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 Names Astronaut Christina Koch Acting Deputy Chief Engineer
NASA engineer and astronaut Christina Koch will serve as the agency’s acting deputy chief engineer beginning on Sunday, Nov. 1, following the retirement of Katherine Van Hooser, who will conclude more than 35 years of distinguished service to the agency on Wednesday, Oct. 21. In her new role, Koch will help lead NASA’s engineering community,
- Comparing Off-World Rover Driving Distances
Description This infographic illustrates the distances driven by various rovers on the surface of Earth’s Moon and Mars. Of the vehicles shown, the NASA Mars rovers Perseverance and Curiosity are still operational and moving across the surface; the figures shown for those two are distances driven as of Oct. 11, 2026. As of that date,
- Reading Rainfall in a Snail’s Shell
The chemical record of a snail shell is allowing scientists to reconstruct a record of past storms from the recent—and maybe distant—past.
- The Ocean Circulation That Persists Even After a Key AMOC Component Fails
A new study suggests cross-hemispheric overturning circulation could continue for centuries, even as North Atlantic Deep Water formation shuts down.
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 40, October 2026. <br/>
- PAK4 exacerbates melanoma immunosuppression by promoting exosome release
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 40, October 2026. <br/>SignificanceImmunotherapy resistance remains a major challenge in melanoma. We identify PAK4 as a key driver of this resistance by promoting the release of PD-L1-enriched exosomes that suppress antitumor immunity. We describe a dual mechanism by which …
- Inundated AI conferences impose submissions caps
Nature, Published online: 13 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03153-5Researchers question whether these will work to stem the deluge of manuscipts.
- Whistleblowing in universities is ‘extraordinarily risky’: stronger protections are needed
Nature, Published online: 13 October 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-03221-wSpeaking out against misconduct is challenging without external adjudicators.