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
- Perseids Meteor Shower
The constellation Orion is framed by two Perseid meteors in this photo from Aug. 12, 2018, in Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah. The Perseids – one of the year’s brightest and most popular meteor showers – has been ramping up since early July and will sparkle in the skies through the end of August. The
- APOD: 2026 August 13 – Total Solar Eclipse Over Spain
APOD Science APOD APOD: 2026 August 13 – Total… Today’s APOD Archive Submissions Index Search Calendar RSS Education About Discuss APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Total Solar
- Extreme Heat May Drive Asthma Risk in Baltimore, Especially at Night
A new study paints a fuller picture of how heat affects respiratory health, especially in Baltimore’s socially vulnerable neighborhoods.
- Streamflow From Generative AI
The trifecta of predicting, assimilating, and downscaling streamflow has arrived with generative diffusion AI models.
- In This Issue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 32, August 2026. <br/>
- Protecting episodic memory after sleep loss: Similar benefits of exercise and naps via distinct neural contributions
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 123, Issue 32, August 2026. <br/>SignificanceSleep is essential for learning and remembering but one-third of the population worldwide sleeps insufficiently. Sleep loss is a public health problem that costs nations billions of dollars annually. Following sleep hygiene strategies may not …
- Why China should reassess how it rewards young scientists
Nature, Published online: 13 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02525-1Talent schemes helped to propel China to the forefront of global science. But the system places undue emphasis on prestigious titles as a means to secure career prospects, putting pressure on young researchers.
- AI isn’t ready to research itself
Nature, Published online: 13 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02494-5An agentic system successfully developed concepts from two computer-science papers — but the original authors were not impressed.