New Scientist cover - 18 December 2004
New Scientist is a weekly international science magazine covering recent developments in science and technology for a general English-speaking audience. As well as covering current events and news from the scientific community, the magazine often features speculative articles, ranging from the philosophical to the technical.
It is not a peer-reviewed scientific journal, but it is widely read by both nonscientists and scientists as a way of keeping track of developments outside their own fields of study or areas of interest. Many science articles in the general press are based on its contents; and it is a popular method for artists who are interested in art-science links to get information about scientific innovations, material about how the brain works, and perception. The magazine also regularly includes features, news and commentary on environmental issues, such as climate change [1].
Based in London, New Scientist has U.S. and Australian editions as well as a British edition. Its website runs daily news stories along with some of the articles that appear in the print edition.
The magazine was founded in 1956. It is published by Reed Business Information Ltd, a subsidiary of Reed Elsevier.
Magazine layout
As of January, 2006, the magazine is laid out as follows:
News
- Editorial - often offering a perspective on scientific topics which are current political issues.
- Upfront - a summary of major news placed in a scientific perspective.
- This Week - short articles on reports or results presented this week.
- In Brief - a summary of research news and discovery.
Technology
- Recent advances and developments in technology.
- Trends - showing how new technology is altering the way we live our lives.
New Scientist cover - 22 January 2005
Regulars
- Comment and Analysis - Offering a personal commentary on a contemporary topic.
- Letters
- Essay or Interview - often with a pioneer of a scientific development or an influential political or business leader.
- Perspectives/Second Sight - An alternative point of view on a pertinent piece of information.
- Politics - Westminster or Washington diary, describing how science is done in the capital.
- The Word - A short article, usually about a new scienitific idea.
- Enigma - a mathematical quiz
- Histories - how our knowledge of a topic came to be.
- The Insider - careers/courses section for professional scientists
- Bookends - reviews.
- Feedback - short commentaries on amusing topics; in the past this has featured Nominative Determinism (whereby someone has a name particularly appropriate for their job), product warning labels, and unusual units of measurements (such as the size of countries being measures in 'Frances', and icebergs sizes in 'Belgiums').
- The last word - write-in questions and answers about scientific phenomena.
Features
External links
