These stories often imply that we will survive as a species and overcome our challenges; but there are also many counter narratives warning that even though we may progress as a society, dangers abound. Cautionary tales like The Terminator, Mad Max, or Alien can therefore be as illuminating as mo...

A multi-generational perspective that is scaled to encompass interplanetary habitation enlarges our understanding of our context within the universe and discourages shortsighted actions. These kinds of broader views prioritize aspirations like peaceful coexistence and conservation.

The ability to transport people into the distant future also has inspirational value: Even though we currently lack the technical or social capacity to reach our goals, the vision of an eventual breakthrough breeds optimism and builds resolve. In an age of scientific reasoning and logic, people s...

By providing imaginative ways to participate in events beyond our lifetimes, visions of the future can serve as beacons of faith and moral bearings for how we live today. Portrayals of a better tomorrow can also inspire actions that contribute to something greater than ourselves; when we emotiona...

If we are invested in a better future, we will be motivated to adapt and solve the problems we face now. Whether the future is portrayed as bright or dim, science fiction can coax us to think creatively by letting us leapfrog to the distant future where we may glimpse what radical change could lo...

Visions of tomorrow inform the present and can inspire progress both socially and technologically. Astronauts like Mae Jemison and aerospace engineers like Bobak Ferdowsi and Elon Musk all speak of science fiction as a guiding influence for their careers. More significantly, science fiction can i...

Each of us contemplates the long-term future of our species at some point. Will we survive self-destruction? Will we migrate to the stars? Both as individuals and as a society, we typically call on imagination to ponder the big questions. Whether we choose to look 10 or 1,000 years into the futur...

Moving forward, science fiction should be elevated to an academic level and recognized as more than a hobby or a fantastical escape. Where pure science can be difficult for some people to process, creative projections can make scientific theories more accessible to the general public, especially ...

Carrying the torch for these visions of progress and sharing them with others can provide a sense of purpose in itself. I may not colonize another planet or develop technology that contributes to the goal, but by helping to cultivate the dream, I increase the possibility that others will find a w...

It is imperative for humankind to become increasingly self-aware and strategic on the larger scale of time and space; science fiction may be our most powerful tool for influencing popular thinking in this direction. Diverse visionaries in this field are greatly needed to produce intersectional co...