Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 494)

octaglove prototype
Robots

This glove gives you the sensational powers of an octopus

Lined with suckers, Octaglove could help divers grab hold of slippery underwater objects.

person looking at phone screen
Tech Hacks

5 healthy and productive alternatives to doomscrolling

Make better use of your screen time.

The FDA has just given emergency use authorization to the Novavax vaccine.
COVID-19

FDA just greenlit a different type of COVID vaccine

Novavax's vaccine formula, similar to a flu shot's, may convince some hesitant Americans to get jabbed.

Pileated woodpecker with a red cap and black and white face pecking on wood in nine high speed video frames
Birds

Why woodpeckers actually don’t need shock-absorbing skulls to headbang

These birds have incredible hammering power but don't seem to get concussions or migraines. How?

Wind turbines in Alaska
Energy

Alaska’s largest coal plant closes, as green energy takes hold

The closure of Healy Unit 2 signals a rise in renewable energy projects around Alaska.

North Carolina’s biogas problem is only getting worse
Environment

North Carolina’s biogas problem is only getting worse

N.C. released a general biogas permit despite environmental justice concerns. The permit allows farms to bypass individual water quality review and public hearing processes when installing an anaerobic digester.

Why Bell’s sleek new helicopter has detachable wings
Army

Why Bell’s sleek new helicopter has detachable wings

Check out the progress on 360 Invictus, a candidate to be the Army's next armed scout. Here's how it works.

James Webb telescope traveling through space on a pink foil craft
Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope is about to beam us monster amounts of cosmic data

Expect JWST to release more information faster than its predecessor telescopes.

person holding red mobile phne
Social Media

Social media giants are failing their LGBTQ users, advocacy group warns

All five social media sites the researchers evaluated came up lacking.

This robot is learning about its body to adapt to new tasks.
Science

A self-aware robot taught itself how to use its body

It could be the first step toward making a smarter type of robot.

Caribou peeking over horizon
Wildlife

Climate change is forcing massive wildlife migrations towards the poles

Species from giant elephants to single-celled algae are being pushed out of their homes.

Seagrass
Ocean

Human pee could be the fertilizer seagrass needs

Treating wastewater creates struvite—a nutrient-rich crystal that might just be the key to bolstering struggling seagrass beds.

Two people sitting at a wooden table in an office space, with one of them writing in a paper calendar, and the other looking at a phone while working on a laptop.
Tech Hacks

Syncing Google and Apple calendars is less annoying now

Some weirdness remains between Google's and Apple's scheduling apps, but like, not as much.

Black person with short gray hair in a red collared shirt wearing a COVID mask looking directly into the camera
COVID-19

Machine learning is finally helping us track COVID deaths faster and more accurately

A major update to the software the CDC uses to code deaths should offer more timely information about diseases.

Photo of woman outdoors on bright day
DIY

How to take good photos in bright sunlight

Working with bright, overhead sunlight can be tough. Here's how to make the most out of an overly contrasty day.

The military is testing a weapon that aims to destroy electronics, not buildings
Air Force

The military is testing a weapon that aims to destroy electronics, not buildings

It's called HiJENKS, and it follows a similar project, called CHAMP. Here's how it's supposed to work.

Forest with mountain and sunset in background.
Land

Why you can’t put a price on biodiversity

Nature is worth more than what it brings to the economy.

wikipedia home page
AI

Meta thinks its new AI tool can make Wikipedia more accurate

The project, called Sphere, draws its knowledge from the “unstructured” open web. It is still in its research phase.

Crowd of people seen from above to represent 2022 global population estimate
Health

The world’s population will probably pass 8 billion before Thanksgiving

Countries' populations are growing slower than expected.

hand holding google chromecast remote
Tech Hacks

How to set up profiles on your smart streaming devices

Every member of the family or roommate can have their own digital space.