Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 142)

A buoy equipped with MarineLabs’ sensors endures rough weather near Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Sensors from MarineLabs and other companies—such as Axys Technologies, based in Sidney, British Columbia—can help fill gaps in the federal government’s coastal weather monitoring system, which has seen key stations go offline for months at a time.
AI

Marine weather forecasts are getting an AI upgrade

Machine learning systems—powered by new data—are taking some of the guesswork out of maritime safety.

Side by side of mummy entering CT scanner with two images of a mummy's skull scan
Archaeology

3D scans reveal secrets of a 3,000-year-old Egyptian mummy’s coffin

Experts long wondered how Lady Chenet-aa was placed in her cartonnage.

a rare dime in a protective case. it is missing the “S” that indicates it was struck at the San Francisco mint.
Science

Ultra-rare dime sells for $506,250

The coin from 1975 was kept in storage for 40 years.

Silhouette of a loving couple hugging and kissing at sunset on the beach.
Wildlife

The origins of kissing may have a lot to do with body hair

A new hypothesis argues the romantic gesture had utilitarian purposes for our early ancestors.

a bat with brown, black, and white fur and open eyes
Land

Robert Battinson, Batlor Swift, and more face off in Bat Beauty Contest

Cast your vote in the Bureau of Land Management’s spooky annual competition.

Beats Solo 4 headphones in a tiled configuration.
Headphones

The newest Beats headphones are 50% off at Amazon right now

You don't have to wait until a major shopping holiday to get a great deal.

Hydra vulgaris.
Animals

Are any animals truly ‘immortal’? These creatures defy biological time.

From tiny jellyfish to one-ton sharks, some animals subvert scientific expectations about aging and death.

Janet Leigh screaming during iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho.'
Ask Us Anything

Why do jump scares terrify us so much? Blame evolution.

Here's how 'nonlinear noise' makes our hearts pound.

The best travel telescopes on a plain white background.
Gear

The best travel telescopes

These travel telescopes will help you take your stargazing with you no matter how far you roam from home.

A ribosome in action. As messenger RNA passes through the ribosome (center left), other RNA molecules (bottom left) bring in amino acids that match the instructions in the mRNA. These amino acids are then joined together into a new protein (top right). But might these trusty little protein-making workhorses come in more than one flavor?
Biology

When ribosomes go rogue

Unusual variations in the cellular protein factory can skew development, help cancer spread and more. But ribosome variety may also play biological roles, scientists say.

Although fin whales are the second-largest animals on Earth—stretching up to 27 meters long—they are sometimes misidentified as smaller minke whales.
Whales

The coming collision between whales and tankers on British Columbia’s coast

Decades after they were hunted to local extinction, fin whales are recovering in the Kitimat fjord system—only to be threatened by a booming LNG industry.

a black race car on a track in front of a hill
Vehicles

Pirelli’s ‘Cyber Tire’ technology uses a tiny sensor to transmit big data 

The lightweight in-tire system can tell the car how to react for safety and efficiency. 

hand holding a phone with emergency sos feature open
Tech Hacks

How to use the emergency satellite features on Google Pixel and iPhone

If you're stranded without a signal, here's what to do.

screenshot of rufus working
Tech Hacks

How to use Rufus AI to shop smarter on Amazon

Get shopping recommendations, product details, and more.

a polavision camera and tapes on a table
Popular Science Videos

‘I traveled 8,000 miles for the camera that killed Polaroid’

Nearly 50 years ago, the Polavision camera blended the company's revolutionary instant film with on-demand home video.

‘The Haunted Lane,’ a stereoscope card from L.M. Melander & Bro., 1875.
Photography

Victorian ghost photographs amused viewers with spooky thrills

The history behind the stereoscopic specters.

two photos: on the left a cat shelter made from campaign signs. on the right: a tabby cat in grass
Projects

How to upcycle campaign signs into cat shelters

When the election ends, don't trash your signs.

Microwave Oven close up shot. microwave is open with 57 seconds on clock
Life Skills

You need to clean your microwave more often. Here’s how.

Seriously, wipe off last week's microwaved soup.

Sensors spread throughout the garden will measure the garden soil for changes in temperature, moisture, and other environmental factors.
AI

AI helps plants tell you when they are thirsty

England’s Royal Horticultural Society will use Microsoft-powered AI to help create an 'intelligent garden' visitors can speak with.

A tiny home made using the nacelle casing from a wind turbine
Renewables

Recycled wind turbines may one day become tiny homes and floating playgrounds

Futuristic concepts give new life to retired nacelle casings and turbine blades.