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How Do You Keep Up With Science Developments?

Posted by samzenpus on from the update-please dept.

malraid writes "As a nerd who used to love science back in high school (specially physics), I now find myself completely disconnected from any and all scientific developments and news. How do you try to stay up to date with scientific developments? Science journals? Whatever makes it into Slashdot's front page? Books? Magazines? I'm looking for something engaging and informative, for not something that will require me to go and get a PhD just to be able to comprehend."

49 of 337 comments (clear)

  1. The Internet, where else? by BWJones · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously though, the Internet is actually where just about everybody goes in academia to stay on top of the latest research and most areas of focus have their own resources like PubMed for biomedical research.

    Also, a good way to make sure you keep up with the absolute torrent of work out there (slowing due to budget cuts) is by keeping a blog generated around the area of science interest you have. Webvision http://webvision.med.utah.edu/ is such an effort to keep up with the latest and greatest in vision research. While this one is tuned to be slightly more accessible to the general public, it has not been uncommon for other lay individuals to rapidly become "experts" in their fields through their blogs. This high school kid, Sawyer has established a blog http://www.talkingspaceonline.com/ that already has him winning awards and getting international accolades from folks like Xeni Jardin and Miles O'Brien.

    --
    Visit Jonesblog and say hello.
    1. Re:The Internet, where else? by jhoegl · · Score: 2

      While I agree with your post and hope that it continues. The internet cannot contain all the information.
      Due to the corporate mentality of I.P. and the subsequent patent/copyright laws that go with it, not everything is on the internet.
      The medical field for example has multiple white papers, theories, and discoveries hidden behind a wall of corporate "foundations" that require $$ to gain access to.
      Something that is the exact opposite of what the internet was originally intended.
      Perhaps one day these barriers will be broken, but until then journals and subscription requirements will be required for some of our higher level knowledge.

    2. Re:The Internet, where else? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2

      That's the POINT.

      There isn't one good site.
      There are very specialized sites, and a shitload of shitty blogs.

      I want something like this magazine, as a website: http://www.spektrum.de/artikel/1116381
      (German edition of the Scientific American, but with a long pre-S.A. tradition.)

      Maybe a bit more physics-centered. But that's my personal preference.

    3. Re:The Internet, where else? by Ihmhi · · Score: 2

      that already has him winning awards and getting international accolades from folks like Xeni Jardin and Miles O'Brien.

      A nod from the Chief Engineer of DS9? That's quite the seal of approval!

      --
      Random Thoughts From A Diseased Mind (Not For Dummies)
  2. Keep it simple by Garridan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Just read slashdot.

    1. Re:Keep it simple by LyndonL · · Score: 2

      I just use an RSS reader (Google works for me since it syncs over all my PCs and Mobile) and then I have feeds for: Popular Science (Popsci) Gizmodo Gizmag Slashdot obviously The RSS tells me when I have and haven't read an article so I can keep up with where I'm at.

    2. Re:Keep it simple by Nasajin · · Score: 4, Funny

      I just come here and hit F5 as fast as I can, just in case I miss something.

    3. Re:Keep it simple by xTantrum · · Score: 2

      ahh yeah. how about don't do that. start here. Then just browse and follow your interests, wherever it may take you.

      --
      $action = empty(PHP) ? backToC() : unset(PHP) ; "when the concrete cases are understood, the abstractions are readily
    4. Re:Keep it simple by tloh · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Slashdot is a great community for smart people. But, with respect, a person can be smart in one area but be embarrassingly ignorant in almost everything else. Slashdot is strong in technology and select physical sciences - perhaps to a fault. But those of us who've participated here for a while can relate a few cringe worthy episodes involving context in the biological sciences, history/geography, social/cultural awareness, etc. There is a fanatically liberal, pro-western slant to topics and opinions to the point where innovations, tech, or ideas originating in "the enemy camp" (Chinese, GOP, etc.) is regarded with derision.

      Don't get me wrong - on most subjects, my personal views align more often than not with what I see on slashdot. But I experience intolerance/extremism and narrow-minded ignorance here more often than I would like from my own camp, and I am embarrassed by it. Slashdot is enjoyable as thought provoking entertainment that at times can be delightfully silly. But I would not trust Slashdot as a serious way to keep up with science developments.

