Readers of Development will notice that a familiar name is missing from the list of Editors of the journal. After 10 years loyal service and hard work, Mike Levine is standing down as an Editor with effect from the end of 2003. As Editor in Chief, I am enormously grateful to Mike for all his efforts for the journal. He was a careful and meticulous editor, who always did his best to ensure that every paper he handled was as good as it could possibly be. As Mike says, Development is a journal for, of and by scientists;no-one exemplified this view better than he. Thanks for everything, Mike!