I am grateful to be able to add to Patricia Bentson’s welcome to Scientific Delirium Madness 2.0. If you don’t know me, I am the Executive Director of Djerassi Resident Artists Program. With each new group of residents that arrives fresh-faced on our perch of the Santa Cruz Mountains, I feel a rush of excitement. The rush is particularly sweet for the new crop on the hill–the scientists and artists who will live in harmony and intellectual discourse for the next 30 days. It is like Christmas for me–with 13 brainy intellectual packages to unwrap. I would like to thank Piero Scaruffi, Roger Malina, Jeanne Finley, Patricia Bentson and Gordon Knox for their role in selecting this year’s residents. As well as our colleagues at LEONARDO AND Michael Orlove and Pepper Smith at the National Endowment for the Arts for “getting” why this summer gathering for artists and scientists matters. I echo Patricia’s thanks to the amazing staff at the Artists’ Ranch–you will be hearing from them on this blog as well. One of the hallmarks of Djerassi’s residency program that is replicated for SDM 2.0 is an equal emphasis on individual work (I told the group their job is “to be”) and opportunities for collegial interaction about ideas, practice and process. We urge the group to take risks–physical, emotional and intellectual. From the decibel level at dinner this past Wednesday, the group has launched headlong into the experience. Another exciting component is that, on July 19th, a glimpse of this process will be shared with the public during our annual Open House/Open Studios. Once a year, we throw open the gates to our 583 acres with its 5 1/2 miles of trails and limitless vistas. People can also meet the limitless minds of our artist and scientist residents. Tickets are still available at djerassi.org. I hope that readers will follow along as residents and staff blog their ideas and experiences. Come, Watson, the game is afoot!