Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 497)

wrapped gifts in all shapes and sizes
Gift Guides

Best gifts for teenage girls

We know that teenagers can be hard to shop for; which is why we’ve created this complete guide to help you find the best gift for teenage girls; full of fun ideas, tips, and tricks to select a present she’ll actually like!

Seashore in Chile.
Ocean

Climate change is making the ocean lose its memory. Here’s what that means.

This could spell trouble for predicting future weather patterns.

new street view camera prototype mounted on a red car
Internet

Google Street View just unveiled its new camera—and it looks like an owl

The device will hit the streets in 2023 and work alongside the company’s existing cohort of cameras.

a purple and black and white stylized image of a historic foldable flying car with newspaper clippings in the background
Engineering

What it would take for cars to actually fly

Since the 1800s, inventors have struggled to design a hybrid craft that could traverse both earth and sky—but flying cars might soon get a new lift.

A jackdaw, a Eurasian bird that launches into the sky in flocks of hundreds.
Birds

Demo-crow-cy: Jackdaws leave the roost by voting

The huge groups take off in sync, but only when the majority wants to do so.

Ball of copper wire on green background
Engineering

Can this MIT metallurgist clean up copper production?

Purifying all the copper we need to funnel electricity through everything from vehicles to wind turbines is dirty business.

Person paying with phone
Tech Hacks

Forget your wallet: It’s time to start paying for everything with your phone.

Money is just a concept.

Images from the February 1989 issue of Popular Science from an article on "brain-style" computers.
AI

From the archives: A forecast on artificial intelligence, from the 1980s and beyond

In the February 1989 issue of Popular Science, we dove deep in the reemerging projects developing 'brain-style' computers and their futures in the next two decades.

a person using a phone
Tech Hacks

You should switch to a browser that has its own VPN

It's more straightforward than you'd think.

Enclave CineHome PRO Bundle on the floor
Speakers

Enclave CineHome PRO review: Wireless surround done right

The Enclave CineHome PRO hi-res wireless home theater system strikes all the right cords.

A photo of a humpback whale and her calf.
Pollution

Boat noise is driving humpback whale moms into deep, dangerous water

Increased boat traffic in shallow water is driving humpback whale mothers and their calves farther out into the ocean.

MBARI's eDNA robot in the ocean
Robots

These seawater-sipping robots use drifting genes to make ocean guest logs

A fleet of autonomous swimming robots use ESP to gather clues about what animals last passed by.

A blue and pink microscope slide showing several ovals in animal flesh.
Diseases

Here’s what we know about monkeypox transmission so far

It's starting to look like superspreader events propelled monkeypox around the world. But the outbreaks are still an alarm bell.

smartphone on a person's hand
Internet

The dangers of digital health monitoring in a post-Roe world

From using period-tracking apps to typing into web browsers, here's what to keep in mind.

a small brown salamander on a log
Wildlife

Skydiving salamanders have mastered falling with style

Why climb down the world’s tallest trees when you can take the gravity elevator?

a large mass of jumping worms in a bucket is compared to a person's hand size
Wildlife

The jumping worm invasion may be less worrisome than it sounds

The threat to homeowners may be low, but ecologists are still concerned about forests.

esther-lederberg
Health

Esther Lederberg changed our understanding of how bacteria breed

Overshadowed by her Nobel-winning husband, Lederberg made essential discoveries in microbiology and genetics.

Power lines against cloudy sunset sky.
Climate Change

AI can help fight climate change—but it can also make it worse

The technology could be a crucial tool for scientists and policymakers.

Images from the March 1954 issue of Popular Science.
Renewables

From the archives: The promising new world of solar power—in the 1950s

In the March 1954 issue of Popular Science, we explored the auspicious and suspicious new ways of harnessing the sun's energy.

hand-holding-phone-with-google-maps-app
Tech Hacks

8 tips for navigating Google Maps like a pro

Get from A to B much faster.