      --
      Stay sentient. Don't drink bad milk.
    5. Re:Keep it simple by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There is a fanatically liberal, pro-western slant to topics and opinions to the point where innovations, tech, or ideas originating in "the enemy camp" (Chinese, GOP, etc.) is regarded with derision.

      True to a point but your own post goes some way towards proving you wrong. Yes, slashdot does have biases. However, it is a much more open discussion forum than any other website I have visited and there are usually people either playing devils odvocate for the hell of it, or who simply hold different views. There are enough moderators that these views can and do become visible, too.

      This is the reason I keep coming back here. I have actually had my opinions changed by slashdot discussions before.

      As for keeping on top of science without ploughing through all new research by hand, it's probably worth using a mix of things like New Scientist, SciAm and yes, slashdot (for physics, engineering and tech).

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    6. Re:Keep it simple by Dystopian+Rebel · · Score: 2

      There is a fanatically liberal, pro-western slant to topics and opinions to the point where innovations, tech, or ideas originating in "the enemy camp" (Chinese, GOP, etc.) is regarded with derision.

      I am not a USian and so tremendous explosive pressure threatens to alter my cranial structure when I read the above sentence.

      Fanaticism itself is a bad thing by definition. But what is a "fanatical liberal"? I infer that it is someone who favours the "West" and fears both the Chinese and the US Republican Party (GOP).

      --
      Rich And Stupid is not so bad as Working For Rich And Stupid.
    7. Re:Keep it simple by fredrated · · Score: 3, Insightful

      "ideas originating in "the enemy camp" (Chinese, GOP, etc.) is regarded with derision."

      Are you seriously proposing that the GOP has something siginficant to say about science, as in contributions? After all, that is the topic of this thread. Please link to a serious contribution to science made by the GOP, and how it was attacked on Slashdot with "a fanatically liberal, pro-western slant".

  3. Journals, websites.... by Nikker · · Score: 2

    Where ever you can get it. Sciencedaily.com is one and a subscription to Science (AAAS) is another.

    --
    A loop, by its nature, continues. If that didn't make sense, start reading this sentence again.
    1. Re:Journals, websites.... by tick-tock-atona · · Score: 4, Informative

      Sciencedaily is good, but the sheer volume of content is very difficult to keep up with.

      I personally like arstechnica's science coverage. Their articles are *always* well researched and written and usually very interesting. http://arstechnica.com/science/

  4. Science News magazine by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · · Score: 4, Informative

    sciencenews.org

    Slim weekly, decent reporters.

    1. Re:Science News magazine by frovingslosh · · Score: 3, Informative

      Absolutely. Read it before it hits Slashdot (sometimes days before) at that site. The paper mag is well worth the cost also if you don't like trees.

      --
      I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
  5. As an American by Riktov · · Score: 5, Funny

    Here are some great science sites that I, and many of my fellow countrymen, can recommend.

    http://www.answersingenesis.org/
    http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/news.php

    1. Re:As an American by DrBoumBoum · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think you got wooshed.

    2. Re:As an American by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      With a 3 digit UID, he's as close to Allah as you will ever get.

    3. Re:As an American by cbarcus · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Science is a relatively recent human development, and our mentality is still very much in transition from one that is religious and superstitious, to one that is rational, impartial, contemplative, curious, humble, and never satisfied. The above post is a good example of what is currently seen as a cognitive disease of ignorance, which unfortunately has likely propagated due to our failure to reduce the cost of energy.

      I hate to have to repeat what is indisputable fact, but Evolution and Global Warming are not seriously contested within Science. The Universe is currently estimated to be about 13 billion years old, while the Earth formed some 4.5 billion years ago (knowledge made possible by advances in physics). Most life began about 500 million years ago with the Cambrian Explosion, most likely instigated by a dramatic increase of oxygen in the atmosphere. Humans evolved as a particularly virulent branch of hominids, and we as a species are most notable due to our advanced culture, which I am sad to add is still not sustainable.

