I had been a Discover magazine subscriber for some time--until recently. Over time, I gradually became disillusioned with the publication. Unfortunately, it just seemed so speculative as to be pretty worthless. But when it had an article about something I knew a bit about--psychology topics, for example--it was just too basic. Overall, it just wasn't satisfying.
Recently, I dropped my Discover subscription and picked up Scientific American. It's by far the better publication. The topics are interesting and cutting edge, but they are definitely solid science. I like that the major articles are written by the actual scientists, and they are obviously writing to a science-savvy crowd. I actually feel like the material challenges me, and in a good way. It's nice to read science material that is general while at the same time requires me sometimes to really think about what I'm reading to understand it. I feel like my mind is getting a nice workout when I read it--not something I got with Discover.
The fact SA is a good magazine isn't news, but I just wanted to put in my little plug for switching.
