Popular Science. Demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872.

4 coffee myths debunked by science
Dark roast isn’t stronger and coffee doesn’t dehydrate you.

The foul-mouthed cockatoo that lived to 120
Plus a whale pee conveyer belt and other weird things we learned this week.

Rachel Feltman
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.

8,000-pound sloths once roamed North America. Where’d they go?
The extinct mammals were about five times larger than a grizzly bear–and filled caves with their poop.

Archeologists are taking to the high seas in Viking ships
Greer Jarrett’s voyages point to unexpected trade routes used by Scandinavian seafarers.

How pungent poop could help Antarctica’s penguins
The gases in penguin poop–or guano–can help form cooling clouds.

Florida man rigs drone to save drowning teen
A fast-thinking shark fisherman lashed a life preserver to the device.

Do I really need to wear sunscreen every day? We asked dermatologists.
‘The best sunscreen is one that you’re willing to apply and reapply.’

Dogs can fulfill our need to nurture
‘Contrary to popular belief, only a small minority of dog owners actually treat their pets like human children.’

143,000 people teamed up to tie the world’s top chess player
‘Magnus vs. The World’ saw the living legend draw after 46 days and 32 moves.
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