      What is not particularly well known is how serious the Energy Crisis is, how it is affecting the economy, and what is likely to be the only practical solution in the short term. The central issue with energy is how much one gets out of what one puts in. This principle is known as Net Energy. Our return from our energy system has probably been in decline for some 40 years- or about the time when domestic US oil production peaked. Since then, on essentially borrowed time, we have failed to come to terms with this problem. As energy becomes more expensive to harvest, more of the economy must be devoted to harnessing that energy. To further exasperate things, the dominate form of energy today, fossil fuels, basically involves taking what was once sequestered from the atmosphere, harvesting it for energy, and releasing a particular byproduct back into the atmosphere (CO2). This gas acts in such a way as to cause the climate system to retain more energy, which in turn alters the weather. Long-term, the effects are very likely to be catastrophic for civilization, which has largely adapted to inhabiting coastlines.

      Since renewables solve, in theory, the carbon problem, many have seized upon them as the solution. What they do not solve is the net energy problem, so while you can “farm” energy in a bewildering variety of ways, they are fundamentally energy sparse, and so energy will remain expensive, regardless of what is done. This conundrum has basically driven our society over the edge with one side trying to impose an unworkable solution on a completely non-compliant and denying opposition.

      Nuclear energy remains the only source with the energy density to solve this problem. Unfortunately, the current technology is expensive, fault-prone, inefficient, non-scalable, inflexible, and dirty, all of which has fuelled detractors. Many nuclear alternatives have been proposed, but they remain to date completely unproven (FocusFusion, General Fusion, TriAlpha) or distant and expensive (ITER, NIF).

      We do have a technology that is proven, affordable, clean, flexible, efficient, and scalable, but we have to do some work to get it ready for commercialization. Back in the 60s, some intrepid scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratories invented an amazing machine that used a liquid fuel based on U-233 that could be produced from the abundant element thorium. The beauty of this invention is that it solves many of the problems that plague our current technology, delivering an inherently safe and super efficient source of energy that will last indefinitely. China already announced earlier this year that they are pursuing Green Nuclear, and it would be prudent for us to join the Thorium Race at this juncture. Doing so almost guarantees that we will eventually have the resources to end poverty, provide social services to everyone, ensure world peace, and have flying cars! This isn’t science fiction, but it could be our reality if we act with intelligence.

    4. Re:As an American by flappinbooger · · Score: 2

      Troll comments and +5 funny rating aside, many scientists would agree (either publicly or anonymously due to fear) that human caused global warming IS a hoax.

      Especially after the emails were released exposing the hoax. Remember?

      I for one would like to keep up on REAL science, not pseudoscience fraud.

      As for the answersingenesis site ... I know what I believe.

      --
      Flappinbooger isn't my real name
  6. Ted by Neil+Boekend · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd advise Ted. The short films are quite comprehensible.

    --
    Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
  7. new scientist by thephydes · · Score: 4, Informative

    is amongst the most accessible (easiest to understand) general coverage science magazines. Scientific American is amongst the least accessible of this type imo. The zinio http://zinio.com/ subscription to New Scientist is less than half the shelf price, and can be read on your computer or an ipad (don't know about other e-readers)

    1. Re:new scientist by dadioflex · · Score: 2

      Beat me to it. Of course there's also the New Scientist website.

    2. Re:new scientist by dcmeserve · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Scientific American is amongst the least accessible of this type imo.

      Not sure what you mean by "accessible", because I find it very readable in every subject area -- physics, biology, geology, what have you -- even though I have little or no training in any of those beyond some basic high school or college classes. (my degree is in C.S.)

      And I still find new ideas and concepts in there that just knock my socks off -- the small-molecule theory of the origin of life, for example. This even though I've been reading it and Science News for nearly 30 years now.

      --
      "Orthodoxy is unconsciousness" - Orwell
    3. Re:new scientist by rocket+rancher · · Score: 2

      Scientific American is amongst the least accessible of this type imo.

      Not sure what you mean by "accessible", because I find it very readable in every subject area -- physics, biology, geology, what have you -- even though I have little or no training in any of those beyond some basic high school or college classes. (my degree is in C.S.)

