Popular Science. Demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872.
100 years ago, the battle for television raged
How fire and rivalry shaped broadcasting’s debut.
A 13th-century schoolboy’s doodles show that kids have always been like that
Plus 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.
Scientists are redefining time itself, starting with the second
Switching to optical clocks would have cascading ripple effects from meteorology to basic physics.
Shipwreck over a mile deep has centuries’ old artifacts—and modern garbage
The wreckage is likely the deepest ever found in French waters.
Weedy seadragons in the running for nature’s best dads
At least 20 hatchlings, or frys, were born in an Ohio aquarium in time for Father’s Day.
Bacteria will turn to murder if they get hungry enough
‘When things get tough, you eat your neighbors.’
Researchers create most human-like robot skin yet
A hydrogel-based hand was poked, prodded, burned, and slashed to help robots ‘feel.’
Here’s how to generate a truly random number with quantum physics
CURBy is available online and free to use.
Archeologists uncover royal tomb tied to the real King Midas
It didn’t include any gold, but the discovery has a lot to tell us about this ancient dynasty.
Escaped river otter takes his destiny into his own (tiny) hands
‘We believe he has made the decision to be a wild otter.’
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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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