New research body at Arizona State University aims to bridge gap between the lab and sci - fi inventions . More than 20 years on from the Back to the Future trilogy and a breakthrough in hoverboard technology is still eagerly anticipated -- not to mention anything close to `` Doc '' Brown 's time-traveling DeLorean car . Center for Science and the Imagination ( CSI ) brings creative thinkers into collaboration with scientists . Academic , private corporations and non - profit organizations participate in the project . ` ` Science fiction has a proven ability to inspire scientists and start technological innovation , '' science - fiction author says .
New research body at Arizona State University aims to bridge gap between the lab and sci - fi inventions . Center for Science and the Imagination ( CSI ) brings creative thinkers into collaboration with scientists . Academic , private corporations and non - profit organizations participate in the project . ` ` Science fiction has a proven ability to inspire scientists and start technological innovation , '' science - fiction author says .