Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 665)

A man sitting and holding an electric fan in front of his face.
Life Skills

4 ways to keep cool when the temperature spikes

Defeat the heat.

Yes, giant space debris is falling to Earth right now. No, it probably won’t hit you.
Space

Yes, giant space debris is falling to Earth right now. No, it probably won’t hit you.

The leftover debris is expected to fall to Earth over the weekend, likely somewhere in the ocean.

Staff Sgt. Brandon Trinidad, 621st Contingency Response Squadron security forces, attends Android Tactical Assault Kit app training Oct. 8 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. Airmen from across the CRW participated in the training sponsored by the 621st Mobility Support Operations Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Luther Mitchell Jr.)
Military

Smartphone location data still poses a real security risk for the military and its personnel

Commercially available data can provide a scary level of information.

fire proof clothing
Aviation

Fire-resistant clothing is a hot choice. Here’s how it works.

PyroMan helps this company test the gear that soldiers wear to protect themselves from intense flames.

Why time in the sun lightens your hair but darkens your skin
Science

Why time in the sun lightens your hair but darkens your skin

When you go out in the sun, melanin in your skin gets right to work.

Two round birds in a birdbath.
Projects

Build a classy, easy birdbath with vintage finds

Concrete is so cliche anyway.

Darth Vader weilding a lightsaber
Physics

How lightsabers went from a DIY project to culturally iconic

How hot is a lightsaber? What was the original lightsaber prop made out of?

Sharks have a sixth sense for navigating the seas
Sharks

Sharks have a sixth sense for navigating the seas

A new study suggests bonnethead sharks may rely on the Earth's magnetic field to move about the ocean.

spilled oats with a golden spoon
Projects

How to make oat milk—with science

You're a pill away from the perfect oat milk.

rows of offshore wind turbines
Renewables

Offshore wind has huge potential. Here’s how it could change the US.

Though offshore turbines aren't without their challenges.

The Starburst Galaxy M82
Space

Tiny galaxies may have brought the cosmos out of the dark ages

With strength in numbers, the smallest galaxies may have completely transformed the early cosmos.

The Panga ya Saidi cave, where the oldest African burial remains were discovered.
Archaeology

The earliest known human burial in Africa was a carefully laid down child

The three-year-old was buried with deliberate care.

Periodical cicada with red eyes on a piece of wood
Insects

What we know—and don’t know—about Brood X cicadas

They appear like clockwork, but they're still kind of mysterious.

Medical worker in scrubs moving oxygen canister in Palghar, India
COVID-19

This village’s story shows just how unprepared rural India is for the latest COVID surge

With cases skyrocketing and health resources scarce, Saphale in Maharashtra faces a bleak season of loss and hardship.

an illustrated man with a magnifying glass held up to his eye
Ask Us Anything

Ask Us Anything: Why can’t we see more colors?

Other animals see many more than we do.

Male black jacobin hummingbird on a branch
Birds

Hummingbirds routinely hit 9Gs like it’s no big deal

Their courtship flights bend the barriers of physics in nature.

tagged green turtle
Ocean

We may finally know where young turtles spend their ‘lost years’

A spot in the Atlantic Ocean seems to house baby green turtles as they mature.

The planet Venus
Solar System

Radio signals detected on Venus weren’t sent by aliens

Our planetary neighbor has a surprisingly dynamic atmosphere.

The Royal Navy’s jetpack demo is astonishing—and impractical
Aviation

The Royal Navy’s jetpack demo is astonishing—and impractical

The showboating video is breathtaking, but shows poor tactics. Here's why.

An iPhone plugged in and updating its software.
Tech Hacks

Stop putting off your device updates

We know change is hard, but this is for the good of your gadgets.