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 to Cover Northrop Grumman CRS-24 Spacecraft Departure
After delivering more than 11,000 pounds of supplies, science experiments, and other cargo to the International Space Station for NASA, Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL spacecraft is scheduled to depart Friday, Oct. 9, as part of the company’s Commercial Resupply Services-24 mission, or Northrop Grumman CRS-24. Watch NASA’s live coverage of undocking and departure beginning at 12:30
- October 2026 Satellite Puzzler
Your challenge is to tell us the location of the satellite image and why it is interesting.
- Shooting Light Pulses Down a 3-Kilometer Borehole Could Illuminate Seismic Hazards
Borehole distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) offers a more precise way to measure small earthquakes, if appropriate care is taken.
- Scientists Finally Think They Know What Made These Geometric Fossils
Arthropods, with harder bodies and better cognition than some other candidates, seem to be the most likely culprit.
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 39, September 2026. <br/>
- Dynamic attribute activation explains gaze biases in choice
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 39, September 2026. <br/>SignificanceEveryday decisions are shaped by where we direct our attention. Although a large body of research has documented robust links between attention and choice, we still lack a systematic understanding of why attention influences choice and when …
- Rising numbers of Asian and African PhD students choose to study in China
Nature, Published online: 06 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02798-6International students explain the advantages and challenges that come with pursuing a doctoral degree in China.
- How digital breakdowns affect supply chains — and endanger the global economy
Nature, Published online: 06 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03105-zWhen supply chains fail, it’s often because of energy, computer or data-network failures. Addressing these requires a way to make interdependencies visible.