Dear Readers,

As classes end and campus quiets for the summer, I find myself reflecting on the last few months. A lot has changed—on both a local and national scale. Science, too, keeps changing, at a pace that at times I can hardly fathom. The effects of these changes can be seen all around us: science alters our day-to-day life; it affects how we perceive our world and beyond; and at times, it even changes our understanding of ourselves.

In this issue of the Berkeley Science Review, several authors consider the implications of our rapidly-changing world. In these pages, explore how robotics will continue to impact our lives in “Intelligent machines” and “Robot acrobatics”, and consider how an attitude shift can generate solutions to age-old problems in “Thinking inside the cardboard box”. We learn about the psychological changes that take place when a person gains power—even briefly—in the latest book review by Alexis Shusterman. In “BSR and beyond”, author and former Editor in Chief Rachel Hood catches up with other former alumni to see where they landed after graduate school.

This is my first issue as Editor in Chief of the Berkeley Science Review, and I’m thrilled to work alongside a fantastic team of editors, writers, and designers. We are now in our sixteenth year of publication, and the tireless effort of our magazine team is what makes the Berkeley Science Review sparkle every issue. I want to especially thank the design team and our Art Director, Jo Downes Bairzin, who are responsible for the beautiful magazine you are holding, as well as the designs for our online edition. After two semesters as Art Director, Jo is transitioning design leadership to Ashley Truxal, a graduate student in the chemistry department. Ashley has worked on the design team since Fall 2015 and served as Assistant Art Director for this issue. I would also like to thank Amanda Tose, our current managing editor, who is critical to keeping our publication in print.

I invite you to open our magazine, read through our articles, and journey through space and knowledge and reflection and time.

Sincerely,

Emily Hartman

Editor in Chief

This article is part of the Spring 2017 issue.