Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 4)

white urinals separated by green plants
Biology

Swiss startup turns urine into plant fertilizer

The space-inspired wastewater treatment uses the nutrients and loses the odor.

A young person bundled in a green winter jacket, gray knit hat, and blue gloves is standing outside in the snow. They are shivering, with their arms crossed tightly and a nervous or cold expression, with their tongue slightly visible.
Ask Us Anything

What is shivering? Why our bodies shake when it’s cold.

Involuntary muscle contractions keep us warm and even fight infections.

A close-up photograph shows a hoverfly (Syrphidae) resting on the yellow center and pale pink/white petals of a flower. The hoverfly has a black and orange striped abdomen, mimicking a bee or wasp, and clear wings. Its head and thorax are dark brown/black.
Science

Nature’s greatest method actors: the insects that cosplay bumblebees

Hoverflies don’t just look like bumblebees—they visit the same flowers and even act like them to fool predators.

pouring olive oil in a clear container
Archaeology

Ancient ‘dirty dishes’ may have led archaeologists astray for decades

A new study questions if Bronze Age dishes really do have traces of olive oil.

person holding a phone
Tech Hacks

You’re not making the most of the clipboard on your Android phone

Cut, copy, and paste between your apps.

Breville espresso and coffee machines
Home

Upgrade your home espresso game with these holiday deals on Breville machines

Whether you want a basic model or a fully equipped espresso rig, just about all of Breville's models are discounted for the holiday season.

An illustration depicting a fierce naval battle, identified as the Battle of Sluys. Two large, wooden medieval ships are shown locked together, full of soldiers fighting hand-to-hand. The decks are crowded with men in armour, many wearing bascinet-style helmets and some carrying shields, engaged in close combat with swords, axes, and spears. On the right ship, several English archers are prominently shown drawing their longbows, firing towards the opposing vessel. Men in brightly coloured tunics (blue, red, green, yellow) are falling or being pushed overboard into the water between the ships. In the background, beyond the battle, is a walled port city with large buildings and towers. The flags visible include the English royal standard (three gold fleurs-de-lis on a blue background, and three gold lions on a red background, quarterly) and a red banner with a gold lion.
Archaeology

We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers–here’s what it reveals

A newly expanded database reveals how everyday soldiers lived and fought in medieval England.

a dead sperm whale floats among ice while a polar bear floats on the whale
Animals

5 captivating images from National Geographic’s Pictures of the Year

‘Individually, these photographs speak to beauty, fragility, and wonder.’

a brown snail
Endangered Species

German hairy snails are disappearing from London’s River Thames

Londoners are scouring riverbanks to save the endangered mollusk.

A close-up, colorized photograph of a middle-aged man with a stern expression and a thick, reddish-brown beard. He is superimposed over a faded, beige background of densely printed, historical text, suggesting he is a figure related to the document's content, which appears to discuss Cattalo or Beefalo (a cow and buffalo hybrid), based on the filename.
Science

The strange Wild West tale of the first cow-buffalo hybrid

Inside cowboy Charles Jesse “Buffalo” Jones's get-rich-quick scheme to restore the plains 100 years ago.

This is a type of animal that is related to land spiders but does not belong to that group. They can grow to the size of a palm in the deep sea around Antarctica, but this particular species is only a few millimeters in size Photo: Natural History Museum, London & Göteborgs universitet
Ocean

Deep sea mining test uncovered multiple new species

One of the first studies of its kind also showed mining's stark effects on the abyssal plain.

Inside the mouth of this anchovy, plankton particles are captured by the gill arch system.
Pollution

Sardine-inspired washing machine filter removes 99% of microplastics

The home appliance can easily generate as much as 500 grams of microplastics each year.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope reobserved interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS Nov. 30, with its Wide Field Camera 3 instrument.
Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope caught a second glimpse of comet 3I/ATLAS

The interstellar object is still soaring through our solar system.

a dancer with a bright green background (left) a black and white photo of a large turtle's profile.
Endangered Species

Ruby the turtle needs a new greenhouse. Dance companies are stepping up.

Conservation takes center stage.

An old DC-6 cargo plane converted into lodging rests in the snow under a glowing aurora, its windows and engines illuminated against a dark, starry winter sky.
Aviation

A pilot turned an old plane into a two-bedroom apartment

Jon Kotwicki jokes that converting an aluminum plane in Alaska is the “worst idea that a person could possibly have.”

Close-up of the mass of rocks in the throat of Chromeornis (the rocks are the gray mass just to the left of the neck bones).
Dinosaurs

Why did this ancient bird die with tiny rocks in its throat?

The 120-million-year-old fossil may also be a choking hazard PSA.

Sans air purifier and water purifier
Home

The Sans holiday sale drops prices on these editor-approved air purifiers and water purifiers

These high-end air and water purifiers don't go on sale often, but you can get a huge discount during this Black Friday sale.

two donkeys looking directly at the camera in a green field with a blue sky
Psychology

Why using a donkey to treat whooping cough makes sense

3,655 Irish folk cures show how folk remedies help our brains in uncertain times.

Jackets on sale at REI
Outdoor Gear

REI is blowing out coats, jackets, and tons more clothing for clearance prices during its winter sale

Save on outdoor gear from Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Icebreaker, Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardware, and more during REI's annual sale.

a robot dog with elon musk's face
AI

Robot dog with Elon Musk’s head poops out AI generated art

The dystopian art installation features billionaires and Silicon Valley's elite.