Seeds of Science
July 1st, 2008. Filed under: Tuesday's Tempting Reads.I recently discovered a new science magazine. Well, new to me at least. It’s been in print since November, 2001 and is published bimonthly. The name of this magazine is Seed, subtitled “science is culture.” Before beginning to read this magazine one notices a difference in the size, quality of paper and quality of photography in each issue. Another noticeable difference is the spine of the magazine. Each issue highlights one of the elements. The July/August is of chlorine (Cl 35.453). The magazine has a unique contributors page. Instead of photographs, one finds drawings in the pen and ink style of the major contributors for that issue.
The July/August issue of Seed hits on a good variety of subjects. One article, “Green Revolution 2.0” advocates genetically modified crops. “Wind of Bat & Mouse’s Leg is about how a paw becomes a wing. There’s a very interesting article about “The Shape of Music.” You will also find an interview with Michael Gazzaniga, the father of cognitive neuroscience. “Where I Do Science” takes one into the various laboratories of the scientist. When one hears the word laboratory, visions of beakers, test tubes, Bunsen burners and chemicals come to mind. That’s one type of laboratory. The laboratories include Egypt’s Western Desert, the Sinai Desert, the Utah Station operated by the Mars Society, virtual reality, robotics laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Center. And that’s only a few of the different places where scientists work.
There’s a long article called “A New State of Mind.” This talks about research into dopamine and what it reveals about how different brain processes work. Another article is about five researchers who combined unlikely fields of science, thereby developing new fields. These include neuroarchaeology, immunocomputing and astronomical medicine.
The scope of this magazine is wide. It even includes a review of the Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens in London, the world’s first gallery dedicated entirely to botanical art. So, you can see that this magazine has a little something for everyone. Or nearly everyone. It goes against my value system. I’m definitely not in favor of messing around with our food supply. I don’t want my food altered. I’m interested in natural foods and a greener lifestyle. Chemistry is not assisting us in this. Also, this magazine is built on the assumption that evolution is a fact even though no one has been able to scientifically prove it. It just takes too big a leap of faith for me to believe in the theory of evolution, the big bang and other theories which can’t be backed up by science.