Scientific American published its very first issue on this day (Aug. 28) in 1845. But what does it mean to think in “scientific” terms? To me, it means thinking in terms of probabilities and degrees of belief, not moral certainties, as well as open-mindedness and the willingness to revise one’s probabilities. What does “science” mean to you?

I subscribed to Sci Am for several years in the 70s-80s-90s. I never thought I was being “indoctrinated”, it was always clear to me I was being “informed” if I chose to read the article. (I was never a big fan of the archaelogical or biology articles – my main interest was Martin Gardner’s “Mathematical Games” and articles on cosmology, black holes, etc.) I read Sci Am in the days before science became political — however, as a “smart kid” growing up in the 60s, I found that “smartness” was always put down by a large segment of our population. I would say “go figure” but that’s exactly what those people reject.
Yes, Gardner’s column was the best of all time! His autobiography “undiluted hocus pocus” is also a great read: https://www.amazon.com/Undiluted-Hocus-Pocus-Autobiography-Martin-Gardner-ebook/dp/B00F0KZE88