Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 178)

A US Navy officer releases a weather balloon over the Atlantic Ocean in 2009. Today, the United States launches around 76,600 balloons annually to gather high-altitude weather data on air temperature, pressure, and humidity.
Conservation

Weather forecasting is deadly for marine wildlife

Latex balloons designed to collect high-altitude data become a threat to marine animals after they burst—though the scale of their impact remains unknown.

TK
Health

Could Ozempic and similar drugs be used to treat substance use disorders?

More research is needed, but a study with alcohol and opioid users is promising.

surgical equipment on table
Biology

Autopsy of 78-year-old man reveals he had three penises

This is the first documented adult case of triphallia.

a blue whale skeleton on display at a museum
Biology

Blue whale skeleton still leaking oil, 26 years after death

The skeleton named KOBO is on display at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Four of the best mice for MacBook Pro shown on a white background
PC Gaming

The best mice for MacBook Pro

Take a break from the trackpad with these powerful and customizable Mac mice.

Axiom and Prada designed a custom white fabric that can protect astronauts from extreme heat and dangerous lunar dust.
Space

How Prada’s fancy Artemis III spacesuits work

Increased fabric flexibility and heavy-duty life support systems make Apollo-era space suits look like relics.

Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell scaling Devil's Climb in Alaska
Land

Rock climbing legend Alex Honnold talks his Devil’s Climb, Google Maps, and biking with wild horses

'It’ll send you… across pastures and cow fields and through private property.'

a musuem exhibit with a dinosaur skeleton. a picture of actor jeff goldblum saying "that is a one big pile of poop" is in the lower left.
Biology

The Poozeum: Fossilized bug farts, T. rex poop, and more ancient coprolites

These specimens can tell us a lot about dinosaur diets.

A farmer promotes taro through a live webcast in a field in Suqian, Jiangsu province, China, on Sept. 9, 2024.
Internet

Farms to fame: How China’s rural influencers are redefining country life

China’s countryside is emerging as an unlikely epicenter of viral content.

Sierra Space TCPS machine
International Space Station

ISS astronauts to test trash compactor that’s basically WALL-E

Sierra Space’s machine can also recycle water from the garbage.

The best smart rings in 2024 on a plain white background.
Fitness Gear

The best smart rings

Smart rings provide high-tech, low-profile data collection that prioritizes a fashion-forward design.

Researcher testing sensors and weights for fatigue monitoring
AI

Wearable sensors monitor factory worker fatigue in real time

Researchers hope predictive machine learning can help prevent injuries on the job.

An architect's rendering of what Kairos' first demonstration mini nuclear reactor will look like when it's completed.
Energy

Google bets big on ‘mini’ nuclear reactors to feed its AI demands

Google says the agreement could 'unlock the full potential of AI for everyone.'

Moflin robot pet
AI

Casio thinks an AI-powered furball can replace your pet

Moflin the wiggling robot is ‘always by your side in your heart.’

An illustration showing an imposing fully-grown male Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus wandering India’a Kashmir Valley, 400,000 years ago, towering over a herd of Central Asian red deer. In the distance, a small band of prehistoric humans set up a campfire to cook their meal.
Evolution

Mysterious elephant species uncovered with 87 prehistoric stone tools

A new analysis of this 400,000-year-old skull fills in missing branches on the elephant evolutionary tree.

The surface of Europa – one of Jupiter’s moons – is a thick layer of solid ice.
Space

Europa Clipper is one of two missions on their way to see if Jupiter’s moons could support life

Jupiter’s moons hide giant subsurface oceans.

a small frog with light green coloring and dark spots sits on a green leaf
Land

Seven new frog species named for their ‘Star Trek’-esque calls

B. kirki, B. picardi, B. siskoi, B. janewayae, B. archeri, B. pikei, and B. burnhamae live in Madagascar's rainforests.

man stands behind large pumpkin with scarecrow
Agriculture

Gargantuan pumpkin could flavor 74,794 pumpkin spice lattes

We have a four-time champion in this annual gigantic gourd competition.

green old car parked on the street
Vehicles

Bentley used original design drawings to meticulously recreate its 1930 Speed Six

What’s old is new again with this continuation, meticulously designed crafted just like the original.

Armenian sapphire (muscari armeniacum) flowers closeup. Shallow depth of field.
Life Skills

How to revamp your lawn’s reputation with bulbs

Goodbye, boring green grass. Hello, pollinator-friendly flowers.