Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 207)

TOP: A relay participant dives off the blocks in the Women’s 4 x 100m final during the Paris 1924 Olympic Games. BOTTOM: American Alex Walsh swims in Arena’s Powerskin Primo.
Science

The evolution of Olympic swimwear: From wool ‘costumes’ to tensoelastic race suits

In the battle against drag, Olympians have science on their side.

Are you a workaholic? Here’s how to spot the signs
Health

Are you a workaholic? Here’s how to spot the signs

In a major shift, psychologists now view an out-of-control compulsion to work as an addiction with its own set of risk factors and consequences.

Historical artistic interpretation of an ouroboros. It is a dragon eating its own tail.
AI

AI trained on AI churns out gibberish garbage

Eventually, it collapses—'poisoned with its own projection of reality.’

Elderly woman listening to music happily
Science

Our memory of music persists in old age

Prominent melodies could help forge a ā€˜cognitive scaffolding.'

a purple race track, with whit lane lines
Sustainability

Paris Olympics’ purple track is made with crushed mussel and clam shells

Athletes could shatter records on this high-performance track.

an illustration of an long cylindrical arthropod. it has big blue eyes, a body that looks like a taco shell, several short red legs, and a tail
Animals

This taco-shaped critter is a big (evolutionary) deal

Odaraia was already using mandibles to trap its prey 500 million years ago.

GLP1 mockup
Medicine

Why millions are trying FDA-authorized alternatives to Big Pharma’s weight loss drugs

FDA has cautioned about the potential danger of the compounds. This isn’t an illegal black market, though it has shades of gray.

Entertainment app on iphone 14 pro in smartphone screen close up view
Tech Hacks

How to request all the data Netflix, Spotify, and other apps have on you

You're within your rights to know what companies know about you.

Best budget Bluetooth speakers on a white background.
Speakers

The best budget Bluetooth speakers

Get affordable audio for all with the best budget Bluetooth speakers.

Ultimate Ears speaker comparison: Which model is right for you?
Speakers

Ultimate Ears speaker comparison: Which model is right for you?

This Ultimate Ears speaker comparison will help you pick the right box to rock your blox.

flying drone
Technology

Ready or not, here come the police drones

Police departments from New York to Arizona are embracing problematic drone surveillance programs.

four red hens in a line. two are looking straight ahead, one is looking right, and the other is looking left. they have an expression that reads as suprise
Agriculture

Not to ruffle feathers, but chickens blush

'There is now a consensus that birds are sentient beings.'

In the foreground to the left is a sphere half illuminated on the right side, almost filling the image vertically. The surface consists of several parallel, pale-coloured bands aligned horizontally. To the top right is a much smaller orange, circular light source, illuminating the large sphere in the foreground. The background is black with numerous tiny white dots.
Space Telescope

JWST detects a new exoplanet six times larger than Jupiter

The supergiant has defied expectations.

the forest
Environment

Tree bark demonstrates an unexpected climate superpower

'...our trees are that much more useful and powerful than we’ve given them credit for.'

an illustration of two mouse-like animals in a forest, with a stegosaurus walking by and a mosquito flying over them
Animals

Baby teeth reveal surprisingly long lifespans of small Jurassic mammals

These mouse-like critters likely lived longer than their modern relatives.

The best OLED TVs composited
Televisions

The best OLED TVs

Picking from the top of the television heap.

Mercury colorful
Solar System

What ‘Mercury in retrograde’ actually means

According to science, it's not a harbinger of chaos, but an optical illusion.

a digital illustration of AI
AI

Everyone is judging AI by these tests, but experts say they’re close toĀ meaningless

Benchmarks used to rank AI models are several years old, often sourced from amateur websites, and, experts worry, lending automated systems a dubious sense of authority.

various bird bones out on a table
Archaeology

Neanderthals ate birds. But how?

Scientists set out to replicate ancient cooking methods.

a peacock butterfly on a pink plant. its wings are primarily red, with black, yellow, and blue circles
Animals

Butterflies and moths suck up pollen with static electricity

These insects generate a hair-raising amount of charge.