American Scientist

Time does indeed fly. Some days it soars, some days it rockets. Its incessant progression motivates us to manage it. We share our time, track our time, and schedule our time. No matter how hard we try to slow it down, there’s no stopping it. Meanwhile, each passing moment brings a new experience that deserves our attention. That is, until the next moment displaces it. And so it goes.

We have now reached the year 2015. This presents the opportunity to look back, take stock of our accomplishments, and prepare for what is to come. After covering vast scientific territory last year—from the diversity of fossils observed in avian evolution to fluctuations in Earth’s magnetic field—we’re excited about the science we’ll be bringing you in the new year.

With this issue, the element of time is crucial to many of the articles. In the photo essay, “Journey to the Solar System’s Third Zone”, Alan Stern describes the long-anticipated arrival of the New Horizons spacecraft at its destination, Pluto, following 42 years of planning and a 9-year journey across the Solar System; Roald Hoffmann connects the dots on 150 years of research on aromatic compounds, in the Perspective column, “The Many Guises of Aromaticity”; and in the Technologue column, “Each Blade a Single Crystal”, Lee Langston describes the 75-year evolution of jet engines, from the first jet-powered flight to our modern-day air fleet enhanced by advanced high-temperature turbines. Sometimes the problem is clear, but it takes time to implement a solution. In “Arsenic, the ‘King of Poisons,’ in Food and Water”, Andrew Yosim, Kathryn Bailey, and Rebecca Fry explain how 40 years of research on the health effects of arsenic exposure may finally result in a new standard for consumption of rice and rice-based products.

Just as these achievements emerged over time, new discoveries are currently unfolding at their own pace. There is one certainty; the passage of time ensures that American Scientist’s journey, like those other long journeys, is leading to exciting new places.

As American Scientist charts a course to the future, we expect transitional moments. This marks one of those junctures. For nearly 25 years, we have published the work of Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann. Roald has been an indefatigable writer producing more than 50 American Scientist columns, together comprising an unparalleled anthology of chemistry concepts. His flair for interweaving storytelling and science has garnered praise and recognition, including a place in The Best American Science Writing 2003. We are forever indebted to him for his contributions. However, the moment has arrived for us to establish a new relationship. Roald will be working more on other projects, and we will be bringing some new voices and new concepts into American Scientist. But there are some things time cannot change. There are many more great discoveries to be made and countless inspirational stories yet to be told. His will always be welcome here. — Jamie L. Vernon (@JLVernonPhD)