"Popular Science", a Family Tradition

The science magazine “Popular Science” plays an important role in my life. The magazine’s technological insights and articles on breakthroughs and discoveries in various scientific fields have captivated my imagination for years and channeled my efforts towards a life of science. From the article on the invisibility cloak being developed by Duke University, to the scientist who contracted cancer and in his quest for a cure created a machine that turns almost anything into oil; “Popular Science” taught me that an education in a field of science would open countless doors for me in my future. It was in that magazine where I first learned of polymers and their uses and is what inspired me to seek a Polymer, Textile, and Fiber degree at Georgia Tech.

I can relate to “Popular Science” so well because my family has had a subscription since my grandfather was a teenager. My dad became hooked on it as a result of my grandfather and I took up the habit because of my dad. This chain reaction that has spanned over so many years has created an intimacy with the magazine in my family that heightens its importance. This tradition holds true in other families as well, for instance my girlfriend’s. The magazine has such a special place in her family that the revocation of “Popular Science” privileges is often a punishment used for misbehavior.

“Popular Science” informs me of happenings in the science world before any other media source. It will expose me to new inventions and discoveries before CNN or Yahoo will give a report on them. I’ve known some things a full year before they were made public. I read and trust “Popular Science” because of the promptness that I find out things and that over the years I have seen the information provided to be confirmed over and over again. The consistency of reliable and accurate information gives “Popular Science” authority in the science media world. Also, all the articles contain interviews with professors and have online links which allow you to verify and learn more about the topic discussed.

My exposure to physics, chemistry, technology, and all sorts of scientific subjects through “Popular Science”, sparked my interest in science. The magazine’s combination of images and text mesmerizes your mind with mind blowing ideas. Other science magazines such as “Scientific America” and “Physics Today” contain large amounts of text and use terminology that you need a PhD to understand. “Popular Science” translates complex scientific concepts into everyday lingo that an “average Joe” can grasp and comprehend. This broadens the spectrum of people that “Popular Science” is able to connect with.

For me, “Popular Science” has become an essential link to current events in the science world. Its ability to provide articles that captivate your imagination and portray the newest and most accurate material before any other media, bestows the magazine with undeniable authority. The magazine has used all these components to bring me to my current study of Polymer and Fiber Engineering at Georgia Tech. “Popular Science” is unlike any other science media, and one day I will pass the tradition on to my children.