Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 434)

illustration of person at computer with devil horns and cloven hooves
Psychology

Does playing devil’s advocate do more harm than good?

Playing devil's advocate in public meetings or online can have unintended consequences.

An old man panning for gold in a river.
Life Skills

Enter your prospector era by learning how to pan for gold

You can't just dunk a bowl in a river and expect to strike it rich.

Noise pollution messes with beluga whales’ travel plans
Ocean

Noise pollution messes with beluga whales’ travel plans

A new tracking study shows just how far belugas will go to avoid loud ship traffic.

A VBAT vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial system (UAS) prepares to land on the flight deck of the Military Sealift Command expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Spearhead
Military

The Navy doesn’t know what to do with all its drone data

It's a tricky challenge to convert collected data into useful information.

Crash test dummy in driver's seat of car with airbag deployed
Vehicles

The first crash dummy modeled after women is here

Since the 1970's, dummies resembled only men, but a new design offers much needed physiological diversity to safety tests.

A new silicone tire sealant stops nails in their tracks
Electric Vehicles

A new silicone tire sealant stops nails in their tracks

Here's how the tech works, and why a new material promises to have sustainability benefits.

A potential vaccine for pregnant mothers could quell the surge of serious RSV cases
Vaccines

A potential vaccine for pregnant mothers could quell the surge of serious RSV cases

Pfizer just announced positive results from the trials for their maternal RSV vaccine.

a man with white hair and a short beard waves at a presidential election rally
Climate Change

Brazil’s presidential election is a win for the Amazon—and the planet

Newly elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is making a giant U-turn on the former president’s anti-climate policies.

Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals
Evolution

Sex, not violence, could’ve sealed the fate of the Neanderthals

More evidence emerges that Neanderthals and Homo sapiens made love and not war thousands of years ago.

Phone with Amazon Music homepage displayed on screen
Internet

If you have Amazon Prime, you can now listen to 100 million songs for free

The caveat: It costs more if you don't want to shuffle.

soundbar audio delay
DIY

How to fix the annoying audio delay on your soundbar

You may have to dig deep into your device settings to get everything matched up.

a bird perched on a flowering tree
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

How do we know that birds are real?

Plus other fun facts from The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week.

a black and white picture cut out of two men in lab coats looking at vials on a lab bench that has a microscope. in purple behind them is text of an old news article, with the headline "science closes in on the common cold"
Vaccines

Why we still don’t have a vaccine for the common cold

For decades, scientists have been on the hunt for a universal common cold vaccine—and they're still searching.

Rhino horns are shrinking, and humans are to blame
Endangered Species

Rhino horns are shrinking, and humans are to blame

Scientists believe the shrinking is due excessive hunting for the very in-demand and valuable horns

Fallen autumn leaves on the windshield of a car
Life Skills

How to keep your car clean all autumn long

Leaves can leave nasty stuff on your vehicle’s paint.

Why plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles are worth a look right now
Electric Vehicles

Why plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles are worth a look right now

Positioned between regular vehicles and pure EVs, PHEVs solve several problems.

Close up of chess player with head in hand playing game
AI

A simple rule variation could move chess out of a stalemate

Chess960 is meant to keep the game's creativity—and curb computers' edge.

After years of delays, SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy rocket
Military

After years of delays, SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy rocket

The US Space Force mission is largely classified.

The Mars Express just got up close and personal with Phobos
Mars

The Mars Express just got up close and personal with Phobos

Flying closely can give scientists clues to the history of the Red Planet's largest moon.

protein structure 3D
AI

Meta’s AI could shake up how we study protein structures

It is using language learning models to predict how proteins fold.