Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 21)

Anker solix portable power station, portable phone charger, and charging dock
Gear

Amazon is clearing out Anker chargers, cables, adapters, and more during this post-Prime Day sale

If it can charge your devices, then Anker probably makes it and it's probably on sale at Amazon right now.

The STS-92 crew exits the Operations and Checkout Building on their way to the Astrovan and Launch Pad 39A for a simulated countdown. Walking left to right are (foreground) Mission Specialists Koichi Wakata of Japan, Peter J.K. “Jeff” Wisoff and Leroy Chiao; and Pilot Pamela Ann Melroy. Behind them are Mission Specialists Michael E. Lopez-Alegria and William S. McArthur Jr.; and Commander Brian Duffy. The crew is taking part in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test activities that provide emergency egress training, opportunities to inspect the mission payload, and the simulated countdown. STS-92 is scheduled to launch Oct. 5 at 9:38 p.m. EDT on the fifth flight to the International Space Station. It will carry two elements of the Space Station, the Integrated Truss Structure Z1 and the third Pressurized Mating Adapter. The mission is also the 100th flight in the Shuttle program
Space

A NASA commander’s most important system wasn’t a computer. It was the crew.

Former Deputy Administrator of NASA says collaboration is the key to space exploration.

Skull of a soldier from the Napoleon army next to a button from a soldier's uniform.
Archaeology

The real killer of Napoleon’s army revealed by DNA testing

It wasn't typhus that plagued his troops.

The tree is constructed from a metal pole, with sea glass strung down from the top.
Science

Meet the man who built a 15-foot-tall sea glass Christmas tree

John Viveiros exclusively works with discarded materials and sea glass from Rhode Island's beaches.

Roman skeletons in water well mass grave
Archaeology

Ancient Roman mass grave shows its army’s ethnic diversity

Part of the empire’s strength was drawn from its different populations.

the head of a large brown horse
Wildlife

Why do horses have eyes on the side of their head?

'You often have to teach horses something on both sides of their body for them to process the information fully.'

A panoramic, dark, and eerie photograph of a dense forest shrouded in thick fog or mist. The trees are tall and silhouetted, with a single, dark, cloaked figure standing in a patch of brighter light at the center of the path, creating a spooky and mysterious atmosphere.
Psychology

What Americans fear most in 2025

For over a decade, Americans’ top fear has remained the same: corrupt government officials.

Mummy of the juvenile duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens with fossil preparator Tyler Keillor of the University of Chicago. The dinosaur mummy nicknamed “Ed Jr.,” was covered by floodwaters some 66 million years ago, preserving its fossilized skeleton and, in a thin clay layer, large areas of scaly, wrinkled skin and a tall fleshy crest over its back.
Dinosaurs

Dinosaur ‘mummies’ prove some dinos had hooves

'Edmontosaurus annectens' stormed around North America during the Late Cretaceous.

2025 Audio Awards header
Audio

2025 Audio Awards: 25 sound investments for sonic satisfaction

We want you to hear about the best things we heard this year.

feather in dirt
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

You’re actually not allowed to keep bird feathers you find on hikes—and it’s all thanks to two women who got really mad about hats

Plus ant yogurt and other weird things we learned this week.

A ringworm mosquito (Culiseta annulata) is seen on a control monitor connected to a microscope in the laboratory for mosquito monitoring at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) on the island of Riems in Germany.
Insects

Iceland was the only country in the world without mosquitos—now they’ve found three

The insects will likely stay in the Nordic country.

In 3D the kissing number is 12, as illustrated by basketballs. Illustration: Kira Vesikko / Aalto University
Science

Human outsmarts Google DeepMind AI, solving centuries-old ‘kissing problem’

How many spheres can be arranged so that every one 'kisses' a single rounded shape in the center?

a rattlesnake with an open mouth bearing its fangs
Wildlife

How snake bites really work

Vipers can strike within 100 milliseconds of launching at their prey.

A close-up, head-on portrait of a Dalmatian dog with striking bright blue eyes. The dog has a white face with black spots covering its head and ears, and is wearing a brown leather collar. The background is a simple, blurred gray surface.
Dogs

Can dogs sense ghosts?

With senses far sharper than ours, dogs detect what we can’t—perhaps more than we realize.

Reconstructed image of the compact, fast-rotating asymmetric disc around β CMi. The white scale bar at the bottom right marks 1 milliarcsecond — equivalent to a 6 feet scale at the distance of the moon.
Deep Space

Astronomers’ telescope ‘hack’ uncovered a lopsided star

The rapidly spinning star beta Canis Minoris is about 162 light-years away from Earth.

Butter is slowly melting in a frying pan
Science

New recycling method turns Teflon into toothpaste fluoride

The approach converts the toxic nonstick coating into harmless ingredients.

pinworm under microscope
Diseases

Ancient poop from Mexico’s ‘Cave of the Dead Children’ teems with parasites

Pinworm, bacterial E.coli, Blastocystis, and more.

Close up of bearded dragon against black background
Evolution

Reptile ‘pee crystals’ might help treat kidney stones and gout

Researchers studied urate solids from over 20 snake and lizard species.

a flamingo in water
Wildlife

Flamingos are making a home in Florida again after 100 years

An ecologist explains why they may be returning for good.

A nighttime photograph shows a suburban house transformed into a dramatic haunted house display, illuminated by intense purple and blue lighting. The front lawn is covered with numerous Halloween decorations, including glowing ghosts, demonic gargoyles flanking a sign that reads "THE VENEZIALE MANOR," skeletons, and lighted pumpkin figures. A bright moon or spotlight shines in the upper right.
Projects

Teen turns his suburban home into elaborate haunted house every October

This year, 16-year-old Joe Veneziale created a terrifying Old Hollywood hotel.