Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 134)

a side by side of a rare gold coin from 1870
Archaeology

Rare California Gold Rush coin fetches $1.44 million at auction

The $20 piece was struck at the Carson City Mint in 1870.

Modern bike helmets are made through complex materials engineering.
Technology

How bike helmets have improved over the past two centuries

From using plant rinds to high-tech materials.

an astronaut on a spacewalk in a full spacesuit takes a selfie with earth in the background
International Space Station

Six months in space is not that bad for your brain

In a new NASA study, there were no signs of major cognitive impairment.

stone walls separating several small houses in ireland
Evolution

Scottish, Irish, and Northern English better at detecting fake accents

‘Very specific differences in language, dialect and accents have emerged over time, and that's a fascinating side of language evolution.’

SpaceX Starship launching on fifth test flight
Space X

The SpaceX Starship is so loud, it may kill birds

‘We are talking about levels that people found unacceptable before.’

Aerial view of brine ponds and processing areas of the lithium mine of the Chilean company SQM (Sociedad Quimica Minera) in the Atacama Desert, Calama, Chile, on September 12, 2022.
Environment

‘Everything has a cost:’ High-tech products and the new era of mineral mining

New iPhones and Teslas come with an insatiable demand for lithium and other 'critical metals.'

Aurora MK-II rocket plane above Earth
Aviation

Watch the first commercial supersonic test flight in over 20 years

Dawn Aerospace wants its Aurora MK-II to usher in a new age of rocket-powered planes.

a silver coin minted before the american revolution. one side has the letters NE on it for new england and the other has the roman numeral 3 for its value
Archaeology

Colonial silver coin found in cabinet sells for $2.5 million

The 1652 Massachusetts threepence predates the American Revolution by over a century.

BLUEAIR Mini Air Purifier on a plain white background.
Home

Grab Blueair’s Mini Air Purifier for its lowest price ever with this early Black Friday deal

You don't have to wait until Black Friday proper to get this great air purifier for less than $50 at Amazon.

the sound of your own voice
Ask Us Anything

Why do people hate the sound of their own voice?

The biology and psychology behind the disconnect.

This image of a Taurid fireball was taken in 2014 by NASA’s All Sky Fireball Network in Tullahoma, Tenn.
Space

The pseudoscience clouding the Taurid meteor shower

It obscures a potential real threat from space.

Four pairs of slippers laid out next to each other in a cutout pattern
Home

The best heated slippers in 2025

When the big chill moves in, heated slippers guarantee you’ll be comfy from top to bottom.

The best wired headphones of 2024 on a plain white background.
Earbuds

The best wired headphones in 2025, tested and reviewed

If you’re looking to upgrade your personal listening this year, these are the top headphones for the hear and now.

A lineup of the best space heaters on a white background
Home

The best space heaters in 2025

Space heaters are efficient, safe, and powerful, keeping you warm and cozy no matter the weather (or the state of your furnace).

An eye and arms of an octopus. The small dots visible around the eye are the chromatophores.
Science

For octopuses, changing colors is hard work

Cephalopod camouflage is serious metabolic business.

Various images of Bes mugs
Archaeology

Ancient Egyptian ritual potion included hallucinogens and bodily fluids

The drink was served in cups shaped like the head of Bes.

The best audiophile headphones on a plain white background.
Headphones

The best headphones for audiophiles in 2025, tested and reviewed

Take your listening to the next level with these high-performance audiophile headphones.

Amazon Prime packages near a doorway.
Home

Now is the best time to get a free Amazon Prime trial for holiday shopping

Get your gifts as quickly as the day after you place an order and without paying a dime.

An illustration of two Skiphosoura bavarica in flight.
Evolution

New pterosaur species sliced through the air with a sword-like tail

Skiphosoura bavarica was about the size of a modern golden eagle.

This fluorescence image shows chloroplasts (magenta colored) successfully incorporated into the hamster cells, with other features of the animal cell also highlighted (nuclei in light blue and organelles in yellow-green).
Biology

Bioengineers made mutant, solar-powered hamster cells

'Planimal' cell photosynthesis could be 'game-changing' for lab-grown cultures.