Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 31)

R2-D2 is seen with Star Wars BDX Droids backstage during Star Wars Celebration Japan on April 19, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.
Birds

Bird or droid? Starlings nail R2-D2 beeps and boops.

The songbirds are even better at mimicking the 'Star Wars' robot than parrots.

Dark lines of discolored dust on slopes of Martian mountain
Mars

On Mars, meteorites can cause miles-long dust slides

They're rare events, but the results are dramatic.

Neural implant sensor resting on grain of salt
Medicine

This brain implant is smaller than a grain of rice

The wireless neural transmitter safely delivers brain signals like a microchip.

Outdoor Research, The North Face, Smartwool gloves on a snowy background on sale at REI
Outdoor Gear

REI is blowing out winter gloves from The North Face, OR, Smartwool, Fox and more for clearance prices

Whether you want a pair of hardcore mountain climbing gloves or just something to keep your hands warm when walking the dog, REI has them all on clearance.

Various angles of fragmented human skull
Archaeology

Medieval duke’s remains recount his grisly murder

In 1272, Hungary's Béla of Macsó received over 23 sword gashes–and more.

A close-up side profile of a gray squirrel with its bushy tail curled up, sitting on a mossy branch and holding a small nut in its paws, with soft green foliage blurred in the background.
Ask Us Anything

How squirrels actually find all their buried nuts

Every fall, squirrels hide thousands of acorns—and use smell, memory, and even theft to get them back.

a winter outlook map of the united states for 2025-2026
Agriculture

The ‘Farmer’s Almanac’ says goodbye after 208 years

The 2026 edition will be its last.

a woodpecker with black white and a little bit of red plumage on a tree
Birds

Woodpeckers grunt like tennis players

‘They take the pecking that we see all birds doing and take it to the extreme.’

Close up of tree toad
Endangered Species

These toads don’t start as tadpoles

They're born as tiny 'toadlets.'

Artist illustration of two ESCAPADE satellites orbiting Mars
Mars

Meet Blue and Gold: NASA’s first twin satellites bound for Mars

The ESCAPADE mission will help predict space weather for future crewed missions to the Red Planet.

Fragment of a Roman milestone erected along the road Via Nova in Jordan. Credit: Adam Pažout, Itiner-e.
Archaeology

Travel ancient Rome’s 186,000 miles of roads in new online atlas

Itiner-e suggests the empire’s routes were almost double previous estimates.

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2025 Bret Saalwaechter Tracy United States Title: I Just Can't Wait To Be King Description: While photographing a pride of lions in the Serengeti, I watched as a group of cubs channeled their innter toddler tantrum, relentlessly demanding milk and attention from their mother, much to the exasperation of the adult lions. Life in the dry season is no picnic—lions are anxiously waiting for the Great Migration and the feast it promises—but it makes for some incredible wildlife behavior and these cubs were the stars of the show. For over an hour, they followed their mother around a famous Serengeti kopje—those iconic rocky outcrops that dot the landscape—alternating between trying to suckle and play. Each time the mother, already in a foul mood from the sweltering heat, would give a quick roar of disapproval and escape the circus. But the cubs, like any persistent little ones, would chase her down, nipping at her and yelping for more attention. This back-and-forth drama played out again and again, until I captured the perfect moment: the entire pride, in perfect unison, seemed to say, “Not this again!” Animal: Lion Location of shot: Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Wildlife

14 hilarious finalists from the 2025 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

Funny frogs, cheeky gibbons, and annoyed lions.

A close-up view of the back of a person's head, showing a receding hairline and a circular patch of thinning hair or male pattern baldness on the crown, surrounded by short, gray and brown hair. The background is pure white.
Health

3 hair loss myths you probably believe

Baldness does not only come from your mother’s side—and other myths debunked.

Video screenshot of remoras attached to humpback whale
Fish

Ride on a humpback whale with little sucker fish

New POV video shows a mutually beneficial relationship between remoras and the gentle giants.

A warning sign is seen at the closed walking trail to the observatory in the Shirakawago district, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Bears

Japan deploys army to fight bears

After over 100 bear attacks this year, it's time for reinforcements.

The Home Depot Ryobi tools Black Friday free tool deals
Home

The Home Depot’s early Black Friday Ryobi sale: Get two batteries and a power tool for just $99

The free tools include popular options like impact drivers, reciprocating saws, yard tools, and more.

V0015163ER Two hooded figures and a King grieve over a dead person whil Credit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images images@wellcome.ac.uk http://wellcomeimages.org Two hooded figures and a King grieve over a dead person while another masked figure comes to cleanse the room of the plague. Woodcut by V. Solis. Published: - Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Diseases

Centuries of Black Death misinformation started with a poem

A 14th century trickster tale was misread as fact.

Playful young woman hiding face under blanket while lying in cozy bed, pretty curious girl feeling shy peeking from duvet, covering with white sheet, head shot close up. Top view
Mental Health

4 research-backed ways to beat the winter blues in the colder months

hermit crab with pink creature on its head
Animals

New species looks like a fuzzy pink hermit crab wig

The pair lives in a symbiotic relationship over 1,000 feet below the Pacific.

a latte in space
Deep Space

Why some scientists say our universe is Sad Millennial Beige 

Plus loud rats and other weird things we learned this week.