ASU Center for Science and the Imagination

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ASU Center for Science and the Imagination

We create visions of the future that are imaginative, inclusive, and inspiring. Newsletters: https:

The Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University engages in research, outreach, and radical collaborations to reinvent our relationship with the future. From writers, artists, and teachers to scientists, engineers, and technologists, we bring diverse intellectual practices together to reignite humanity’s grand ambitions for innovation and discovery. The center serves as a net

work hub for audacious ideas and a cultural engine for thoughtful optimism through programs like Project Hieroglyph, a public community of science fiction authors, scientists, and researchers, and the Frankenstein Bicentennial Project, which explores science in society through a modern myth of creativity and responsibility. We provide a space for productive collaboration among the humanities, arts, and sciences, bring human narratives to scientific questions, and explore the full social implications of cutting-edge research.

09/01/2026

Our monthly series, Future Tense Fiction, from Issues in Science and Technology features an original speculative fiction story plus a non-fiction response essay that delves deeper into the themes and real-world resonances that underpin the narrative. This month, we’re delighted to spotlight “How Can We Sustain Sustainable Housing?” by Muhammad Mustapha Gambo in response to Osahon Ize-Iyamu’s “Where the Wild Things Grow.” In this essay, Gambo, a scholar of infrastructure development, governance, and climate action, brings his lived experience to Ize-Iyamu’s tale of population growth and housing demands. Read more here: https://issues.org/futuretensefiction/sustainable-housing-nigeria-gambo/

08/28/2026

This week's is "Where the Wild Things Grow" by Osahon Ize-Iyamu from Issues in Science and Technology. Imagine a housing development that takes green architecture to another level, braiding plants into the very scaffolding of a home. Osahon Ize-Iyamu’s story brings us to such a development, where a grief-stricken daughter struggles to defend her late mother’s vision of sustainable housing against financial, regulatory, and personal hurdles. Click the link to read here: https://issues.org/futuretensefiction/where-the-wild-things-grow-osahon-ize-iyamu/

08/26/2026

Our latest issue of Imaginary Papers, our quarterly newsletter about science fiction worldbuilding, futures thinking, and the imagination, is out now!

In this issue, Andrew Dana Hudson writes about solarpunk and the 2025 film Arco, Ines Montalvao considers salt as an expressive material in the work of the artist Nobuho Nagasawa, and CSI's Bob Beard recommends Cassandra Vieten's new book Imagine That.

Click the link below to read more!
https://mailchi.mp/asu.edu/imaginarypapers27-aug2026

08/24/2026

Our Veterans Imagination Project isn't just designed for veterans transitioning to civilian life; it's built by men and women who have walked that same road.

Meet Ray Lopez (), a concept artist who has been with VIP since its inception. Ray grew up in a military family, with his father, three uncles, and two brothers serving in the United States Marine Corps, while other family members pursued careers in the Navy and Air Force. A graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Ray brings years of professional experience to the Veterans Imagination Project, where he collaborates with service members to envision positive and enriching futures beyond their military careers.

The Veterans Imagination Project is free for ALL veterans in Arizona, with paid research opportunities available. Learn more and apply at csi.asu.edu/veterans
Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement - ASU Pat Tillman Veterans Center - Arizona State University

08/21/2026

This week’s is “Too Big to See” by Karl Schroeder, from the “Overview: Stories in the Stratosphere” collection. How can we use different viewpoints to unify with adversaries? A seemingly recreational innovation in aerospace provides an unexpected change in perspective, allowing world leaders splitting hairs over geopolitical conflict to see the bigger picture. Read the story here: https://medium.com//too-big-to-see-by-karl-schroeder-d559463d8a19

08/20/2026

Our Veterans Imagination Project isn't just designed for veterans transitioning to civilian life; it's built by women and men who have walked that same road.

Meet Eliza DelaPaz, a Marine Corps veteran and graduate student in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Arizona State University. Her background spans neuroscience, mindfulness, mental health, entrepreneurship, and military service, alongside her work as a Mindfulness Coach. This fall, she returns to VIP as a researcher and facilitator to explore how veterans can envision flourishing futures and translate imagination into meaningful pathways for growth and change.

The Veterans Imagination Project is free for ALL veterans in Arizona, with paid research opportunities available. Learn more and apply at csi.asu.edu/veterans
Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement - ASU Pat Tillman Veterans Center - Arizona State University

08/14/2026

This week’s is “The Use of Things” by , from "Visions, Ventures, and Escape Velocities: A Collection of Space Futures”. In a world where robots have optimized all tasks, routine and extraordinary, the value of human contribution is weighed with risk calculable in dollars. When interplanetary travel is the task in question, risk rises exponentially, and humans contemplate what it means to leave the orbit of space exploration. Read the story here: https://csi.asu.edu/books/vvev/

08/13/2026

Our science fiction film series, History of the Future, returns this fall with an all-new lineup of classic science fiction films to ponder and discuss with your fellow cinephiles.

Join us on Wednesday, August 19, at 6:45 pm for The Running Man (1987), the brawny, sci-fi spectacle starring Arnold Schwarzenegger at Majestic Theaters, PHX.

The film will be introduced by Ron Broglio, Professor and Director of ASU Humanities Institute.

08/11/2026

Happy pub day to our friend and colleague, Dr. Cassandra Vieten

Imagine That is the culmination of decades of research into how imagination actually works in the brain and body — and, more importantly, how to use it intentionally.

In this scientifically grounded and enjoyable read, Dr. Vieten shows that imagination isn't reserved for artists or daydreamers; it's a working mental capacity every one of us relies on daily, whether we realize it or not. The book offers a road map for identifying your own “imagination profile” and applying it to healing, creativity, relationships, and how you picture your own future.

Imagine That: Transform How You Think, Feel, and Live with the Science of Imagination is available now at your favorite bookseller.

08/10/2026

Our Veterans Imagination Project isn't just designed for veterans transitioning to civilian life; it's built by men and women who have walked that same road.

Meet Alain Monroy, a US Army veteran currently completing his Master of Social Work degree at Arizona State University. A former Army officer with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 25th Infantry Division, Alain witnessed firsthand the invisible wounds of war, the emotional toll of sustained high-stress operations, and the reintegration challenges many service members face upon returning home. Alain joins this Fall as VIP’s embedded social worker and peer mentor, supporting participants in imagining flourishing futures for themselves and their communities.

The Veterans Imagination Project is free for ALL veterans in Arizona, with paid research opportunities available. Learn more and apply at csi.asu.edu/veterans
Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement - ASU, Pat Tillman Veterans Center - Arizona State University

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1140 E Baseline Rd
Tempe, AZ
85283

Website

http://csi.asu.edu/, http://twitter.com/imaginationASU

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