Discover the Brainiac Hidden Inside You

Discover is a full-color, monthly science magazine written for the average Joe. It covers all science fields from anthropology and linguistics to astronomy, paleontology, and medicine. Over the years there has been a predominance of paleontology and astronomy articles, but there is diversity in the magazine’s coverage. Each issue is fairly thin with about 80 pages, many with ads. The magazine's writers present their information clearly. And they cover a broad range of subjects, shedding light on everything from who we are (biology) to who we were (anthropology), from where we've been (archaeology) to where we will be (astrophysics). The photography and diagrams are usually top notch. The photographs are crisp and bright and the historical facts are well laid out and easy to understand even for a twelve year old.

The magazine and its contents inspire you to learn and you will come away from reading an issue knowing things you might have not known otherwise. It is very good for anyone with any interest in fascinating sciences or technology, or anyone with teens in the house. It is a good way to get kids to learn and read. Discover writes articles that just about anybody can read. They are informative, accurate, interesting, and put into Layman's terms. I have yet to get an issue that I didn't read cover to cover and not enjoy. Each issue is packed with tons of picture and articles. Discover magazine has about twenty small articles on what new things scientists have found or invented. I love reading these because they are quick, to the point, and very interesting. The rest of the magazine usually has longer articles about space, medicine, geology, or just about anything else involved with science. And although the magazine is dedicated to chronicling what humans know, its writers are quick to point out the limits of our knowledge and to present theories that are at odds with the dominant thinking. This gives insight into the ideas that might become the next dominant ones.

Discover is good light reading for people interested in science who are not scientists. It is also a good magazine for expanding your interests. The wide variety of not-in-depth articles can lead you to discover new interests & topics you might wish to learn more about. Over the years, several articles in Discover have led to more in-depth reading in various areas I would not otherwise have been interested in, and expanding both your horizons & your knowledge base is always a positive thing. It has a great brain teaser section in the back, which I usually don't have time to think over, but is always interesting. Another very good feature of Discover is the Brain Works and Brain Bogglers. Brain Works helps you to better understand your brain and why it does the things it does through simple activities. Brain Bogglers has riddles and puzzles for you to figure out. Discover is not the only science magazine but it is a welcome addition to National Geographic, Smithsonian and Popular Science. They are all excellent magazines but there is certainly room for excellence in searching the universe for science.