Scientific American is a great magazine. The current format is a blend of public-readable writing and real science- and yes there's still plenty of real science in the pages. There's less formulas and math than there used to be- then again, most of the formulas and mathematics are now trademarked properties of megacorporations anyway, so the change isn't only one of style.
In these pages, you'll get lots of information and plenty of world view. From the large hadron collider to conflicts between Newtonian and quantum physics to the recent findings of space probes to the continues exploration of genetics... and yes to "popular" issues like the use of Facebook in the Iranian elections. In a nation that desperately needs more science education, this magazine should be required reading. The magazine does in fact include more populist articles and less true scientific writers than it once did, but the mix is not wholly offensive and you're still certain to find at least some articles that will speak way above your head on some issue or another. Personally, I can't stomach any part of Popular Mechanics or Discover or any of the other "technical" (re: Science by MTV) magazines anymore, but I still find the bulk of Scientific American entirely worthwhile.
Many reviewers say that Scientific American has an editorial bias toward liberal ideals. These comments say more about the current political divide in America than anything about the magazine itself. Like it or not, the current conservative party in America is decidedly anti-science, and if you browse any truly conservative media of the moment you'll likely see the word "scientist" used like a curse word (and usually not far an association to socialist or totalitarian regimes). Until the day when these politics become less extreme, a scientific American probably is a liberal American, and the magazine follows as such.
As a sidenote, anyone who thinks the magazine has never been political needs to puruise the section with snippets from old issues. Writers from bygone eras didn't just inject political beliefs, they often stated them in black-and-white and very plain terms. Maybe there's an argument to be had that the current writers should do the same, but the fact is that the magazine has always included a certain amount of political content between its pages.Get more detail about Scientific American.
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