[1] Over 100 students are involved in various aspects of the magazine, including writing, editorial, production, art, multimedia, website, and business.

The Monthly was founded in response to “the rapid growth of the Scientific School, and the important position it was attaining in the affairs of the University",[2] such that "the establishment of a representative undergraduate periodical in the institution would be consistent with the progress along other lines.” [3] One of its main purposes was to be a comfortable medium in which Sheff students could develop their writing skills, something many Sheff graduates had complained to not have done in their undergraduate years.

Senior members of the Sheffield Class of 1895 sought the advice of literary instructors, and certain Sheff faculty, and subsequently formed YSM.

If a member won several heeling competitions, they would be entitled to a “charm.” Board membership was granted upon the attainment of a charm, which was also awarded to select students who consistently contributed quality works to YSM.

The Board of the twentieth volume changed the name to Yale Sheffield Monthly, solidifying the magazine’s altered focus.

It all came to a self-defeating end, however, when the Monthly shut down after its twenty-fourth volume in 1918, due to lack of support from the student body.

They aligned their stated editorial focus with the material they printed and joined forces with the beleaguered Yale Courant, the school’s first illustrated periodical (1865).

In its first issue, Chairman L. Staples explained: “With this issue, the Yale Sheffield Monthly and The Yale Courant erstwhile rivals, unite to publish The Graphic a fortnightly magazine which, we trust, will adequately fill the obvious place in the undergraduate world for an illustrated that will portray campus life as the camera records it.” The Graphic was well-received at first, but within a few years it became clear that there was no variety to be found in subject matter, though the names of the students were changing.

Yale President James Rowland Angell commented that “The Yale Scientific Magazine is an admirable achievement which reflects great credit on the Sheffield Scientific School, and especially on the Board of Editors.” Sheff Dean Charles H. Warren expressed confidence that YSM would “serve as a medium through which the scientific work which is being done in the various departments of the University will be brought to the attention of a larger audience, receive a wider recognition, and awaken a greater interest in this important field of Yale’s intellectual life.

The 1950s also served as a prelude to the burst of biological studies in the 1960s, fueled by Jonas Salk’s polio vaccine, the elucidation of the DNA double helix by Watson and Crick, and other emerging techniques.

In recent years, the magazine has extended operations to other modes of scientific communication, including outreach (Synapse), an online blog (The Scope), as well as webinars.

Synapse regularly hosts competitions, conferences and events that are usually targeted at children and teenagers, to cultivate and support interest in science and journalism.

Synapse hosted virtual events in 2020 and 2021, including science seminars, professor lecture series, and a scholarship contest.

[7] In 2015, YSM launched its blog page, The Scope, which aims to present topics and breakthroughs in science in a simpler, more interesting, and more personal manner.