Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 343)

Hand writing on notebook
Life Skills

How to improve your handwriting

Practice will help you write pretty again.

A microphone on a dark stage.
Archaeology

A lost ‘bawdy bard’ act reveals roots of naughty British comedy

The 15th century manuscript features a killer rabbit centuries before ‘Monty Python.'

Big Tech’s latest AI doomsday warning might be more of the same hype
AI

Big Tech’s latest AI doomsday warning might be more of the same hype

On Tuesday, a group including AI's leading minds proclaimed that we are facing an 'extinction crisis.'

Reassembled partial skeleton Ambulator keanei with silhouette demonstrating advanced adaptations for quadrupedal, graviportal walking.
Animals

This 500-pound Australian marsupial had feet made for walkin’

There's nothing quite like the distant wombat relative on the planet today.

Why it’s time to stop naming new species after people
Wildlife

Why it’s time to stop naming new species after people

An international team of scientists wants to stop using eponyms. But the naming authorities won’t budge.

Beagle flying over an obstacle hurdle
AI

Google engineers used real dogs to develop an agility course for robots

Researchers hope the 'Barkour' challenge can become an industry benchmark.

Honda’s electric go-karts pack a race car’s spirit into a tiny EV
Electric Vehicles

Honda’s electric go-karts pack a race car’s spirit into a tiny EV

These fun vehicles will hit 45 mph—and have more in common with real open-wheel race cars than you might think.

Various shotgun mics from Rode, Shure, and Neumann
Audio

The best shotgun mics

Capture every nuanced note and subtly spoken word with these great microphones.

Hand sanitizer bottle and hands.
COVID-19

How to make hand sanitizer

We’ve got liquid and gel for all your germ-killing needs.

HIV, seen in red budding particles, is among the deadliest viruses.
COVID-19

The deadliest viruses in human history, from COVID to smallpox

Deadly viral pathogens include rabies, which is fatal without swift treatment, and the flu, which has a huge global toll.

glider drops from navy helicopter
Navy

Watch the US Navy launch an ocean glider from a helicopter

The Slocum glider is a type of robot designed to gather information about the sea's conditions.

A saltwater crocodile with its mouth wide open.
Wildlife

Snorkeler pries crocodile’s jaws off his head to survive attack

Surfer and diver Marcus McGowan said he was 'simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time.'

Gardener harvesting beets from ground.
AI

A robot gardener outperformed human horticulturalists in one vital area

UC Berkeley researchers claim their robotic farmer passes the green thumb Turing Test.

A close up of a skull and teeth.
Archaeology

Plague DNA was just found in 4,000-year-old teeth

New evidence shows that a strain of Yersinia pestis was in Britain millennia prior to the Black Death.

A walker in sneakers, with the bottom of the shoe visible.
Fitness & Exercise

Evolution of human foot arches put the necessary pep in our upright steps

A spring-like recoil in the arch helps the ankle lift the body from the ground.

Person with dark skin and short hair jumps rope while pregnant person with light skin and hair in a bun squats and lifts dumbells. Illustrated in orange, black, and gray.
Fitness & Exercise

The 6 essential parts of an effective workout

Cardio or lifting? Why not both?

Tabby cat on hardwood floors playing with a fabric toy resembling a mouse
Life Skills

5 ways to ensure your cat actually likes playtime

These science tips can help you find and make toys your furry friend will enjoy.

Colorado River low water levels after drought and evaporation in Lake Powell, Utah, seen from above
Global Warming

Every drop of the Colorado River counts. So what about evaporation?

The biggest reservoirs on the Colorado River are disappearing. But the issue of evaporation is not so cut and dry.

Mammatus types of clouds over a lighthouse and rocky coast
Weather

A scientific guide to clouds, even the ones that look like udders

Some clouds have weird names and funny features. You should learn them.

1 in 5 people are likely to live in dangerously hot climates by 2100
Global Warming

1 in 5 people are likely to live in dangerously hot climates by 2100

Most people live with a mean annual temperature of 55 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Billions of people could see 84 degrees or higher by the end of the century.