New Encyclopedia: “Modern Natural Science”

A.A. Kovalev, V.B. Kolmanovskii

e-mail: Alexandre.Kovalev@mtu-net.ru e-mail: Vlad@kolm.miemstu.msk.su

At the end of last year first nine volumes of Encyclopedia “Modern Natural Science” were published. This Encyclopedia was prepared by International Exact Sciences Soros Program (IESSP). It is expected that the tenth volume will be issued in the nearest future.

Chief-Editor of Encyclopedia Professor Valery Soifer thinks that this Edition is unique in its own way. For the first time there was made an attempt to cast an integral glance on all body of natural-science knowledge on the highest level. About 90% of articles for “Encyclopedia of Natural Science” were written by Soros Professors, and the remaining 10% by specially invited scientists. Thus, the authors of Encyclopedia are the elite of modern science in the corresponding areas of knowledge such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, Earth sciences and etc. The undoubted contribution of publishers is in the fact that they managed to achieve from the authors the clear, logical, not boring statement of material at the same time keeping the complicated conceptual instrument of modern science.

The specific audience of “Encyclopedia of Natural Science” consists of advanced senior pupils, teachers, students, post-graduates, for many of which it can render invaluable assistance. As Professor Soifer points out in the preface to the first volume, there exists a fundamental difference between the rates of natural science development during the last quarter of the 20^th century and the former periods. Practically all areas of natural science have gone through such a powerful development, which all history of science was unaware of. Great theorem of Ferma was proved, and we have just to regret that the language of modern mathematics is so complicated and specialized, that its results are only available to the very narrow group of specialists. Thereupon, the publication of “Encyclopedia of Natural Science” is in the best way well-timed.

Vice-president of Russian Academy of Sciences Academician N.P.Laverov holds the same point of view. Moreover, he considers necessary to increase the circulation of Encyclopedia in order for it to be available to the broad circle of school children, students, post graduates and also teachers. In opinion of Academician Laverov, Russian Ministry of Education should approve Encyclopedia as a textbook for supplementary education in secondary and high schools.

First three volumes of Encyclopedia were printed on means of Moscow Committee of Education with circulation of 2500 copies. Then, Russian government have sponsored the publication of all ten volumes, moreover with circulation of 5500 copies. It will be distributed to schools and libraries free of charge (for example there will be 200 such schools in Moscow). In the presence of demand the publisher is ready to issue the Encyclopedia on compact disks.