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
-
Microbial Salvation: Hope for Enceladus
The microbes on Enceladus are trying to readapt to their environment in the wake of their depleting carbon resource
-
No Rest For the Wireless
A society inside of a black hole needs to charge the electrical current of their hearts
-
For Today’s Inspiration
- Stops Along the Path of Totality
Western Iceland and northern Spain are among the few Northern Hemisphere locations experiencing a total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026.
- What Is the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope? (Grades 5-8)
This article is for students grades 5-8. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s newest astrophysics observatory. The telescope will scan large sections of space. Roman will help astronomers answer questions about dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets, and more. ______________________________________________________________________ Words to Know Astrophysics: a branch of space science that applies physics and mathematics to
- Forty Years of Looking to Earth’s Past to Understand Its Future
From ancient greenhouse worlds to ice ages, Earth’s past offers vital clues to its future. Explore the 40th anniversary special collection from Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology.
- The evolution of the Wanlixi landslide in Taiwan
Planet Labs satellite imagery highlights how the Wanlixi landslide in Taiwan evolved prior to the main failure on 21 June, and how it has continued to move subsequently. On 31 July 2026 I highlighted the valley-blocking Wanlixi landslide in Hualien County, Taiwan. The location of the landslide is 23.78859° N, 121.27236° E (for machine readable
- 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 …
- A controversial Alzheimer’s surgery is said to reverse symptoms — here’s what scientists know
Nature, Published online: 12 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02448-xJaw-dropping patient videos and miraculous testimonials ignited a frenzy in China over a technique that aims to improve drainage from the brain. Now it is entering trials worldwide.
- Daily briefing: What scientists can learn from a solar eclipse
Nature, Published online: 11 August 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02519-zResearchers will have two minutes to gather data on the solar corona. Plus, people across cultures are all ticklish in the same way and how the El Niño could spell disaster for the Amazon rainforest.