Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 223)

A nearly 15-foot-long Burmese python devours a 77-pound deer in Florida.
Wildlife

Burmese pythons stretch their mouths even wider than we thought possible

‘Watching an invasive apex predator swallow a full-sized deer in front of you is something that you will never forget.'

a man wearing a NASA hat aboard the International Space Station squirts ketchup into his mouth. the ketchup comes out in one long stream
NASA

See (and never unsee) a NASA astronaut eating ketchup in space

It includes a 'ketchup castle' on his chin.

The first few hundred digits of the prime number M136279841
Science

Man spent $2 million to find new largest prime number

M136279841 is over 41 million digits.

two pink flamingoes. both are standing on one leg
Health

How long can you stand on one leg? What it says about your health.

Our ability to balance decreases as we age.

Neither candidate has talked much about space policy on the campaign trail, but both have records to consider.
Space

How Harris and Trump differ on space policy

An international affairs expert examines where the presidential candidates' records differ when it comes to the final frontier.

FastRig wing-sail deployed on cargo ship at dock
Engineering

A nuclear waste tanker ship is testing a 65-foot-tall wing-sail

'FastRig' could help dirty cargo vessels cut shipping emissions by as much as one-third

dark woods with fog
Health

Corrupt government officials, illness among the biggest fears of 2024

'This year, all of our Top 10 fears were expressed by more than half of Americans.’

'Electro-agriculture' prototype.
Agriculture

‘Electro-agriculture’ may help plants grow in the dark

The process is more efficient than photosynthesis, but it requires electricity.

a black hole with orange and blue light swirling around it. two other objects, a large orange circle and a smaller bright orange star orbit around it
Black Holes

First ‘black hole triple’ may have formed in a surprisingly gentle way

New discovery questions if all black holes come from violent explosions.

Jeff VanderMeer next to book cover for Absolution
Science Fiction

Jeff VanderMeer talks about his new novel and ‘deranged court jester’ Elon Musk

'Absolution' takes us back to Area X.

Mattoon Daily Journal-Gazette headlines as they appeared on the front-page.
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The ‘Mad Gasser of Mattoon’ is one of history’s most bizarre unsolved mysteries

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

An illustration, drawn and engraved, of an eastern whip-poor-will, by Richard Polydore Nodder.
Birds

What happened to this iconic bird of American horror?

The whip-poor-will has been an omen of death for centuries.

cut oranges, grapefruits, limes, and lemon together in a group
Diseases

Yes, you can still get scurvy

The cost of living is cited in two recent cases of the disease associated with sailors centuries ago.

A technician inspects a prototype LISA telescope.
Deep Space

NASA unveils model of LISA, a satellite array for studying ripples in space-time

The gravitational space observatory is on track to launch in 2035.

close up of nose
Health

People who can’t smell breathe differently

A new study reveals hidden inhalation differences in those born without olfaction.

Woman throwing disc golf disc in park
Science

How to improve your disc golf game with a little physics

New research indicates it’s often about thumb placement.

orange and yellow leaves on the ground of a forest
Weather

Why 60 degrees in fall feels different than in the spring

The meteorology and biology behind sweater weather.

Xerox
Technology

The fascinating, rocky history of the ubiquitous Xerox

On October 22, 1938, the first xerograph was born.

These are the best STEM toys for kids on a plain white background.
Gear

The best STEM toys for kids of all ages

These are the best children’s science, technology, engineering, and math toys to inspire creativity and learning.

Alone with dementia
Health

Millions of aging Americans are facing dementia by themselves

'This is a largely invisible population.'