Pros: Engaging and Interesting Scientific Articles, Little Fluff, Not Dumbed Down
Cons: May be difficult for the non-science reader to understand
The Bottom Line: With few advertisements, little fluff and plenty of interesting and engaging scientific articles, American Scientist will satisfy any reader looking for real science
If you are looking for a magazine dedicated to science related topics and don’t want the fluff that is associated with many magazines of this genre, American Scientist is one of the best magazines that you can get yourself.
The Details
Published 6 times a year by the Sigma Xi Society and running $28 for a 1-year subscription, American Scientist is one of the best magazines dedicated to science available today. With articles from the various science disciplines including biology, psychology, geology, cosmology and more, readers with various interests will find topics to their liking in each issue.
Each issue is made up of Departments, Articles and the Scientist’s Bookshelf.
The Departments is made up of several smaller sections:
Letters to the Editor: Your basic interaction between readers and Editors where readers with questions, comments and/or corrections can write in. Responses are often given to each correction, question or comment on a story by the articles authors.
Macroscope is a feature in each issue that profiles or otherwise explores the lives of various people involved in science. In the current issue (January/Febuary 2004) the life of Garrett James Hutton is profiled.
Computing Science is a look in each issue at various topics in the computing world. This issue focuses on the origin of various computer components and what computing may look like in 35 years.
Engineering takes various topics on engineering concepts, ideas or designs and explores them in each issue. The current issue reviews the design of boatlifts that transfer boats between canals of varying elevations. It is interesting to see the designs for these structures and how in places, boats can be raised or lowered over 100 feet between canals.
Marginalia in the current issue reviews the various states of Oxygen that exist and how new discoveries of various form of Oxygen are furthering our understanding of the functioning of cells. Generally this section looks at various topics in the chemical and biological world.
Science Observer is a collection of quick news stories from the science world. This issue includes a story on how the swirl of someone’s hair on the back of their head is often an indication of their handedness (whether or not they are left or right handed) and infrasonic communication between various bird species.
The Articles section of American Scientist includes the meat of the magazine and consists of 4 to 6 full articles of various lengths (usually about 5 to 10 pages each) that chronicle various discoveries and/or research topics in science. These articles are written by the authors of the studies or research and while not the article that would make it into a journal like Science, are thorough, well written and for people with some science background, easy enough to read. The current issue contains articles on cosmology, biomonitoring, geology, salt marshes and the evolution of jealousy.
The Scientist’s Bookshelf is a small section that reviews new science books.
The remaining last few pages of the magazine includes information regarding the Sigma Xi Society and mostly pertains to members of that society.
Each issue is about 100 to 120 pages long and contains few advertisements (a welcome change from most magazines). Should you pick up a copy of American Scientist on the bookshelf, it will cost you $4.95 an issue.
Who reads this magazine?
Geared towards people who have an interest in science, American Scientist’s articles are written and geared towards people who have some knowledge in the disciplines of science. If you don’t, some articles may be hard to follow or understand as scientific terminology is used throughout the articles and the logic, reasoning and conclusions behind the articles may not be apparent to the non-science reader.
However, I appreciate this fact. I’m tired of reading science magazines where the science is dumbed down for the lowest common denominator reader. In American Scientist this isn’t the case. I like the fact that when reading a story, I may not completely understand something, it tells me I have to learn more about that topic if it interests me. American Scientist gives me that kick in the pants to get out and learn more about various issues and also gives me a chance to stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the science world.
Well…
If you are a scientist, or someone with a strong science background who enjoy staying current in the world of science, American Scientist is the magazine for you. With few advertisements, little fluff and plenty of interesting and engaging scientific articles, American Scientist will satisfy any reader.
American Scientist, the magazine of the Sigma Xi scientific research society, is an illustrated magazine about science and technology. Published since...More at Magazineline
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