Wilson da Silva
SCIENCE WRITER, EDITOR & CONSULTANT
MAGAZINES
COSMOS: The Science of Everything
COSMOS is a science magazine produced in Australia with a global outlook and literary ambitions. Launched in 2005, it won 48 awards under the editorial leadership of Wilson da Silva, including Magazine of the Year (2006 and 2009) and Editor of the Year (2005, 2006 and highly commended in 2010). Writers have included Margaret Wertheim, Jared Diamond, Tim Flannery, Richard Dawkins, Edward O. Wilson, Michio Kaku, Susan Greenfield, Steven Pinker, Paul Davies, Simon Singh and Oliver Sacks.
COSMOS was the brainchild of Wilson da Silva, who co-founded it with Australia's former Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, publishing executive Kylie Ahern and science writer Elizabeth Finkel. The magazine was published by Cosmos Media, a boutique publishing house created by the founders. Da Silva served as editor-in-chief from 2004-2013, followed by Elizabeth Finkel from 2013-2018. In September 2018, COSMOS was acquired by the Royal Institution of Australia, a not-for-profit science media organisation based in Adelaide, and it continues to be published in print and online.
COSMOS iPad edition
Under the Cosmos Media stable, it had 12,000 subscribers, audited print circulation of 26,800 and a readership of 114,000; plus an online audience of 300,000 unique visitors and more than 1 million page views per month; COSMOS also had 25,000 weekly newsletter subscribers and reached 70% of Australian high schools with its education supplements, study guides and teacher's notes. A highly interactive iPad edition launched in 2012 became the world's top-rated science magazine on iTunes by readers and was named by Apple among its 'Best of 2012' apps. Cosmos Media was Australia's first 100% carbon neutral media company and used 100% GreenPower in its operations.