Celebrating 30 Years of Science & Technology Review

When explaining science to nonexperts, Albert Einstein is credited as saying, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler,” to promote understanding. For 30 years, Science & Technology Review (S&TR), the Laboratory’s flagship publication, has upheld this central tenet of science communication, providing clear writing and visually appealing design to bring nonspecialists into the technical fold. S&TR is a principal mechanism by which Lawrence Livermore informs and educates a broad readership—multidisciplinary staff, existing and potential work sponsors, research partners, U.S. government representatives, prospective employees, and the science-interested public—about its accomplishments in fulfilling its important national security missions. 

By highlighting Livermore’s efforts in a way that makes complex, cutting-edge research more accessible to a wider audience, S&TR improves readers’ understanding of the Laboratory’s technical capabilities, builds support for its extensive program areas, promotes external collaborations, and expands the workforce pipeline. The magazine’s 30th anniversary is a fitting time to look back at S&TR’s beginnings and purpose, revisit the depth and breadth of Livermore’s scientific and technological achievements, and acknowledge those who have helped guide and shape the magazine through the years to deliver science communication at its best.

The Beginnings

S&TR evolved from the Laboratory’s predecessor publication Energy & Technology Review (E&TR), which launched in April 1975 and featured scientist-authored articles that included technical explanations, mathematical equations, and domain-specific terminology. Considering potential political, economic, and funding challenges, Laboratory leadership recognized the need to more effectively communicate the Laboratory’s diverse research space, including to outside scientific circles. Bill Lokke, then acting deputy director for Science and Technology, engaged Tom Isaacs and Paul Chrzanowski of the Policy, Planning, and Special Studies Office to work with the magazine’s scientific editor and the Technical Information Department (TID)—the production arm of the magazine—to redesign the publication. 

S&TR’s first issue was published in July 1995 and incorporated improvements to format, design, and layout, including feature articles and shorter research highlights together with news briefs and other additions, such as opening commentary by a Laboratory leader to provide high-level insight into Livermore’s initiatives and approach to problems of national importance. Lokke provided the first commentary and noted the change, stating, “[…] as the science and technology required to solve important national problems grows more complex, we must make sure that we explain our work—and the value of that work—in ways that are accessible and meaningful to a broad audience,” including “large numbers of interested, educated nonexperts—government representatives and congressional staffers, community leaders, and the general public—all of whom through their taxes contribute to the Laboratory’s funding and therefore have a vested interest in the Laboratory’s work.” William Bookless, a former senior physicist and deputy associate director who later became the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA’s) Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security, was the scientific editor engaged in the transition. In the issue’s preface, Bookless noted that the name change would “better reflect the Laboratory’s mission of applying a broad range of science and technology in the national interest.” 

A significant staffing change to the magazine was the addition of dedicated TID writers to support scientists in breaking down highly technical concepts for wider audiences. Since then, an ever-evolving S&TR team of writers, designers, and production editors has applied its expertise to produce an award-winning publication that effectively highlights Livermore’s innovation in addressing national needs. 

From Burgers to Bytes

S&TR’s first issue focused on Laboratory efforts to identify and measure the abundance of more than a dozen potential cancer-causing byproducts in various foods. Known by team members as the “hamburger” issue because of the foodstuff that featured prominently on the cover, the July 1995 issue marked the dawn of a new communications era. “The hamburger showed that this publication was different from E&TR. It was meant to shock the existing readership and be visually interesting to a new one,” says Ray Marazzi, S&TR’s former art director and managing editor who, along with graphic artist George Kitrinos, designed the first issue. “The goal was to creatively simplify technical concepts using professional photography and designer-generated infographics.” Kitrinos, who designed many issues over his 20 years on the magazine, adds, “The new format was inviting and enabled the S&TR staff to showcase their talents in making the science more accessible.” 

Indeed, S&TR has been pivotal in explaining Livermore’s essential role and enduring mission in stockpile stewardship. The September 1996 issue featured the Stockpile Stewardship Program, and in 2001, S&TR dedicated a full issue to the “State of the Stockpile,” with the lead article explaining Livermore’s role in the Annual Stockpile Certification process. Bruce Tarter, then director of the Laboratory and an earlier E&TR scientific editor, says, “That article was one of the most important ever published in S&TR. It laid out in detail how the Annual Stockpile Certification process was carried out, culminating in the director’s letter to the U.S. Secretaries of Energy and Defense, who then transmitted a joint statement to the President.” He adds, “The timing of the article was particularly germane because NNSA had just recently been created within the Department of Energy, and NNSA’s first administrator, John Gordon, was especially pleased at having received such an excellent description of the process.” 

The magazine’s pages have also chronicled the journey of programs for which Livermore, as a federally funded research and development center, has a long-standing responsibility. Readers have followed the National Ignition Facility’s history from groundbreaking to operational certification and through many milestone achievements that led to fusion ignition. The Laboratory’s mission to better understand the effects of ionizing radiation on humans led to work on the Human Genome Project; development of miniaturized polymerase chain reaction technology for biosecurity; and transformative solutions to the nation’s health and energy security needs, including discovery of new drug products with unprecedented speed and accuracy through the GUIDE (Generalized Unconstrained Intelligent Drug Engineering) Program. (See S&TR, September 2024, GUIDEing Drug Development.) 

