Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 16)

a baby penguin chick with fuzzy gray feathers sits on a pink towel
Birds

New ‘desert’ penguin chick arrives in Seattle

Humboldt penguins are not at home on the ice.

two bald eagles
Birds

Jackie the bald eagle is ‘unstable’

'Her overall condition remains extremely serious.'

The big light
Projects

Fix your terrible overhead lights—no electrician required

The "big light" doesn't have to suck

a tiger shark attacks a sea turtle
Wildlife

16 gorgeous images from the 2026 Aerial Photographer of the Year Awards

Our world looks different from above.

View of The Mall section of Central Park during autumn in New York City lined with American elm trees.
Land

Killing trees to save the forest

The deadly experiment that could save the American elm.

a moth flying up to a white flower
Insects

These furry moths smell with their wings

Tobacco hawkmoths may use these tiny hairs to find a place to lay their eggs.

A vintage photograph of a man in a large coat and walking stick in a rocky landscape.
Land

In the 1890s, the U.S. hired a team of globe-trotting plant hunters

Thank these plant explorers for your avocado toast, mango smoothies, and pistachios.

Patagonia summer sale
Outdoor Gear

Grab rare deals on Patagonia apparel, outerwear, and bags during this massive site-wide summer sale

Grab some shorts for summer, a parka for winter, and a bag that you'll use all year for discounted prices during this rare Patagonia sale.

Molten yellow surface with hill on black background.
Space

Why is Venus hotter than Mercury, when Mercury is closer to the Sun?

At one point, Venus would've looked a lot like Earth—until the Sun got even brighter.

Two bird figurines carved from ivory found at the site of Hohle Fels Cave, approximately 40,000 years old.
Archaeology

Ice Age bird figurines discovered in German cave

The roughly 40,000-year-old figures show that humans were already watching bird behavior

Hands holding two iPhone 17 models
Technology

There’s a brand new way to buy an iPhone, and here’s whether it’s worth your time and money

You can now take advantage of Apple Upgrade—but should you?

Segway HT inventor, founder, Chairman and CEO Dean Kamen (center) demonstrates his New Personal Transporter on December 18, 2001 to Delphi Automotive Systems’ President, Chairman, and CEO J.T. Battenberg (right) at Delphi’s headquarters in Troy, Michigan. On the left is J. Douglas Field, Segway Company’s Chief Engineer. Battenberg said the Segway HT is going to simplify personal travel in places that are impractical for automobiles.
Engineering

Paul Blart Mall Cop’s revenge: How dorky Segways power today’s scooters

The device that was supposed to revolutionize was both 'too ambitious and not ambitious enough.’

a bald eagle on a nest
Birds

Jackie the bald eagle’s blood values drop again, still in critical condition

‘Every decision we make is guided first and foremost by her medical condition, her welfare, and what is truly in her best interest.’

NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft, depicted in this artist’s concept, has enough power to continue operating three science instruments in interstellar space longer than anticipated thanks to some clever engineering by the mission team.
Deep Space

NASA successfully gives Voyager 2 another year of life

Engineers employed a 'Big Bang' maneuver to keep the power flowing on the 49-year-old spacecraft.

a baby sea turtle in the sand
Wildlife

What to do if you find a baby turtle

Turtle mothers will try to overcome any obstacle to reach their nesting site.

Close up of ancient Roman stone tablet inscribed with tax corruption decree
Archaeology

In ancient Rome, tax fraud was punishable by death

Stone tablets recount a corruption case so widespread that it became a capital offense in 480 CE.

An illustration of a cosmorama, taken from the women's magazine, La Belle Assemblee.
Engineering

19th century real estate agents used ‘peepshow’ technology to sell glitzy mansions

Cosmoramas were an 1840s version of Zillow—but with paintings.

a small shore bird with white, grey, and black feathers with orange legs and an orange beak
Birds

Piping plover beats the odds after losing feet in fishing line

Phoenix the Footless scurries around the beaches of Florida and Maine like any other bird.

TP-Link networking gear deals
Computers

Amazon just dropped prices on TP-link routers, mesh systems, and networking gear, but the deals won’t last

Get a new router for your home for as low as $49 during this flash sale on TP-link networking gear.

a sub adult eagle sitting on a nest
Birds

Outside eagle spotted on Jackie and Shadow’s nest

Don’t panic, it’s normal