planetary Mineralogy at The Open University, UK Earth planning date: Friday, Aug. 7, 2026 This week was very special for the Curiosity team here on Earth as we celebrated the 14th landing anniversary. I still remember watching the buildup to the entry phase on “Eyes on the Solar System”
- NASA Selects Companies to Provide Payload Processing Services
NASA has selected four companies to provide payload processing facilities under the Spacecraft Processing Operations Contract on‑ramp provision. The provision enables qualified providers to offer commercial payload processing services for agency missions launching from multiple locations where capabilities were not available at the time of the initial contract award. Contract awardees are: Through the contract,
- Scientists Define a New Category of Heat Wave: “Snow Eaters”
Unseasonably warm weather that rapidly melts snowpack is becoming more widespread in the U.S. West and happening earlier in the year.
- The 13 August 2026 tailings storage facility failure at Dikwena Chrome in South Africa
A major tailings accident occurred last week in a Chrome mine at Dikwena near Brits. On 13 August 20926, a major failure occurred in a large tailings storage facility at the Dikwena facility, owned by Samancor Chrome in the Brits area of South Africa. There are news reports from IOL and the Daily Maverick about this
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 32, August 2026. <br/>
- Protecting episodic memory after sleep loss: Similar benefits of exercise and naps via distinct neural contributions
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 32, August 2026. <br/>SignificanceSleep is essential for learning and remembering but one-third of the population worldwide sleeps insufficiently. Sleep loss is a public health problem that costs nations billions of dollars annually. Following sleep hygiene strategies may not …
- Treat biological databases as infrastructure, not projects
Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02575-5Treat biological databases as infrastructure, not projects
- How the Middle East can become a hub for sustainable aviation fuels
Nature, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02531-3Building on the region’s oil infrastructure, investment funds and shipping corridors, Gulf nations can thrive in the clean-energy economy.