Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 620)

rooftop solar panel on house
Renewables

Power companies are lobbying to make rooftop solar more expensive

Whether for profit or to avoid widespread rate hikes, the outcome might make generating your own electricity less appealing.

Aliens used to keep our fear of extinction at bay—then we realized how alone we are
Space

Aliens used to keep our fear of extinction at bay—then we realized how alone we are

How a silent cosmos got us thinking about the future.

I Tried Really Hard Not To Contaminate NASA’s Asteroid-Hunting Spacecraft
NASA

I Tried Really Hard Not To Contaminate NASA’s Asteroid-Hunting Spacecraft

OSIRIS-REx will launch tomorrow, possibly with my germs onboard

An image of the surface of Venus showing it's 'crustal blocks,' which are similar to but distinct from tectonic plates on Earth.
Solar System

Jostling in Venus’ crust could reveal clues about Earth’s early geology

Venusian ‘campi’ behave differently than our own tectonic plates.

Red wine is a trifecta of chemicals that can make some people feel terrible
Health

Red wine is a trifecta of chemicals that can make some people feel terrible

The answer depends on your symptoms.

A female nurse examines a male patient's chest for heart problems.
Vaccines

What you need to know about heart inflammation and COVID-19 vaccines

COVID poses a vastly bigger threat to your heart than the vaccine.

An Amazon Fire HD tablet on a wood floor.
Tech Hacks

How to get any Android app on your Amazon Fire HD tablet, plus 8 other tips

There's more to this tablet than meets the eye.

Polar Bears Might Survive Ice Melting By Hunting New Prey
Bears

Polar Bears Might Survive Ice Melting By Hunting New Prey

Trading seals in for caribou and geese

American Black Bear
Animals

Experiment: Look At Pictures Of Cute Baby Animals To Improve Your Concentration

A Japanese study suggests looking at cute animal pics can help your concentration. We've thoughtfully provided some so you can test that out for yourself.

Earth’s Northern Lights Pale In Comparison To This Powerful Alien Aurora
Exoplanets

Earth’s Northern Lights Pale In Comparison To This Powerful Alien Aurora

The first one we've seen outside our solar system

Wildfires In Northern California Threaten The Search For Alien Life
Space

Wildfires In Northern California Threaten The Search For Alien Life

As fires rage this week and many evacuate, SETI's Allen Telescope Array has gone offline.

Caressing The Future At A ‘Petting Zoo For Materials’
Science

Caressing The Future At A ‘Petting Zoo For Materials’

Check out the awesome and weird things we found inside

What companies really mean when they say they’re ‘net-zero’
Climate Change

What companies really mean when they say they’re ‘net-zero’

Not all emissions—or net-zero goals—are the same.

A pomeranian with glasses reads from an iPad
Tech Hacks

Google Chrome’s Reading list will help you finally close some of those tabs

So many links, so little time.

Old printed photos scattered around a table.
Projects

How to colorize your old black and white photos

Life in Technicolor is just better.

peaches
Food Safety

‘Fugitive dust’ seems to have caused last summer’s salmonella outbreak from peaches

Nearby chickens and cows contributed to the contamination of peaches that led to a large outbreak of salmonella.

A large, yellow moon rises over the branches of a tree.
Moons

The Strawberry Moon, explained

The moon is named for the sweet fruit, not its coloring.

A flying Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq.
Navy

The stealth helicopters used in the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden are still cloaked in mystery

A decade since the mission, here's what we know about those helicopters—and stealth aircraft in general.

A close-up of juvenile Hawaiian bobtail squid.
NASA

Dozens of baby squid are orbiting our planet right now

The intrepid little cephalonauts will return to Earth in July.

This drone can detect human screams. What could go wrong?
DARPA

This drone can detect human screams. What could go wrong?

The research is intended for search and rescue applications. But tech like this has potential for abuse.