Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 632)

Asteroid that killed the dinosaurs striking Earth. Illustration.
Evolution

If that asteroid had been 30 seconds late, dinosaurs might rule the world and humans probably wouldn’t exist

The meek inherited the Earth instead.

female doctor in protective clothing prepares test tubes for covid
COVID-19

Why it’s so hard to make quick, accurate estimates on new COVID variants

A national sequencing bias likely led to an overestimate of the true prevalence of Omicron.

a baby puts their face in a frosted cake
Nutrition

Don’t punish yourself for eating ‘unhealthy’ foods

Holiday treats can be good for you—and diets often aren't.

Repairman doing an oil change on car.
Life Skills

What is a tune-up, and when do I need one?

Keep your car's engine running smoothly with a little preventative care.

Person with brown curly hair on a tablet looking unhappy while going back to work after vacation
Ask Us Anything

Why you hate going back to work after vacation

Sometimes you feel even more drained after taking a few days off. Here’s what you can do to cope.

What to do if you test positive for COVID, were exposed, or have symptoms
COVID-19

What to do if you test positive for COVID, were exposed, or have symptoms

Here's why the CDC changed its guidelines.

A woman with red nailpolish holding an iPhone and using a Macbook laptop to secure her online accounts.
Tech Hacks

Your guide to better online security

Get your devices together and have a little DIY security summit.

Black body builder in a Superman tank yelling as they pull arm weights to keep their New Year's resolution to stay fit
Health

How to trick your brain into keeping a New Year’s resolution

Apply the power of habit to your annual goals.

Man looking at phone on mountain top
Life Skills

4 sustainable New Year’s resolutions to set in 2022

Conscious purchasing and investing practices have never been more important.

three bottles that look to contain hazardous chemicals
Health

What is a toxin?

Read this before you try to detox.

Facebook Portal Go Review
Smart Home

Facebook Portal Go review: Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring … video calling

Facebook’s new casual deskside screen makes a strong case for the videophone form factor.

A man using a Macbook laptop on a white table with other electronics and a latte on it.
Tech Hacks

10 browser extensions that will take your online security to the next level

Fight trackers, avoid phishing, and even let Bloody Vikings help you out.

Black Tesla Model S driving on a road at dusk
Self Driving

Tesla caps off a tumultuous year with a massive recall

More than 475,000 Model S and Model 3 cars are affected.

JWST's sunshield in a cleanroom.
Space Telescope

NASA’s James Webb telescope is unfurling a super-thin shield to save it from the sun

The telescope must be kept at -370°F, which is cold enough to freeze nitrogen.

Starship delivery robot with two students on college campus
Robots

Looking back on the year’s most talked-about robots

New robots promised to help humans with research, around the home, at work, and even in public service.

Forest in morning fog
Climate Change

Fires can help forests hold onto carbon—if they’re set the right way

Wildfires can turn forests into greenhouse gas emitters, but a return to regular burn cycles could change that.

The galaxy cluster known as RBS 797
Black Holes

NASA’s Chandra spacecraft spies clover-shaped voids left by supermassive black holes

A galaxy cluster called RBS 797, 3.9 billion light-years away, contains unusual dark spots.

A doctor in a protective suit taking a nasal swab from a person to test for possible coronavirus infection
COVID-19

Omicron isn’t overtaking Delta as quickly as the CDC thought—and that’s bad news

Omicron is not infecting people at the rate officials thought.

bmw driving simulation center in Germany
Vehicles

A look inside BMW’s futuristic simulation center in Germany

In BMW's high-tech simulation facility, cars sit inside bubbles that display virtual worlds and move realistically on tracks.

Man sitting at his laptop and looking surprised while reading something.
Tech Hacks

If you act fast, you can unsend any embarrassing email

We’ve all sent messages meant for someone else. Let’s just stop that.