Will DeLorean-esque time machines ever roam the universe, traversing time and space at 88 miles-per-hour? Will wrinkled, blanket-clad aliens actually fit snugly into bicycle baskets? Will my mother’s Honda Pilot ever join an army of vehicles that metamorphose into giant, destructive robots? Such questions blossomed in my brain almost immediately when I recently learned that the atomic bomb, space travel, and the moon landing—among other scientific advancements—had all been prefigured in science fiction novels, some even centuries old....

The origins behind the every action of living things fascinate me. How, for instance, do the circadian clocks of certain primates and rodents suddenly halt when they enter hibernation, and then restart weeks or months later precisely when the animals awaken? Why do humans, despite having two fully functional arms, develop a dominant hand as they enter childhood? And by what means do ants use pheromones as their primary medium of social communication within their colonies? I hope to eventually...

The origins behind the every action of living things fascinate me. How, for instance, do the circadian clocks of certain primates and rodents suddenly halt when they enter hibernation, and then restart weeks later precisely when the animals awaken? Why do humans, despite having two fully functional arms, develop a dominant hand as they enter childhood? And by what means do ants use pheromones as their primary medium of social communication within their colonies? I hope to eventually witness such...

About a month and a half ago, when visiting the University of Chicago for the first time, I gawked at its imposing gothic architecture and the many gargoyles adorning the tops of its buildings. I left my tour that morning completely in awe; I could not keep my mind off of what I had seen that day. Perhaps, the moment that I can most specifically pinpoint as being the beginning of my fascination with UChicago was my abrupt yet memorable...

The reasons behind why living things do the things they do fascinate me. How, for instance, do the circadian clocks of certain primates and rodents suddenly halt when they enter hibernation, and then restart precisely when the animals awaken? Why do humans, despite having two functional arms, develop a dominant hand as they enter childhood? By what means do ants use pheromones as their primary medium of social communication within their colonies? I hope to eventually witness such questions meeting...