Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 721)

Paralympic wheelchair
Technology

How different wheelchair designs can help Paralympians excel

Each sport requires different adaptations to the basic chair.

ants on a tree branch
Insects

Ants could help us beat future pandemics

What can we learn from social insects in terms of social distancing and community spread?

Fans in stands via Microsoft Teams at an NBA game
Technology

Now you can join an ongoing NBA game like it’s a video conference

Microsoft Teams will put fans in virtual stands around basketball games.

Closeup on the open mouth of a venomous Bushmaster snake.
Animals

The longest species of snakes that slither the planet

Pythons the size of telephone poles, boas the length of school buses, and a 12-foot pit viper named “Silent Death.”

deforested area with cut logs
COVID-19

Protecting nature could prevent the next pandemic

Doing so is a lot cheaper than responding to disease outbreaks when they happen.

rain dripping off a roof during a storm
Conservation

Capturing rainwater is an easy way to save money and the planet

It’s free water.

A blue agave plant
Science

Five burning questions about tequila, answered

Is there a worm? Can I eat it?

baseball pitcher
Technology

It’s time to explain some game theory

The field of study is used in everything from auctions to baseball, but it’s often misunderstood, thanks to Hollywood.

Long-distance learning could help us democratize education
COVID-19

Long-distance learning could help us democratize education

The pandemic can be a chance to remove geographic barriers in education.

A volcano named Sapas Mons dominates this computer-generated view of the surface of Venus.
Solar System

Geologists say Venus has enough active volcanoes to form a ‘Ring of Fire’

The planet is more of a hellscape than we thought.

An empty Fenway Stadium
COVID-19

Leagues scramble to replace the roar of the crowd as pro sports return

Hope you like grunting.

a woman is talking on the phone while wearing a protective face mask. The mask is white and has a plastic valve on the front of it.
COVID-19

Face masks with valves don’t stop COVID-19 from spreading

They're not designed with COVID in mind.

Four methods for cooking hamburgers
Projects

The four best ways to cook a burger

Use these Saveur Test Kitchen-approved methods to impress your friends and family.

Viruses like influenza often evolve in livestock, like the pigs pictured here.
COVID-19

There’s a dangerous virus brewing in pigs—but there’s no need to panic yet

Monitoring our growing livestock populations will be crucial for preventing the next pandemic.

backcountry flying
Aviation

Flying over mountains isn’t as scary (or hard) as you might think

A pilot details her return to the high-country skies.

person putting soap on hands
COVID-19

We already know how to beat COVID-19 in three easy steps

Mask up, lather up, and keep your distance.

Hands on laptop
Tech Hacks

Small, game-changing utilities for Windows and macOS

Good things come in small packages.

All-Electric Mustang Mach-E 1400 Prototype
Electric Vehicles

This 1400-horsepower Mustang Mach-E foreshadows Ford’s electric car future

It takes seven motors to push all that power.

Friends.
Evolution

Humans owe our evolutionary success to friendship

Cooperation is the key to long-term survival.

An Audubon's shearwater over water
Birds

Bird names are due for an anti-racist reckoning

The McCown’s longspur has sparked debate over the troubling histories reflected in some species' names.