Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 274)

a black and white photograph of swimmer gertrude ederle. she is standing on a beach in a one piece swimsuit holding an oar.
Fitness & Exercise

Gertrude Ederle and the grueling science of marathon swimming

Before you watch the new biopic 'Young Woman and the Sea' about 'Trudy's' record-breaking swim across the English Channel, learn what it takes.

18 February 2022, Schleswig-Holstein, Lübeck: The display of an artificial nose shows the smell of coffee in a laboratory of the Competence Center Communication, Systems and Applications (CoSA) at Lübeck University of Applied Sciences. The small computer with a pig's nose has four sensors and can easily distinguish between coffee, whiskey and room air. In the future, the artificial intelligence (AI) could also warn if, for example, the concentration of hazardous substances is too high at an industrial workplace. (to dpa "How whiskey makes artificial intelligence comprehensible") Photo: Marcus Brandt/dpa (Photo by Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images)
AI

AI is cracking a hard problem–giving computers a sense of smell

Machine olfaction needs machine learning.

a full moon rises with blurred red flowers
Space

June skygazing: Nevermind the viral ‘planet parade,’ check out the Strawberry/Solstice moon

Summer's first meteor shower will also light up the night sky.

Close-up of three cows
Agriculture

Cow poop might make cleaner hydrogen gas a reality

The new ‘transformative’ production method substitutes fossil fuels for biochar made from animal and agricultural waste.

The best Memorial Day Weekend 2024 deals on a plain white background.
Home

75+ of the best Memorial Day deals still available

We've rounded up the deals that are actually worth your time and are still available

A man and woman wearing Carhartt Force T-Shirts on a plain background
Gear

Save 25% off Carhartt apparel—including the best T-shirts ever—during Amazon’s summer sale

Whether you're spending the summer lounging or working, your clothes matter. Carhartt's comfortable, durable, versatile attire is currently on-sale at Amazon for both men and women in many sizes.

AI will require even more energy than we thought
AI

AI will require even more energy than we thought

Forecasts suggest new power plants, often relying on fossil fuels, will be needed to feed AI’s energy demands.

Amazon workers testing Prime Air drones outside
AI

Amazon’s Prime Air delivery drones get a major FAA clearance

Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) approval is a big step for the company’s drone plans.

fossilized leg bones in reddish-brown sediment
Dinosaurs

New horse-sized dinosaur species discovered in Zimbabwe

Musankwa sanyatiensis was a two-legged, swamp-dwelling sauropod.

The Sonos 100 speaker in a diagonal pattern on a plain background.
Audio

Get Sonos’ newest speakers at their lowest prices ever on Amazon

The Era 100 is the company's new entry-level smart speaker, and you can save $50 on it right now thanks to a limited-time deal on Amazon.

This photo taken on May 11, 2024 shows the northern lights over a suburb in London, Britain. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua via Getty Images)
Photography

Why low-light events like the northern lights often look better through your phone camera

Phone cameras can take in more light than the human eye.

white fluffy clouds on blue sky
Projects

NASA needs your help identifying clouds

Look up at the sky. What do you see? Tell NASA. 

two electric bikes on a rural road
Electric Vehicles

I really wanted to love the LiveWire S2 Del Mar

A great concept is undermined by flawed execution.

beer being poured from a tap
Technology

How recycled beer yeast can remove lead from water

A single brewery in Boston could produce enough waste yeast to treat the entire city’s water supply.

Metamaterial film on glass
Engineering

New material looks like frosted glass but lets in more light than a window

The ultrathin coating is also self-cleaning and can cool ambient room temperature.

Orcas only need one breath between dives
Wildlife

Orcas only need one breath between dives

'Putting a Fitbit' on killer whales could help these endangered and threatened predators.

Phone screens of the future might be squishy
Technology

Phone screens of the future might be squishy

The silicon material deforms when poked.

a brown snail sits on a green lettuce leaf
Animals

Slimy slugs and snails surprisingly thriving in LA

Five species of the land mollusks appear to prefer urban spaces.

Underwater image of Titanic wreckage
Conservation

Billionaire plans to ride $20 million submersible to the Titanic

‘While the ocean is extremely powerful, it can be wonderful and enjoyable and really kind of life-changing if you go about it the right way.’

Panels A, B, and C each show stereographic image pairs of the asteroid Dinkinesh taken by the L’LORRI Instrument aboard NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft. The images were taken in the minutes around closest approach on November 1, 2023. The yellow and rose dots indicate the trough and ridge features, respectively. These images have been sharpened and processed to enhance contrast. Panel D shows a side view of Dinkinesh and its satellite Selam taken a few minutes after closest approach.
NASA

The odd moon orbiting a ‘Dinky’ asteroid is actually two moons fused together

Understanding how space objects behave 'when they hit each other' is crucial.