Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 331)

1-guilla eel robot without casing
Robots

Watch this eel robot effortlessly glide underwater

Researchers built the robot to investigate how eels migrate on empty stomachs.

A white axolotl in a tank. Axolotls are sometimes called the ‘Peter Pan of amphibians’ since they do not go through a traditional metamorphosis and keep larval traits like their signature gills.
Endangered Species

Go (virtually) adopt an axolotl, the ‘Peter Pan’ of amphibians

These critically endangered ‘water monsters’ can regrow limbs, but need our help to survive and thrive.

Elon Musk standing in bed of Cybertruck at launch event
Electric Vehicles

The first Tesla Cybertrucks have arrived

'If Al Capone showed up with a Tommy gun... you would still be alive,' said Tesla CEO Elon Musk during Thursday's delivery event livestream.

The last full moon of 2022 rises through a clear sky, past a string of festive lights. The moon is positioned at the center of a star made up of white Christmas lights.
Space

Two meteor showers and a bright Mercury to light up December’s sky

Here's what astronomers predict this month.

Facebook watches teens online as they prep for college
Social Media

Facebook watches teens online as they prep for college

An investigation by The Markup found Meta’s pixel tracking students from kindergarten to college.

A woman laying down in an fMRI machine. Patients in the study were examined using an fMRI machine such as this one. fMRI is a noninvasive way to measure and map activity in the brain.
Mental Health

PTSD patients’ brains work differently when recalling traumatic experiences

Researchers say that 'the brain does not treat traumatic memories as regular memories, or perhaps even as memories at all.'

Closeup multicolor image of anthrobot
Technology

Meet ‘anthrobots,’ tiny bio-machines built from human tracheal cells

The researchers behind the frog embryo ‘xenobots’ are now focusing on similar automatons made from human material—with unexpected results.

An ambulance speeding through traffic at nighttime
AI

Scientists are developing a handheld eye-scanner for detecting traumatic brain injury

Assessing potential head trauma within the first 60 minutes can save lives. A new device could offer a quick way to act fast.

Blue Microphone Yeti and Yeti X in front of a computer
PC Gaming

Logitech for Creators Blue Yeti vs. Yeti X: Which podcasting mic should you buy?

Here’s how to decide between versions of one of the most trusted USB mics for podcasting and streaming.

How to change the default music service on an Apple HomePod
Tech Hacks

How to change the default music service on an Apple HomePod

You don't have to stick with Apple Music.

A cicada sitting on a green leaf. The insect has bright orange eyes and large wings. Cicadas live underground for 13 or 17 years, before emerging to mate.
Insects

Fiber optic cables can pick up cicadas’ droning din

A proof-of-concept study found that the same tech that carries high-speed internet might help track notoriously noisy insects.

The Opt Out: 5 reasons to skip at-home genetic testing
DIY

The Opt Out: 5 reasons to skip at-home genetic testing

Read this before you spit into that tube.

US military says national security depends on ‘forever chemicals’
Health

US military says national security depends on ‘forever chemicals’

PFAS can be found in everything from weapons to uniforms, but the Department of Defense is pushing back on health concerns raised by regulators.

A French bulldog standing in a pile of leaves.
Diseases

An unknown respiratory illness is sickening dogs in the US, but ‘don’t panic’

Dog owners should look out for coughing, sneezing, unusual fatigue, and eye or nose discharge.

Beyerdynamic MMX 200 Wireless
Peripherals

Beyerdynamic MMX 200 Wireless gaming headset review: Leveled-up sound with some trade-offs

Beyerdynamic’s first wireless gaming headset offers great clarity and comms but stumbles when it comes to a few next-gen. expectations.

Google and Fervo's geothermal power plant in Nevada at dusk
Engineering

Geothermal energy now helps power Google’s desert data centers

The unique facility is part of the tech company's ongoing sustainability goals, and potential the first of many to come.

A large rat stands on a tree trunk at night. The Vangunu giant rat is the first new species of rodent described from Solomon Islands in over 80 years.
Land

A legendary Vangunu giant rat was finally caught on camera

These rodents of unusual size can gnaw through nuts.

An artist’s impression showing the HH 1177 system. The young and massive stellar object glowing in the center is collecting matter from a dusty disc while also expelling matter in powerful jets. This is the first time a disc around a young star has been discovered in another galaxy.
Space

Astronomers spot an extragalactic star with a disc around it for the first time

Star system HH 1177 lives in a stellar nursery about 200,000 light-years away from Earth.

Best of What's New 2023
Best of What's New

The 50 greatest innovations of 2023

The 36th annual Best of What's New awards.

All the fish we cannot see
Fish

All the fish we cannot see

In a dark, unexplored layer of ocean, a hidden cache of fish might play an unexpected role in our climate’s future.