Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 536)

DARPA quietly tested a hypersonic weapon last month
DARPA

DARPA quietly tested a hypersonic weapon last month

A hypersonic projectile travels at least five times the speed of sound. Here's what we know about the recent test.

Hamburger
Agriculture

Why is it so expensive to eat sustainably?

Creating a sustainable, equitable food system is complicated—and sometimes costly.

A computer with the title of the video game Fortnite on its screen, in a room lit by blue and purple lights.
Life Skills

A parent’s guide to playing Fortnite with your kids

Here’s some help understanding the game your kids are obsessed with.

Garbage in space illustrated in blacks and reds
Space

How harpoons, magnets, and ion blasts could help us clean up space junk

Who’s going to get rid of all the garbage we’ve left in space?

Headphones for sleep composite feature image
Headphones

Best headphones for sleeping

Silence your mind or drown out the sound of snoring with the best headphones for sleeping.

Gas flare against a dark cloudy sky harnessed for energy to mine cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency

New York could freeze crypto mining operations that run on fossil fuels

New York is the first state to try a crypto mining moratorium, but it likely won't be the last.

The best dog ear cleaners
Home

Best dog ear cleaners

Your pup’s ears could use a good cleaning to keep them happy and healthy.

Eight brightly colored birds from a museum specimens collection laid out on their backs on white
Biology

Songbirds near the equator really are hotter, color-wise

An analysis on feathered specimens supports the long-debated idea that tropical species look splashier than the rest.

FedEx will start testing a 1,900-pound drone for hauling packages
Drones

FedEx will start testing a 1,900-pound drone for hauling packages

Take a look at the Chaparral, a hybrid-electric and uncrewed aircraft that FedEx will explore using for the "middle mile" next year.

a wind farm at dusk
Climate Change

Climate action is a ‘now or never’ situation, IPCC warns

'Some government and business leaders... are lying. The results will be catastrophic.'

A brown-and-white dog laying on a blue-green carpet under a wooden table.
Life Skills

How we vanquished the strong pet odors in our new home

We worked hard to get the gag-worthy smells out of our house, and hopefully you won't have to.

Best Gaming Laptops
PC Gaming

Best gaming laptops

Game wherever you roam.

Black bride and white groom in the back seat of a wedding car holding hands and looking in love
Psychology

The ‘Love Machine’ really exists. Here’s what it’s taught us about our romantic choices.

Neuroscientist Stephanie Cacioppo built a tool to explore the brain chemistry of love and a lifetime of happiness.

A person holding an iPhone displaying NordVPN for iOS.
Tech Hacks

Boost your phone’s security with a VPN

Why you need a private internet connection for your phone.

Germs and dirt around a playful child illustrated
Ask Us Anything

Children are grimy, and that’s (mostly) ok

We dissect the current science on the suggested amount of dirt and germ exposure for kids.

A person reading a newspaper while sitting on a bench outside.
Life Skills

How to read the news without doomscrolling through social media

Support newspapers and avoid hateful bots, all in one move.

Why the threat of explosives will persist long after the war in Ukraine ends
Weapons

Why the threat of explosives will persist long after the war in Ukraine ends

Unexploded ordinance is a multigenerational burden—a threat in Ukraine and other nations.

Death Valley desert, California, USA
Agriculture

Mini desalination plants could refresh the parched West

A historic drought calls for new ideas.

small delicate, partially translucent mushrooms growing on a log
Biology

This South Pacific island could help us understand how fungi evolve

From fairy inkcaps to netted stinkhorns, a new survey catalogs more than 200 species of fungi on the French Polynesian island of Mo’orea.

Fentanyl test trip over blue sample container to prevent overdoses in the opioid crisis
Health

At-home test strips can detect fentanyl—but that’s just the first step to preventing overdoses

States are playing catch up as they try to decriminalize opioid tests that are accessible to the public.