Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 245)

A purple and white carnivorous plant called Arisaema thunbergii growing in a forest. It has a tube and cup shaped flower and uses a musky odor to lure fungus gnats.
Insects

Bug-munching plant turns insect nurseries into death traps

The relationship between Arisaema and its prey may be more nuanced than biologists once thought.

The back of a woman's head in a garden setting
DIY

How to discover weird and cool places near you

Secret castles, weird museums, and more could be hiding in your town.

Geneticist Chris Mason (right), Evan Afshin (center), and Sofia Ahsanuddin (left) sample turnstiles in New York City’s subway system in June 2016. Their swabs pick up cells that humans, animals, and microorganisms naturally shed, leaving behind genetic fingerprints.
Health

The uncharted world of emerging pathogens

In their quest to detect early outbreaks, virus hunters are sampling environmental DNA in water, dirt, and air.

Fire in a forest
Animals

Fire is driving animals’ evolution

Can species evolve fast enough to keep up with changing wildfire conditions?

A silhouette of a rocket passes in front of the moon
Photography

13 award-winning photographs that showcase Earth’s wonders

The National & Regional winners from the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards take us from space to hot springs.

On this social network, sea ice, traditional foods, and wildlife are always trending
Social Media

On this social network, sea ice, traditional foods, and wildlife are always trending

Using an app developed by Inuit in Nunavut, Indigenous communities from Alaska to Greenland are harnessing data to make their own decisions.

Concept art of NASA Mars habitat
Mars

How to apply for NASA’s next Mars habitat simulation

See if you qualify to be a volunteer for a yearlong stint.

A ridiculous AI-generated rat penis made it into a peer-reviewed journal
AI

A ridiculous AI-generated rat penis made it into a peer-reviewed journal

Researchers used Midjourney’s AI image generators to illustrate the fantastical rodent beside incoherent strings of text.

The best photo printers, tested and reviewed
Peripherals

The best photo printers, tested and reviewed

Get your most important photos off your phone and into the real world with the aim of a dedicated photo printer.

Sora AI generated video still of woolly mammoth herd in tundra
AI

OpenAI’s Sora pushes us one mammoth step closer towards the AI abyss

Generative AI videos advanced from comical to photorealistic within a single year. This is uncharted, dangerous territory.

An array of the best sex toys for couples on a white fuzzy carpet.
Home

The best sex toys for couples, tested and reviewed

Come one, come all, and come together with couples-friendly sex toys that make the horizontal tango even spicier.

A graphic rendering of an asteroid in space, with a close up on where water molecules are on the surface.
NASA

Water molecules detected on the surface of an asteroid in space for the first time

The data came from a now-defunct NASA mission and was collected by the Faint Object InfraRed Camera.

Tridentinosaurus antiquus was discovered in the Italian Alps in 1931 and was believed to be an important specimen for understanding early reptile evolution.
Animals

Famous 280-million-year-old fossil is partially fake

The reptile specimen reveals its true colors (black paint) after baffling paleontologists for almost a century.

Surgeon using spaceMIRA remote surgery tool on ISS
Robots

First remote, zero-gravity surgery performed on the ISS from Earth (on rubber)

Surgeons in Nebraska controlled spaceMIRA from 250 miles below the ISS as it cut through simulated human tissue.

A common vole in a wooded area.
Diseases

First Alaskapox death reported: What you should know about the virus

It is carried by small mammals like shrews and voles and can spillover into humans in rare cases.

Hippocampus patagonicus seahorse
Animals

In Brazil, the seahorse black market is bustling

Every year, the country’s fishers accidentally catch millions of seahorses. Where they all go, nobody quite knows.

Edible soft robot on table
Engineering

This edible, wriggling robot mimics experience of eating moving food

In Japanese ‘odorigui’ cuisine, food is still alive. This gyrating robot is not.

The best budget 3D printers for 2024 on a plain white background.
Peripherals

The best budget 3D printers

They may still seem like space-age tech, but increasingly affordable 3D printers can be an accessible accessory.

Hands-free driving GM car man driving
Self Driving

GM brings hands free driving to rural America

Unlike more controversial fully-autonomous self-driving cars, GM’s Super Cruise systems require drivers to keep their eyes on the road and take over control during emergencies.

Aerial View Of Reforestation And Forest
Climate Change

When planting trees is bad for the planet

An area of ecologically intact and biodiverse grassland larger than France is endangered by an NGO-fueled push to plant as many trees as possible.