GIGO

Hail and farewell!

This NZSM marks our full 10th year of publication -- and our final issue.

We began back in September 1990 convinced that there was lots of interesting science taking place in this country. Despite restructuring, commercial imperatives and the ever-changing ups and downs of the country's economic fortunes, we remain as convinced as ever that this is so.

It has been a real joy over the past decade to bring you news of what is happening in New Zealand science. We've delighted in following how research has progressed from undergraduate project work through to full-fledged programmes and successful ventures.

Science has its power in its ability to add incrementally to our store of knowledge about our world. In the first issue of the NZSM, we covered the discovery of the wandering path of the Hikurangi Trough; in this issue, we are able to tell you more about the things we are learning about the great chasm off our coastline. We believe it is important to be aware that those incremental steps in understanding are vital. It's all part of understanding just what science is -- and is not -- what it can and can't do.

It's not without some sadness that we leave you. Many readers and contributors have been with us from the early days, keen to support a wider dissemination of science knowledge beyond the specialist journals and expert conferences. We have also had strong support, over the years, from visionaries in corporate New Zealand -- ECNZ, Jade and Bayer have been outstanding examples of these. In each case, it has been individuals who recognised the worth of science and its role in society, and who were keen to see their organisations play a part in acknowledging that.

Our thanks to you all. Kia kaha.

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.