Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 681)

A mature cacao tree with the unripe fruits that are used to make chocolate
Insects

Cacao growers are bugging out about our chocolate supply

Could an itty-bitty pollinator be the problem?

dolphins touching noses
Animals

10 animal sex rituals you need to read about right now

Some light reading for you and your partner on date night.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Electric Vehicles

Ford’s electric Mustang Mach-E is an important leap into the future

The automaker knows that it has to adapt or die. With the new electric Mustang, it has.

a lone wolf walking around the forest
Animals

Wolves use ambush tactics to hunt unsuspecting beavers

The predators deploy different strategies to bring down different prey.

A person using a pen to write in a paper notebook, with a phone on the table next to them for storing digital notes.
Tech Hacks

Turn your handwritten documents into searchable digital notes

Reap the benefits of technology while still feeling like a traditional scribe.

Green camping tent in the middle of a snowy mountain
Life Skills

How to stay warm while sleeping in the frigid outdoors

Dry socks may be the most important thing you pack.

The Jezero Crater as captured from orbit.
Mars

Your ancestors might have been Martians

A controversial theory suggests that life could pre-date Earth.

plastic bottles bound together
Ocean

Microplastics are everywhere. Here’s what that means for our health.

The impacts to our bodies remain murky, but early findings suggest the smallest bits could cause harm.

A person spraying a can of WD40 in a garage.
Life Skills

20 ingenious uses for WD-40

It’s basically a greasy genie in a bottle.

A captive Gila monster in a glass case with its purple tongue sticking out
Wildlife

When scientific pursuits become death sentences

Biologists spend long periods of time around the organisms they study. Sometimes that exposure has unintended effects.

young girl wearing covid-19 mask
COVID-19

The CDC says COVID-19 is no match for two masks

Here’s everything you need to know this week.

Unreal Engine's MetaHuman Creator interface with model
Technology

Meet the eerily realistic digital people made with Epic’s MetaHuman Creator

The interface looks a lot like a video game and the results are impressive.

mardi gras decorations in new orleans
COVID-19

Can Louisiana’s COVID surge trace back to one Mardi Gras reveler?

A new preprint study suggests that last year’s Mardi Gras celebrations were responsible for roughly 50,000 COVID-19 cases across the state.

A man in a gray t-shirt removing or putting on a surgical face mask by only touching the ear loops.
COVID-19

Why you shouldn’t ever wear your mask around your neck

Proper mask care is key to ensuring yours works effectively.

a woman getting ready to get on a mass transit subway
Pollution

Air pollution in US subway stations is disturbingly high

New York City is the worst offender.

Couple drinking milkshakes with COVID-19 face masks on.
COVID-19

How to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a pandemic

Testing, masking, and social distancing are all love languages now.

A helicopter flying at sunset.
Aviation

This surprisingly common flight issue contributed to Kobe Bryant’s helicopter crash

People are told to trust their senses. Pilots can’t always do that.

A Black middle-aged individual talking on a smartphone in a cafe
Vaccines

One big hiccup in US efforts to distribute COVID-19 vaccines? Poor internet access.

Broadband-starved neighborhoods and seniors on their own have fewer avenues to pandemic resources.

Audi e-tron electric car on the charger
Electric Vehicles

Audi’s e-Tron GT charges up fast, but turns even faster

The fastest version will do 0-60 in 3.1 seconds.

A model in a wine-red cutout dress on a beach
Social Media

Tech-savvy fashion forecasters already know what you’ll be wearing in two years

A combination of AI and creativity translates our cultural values into colors and shapes.