I hope that many of you have the special October 2011 issue of The Scientist, celebrating the publication’s 25th anniversary, in your hands. That issue is full of articles by leading researchers, including George Church, E.O. Wilson, Craig Venter, Mary-Claire King, Stephen Friend, and many others.
The Scientist is one of my favorite publications. It helps people in the life sciences industry and academia catch up with new findings that they may have missed in their usual reading, and to learn about areas of the life sciences that are removed from their main professional focus. It also has articles that focus on people in science, thus helping to restore the human element to our field. We also enjoy The Scientist‘s new, improved, and more accessible website.
There are several posts on this blog that are based on articles in The Scientist.
Less than a week after rolling out the celebratory October issue, on Thursday, October 6, The Scientist announced that it was shutting down its operations–another victim of the continuing financial downturn.
However, then came the unexpected reversal. On Friday, October 14, Sciencenow Inc. (the owner of The Scientist) and LabX Media Group announced that they had signed a non-binding Letter of Intent specifying terms for the acquisition of The Scientist by LabX Media Group, and were working to close the deal by the end of October.
On Monday October 17, The Scientist announced, “We’re Back”! Pending the finalization of the LabX deal the magazine has restarted its operations, both of the print edition and the website. Its editorial staff has remained intact, and is hard at work.
The Scientist says, “We appreciate your patience as we sort out the sale of the magazine and work hard to return to our normal publication schedule. New stories are already appearing on the website, so check there for the latest news and digests from the life sciences….”
“October has been a bit topsy turvy for us, but we can assure you that The Scientist will be back better than ever, and we hope to remain on your desks, in your inboxes, and on your screens for many years to come.”
On October 27, 2011 LabX Media Group announced that it has finalized the acquisition of The Scientist, including print and digital formats, as expected.
Perhaps the bleak economic outlook will not overwhelm us in other areas of our common and our personal life. There is hope.
