Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 4)

Young woman sitting on a sofa and looking at a smartphone with a confused expression
Tech Hacks

How to stop annoying spam calls

Whether you use iOS or Android, don't waste your time with scammers.

3d sculpture of young couple, made of balls , concept for Love Story.
AI

AI can teach our students the art of dialogue

The same technology that’s ruining essay writing as a pedagogical tool can help students learn how to reason via conversations.

a jellyfish with a red center, blue circle on the outer part of its body, and small tentavles
Ocean

Perplexing blue button jelly looks like something out of ‘Lord of the Rings’

Coincidentally, these odd jellyfish relatives are gobbled up by blue dragons.

View_of_Whitehall_from_Trafalgar_Square_which_is_blurred_with_pedestrian_and_carriage_traffic__London__1839
AI

This AI thinks it’s the 1800s

What happens when you train an LLM only on limited historical data?

a stingray swimming in clear blue water
Biology

Stingray-inspired robot cracks the mystery of how rays swim

‘Nature seems to have already solved the problem.’

Scene from Bayeux tapestry showing Halley's comet
Deep Space

Halley’s comet may need a new, medieval name

Astronomers suggest the honor should go to an 11th century monk known for a disastrous flying attempt.

Craftsman string trimmers
Home

Lowe’s is blowing out this Craftsman cordless string trimmer with battery and charger for just $29 while they last

You may not be thinking about lawn care right now, but for $30, this deal is worth grabbing and sitting on until spring.

Medieval portrait of Richard Rolle
Archaeology

Forgotten, priceless medieval book found in school library

The hermit and mystic Richard Rolles was basically a bestselling author in the Middle Ages.

a man anxiously sitting in front of a computer with his hand over his mouth
Psychology

It’s not in your head. Fear drives decision making.

Dreading negative outcomes is six times more powerful than anticipating the positive ones.

unhealthy lunch box on table cloth
Nutrition

Eating less ultraprocessed food supports healthier aging, new research shows

Ultraprocessed food makes up about half the calories of a typical American diet.

A young woman slumped over her desk in an office, fast asleep on her arms. To humorously hide that she is sleeping, two pink sticky notes with cartoon eyes drawn on them are stuck over her closed eyelids. Her workspace includes a computer monitor, keyboard, mouse, and a light blue coffee mug.
Health

Tired? You may have social jetlag.

When life gets in the way of your body's ideal sleep schedule, things get messy.

REI sneakers on sale with boots
Outdoor Gear

REI is blowing out sneakers, hiking boots, and casual shoes during its winter clearance sale

Grab footwear from Merrell, Saucony, Keen, Arc'teryx, Hoka, and more during this limited time clearance sale.

Group of red kangaroos running in Australia
Evolution

550-pound Ice Age kangaroos could still hop

Just probably not as far as today’s marsupials.

a small mammal called a marten stands on a log
Endangered Species

Adorable ferret-sized martens are rebounding in California

Highly valued for their fur, martens were almost hunted to extinction in the late 20th century.

Yellow bananas arranged against a blue background
Evolution

Penis size may matter more to men than women

Genitalia size does have some evolutionary benefits, but men remain a bit touchy about the subject.

A Sony PS-LX3BT turntable playing turquoise colored vinyl.
Audio

Sony embraces analog and aesthetic with new turntables

But don't worry, there's also Bluetooth built in, with support for Hi-Res aptX Adaptive.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s 2024 NIRCam image shows protostar EC 53 circled. Researchers using new data from Webb’s MIRI proved that crystalline silicates form in the hottest part of the disk of gas and dust surrounding the star — and may be shot to the system’s edges.
Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope solves a comet crystal mystery

A 'cosmic highway' may explain the journeys of some space silicates.

a black robot shaped like a human hand
Engineering

This robot hand can detach from its arm and crawl around

Talk to the (robot) hand.

A beautiful snowy forest. The setting sun shines through the tall trunks of conifers.
Ask Us Anything

Snow isn’t actually white

Winter wonderlands are only possible thanks to a sparkly light trick.

a monkey with a red face sits in a hot spring while it snows
Wildlife

Snow monkeys love hot springs. They’re also good for them.

Bathing in central Japan's steamy springs can change the primates' gut microbes and parasites.