Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 594)

Row of neatly arranged food containers with salad.
Life Skills

How to start meal prepping ahead of a busy week

Don't cook tonight what you could've cooked on Sunday.

person in car gets covid nose swab test
Vaccines

What can viral load really tell us about infectiousness?

Especially as the virus evolves, there's no easy way to tell how contagious someone is.

These robots are DARPA’s hope for the future of cave warfare—or disaster relief
DARPA

These robots are DARPA’s hope for the future of cave warfare—or disaster relief

Bots like these could fight in the next wars or help rescue people in challenging and dangerous underground environments.

a needle and a pile of cannabis on a white and green background
Health

The war on drugs didn’t work. Oregon’s plan might.

Decriminalizing drugs across the board isn’t as wild as it might sound.

Whatever you do, don’t set your pet goldfish free in a stream
Fish

Whatever you do, don’t set your pet goldfish free in a stream

It does not belong there

This year’s Nobel in Chemistry recognizes the tech underpinning everything from meds to batteries
Science

This year’s Nobel in Chemistry recognizes the tech underpinning everything from meds to batteries

Two researchers created a simple and effective tool for building molecules.

The Facebook whistleblower’s Congressional hearing was a ‘big tobacco moment’ for tech
Social Media

The Facebook whistleblower’s Congressional hearing was a ‘big tobacco moment’ for tech

Here’s what Frances Haugen told officials about the inner workings of the social network today.

the sun as seen with x-rays
Sun

How close can you get to the sun? Closer than you’d think.

It depends on whether you're in just a spacesuit or inside the space shuttle.

300 years of tree rings show just how badly hurricanes have soaked the Carolinas
Climate Change

300 years of tree rings show just how badly hurricanes have soaked the Carolinas

Analysis of tree ring data suggests storms have slowed down to dump more water on the Carolinas.

Routers at a data center.
Social Media

Facebook has an explanation for its massive Monday outage

In a statement, Facebook said that a maintenance error accidentally disconnected their servers from the rest of the internet.

A person noseriding on a longboard, surfing a wave on greenish water.
Life Skills

Use physics to pull off gravity-defying surfing moves

Science can help you hang 10.

Two large dinosaurs roam a dusky background.
Dinosaurs

The land-dwelling ‘hell heron’ was a 30-foot aquatic assassin

The towering terrors were discovered on the dino-rich Isle of Wight.

How a personalized brain implant helped one woman’s extreme depression
Mental Health

How a personalized brain implant helped one woman’s extreme depression

An implant that zaps the brain may be a more prominent neuropsychiatric treatment in the future.

gloved hand holding petri dish
Vaccines

E. coli isn’t always bad—it’s actually an unlikely research hero

A whole universe of non-pathogenic strains built the foundations of modern science.

stone statue
Science

Grime-loving bacteria could save priceless art

We think of bacteria as dirty, but sometimes they can actually clean up after us humans.

person's hands holding tiny plant growing out of soil
Agriculture

You have no idea how much you need these bacteria

Without nitrogen-fixing bacteria, we'd be screwed.

balsamic vinegar being poured into a small vial
Science

The secret to vinegar’s tangy flavor lies in bacteria

Microbial powerhouses are responsible for the most common of household substances.

How to tell if your sustainable investments really are good for the planet
Fossil Fuels

How to tell if your sustainable investments really are good for the planet

'Environmental, social, and governance' investments, explained.

windows-11-screenshot
Tech Hacks

10 new features to get you started with Windows 11

Microsoft's new operating system is finally here. Now it’s time to set it up.

Apple Watch Series 7
Smartwatches

Apple Watch Series 7: Here’s what’s new

Bigger and brighter