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A close-up photograph of a Halobates, an ocean water strider, resting on the surface of the water. The insect has a long, slender dark body and very thin, wire-like legs that create slight indentations on the water's surface tension. Its reflection is visible on the surface, and the background is a soft, out-of-focus light blue and white.
Evolution

Do any bugs live in the ocean? Short answer: Not really.

Crustaceans and insects share a common ancestor, but bugs are happier on land.

By Andrew Coletti

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Having to pee makes you scientifically better at video games

Plus what space smells like and other weird things we learned this week.

Rachel Feltman

Rachel Feltman

Host

At Popular Science, we report and write dozens of stories every week. And while a lot of the fun facts we stumble across make it into our articles, there are lots of other weird facts that we just keep around the office. So we figured, why not share those with you? Welcome to The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week.

Latest Articles

Artist’s conception of a magnetar surrounded by an accretion disk that is wobbling, or precessing, because of the effects of general relativity. Some models of magnetars suggest that high-speed jets of charged particles emanate from the magnetar along its rotation axis.
Black Holes

For the first time, astronomers witnessed the birth of a ‘magnetar’

These fast spinning, magnetic neutron stars may power some of the brightest supernovae in the cosmos.

By Andrew Paul

a screenshot of a website showing a human brain, heart, colon, lung, kidney, prostate, placenta, and liver
Medicine

Explore the human body in stunning, 3D detail with a new online tool

The free Human Organ Atlas gives users an up-close-and-personal look at 56 human organs.

By Laura Baisas

Bathymetric view of USS Monitor, looking at the stern of the wreck with the boilers and inner framework of the armor belt captured by Northrop Grumman using μSAS™.
Navy

Civil War shipwreck remains in ‘fantastic’ shape on ocean floor

The USS Monitor was an ironclad ship nicknamed a ‘Yankee cheesebox.’

By Andrew Paul

a grizzly bear stands on a bison carcass
Bears

Yellowstone’s first grizzly bear of 2026 emerges from his den

After months without food, he’s hungry.

By Laura Baisas

A close-up photograph of a young child with blonde hair smiling broadly, revealing several missing front baby teeth. The child is playfully covering their eyes with both hands, with a plain grey wall in the background.
Mental Health

Why do we even have baby teeth?

Those temporary chompers actually play an important role.

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

a hedgehog
Wildlife

Scientists suggest modifying cars to hit fewer hedgehogs

Placing ultrasound repellants on cars could protect the spiny mammals.

By Margherita Bassi

A newly described African species in the magic mushroom family confirms its evolutionary origin. Psilocybe ochraceocentrata is found growing on cattle dung in the grasslands of southern Africa and Zimbabwe.
Biology

New psychedelic fungus rewrites origins of magic mushrooms

The fungi prefer to grow in cow dung.

By Andrew Paul

Miniature 3D printed TV airing an episode of The Simpsons
Social Media

3D-printed TV from ‘The Simpsons’ plays actual episodes

The tiny DIY replica even boots up the classic arcade game from 1991.

By Andrew Paul

two parrots with red, green, and blue feathers sitting in a tree
Birds

Ancient Andean parrot trade route stretched over 300 miles

The sophisticated network crossed mountains in Peru and pre-dates the Inca Empire.

By Laura Baisas

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Popular Science has been demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872. We explain the inner workings of the phone in your pocket, explore world-changing innovations, and examine everything from the marvels of deep space to the secret lives of staples like bread. We deliver an engaging, approachable, and inclusive look at emerging technologies and scientific advances.
Daily, Popular Science unpacks the science behind the top current new stories, dissects the latest technology and digital trends, and helps readers live smarter, safer, and happier through clever DIY projects.

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