''Science News'' (''SN'') is an American monthly
magazine
A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
devoted to articles about new scientific and technical developments, typically gleaned from recent scientific and technical
journals. The periodical has been described as having a scope across "all sciences" and as having "up to date" coverage.
History
''Science News'' has been published since 1922 by the
Society for Science & the Public, a
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
founded by
E. W. Scripps in 1920. American chemist
Edwin Slosson served as the publication's first editor. From 1922 to 1966, it was called ''Science News Letter''. The title was changed to ''Science News'' with the March 12, 1966, issue (vol. 89, no. 11).
Tom Siegfried was the editor from 2007 to 2012. In 2012, Siegfried stepped down, and Eva Emerson became the Editor in Chief of the magazine. In 2017, Eva Emerson stepped down to become the editor of a new digital magazine, ''Annual Reviews''. On February 1, 2018, Nancy Shute became the Editor in Chief of the magazine.
In April 2008, the magazine changed from a weekly format to a biweekly format, and the website was redeployed. The April 12 issue (Vol.173 #15) was the last weekly issue. The first biweekly issue (Vol.173 #16) was dated May 10 and featured a new design. The 4-week break between the last weekly issue and the first biweekly issue was explained in the Letter from the Publisher (p. 227) in the April 12 issue.
In January 2025, the magazine began publishing on a monthly basis, with significant changes to style, format, and physical aspects.
Departments
The articles of the magazine are placed under "News":
*
Life
Life, also known as biota, refers to matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes. It is defined descriptively by the capacity for homeostasis, Structure#Biological, organisation, met ...
*
Matter
In classical physics and general chemistry, matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume. All everyday objects that can be touched are ultimately composed of atoms, which are made up of interacting subatomic pa ...
and
Energy
Energy () is the physical quantity, quantitative physical property, property that is transferred to a physical body, body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of Work (thermodynamics), work and in the form of heat and l ...
*
Atom
Atoms are the basic particles of the chemical elements. An atom consists of a atomic nucleus, nucleus of protons and generally neutrons, surrounded by an electromagnetically bound swarm of electrons. The chemical elements are distinguished fr ...
and
Cosmos
The cosmos (, ; ) is an alternative name for the universe or its nature or order. Usage of the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity.
The cosmos is studied in cosmologya broad discipline covering ...
*
Body and
Brain
The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...
*
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
*
Genes
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protei ...
and
Cells
The articles featured on the magazine's cover are placed under "Features". The departments that remain constant from issue to issue are:
* Editor's Note—A column written by Eva Emerson, the magazine's editor-in-chief, that usually highlights the current issue's prime topics.
* Notebook—A page that includes several sections:
** Say What?—A definition and description of a scientific term.
** 50 Years Ago—An excerpt from an older issue of the magazine.
** Mystery Solved—An explanation of the science underlying everyday life.
** SN Online—Excerpts from articles published online.
** How Bizarre...—An odd or interesting fact that may not be well known to the magazine's audience.
* Reviews and Previews—A discussion of upcoming and recently released books, movies and services.
* Feedback—Letters from readers commenting on the recent Science News articles.
* Comment—An interview with a researcher.
See also
*
Institute for Nonprofit News (member)
References
External links
''Science News'' the magazine's website
Science News Magazine Bookshop appears to be an outlet for books reviewed in the magazine
{{Spoken Wikipedia, science_news.ogg, date=2009-06-06
Science and technology magazines published in the United States
Weekly magazines published in the United States
Biweekly magazines published in the United States
Magazines established in 1922
Magazines published in Washington, D.C.
Society for Science & the Public