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Underground > Books, Criticism & Writing >

American Scientist or New Scientist

Benny the Ball

13:54 / 18.09.05

I want to subscribe to a magazine, my housemate gets the Economist, I get a selection of film magazines for work, and I want to get a science magazine. I occasionally pick up the odd copy of both A S and N S, but want to get them more regularly. I only want one, so which one should I go for and why?

MacDara

14:04 / 18.09.05

What about Scientific American? Their quarterly SciAm Mind is pretty good, if you're into neuroscience or psychology or the mind-body problem and such.

Tryphena Absent

09:23 / 19.09.05

I don't think you should buy a science publication that specifies the name of a continent but suggests a sense of nation through its title. Call me pedantic if you like but that just seems to be unscientific to me.

spigot

19:44 / 19.09.05

New Scientist. They're both fine publications but there's a reason more SF authors namecheck the British mag. Not quite sure what that reason is but hey...

Quantum

09:27 / 20.09.05

New Scientist.

Jack Vincennes

11:03 / 20.09.05

Why so?

I was told that NS was more for the layman than AS, does anyone think that's the case? I tend to read the NS, but that's because it tends to be more easily accessible (in an 'on the shelves' way), would also like to hear about the differences between the two.

We're The Great Old Ones Now

12:21 / 20.09.05

I get New Scientist when I feel like it. Sci Am doesn't have the same thrill factor. It's less cheeky - or so it seems to me.

Benny the Ball

19:43 / 21.09.05

New Scientist wins! I kind of liked the fact that when I phoned to place my subscription the man at the other end of the phone sounded like a wonderfully professory type. I've picked up a few issues recently, and must admit to enjoying the science as news feel to the magazine, rather than the science as published papers feel of some other publications.

sine

22:09 / 21.09.05

Bah. Science News is the bomb.

matsya

02:19 / 26.09.05

They're both good - NS is more 'magaziney' in its approach, with shorter articles over a wider range, IMO, but SciAm is nice for its longer, indepth articles. I usu. read SciAm when there are features on cosmology, and NS when I just want 'a bit of science'. I'd subscribe to NS and then pick up the occasional SciAm when it piqued yer interest. Don't know American Scientist at all.

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