Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 1290)

Glowing galactic center located near a supermassive black hole

Sure, chimps and dolphins are smart. But did you know about the terrifyingly intelligent Komodo dragon, the paranoid squirrel, or the insect supervillain Portia labiata?

The 'biggest breakthrough since the jet' could reach anywhere in the world in just four hours or power a spaceplane into orbit with no need for rocket stages.

Britain's Environmental Agency is taking a keen interest in housing technology that embraces flooding rather than fights it.

Physicists need love, too. Just ask Paul Frampton, the physics professor who was sentenced recently after an alleged scam involving drugs and a bikini model.

To deduce how and when the Earth was formed, we need to know exactly what it's made of.

You've been slacking since 1901, Paris.

Particle collisions are turning up unexpected quantum weirdness.

A new three-year study shows students learn mathematics faster and more effectively when their real desktops are more like multi-user virtual desktops.

A new report takes an in-depth dive into citizen science. Enlisting non-scientists, the researchers say, could revolutionize how we collect data.

Or maybe an aerial drone. The LA Auto Show's annual Design Challenge suggests the patrol car of the future is optionally manned, self-driving, and armed with autonomous robots.

How do we know the sun is moving into the most active part of its 11-year cycle? For starters, we can plainly see it.

A so-called "bed bug pill" has been in the news. Is it for real?

The PopSci staff will be out of the office the rest of this week so we can spend some time with our families. (We'll miss you, too.) In the meantime, enjoy our favorite posts from this week.

A mixture of plain water, nanoparticles, and sunlight can convert water into steam without ever even bringing it to a boil

Kappa And b could be a super-Jupiter, or it could be a brown dwarf--the exoplanet orbiting a nearby star is so big scientists aren't quite sure what to call it.

"One for the history books," says Curiosity's chief investigator

The Great Twinkie Panic of 2012 seems to be over, but we were worried. Is it possible, in case of need, to craft scientifically authentic Twinkies at home?

Infrasonic sound can have very unusual non-auditory effects on the body. But does it kill?

Remotely operated excavators for mining in the abyss