Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 721)

A small monkey looking surprised
Psychology

The truth about reading body language

There’s no real-life Pinocchio’s nose for liars.

XB-1 Boom
Aviation

This test plane could be a big step towards supersonic commercial flights

Boom rolled out the XB-1 yesterday. Next up: a Concorde-like aircraft called Overture.

Artist's conception of NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collecting a sample from the asteroid Bennu.
NASA

Local asteroid Bennu used to be filled with tiny rivers

Six new studies describe the rock’s soggy past and violent present.

A toddler with a black mask on
COVID-19

We already know how to keep the next pandemic from catching us off guard

It all starts with hurricane preparedness.

Person holding cassette
Tech Hacks

The best way to share playlists on every major platform

Making a mixtape just got a lot easier.

Outdoor time can be very beneficial for boosting mental health during the pandemic, experts say.
Mental Health

What mental health professionals have learned six months into pandemic care

To get through the chaos of 2020 and beyond, clinicians suggest sticking to the basics of self-care—and reaching out for professional help when it’s not enough.

crispr
Gene Editing

Two women just won the Nobel Prize for their work on the gene-editing technique CRISPR

The technology can alter human, plant, and microbial DNA with relative ease and extreme precision.

a paper fortune teller
Projects

Five classic paper toys you can make when you’re bored (whether you’re in school or not)

Some designs are simply timeless.

satellite view of US showing smoke off west coast
Environment

Wildfire smoke travels far but never really disappears

Even after the densest clouds disperse, the effects from smoke last longer and travel farther than you might think.

Person in videocall
Life Skills

These public speaking techniques can help you look smart on video calls

It’s hard to imagine your audience in their underwear when you can only see their faces.

President Donald Trump signing an executive order in the White House in 2017
COVID-19

Why COVID-19 attacks aging immune systems so fiercely

The US president’s age makes him more vulnerable to the virus and its many side effects.

The Nobel Prize in physics honors insights on black holes—including the one in our own galaxy
Black Holes

The Nobel Prize in physics honors insights on black holes—including the one in our own galaxy

Their work builds upon Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

PPE face masks
COVID-19

Here’s what Donald Trump should know about recovering from COVID-19

The outbreak of high-profile COVID-19 cases is a reminder that no one is completely protected from the novel coronavirus.

MC Wolfman illustration
Psychology

Why do we see ghosts?

Current science can’t prove their existence, but these seven mental and environmental factors might.

Nobel prize.
Medicine

The Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to the trio that discovered hepatitis C

The once-deadly disease can now be properly cured with antivirals.

Permian Basin
COVID-19

The pandemic could end Texas’s oil boom—and start something better

Profits from the Permian Basin are falling and renewable energy is surging. Here’s what that means for the Lonestar State’s future.

drugs
COVID-19

These are the best COVID-19 treatments right now

Plus: what we know about what Trump is (and isn’t) taking.

sports bra illustration
Technology

The best sports bra uses non-Newtonian fluid

Reebok’s vice president for apparel talks about how researchers perfected compression technology in a sports bra.

2020 Rolls-Royce Cullinan
Vehicles

The first Rolls-Royce SUV has tricks that might actually justify its price tag

The Cullinan can cost $426,700, but wait until you see the tailgating seats.

Artist's impression of CHEOPS
Exoplanets

A deep-space telescope spied an exoplanet so hot it can vaporize iron

It orbits its mega-hot host star almost every three days.