Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 525)

N95 Masks laid out on a blue background
COVID-19

Masks can work—even if you’re the only one wearing them

Most of the country has lifted mask guidelines, but masks remain helpful in many cases.

Tips for buying and caring for long-lasting fabrics
Life Skills

Tips for buying and caring for long-lasting fabrics

The most sustainable textile you can own is the one that will stay in your closet the longest.

An aedes aegypti mosquito.
Insects

The first US trial to release GMO mosquitoes just ended. Here’s how it went.

The mosquitoes, all male, were designed to produce only male offspring.

How to use a VPN
Tech Hacks

How to use a VPN

Keep your computer and your information safe with a Virtual Private Network.

A close-up of Reddit in the Google Chrome browser on a laptop.
Tech Hacks

Custom feeds and other tricks to make you a better Redditor

We can't teach you how to earn upvotes, though—you'll have to figure that out on your own.

surface of psyche asteroid
NASA

In its visit to Psyche, NASA hopes to glimpse the center of the Earth

NASA’s mission to the solar system's largest metallic asteroid promises to show us the iron-nickel core of a dead planet. New research, however, hints that this asteroid is much more.

Don’t stash away your camping gear—it could save the day during a power outage
Life Skills

Don’t stash away your camping gear—it could save the day during a power outage

That little cook stove can keep your family well-fed during a blackout.

The story behind the Neptune missile, the weapon that sank the Moskva
Navy

The story behind the Neptune missile, the weapon that sank the Moskva

Named for the Roman god of the sea, the Neptune is based on the Kh-35 missile and took years to develop.

Lyrid meteor shower seen from Earth's orbit
Space

A thousands-year-old meteor shower will peak in the night sky this week

How to see the falling space rocks ancient people waxed poetic about.

Groceries on a countertop
Sustainability

Which expiration dates actually matter?

Food might still be okay longer than you think—but it isn't the case for everything.

Try as you might, you can't get the creme to stick to one side of an Oreo.
Physics

What MIT’s new ‘Oreometer’ revealed about twisting Oreos

It’s basically impossible twist an Oreo evenly in half.

fake news on phone screen
Social Media

How older adults can learn to effectively spot fake news

A small study showed that taking a digital media literacy training course improved participants’ ability to identify misinformation online.

A collage of an article from Popular Science May 1927 issue about the origins of lab rats.
Science

How science came to rely on the humble lab rat

Almost 100 years ago Popular Science reported on the rise of rat use in lab experiments.

A judge threw out the US travel mask mandate. What’s next?
COVID-19

A judge threw out the US travel mask mandate. What’s next?

The CDC recommends you wear masks on flights, even though it's no longer required.

A man sitting solemnly on a couch in the dark with his Apple Mac laptop
Tech Hacks

How to break back into your locked accounts

It’s best to be prepared for the worst.

Three children in dresses playing in a sandbox during an acute hepatitis outbreak in the US and Europe
Diseases

A mysterious liver disease is sickening kids in the US and Europe

Is it one virus or multiple?

How software saved a stealth fighter jet—and its pilot—from crashing in Alaska
Aviation

How software saved a stealth fighter jet—and its pilot—from crashing in Alaska

The 2020 incident occurred in an F-22 and involved software called Auto GCAS. Plus, what to know about two additional incidents in the same aircraft type.

facebook logo on computer screen
Social Media

Curious about what’s in ‘The Facebook Papers’? Read them for yourself.

Gizmodo will upload new documents weekly for anyone to view.

produce in recyclable bags
Projects

How to go zero-waste at the grocery store

You don't need to buy anything to start.

Plastic water bottle
Pollution

Microplastics have officially been found in our bodies. Here’s what that means for human health.

The long term impacts are still unknown.