Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 543)

Electric lamppost in winter storm.
Climate Change

Texas’s grid may still be unprepared for the next big winter storm

Some experts worry that not enough has been done since last February's disaster.

A bronze helmet shown from the front and the side. It has curving horns coming out of the sides of the head, and a birdlike face.
Archaeology

Horned helmets came from Bronze Age artists, not Vikings

Horny Vikings are revisionist history.

Mushroom, sandwich, sushi, ice cream, pasta, tomato and other illustrated foods with important texture
Science

Can texture change the way food tastes?

What you feel matters.

A black Bluetooth computer keyboard on an empty white notebook.
Tech Hacks

5 cheap and easy ways to upgrade your old tech

Breathe new life into those dusty old machines.

qr code on phone
Security

Don’t get scammed by fake QR codes

Criminals can use the codes to try to steal money and personal information. Here's how to stay safe.

a woman in corpse makeup
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The weirdest things we learned this week: The first celebrity diet, confused albatrosses, and delusions of death

Three PopSci editors share the freakiest facts they could find.

Whirlpool of water to represent a quantum tornado from a physics experiment
Physics

How the world’s first ‘quantum tornadoes’ came to be

The atom-sized version of extreme weather.

macbook air on white desk showing popsci website
Tech Hacks

Transform the face of the internet with these 5 Firefox extensions

It just needs a little shaping… to the salon! 

a graphic rendering of a orange-colored cancer cell being attacked by a gray immune cell
Biology

Scientists discover how a cell may cheat its own death

Cells may back out of self-destruction, posing one way they can manage their own functions.

an electric Chrysler car
Concept Cars

Take a peek at the Chrysler Airflow, a sleek new EV concept

Major automakers already have electric vehicles on the market. So what does Chrysler have in store?

choppy waves on a beach with a sign warning people not to swim
Ocean

The West Coast is under a tsunami advisory. Here’s what that means.

Catastrophic waves are unlikely, but residents should be cautious.

a glass of water with a slice of lemon and mint inside on a pink and yellow background
Health

The truth about hydration hacks like IV therapies, alkaline water, and more

Plain old water doesn't get enough credit.

A white COVID respirator mask and blue surgical masks hanging on a clothesline in a window
COVID-19

Here’s what the CDC is now saying about masks and respirators

The agency doesn't tell people to stop using cloth coverings, but its updated guidelines do put more oomph behind well-fitted N95 and KN95 masks.

A blue wooden shoe rack table against a gray wall with neatly paired shoes on it.
Projects

Clean up your messy entryway with a DIY shoe rack

We won't wade into debate over whether or not it's OK to wear shoes in the house.

Frozen bubble on a snowy branch during winter solstice
Space

How the Earth’s 23.5-degree tilt gives us seasons

When it's winter in Idaho, it's summer in Curaçao. Why?

typing on cellphone
Security

The FCC might force cellphone providers to report data breaches differently

Here’s how the federal agency is responding to an “increasing frequency” of breaches.

A person typing on a laptop with the Google search engine on the screen.
Tech Hacks

Delete your search history and become a digital ghost

Asking for a friend...

Cracked, drought-stricken soil with small plant growing.
Climate Change

2021 was the sixth hottest year on record

The past decade is also the hottest the modern world has ever seen.

The Navy’s next-gen destroyer concept involves powerful lasers
Navy

The Navy’s next-gen destroyer concept involves powerful lasers

It's called the DDG(X), and it could be a successor to the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers of today.

White-skinned person in a furry green robe with frost on face and sunglasses during low wind chill temperatures
Weather

Wind chill isn’t what you think it is

The math may be unreliable, but the frostbite is real.