American Scientist or Physics world

[Link]

I would like to subscribe to a magazine that will get me a some science reading appropriate to my level. Do the above two magazines require specialist knowledge of any subjects, and which would be better for a physics undergraduate?

 

[Archduke]

I don't know about American Scientist, but I've got a subscription to Physics World. It's aimed at anyone with an interest in science, and they have a "No equations" policy so it's very accessible. It is basically split into 3 sections: short recent news stories, longer articles and input from the physics community (letters, short articles, book reviews, careers advice, etc...). It's good to keep up with what's happening in the physics world, and it's nice to read about interesting areas of physics that you're not going to be tested on! Probably the best incentive for getting Physics world is as an undergraduate (in Britain, anyway) you get membership to the Institute of Physics, for the duration of your degree, for £26. So, I've got a month subscription for Physics world - for 4 years - and all it's costing me is £26. Plus I get all the other benefits of the IoP, too. But, I'm not sure if this is applicable to other countries? I'd definitely look into it though.

 

[Locrian]

I've always felt that American Scientist did the best job of making its articles readable to a wide audience while still maintaining great integrity. They have a wide variety of subject matter as well; they aren't just physics, they also cover engineering, biology, chemistry etc. They often have interesting historical articles as well, and some of the most interesting historical and philosophical short articles I've read have come from that magazine.

Highly recommended.

 

[Shackleford]

Wouldn't quasi-technical publications be better for a physics undergrad, such as myself? If I'm reading about something, I'd like to see a few basic equations. lol.