Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 357)

A person sitting indoors, wearing an Apple Vision Pro, with their hands out as if they're asking, "What's the difference between AR and VR?"
AI

What’s the difference between VR, AR, and mixed reality?

With terms like virtual reality, augmented reality, and now spatial computing swirling around, here are some handy definitions.

A hand wearing a smart glove playing keyboard next to computer readings of movements
AI

This AI-powered glove could help stroke patients play the piano again

A prototype of the 3D printed glove uses lights and haptics to guide movement.

A full moon known as the Buck Moon is seen as a deer grazes outside the village of Taarbaek, Denmark on July 14, 2022.
Mars

July’s skies heat up with the Buck Moon, a shimmery Venus, and more

Warm weather makes for perfect meteor and moon watching.

Young climate defenders bring hope in an unprecedented US lawsuit
Climate Change

Young climate defenders bring hope in an unprecedented US lawsuit

Experts in Held v. Montana testified that the state can transition away from fossil fuels and reap economic benefits in the process. Now it's up to the judge.

The best energy efficient air conditioners composited
Appliances

The best energy-efficient air conditioners

Beat the heat and save some money with the best energy-efficient air conditioners.

A close-up of a Raspberry Pi computer circuit board.
Engineering

How bits, bytes, ones, and zeros help a computer think

These computing units add up to make complex operations.

A fresco painted on a wall in the ancient city of Pompeii that depicts a focaccia with fruit and possibly pesto sauce on it. It is served on a silver tray and has a wine chalice next to it.
Archaeology

A fresco discovered in Pompeii looks like ancient pizza—but it’s likely focaccia

Mount Vesuvius destroyed the city before tomatoes and mozzarella made it to Europe.

The IceCube Lab is seen under a starry night sky, with the Milky Way appearing over low auroras in the background.
Particle Physics

The Milky Way’s ghostly neutrinos have finally been found

There should be plenty of these subatomic particles emerging from our galaxy, but until now they'd never been detected.

CPAP machine, mask and hose
Technology

How CPAP machines help people with sleep apnea—including the president

President Joe Biden is the latest to use the commonly prescribed sleep aide.

Netgear Orbi 9 router
Smart Home

Netgear Orbi 960 WiFi 6E mesh system review: All the speed you could need

This pricey mesh network setup will serve up super-fast WiFi for years—and yards—to come.

Black and white photo of government workers in a patent filing office
Technology

The US Patent Office accidentally leaked thousands of filers’ home addresses

The data leak lasted from February 2020 to March 2023, and affected 3 percent of all applicants.

The best interactive dog toys will keep your pooch entertained even when you're not around.
Gear

The best interactive dog toys

Keep your pooch physically and mentally active, even when you can't be around.

A Cryo-EM map of a Fanzor protein indicated by gray, yellow, light blue, and pink in complex with ωRNA indicated in purple and its target DNA in red. Non-target DNA strand in blue.
Biology

These organisms have a natural gene-editing system that could be more useful than CRISPR

Fanzor proteins use RNA as a guide to precisely target DNA.

A greater honeyguide feeding on beeswax with an open mouth in Niassa Special Reserve in Mozambique.
Birds

Badgers and birds may be teaming up to steal honey

About 61 percent of Hadzabe honey-hunters in Tanzania reported observing this cooperative phenomenon.

Brachiosaurus in bathing suit stands on a beach with a handheld fan to show that dinosaurs might have been warm-blooded. Illustrated.
Dinosaurs

Were dinosaurs hot or not?

Did ancient reptiles run warm- or cold-blooded? New evidence reignites an old debate.

A distant shot of a hiker about to go downhill
Life Skills

How to hike downhill safely and comfortably

Follow these tips to protect your muscles and knees when climbing back down the trail.

A green adult L. heckscheri frog sits amid some rocks and fungus.
Wildlife

Check out some of the weirdest warty frogs in North America

More than 100 unique species of frogs live in the US and Canada. A new tome spotlights them all.

Four women sitting around two small, white, round tables having a conversation.
Life Skills

9 science-backed tips for better conversations

Have you been talking about yourself too much? Or just enough?

Best headphone amplifiers on a white background
Peripherals

The best headphone amps

Make sure your cans can with headphone amps, as well as DAC-amp combos, for any budget or setup.

Marine microplastics chemicals may make microbes more resistant
Pollution

Marine microplastics chemicals may make microbes more resistant

Laboratory research shows that someway, somehow, PVC plastic makes microbes more virulent and resilient.