The Berkeley Science Review: Articles

Dear Readers,
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Spring has arrived in Berkeley: the grass is growing, seasonal allergies are blooming, and a new issue of the Berkeley Science Review is here. This springtime weather has me thinking green (along with the rest of the country), and thus I'm happy to unofficially dub this issue of the BSR "The Green Edition." Politicians are focusing on new plans for carbon taxes and caps, but here at Berkeley researchers are thinking about green in more creative ways. Photosynthesis, the original green technology, produces a tremendous amount of energy, and Tracy Powell explores how researchers are investigating its mechanisms and applying those lessons to a new generation of solar energy panels (p. 16). Other groups are working to create power from more unlikely sources. One project is turning up the efficiency for converting heat energy into electricity, as Jasmine McCammon describes on page 6, and Susan Young's brief, "Poo Power," will tell you all about how microbial fuel cells can turn organic waste into electricity (p. 13). With Berkeley's own Steven Chu as President Obama's Secretary of Energy, it probably comes as no surprise that Berkeley researchers are working on alternate energy sources, but going green also means decreasing the footprint of toxic chemicals we leave on the planet. On page 27 Lee Bishop and Mitch Anstey write about a new green chemistry movement taking shape on Berkeley's campus. Even Hanadie Yousef's archaeology feature uncovers sustainable farming techniques from Hawaii (p. 41).

Does it sound like we've got green on the brain? Well, there are researchers looking into how our minds work, too. Colin Brown writes about a controversial technique that can induce temporary brain lesions for both research and patient treatment (p. 23), and if you've ever wondered how all those video games affect your intelligence, it turns out that some games can actually train your brain and improve your IQ—Katie Hart has the full story on page 12. Finally, on our back page Louis-Benoit Desroches debunks the myth that we only use 10% of our brain. And, although this may be the green edition, you can also read about materials that bend light backwards (p. 8), the deluge of spam that shows up in your email inbox (p. 49), and what a canyon in Idaho might tell us about water on Mars (p. 7).

Speaking of green, we have an almost entirely new editorial staff for this issue. While it was sad to see so many of our seasoned veterans leave us for greener pastures (or, in some cases, to focus more on their research) and daunting to think about training a new editorial board, it has been exciting to have so many fresh faces and new ideas. I'd like to thank the entire editorial staff for their enthusiasm and willingness to commit precious hours to this magazine, and also the former members of the staff who have provided so much support during this transition. Finally, without our dedicated layout editors and our wonderful Art Director, Tim De Chant, the magazine would never have come together so beautifully. If you're interested in getting involved, or if you loved—or hated—one of our articles, we'd love to hear from you at .

Enjoy the issue,

Rachel Bernstein