Science Is All Around Us

Space: the final frontier. These are voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

These words began each episode of the original Star Trek series, creating a sense of adventure and excitement that continues to resonate with today’s viewers.

Even those of us with humanities backgrounds may be Trekkies who, as children, assembled models of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 under the radar of many of our friends.

In recent years, people have turned to CSI, Lost and other shows for a dose of forensics or time travel. At times the scientific accuracy may be questionable, but an increased interest in science often ensues among a diverse audience.

And whether the new frontier turns out to be below the ocean’s crust or outer space, proteins or genes, nanoscience or neuroscience, the collective knowledge of all areas will, together, help solve many of the greatest problems known to humankind.

The scientists you will read about in this issue have and will continue to have a major impact on health, food, energy and the environment through their amazing and groundbreaking research.

Modern science is interdisciplinary in nature — a spectacular hybrid that combines the latest technologies, producing more and better information.

Science defines centuries. What will define the 21st century?

Science is all around us — more now than ever and especially within USC College.

— Susan Andrews and Emily Cavalcanti, Office of College Communication

Read more articles from USC College Magazine's Spring/Summer 2010 issue.