July 5, 2012

Google Logo Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm

Extinction Countdown: Your Turn

By John R. Platt

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!

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

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the Scientific American Blog Network (which this blog preceded by a few years), so instead of our usual news coverage we're all marking the occasion by asking to hear more about you.

Please drop on down into the comments section on this page and tell us a little bit about yourself and why you read Extinction Countdown. Here are a few questions you could answer:

  • Who are you?

  • Are you involved in conservation in some way or do you just care about the issues at hand?

  • How do you read Extinction Countdown? Do you get here via Facebook, Twitter, RSS, the Scientific American web site, or someplace else?

  • Do you follow this blog regularly or just read occasional articles?

  • What species or conservation-related issues would you like to read about in the future?

  • What's your favorite animal?

On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.

This is also a good occasion to ask you to spread the word about Extinction Countdown. Tweet it, spread the word on Facebook, send an email link to your brother or grandmother...every new reader helps!

There, that was painless enough. (Thanks to Ed Yong for the inspiration on these questions.) Thanks in advance for your comments and look for the next Extinction Countdown news item early next week!

Photo: Vancouver Film School via Flickr. Used under Creative Commons license

John R. Platt is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His "Extinction Countdown" column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.

More by John R. Platt

Subscribe to Support Independent Journalism

Great science journalism requires human expertise, time, effort and creativity. And it costs money. That’s why I and the journalists here at Scientific American hope you’ll join our community.

When you subscribe, you are supporting staff and freelance journalists who are passionate about telling science stories that are true, important and compelling. Our editors and reporters are often experts in their fields, which means they understand the nuances of big discoveries and can untangle the breakthroughs from the hype. With a subscription, you are also supporting rigorous fact-checking to ensure the words we publish are precise and accurate. And you’re supporting original illustrations, graphics and photos that bring you closer to an advanced laboratory, an ice sheet in Antarctica or a space mission in orbit. You’re helping us craft other types of high-quality journalism as well: Our newsletters are carefully written, edited and curated by staffers you have or will come to know and love. Our Science Quickly podcast is based on original reporting, collaboration with editors and scientists and exacting production.

Subscriptions keep this engine running so we can continue to deliver thoughtful, rigorous and independent science journalism to you. In an era of viral misinformation, this work is crucial. If you value what we do, I hope you’ll consider joining us as a subscriber

Thank you,

Jeanna Bryner, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe