| Editor | Mark Jannot |
|---|---|
| Categories | Interdisciplinary |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Publisher | Bonnier Corporation |
| Total circulation (2011) |
1,302,472[1] |
| First issue | 1872 |
| Country | USA |
| Website | www.popsci.com |
| ISSN | 0161-7370 |
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 (for General Excellence) and 2004 (for Best Magazine Section). PopSci has been translated into over 30 languages and goes out to at least 45 countries.
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Popular Science Monthly was founded in May 1872 by Edward L. Youmans to disseminate scientific knowledge to the educated layman. Youmans had previously worked as an editor for the weekly Appleton's Journal and persuaded them to publish his new journal. Early issues were mostly reprints of English periodicals. The journal became an outlet for writings and ideas of Charles Darwin, Thomas Henry Huxley, Louis Pasteur, Henry Ward Beecher, Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, Thomas Edison, John Dewey and James McKeen Cattell. William Jay Youmans, Edward's brother, helped found Popular Science Monthly in 1872 and was an editor as well. He became editor-in-chief on Edward's death in 1887.[2] The publisher, D. Appleton & Company, was forced by economic reasons to sell the journal in 1900.[3]
James McKeen Cattell became the editor in 1900 and the publisher in 1901. Cattell had a background in academics and continued publishing articles for educated readers. By 1915 the readership was declining and publishing a science journal was a financial challenge. In a September 1915 editorial, Cattell related these difficulties to his readers and that the journal had been "transferred" to a group that wanted the name for a general audience magazine. Next month the subscribers would receive a new journal titled Scientific Monthly that would continue the academic tradition.[4] Scientific Monthly was published until 1958 when it was absorbed into Science.
The Modern Publishing Company had purchased Electrician and Mechanic magazine in 1914 and over the next two years merged several magazines together into a science magazine for a general audience. The magazine had a series of name changes: Modern Electrics and Mechanics, Popular Electricity and Modern Mechanics, Modern Mechanics and finally World's Advance. The publishers were still looking for a new name so they purchased Popular Science Monthly. The October 1915 issue was titled Popular Science Monthly and World's Advance. The volume number (Vol. 87, No. 4) was that of Popular Science but the content was that of World's Advance. The new editor was Waldemar Kaempffert, a former editor of Scientific American.[5][6]
The change in Popular Science Monthly was dramatic. The old version was a scholarly journal that had eight to ten articles in a 100 page issue. There would be ten to twenty photographs or illustrations. The new version had hundreds of short, easy to read articles with hundreds of illustrations. Editor Kaempffert was writing for "the home craftsman and hobbyist who wanted to know something about the world of science." The circulation doubled in the first year.[3] Currently (March 2010), the October–December 1915 issues are missing from the [Google Books] online archive - the only such omission besides the rolling one-year delay in making recent issues available online.
From 1935 to 1949, the magazine sponsored a series of short films, produced by Jerry Fairbanks and released by Paramount Pictures.
On January 25, 2007, Time Warner sold this magazine, along with 17 other special interest magazines, to Bonnier Magazine Group.[7] On September 24, 2008, Australian publishing company Australian Media Properties (part of the WW Media Group) launched a local version of Popular Science. It is a monthly magazine, like its American counterpart, and uses content from the American version of the magazine as well as local material.[8] Australian Media Properties also launched http://www.popsci.com.au/ at the same time, a localised version of the Popular Science website.
On March 27, 2011, Popular Science magazine sold the 10,000th subscription to its iPad edition, nearly six weeks after accepting Apple's terms for selling subs on its tablet.[9]
In August 2009, Popular Science launched a free iPhone app called PopSci.com,[10] which delivers content from their Web site. The app got a redesign and major update in November 2010.
In early 2010, Bonnier partnered with London-based design firm BERG to create Mag+, a magazine publishing platform for tablets. In April 2010, Popular Science+,[11] the first title on the Mag+ platform, launched in the iTunes store the same day the iPad launched.[12] The app contains all the content in the print version as well as added content and digital-only extras. Bonnier has since launched several more titles on the Mag+ platform, including Popular Photography+ and Transworld Snowboarding+.
In July 2007, Popular Science launched the Popular Science Predictions EXchange (PPX). People were able to place virtual bets on what the next innovations in technology, the environment, and science would be. Bets have included whether Facebook would have an initial public offering by 2008, when a touchscreen iPod would be launched, and whether Dongtan, China's eco-city, would be inhabited by 2010. The PPX shut down in 2009.
Popular Science's Future Of...[13] show premiered on Monday, August 10, 2009 on the Science Channel. The show is concerned with the future of technology and science in a particular topic area that varies from week to week. As of December 2009, a new episode is premiered every Monday.[14]
Since March 5, 2010, all Popular Science issues since the first issue of May 1872 are available for free on Google Books.[15]
| Dates | Publisher |
|---|---|
| 1872 – 1900 | D. Appleton & Company |
| 1900 – 1901 | McClure, Philips and Company |
| 1901 – 1915 | Science Press |
| 1915 – 1924 | Modern Publishing Company |
| 1924 – 1967 | Popular Science Publishing Company |
| 1967 – 1973 | Popular Science Publishing Company, subsidiary of Times Mirror |
| 1973 – 2000 | Times Mirror Company |
| 2000 – 2007 | Time Inc. |
| 2007 – present | Bonnier Magazine Group |
Sources: American Mass-Market Magazines[3] The Wall Street Journal[16] and New York Post.[17]
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Popular_Science Popular Science] at Wikimedia Commons Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Modern_Electrics Modern Electrics] at Wikimedia Commons
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