Coturnix finds a blog that is reviewing Seed magazine in a multi-part series. He seems pretty cool with it so far, but he hasn't reached that review of mine at the end of the last issue yet, though.
I know it sounds so crass, since Seed Media is hosting this site, but it really is a good magazine—I eyeball it every month with some trepidation, for fear it might go the Omni/Wired route of hyping widgets, but it's holding my interest every time. There's a real kicker of a testimonial to it, that I just learned about the other day:
My Mom subscribes to it.
Whoa. You know it's gotta be good. She's an intelligent and discriminating lady, you know.
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Seed is essential. I'm a layperson interested in science, so some of the stuff in Nature and even Scientific American can be very difficult for me to assimilate. Discover is now complete crap under its new publisher, New Scientist is hit or miss, and there are few other magazines that have much decent science content--sometimes special issues of National Geographic, and those topical "special" Scientific American publications, plus Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer help round out the periodicals for me. But Seed is the cream of the crop. Alway thought-provoking, handsome, well-written, with great suggestions for further study and thought--just what I want. I'm pumped that you'll be providing a regular column now, PZ. It's only getting better, and more necessary. I just wish it came out more often.
Wow! Thanks for the plug, Dr. Myers. You and Coturnix have just made my day much better (it was going downhill after a meeting this morning).
Unfortunately, one of the upshots of that meeting is that I need to spend more time working and less time on fun things like my blog. I'll get to my review of your review as soon as I can - the preview of the review^2 is "I like it".
I must say that while I have been impressed with Seed's content, it was the fiction a few issues back that convinced me to renew. Beautiful writing, a real pleasure.
` I have never heard of Seed, but I shall have to subscribe to it now! Someone gave me a subscription to Discover and it sucks ass!
` You know, I think there needs to be a science magazine that not only has science, but at the same time explains how science works - people really need to understand it.
` ...Especially my friend who read a 'science article' about how early humans had wings, though not based on any evidence other than human shoulder blades having an 'unexplainable curve'.
` I tried to tell her all kinds of reasons why that's not evidence - you need actual embryonic, fossil, etc evidence, and she said; 'I'm not one of those people who needs evidence. I can just believe. And I have a good feeling about it.'
` WTF!??!? She got really angry when I told her this wasn't science, then she said 'You scientists want to believe you know everything!' Okay....
` Since you're constantly writing posts every day, PZ, any chance you can comment on this among your bigger fish to fry? I think it would be so funny!!
My husband has started bringing my copies of Seed into our office (once they're read). He thinks they're perfect reading material for the reception area where our visitors hang out. Otherwise our visitors get stuck reading the dog magazines from our receptionist.
Many of the online stories are shallow, superficial, and sensationalistic. I don't subscribe to the magazine, and I doubt I ever will. It's too much like what Discover became.
I subscribed to Seed when the Scienceblogs thing came together, mostly to support them, and I haven't regretted it. It's a good light science read and adds just the right amount of culture into the mix. And I love the image series scattered throughout each issue.
I stopped reading Seed in 2002 for two reasons. First, there were a lot of stupid articles. The last straw was the one about the guy with the theory that the Cambrian explosion was triggered by the evolution of vision. Anyway, he wrote a bad sensational pop science book instead of trying to actually develop a coherent theory supported by evidence, which Seed seemed to admire. Seed's profile was all "maverick scientist with genius idea shunned by fusty old uk evolution establishment." Oh yeah, and it was accompanied by some kind og fashion spread of said scientist.
The second reason was that I moved, and they couldn't handle the address change and they stole money from me by neither refunding me or sending me magazines.
Anyway, that was a long while back, maybe they've improved. I'd be willing to give them a shot if they'd send me the magazines they owe me. Until then, all I can do is keep trashing them.
I had more fun reading PopSci than wired recently. I want a modular house right now dammit. my condo is stupid and expensive.
One other thing Wired did this month (i work at an ad agency, we ran ads in their mag ten years ago, and still get a free copy. magazines are funny): six word stories from famous authors. my fave from alan moore: "machine. Unexpectedly, I'd invented a time"
made me laugh out loud and cause concernicus for my flight neighbors.