AI could make alien contact easier for ‘Project Hail Mary’ “Project Hail Mary,” a science-fiction novel that’s just been turned into a big-budget, big-screen movie, tells the story of an unlikely astronaut who unexpectedly encounters an a…

Alien contact gets the Hollywood treatment in a movie called "Project Hail Mary" - and in the latest #FictionScience podcast, SETI astronomer Seth Shostak brings us up to date on the real-life search for alien contact. cosmiclog.com/2026/03/10/a... H/T @setiinstitute.bsky.social

Occupy Mars? Or the moon? It’s time for a reality check It’s an age-old debate in space circles: Should humanity’s first city on another world be built on the moon, or on Mars? As recently as last year, SpaceX founder Elon Musk saw missions …

When we scheduled our #FictionScience podcast with biologist Scott Solomon to talk about his book, "Becoming Martian," we didn't know that Elon Musk would be doing his strategic pivot from a city on Mars to a city on the moon. But that made the podcast even more timely. cosmiclog.com/2026/02/17/o...

Showing a fictitious system for submitting manuscripts called "Nature Instant" showing bot choices for authors to choose from as initial AI-based peer reviewers. The bots are trained on real human reviewer data.

The future of peer review is here.

Introducing Nature Instant!

We've automated rejection so you can get disappointed faster. Because why wait 6 months for reviewer 2 when you can get roasted by an #AI in seconds?

Here is how it works.

#AI4Science #PeerReview #FictionScience #FiSci #AAAI #ScAISci

Climate-fiction thriller explores Florida’s flooded future How will technology — and society — adapt to the dramatic effects that climate change is expected to bring? Will necessity become the mother of invention in a world of rising seas? Will it be busin…

In the latest episode of the #FictionScience podcast, Tim Chawaga talks about parallels between the plot of his first novel, "Salvagia," and the real-world thrills and chills that are likely to sweep over America's coastal areas due to future sea level rise. cosmiclog.com/2025/08/11/c... #Worldcon

Rubin Observatory throws a party to reveal first pictures After more than 20 years of planning and construction, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is ready for its grand opening, and the world is invited. The observatory in the foothills of the Chilean Andes …

After more than 20 years of planning and construction, the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile is ready to revolutionize astronomy - and you can be in on the first day of the revolution. Check out the #FictionScience podcast. cosmiclog.com/2025/06/20/r...

How humans can hold the line against AI hype Don’t call ChatGPT a chatbot. Call it a conversation simulator. Don’t think of DALL-E as a creator of artistic imagery. Instead, think of it as a synthetic media extruding machine. In f…

"The AI Con" provides a strong dose of skepticism about what's often sold as the brave new world of AI. The authors are talking about the book at Seattle-area events this week - and in the #FictionScience podcast. cosmiclog.com/2025/05/19/h... H/T @emilymbender.bsky.social @alexhanna.bsky.social

Dictators weaponize new technologies in fact and fiction When Ray Nayler began writing his science-fiction novel about a repressive regime powered by artificial intelligence, he didn’t expect the story to be as timely as it turned out to be. He rea…

New #FictionScience podcast: In a sci-fi novel that's way too close to reality, Ray Nayler delves into how authoritarian regimes use #AI and other technologies to stay in power - and how high-tech tyranny can be resisted. cosmiclog.com/2025/04/01/d... #WhereTheAxeIsBuried H/T @fsgbooks.bsky.social

How humans can reinvent themselves for life in space Let’s face it: Space is a hostile environment for humans. Even on Mars, settlers might have a hard time coping with potentially lethal levels of radiation, scarce resources and reduced gravit…

The sci-fi movie #Mickey17 starts with the silly premise that you can 3D print copies of "expendable" space travelers. But it's a teachable moment for scientists seeking ways to modify the human body for living on other worlds. Check out the #FictionScience podcast. cosmiclog.com/2025/03/08/h...

Why it’ll get harder to draw the line between AI and us Some say artificial intelligence will be humanity’s greatest helper. Others warn that AI will become humanity’s most dangerous rival. But maybe there’s a third alternative —…

And now for something completely different: A law professor argues that AI agents will eventually have to be given some form of personhood - and some researchers agree. Give a listen to the #FictionScience podcast. cosmiclog.com/2024/11/05/w...

How to track untrue tales in the disinformation war Artificial intelligence is fueling an arms race between the purveyors of disinformation and those who are fighting it in this year’s high-stakes political campaign, but the best tool to defen…

Artificial intelligence is fueling an arms race between purveyors of fake news and those who are fighting back - and two expert observers say that means human intelligence is more important than ever. #FictionScience podcast: cosmiclog.com/2024/10/22/h... H/T @annaleen.bsky.social + TrueMedia.org

Movie points to the past and future of moon marketing In a new movie titled “Fly Me to the Moon,” a marketing consultant played by Scarlett Johansson uses Tang breakfast drink, Crest toothpaste and Omega watches to give a publicity boost t…

A screwball comedy titled "Fly Me to the Moon" builds its plot around efforts to give NASA a publicity boost during the Apollo era - and it's worth considering how NASA will present its Artemis moon program to the public in the years to come. Check out the latest #FictionScience podcast!

How future satellite wars will be fought — and won Wars in space are no longer just science fiction. In fact, Space War I has been raging for more than two years, with no quick end in sight. This isn’t the kind of conflict that involves X-win…

The first space war is already being fought, in the skies over Ukraine - so find out from Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, author of the new spy thriller "Phantom Orbit," how the next one may play out. Don't miss the #FictionScience podcast! cosmiclog.com/2024/07/05/h...

How startups could blaze a trail for cities on Mars If future explorers manage to set up communities on Mars, how will they pay their way? What’s likely to be the Red Planet’s primary export? Will it be Martian deuterium, sent back to Ea…

In a new episode of the #FictionScience podcast, Mars Society President Robert Zubrin talks about his latest book, "The New World on Mars," and how startups on Earth could open the way for settlements on the Red Planet. cosmiclog.com/2024/02/29/h...

Get a reality check on plans to build cities in space Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos may harbor multibillion-dollar dreams of sending millions of people to live on Mars, on the moon and inside free-flying space habitats — but a newly published book pr…

We really enjoyed chatting with @zachweinersmith about "A City on Mars," a newly published book that takes a realistic look at the idea of sending millions of people to cities in space - an idea touted by billionaires including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Check out the #FictionScience podcast.

‘Her Space, Her Time’ reveals hidden figures of physics Quick: Name a woman scientist. Chances are the name you came up with is Marie Curie, the physicist and chemist who won two Nobel Prizes more than a century ago for the discoveries she and her husba…

In "Her Space, Her Time," Shohini Ghose highlights the stories of women physicists and astronomers who opened up scientific frontiers but missed out on the fame they deserved. And in our #FictionScience podcast, she talks about what should be done to bridge the gender gap. H/T @mitpress.bsky.social