Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 28)

The Andover Sound FreePlay portable stereo Bluetooth speaker shown in Olive, Slate, and Ivory colorways against a woodland background
Speakers

The Andover FreePlay portable stereo speaker pairs Bluetooth convenience with the company’s neatly sorted sound philosophy

Andover’s FreePlay speaker offers punchy stereo sound, Bluetooth 6.0, IP67 toughness, 24-hour battery life, and wireless phone charging. We've had a listen and here are our first impressions ...

Recreation of a Neanderthal man in a museum display case with a person walking by behind.
Evolution

Could we ever clone Neanderthals?

The answer involves ancient DNA, dire wolves, and a whole bunch of bioethics.

Smoke emanates from smokestacks at the Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery in Linden, New Jersey, on March 18, 2026. Oil prices surged Wednesday following a strike on a major Iranian gas facility as the Federal Reserve raised its inflation forecast while holding interest rates steady. (Photo by kena betancur / AFP)
Health

Air pollution may be changing sperm

Harmful nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels could affect fertility and pregnancies.

a painting of a man on an elephant in battle
Biology

Mystery of Hannibal’s infamous Alps crossing gets a major clue

In 218 BCE, the Carthaginian general crossed the rugged mountain range with 40,000 men, 7,000 horses and 37 war elephants.

Point of view from the top of the first drop on The Rattler wooden rollercoaster at Six Flags Fiesta Texas
Engineering

Wild ’90s video shows wooden rollercoaster track shaking with each ride

When it opened in 1992, The Rattler was the world’s fastest and tallest wooden coaster of its kind.

This image of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS was taken on 18 January 2026 with the FORS2 instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT). It is a stack of several images spanning 14 minutes. As the comet moves on the sky, the stars appear as trails in the background.
Deep Space

Comet 3I/ATLAS is older than the sun

At over 9 billion years old, the rare interstellar visitor is more than twice the sun's age.

purple bones from a sea otter in a tide pool
Ocean

Sea otter bones can turn purple

A conservationist spotted a complete sea otter skeleton in a California tide pool.

a penguin stands on a rock with several bubbles above him
Birds

Walter the penguin loves popping bubbles

The young penguin uses the soapy spheres for enrichment activities.

Mosquito biking human skin in high contrast image.
Insects

Blood, poop, and carcasses: How feasting bugs are helping map biodiversity

Critters that dine on flesh and waste also consume the animal’s DNA. That genetic material is helping scientists detect and map elusive species and their pathogens.

the letters ETH in new pixels. the e is red, the t is green, and the h is blue
Physics

Researchers in Switzerland invent a new type of pixel

Pixels either control light or analyze it. This one does both.

MEYRIN, SWITZERLAND - SEPTEMBER 14: A part of complex Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is seen underground during the Open Days at the CERN particle physics research facility on September 14, 2019 in Meyrin, Switzerland. The 27km-long Large Hadron Collider is currently shut down for maintenance, which has created an opportunity to offer access to the public. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's largest laboratory for research into particle physics. (Photo by Ronald Patrick/Getty Images)
Particle Physics

Farewell, atom-smashing Large Hadron Collider

After 18 years of discovery, it's goodbye LHC and hello High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider.

flames on black background.
Evolution

Why humans find fire so mesmerizing

It's not just cozy vibes. We're hardwired to stare at flames.

Pink substance in clear glass test dish on a scientific device.
Science

Can printed ‘skin’ help to heal burns without scars?

Inks created with a patient’s own cells might one day help the body regrow tissues.

an underwater robot scans a red fish
Ocean

31 alien-like marine species discovered off the coast of Brazil

A ghostly squid, speedy gossamer worm, and more dwell 600 to 3,300 feet beneath the waves.

a black and white painting showing benjamin franklin and his assistant wearing tricorn hats and flying a kite in a lightning storm
Biology

The American revolutionaries who popularized science in the early United States

Benjamin Franklin and other citizen scientists are core parts of the American experiment.

three scientists in an inflateable boat approach a whale that is tangled in fishing line. the whale's dorsal fin can be seen just above the water's surface
Whales

Young humpback whale freed from a death trap in Alaska

The whale was entangled in crab pot lines at Endicott Arm near Juneau.

Two images with an old 18th century button down golden coat on the left and a purple version of the same coat on a manequin on the right.
Science

George Washington’s famous ‘golden suit’ was actually purple

The president partied in the dapper overcoat at his 1789 inauguration.

two white cylinders with an american flag and "america250" on them
Science

America’s Time Capsule will be buried for 250 years. Here’s how to watch.

The high-tech historical repository will be buried in Philadelphia on July Fourth.

Two images combined. On the left, an engraving of a woman in a bonnet. On the right, a rendering of a circular saw.
Engineering

The Shaker woman who reinvented the circular saw

The celibate Christian sect believed hard work was a form of worship.

A visualization of the supernova Cassiopeia A using data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope. The cloudy blast-wave of the supernova remnant is ring-like in shape, streaked with veins of iron, calcium, and oxygen. Here, presented in red, white, and blue, the remnant resembles an electrified donut, crackling with marbled veins of strawberry and blueberry icing.
Space Telescope

NASA celebrates Fourth of July with some cosmic fireworks

The release also includes new sonifications of red, white, and blue nebulae and galaxies.