Scientia, Volume 1 (2010)

From the Editors *If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.* –William Blake *Scientia* is proud to present its first print publication, showcasing outstanding undergraduate scientific research at Notre Dame. The goals of *Scientia* are threefold: first, to recognize and encourage high-quality undergraduate research. The seven papers published in this volume represent commendable persistence and bold thinking. They were selected for their demonstration of excellence in data, novelty, and quality. Second, to provide a forum through which students can gain experience of the essential skills of writing and reviewing to fulfill their future professional goals. *Scientia*’s twenty-one member editorial board, comprising of students from every department and grade level in the College, has reviewed and edited over twenty papers in our first year. We hope to double this number during the upcoming year. Finally, *Scientia* strives to contribute to the advancement and cohesiveness of Notre Dame’s scientific community of which undergraduates are part. *Scientia* is Latin for “knowledge,” and our publication serves not only to display but also to encourage the collective pursuit of truth that first takes form at the undergraduate level. To this end, we celebrate curiosity-driven research as a means to further knowledge for, as Albert Einstein said, while “knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand… imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” We are grateful to everyone who has contributed to this first installment of *Scientia*, and are enormously glad to be able to share the product of their hard work with our readership. In Notre Dame, Matt Reagor and Melissa Harintho