The Science Magazine That Lost Its Way

" For many years, Scientific American had been a reliable source of science news. It was known for its clear explanations of complex ideas to the public through research and well-written articles. Now, it seems like the magazine has changed its focus from science to politics. It has been wandering away from its original purpose of explaining science to the public. Since November 2023, Scientific American has been publishing articles that are far from scientific. This includes an op-ed about how feminism can help climate change. The article didn’t include any real science. Fans of Scientific American might have hoped that this kind of political writing would leave the magazine along with former editor Laura Helmuth. However, it didn’t. Helmuth had resigned after writing some extremely biased posts on social media. Helmuth’s social media posts questioned the moral compass of America. People began to question Helmuth’s credibility. Helmuth’s political endorsements were not done with a modicum of discretion. She endorsed the candidacy of both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. She had been openly biased for many years. Helmuth’s angry political posts were a sign of a bigger problem at Scientific American. Since Helmuth was the editor, the magazine hasn’t been focused on science as it was before. Scientific American has been publishing articles that are more about politics than science. Since Helmuth was at the helm, Scientific American published articles about puberty blockers, in which it was claimed that the principles of trans health could make everyone healthier. There were also articles about activism. Other titles from under Helmuth included, “Modern mathematics confronts its white, patriarchal past, ” and “How a JEDI is problematic for describing programs that promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion”. Scientific American wasn’t the only magazine to do this. Other respected magazines were also publishing articles that were more about progressive politics than science. Science might not survive the politicization. As these magazines continue to publish articles that are more about politics than science, it is becoming harder and harder to trust what they say. This is a loss for science as well as society. "