Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 119)

'Eric the Robot' in 1930.
Robots

In 1928, Eric the Robot promised the robo-butler of the future

'The mechanical man ... will rid humanity of much drudgery and thousands of congenial tasks.'

child got vaccine and is healthy
Science

Vaccine misinformation threatens public health

A biochemist explains how dubious claims from politicians distorts science.

a black and white photograph of NASA mission control. several men are sitting at various screens and work stations
NASA

On Christmas Eve 1968, millions watched the Apollo 8 astronauts broadcast from space

Their message to ‘all of you on the good Earth’ endures.

The Chinese ship, the bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 is anchored and being monitored by a Danish naval patrol vessel (unseen) in the sea of Kattegat, near the City og Granaa in Jutland, Denmark, on November 20, 2024. Denmark's navy said on November 20, 2024 it was shadowing a Chinese cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea, a day after Finland and Sweden opened investigations into suspected sabotage of two severed undersea telecoms cables.
Internet

The mystery surrounding two severed Baltic subsea internet cables is getting murkier

‘Nobody believes that these cables were severed by accident.’

Aerial shot of Viking grave site
Archaeology

Viking women’s gravesites unearthed to find jewelry, coins, and a ‘vulva stone’

'From a research perspective, this is a small treasure trove.’

Boston Dynamics wishes you a merry terrifying robot Christmas in new video
Robots

Boston Dynamics wishes you a merry terrifying robot Christmas in new video

The videos prove the new, slimmer Atlas has some of the same acrobatic abilities as its beefier predecessor.

An adult female chimpanzee cracks an oil palm nut with a stone hammer and anvil while her infant son looks at the camera.
Wildlife

Some chimpanzees are great nutcrackers

The primates use stone tools to crack into nutritious nuts with a range of results.

an SUV rides off road on dirt
Vehicles

Nissan’s revitalized Armada has cameras so comprehensive, you can (almost) drive blindfolded

The 360-degree cameras are just one way Nissan reworked its engineering with an off-road focus.

The first brown dwarfs outside the Milky Way.
Space Telescope

Swirling galaxy arms, a cosmic sombrero, and a dead supernova: Our favorite JWST images from 2024

Look back at the best views the powerful NASA space telescope captured.

Scientists are studying squirrels and hibernation that could help humans get to deep space
Deep Space

Hibernation scientists studying squirrels could get humans to deep space

The biological phenomenon borders on sci-fi.

In open-net-pen aquaculture, marine life is raised in nets suspended in the ocean. It involves a lot of equipment that needs to be removed when the work is done.
Environment

The destructive legacy of failed aquaculture

Removing abandoned infrastructure is challenging, time-consuming, and costly.

screensaver options on apple
DIY

​​Is there any reason to use a screensaver anymore?

Screensavers don't need to be practical anymore.

black caviar
Fish

Caviar pizzas, new money, and the death of an ancient fish

Fancy fish eggs have become the latest luxury good to go viral on social media, raising questions about the future of sturgeon.

Chaunacops fish with 2024 Look Back article headline
Archaeology

Ghost ships to ghost sharks: 10 wildest underwater discoveries of 2024

Don't forget grumpy fish.

a svalbard reindeer with antlers standing on muddy terrain
Wildlife

Shorter, fatter, and hairier: 5 fun facts about the world’s smallest reindeer

Svalbard reindeer are only found on this archipelago in Norway.

a glacier hiker climbs in the foreground with a headlamp as a rainbow colored aurora dances above
Space

11 sensational images from the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year awards

The celestial light show dazzled in 2024.

Image from the “Flows” series, by the visual poet Andrew Topel, 2021. This poem was made by fitting a text to undulating computer-generated geometries.
AI

The living history and surprising diversity of computer-generated text

Selections from "Output," an anthology showcasing seven decades of English-language machine-generated texts, long predating ChatGPT.

Modern eco home illustration. Building modern design. Energy conservation and wind turbine. Flat vector linear illustration. Tree and bushes. Trendy line style vector.
Home

6 easy ways to make your home more sustainable

You don’t have to tear it all down and start again to make your home more environmentally-friendly.

Stonehenge in Wiltshire of the Great Britain. It is a prehistoric monument, in Wiltshire in South West England. It is under protection of UNESCO.
Archaeology

Archeologists think they solved a 4,500-year-old Stonehenge mystery

Stonehenge may have served as a community-building DIY project.

PC top view. Hands of user. Modern desktop computer with keyboard and mouse. Personal computer screen top view. Wireless input devices. Vector illustration in flat style
Tech Hacks

How to add Google Drive to your computer (and why you should)

Get to your cloud storage files more quickly on Windows or macOS.