When we considered the cover design for this issue, we knew we would be walking a bit of a tightrope. We wanted to show humans who were interacting with technology, not enslaved by it. We hoped to represent tech being used in a way that allows humans to live more fully, but not in a way that enables us to become lazy or shelve our natural creativity and curiosity. Artwork depicting such a scenario (actual artwork, that is, not AI-generated imagery) is hard to come by, so we decided to commission our own cover art. (That’s why there was no vote on X for this issue!)

Medical technology, like any other tech, has its gray areas. Advancements in this field have vastly improved the lives of millions, but in the process moral boundaries are often blurred. However, one innovation that justifies its ends is the development of new technology to manage diabetes. (In his editorial, Peter Mommsen discusses the ramifications of these systems in more depth.) Glucose monitoring tech is particularly life-changing for children affected by type 1 diabetes, who, like all children, need the freedom to run around, to fully engage in their work and play. On our cover – painted by Pilar López Báez – a child is doing just that. She sports a Dexcom patch on her arm while an adult holds a phone with an app that monitors the child’s glucose levels. We also love this cover because it’s simply a happy, colorful scene, befitting our Summer issue.

Yalim Vural is an award-winning street photographer based in Canakkale, Turkey. His medium is analog and phone photography.