Science January 11 2008. Science's first issue was November 1979 and was originally published bi-monthly and by subscription only. The name of the magazine changed every year to reflect the publication date, becoming Science '81, Science '82, etc. This caused some consternation among librarians, who found it difficult to index. The magazine was similar to Discover (in its earlier incarnations) in terms of coverage, but tended to offer longer articles and often a photoessay. Guest essays by a well-known scientist was a common feature as well. The magazine also offered a "Resources" section which contained references for the articles.