This month, we bring you our annual issue exploring medicine and technology in San Diego. As a hub of cutting-edge research and tech, San Diego is helping fuel advancements in everything from new, ecologically minded foods to our knowledge of the human brain. In this issue, we’re talking to San Diego scientists sending cancer research into space (pg. 56), the UCSD-based researchers leading the charge to better understand how medications affect breast milk (pg. 72), and a local company growing tuna steaks in tanks (pg. 32).

On top of all that, October is one of our favorite months of the year. The weather is good, the veil is thin, and the holidays are top-notch. So along with science, we’re sprinkling some Halloween flavor into the cauldron. While heading to Oaxaca to get crafty (pg. 136), to Temecula for surprisingly diverse wines (pg. 26), and to a remote highway in California to fill up on sugar at a peculiar gas station (pg. 146), we’re also stirring in a pinch of native snakes (pg. 152), spiders (pg. 44), and bats (pg. 46). If you’re into science or travel or simply enjoy the creepy-crawly ambience of October, you’re going to love this issue.