Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 128)

Circa 1940, An assortment of fake plastic eyeballs with rayon veins for realism. (Photo by FPG/Getty Images)
Health

The ancient art and intimate craft of artificial eyes

Eye makers for millennia have been trying to re-create the expressionist power of the human body’s most complex and emotionally meaningful visible organ.

Billy Joel in the 1970s wearing a New York Yankees baseball cap, aviator sunglasses, a leather jacket, jeans, and worn-out tennis shoes. He’s napping casually on an airplane with retro orange seats and warm-toned walls ranging from orange to yellow. The seat in front of him has been folded over so he can stretch up with his legs up on the folded seat. Behind him, a passenger with glasses is reading, while another passenger in front is smoking a cigarette.
Aviation

15 fascinating photos of flying through the decades

From free-standing wicker chairs to supersonic lobster dinners.

Image of comet taken by Hubble Space Telescope
Sun

Fastest comet ever recorded comes from beyond our solar system

Astronomers clocked the ancient ice rock at 130,000 mph.

Segway Xyber ebike
Outdoor Gear

Segway Xyber review: The e-bike that forgot it’s an e-bike

Is it a motorcycle? A dirt bike? A Furiosa-worthy escape vehicle? Technically, it’s an e-bike—but the Segway Xyber blows through all the normal expectations.

Wooden shipwreck timber on river shore
Archaeology

A pirate ship that exploded in 1748 may have finally been found

Grad students accidentally discovered the wreckage in North Carolina.

an injured owl with wide eyes
Birds

Throwing food out of your car can kill owls

Wildlife rescuers saved a concussed baby owl after he was likely hit by an automobile.

Grosse Steckmuschel, Pinna nobilis, Les Ferranelles, Medes Inseln, Costa Brava, Mittelmeer, Spanien | Noble Pen Shell, Pinna nobilis, Les Ferranelles, Medes Islands, Costa Brava, Mediterranean Sea, Spain
Environment

From waste to wonder: Revival of ancient Roman ‘golden fiber’ with pen shells

Researchers successfully extracted golden 'Sea Silk' from a common seafood byproduct.

a stream of lightning touches the ground with sunlight in the background
Weather

Lightning can kill you even if it’s sunny

'Bolts from the blue’ can strike long after a storm has passed.

Black Gabrylly chairs on a blue background
Peripherals

This editor-approved desk chair is 30% off during Amazon’s back-to-school flash sale

Get more cushion for your spine and your budget with this deal on one of our value picks for best office chair.

Close up of older man using eye drops
Diseases

Bye bye, bifocals? New eye drops can fix farsightedness

The FDA approved the first-of-its-kind prescription treatment to release later this year.

Pompeii street and building ruins on sunny day
Archaeology

After Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii’s ruins housed survivors, wanderers, and treasure hunters

Romans didn't completely abandon the ruins—but it didn’t sound pleasant.

archaeolgists digging in a cave in spain
Archaeology

‘Wartime cannibalism’ unearthed in prehistoric Spanish cave

These people weren’t starving—the 5,700-year-old bones tell a darker story of control.

Artist illustration of supermassive black hole surrounded by cloud of red and yellow gas
Black Holes

Oldest black hole ever seen is 300 million times bigger than our sun

Don't let the 'Little Red Dot' fool you.

Close up view of a woman wearing colorful striped socks while relaxing on a sofa at home.
Health

The dirty truth about what’s in your socks

Bacteria, fungi and whatever lives between your toes.

Cropped shot of an unrecognisable man walking through the city in the morning
Fitness & Exercise

No, you don’t need 10,000 steps a day

The 10,000 steps goal originated as a 1960s marketing strategy.

The best office chairs for 2025, tested and reviewed
Peripherals

The best office chairs for 2025, tested and reviewed

Whether working on-site, at home, or at school, these premium perches allow you to do so with the utmost comfort and style.

Robot and man with exposed brain face to face in spotlight, human vs artificial intelligence
Mental Health

Illinois’ ban on AI therapy won’t stop people from asking chatbots for help

Americans are turning to AI for mental health support; sometimes with dangerous consequences.

Artist illustration of a white dwarf colliding into a larger yellow star
Sun

Cosmic bumper stars forge rare, hefty white dwarf

WD 0525+526 is about 130 light-years away from Earth.

Norselaspis illustration
Fish

A googly-eyed fish could upend evolutionary history

The cartoonish-looking Norselaspis had the ‘heart of a shark under the skin of a lamprey.’

two french bulldogs with black fur and white bellies
Dogs

Your Frenchie’s squishy face might shape their personality

French bulldogs, pugs, and other short-nosed breeds may be innately calm—but will only stay so if they’re properly trained.