Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 388)

Two University of Colorado Boulder scientists in jackets carrying a log with a tumpstrap and their heads
Environment

Scientists may have solved an old Puebloan mystery by strapping giant logs to their foreheads

A simple head strap could explain how the ancient people of Chaco Canyon moved hundreds of pounds of timber down mountains.

The best pressure cookers will help you get dinner on the table fast.
Appliances

The best pressure cookers

Pull together a nourishing meal in minutes.

A scientist holds up a tooth recovered from an archaeological dig in Denmark.
Diseases

Scientists tracked the plague’s journey through Denmark using really old teeth

Hundreds of samples of teeth can tell scientists about disease spread in medieval Scandinavia.

Close up to a screen showing the home page of ChatGPT
Tech Hacks

6 ways ChatGPT is actually useful right now

Cheating on your essays isn't one of them.

A commercial airplane at taxxing at an airport in soft sunlight.
COVID-19

Airplane toilets are a surprisingly good place to track COVID outbreaks

CDC researchers found the virus in 81 percent of wastewater samples from long haul flights last year.

google's quantum processor
Engineering

How Google plans to fix quantum computing’s accuracy problem

Although the accuracy rate only improved by a small percent, the company claims it's a "big step forward."

Purple sea urchins clumped together in an urchin barren.
Ocean

These urchin-eating sea stars might be helping us reduce carbon levels

The 24-armed sunflower sea star is not a picky eater, which may makes it crucial to restoring kelp forests.

A solar canopy installed above parked cars, as seen from the air.
Energy

Why your community’s next solar panel project should be above a parking lot

They paved paradise? Then put up a solar canopy.

What ancient tsunamis can teach us about future disasters
Weather

What ancient tsunamis can teach us about future disasters

Gigantic tsunamis have been decimating coastlines since time immemorial. We ignore these prehistoric warnings at our own peril.

U-2 spy plane balloon selfie
Air Force

The real star of this aerial selfie isn’t the balloon—it’s the U-2 spy plane

Let's take a close look at the U-2, a high-flying spy plane whose pilot wears a space suit.

An illustration of Hyneria udlezinye, a large, predatory fish, with smaller fish in the Waterloo Farm ecosystem in South Africa about 360 million years ago.
Fish

A gator-faced fish shaped like a torpedo stalked rivers 360 million years ago

Hyneria udlezinye, or the 'one who consumes others,' went extinct about 360 million years ago, but not before becoming a top predator.

A lineup of the best floodlights on a white background
Home

The best floodlights

Keep tabs on your home with a trusty, bright spotlight for your property.

Pitcher and jar filled with kombucha on wooden kitchen counter
Technology

Kombucha may have a surprising new use in tech

The bio-electric hybrid material could be used in wearable tech like smartwatches and heart monitors.

Three rows of various plant-based milks in a grocery store refrigerator.
Agriculture

The FDA says it’s ok to call almond milk ‘milk’ (for now)

The agency found that calling plant-based dairy alternatives by the term ‘milk' is not deceptive to consumers.

best Dolby Atmos soundbars sliced header
Speakers

The best Dolby Atmos soundbars

Fire it up! And sideways. And, of course, left/center/right. These soundbars let you immerse yourself in audio, not cords and bulky components.

Two light brown cows standing on a grassy hill against a yellow sun and purple clouds. Illustration.
Pets

The social lives of cows are remarkably sophisticated

Locked away in dairy barns and cattle pens, cows and their culture need a moment to shine.

Why scientists are still on the quest to build an artificial heart
Heart Disease

Why scientists are still on the quest to build an artificial heart

The history of the total artificial heart is punctuated with both brilliant innovation and continual clinical failure.

A guide to Section 230, the law that made the internet the Wild West
Social Media

A guide to Section 230, the law that made the internet the Wild West

The law from 1996 is at the heart of a pair of important Supreme Court cases. Here's a brief explainer.

Palm holding small biodegradable smart bandage
Technology

A new biodegrading ‘smart’ bandage promises faster healing

The newest smart bandage can stimulate cell growth without overstaying its welcome.

Kindle e-reader on store home screen.
AI

ChatGPT is quietly co-authoring books on Amazon

In fact, the AI ghosts authors have plagued multiple websites.