A Brief Introduction to The Scientist’s Website
Posted July 6th, 2011
With the scientific world changing so rapidly and new discoveries happening frequently, people in the field have to keep up. The Scientist is a print and digital publication that covers a wide range of topics central to the study of cell and molecular biology, genetics, and other life-science fields. Both the magazine and the site highlight the latest scientific discoveries, trends in research, innovative techniques, new technology, business, and careers. Articles are written by scientists as well as journalists.
Following an overhaul, the website, www.the-scientist.com, has a new look. Its features include:
• An expanded multimedia section
• More daily news stories in a section called The Nutshell
• Search engines for both the new site and the archive
• Enhanced commenting and sharing through Disqus
The multimedia section contains video, slideshows and infographics. Recent features included:
• Scanning Ancient Animal Mummies: A collection of ancient Egyptian animal mummies from the Brooklyn Museum is subjected to the powerful X-rays of a CT scan.
• Repainting Ancient Birds: Using synchrotron rapid scanning X-ray fluorescence to map the distribution of trace metals in avian fossils over 120 million-year-old, researchers reconstruct their pigment patterns.
• Smashing Crystals: A powerful new X-ray–generating laser is imaging smaller crystals than ever before.
• Optogenetics: A Light Switch for Neurons: This animation illustrates optogenetics—a radical new technology for controlling brain activity with light.
The section called The Nutshell is called a daily news roundup, although the stories do not always change daily. These are short pieces reporting on new developments and stories from around the world. The News & Opinion section contains longer, researched articles. Both areas of the site cover:
• Cell & Molecular Biology
• Culture
• Developmental Biology
• Disease/Medicine
• Ecology
• Evolution
• Genetics & Genomics
• Microbiology
• Neuroscience
• Immunology
• Physiology
• Techniques
Recent articles in the news section included:
• Radical Reversal: Free radicals, widely believed to promote cancer, may actually slow tumor growth.
• Air Pollution Stunts Cognition: Particulates in the air can cause impaired learning and depression in mice.
• RNAs Regulate Cell Death: Three RNAs expressed in the nucleolus mediate death in cells exposed to too much fat.
• New Target for Myelin Repair: Researchers identify a receptor that causes the degeneration of myelin coating around nerve cells, pointing to a potential new therapy for multiple sclerosis patients.
The Nutshell’s recent roundup featured the following:
• New Suspect in E. coli Deaths: Fenugreek seeds are banned in Europe after authorities point the finger at them as a potential source of the deadly E. coli outbreak.
• Cell Phone Debate Continues: Just weeks after the World Health Organization declared that mobile phones may cause cancer, a review of the literature finds no evidence to support the claim.
• Dead Cane Toads Are Deadly: The deadly-when-eaten invasive amphibians that have been plaguing Australian wildlife for years continue to poison even after they’re dead.
• Brain Cells Self-Amplify: A certain type of neural precursor does it all—replaces itself, differentiates into specialized brain cells, and multiplies into more stem-cell-like cells.
The site links to the current issue of the magazine and its articles, and even features archived back issues.
Obviously, the site can provide more up-to-the-minute content than the magazine, and the magazine can go into more depth. Both provide an array of articles on subjects of interest to those in the life sciences.
