From the editor-in-chief August 2013

In this month´s magazine issue, you will find a range of articles that emphasize and demonstrate our worldwide dependence on technical diversity. A global solar spectrum campaign is described which involves a spectrometer designed in Zurich. An automatic target cuer that speeds up our brain´s natural ability to interpret and recognize objects by prescreening for specific regions of interest from large amounts of data along with an article describing MIMO SAR radar sensors are both topics of international interest. Of particular fascination to me, perhaps because I have never mastered more than one language, is multilingual speech recognition, of which an algorithm for robust recognition of three languages is described. Finally, we have an article on a software architecture for future Brazilian space missions. Looking through these articles, I see how technology is a bridge that closes many gaps of diversity; while conversely, diversity aids in the progression of technology. It is my sincere hope that you enjoy this issue, Part I, of your magazine as well as your tutorial, Part II.