Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 452)

map of europe and a globe
AI

Meta’s new AI can use deceit to conquer a board game world

It can play Diplomacy better than many humans. Here's how it works.

Coral reef
Animals

Disease-resistant super corals can save vulnerable reefs

The process is similar to how herd immunity from vaccinations protects human populations.

Tax form 1040 with crumpled up forms, glasses, pink eraser and pencil
Internet

Major tax-filing sites routinely shared users’ financial info with Facebook

A new investigation reveals how companies share users' most personal financial data with advertisers.

Kimberella fossil
Evolution

Oldest evidence of digested plants in a roughly 575-million-year-old creature’s gut

The remains of an ancient meal are helping scientists learn about the planet's oldest large animals.

A giant prehistoric salamander
Evolution

These pleasantly plump salamanders dominated the Cretaceous period

Temnospondyls were 'very strange' amphibians that looked like crocodiles and went extinct about 120 million years ago.

A Macbook laptop with a PS4 controller next to it on the table.
Tech Hacks

It’s surprisingly easy to connect your favorite video game controllers to your Mac

You can now connect your Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch controllers to your Apple computer.

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, in an artist's illustration.
Exoplanets

Ridiculously hot gas giant exoplanet is about to be swallowed by its dying sun

With a temperature around 3,000°F, this Hot Jupiter is even toastier than other planets of its kind.

Are at-home STD tests reliable?
Diseases

Are at-home STD tests reliable?

Except for HIV tests, the FDA hasn’t approved STD test kits for use outside a medical setting.

‘Red Robin’ dwarf tomato growing in Veggie hardware at the Kennedy Space Center. Image courtesy of NASA
Space X

Microgravity tomatoes, yogurt bacteria, and plastic eating microbes are headed to the ISS

SpaceX's resupply mission brings exciting new science.

sheet music on piano
AI

How Spotify trained an AI to transcribe music

Basic Pitch, an open-source tool on the web, can take sound recordings and turn them into a computer-recognizable MIDI score.

Meet SharkGuard, a tiny electric field that protects sharks from fishing nets
Technology

Meet SharkGuard, a tiny electric field that protects sharks from fishing nets

The tool emits small electrical signals that dissuades sharks and rays from chomping longline fishing lures.

Tomb of a forgotten queen is one of several new stunning Egyptian discoveries
Archaeology

Tomb of a forgotten queen is one of several new stunning Egyptian discoveries

Tunnels, tombs, and pyramids, oh my!

Passengers on a train wear face masks.
COVID-19

Wearing a well-fitted mask is still a smart choice for holiday travel

To protect yourself and those you'll be visiting, start taking precautions now, the CDC recommends.

Empty plastic bottles are layered on top of eachother
Fossil Fuels

Companies pledge to reduce plastic waste, but the burden falls to you

Commitments often lack clarity and real efforts to curtail plastic use overall.

3 of the biggest climate decisions from COP27
Fossil Fuels

3 of the biggest climate decisions from COP27

The United Nations conference ended on a mixed bag of action and agreements.

Blue robotic arm in factory working on assembly line with plywood materials
AI

Workplace automation could affect income inequality even more than we thought

A new study from MIT and Boston University argues workplace automation is even more problematic than previous research shows.

A mug of coffee or tea next to a Macbook laptop with Zoom open and full of people.
Tech Hacks

How to livestream an event for all your friends and family

When in-person gatherings aren’t possible, this is the skill you need.

Despite pushback, NASA won’t rename the James Webb Space Telescope
Space Telescope

Despite pushback, NASA won’t rename the James Webb Space Telescope

LGBTQI+ scientists and astronomers have protested the name.

The Army wants to modernize battlefield medicine with blood delivery by drone
Army

The Army wants to modernize battlefield medicine with blood delivery by drone

Project Crimson was a part of Project Convergence, and involved using a FVR-90 drone.

NASA Orion spacecraft with moon in backdrop
Moons

Orion will air kiss the moon today during important Artemis exercise

NASA's lunar capsule is going into retrograde.