Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 687)

investigator examines Reactor Unit 3 at the damaged Fukushima Daiichi plant
Renewables

10 years after Fukushima, outdated nuclear power plants are still the norm

Countries are still figuring out how to implement safety with aging infrastructure.

Urban city square with park and planted trees.
Climate Change

Can planting more trees keep cities from heating up?

Creating an urban forest can be trickier than it seems.

A person lying on a white mattress in dim light, with one arm across their forehead, one arm on their stomach, and a phone next to them.
Life Skills

The best way to prevent arm pain from using your phone too much

Those bedtime videos are straining your joints.

Line graphs in blue, pink, and green for mask, mask mandate, and kn95 masks
COVID-19

A year of pandemic life, as told by the things we Googled

We visualized some of the key trends in Google searches in the past 12 months.

Hawadax Island in Alaska
Animals

How scientists helped Alaska’s “Rat Island” shake off its namesake rodents

A team of scientists helped eradicate the island of the animals in 2008 and the isle has slowly rebounded.

An autonomous ship called the Sea Hunter in 2018.
DARPA

DARPA wants designs for robotic warships that won’t need a crew

Having people on a ship is both an asset and a drawback.

A gas pipeline under construction in a clear-cut strip of forest
Fossil Fuels

Oil and gas companies are making old pipelines the landowner’s problem

In the US, private residents end up footing the bill to prevent further eyesores and pollution.

a person wearing a mask
Vaccines

Long-term COVID-19 symptoms are even more common than we thought

Here’s everything you need to know this week.

Hand in rubber gloves with a cleaning product sprayer
Life Skills

Master odor removal with a little help from science

Get rid of that stink once and for all.

a person getting the COVID vaccine
Vaccines

You’re vaccinated. Now what?

The CDC recently updated its guidance on what fully-vaccinated folks can do, but there’s still a lot we don’t know.

Jacqueline Oakley hippo illustration
Animals

Pablo Escobar’s hippos might be filling an ancient ecological niche

Though it’s not all good news.

A person in a red plaid shirt sitting in front of a laptop computer, gesturing with their hands.
Tech Hacks

5 sleuthing skills that’ll reveal the age of any web page

You may not nail it exactly, but you can get close.

4 benefits of eating mushrooms
Diseases

4 benefits of eating mushrooms

A mushrooming list of reasons to embrace fungi.

The sun over Maunakea volcano and research observatories in Hawaii
Space

In Hawaii, an ancient observatory offers lessons for modern stargazers

Physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein spans the whitewashed history of astronomy in her new book, ‘The Disordered Cosmos.’

Electric vehicle plugged into a charging station
Fossil Fuels

Companies may soon pay a higher price for emitting carbon. But will it be high enough?

A new policy brings back an old approach to tallying the cost of carbon, albeit with limitations.

Elderly person in a blue uniform sitting next to a marching band drum that says Batesville Eureka Band Indiana
Health

Old dogs need to learn new tricks. Here’s why.

Neural stimulation through education can buy aging brains some time.

miami beach seen from the air
Global Warming

Humans are altering Earth’s tides, and not just through climate change

Shipping is a surprisingly major driver.

COVID-19 vaccines
Vaccines

Returning to normal life is going to be a slow and steady process

Here’s everything you need to know this week.

A skunk standing in the grass.
Animals

Watch a black bear take on a striped skunk in a surprising faceoff

Bears usually avoid skunks, but in this throwback clip, both mammals stand their ground for an epic showdown.

How to manage subscriptions for smartphone apps and save money quickly
Tech Hacks

How to manage subscriptions for smartphone apps and save money quickly

Don’t throw your hard-earned riches into the app-byss.