Scientia, Volume 4 (2013)

From the Editors We are pleased to present the fourth volume of *Scientia*, the undergraduate journal of scientific research. This year’s edition carries on our proud tradition of presenting top research produced by undergraduates, written by undergraduates, and reviewed by our undergraduate peers. The very name of this journal, *Scientia*, is derived from the work of Sir Francis Bacon, who claims that *scientia*, knowledge of the natural world, is itself the proper partner of *potentia*, or power. *Scientia* embodies the mission of the College of Science to prepare tomorrow’s scientific leaders to think big, while also inspiring them to make a difference, to share their knowledge and discoveries in ways that encourage collaboration, advance learning, and contribute to the common good. In the pages of this journal you will discover articles on animal foraging behavior, biomarkers for diabetes, 3-D printing, bacterial clustering dynamics, carbon nanotubes, and hadron colliders. These articles only touch on the vast variety of research done by undergraduates across campus. One of the goals of *Scientia* is to drive undergraduate participation in the publication and peer-review process. More broadly, our goal is to foster scientific communication across disciplines and among students and faculty. Beyond the publication of this print journal, we also celebrate the success of our monthly Talk Science seminars. Now in its third year, Talk Science serves as an opportunity for undergraduates and faculty to give talks on their research in a fun and informal setting. We thank all of our student and faculty presenters this year, who are listed on the final page of the journal. In closing, we thank all of the people whose support has contributed to the continued success of *Scientia*. In particular, we would like to recognize Greg Crawford, dean of the College of Science; the staff of the dean’s office; and Prof. Dominic Chaloner, our faculty advisor. We gratefully acknowledge all of the students who submitted their papers for review, and well as their faculty mentors. Finally we thank all of our staff members, particularly our layout team and our section editors, for all of their fantastic work throughout the year. Without them *Scientia* would not be possible. In Notre Dame, Rachel Cotton *Scientia* Co-Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Marton *Scientia* Co-Editor-in-Chief