Letter from the editor

Since its founding in 1890, UChicago has committed to fostering an intense academic culture marked by intellectual merit, free debate, and interdisciplinary study. As the former Dean of the College, John W. Boyer, puts it,

“A defining feature of our academic culture is the in-your-face intellectualism of our community….We say a lot about our commitment to academic freedom, but you cannot really debate ideas freely if you don’t have ideas to debate…” - John W. Boyer, June 2024

I don’t know about you, but that’s what I came to UChicago for. To explore, play, and debate interesting ideas with my peers—particularly about the future. Yet today, a vast number of pre-professional RSOs have been eroding students’ original ideas and fueling careerism. At the same time, some of UChicago’s oldest student-run publications appear to be focused entirely on administrative politics and literary review. If our collegiate organizations continue in this trend, I’m afraid the kind of Dean Boyer-esque “in-your-face intellectualism” will slowly start to decay at UChicago.

I am starting a technology-focused student publication at UChicago in order to revive these intellectual ideas, specifically surrounding technology. This is because, throughout history, technological revolutions have upended societies and economies in good and bad ways alike. Those who understood these shifts early were able to adapt and thrive; those who recognized them too late were left behind. But our generation faces a dual challenge: we must not only understand these technological transformations, but also ensure that they are developed and deployed in ways that serve humanity's highest values.

For me, the publication is a success when we convert our ideas into action, becoming thinker-doers who develop and deploy technologies in a human-centric way. I hold a deep conviction that our talented team—comprising XLab researchers, venture capital operators, climate researchers, and effective altruists—will publish some of the most thought-provoking and significant ideas ever produced by an undergraduate body. In turn, I hope to inspire more of you to think critically about the future we will all one day live in.

-CY

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