Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 59)

an airplane lavatory with a toilet and sink
Ask Us Anything

How do airplane toilets work?

The engineering is surprisingly simple and remarkably clever.

eggs arrange on refrigerator shelf
Ask Us Anything

Should you keep eggs in the fridge? Short answer: Yes.

Food safety experts have a clear answer.

two bears in an enclosure playing with sticks
Animals

5 of the most ingenious animal escapes of 2025, so far

A zebra, a pair of river otters, two hungry bears, and more have taken destiny into their own hands.

a close up of a gorilla's face
Wildlife

Why evolution can explain human testicle size but not our unique chins

The human body is quite puzzling.

bald man silouhetted on text
Health

100 years ago, scientists predicted we’d live to 1,000 years old

In 1925, the average American lifespan was 58 years.

a yellowtail parrotfish swims by a coral reef
Ocean

Real Coral Reefs of Miami: A Q&A with the marine biologist behind a popular livestream

Colin Foord discusses the Coral City Camera.

Screenshot from the game Nanocrafter, a synthetic biology game created to educate and entertain players while advancing science.
Diseases

Gaming cancer: How citizen science games could help cure disease

By inviting players to tackle real scientific problems, games can offer a hand in solving medicine’s toughest challenges.

five goats eating vegetation in a park
Animals

G.O.A.T. will be crowned in first-ever professional eating competition for goats

4th of July hot dog eating competitions are so last year.

Ninja FrostVault 65 cooler in the field with a drawer full of delicious fixins.
Outdoor Gear

Ninja’s clever FrostVault cooler is cheaper than ever at Amazon

A built-in dry drawer makes this a perfect cooler to bring to a barbecue or party when you want cold drinks but don't want soggy food.

An illustration of a microscopic neural network in the brain.
Medicine

Even old brains can make new neurons, study suggests

Neurogenesis may be happening in a brain region essential for memory and learning.

Macy's fireworks display over Manhattan on the 4th of July
Engineering

How pyrotechnic wizards orchestrate the Macy’s 4th of July fireworks

80,000 explosive rounds, weeks in the desert, and a 25-minute show watched by millions.

Portrait of Galileo Galilei
Sun

Ultra-rare first edition book from Galileo heading to auction

The astronomer wrote it under a pseudonym in 1605 to avoid persecution for ‘heretical’ theories.

a close up of a hermit crab, with brown coloring and dark eyes
Wildlife

What makes a hermit crab more bold? Hairy claws.

The crustaceans use the sensory organs to determine if the coast is clear.

In this artist's impression we see the planet HIP 67522 b sending a wave of energy down the magnetic field lines towards the surface of its host star. Where the wave meets the end of the magnetic field line at the star's surface, it triggers a massive flare. Credit: Danielle Futselaar (www.artsource.nl/)
Exoplanets

Astronomers detect first known ‘death wish’ planet

Exoplanet HIP 67522 b has a 'clingy' relationship with its host star. It won't end well.

the ruins of the ancient city of babylon, consisting of brown walls and buildings
Archaeology

Babylonian text missing for 1,000 years deciphered with AI

The ‘Hymn to Babylon’ praises the ancient city.

Facial reconstruction of the individual from Nuwayrat using 3D scan data of the skull and analysis of the bones.
Archaeology

First complete ancient Egyptian DNA genome reveals his occupation

The analysis shows an 80 percent genetic link to North Africa.

A jumping spider devours a hoverfly. The hoverfly has evolved to look like a wasp, but in this case the resemblance is not sufficient to deter a spider from attacking it.
Bees

Flies disguised as wasps can’t fool birds

Biologists turn to 3D printing to solve an evolutionary mystery.

Portrait kitten with open mouth. Domestic curious funny striped kitty
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Allergic to cats? Chickens could help. 

Plus other weird things we learned this week.

This image, taken with ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the supernova remnant SNR 0509-67.5. These are the expanding remains of a star that exploded hundreds of years ago in a double-detonation – the first photographic evidence that stars can die with two blasts. The data were captured with the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument at the VLT. MUSE allows astronomers to map the distribution of different chemical elements, displayed here in different colours. Calcium is shown in blue, and it is arranged in two concentric shells. These two layers indicate that the now-dead star exploded with a double-detonation.
Solar System

Massive ‘double detonation’ spotted by astronomers for the first time

Supernova SNR 0509-67.5 likely exploded twice.

Orca whale on beach
Ocean

Wild orcas will sometimes offer food to humans

The curious behavior is primarily seen in non-domesticated animals.