Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 46)

Schimpanse Chimpanzee Pan t. troglodytes Adult weiblich female mit Jungtieren with youngs spielend playing Vorkommen: Africa Afrika
Wildlife

Wild chimps consume the equivalent of two glasses of wine a day

The 'drunken monkey hypothesis' could explain why humans like alcohol so much.

A colorized vintage photo shows a smiling blonde woman in a salmon-colored dress waving her hand while seated at a dark wooden counter or bar. Two men in white staff uniforms and hats are leaning over the counter, laughing with her, one of whom is holding a cigar. The other offers her a drink in a tall glass. Several other men in hats are visible in the background.
Science

The radioactive ‘miracle water’ that killed its believers

In the 1920s, Radithor promised to cure everything from wrinkles to leukemia, but its unintended results were deadly.

The silver-and-black EcoFlow Delta 3 Max Plus and Ultra Plus portable power stations sitting next to one another in a storage unit
Outdoor Gear

EcoFlow DELTA 3 portable power station series first impressions: More power, more versatile

The EcoFlow Delta 3 Ultra Plus and Delta 3 Max Plus deliver plenty of power for camping and home backup.

William Byron drives the Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 24 Chevrolet at the Sonoma Raceway
Gear

When the wheels come off: Lessons from Sonoma on racing, resilience, and engine oil

I went to Sonoma for a NASCAR race and found out heat is the bad guy, fluids are the secret weapon, and Valvoline’s engineers are basically mad scientists with pit passes.

washing machine with laundry tumbling out
Life Skills

You should wash your clothes with cold water

Modern laundry detergents work better in cold water.

Video still of bipedal robot doing cartwheel in lab
AI

This humanoid robot can cartwheel surprisingly well

Fourier’s N1 is an open-source bot designed to boost collaboration between universities, labs, and hobbyists.

Hands holding a smartphone taking a photograph of the sea at sunset
Tech Hacks

How to take every kind of photo on your iPhone

Apple's phones are more versatile than you might have thought.

a sea otter with its paw on its head
Ocean

6 fun photos to celebrate Sea Otter Awareness week

The furry mammals keep kelp forests going.

Man standing next to single seat personal helicopter in landing field
Aviation

Flying in an open-air, single-seat helicopter is a true test of nerves

YouTuber Mark Rumsey documents his adventures in an extremely barebones Mirocopter SCH-2A.

Five different pairs of powered desktop-friendly bookshelf speakers stacked on top of each other on a countertop
Speakers

The best powered bookshelf speakers for 2025, tested and reviewed

Spin records, stream playlists, or score your next session—these all-in-one systems keep up wherever you set up, from your desktop to a bookshelf.

A close-up shot of a hand holding a wooden mallet with a red, fuzzy end, positioned over a bronze singing bowl. The bowl is resting on a light-colored surface, and the background is softly blurred with warm, glowing fairy lights, suggesting a relaxing, indoor setting.
Mental Health

I tried a sound bath to see if it actually made me calmer

The science is still emerging, but I couldn’t deny how relaxed I felt.

a large SUV offroading
Engineering

The tug-of-war between engineering and design to build the Hyundai Palisade XRT Pro

The brand toughened up its popular family SUV, but first, the design and engineering team had to agree on the dimensions and recovery hook placement.

a sparkly iron ore
Archaeology

This ‘funny-looking rock’ holds 3,000 years of Iron Age secrets

Experimenting with copper may have led to our eventual breakthroughs with making iron.

a hand and the umbrella
Engineering

Redesigned umbrella is smaller than an iPhone

The 'Simprella' weighs less than a few Snickers’ bars. 

a squirrel on a tree branch
Wildlife

‘Attack squirrel’ sends two people to the ER

A friendly reminder to not feed wildlife.

Coway air purifiers on sale at Amazon during early Prime Day deals.
Smart Home

Amazon is blowing out Coway air purifiers for every room during this early Prime Day deal

Amazon has Coway air purifiers for every home and budget on sale for their lowest prices of the year before the Prime Big Deal Days even get started.

a tyrannosaur skeleton on display in a musuem
Archaeology

Amateur paleontologist opens fossil museum in rural Minnesota

Jim Pollard is bringing bison bones, fossilized mammoth poop, and more to Blue Earth's 3,000 residents.

A high-angle shot of a smiling, bald, Black man in a white TSA uniform shirt and striped tie, holding two large, curved swords with golden hilts above his head. He is looking up at the blades with a playful expression. Behind him are several large, black bins filled with various confiscated items, including scissors, lighters, and tools.
Science

Want knives? How to buy what people leave at airport security.

Welcome to a very weird corner of the internet.

several rescue technicians hold a stranded dolphin in a net before releasing it
Ocean

11 dolphins stranded in Cape Cod rescued by nonprofit

‘These strandings happen fast, and every minute counts.’

White AirPods Pro 3 earbuds in their case sitting open on red brick colored upholstery
Earbuds

Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds first impressions: The rightful Air to the throne

Upgraded housings, drivers, eartips, and algorithms mean the Apple AirPods Pro 3 earbuds dig deeper and hold the stage better, improving noise isolation and sonic sensation.