Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 250)

Photo of an 18mo baby wearing a head-mounted camera
AI

How a baby with a headcam taught AI to learn words

An AI model identified objects 62% of the time after being trained on video and audio captured by a camera strapped to a toddler’s head.

Comcast Xfinity utility vehicle in parking lot
Internet

No, ’10G internet’ is not a thing

Comcast received a slap on the wrist this week for its 'misleading' Xfinity 10G Network brand campaign.

The first interstellar interloper detected passing through the Solar System, 1l/‘Oumuamua, came within 24 million miles of the Sun in 2017. It’s difficult to know exactly what ‘Oumuamua looked like, but it was probably oddly shaped and elongated, as depicted in this illustration.
Space

Why interstellar objects like ‘Oumuamua and Borisov may hold clues to exoplanets

The detection of two celestial interlopers careening through our solar system have scientists eagerly anticipating more.

Santa Cruz Heckler on a plain background in red
Outdoor Gear

The best full-suspension e-bikes

These electric bikes will tackle any terrain.

Three common clownfish with orange coloring and white stripes swimming in a sea anemone.
Fish

Can clownfish count?

These feisty anemone-dwellers might alter their behavior based on the number of white stripes on other clownfish.

In tracing signed vocabularies’ evolutions, researchers applied phylogenetic analysis typically associated with biologically inherited traits to physically conveyed communications.
Internet

Computer modeling is tracing the hidden evolution of sign languages

A new program analyzed 19 different sign languages from around the world to help understand their connections.

The new policy proposal, if accepted, would make AI-generated robocalls easier to investigate and prosecute.
AI

FCC wants to make AI-generated robocalls illegal

New AI voice-cloning tools are making already frustrating robocalls more dangerous.

‘Jaws’ portrayed sharks as monsters 50 years ago, but it also inspired a generation of shark scientists
Sharks

‘Jaws’ portrayed sharks as monsters 50 years ago, but it also inspired a generation of shark scientists

Sharks rarely bite humans. Here's how shark science is evolving over time.

The Rivian R1S marries the box-it-came-in styling of the company’s R1T pickup truck with the three-row SUV body style families need.
Electric Vehicles

Rivian R1S electric SUV review: A mixed bag for big bucks

The Rivian R1S is an impressive technical tour de force, but it needs many improvements to warrant the $106,000 price tag.

Screenshot showing shaded rendering of Doom via E. Coli bacteria display
Biology

Running ‘Doom’ on E. coli cells… very, very slowly

It would take nearly 600 years to finish playing this MIT student's iteration of the classic video game.

The constellation Orion, the Hunter as seen in the northern winter Milky Way in February 2020. The Orion Nebula is the bright, overexposed pink glow below the Belt of Orion, while the curving arc of red is Barnard’s Loop, now thought to be a supernova remnant. The bright red glow at upper left is the Rosette Nebula. Red Betelgeuse was at its minimum the night this image was taken, at about the same brightness as Bellatrix to the right—Betelgeuse is usually about as bright as blue-white Rigel at the lower right.
Space

February’s skies shine with Orion, a harmless comet, and an extra day of stargazing

Leap Day is on February 29, 2024.

As AI becomes more ubiquitous and naturalistic, many industry critics have voiced concerns about a potentially increasing number of people turning to technology instead of human relationships.
AI

13 percent of AI chat bot users in the US just want to talk

A Consumer Reports survey says many adults who used programs like ChatGPT in the summer of 2023 simply wanted to 'have a conversation with someone.'

What is 8K and should your next TV have it?
Televisions

What is 8K and should your next TV have it?

8K TVs are “the best” … but are they best for you? We look at whether the futureproof is in the pudding.

X briefly banned search results for the singer’s name on the platform.
AI

AI-generated Taylor Swift porn deepfakes ran rampant on X. Will laws catch up?

Gutted trust and safety teams and loose content moderation at X may have been to blame.

Green dots representing spores are dispersed from a leaf.
Biology

Watch ‘tiny tornadoes’ spread plant pathogens

Understanding how deadly fungal spores move could help protect plants from deadly diseases.

Industrially processed foodstuffs that are engineered to be highly palatable are doing our health no good, researchers say.
Nutrition

What can we do about ultraprocessed foods?

Researchers are figuring out the features of these foods that harm our health—and proposing ways ahead.

A lineup of four of the best fire extinguishers.
Home

The best fire extinguishers

Protect your home, kitchen and all, from disaster with these handy fire extinguishers.

Two long stone tools from the Lincombian–Ranisian–Jerzmanowician (LRJ) culture uncovered at Ranis. Item 1 is a partial bifacial blade point characteristic of the LRJ. Item 2 also contains finely made bifacial leaf points.
Evolution

Neanderthals and modern humans intermingled in Europe 45,000 years ago

New studies of Stone Age tools and bones also suggest human ancestors could adapt to a tough climate.

For those times when you just can't remember what a song is called...
Tech Hacks

How to find that song stuck in your head

Harness the power of Shazam, Google Assistant, and more when you just can't name that mystery earworm.

The best PS5 controllers for taking control of your games
Console Gaming

The best PS5 controllers for taking control of your games

Whether for multiplayer parties, a backup for when a battery runs out, or just competitive edge, extra PlayStation 5 controllers are a must.