Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 299)

The Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) aka the Halloween beetle looks very similar to more common ladybugs, but they are generally bigger and with more spots. The bug is sitting on a yellow flower.
Insects

Why ladybugs and ‘Halloween beetles’ are everywhere right now

How do you tell them apart?

Dark black holes merge together in a brown, star-studded illustration.
Black Holes

Gravitational wave detector now squeezes light to find more black holes

The cutting-edge move has boosted the cosmic collisions LIGO can hear by up to 70 percent.

A person holding a smartphone featuring Duolingo, one of the best free language learning apps.
Life Skills

The best free language learning apps for building your vocabulary and conversational skills

Free language learning apps can help you join the global conversation in as little as five minutes a day.

A clock-like brain indicates its role in sleep in an illustration.
Biology

Your brain’s ‘master switchboard’ is an underappreciated marvel

When you're sleepy or hungry, that's the hypothalamus at work.

an electric aircraft flying
Air Force

This electric plane’s 2,000-mile journey is over. Now its Air Force tests begin.

The Beta Technologies electric aircraft flew from Vermont down to Florida, where the Air Force will check out what it can do.

The best AV Receivers
Speakers

The best AV receivers

These audio-video receivers give you vast connectivity for all your sources.

Woman's hands holding up cloth woven with smart fiber
Engineering

This liquid crystal fabric is ‘smart’ enough to adapt to the weather

Developed by MIT researchers, FibeRobo changes structure with heat and cold.

Ma Rainey, a post-reproductive female of the Ngogo community of chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, Uganda, and her adult son Wes. The two are sitting among trees in a forest.
Wildlife

Wild chimpanzees show signs of potential menopause—a rarity in the animal kingdom

The evolutionary benefits of living after reproductive age are still debated.

The best miter saws composited together in four columns with close-up views of each
Home

The best miter saws, according to experts

Few tools offer the same power and flexibility as a miter saw, whether you're a DIY enthusiast or a pro contractor.

Woman sneezing into tissue on train
Internet

FTC smacks down makers of bogus ‘invisible mask’ against COVID-19

Shockingly, the $29.99 'pouch of ingredients' does not provide a 'protective gaseous barrier' that busts the virus.

A long torpedo-shaped fish swims among green plants. Knifefish like the black ghost knifefish are known for their shimmying motions and electrical pulses. and live in freshwater lakes and rivers in Central and South America.
Fish

Why electric knifefish ‘shimmy’

Quick movements heighten animal senses—even in humans.

A steak with kelp on top is plated by a chef holding a sauce pan.
Agriculture

This sea-to-farm-to-table restaurant wants kelp to catch on

How The Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic, Connecticut experiments with supply chains and flavor profiles.

The best indoor grills
Appliances

The best indoor grills

A yard or patio is no longer a necessity when it comes to grilling.

colorful facial profiles of people saying BA BA BA and GA GA GA; illustration
Psychology

Why what we see influences what we hear

The ‘McGurk effect’ could take you down a YouTube rabbit hole.

A person wearing a Meta Quest 3 headset, standing in a well-lit room with their hands behind their head.
Tech Hacks

7 hands-on (and off) tips for the new Meta Quest 3 mixed reality VR headset

Meta's latest MR/VR headset might be one of the best, and we can help you find your way around.

Hurricane Ian stirred up flesh-eating bacteria in Florida
Weather

Hurricane Ian stirred up flesh-eating bacteria in Florida

After the 2022 storm, the state saw its highest number of vibriosis cases in more than 30 years.

Best External Hard Drives for Xbox One
Console Gaming

The best external hard drives for Xbox One, Series S, and Series X

Take your games on the go with these compact drives that let you get you most out of Xbox without being boxed in.

Various icons on an iPhone screen, including the one for WiFi calling.
Technology

What is WiFi calling, and when should you use it?

All your WiFi calling questions answered in one place.

The best voice recorders
Audio

The best voice recorders

Take notes, capture ideas, and review conversations with the press of a button.

Ancient rock carvings that reappeared in the region of the Lajes Archaeological Site due to the severe drought affecting the region's rivers on the banks of the Negro River in Manaus, Brazil, on October 21, 2023. The carvings feature depictions of human faces.
Global Warming

Drought reveals ancient rock carvings of human faces in Brazil

The petroglyphs are believed to be between 1,000 and 2,000 years old.