Comments on: In the Beginning: A Little Media Madness http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9229 Feel Smart Again Mon, 13 Feb 2012 03:41:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.5 By: Sid Morrison http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9229/comment-page-1#comment-33306 Sid Morrison Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:24:10 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9229#comment-33306 It's sad that the modern Scientific American has degenerated so much from its origins. The orignal journal (although far less fancy) was a far more objective publication. Today, SA, merely shills for left-leaning points of view. As an engineer with a lot of background in energy & automotive technology, I occasionally buy it for the articles that deal in those subjects. Every time without fail I am flabbergasted at how much they leave out of the articles and only present either the good or bad points of something (depending on whether they are trying to advance or decry it). Most of the time, they aren't presenting outright lies -- rather the authors always seem to have rather biased agendas. Speculative theories get presented as given facts w/o the alternative points of view. Advantages of a certain technology get extolled without any of the bad points mentioned, even the rather obvious incontrovertible ones. When I can't trust them to present the full story on subjects I know well, I can only assume the practice carries through to areas where I have little expertise. It’s sad that the modern Scientific American has degenerated so much from its origins. The orignal journal (although far less fancy) was a far more objective publication.

Today, SA, merely shills for left-leaning points of view. As an engineer with a lot of background in energy & automotive technology, I occasionally buy it for the articles that deal in those subjects. Every time without fail I am flabbergasted at how much they leave out of the articles and only present either the good or bad points of something (depending on whether they are trying to advance or decry it). Most of the time, they aren’t presenting outright lies — rather the authors always seem to have rather biased agendas. Speculative theories get presented as given facts w/o the alternative points of view. Advantages of a certain technology get extolled without any of the bad points mentioned, even the rather obvious incontrovertible ones.

When I can’t trust them to present the full story on subjects I know well, I can only assume the practice carries through to areas where I have little expertise.

]]> By: Mary http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9229/comment-page-1#comment-33264 Mary Wed, 31 Oct 2007 17:10:30 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9229#comment-33264 As an actual Newsweek reporter, I would like to clarify that I did not pay Charles to say that. Charles, marry me. As an actual Newsweek reporter, I would like to clarify that I did not pay Charles to say that.

Charles, marry me.

]]> By: Charles http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9229/comment-page-1#comment-33235 Charles Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:39:11 +0000 http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/9229#comment-33235 Except that unlike Pepsi, Newsweek has truly surpassed Time. I check out Time every few years to see if it would be worth an additional subscription or replacing Newsweek, and it's consistently subpar. Except that unlike Pepsi, Newsweek has truly surpassed Time. I check out Time every few years to see if it would be worth an additional subscription or replacing Newsweek, and it’s consistently subpar.

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