A great mag for science news (New Scientist)

Member Name: markos9

Product:	New Scientist
Date:	01/03/09 (183 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Readable, in-depth articles, brilliant writers

Disadvantages: Is a bit expensive

New Scientist is an award winning weekly magazine that aims to present the latest advancements and discoveries in science. It was launched as long ago as 1956 for "all those men and women who are interested in scientific discovery and in its industrial, commercial and social consequences" (quote from New Scientist).

I'm an industrial chemist by profession and I've been reading New Scientist for over 20 years now and find it an incredible resource for learning about developments in my own field, but more importantly, news about what's happening in other areas.

The first thing to say about New Scientist is that it is not cheap. I don't pay for it, as we get it circulated in work, however. The cover price is £3.15 which seems reasonable, but it is a weekly publication. This gives an annual price, if bought from a newsagent, of £165. Thankfully, there are subscription offers that reduce this considerably.

Currently, if you subscribe online, you can get 52 issues for only £99. Still a lot of money but worth it (and a saving of 40% on the cover price).

New Scientist is not exclusively aimed at scientists. The articles covered do go into great depth, sometimes on really complex topics (the cosmology articles make my head hurt!), but they are written by experts and expert writers. The magazine excels in publishing articles that are comprehensive, yet readable by people who don't necessarily know anything about the subject being discussed. This is an excellent achievement and is, I'm sure, one of the reasons New Scientist has been going so long.

The heading 'science' covers a huge range of topics. Astronomy (one of my hobbies) is covered extremely well, but almost all other science areas that you can think about are also covered. Many of the subjects examined are relevant to everyone. The environment is, of course, a hot issue at the moment. Fossil fuel replacements, electric cars, the accuracy of global warming predictions, and the progress in fusion reactors have all been discussed recently.

Medical problems (such as avian flu) and developments are covered in detail. You can be sure, in reading New Scientist, that you're kept up to date in the progress in the fight against disease and other health issues, without the sensationalism found in tabloid (and, indeed some broad sheet) newspapers.

New Scientist online was launched in 1996 and provides an internet resource for much of the material in the magazine. Despite reading the paper copy every week, I log on to New Scientist online on a daily basis for completely up to date news, as well as items that don't make it into the magazine.

The website carries two types of articles. The first are readable by anyone, the second only to subscribers (if you subscribe to the magazine, you get the online access for free). The subscription only articles are shown by an "NS" symbol next to the text. The introduction section of these is usually accessible, but you can't see the full article (a nice little draw to get you to subscribe!).

Overall, New Scientist magazine and website are fantastic resources for anyone who wants to know what's happening in the world of science. If you're looking to learn more, try the free articles on New Scientist online (www.newscientist.com). It may tempt you into taking out a subscription.

Summary: New Scientist can make any one a science expert!