      And I still find new ideas and concepts in there that just knock my socks off -- the small-molecule theory of the origin of life, for example. This even though I've been reading it and Science News for nearly 30 years now.

      Until recently, perhaps the last two years or so, SciAm pretty much was the way you've characterized it -- readable and informative to anybody with a four-year degree in a scientific discipline and curiosity about accomplishments outside their discipline. But that is no longer the case. The articles changed in tone -- to me they are trying to adopt Wired's pop-geek approach, compromising the technical depth of the articles to increase their entertainment value. I dropped SciAm because I (usually) want to be informed more than I want to be entertained. When I do want to be entertained, Wired trumps SciAm hands down.

  8. Science podcasts by emurphy42 · · Score: 3, Informative

    TED has already been mentioned. There are some others out there, I'm sure.

  9. Science News by AstroMatt · · Score: 2

    Science News is good if you like printed material. It's bi-weekly and gives moderate detail. http://www.sciencenews.org/

  10. Depends on interest level and area by interkin3tic · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I am a PhD student, so my specific topic I have a very high interest level in obviously. I have a google alert and an alert from pubmed (digital database of biomedical research) for certain key words on that very narrow topic. Partially so I my knowledge of that area is up to date, and partially because I'm worried someone else will publish similar conclusions to the ones I'm coming to.

    If you have a broader, but still specific field you're interested in (like cell biology, or astrophysics), you might just skim through a relevant journal. There are several free online ones, like Plos one. Some other journals have highlights pages, with brief summaries of some of the most interesting research. They have very dense research articles in them written for experts in those particular fields, but the first parts of the printed journals are written for a general science audience. They'll have the highlights of the most interesting research and explain the significance, some interesting editorials. Some of that content is available for free on their websites. I don't see much use in getting a printed version delivered to you, but maybe a local library gets a copy. But if you know you're more interested in one general area that just "any science" then maybe work on regularly skimming the relevant journals.

    Science at large, mostly slashdot. I seem to recall seeing some real fluff pieces, or fairly inaccurate posts on general science blogs like new scientist, but the real reason I don't frequent such websites is because I don't have much interest in such a wide scope of science. In high school I liked reading some introductory books about physics or ecology, but now if it's not cell science I feel like a fish out of water, I just don't have the background. Maybe I'm getting more closed minded. I hope not.

  11. I read "Science" by hey+hey+hey · · Score: 4, Informative
    I subscribe to the journal Science. While I admit the actual research articles might as well be written in Linear B, the news articles, and the in-depth sections in front are written assuming the reader is intelligent and educated, but just not an expert in the particular field. It is such a joy to read articles that aren't aimed at the lowest common denominator!

    I'm sure Nature, or other similar quality journals, would work as well (I choose Science, mostly because I found a subscription card for them).

    1. Re:I read "Science" by drooling-dog · · Score: 2

      Cannot second this enthusiatically enough, and ditto for Nature. If you really want to be a science geek, these are the places to go. I'm no PhD - not even an MS - but I've subscribed for over 25 years and still spend about 5 or 6 hours a week reading it. I also recommend stretching yourself a little by reading some of the research papers in areas that interest you especially; over the long haul it will pay off to get beyond the baby-talk.

      No knock on SciAm, New Scientist, and some of the other popular mags; they do a good job of introducing general ideas, but if you have a half-decent math background, their avoidance of math is often a real barrier to understanding, especially in the physical sciences.

  12. I live in Vietnam... by wisebabo · · Score: 2

    so keeping up with science developments is really just restricted to what I can get over the Internet.

    That said, I've found the best site for news is sciencedaily.com. I found it because it was rated one of the top 100 web sites on the Internet I think by PCMag. It's really good at giving a very comprehensive (they must have several dozens of articles a day) run down on what's going on in a fashion that's accessible to the intelligent technical professional.

    If technology is your thing then I'd recommend MIT's technologyreview.com. It's articles are a little more in depth and focus also on societal implications of the technology being discussed.

    Finally, if you're a space nut like me, I'd recommend spacedaily.com (published by the same people who do science daily). Again it's a "just the facts ma'am" web site that is clear and to the point.

