Vol. 8 No. 1 (2013)
DEAR READER,
For eight years, the McGill Science Undergraduate Research Journal has worked hard to promote research to undergraduates and undergraduate research to others. Though the editors of our board have changed throughout the years, our objectives - and our love of research - never have.
Like all good scientists, we constantly question ourselves, striving to grow, to innovate, and to give back to the community that nurtures us. This year, we have chosen to do so by relaunching our blog, The Abstract (http://msurjblog.com), where current students and past graduates of the McGill community share their experiences with the turbulent, yet rewarding process leading up to the glossy research you hold in your hands. Perhaps it should have been called Materials and Methods; regardless, we hope our blog becomes a useful resource for generations of students.
Our annual publication celebrates the culmination of these efforts. As you turn the pages of this year’s journal, we hope the works of your peers will inspire you to pursue your own ambitions in research and contribute to a community with infinite possibilities.
YUHAO SHI AND IRENE XIE
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
ON THE COVER
As we marvel at the Fibonacci patterns in sunflowers, or the golden spirals in seashells, we often forget how difficult it is to extract meaningful patterns from not-yet-understood data; indeed, sometimes it is like staring into a dark and murky forest, unsure where one data-tree ends and another begins. This time, however, we’ve got you covered.
