Our economy is huge, incomprehensible and potentially deadly if you take a wrong step — just like space, in fact. So when it comes to understanding the fundamentals of economics, you need to read some classic and recent science fiction novels. Luckily, Paul Krugman and Noah Smith have provided a reading list.

For 14 years now, the American Museum of Natural History has hosted the Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate – an annual meeting of scientific and philosophical minds, held in honor of one of modern history's most formidable intellects. The debates are always fantastic, but this year's topic – the existence of nothing –…

Elon Musk is making all of our dreams of independent space flight come true, and he wants to put humans on Mars. He may even succeed. But what inspires him? Some classic science fiction books, apparently.

Two years before his death, legendary science and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov kicked off a TV pilot dedicated to exploring the faint and ever-shifting boundary separating science from science fiction. By highlighting advances in science and technology, Asimov sought to prepare viewers for the world of…

Dating is hard. And instigating first-contact with a fellow humanoid can be the hardest part. Luckily, we geeks have our own special language, made up of quotes and in-jokes. Some of which makes for some excellent pick-up lines, that you can always resort to in an emergency situation.

Science fiction is the genre of ideas — but it's also given us some unforgettable pictures along the way. Every era in science fiction's history has shown us a new vision of the strange and futuristic, and one image can spawn a million reflections in your mind's eye.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Asimov's Laws of Robotics:

Even if you're not a huge fan of Paul Krugman, the trouble-making economist and New York Times columnist, you should check out his introduction to a new edition of Isaac Asimov's Foundation trilogy (PDF). He explains pretty succinctly just why these novels are great, and why they had such a huge impact on the young…