Popular Science. Demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872.
The mysterious dancing plague that killed people in 1518
An uncontrollable urge to dance overcame hundreds of people in medieval Strasbourg.
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New comet accidentally discovered by space telescope
The ‘happy coincidence’ is currently more than 807 million miles from Earth.
Scientist tattoos himself with disappearing ink
The dye appears only after exposure to UV light.
Roman child’s grave contains coin to pay afterlife entry fee
The 1,750-year-old remains were unearthed under a construction site in Bulgaria.
Why haven’t farm animals evolved against humans?
A biologist explains why there won’t be a chicken uprising anytime soon.
Expert ‘bat wranglers’ put GPS trackers on California’s bats
These winged mammals can cover a lot of ground during their seasonal migrations.
Wash your hands. There’s probably poop on them.
They may look clean, but not from a microbial perspective.
Fifty billion seedlings: Can Ethiopia replant its ravaged forests?
A legacy of deforestation has left Ethiopia struggling with more intense flooding and drought. The country is trying to restore its native forests through one of the world’s most ambitious and well-funded tree-planting campaigns, but such projects in other nations have often fallen short.
New water lily can be seen from space
A chance Instagram post led to a big discovery in Colombia.
WhatsApp like a pro with these 7 expert tricks and hidden features
There’s lots to dig into in this hugely popular messaging app.
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