My friend and colleague Michael Kenward, who has died aged 80, was the editor of New Scientist magazine from 1979 to 1990. A groundbreaking populariser of science at a time when many scientists were suspicious of the media, by the time he left the magazine, the concept of the public understanding of science was firmly embedded.
In 1979, the world of science communication was totally different from what it is now. New Scientist itself was considered distinguished and authoritative, but generally seen as the “house journal” of Britain’s scientific community, despite changes introduced by Mike’s predecessor, Bernard Dixon. Mike transformed it into a popular magazine and circulation soared, largely due to his determination to make every article comprehensible to the general public, coupled with his appreciation of the role of design and illustration.
