Overlooked Disasters

Not Now, But Soon: A Hurricane of Data

Steven Gonzalez compares the dramatic and immediate impacts of Hurricane Maria to the slower, overlooked disasters of environmental destruction and exploitation of human labor that support our data infrastructure.

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A Scientific Revolution

Celebrating the Quantum

Emerging technologies suggest we are only just beginning to realize the quantum revolution and its myriad applications.

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In response to essays published in Issues, our readers weigh in on critical topics in policy related to science, technology, and society.

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Future Tense Fiction

Future Tense Fiction is a speculative fiction series that uses imagination to explore how science and technology will shape our future. It features short stories written by acclaimed authors across a wide range of styles. Each story is paired with original artwork by Rey Velasquez Sagcal and a response essay from an expert who connects the fictional narrative to real-world policy debates.

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "Can Flavor Make Scientific Sense?" by Christy Spackman

    Can Flavor Make Scientific Sense?

    As climate change and labor challenges reshape how food makes it to our table, we’re forced to ask whether we really want to “optimize” our culinary experiences.

    Response

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "The Middle" by Erin K. Wagner

    The Middle

    When a luxury restaurant’s owner brings in a robot sous-chef, the human staff protest—all but the head chef, who is left alone to navigate how to cook and serve in a human-robot team. The story explores the future of luxury dining, the role of humans in an automated workplace, and what we really crave from a culinary experience.

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for “The Song Between Worlds” by Indrapramit Das (detail)

    What Would Sound Be Like on Mars?

    An astronomer responds to Indrapramit Das’ new short story “The Song Between Worlds.”

    Response

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for “The Song Between Worlds” by Indrapramit Das

    The Song Between Worlds

    On a future Mars overrun by wealthy tourists, a young explorer ventures out to hear an elusive Martian song vocalized by the long-time residents of the planet. But they quickly run up against what it really means to seek—and share—intangible cultural goods.

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "Algorithms Could Create an Even Playing Field—if We Insist on It"

    Algorithms Could Create an Even Playing Field—if We Insist on It

    An expert on algorithmic bias responds to Deji Bryce Olukotun’s “When We Were Patched.”

    Response

  • Rey Velasquez Sagcal's illustration for "When We Were Patched" by Deji Bryce Olukotun

    When We Were Patched

    Deji Bryce Olukotun’s “When We Were Patched” imagines a futuristic tennis-like sport officiated by a blend of humans and machines. When the machine-augmented assistant suspects its human partner isn’t following the sport’s rules to a tee, they clash over the meaning of unsportsmanlike conduct and fair play.

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