    There are many other good sites but these give me what I want in the least amount of TIME (which is to me a very precious resource!).

  13. MIT Technology Review and The Economist by jmcbain · · Score: 5, Informative

    As a CS PhD myself, I also feel the need to keep up with the general sciences. My favourite sources of science news are two magazines: MIT Technology Review and the technology section of The Economist. Both are extremely well-written and distill recent cutting-edge science down into laymen's terms. Both have great websites and great iPad applications. The Economist additionally has a Technology Quarterly issue once every 3 months (duh) that should definitely not be missed.

    For Computer Science-related technology articles from research labs and academia that's written for laymen, IEEE Computer Society's Computer magazine and the ACM's Communications of the ACM are great.

    If you want something a bit more dumbified, then Wired magazine is very good. I've been subscribing for over 10 years and just recently switched over to an iPad subscription.

  14. Stick all these in your RSS by Sarusa · · Score: 4, Informative

    This is the best website for science news for reasonably educated but not specialized people: http://www.sciencedaily.com/

    Science News has a website - http://www.sciencenews.org/ and a weekly magazine which are always good, if overly sober, though the magazine doesn't have near enough content to cover everything that happened that week.

    New Scientist is a weekly mag that has drifted towards Omni or PopSci lately ('IS SENSATIONAL THING TRUE? (...no)'), but will still keep you up to date on most happenings including things you might miss online. http://www.newscientist.com/

    Scientific American is a monthly mag that's a bit too political but has some good articles: http://www.scientificamerican.com/

    Then there's Discover Magazine, which is a step down from either but has some good blogs: http://discovermagazine.com/

    Live Science is a further step down, a good site for training wheel science: http://www.livescience.com/

    I won't recommend the mag Science, because even though it's The Magazine, it's not suited for the dabbler.

    My balanced suggestion is add the news feeds for all of these to your RSS reader (like Google Reader), click on what looks interesting, and subscribe to New Scientist in print or on Zinio and read it every week.

  15. Slashdot and Ars Technica by Max+Romantschuk · · Score: 2

    Reading both feeds me with enough scientific articles for my limited appetite... Ars has some surprisingly in depth stuff at times.

    --
    .: Max Romantschuk :: http://max.romantschuk.fi/
  16. Quirks & Quarks by psychonaut · · Score: 3, Informative

    For the last thirty years I've been getting my weekly dose of science news from Quirks & Quarks on CBC radio. Shows are available for download or streaming online as soon as they air, and their online archive of episodes goes back to 2000.

  17. IEEE spectrum, New scientist by NtwoO · · Score: 2

    Two mags with nice info.

    --
    ! /* */
  18. Re:Not possible by serviscope_minor · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm just saying that believing in science is no better than believing in anything else.

    Science demonstrably works. The world around you has been built by scientific advancements. None of the "anything else" can claim that.

    science is just a new religion

    No, it isn't. You can use science to find out stuff. It may not be new or interesting to other people, but you can still use science to go and find it out.

    but it doesn't make you really understand modern science.

    Some science is more accessible than other science. My maths isn't good enough to understand the standard model, but that's one small part.

    Not having time, skill or inclination to prove everything form first principles myself is not the same as blindly adhereing to religion.

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
  19. ScienceNews by cyberfringe · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've been getting the print version of ScienceNews (bi-weekly) for 40 years. The online version http://www.sciencenews.org/ is just as good. There are many other good sites out there of course. This is one I can vouch for as a scientist without hesitation.

    --
    There's no sense in being precise when you don't even know what you're talking about. -- John von Neumann
  20. High-density science news, not 'simplified' by argStyopa · · Score: 2

    http://www.sciencenews.org/

    26 issues a year, maybe 12-14 pages each. Extremely good information across all the fields of science, essentially synopses of all the cutting-edge stuff because if it's interesting you're going to dig into it on the web anyway. Serious coverage, not simplified for 'popular consumption'. Usually one or two focus articles on something of particular significance, these run a couple of pages.

    Read it at online - I think pretty much everything in print is there.

