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A colorized newspaper clipping showing aviator Lawrence Sperry seated in the cockpit of his small biplane, the "Messenger," on the grassy plaza of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.. The aircraft, which has a wingspan of only 20 feet, is shown in profile with the Lincoln Memorial visible in the distant background. Below the image, printed text identifies Sperry as the "American father of the air flivver" and quotes his prediction that a cheap, $150 airplane would soon be common.
Drones

During WWI, a daredevil pilot helped invent the first ‘drones’

Lawrence Sperry’s autopilot proved planes could fly themselves.

By Bill Gourgey

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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

On Couldmonster 3 Hyper Lightspray
Fitness Gear

On’s new LightSpray CloudMonster 3 Hyper running shoe is built by robots in 3 minutes flat

The On LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper running shoe relies on a clever automated production process that makes a lighter, more comfortable sneaker.

By Stan Horaczek

rocks
AI

AI has powerful uses for First Nations oral cultural knowledge

Here’s how.

By Elizabeth Vaughan, Francis Woolagoodja / The Conversation

Minamitorishima island in Pacific Ocean seen from above
Pollution

Japan eyes distant island for nuclear waste dump

Minamitorishima is nearly 1,250 miles east of Tokyo.

By Andrew Paul

pouring olive oil from glass bottle on grey background. close up
Physics

Physicists calculate exactly how long that last drop takes

Patience is a virtue, depending on a liquid’s internal friction.

By Andrew Paul

A side-profile silhouette of a pregnant woman standing against a vibrant pink and orange gradient background.
Diabetes

7 wild ways pregnancy changes your body forever

From bigger feet to separated ab muscles.

By Jennifer Byrne

A worker searches for evidence at Burr Oak Cemetery July 14, 2009 in Alsip, Illinois. Police recently closed the cemetery declaring the site a crime scene after human remains were found on the ground at various locations in the cemetery. Police suspect hundreds of graves could have been dug up in the historic black cemetery over the last several years and the bodies dumped elsewhere on the grounds in order for the gravesites to be resold by the cemetery management. Blues music legend Willie Dixon and civil rights figure Emmett Till are among those buried in the suburban Chicago cemetery. The First Lady's office confirms that Michelle Obama's father, Fraser Robinson, is also buried there. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Environment

Moss helped nab notorious grave-robbers

Botanists say the plant ‘is a little bit freaky.’

By Andrew Paul

Close up of non-dairy cheese made with rice proteins in dish
Agriculture

Rice cheese may be the next big thing

Early test batches contained 12 percent protein.

By Andrew Paul

trees and shrubs are surrounded by a bright yellow weed
Agriculture

Weed that smells like paint thinner takes over Arizona

Stinknet is an invasive weed that can disperse thousands of seeds at a time.

By Laura Baisas

Astronaut Loren J. Shriver, Mission Commander of STS-46, attempts to eat floating sweets on the flight deck of the shuttle Atlantis during its orbit of the earth, August 1992. (Photo by Space Frontiers/Getty Images)
NASA

Artemis II astronauts will eat a lot of tortillas on their trip to the moon

NASA offers a look at the menu for this historic 10-day mission.

By Andrew Paul

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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.
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