Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 56)

A close-up photograph of a baby sitting in a pink high chair, wearing a pink silicone bib. The baby has a distressed facial expression with eyes squinted and mouth tightly shut, appearing to refuse a spoonful of food being held out by an adult's hand. A small pink bowl sits on the tray in the foreground.
Food Safety

Picky eating starts in the womb—a nutritional neuroscientist explains how to expand your child’s palate

Bitter vegetables can be an acquired taste.

a dolphin (left) and a more rounded porpoise (right)
Ocean

Florida can’t decide if its official saltwater mammal is a dolphin or a porpoise

They are not the same animal.

Gemini said Two budgerigars, one blue and white and one green and yellow, perched on a wooden branch while appearing to "whisper" or interact closely.
Birds

From chirps to ‘hellos’: Why some birds talk like people

Brains, bonds, and a strange voice box help some birds mimic our speech.

A Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) hovers delicately at a feeder in a backyard, its iridescent feathers glinting in the sunlight. These tiny birds are famous for their incredible long-distance migration, with some traveling up to 2,000 miles between North America and Central America each year. Providing sugar-water feeders in backyards is a common way for bird lovers to help fuel the hummingbirds' energy-intensive journey. During migration, their diet consists of nectar from flowers and feeders, supplemented with small insects for protein. Backyard feeders like this one offer a critical source of food, especially as natural nectar sources become scarce in colder months.
Birds

How to attract hummingbirds to your yard 

Start with habitat, not just a feeder.

A photograph of an orange apartment building balcony featuring two large white banners attached to the railing. The front-facing banner displays the text "IS COMING SOON..." in a grey stencil-style font, flanked on the left by a grey graphic of a gas mask with liquid dripping from its eye lenses. A second, identical gas mask graphic is visible on the side banner.
Agriculture

Prepping for a disaster? You’ll probably want to pack a little treat.

It’s not just sardines and dried beans. Self-identified preppers are also stashing luxuries like coffee and chocolate.

a bobcat on a colorful blanket
Wildlife

Wild bobcat making remarkable recovery after getting hit by car

Two orthopedic surgeons and one four hour surgery later, the young feline is on the mend.

An Afghan Hound striking the fake rabbit.
Wildlife

28 powerful Sony World Photography Awards 2026 honorees

From the beaches of Galápagos to the forests of Cameroon.

A wide-angle photograph of an old, shaded graveyard with several weathered stone headstones of varying shapes and sizes. The cemetery is lush with green grass and is dominated by large, leafy deciduous trees whose branches cast dappled sunlight over the monuments. In the background, more headstones are scattered across a sunlit grassy area.
Ask Us Anything

The most eco-friendly burial option isn’t cremation or human composting

With more options than ever, we break down which one's best for the planet.

Two photos next to each other. One is a man laying on grass next to longest snake in the world for scale reference. The other is a with portion of the world's longest snake draped over his shoulder in the jungle
Endangered Species

Longest snake ever measured is over 23.5 feet long

Nicknamed the ‘Baroness,' this python is longer than two great white sharks.

Detail Showing a Male Figure in Profile on a Mayan Ceramic from Tikal (Photo by M and M, Inc/Corbis via Getty Images)
Archaeology

Ancient Mayan water filters stopped a lot—just not mercury poisoning

The civilization made the most of its technology, but everything has its limits.

a white rat and a black rat looking out of a cage
Pets

163 surrendered rats seek new homes in Massachusetts

‘Rats have a bad reputation, but they actually make really great companion pets.’

On Couldmonster 3 Hyper Lightspray
Fitness Gear

On’s new LightSpray CloudMonster 3 Hyper running shoe is built by robots in 3 minutes flat

The On LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper running shoe relies on a clever automated production process that makes a lighter, more comfortable sneaker.

A colorized newspaper clipping showing aviator Lawrence Sperry seated in the cockpit of his small biplane, the "Messenger," on the grassy plaza of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.. The aircraft, which has a wingspan of only 20 feet, is shown in profile with the Lincoln Memorial visible in the distant background. Below the image, printed text identifies Sperry as the "American father of the air flivver" and quotes his prediction that a cheap, $150 airplane would soon be common.
Air Force

During WWI, a daredevil pilot helped invent the first ‘drones’

Lawrence Sperry’s autopilot proved planes could fly themselves.

The titanium Meze Audio ASTRU IEMs shown resting on a digital audio player against a black background
Earbuds

Meze Audio introduces ASTRU, an elegantly engineered dynamic driver in-ear monitor

Meze Audio's latest IEMs feature impressive all-titanium shells and advanced drivers to deliver organic immersion.

rocks
AI

AI has powerful uses for First Nations oral cultural knowledge

Here’s how.

a turtle wearing a 3D printed wheel chair
Engineering

A 3D-printed wheelchair is helping this turtle walk again

A volunteer used input from Redditers to fine tune the reptile’s mobility assistance device.

Minamitorishima island in Pacific Ocean seen from above
Science

Japan eyes distant island for nuclear waste dump

Minamitorishima is nearly 1,250 miles east of Tokyo.

pouring olive oil from glass bottle on grey background. close up
Physics

Physicists calculate exactly how long that last drop takes

Patience is a virtue, depending on a liquid's internal friction.

yellow flowers blooming near hills
Land

Best superbloom since 2016 fills Death Valley with wildflowers

The colorful explosion of flowers could last through June.

DeWalt Days Lowes sale header
Home

Get a free battery worth $169 and more during the Lowe’s DeWalt Days power tool sale

Save on single tools, combo kits, batteries, and pretty much everything else you need for your tool kit to get working on projects this spring and summer.