Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 550)

Belo Monte dam in the Amazon lowlands of Brazil
Renewables

How AI could help bring a sustainable reckoning to hydropower

Some hydropower dams emit as much greenhouse gases per unit as coal plants.

a Ford pickup truck
Vehicles

The new Ford Ranger Raptor will handle off-roading with steely resolve

Previously, the Ranger Raptor pickup wasn't available in the US, but that's set to change next year.

People wearing COVID surgical masks in a dark movie theater
COVID-19

The CDC is relaxing indoor mask guidelines and shaking up how it measures COVID risk

Where do you fall on the risk map now?

person-workilooking at phone and typing on laptop
Tech Hacks

Protect all of your accounts with two-factor authentication

As with winter clothing, security is all about layers.

A long COVID patient with short brown hair and a white sweatshirt wearing a respirator mask while sitting on the street
COVID-19

Long COVID can manifest in dozens of ways. Here’s what we know so far.

With patients' help, doctors are trying to get a grasp on the virus's long-term impacts on the human body.

birds flying across the moon at night
Birds

A moon-watching robot can demystify what migrating birds do at night

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, it’s the perfect time to watch for migrating birds.

A red gasoline can in a garage or shed next to a large gas-powered leafblower.
Life Skills

The safest ways to store gasoline

Please do not pump gasoline directly into a plastic bag, we're begging you.

tiktok on web browser
Social Media

‘Hate is addictive’: TikTok’s new policies might do little for LGBTQ users’ safety

While LGBTQ advocates applaud the moves, they call for more impactful changes across social media platforms.

a dark brown frog with a longer cone shaped nose and large round eyes
Animals

Behold, the tapir frog’s magnificent snout

Long snoot, small squeak.

The ADMX experiment, used to look for axions.
Physics

Meet the mysterious particle that’s the dark horse in dark matter

The search for elusive axions reaches a critical mass.

A person with their hand on their face while they look at their phone in a dimly lit room.
Tech Hacks

A comprehensive guide to using social media when your safety’s at risk

The more security barriers you put up, the harder it is for someone to get through.

Russian forces just captured Chernobyl. What are the radioactive risks?
Weapons

Russian forces just captured Chernobyl. What are the radioactive risks?

The facility suffered a catastrophic meltdown in 1986, but actual nuclear weapons represent a more concerning atomic threat.

A row of suburban houses with a hill behind and an approaching wildfire over the California hills
Climate Change

Don’t blame national forests for America’s massive wildfires

"If our goal is to protect communities, we have to do this work right around home," says land policy expert Courtney Schultz.

meta logo on iphone screen
AI

Meta’s new ‘system cards’ make Instagram’s AI algorithm a little less mysterious

The company’s latest attempt to make internal operations more transparent follows months of regulatory scrutiny over its algorithms.

Street with trash, drink bottle, paper.
Pollution

Most roadside litter comes from just down the street

Everyone has a role to play in keeping plastic out of ecosystems.

four cubes with copper wires wrapped around their edges that are connected electromagnetically
Space

These shape-shifting robots could make for great furniture in space

The electromagnetic bot blocks could be handy for building in those tight quarters aboard spacecraft.

Dust cloud from the Great Salt Lake in studio light and on a black background
Cancer

Dust clouds are killing people out West—and the dangers could spread

A team of scientists takes on the big threats posed by tiny particles out West.

Tesla fremont factory
Pollution

Tesla got fined for polluting (again)

The car company’s Fremont plant violated the Clean Air Act and will pay a penalty of $275,000.

a dinosaur footprint in rock
Dinosaurs

It was probably springtime when an asteroid did the dinosaurs in

At that time of year, dinosaurs may have been the most vulnerable.

person-looking-at-mirror-applying-face-cream
Life Skills

The lowest-effort skincare routine that will still make your skin glow

Know the difference between what your skin needs and what just feels nice.