Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 292)

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.

Amsterdam, Netherlands - 10 April, 2021: a chair in front of a book shelf with many books on it and a lamp sitting next to the chair
Life Skills

How to protect your books long term

Proper preservation can protect your books from deterioration, ensuring they remain readable and aesthetically pleasing.

UNSPECIFIED, ANTARCTICA - OCTOBER 31: A calving glacier is seen from NASA's Operation IceBridge research aircraft, in the Antarctic Peninsula region, on October 31, 2017, above Antarctica. NASA's Operation IceBridge has been studying how polar ice has evolved over the past nine years and is currently flying a set of nine-hour research flights over West Antarctica to monitor ice loss aboard a retrofitted 1966 Lockheed P-3 aircraft. According to NASA, the current mission targets 'sea ice in the Bellingshausen and Weddell seas and glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula and along the English and Bryan Coasts.' Researchers have used the IceBridge data to observe that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet may be in a state of irreversible decline directly contributing to rising sea levels. The National Climate Assessment, a study produced every 4 years by scientists from 13 federal agencies of the U.S. government, released a stark report November 2 stating that global temperature rise over the past 115 years has been primarily caused by 'human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases'. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Climate Change

The ‘Doomsday Glacier’ is melting faster than scientists thought

Miles of seawater are flowing under Thwaites Glacier, undermining an Antarctic ice sheet and threatening rapid sea level rise.

an otter eating while floating on its back
Wildlife

Female sea otters use tools more than males

The furry mammals use sticks and even trash to crack open food.

Farmer finds hunk of charred space debris, potentially from a SpaceX rocket
Space

Farmer finds hunk of charred space debris, potentially from a SpaceX rocket

‘Originally, we just thought it was garbage until we got closer.’

a human skull on a dark background with E270 printed on it
Cancer

4,000 year-old Egyptian skulls show attempts at brain surgery to treat cancer

'Cancer was still a medical knowledge frontier.'

The best air purifiers for smoke on a plain white background.
Smart Home

The best air purifiers for smoke, tested and reviewed

Clear out the haze and keep fabrics and lungs happy and healthy with an air purifier that effectively filters smoke.

coral polyps before spawning
Animals

Scientists are studying the mysterious sex lives of coral

A new model reveals what influences coral reproduction.

a car on cement
Vehicles

Why Bentley is dropping its iconic W12 engine for a V8 hybrid

We drove the fourth-generation Continental GT fitted with a new V8 that offers 750+ horsepower and 50 miles of all-electric range. 

Best DACs header
Peripherals

The best DACs, as chosen by experts

Level-up your listening with the best digital audio converters.

Robot solving Rubik's cube
AI

In blink of an eye, robot sets new Rubik’s cube Guinness World Record

Mitsubishi’s TOKUFASTbot solved the iconic puzzle toy in 0.305 seconds.

a woman listens to music with headphones on over hear ear
Biology

How our brains differentiate music and speech

Scientists are beginning to understand the auditory version of 'seeing faces in the cloud.'

Concept art of EarthCARE satellite scanning clouds above Earth
Climate Change

The ‘White Dragon’ satellite will keep watch over our clouds

A new era of atmospheric research launches today.

The quest to craft the perfect artificial eye, through the ages
Health

The quest to craft the perfect artificial eye, through the ages

How the process of making prosthetic eyes has—and hasn’t—changed in nearly a century.

Clues from bird flu’s ground zero on dairy farms in the Texas panhandle
Science

Clues from bird flu’s ground zero on dairy farms in the Texas panhandle

Even though H5N1 has circulated for nearly 30 years, its recent arrival in U.S. dairy cattle was unexpected.

red lava rushes into the Pacific Ocean, with smoke and steam rising
Science

Buildup of gas caused Kīlauea to erupt like a stomp-rocket

The 2018 eruption dramatically changed the active volcano's landscape.