Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 582)

Field of corn
Agriculture

Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas—and it’s time to pay attention to it

Climate events are going to make troubling N2O emissions even worse.

Amazon app on phone
Technology

Venmo and Amazon team up to streamline your checkout

The partnership will bring you more payment options in 2022.

hands on keyboard working on laptop selecting photos
Tech Hacks

5 apps to edit photos right in your browser

You don't need dedicated software to get your photos looking fantastic.

an abstract image of light bending
Physics

When light flashes for a quintillionth of a second, things get weird

The shortest light pulses in the world come in pairs, and scientists can now control them.

Microbes could help us make rocket fuel on Mars
Mars

Microbes could help us make rocket fuel on Mars

For decades NASA’s been striving to clean microbes off of spacecraft, but one day they may power them.

A bird's eye view of white tanks containing gasoline at a refinery.
Fossil Fuels

The new infrastructure bill will fund pollution cleanup. But will it hold polluters accountable?

The $1 trillion infrastructure passed last week makes historic investments in cleaning up after polluting industries.

a disposable face mask in a pile of wet fall leaves
COVID-19

Humans created an extra 8 million tons of plastic waste during the pandemic

Medical waste, PPE, and online shopping are driving a surge in ocean pollution.

OnePlus watch review
Smartwatches

OnePlus Watch review: Amazing battery life comes at a cost

It’s priced right, but lack of access to third-party apps seriously hinders the OnePlus Watch.

wifi router indoors
Tech Hacks

How to fix 5 common WiFi problems

Have you tried turning it off and back on? 

ancient penis worm
Ocean

Ancient penis worms used protection on the seabed

The fleshy creatures were 'hermiting' even before hermit crabs.

A satellite image of forest with patches of cleared land.
Climate Change

World leaders promise to end deforestation. Is that even possible?

Protecting the world's forests is crucial for combating climate change, but agreeing on how to do so is tricky.

Watch a C-130 cargo plane grab a drone out of the sky
DARPA

Watch a C-130 cargo plane grab a drone out of the sky

Catching a drone with a large aircraft can help the military reuse these flying robots—and perhaps even someday deploy swarms of them.

a worker ant in an aggressive stance against a white background
Insects

The protein that keeps worker ants in line can also make them queen

Ant royalty can be made with the flip of a genetic switch.

FCC broadband map
COVID-19

As more people work from home, internet speed requirements have become a critical issue

Millions of American students and employees lack the necessary connection.

The government won’t protect your internet privacy, so here’s how to do it yourself
Internet

The government won’t protect your internet privacy, so here’s how to do it yourself

Harm mitigation in a suddenly less secure internet

A person sitting at a desk and looking at their iPhone, perhaps trying to figure out how to customize it.
Tech Hacks

Customize your iPhone by ditching these boring default settings

Give your phone a personal touch.

Person in gray exercise shirt and pink running tights with a side stitch
Ask Us Anything

When you get a stitch in your side, what’s really going on?

Doctors still don’t know what causes it, or how to stop it.

Ice-capped mountains in Kathmandu, Nepal, seen from a Landsat satellite
NASA

NASA’s Landsat 9 satellite sends back its first images of a changing world

The newest Landsat satellite will help track the effects of the climate crisis.

Black kitten and spaniel mix puppy to represent cat or dog person
Psychology

What being a cat or dog person says about you

Your choices speak volumes about your personality—or do they?

How and When to Change From Summer to Winter Tires
Vehicles

How and When to Change From Summer to Winter Tires

Snow tires (also known as "winter tires") are tremendously important for your safety if you live in a snowy climate, and it's important to know