Popular Science. Demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872.
You should start taking “Fart Walks”
The name may inspire snickers, but the benefits are no joke.
Chicago’s rat hole wasn’t made by a rat
Plus a retirement home for penguins 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.
Latest Articles
How are dark matter and antimatter different?
While scientists understand antimatter fairly well, they still have lots of questions about dark matter.
12 ethereal images from the 2025 Northern Lights Photographer of the Year awards
The aurora danced across the skies of Iceland, New Zealand, Estonia, and more this year.
I study rat nests − here’s why rodents make great archivists
The scraps rats stash in walls and attics can preserve centuries-old artifacts.
Tour the International Space Station in new NASA walkthrough
The new video highlights the (cramped) life aboard the ISS.
Squirrels can find 85% of the nuts they hide
Our furry neighbors use a whole toolkit to locate their caches during the winter.
How we unlocked the secrets of Denmark’s oldest plank boat–with the help of an ancient fingerprint
Chemical analysis of boat tar and a preserved fingerprint reveal how far Iron Age warriors traveled by sea.
Browse a 3D map of the world’s 2.75 billion buildings
GlobalBuildingAtlas includes almost every habitable structure on Earth.
The magic of making candy canes by hand
How the candy makers at Hammond’s Candies have made the sweet treats for over 100 years.
Popular Science Cover Art Store
Own a piece of science history.
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.
Meet the team
Our writers and editors
