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Why Are There 3 Covers on Scientific American`s December Issue?

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



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For December, we are delighted to publish our annual special issue, "World Changing Ideas," about innovations that can make a better world. The magazine features a stepped cover that allows two extra editorial covers to show through for readers. The three-cover treatment, developed with photographer Dan Saelinger, helps us realize some of the issue’s World Changing Ideas, many of which are all still in their formative stages, including the idea of "The Machine That Would Predict the Future" and "A Computer Chip That Thinks." For the innermost cover, we created a more general World Changing Ideas light bulb illustration that could work as a stand-alone cover in our many international markets. In the spirit of innovation and collaboration, we invite you to vote below on the cover that you prefer.

Michael Mark is the creative director for Scientific American and responsible for ScientificAmerican.com, and its newsstand specials. He and his team establish the visual language for the brand and produce its award-winning graphic design, illustrations, photography and information graphics. Not always a science journalist, he has designed for magazines as disparate as Esquire and Architectural Record, but his love of science led him to work for Discover magazine and produce award winning design for that publication as well. Always curious, when he's not designing, he works on cars, is an illustrator and painter, and practices fencing in his off time.

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