Space Park Conversations: Imagining the Final Frontier

When we talk about space, we often focus on data, discovery, and technology. But what if the key to truly connecting people with space lies somewhere else entirely—in imagination, storytelling, and the psychology of fiction?

In this thought-provoking Space Park Conversations talk, delivered in collaboration with the Leverhulme Centre for Humanity and Space, Dr Valerie van Mulukom explores how science fiction and narrative shape the way we understand—and emotionally connect with—the cosmos.

Drawing on cutting-edge research in cognitive science and psychology, this session will reveal how fiction activates powerful mental processes such as curiosity, explanation-seeking, and “mental time travel”—helping us to imagine futures and environments far beyond our everyday experience.

Rather than simply communicating facts, fiction enables us to:

• Simulate future worlds and possibilities
• Navigate uncertainty and existential questions
• Shape identity and shared understanding
• Experience space not just as a frontier—but as something deeply human

Dr Valerie van Mulukom is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Oxford Brookes University.

Her research focuses on the cognitive science of imagination, awe, and belief—exploring how and why humans imagine, from the neuroscience of future thinking to the evolutionary role of fiction.

With over a decade of research experience, she has published more than 30 academic articles, an edited volume, and numerous book chapters. Her work has been featured in BBC Future, IFLScience, Newsweek, and the i newspaper, among others.

• Free to attend
• Open to all (students, staff, industry and public audiences)
• Complimentary refreshments available
• The Blue Marble Café will be open for drinks, snacks and lunch

Space Park Conversations is our regular programme of free public talks bringing together leading experts from across science, technology, engineering and beyond. Each session offers unique insights into the work shaping our world and our understanding of the universe.

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Host or Publisher Space Park Leicester (University of Leicester)