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Welcome to the New ScientificAmerican.com

Enjoy a whole new browsing experience on our redesigned, mobile-friendly Web site, featuring a bright, clean layout and new online store

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American


Scientific Americancelebrated its 170th anniversary in August and is the longest continuously published magazine in the U.S. Yet, as I like to say, it is new and evolving every day. Now the team and I are very pleased to share a new way to enjoy Scientific American: a bright, clean responsively redesigned Web site.

Above all, one thing hasn’t changed: readers will still find the award-winning coverage of advances in science and technology and their impacts on society that you’ve come to expect from Scientific American. The site offers a feast of news, features and In-Depth Reports from top journalists; commentary and analysis from a wide array of experts and thought leaders; and a lively network of more than 20 blogs. Rounding out these editorial offerings are sparkling videos, podcasts, slide shows, infographics and interactives.

So what’s new? Recognizing the fast-growing number of us who rely on phones and tablets, the new design makes browsing a pleasure on all types of mobile devices, no matter the screen size. Readers can scroll through articles, videos and slide shows with the swipe of a finger.


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Mobile-friendly browsing is only part of what our new site has to offer, of course. Recent brand extensions serve the needs of new audiences and changing business models in the news industry, so we also introduced an online “Store”  that allows our customers to conveniently browse and purchase our many product offerings, including every single issue of Scientific American magazine going back to 1845 as well as e-books and other digital products.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of our new site, designed by the agency AREA 17, is its simplicity on both aesthetic and editorial levels. We began earlier this year by asking readers what they valued in their online experiences from us. The resulting organization, which revolves around topic categories, reflects our consumers’ preference to “channel surf” and engage with the subjects that most interest them, regardless of whether that content comes in the form of news, features, opinion or some form of multimedia. A contextual navigation bar that follows readers as they scroll down the pages and also changes based their location within the site allows them to find what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently. In addition, real-time search suggestions and personalized content recommendations based on individual interest graphs allow readers to delve deeply into stories or skim at their leisure.

We hope you like the results as much as we do. And we hope you’ll share your thoughts and feedback so we can continue to make Scientific American the kind of experience you all would like it to be—a place for discovery, illumination and insight about science and the ways it shapes our world.

Mariette DiChristina, Steering Group chair, is dean and professor of the practice in journalism at the Boston University College of Communication. She was formerly editor in chief of Scientific American and executive vice president, Magazines, for Springer Nature.

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