    --
    -Styopa
  21. The New York Times by Sir_Kurt · · Score: 2

    I suggest you get either an online or dead tree subscription to the NYT. Excellent general science coverage. The NYT does the heavy work of gathering together the stories and sources. If you want to know more in depth about the story, use the internet.

    Kurt

  22. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! by definate · · Score: 2

    CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, GOOD SIR!

    --
    This is my footer. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
  23. Slashdot is the last place to look... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 2
    Slashdot is far too filtered.

    .
    Some sites that are helpful:

    Science News

    Science Daily

    New Scientist

  24. Tons of Science Sites, Grouped by Method Used by draggin_fly · · Score: 2

    As websites, I browse for science:

    http://www.newscientist.com/
    http://www.boingboing.net/
    http://science.slashdot.org/
    http://www.nature.com/
    http://www.sciam.com/
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/
    http://discovermagazine.com/

    and I include those in my newsfeeds along with the NIH RSS. Also in my feeds are

    Flipboard Tech
    Flipboard Wired Magazine
    Flipboard Make Magazine
    Hacker News
    ProPublica
    Gamification
    Science Magazine

    In Zite, I use

    Science News
    Gadgets
    Technology
    Alternative Medicine
    Bioinformatics
    Informatics


    In Pulse, I go with Slashdot and also

    Smithsonian Science
    Cool Hunting
    Slashgear
    Discover Magazine
    Wired: Science
    and I have not used but intend to try the WebMD app.
    I hope you aggregate and rank everyone's choices! I think some really good ones will come to the top that way.

  25. New Scientist by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 2

    I have a subscription to the New Scientist. The magazine is easy to read and keeps me updated on what us happening in general. Beyond that I turn to the Internet or the odd specialised journal once in a while.

    --
    Jumpstart the tartan drive.
  26. Physical Review Letters - Focus by OwenTheContrarian · · Score: 2

    PRL Focus is a condensed version of some of the more interesting submissions to the Physical Review Letters. Easy to read, usually understandable and has a wide variety of advanced subject matter. About four 'condensed' articles a month. Highly recommended.

  27. Re:Aggregation by beckerist · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've thrown all the feeds from each of these sites into Google Reader. In no particular order:

    wired.com
    slashdot.org
    spectrum.ieee.org
    scientistscanvas.com
    arxiv.org
    techcrunch.com
    techdirt.com
    news.discovery.com
    physicsworld.com
    newscientist.com
    physorg.com
    nationalgeographic.com
    scienceblog.com

    I have plenty more. Any RSS feeder app works. You get some repeats but there's a constant stream of science news.

  28. Some Specific Places on the Internet by ideonexus · · Score: 4, Informative

    I agree with reading about it on the Internet. I like RSS, but I've found it homogenizes my content so that things don't jump out at me and the really interesting stories get buried with all the mediocre ones. So I keep the following list of bookmarks to check on a weekly basis:

    ABC (Australia) Science, ABC (US) Science, Air & Space Magazine, ARKive, Ars Technica, BBC SciTech News, CBS Sci-Tech News, Chet Raymo, Cosmos News, Current: Science, Discover, Discovery News, Edge, Economist Science, EurekAlert!, Flyp media, Futurity, h+, Inkling Magazine, LiveScience, Massimo Pigliucci, Mother Jones Environment, MSNBC Science News, National Geographic News, National Public Radio (US), Natural History Magazine, New Scientist, New York Times Science, New Yorker Science, Newsweek Science, Orion, PhysOrg, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, R&D Magazine, Ripley's Believe It or Not!, Science Daily, Scientific American, Seed Magazine, Science Cheerleader, Science News, Schrodinger's Kitten, Slashdot Science, Smithsonian, Space.com, The Technium, Time Magazine Science, USA Today Science, US News & World Report Science, Wired News, World Changing

    --
    i ~ Celebrating Science, Cyberspace, Speculation
  29. SciVee.tv for videos, especially via its channels by shmorhay · · Score: 2

    If you have a high-bandwidth connection, and are interested in browsing science-related videos, SciVee.TV provides some nice content -- http://www.scivee.tv/ at the top level, and for its channels go to http://www.scivee.tv/channels .