Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 715)

a person using a Windows 10 laptop
Tech Hacks

Four hidden tweaks that will speed up Windows

Don’t settle for slowdowns.

An illustration of a male wild turkey with two hens
Birds

Three love stories about birds that will delight your heart

Let’s talk turkey proms.

An illustration of a hand dropping a pink envelope into a box
Psychology

Five election misinformation campaigns to avoid resharing

These false narratives of fraud include out of context or otherwise misleading images and faulty statistics as purported evidence.

A collection of items used to ease flu symptoms: a glass of water, hot water bottle, allergy pills, a thermometer and a stethoscope
Vaccines

You can have COVID-19 without symptoms, but what about the flu?

Just because you’re not sneezing doesn’t mean you’re not contagious.

microscope
Climate Change

All the ways the 2020 election has influenced science policy so far

One clear winner has been marijuana legalization.

DJI Mini 2
Drones

DJI’s Mini 2 drone adds pro-grade features and a $50 price hike

Even with a 4K camera and better wireless connectivity, it’s still light enough that you won’t have to register it with the FAA.

A hospital doctor in PPE
COVID-19

The US hit 120,000 new COVID cases on Thursday, breaking records for the second day in a row

Case counts have been soaring for the past month.

ocean
Ocean

Scientists are tracking down deep sea creatures with free-floating DNA

Bits of genetic code in seawater can help scientists study fish that we rarely see.

a gray wolf
Endangered Species

Gray wolves are leaving the endangered species list. But should they?

Biologists are questioning the evidence behind the decision.

A hand holding several small brown mushrooms
Mental Health

Oregon just voted to legalize magic mushrooms. Here’s what that actually means.

Recent research suggests psilocybin is safe—and can have astonishing therapeutic uses.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), pictured here, helped pin down the mysterious signals.
Black Holes

Astronomers have traced mysterious radio waves to a source in our own galaxy

The brightest radio flashes in the sky likely come from the universe’s most powerful magnets.

Artist reconstruction of Wilamaya Patjxa vicuña hunt.
Archaeology

A female hunter’s remains hint at more fluid gender roles in the early Americas

The 9,000-year-old remains of a woman were found buried with hunting tools in the Andes.

the US flag flying
DIY

Follow along as battleground states tally presidential votes

It’s not the first time Americans have had to wait for final results.

parent putting mask on their child
COVID-19

A record number of kids got COVID-19 last week

Infection rates in younger people are on an upward trend.

pregnant woman
COVID-19

Pregnant women are at an increased risk of severe COVID-19, but there’s no need to panic

The overall odds are still quite low.

A photograph of the International Space Station floating 250 miles above the Earth.
International Space Station

Humans have lived on the ISS for 20 years—here are the coolest discoveries we’ve made

From space gardening to hungry black holes.

Woman holds a recurve bowfishing bow nocked with an arrow in one hand and a gar in the other hand while standing on a tree-lined creek bank.
Projects

Don’t have a boat? Try bowfishing.

It’s cheap, fun, and surprisingly easy to pick up.

An artist's rendering of Filikomys primaevus
Dinosaurs

These prehistoric rodents were social butterflies 

A species of tiny mammals that lived amongst the dinosaurs might have led highly gregarious lives.

hurricane eta as seen from satellites on nov 3, 2020
Global Warming

Hurricane season surges on as Eta slams Nicaragua and Honduras

It’s the first time we’ve had to use the name Eta, and it’s looking to be a catastrophic storm already.

Shipwreck on shore
Archaeology

How scientists keep ancient shipwrecks from crumbling into dust

One chemical reaction could turn a massive vessel to nothing if not protected.