bugs

11.21.09

New Uncrawlable Material for Household Surfaces Gives Cockroaches the Slip

By Susannah F. Locke Posted 10.12.2009 at 11:01 pm 2 Comments

A new coating turns insects' sticky climbing feet into a slippery mess, and could be the future of pest repellent, according to a new research paper. You hear that, bugs? If you can't crawl up my kitchen counter from the floor, you can't go waving your disgusting antennae all over my pizza, you insects-who-shall-not-be-named of apartment horror.

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READ MORE ABOUT > bugs, cockroaches, household, insects, inventions, materials, surfaces

Network of Wi-Fi-Enabled Cyborg Insects Hunts Down WMDs

A wireless network allows electronically enhanced bugs to chirp, tweet, and blog (some day!) about weapons they find

By Dan Smith Posted 06.17.2009 at 12:27 pm 8 Comments

In its attempts to quash weapons of mass destruction, the Pentagon has been trying novel ways to track down dangerous materiel. For years, DARPA has been trying to train insects and bugs to sniff out toxic substances, providing more sensitive detection, as well as access that conventional sensors might not have.

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READ MORE ABOUT > bugs, darpa, defense, insects, military news, P2P, peer-to-peer, Wi-Fi, wireless networks, WMD

DIY From the Archives: A Humane Bug Zapper From 1971

Build an indoor insect trap from our August, 1971 issue, fully updated for today (just in time for summer)

By Joel Barnard Posted 05.27.2009 at 3:25 pm 1 Comment

Our third updated DIY project from the Popular Science digital archives involves luring and then trapping bugs that have managed to find their way inside your house--a truly universal problem. Follow along as we update a circa-1971 trap for today's smarter, more intelligent insects for less than $20.

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READ MORE ABOUT > bugs, DIY Archives, diy projects, home improvement project, Popsci Archives, summer