Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 431)

Positive COVID blood sample
COVID-19

Getting COVID more than once might be even worse than we thought

A new study finds increased risk of future hospitalization, organ failure, and even death from repeat COVID-19 infections.

How decoding the genome of pearl oysters could save them
Animals

How decoding the genome of pearl oysters could save them

Viruses are hurting Japan's pearl oysters. Now scientists are working to figure out how to make the oysters more resilient.

NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover on the cosmic ‘relay race’ of the new lunar missions
Moons

NASA astronaut Victor J. Glover on the cosmic ‘relay race’ of the new lunar missions

The U.S. Navy test pilot and astronaut reflects on the challenges faced by the Artemis team.

A woman sipping from a teacup while taking a break.
Life Skills

Improve your focus by taking more breaks every day

Whether you need to be merely reminded our outright forced to take breaks, we have advice for you.

How drones are helping monitor Kyrgyzstan’s radioactive legacy
Drones

How drones are helping monitor Kyrgyzstan’s radioactive legacy

An accident in 1958 and more than two decades of uranium mining led to nuclear contamination. Now, airborne monitoring is helping.

Wildfire smoke from across continents is changing the Arctic Ocean’s makeup
Ocean

Wildfire smoke from across continents is changing the Arctic Ocean’s makeup

Increasing wildfires, and the nutrients they bring, could bring more algae blooms to the Arctic Ocean.

Interior of skylights of Apple Store on Fifth Avenue
Internet

Apple knows exactly how much you use its apps

New research reveals a startling level of data monitoring within the App Store and company apps like Books and Apple Music.

a fuzzy bumblebee settles on a pink flower
Biology

Bees can sense a flower’s electric field—unless fertilizer messes with the buzz

Bumblebees are really good at picking up on cues from flowers, even electrical signals.

A hummingbird called black jacobin in flight.
Science

This photographer captures birds as poetry in motion

Six photos from Christian Spencer's 'Poetry in the Sky' reveal the impressionistic splendor of blue and yellow macaws and other birds.

a stage filled with lights and music equipment
AI

This AI can harness sound to reveal the structure of unseen spaces

It's called a neural acoustic field model, and it can also consider what noises would sound like as you traveled through virtual reality.

Female octopuses will chuck seashells at males who irk them
Wildlife

Female octopuses will chuck seashells at males who irk them

The debris-chucking octopuses were caught on camera for the first time in Australia.

Tropical Storm Nicole nears hurricane status as it hurtles toward eastern Florida
Weather

Tropical Storm Nicole nears hurricane status as it hurtles toward eastern Florida

The storm would be the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States during November in 40 years.

Ancient ivory comb shows that self-care is as old as time
Archaeology

Ancient ivory comb shows that self-care is as old as time

The Canaanite comb is inscribed with a warning for tiny lice—the oldest written sentence discovered in the language.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
Social Media

Meta lays off more than 11,000 employees after ‘worst downturn’ in company’s history

The decision, while largely anticipated, comes as Mark Zuckberg continues to sell consumers on the 'metaverse.'

Black person sitting with surface laptop their lap while holding a mug
Tech Hacks

How to make the most out of the newest Windows 11 update

Windows 11 just keeps getting better.

Why disabled patients struggle to find doctors
Diseases

Why disabled patients struggle to find doctors

Some doctors avoid patients with disabilities, advocates say. And even when they don’t, barriers to routine care abound.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the stage at COP27 in Egypt
Global Warming

Why the 1.5-degree-Celsius climate goal still matters

The priority list for COP27 is based on the world's progress so far.

Ukraine is getting upgraded Soviet T-72B tanks
Weapons

Ukraine is getting upgraded Soviet T-72B tanks

Between the US, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, Ukraine will add 90 "refurbished" tanks to its arsenal.

Springtail insect under the microscope
Internet

One of nature’s tiniest acrobats inspired a leaping robot

A minuscule insect-like animal called the springtail lives atop water. Researchers just made its robotic sibling.

Swedish engineer Linus Åkesson playing homemade accordion made of two Commodore 64 computers and floppy disks
Internet

This is what polka music sounds like on an accordion of two Commodore 64 computers

A Swedish engineer's 'Commodordion 64' looks as hard to play as it is to announce.