Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 606)

Android phone on a table
Environment

You Can Now Sense Earthquakes On Your Smartphone

What's shaking?

A supermassive black hole inflates massive lobes, visible here in X-rays, above and below the Centaurus A galaxy.
Black Holes

Black hole jets got some stellar glam shots thanks to this giant telescope

The jets could play a crucial role in galaxy formation.

illustration of horse, wolf, with chernobyl in background
Animals

How nature has taken over Chernobyl

Since humans abandoned the area, nature has reclaimed the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

Small bird with bowl of bird food in a field.
Wildlife

Wild birds don’t need your backyard feeders to survive

Birds like chickadees use our feeders as more of a snack then a main course.

Blue Origin brought the first official tourists to space
Private Space Flight

Blue Origin brought the first official tourists to space

After more than 20 years of preparation, Blue Origin is flying paying customers into space.

A black and white, side-by-side photo of galaxies. On the left, a pair of interacting galaxies. On the right, an usual three-armed spiral galaxy.
Space Telescope

With its latest fix, Hubble proves to be the telescope that just won’t quit

Fixing the renowned instrument took dozens of experts with decades of experience.

Close up on an iPhone with a Siri activated screen
Tech Hacks

Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant all have alternate voices. Here’s how to find them.

Destroy stereotypes with a male-voiced digital assistant.

Weather thermometer on wooden wall
Climate Change

What the ‘hottest day on record’ really means

That 1913 spike? It's probably bogus.

A carpet of moss next to a brown rock.
Projects

Why and how to grow your own moss garden

If you've never laid down on a bed of moss, you're missing out.

flood waters surrounding a bench
Global Warming

Europe’s floods and the Pacific Northwest’s heat waves share a common culprit

Yes, it's the jet stream—and so much more.

A fibrous black diamond.
Environment

Diamonds contain remnants of Earth’s ancient atmosphere

To us, they may be beautiful lumps of carbon—but to scientists, they’re 2.7-billion-year-old time capsules.

A stack of pancakes topped with berries and edible flowers, on a white plate atop a white tablecloth.
Projects

7 edible flowers and how to use them

These flowers aren't just pretty, they're also delicious

A grey haired man in a dark suit, wearing a black mask stands in from of a two-toned blue background and behind a long table set up with three microphones and chairs. The background says "Tokyo 2020" in large white letters and displays the Olympic logo.
Vaccines

COVID cases are plaguing the Olympics even before they’ve begun

Here’s what you need to know about the pandemic this week.

non medical exemptions vaccines counties
Vaccines

Scientists predicted the current measles outbreaks a year ago

It should be no surprise that dense population centers with low vaccination rates would get outbreaks.

A Marine lies on top of a robotic vehicle on treads.
Drones

This robotic stretcher could transport wounded Marines off future battlefields

The Marines have been testing the EMAV, or Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle. Each one is small enough to fit inside a V-22 Osprey.

‘View From a Blue Moon’ Might Be the Greatest Action Sports Film Ever Made
Technology

‘View From a Blue Moon’ Might Be the Greatest Action Sports Film Ever Made

Inside the ground-breaking endeavor

Dual-Density Sole Provides a Shoe for All Runners
Science

Dual-Density Sole Provides a Shoe for All Runners

Nike's LunarGlide+ aims to eliminate a now inescapable decision at the shoe store for runners: stability or cushioning?

Science Confirms the Obvious: Ten Studies That Make You Say “Duh”
Science

Science Confirms the Obvious: Ten Studies That Make You Say “Duh”

It might seem silly to investigate whether people are happier on the weekend, but behind such truisms are revelations about our brains, our behavior and our environment. Here we round up the year's most outwardly obvious scientific studies

The Physics Of Usain Bolt’s Record-Breaking Sprint
Physics

The Physics Of Usain Bolt’s Record-Breaking Sprint

Usain Bolt's historic 100m dash at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

Tech in Training: My Custom Running Shoes
Technology

Tech in Training: My Custom Running Shoes

A new brand of running shoes lets you mix and match parts for a more-precise ride, and seems to actually work