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 Ames Fire Department Aircraft Firefighting Training
The fire department at NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will perform training on the Moffett Federal Airfield beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8 through Friday, Sept. 11. The training will involve the use of a propane-fueled aircraft fire simulator and be conducted from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. PDT. Because the aircraft simulator is
- NASA Hosts Virtual Artemis Webinar for Blind, Low-Vision Community
NASA will host a virtual webinar at 2 p.m. EDT on Friday, Oct. 2, titled “The RS-25 Engine and the Future of Artemis Missions: An Accessible Webinar for the Blind and Low-Vision Community.” This webinar is open to the public, however it is tailored specifically for a blind and low-vision audience. The webinar will last about two hours and
- The Economic Costs of Solar Storms
Though less present in the public consciousness than hurricanes and wildfires, space weather represents a real and potentially significant threat to society.
- A High-Resolution Look at Singapore’s Water Budget
Simulations that account for nuanced interplay between hydrological and plant processes could help guide urban water management.
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 35, September 2026. <br/>
- Neural network–augmented Pfaffian wave-functions for scalable simulations of interacting fermions
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 35, September 2026. <br/>SignificanceUnderstanding how electrons interact in two-dimensional materials is essential for explaining phenomena like high-temperature superconductivity, but existing numerical methods are often limited by systematic biases. Neural quantum states offer …
- Bunsen burners’ reputation for sterilizing workplaces flames out
Nature, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02758-0Study shows that the venerable device does not waft bacteria away from workbenches, as is often assumed.
- Revealed: inside the US military’s plan to tap huge sums from the NIH
Nature, Published online: 04 September 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02799-5An agreement paves the way for hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of projects to be transferred from the NIH’s institute for infectious diseases to the Department of Defense.