Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 490)

Your connected car could be putting your privacy at risk
Vehicles

Your connected car could be putting your privacy at risk

As the U.S. enters a new era of lawmaking, connected cars could become the new front of legal battles.

a robotic military dog
Military

A new tail accessory propels this robot dog across streams

The machine comes from Ghost Robotics, and the system that enables it to swim is called a NAUT.

bowls containing wheat flour, eggs, shellfish, peanuts, soybeans, and other common allergens
COVID-19

It’s harder for kids with food allergies to catch COVID

The link between these allergies and COVID immunity is largely mysterious.

Blocks of concrete on shovel.
Pollution

Green cement could change the construction game—but will builders actually use it?

From food waste to carbon storage, new cement options are popping up all over the world.

MIT stackable chip
AI

MIT’s new computer chip design lets you clip on parts like LEGOs

This modular architecture allows for sensors and processors to be added on or swapped out.

A ‘heat dome’ is searing the US with record-breaking temperatures
Science

A ‘heat dome’ is searing the US with record-breaking temperatures

One in three Americans could endure a heat wave this week.

Apple iMac screen showing notch
Tech Hacks

How to hide or customize your MacBook notch, if you’re into that

Not everyone loves the notch and you don't have to stick with it.

nearly finished submarine in large building
Military

An exclusive look inside where nuclear subs are born

To craft submarines that withstand the crushing deep, New England shipbuilders must become masters of steel.

The Gaia space observatory traveling the Milky Way in an artist's rendition
Sun

See the stars from the Milky Way mapped as a dazzling rainbow

Gaia's latest data drop reveals 'starquakes' and 'primordial material' pretty close to home.

SpaceX rocket launch facility near Boca Chica, Texas.
Birds

What SpaceX’s final Starbase permits could mean for Texas wildlife

After environmental review, the FAA will make the final decision on the proposed Starship launch from Boca Chica.

person texting on phone
AI

Unpacking Google’s ‘sentient’ AI controversy

The recent debate has also brought other, more pressing issues with the language model to light.

Deer looking at camera
Animals

‘Zombie deer’ disease is killing herds across the country

The fatal, highly contagious, neurological disease is spreading quickly through North America, killing deer and elk.

A blonde person wearing a medical face mask and standing in a mostly empty airport while holding onto a white rolling suitcase.
COVID-19

Your up-to-date guide on international travel during COVID-19

Traveling is getting easier, but there are still a couple of hoops to jump through.

Plane traveler wearing a COVID mask with an orange neck pillow looking out window after CDC lifted COVID testing policy for international flights
COVID-19

Flying to the US? You no longer need a negative COVID test.

The policy could change again if a new variant emerges.

Offshore wind turbine against cloudy sky
Renewables

Offshore wind has been slow to take off in the US. Here’s what could change that.

High costs and logistical hoops have held back the technology for years.

The main page of Netflix on a web browser.
Tech Hacks

Watch anything you want without signing up for every streaming service

So many things to watch, so little money.

Activists in Indigenous clothing and with no pipeline signs protesting Line 3 on a bridge in Minnesota
Fossil Fuels

States and tribes could soon regain the power to fight against projects that pollute

Leaking pipelines can pollute waterways, harm agriculture, and threaten endangered species.

These drones can avoid midair collisions by listening for other aircraft
Drones

These drones can avoid midair collisions by listening for other aircraft

Microphones and software will allow Zipline's flying machines to make quick decisions in the sky, if regulators give the system a green light.

Fabric carbon filter
Fossil Fuels

A protein-filled cotton sheet can filter carbon emissions

The same stuff in your favorite shirt could fight climate change.

person opening faucet with water flowing
Life Skills

PFAS are toxic and they’re everywhere. Here’s how to stay away from them.

It might be impossible to eliminate them completely, but you can certainly reduce your exposure.