Curiouser and curiouser and curiouser and curiouser. And so on and so forth.

• Position: University of California San Diego - Brief article

If you were that kid who took apart toys instead of playing with them, then maybe you're one of us. Of course, our toy just happens to be the entire world. No, really. There's just something in the air here at the University of California San Diego--besides the distinct whiff of Pacific sea salt--that demands we not only examine the world, but gleefully pick it apart. Because what makes us tick is finding out what makes everything else in the world tick. Want proof? Start by examining how our collective, sun-soaked, SoCal heads have been tackling some of the world's darkest problems for decades. Take our approach to global warming. We have a scientist who hypothesized that spiritual leaders will have a greater influence on solving it than science alone. Intrigued? Good. Now, here's what else a few of our mischievous minds have been thoughtfully reassembling. We're...