Researching Scintific Entities

An intelligent man's guide to Science--Isaac Asimov

About 30 years old, but highly literate and a joy of a read.

Scientific American tends more toward a dedicated science reader with a certain inherent knowledge of science. Popular Science, is flash and gee willikers and tends to go to engineering and promotion of new products. Discovery isn't a bad popular science journal and is more visual and 'lighter' than Scientific American. Nature goes to biology but is understandable and a decent read. But I'd start with the Asimov tome before I'd delve into any particular journal--just for the lay knowledge of science.


Rap

What publication should I look at for information about new chemical substances? And math-related info/tidbits?

What publication should I look at for information about new chemical substances? And math-related info/tidbits?

Where should I look to research sci-fi ideas?

Is informatoin about the articles they feature in those periodicals you listed featured at each magazine's website?

I've read: The Elegant Universe, Asimov's White Holes, a number of books about Hawking and by Hawking about the space-time continuum and time dilations. Do you have any suggestions for a more advanced read?

JG-

Is this an attempt to apply business principles to science?I'd start with a User's Guide.

No, this is something to base some science fiction stories on.

If you are not a scientist and you try to write spoof articles you may quickly come a cropper in front of your readers in two ways: The first is that you will betray yourself as a beginner and lose credibility if you should hastily adopt an apologetic tone when you imagine that the extent of your knowledge is imperfect. The second is that you will betray yourself as a beginner by mis-representing an insignificant point which, although insignificant, is vital to the general concepts you are using in your article. Your audience will never come back if they see this.

The way around it is to use common sense at all times, and to follow your intuition. If an idea feels wrong, then it probably is wrong. The scientists intuition is no greater than anyone else's; so if you operate on intuition, you will be safe. But this means making sure that you understand everything you write. That's vital.

The situation is slightly different with Sci-fi. Here, you can present outlandish concepts that by their obscurity do not invite criticism and pass for entertainment. But the rest, above, applies. I would say.

I'm not spoofing articles. I'm taking what I've learned from science and incorporating that into my work.

When people write comic books they base their matrial on scientific findings.

JG-

If I was doing it I would immerse myself first in all the other comics in the genre.

From what I understand most writers do that.

Yes, the same applies as I said. Be careful you don't get caught out.