Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 679)

pfizer biontech covid vaccine
Vaccines

Storing the Pfizer vaccine could get a lot simpler in coming weeks

The mRNA vaccine can actually be stored at normal freezer temperatures, though the change can’t happen just yet.

White yacht with four stories in the Netherlands
Pollution

Are billionaires bad for the environment?

That superyacht will get ya.

person walking in snowy street
Global Warming

Is this winter weather ‘normal’? And other questions about the historic storms in the US.

It’s been a weird and dangerous week for weather in the US.

A computer with an Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card installed.
Cryptocurrency

Nvidia’s latest effort to fix the graphics card shortage takes aim at crypto miners

The RTX 3060 will automatically detect crypto mining activities and slow down performance by half.

someone getting a COVID-19 vaccine with a mask on.
Vaccines

Ramping up COVID-19 vaccine production is harder than it seems

Here’s how the coronavirus vaccines are produced, step-by-step.

Doctor administering COVID-19 vaccine to masked patient in medical office.
COVID-19

COVID-19 is shortening US life expectancy—especially for people of color

Here’s what you need to know today.

Orange flames on wood
Life Skills

Everything you need to know to start a fire

On the snow, with duct tape, or when the lights go out.

An artist's interpretation of Perseverance, NASA's newest Mars rover, parachuting down from orbit.
Mars

Watch the Perseverance rover complete its dramatic landing on Mars

Take a look at the first images taken from the surface.

Prison cell with a sink and toilet behind bars
Mental Health

Solitary confinement can’t stop COVID-19 from spreading through prisons

In fact, it might make the public health crisis worse.

snow on tree branches in texas
Energy

The real story behind the Texas power outages

The blackouts were actually years in the making.

A Reaper drone on the ground armed with a missile.
DARPA

DARPA’s new combat drones could catch a ride from other aircraft

The program aims to create autonomous, fighter-jet-like craft that would deploy from the sky and then wield air-to-air weapons.

A MacBook displays a loading Gmail icon.
Tech Hacks

How to delete your old email address without losing everything

An old account can be a security risk. You won’t have any regrets if you get rid of it the right way.

iPhone X
Tech Hacks

Find out just how fast your phone is

Benchmarking is a wonderfully enlightening process.

snow on wind turbines
Energy

Explaining this week’s deadly US cold snap

It’s been a strange and awful week in the South.

The spiney water flea is invading the Upper Midwest.
Insects

A spiky flea could ruin Midwestern ecosystems and kill native fish

Anglers and boaters may be fueling the spread of invasive spiny water flea from the Great Lakes—but they can help beat it back, too.

Night sky photography
Projects

Cold weather is the best time to look at—and photograph—the night sky

Grab your coat and your camera, then head out under the stars.

vials of covid-19 vaccines
Vaccines

We’ve barely made a dent in vaccinating the world against COVID-19

Getting the vaccine to every country won’t be easy, but it can be done.

a bowl of tofu and a glass of soy milk on a white marble counter, with dried soybeans scattered around the surface
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Eating soy does not make men grow boobs

The truth about tofu—and other fun facts from The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week.

Fomes fomentarius fungus
Life Skills

The two types of fungi you want in your fire-starting kit

They’re not wood, but they burn just as well.

a vial of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
Vaccines

Facing COVID-19 variants, vaccine makers are weighing how to tweak their designs

Here’s everything you need to know this week.