SEED Magazine and those pesky stem cells.

SEED is a great magazine that has recently returned to newsstands after a long finance-related hiatus. Another blogger described it as "the Maxim of science magazines." I think that's a pretty good description although the bikinis and misogyny are replaced by insightful and extremely accessible discussions of current issues in science. I can't tell if the magazine is successful at making science cool because of its guerilla journalism and fantastic design or if it's just extremely secure with the widespread public misconception that its subject matter is nerdy. Either way, I'm impressed.

For me, the highlight of the most recent issue is a fantastic explanation of stem cell research. The actual scientific processes behind this technology are explained in a comprehensible (at least for this layman) and aesthetically slick format. The writer does not shrink from the greater political debate surrounding stem cells either. There's a non-partisan discussion of the greater cultural, political, and religious crisis that this technology has spawned. Not every article is completely non-partisan. In fact, the general tone of the magazine advocates for greater support of science from the US government. This first issue has a fantastic article by Chris Mooney (author of The Intersection) about the attempts by Republicans to sabotage the advancement of science in America. Mooney recently released a book on this topic titled, "The Republican War on Science." It's available from Basic Books.

Okay, that's enough shilling for one day. Check out the aforementioned if you like. Either way, I'll still be poor. My greater purpose is to begin discussing the anti-intellectual culture being promoted by our government. The resources above are a start. I'll have more soon.