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 Exploration, Science Inspire “Project Hail Mary” Film
Real-life space exploration and big-screen science fiction will converge on Friday. As NASA prepares to launch Artemis II, the first crewed mission under the agency’s Artemis program and another step toward sending the first astronauts – Americans – to Mars, the fictional film “Project Hail Mary” premiere will take audiences on a journey into deep
- NASA Simulations Improve Artemis II Launch Environment
Airflow around rockets as they travel from Earth into space can have a dramatic impact on a mission, which is why NASA used advanced simulations to provide the best possible launch conditions for the Artemis II test flight around the Moon. To better understand the Artemis Space Launch System (SLS) rocket’s flight environment, engineers turned to a NASA-developed tool called the Launch, Ascent, and Vehicle Aerodynamics
- Debate explodes over age of key South American archaeological site
New study argues Monte Verde is far younger than once thought, challenging when people arrived in the Americas
- What happened when an Arab neuroscientist took the helm at an Israeli university?
Mouna Maroun’s stewardship highlights the promise—and perils—of reconciliation through science
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 11, March 2026. <br/>
- Reducing PTSD symptoms through unconscious intervention
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 11, March 2026. <br/>SignificanceTraditional posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) therapies can evoke emotional distress and lead to premature dropout. This study demonstrates that subliminally presenting trauma-related images during an eye-movement exercise can effectively …
- The mid-career reset: how to be strategic about your research direction
Nature, Published online: 20 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-04077-2A decade after completing a PhD, your research can begin to lose direction. So consider each opportunity carefully, says Mohamed Ezat.
- Chemical pollutants are rife across the world’s oceans
Nature, Published online: 20 March 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00850-zCompounds that are used to make plastics and personal-care products were found in all types of marine environment, a meta-analysis shows.