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
-
-
Progress Without Morals
A scientist is trying to harness microbial properties to develop a fantastic tool. He believes he can; but should he?
-
For Today’s Inspiration
- NASA Opens 2027 Human Lander Challenge for Lunar Communications
NASA’s 2027 Human Lander Challenge is seeking ideas from college and university students to help address one of the most critical needs for sustained lunar exploration: reliable communications. As NASA prepares for long-term human presence on the Moon through the Artemis and Moon Base programs, communications systems will be just as important as spacecraft and
- NASA Awards Orbital Safety Analysis Support Services Contract
NASA has awarded a contract to Omitron Inc. for the acquisition of orbital safety analysis services, which provide for critical protection of NASA spaceflight assets and astronaut lives. This indefinite-delivery contract is valued at approximately $23.5 million over a five-year period of performance and entails conjunction assessment screening services for all NASA uncrewed spacecraft, support
- NASA has Underspent on Research and Analysis for 15 Years
Spending for NASA’s research and analysis programs has remained relatively flat for 15 years, ignoring recommendations from community-led decadal surveys and directives by Congress.
- Fungi Are Holding the Food Web Together. New Research Images This Underground Network.
By combining computer tomography—the same technology used for medical scans—with a high-powered particle accelerator, researchers have imaged the network of roots, fungal structures, and soil together in their natural environment.
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 38, September 2026. <br/>
- Zinc isotopic evidence for an Archean initiation of deep carbon cycling
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 38, September 2026. <br/>SignificanceUnderstanding when Earth’s deep carbon cycle began is critical for reconstructing planetary evolution and habitability. We add to this debate by integrating new zinc (Zn) isotopic data for Phanerozoic and Precambrian carbonatites plus …
- AI-powered medical devices must be tested in real-world settings
Nature, Published online: 29 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03046-7Tools that inform clinical decision-making require rigorous assessments equivalent to processes used to approve drugs and self-driving cars.
- The cost of lost labour on a warming planet
Nature, Published online: 29 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02971-xResearchers quantify the economic damage caused by climate-change-related heat stress on the global workforce.