Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 305)

A silver gar fish with a long snout.
Fish

Meet the new king of the ‘living fossils’

These ancient dart-shaped fish called gar have genomes that change about three times slower than other vertebrates.

An M1 MacBook Air in a brick pattern on a plain background
Laptops

Save $250 on an Apple M1 MacBook Air at Best Buy and Amazon before it sells out

If you've thought about upgrading your laptop, consider this deal a sign.

Oh good, the humanoid robots are running even faster now
Engineering

Oh good, the humanoid robots are running even faster now

Shanghai's Unitree Robotics says their H1 robot trots at 7.38 mph—nearly two miles’ faster than the Boston Dynamics' Atlas.

a phone holds an android phone
Tech Hacks

How to change the default apps on your Android phone

Put your favorite apps front and center.

Close-up of senior woman holding a modern hearing aid
Health

Using hearing aids can be frustrating for older adults, but necessary

Here's how you can make the most out of the technology available.

Firey lava spews out La Cumbre volcano on March 3, 2024 in Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. La Cumbre volcano, located on Fernandina Island of the archipelago, erupted on Saturday, March 2.
Science

Volcano on island in the Galapagos spews lava into the sea

The eruption occurred on Fernandina Island, which is uninhabited by humans. Meanwhile, southwestern Iceland faces more imminent volcanic activity.

Sun rises over tall sand dunes. The Erg Chebbi region of the Sahara desert in Morocco. The region is home to the 984 foot tall Lala Lallia star dune.
Archaeology

The mysterious ‘star dune’ in the Sahara is on the move

Morocco's Lala Lallia—one of the world's oldest known 'star dunes'—is slowly inching west.

M74 aka the Phantom Galaxy shown in a combined optical/mid-infrared image, featuring data from both the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. It is one of the celestial objects featured
Space Telescope

Listen to three breathtaking NASA images

Sonification translates complex space data into soundscapes.

The decades-long quest for lab-grown organs
Science

The decades-long quest for lab-grown organs

After more than half a century, researchers are still trying to figure out how to engineer individualized organs in a lab.

scientist working on compostable plastics collage with mushrooms
Pollution

What will it take to make truly compostable plastic?

Materials scientists are cooking up environmentally friendly polymers from natural sources like silk, plant fibers and whole algae. Economics and acceptance remain hurdles.

vintage photo of scientists with a robot prototype
AI

AI promised humanlike machines–in 1958

We’ve been here before.

door plug missing from a Boeing airplane with hole visible and empty seats
Aviation

What Boeing’s door-plug debacle says about the future of aviation safety

For a flight to be imperiled by a simple and preventable manufacturing or maintenance error is an anomaly with ominous implications.

An orca whale hunts a great white shark. Blood is seen near the orca's mouth.
Ocean

Orca observed hunting and killing a great white shark by itself for the first time

Watch how the marine mammals hunt in South Africa, where they have developed a particular taste for shark liver.

tail of a humpback whale in the ocean sticking out of the waves
AI

Why scientists are tracking whale tails with AI

A model similar to facial recognition is being used to reveal urgent news about humpback whales.

a woman in a pushup position on the floor
Life Skills

A beginner-friendly guide to the perfect push-up

Personal trainers share their advice on how to hit your push-up goals if you're struggling.

Three eggs in a nest, while a bald eagle attends to it.
Land

Watch: Three bald eagles could hatch any day now

As a snowstorm approaches, eagle parents Jackie and Shadow will be keeping their eggs warm.

A doctor puts a bandage on the upper arm of a senior citizen.
Vaccines

CDC recommends Americans 65 and over get additional COVID-19 vaccine

The virus remains a serious threat, particularly to this age group.

U.S. military officers watch nuclear waste being dumped on Runit Island in the Marshall Islands.
Climate Change

Decades after the US buried nuclear waste abroad, climate change could unearth it

A new report says melting ice sheets and rising seas could disturb waste from U.S. nuclear projects in Greenland and the Marshall Islands.

Best earbuds sliced and diced header
Earbuds

The best earbuds, tested and reviewed

Sweet earbuds to pair with jogs, joy rides, joysticks, joking with coworkers, just music, and more.

Varda W-1 capsule reentry video screenshot
Private Space Flight

Watch the plasma fly in space capsule’s dramatic fall to Earth

Varda's W-1 spent 8 months in orbit before recording its entire trip home.