Jonathan Piel (born 23 November 1938) is an American science journalist and editor.
Work
At the Scientific American
He became the editor of ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it, with more than 150 Nobel Pri ...
'' in June 1984 and left the magazine in August 1994. Following the tradition established by
Gerard Piel
Gerard Piel (1 March 1915 in Woodmere, N.Y. – 5 September 2004) was the publisher of the new ''Scientific American'' magazine starting in 1948. He wrote for magazines, including ''The Nation'', and published books on science for the genera ...
and
Dennis Flanagan he managed a staff of editors, artists, and writers who express the development of science in such fields as
physics
Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
,
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline, James Keeler, said, astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the ...
,
cosmology
Cosmology () is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe, the cosmos. The term ''cosmology'' was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's ''Glossographia'', with the meaning of "a speaking of the wo ...
,
evolution
Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
,
biology
Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...
,
archeology
Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes. Archaeolo ...
,
anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, society, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behav ...
,
sociology
Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...
and
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
. He maintained the magazine's focus on medicine and health care, the impact of information technology on society and the economy, strategic weaponry, and the relationship between the environment and the global economy. *Continuing the series of annual single-topic issues, the magazine — under Jonathan Piel's editorship — covered such topics as the relationship between mind and brain, human economic growth and the environment, and the
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
epidemic.
At Stanford University
Before assuming the editorship of ''Scientific American'', Jonathan Piel worked with
Edward Rubenstein, then the Associate Dean of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Professor of Clinical Medicine at
Stanford University School of Medicine, to create ''Scientific American Medicine'', a text designed to keep physician-subscribers abreast of significant changes in internal medicine.
Career Origins
Piel began covering science and technology as a writer in the Public Relations Department of the
American Institute of Physics
The American Institute of Physics (AIP) promotes science and the profession of physics, publishes physics journals, and produces publications for scientific and engineering societies. The AIP is made up of various member societies. Its corpora ...
. He joined the editorial staff of ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'' in 1967. In 1969, he became a member of the editorial board of ''Scientific American''.
Family
He is the son of Gerard Piel and Mary Tapp Bird (both deceased) and the stepson of Eleanor Jackson Piel. Born in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, he attended the City & Country School,
The Putney School in
Putney, Vermont, and graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
in 1961. In 2002, he earned a Master of Professional Studies degree from the
N.Y.U. Tisch School of the Arts, in its Interactive Telecommunications Program. He has two daughters by Ellen Elizabeth Harfield Piel (deceased, 1996): Sarah Piel (b. 1970) and Katie Piel (b. 1977).
Sources
The records of the City & Country School,
The Putney School in
Putney, Vermont, Harvard College, N.Y.U. Tisch School of the Arts.
N.Y. Times (passim)
Mastheads of Scientific American from 1969 through 1994.
His children are special educator and early childhood development specialist, Sarah Piel, MS.Ed (b 1970) and eating disorder therapist Katie Piel, LMFT (b. 1977).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Piel, Jonathan
1938 births
Harvard College alumni
Stanford University people
Tisch School of the Arts alumni
American science journalists
Living people
American male journalists
The Putney School alumni