New Scientist

If you are the kind of person who becomes evangelical about the theory of evolution, wet-browed at the thought of the Uncertainty Principle and faints when considering the significance of the discovery of the structure of DNA, then this is for you. NewScientist magazine was launched in 1956 and has been online since 1996. It was set up ‘for all those men and women who are interested in scientific discovery, and in its commercial and social consequences.'

Articles are divided into seven channels: Space, Tech, Environment, Health, Life, Physics & Math and Science in Society. It's very easy to find your way around the site and the best thing to do is explore and see where you find yourself. There are videos, a blog, topic guides to a wide variety of subjects, including aviation, cancer and genetics. The Opinion section features commentary and analysis, interviews and book reviews. On the whole the writing on the site is thoughtful, engaging and designed to be understood by the well-informed lay reader as much as the professional scientist. With an archive of over 70,000 articles there is enough here to keep you going until the next paradigm shift.

The most impressive thing about the New Scientist is its air of cool enthusiasm. Science matters to the people writing and reading about it. The magazine makes no mistake in conveying its belief in the relevance of science but it does this in a relaxed, direct and compelling way.