Bill's Notebook

After several ScienceBlogs have left, Seed dropped “Food Frontiers” (blog sponsored by Pepsi).  A lot of postings back and forth over Seed‘s decision but one blogger made a rather telling point: if Seed‘s finances are to the point that they had to accept money for a sponsored blog that does not bode well for the future of ScienceBlogs.

Whatever the result, I’m dropping ScienceBlogs from my Bloglines reader.  Time to find some new science blogs that actually post about science.

A few years ago, I picked up the premiere issue of Seed magazine.  The magazine was devoted to science as culture and it was great.  Wonderful, insightful articles and some amazing photographs which reminded me of OMNI magazine in its prime.  Seed also had a great online presence with a network of science blogs.  I looked forward to the magazine every month and reading the blogs everyday.

Then the last issue appeared in May of 2009.  There was an announcement on the website that the next issue would be out on June 2009 but none have appeared since that May issue.  The ScienceBlogs are still active but they haven’t been as good as they used to.  The better blogs have moved on to other sites and what is left is not that focused on scientific (with a few exceptions).  You have a few blogs that spend most of their time arguing with creationists and fundamentalists; other blogs that essentially repost clips from Olberman, Maddow, or Jon Stewart; and a couple of self-aggrandizing blogs.  There are a few standout blogs that I enjoy but they seem to leave after a while or stop posting altogether.

Now, ScienceBlogs has a new blog from PepsiCo called Food Frontiers.  A corporate-sponsored blog has the other ScienceBloggers up in arms about this conflict of interest.  I find it an interesting position when Seed magazine had advertisements and the ScienceBlog site has banner ads all over it.  The other blogs have touted their own books and others (one blog even has a “shoe of the week” which is tongue-in-cheek but can be construed as blatant advertising).  To me, this is just another sign of the decline of Seed and ScienceBlogs because to allow such a blatantly commercial blog speaks of a desperate attempt to raise money.  And once Seed lets in one commercial blog, it is opening the door to more.

This is a sad reflection on modern science as it has been recently revealed how corporations have funded research that conveniently confirms the interests of the corporate sponsors.  I guess I didn’t expect this with science journalism.  It is sad to see but there are other science magazines and science blogs.  I really did like Seed and ScienceBlogs and I hope that they rediscover their objectivity.