I'm Zack Savitsky.

At age 6, I had my first existential crisis. Just like my garden herbs and hermit crabs, one day, I realized, I would die, and then nothing would matter.

Rocked by my premature nihilism, I began to question my whole perception of reality. I grew fulfilled by the search for answers —piecing together the puzzle of nature by studying physics. Eventually, I recognized that probing deeper brought meaning to the meaningless. Our unique ability to question, uncover and share fundamental truth is reason enough to live. But my desire wasn't to make the discoveries myself; it was to make them accessible.

Hooked on the idea of translating the work of scientists, I completed the Science Communication Program at UC Santa Cruz. Now, as a multimedia journalist covering the physical sciences, I calm my juvenile terror — and hopefully yours, too.