There is little quality popular science literature in our stores. Books written by specialists are rare. It was with great interest that I purchased the book by the English physicist John M. Charap “Explaining the Universe. New era of physics" (M.: Tekhnosphere, 2007; translated from English by G.K. Seliverstova).

In the tenth issue of “Science and Life” for 2009, an article by Vladimir Cherny was published, devoted to an alternative cosmological model, in which the Universe does not cool down, but warms up, electrons increase their mass, and protons lose until their masses are compared. This publication attracted my attention and gave rise to some thoughts about the tasks and methods of popular science publications, which will be discussed below. The article itself is very easy to criticize.

Dmitry Bayuk We publish an article by Dmitry Bayuk, Ph.D., S.N.S. S.I. VAVILOVA RAS, deputy. The editor -in -chief of the magazine "Questions of the history of natural science and technology", written specifically for the "Trinity Option".

Rebekah Frumkin Alla Marchenko’s book “Akhmatova. Life ”(M., AST: Astrel, 2009) has already been seen by several famous researchers, as well as critics and journalists. In the New World (No. 7, 2009), Alla Latynina’s colleague Markchenko sympathetically wrote about her sympathetically; In the "Banner" (No. 9, 2009), one of our leading specialists in the Silver Age N.A.

Friends brought me as a gift a new popular book by Alexander Nikonov “Opium for the people”, published jointly by the publishing houses “NC EEAS” and “Peter” in 2009. I love the books of this journalist, I always read them with pleasure and consider them very talented and useful. I know that a number of specialists of books cause him a lot of complaints (especially the “fate of the civilizer”).

The Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Andrei Fursenko confirmed today that in 2010 funding for the Russian Academy of Sciences will be reduced, ITAR-TASS reports. According to him, the Academy will receive 53.7 billion next year, which is 10.8% less than it was allocated in 2009 after the budget sequestration in the context of the global financial crisis. Then the Russian Academy of Sciences received 60.2 billion rubles.

Only actively working high-level scientists can prepare a good graduate student. The structure of science and education in Russia is such that our students often study at universities where there are few strong research groups, which are mainly concentrated in the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. That is why the role of graduate school in these institutes is so high.

Recently , on my blog on LiveJournal ( sergepolar.livejournal.com ), an unexpectedly heated discussion took place on the importance of working experience abroad. It all started with one phrase in an interview with RG ( www.rg.ru/2009/10/23/nekipelov.html ) by RAS academician A.D.

Dear editors! I really envy the readers of the Trinity Option: when they hold this number in their hands, probably, the event that I am waiting will already happen, and they will know about how it happened. And I’m waiting for this: an exciting moment is approaching when our president will turn to us with an annual message.

Irina Levontina Recently, our media around the next panic message on the death of culture, the destruction of the Russian language, the spiritual impoverishment of the younger generation - well, you understand: Sevastopol, October 11 - RIA Novosti. Sevastopol schoolchildren in classes in the Russian language are forced to study prison jargon, children are forced to compose texts with such words as “Pahan”, “common fund” and “informer”, RIA Novosti correspondent reports.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called on the Ministry of Education and Science to implement as actively as possible in Russia a widely used worldwide criterion for the effectiveness of scientists - the citation index. “With regard to citations as the main criterion of scientific merit and activity of a scientist, I agree 200%.

Only actively working high-level scientists can prepare a good graduate student. The structure of science and education in Russia is such that our students often study at universities where there are few strong research groups, which are mainly concentrated in the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences. That is why the role of graduate school in these institutes is so high.

Alexander Markov, a well -known Russian paleontologist and popularizer of science, doctor of biological sciences, leading researcher at the Laboratory of Higher Invertebrate Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the creator and author of the site “Problems of Evolution”, answered questions from Natalia Demina and Maxim Borisov regarding the relations of science and religion. -Have you encountered in your scientific activity some difficulties when working with believers?

Announcement of the issue Science and religion The authors of TrV-Science discuss their relationship from different points of view. Popular about the Bible (page 2) Lev Klein Book review A. Nikonova "Opium for the people" . Comments in defense of religion on L. Klein's review (pp. 3–5) O. Vladimir Fedorov, Anna Arkhangelskaya, Dmitry Bak No need to mix (page 5) Interview with Alexander Markov in support of science Russian regression (pp.

Anastasia Kazantseva This week we shot (finally, because the further prospects of “progress” are vague) Danish gerontologist Rattan. He is a large scientist, he has a lot of serious works on cellular aging, but Rattan gained wide fame, as often happens, due to the fact that the theory of gormisis he studied was picked up-in a very simplified form-numerous pseudoscientific sites.