Invitation to explore the powerful role imagination plays in helping humanity connect with the universe
A leading expert in the cognitive science of imagination and belief will deliver a compelling insight into the powerful role the psychology of (science) fiction helps individuals to connect with the mystery of the universe.
The latest in the Space Park Conversations series at Space Park Leicester the free one-hour presentation: “Imagining the final frontier: How the psychology of (science) fiction makes space a human experience” will take place at the University of Leicester’s £100 million space research and innovation hub between 2pm and 3pm on Tuesday 19 May.
Delivered in collaboration with the Leverhulme Centre for Humanity and Space, this thought-provoking talk will be led by Dr Valerie van Mulukom, a senior lecturer in Psychology at Oxford Brookes University and expert in the cognitive science of imagination and belief.
Drawing on cutting-edge research, Dr van Mulukom will reveal how science fiction does far more than entertain. Through storytelling, humans are able to simulate future worlds and possibilities, allowing us to explore realities far beyond our everyday experience.
This process helps individuals navigate uncertainty and engage with complex existential questions about humanity’s place in the universe, while also shaping identity and shared understanding. In doing so, fiction enables everyone to experience space not simply as a distant or abstract frontier, but as something that feels immediate, relatable, and deeply human.
Dr van Mulukom said:
“Science fiction taps into some of our most fundamental cognitive abilities. It allows us to step outside our immediate reality and explore possible futures, helping us make sense of uncertainty and imagine what it truly means to be human in space.”
Dr van Mulukom has been working in the cognitive science of imagination, awe, and belief for more than a decade, investigating how and why humans imagine, from the neuroscience of episodic future simulations to the evolutionary functions of fiction and imagination, feelings of realness of imaginings, and individual differences in imagination and narrative immersion, her engaging approach bridges rigorous science with everyday curiosity, making complex ideas accessible and thought-provoking for all audiences.
She has published more than 30 articles, one edited volume, and numerous chapters on these and related topics. Her work has been featured in BBC Future, IFLScience, Newsweek, i newspaper, and many others.
Open to students, researchers, industry professionals and the wider public this session promises to move beyond rockets and data to uncover the deeper, human side of space exploration. Those wishing to attend must book through Space Park Leicester’s Eventbrite page which can accessed here.
To find out more about Space Park Leicester’s upcoming events, visit https://tinyurl.com/2dx3nzbn
To explore Space Park Leicester partnerships, missions, residents, facilities, training programmes and innovation products, visit space-park.co.uk or to learn more about the University of Leicester visit le.ac.uk/.
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