Taking a retrospective look at the Laboratory’s successes, in 2002, S&TR celebrated Livermore’s 50-year history by featuring key accomplishments in a major program area in each issue. That year’s scientific editor was current Laboratory Director Kimberly Budil. The magazine also sheds light on nascent technology developments and the future potential of those efforts. In 2012, S&TR introduced the Laboratory’s groundbreaking work to develop designer materials—3D material microstructures with tailored functionality—through improvements to various additive-manufacturing (AM) techniques. Today, Livermore hosts major AM research capabilities and is pioneering the field of AM to create structural and functional materials with new capabilities for wide-ranging mission areas. To date, the Laboratory has more than 180 issued patents for AM technologies.

S&TR also documents the Laboratory’s continuing major advances in high-performance computing and the opportunities they create for scientific discovery. For example, in 2008, S&TR explained how BlueGene/L, the world’s most powerful computer at the time, was enabling breakthroughs in quantum molecular dynamics and multiscale modeling to understand the fundamental forces of nature. Successive, more advanced machines have exponentially improved capability, and with the January 2025 dedication of El Capitan, NNSA’s first exascale (one quintillion floating point operations per second) system, the Laboratory is poised to deliver unprecedented scientific discoveries never before achievable. (See S&TR, December 2024, Introducing El Capitan.)

It Takes a Team

The magazine’s long-running duration is a testament to the small, yet mighty team that brings each issue to life. Work starts with the scientific editor, usually a mid-career Livermore researcher, who identifies topics, collaborates with Laboratory leadership, and follows up with research teams to confirm project details. Selected each year from candidates nominated by Laboratory program offices, the scientific editor reports to the Office of the Deputy Director for Science and Technology, which oversees the magazine’s direction. “As scientific editor, my eyes were opened to the huge breadth of science done at the Laboratory, which is both inspiring and energizing, and the position set me up well for future roles throughout my career,” says computer scientist Kathryn Mohror, a distinguished member of technical staff and division leader of the Center for Applied Scientific Computing. Scientific editors dedicate nearly half of their time to this role, choosing topics and providing abstracts for articles that give a balanced perspective of Laboratory programs. 

With abstracts in hand, S&TR writers begin article development. “The biggest challenge is taking the copious notes from interviews with the scientists and weaving them into a coherent story that is interesting, accessible, and accurate at the same time,” says retired writer Arnie Heller. The writers iterate with the scientists to create a solid draft before passing it to the issue’s production editors, who first assign the writers to each topic, then edit drafts and manage revisions, and track schedules and budgets. Long-time production editor Carolin Middleton, who retired in 2015, says, “S&TR represents the entire Laboratory in print, and as such, it requires an extensive review process. Resolving all the corrections, edits, suggestions, and questions from reviewers is challenging. At times, major changes are needed, and the production editor must find a solution.”  

Production editors also collaborate with the magazine’s graphic designers, who develop cover art, opening spreads, and decide overall layout, complete with coordinating photo shoots or creating imagery, when needed. “The ability to make the amazing science done at the Laboratory accessible and visual for the world is rewarding,” say Alii Diaz, S&TR’s current design lead. “As designers, we get to collaborate with the principal investigators and editors to turn a concept into artwork that showcases something new and exciting in a way that makes sense to others outside the field.” 

After changes, design checks, and approvals have been completed, the final files are sent to colleagues in the TID’s Print and Digital Media Center, which coordinates with the outside vendor for printing and distribution. S&TR’s experienced web team takes on the final step—making the issue available digitally on S&TR’s dedicated website. The online library debuted for the first issue and serves as a tool for wider distribution of the Laboratory’s work as well as a historical record. In addition to the website, high-quality videos are now produced by TID videographers and made available via YouTube to further expand the reach of S&TR and the Laboratory’s accomplishments.

From start to finish, the production cycle for one issue takes about six months, and several issues are at different stages of production at any given time. High-quality writing, design, and production remain the keys to S&TR’s success, and as the Laboratory looks to its next decades of innovation, so too does the S&TR team. Diaz says, “We are researching how we can leverage more digital integration into our print version—for example, links to videos and quick response, or QR codes to animations—and how we can make the printed magazine even more dynamic and robust.” Corey Connors, S&TR’s managing editor, adds, “S&TR has established a legacy by providing insights that few other publications can, and doing so in ways that empower those who are not scientists to understand the compelling takeaways. The importance of sharing these exciting scientific and technological discoveries cannot be understated as their integration into national security is something that affects us all.” After 30 years, S&TR continues to effectively live out the mission set forth in its first issue: to not only inform readers of the Laboratory’s mission accomplishments, but also help them understand the research and appreciate its value to the individual citizen, the nation, and the world. 

—Caryn Meissner

For further information contact Paul Chrzanowski (925) 422-6522 (chrzanowski1 [at] llnl.gov (chrzanowski1[at]llnl[dot]gov)).