People take learning for granted. We live in an extraordinary time and extraordinary place. UC Berkeley is one of the world’s great centers of learning, and we have centuries worth of knowledge at the tips of our fingers. There are always new ideas for us to explore and boundaries to push.

But learning is more than a book or a lecture or a Wikipedia page. Learning is asking questions, keeping an open mind and soaking up the world around us. Learning is taking the time to be uncomfortable, understand our world and end the day with a little more empathy for others.

Nobody should stop learning. Whether in formal classrooms, at extracurricular activities or at home, we constantly absorb what is around us. This issue looks at the ways in which we acquire knowledge and the institutions that facilitate learning. It also explores what is taught and how such topics are approached.