Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 716)

intestines microflora
Cancer

Gut bacteria might flip the effects of a common cancer-causing mutation in an unexpected way

Antioxidants in mice can actually make their tumors worse.

With a dysfunctional postal service, much of the population would lose access to much needed medications.
Health

The Postal Service helps keep millions of Americans alive and well

Many rely on the mail for delivery of prescriptions and disease testing.

Head trip maze
Science

This maze has three solutions. Can you solve them all?

Give your brain a wee workout with this puzzle.

Environmental Protection Agency
Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuel companies don’t have to clean up their methane emissions anymore

The EPA turns a blind eye while a powerful heat-trapping gas leaks from drilling sites and pipelines.

pappy lane shipwreck
Biology

This WWII shipwreck hosts an underwater kingdom of bacteria

Iron-eating bacteria were among the thousands of microbes dwelling within the shipwreck.

DIY wipes
COVID-19

How to make your own disinfecting wipes

Come for a cleaning product, get a baby wipe recipe for free.

Boy doing online school in a mask.
COVID-19

The risks of three back-to-school plans, ranked

It’s a balancing act between staying healthy and staying on top of learning.

A COVID-19 screening checkpoint at Chinook Regional Hospital in Alberta, Canada
COVID-19

We need rapid COVID-19 screening if we want to get back to normal

Schools, offices, and businesses need more options to fill the gaps in testing.

a woman stands in the background while the sun illuminates a cloud of dust in the foreground
Diseases

Tiny dust particles could help spread viruses like the flu

Some researchers say they deserve as much attention as aerosolized droplets.

goat frogs
Animals

Longterm polyamory seems to work just fine for these frogs

The male rainforest frog Thoropa taophora is the first amphibian known to be faithful to several ladies.

tornado
Weather

The future may be full of fire tornadoes

Everything you never wanted to know about whirling infernos.

power lines at dusk
Energy

The US has more power outages than any other developed country. Here’s why.

Our grid is outdated and rundown, but utilities aren't willing to do much about it.

Talasker
COVID-19

Five stories of sailors who weathered COVID-19 out at sea

For cruisers who were voyaging far from home this past spring, quarantine presented a new set of hurdles.

A child in a medical mask touches the face of a woman in a medical mask
COVID-19

Scientists are still unsure how frequently kids and teens pass COVID to others

Here's everything you need to know from this week's COVID-19 news.

a person working on a disassembled phone
Life Skills

When your devices need repairs, here’s where to start

We looked at the steps for Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung so you don't have to.

An artist's impression of the Hubble capturing a lunar eclipse during a blood moon.
Moons

Hubble just captured a lunar eclipse for the first time ever

The act could even reveal how to look for life on alien planets.

Vials of blood
COVID-19

The CDC clarifies that COVID-19 immunity and antibodies are still a mystery

New guidelines on quarantining send a mixed message.

Two parents holding a newborn
Stem Cells

People are stockpiling umbilical cord blood without really knowing what it does

Medical companies are exhorting expectant parents to protect their babies from diseases that lie ahead.

Person at beach
Cancer

A guide to sun protection for people with darker skin

Sunscreen is important, no matter what shade you are.

doctor examining xrays
Health

Should you risk COVID-19 for a cancer screening?

Health care facilities are urging patients back for routine tests, but financial incentives may result in murky motives.