“There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. 

There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don't know. 

But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things we don't know we don't know.”

-  Donald Rumsfeld

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Science should never be considered as pursuing absolute truth. In fact, more often than not, the deeper we dive into its exploration, the more questions that arise. The world of science affords us choices in how we appropriate the understandings and knowledge gained in its study. Every day, science pushes us to tiptoe this fine line between pushing boundaries and crossing them altogether. 

It is perhaps this unknown that makes the pursuit of science so wicked in itself, taunting us with the promise of making the next big discovery, or finally finding the cure to cancer. But it is also what drives us, entrances us, and keeps our desire for knowledge burning — it’s edge-of-your-seat exciting.

At its onset, we envisioned this issue as a chance to probe the mysterious nuances of science —  a peek into the ‘Wicked’ness of the world. Seeking to ask questions of the ethical, the malicious and the unknown, contributors were inspired to delve into the darker sides of science. Each article ventures into the limits of what we do, and, just as importantly, don’t know in this ever-evolving field.

The word Wicked in itself is a complex character, begging for ambiguous interpretation.

Is there such a thing as pure evil? 

Are we all, just a bit, inherently wicked?

What makes something wickedly cool?

(Was Kristin Chenoweth’s Glinda the best portrayal that Broadway could ask for?)

And so, in the hands of our creators, something wicked this way comes…

As with every edition of our magazine, each piece has been created, edited and illustrated entirely by students. This issue continues to stand true to our aim of providing a platform within, and beyond, the university community for students of all backgrounds to craft their science communication skills in a supportive, creative environment. Countless hours have been poured into the curation of each edition with the hope of making innovative science content easily accessible — so please, enjoy!

To all our passionate, dedicated contributors - thank you for the time you have invested in crafting the wonderful, wicked world of Issue 5 of OmniSci. It has been a privilege to watch the collaboration of inquisitive minds, from diverse scientific and artistic worlds, produce this collection of work.

We also wish to extend our gratitude to you, our wonderful readers, in your ongoing support of OmniSci. The time you give to reading and engaging with our student-driven magazine does not go unnoticed, motivating and inspiring us for our future endeavours.

Now, take a moment, and come venture into the Wicked world of Issue 5 with us…