Dear Readers,

People occasionally ask me: why does the Berkeley Science Review still print magazines instead of relying on its online presence? After taking on the role of Editor in Chief last December, I started to really think about that question. Why do we cherish our printed magazine, and is it actually better than only existing online?

I could easily fill this page with my opinions on the value of print publications, but instead, I want share an experience I recently had. While at a local climbing gym, I saw a young girl sitting cross-legged on a table with the Fall 2018 issue of the BSR in her lap. She sat wide-eyed, in her own world as she slowly turned the pages and scanned the colorful illustrations. I won’t argue that finding the magazine changed her life trajectory, but books and magazines do seem to have the magical quality of ending up in the right place at the right time.

I invite you to take a lesson from our young fan and immerse yourself in the beautiful pages in front of you. “Cerebral metronomes” uncovers our brain’s ability to process temporal information in the world around us, while “Beyond the Therapist’s Couch” takes a look at the science behind psychotherapy. If statistics makes your brain hurt, check out “Election Quality Control” for an easy-to-digest explanation of how Berkeley researchers are using math to optimize ballot counting. Instead of ballots, “Native Bees, Please” counts California’s native bees and explores their changing population and its impact on local agriculture. And if you’re interested in using Twitter to engage with the scientific community, check out our toolbox article, “#Scicomm,” to learn some great tips and tricks for navigating the science Twittersphere. You will find these and many more exciting articles in the pages ahead.

Of course, the Berkeley Science Review is only made possible by the hard work of nearly 40 graduate students and postdocs—I want to extend a huge thank you to each and every member of our team. I need to give special thanks to our Managing Editor, Hayley McCausland, and our Art Director, Nicole Repina. In addition to being cornerstones to this publication, they have provided tremendous support to me during my first semester as Editor in Chief, and I am incredibly grateful for their time and patience. I’d also like to thank our blog Editor in Chief, Emilia Zin, for helping the BSR maintain a strong online presence. Finally, I want to give one more thank you to everyone who donated to our organization during Berkeley’s annual Big Give fundraiser in March—your generosity helped pay for this magazine.

Please help us celebrate everyone’s hard work, and enjoy Issue 36 of the Berkeley Science Review.

Sincerely,

Katie Deets

Editor in Chief

This article is part of the Spring 2019 issue.