Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 729)

Hurricane Laura
Climate Change

How hurricanes like Laura get so strong

There are three key ingredients to rapid intensification.

Fire
Life Skills

10 caveperson survival skills you need to know

Sometimes you just have to go back to basics.

power line silhouette against reddish sunset
Energy

Severe storms are increasingly leaving us without power. Microgrids can help.

As climate change spurs worsening hurricanes, renewable microgrids have the potential to generate and redistribute power.

A person wearing an N95 mask and making a thumbs up
COVID-19

Convincing someone to wear a mask is hard, but not impossible

Borrow some talking points from famous philosophers in the name of public health.

Pictured: 2002 Honda RC51. From the era of great V-twin racebikes.
Motorcycles

10 classic motorcycles to drool over

A photographic tribute to old-school Hondas.

Neuralink.
Biology

Watch Elon Musk unveil the next version of his AI-powered brain implant, Neuralink

Here’s the tech that’s built to go straight into your actual skull.

Dog vision
Pets

How cats and dogs see the world

Their other senses make up for the fact that they can’t see some colors.

A Blakiston's fish owl hunting for masu salmon in a river
Birds

The quest to snare—and save—the world’s largest owl

Wildlife biologist Jonathan Slaght braved the frigid, inhospitable terrain of Primorye, Russia, to learn the ways of the endangered Blakiston’s fish owl.

Old Town AutoPilot 120
Outdoor Gear

This motorized kayak can drive itself

Extra stabilization and a GPS-connected remote set this stand-up new model apart.

A mother wolverine and her kits ascend a tree.
Animals

Mount Rainier’s first wolverine mama in a century is a sign of the species’ comeback

A mother was spotted with two kits, in addition to a lone male.

hurricane laura satellite image
Weather

Hurricane Laura is the strongest storm to hit Louisiana in more than a century

The full extent of the destruction won’t be clear for at least a day, but it’s already causing extensive damage.

asymptomatic person in crowd
COVID-19

What makes a patient asymptomatic to COVID-19?

Some scientists are confident that the immune system’s aggressive response to the virus is only part of the story.

The bacterial exposure experiment took place from 2015 to 2018 using the Exposed Facility located on the exterior of Kibo, the Japanese Experimental Module of the International Space Station.
Mars

Clumps of bacteria could spread life between planets

A unique trick could let microbes zip from Earth to Mars, for example, and survive the trek.

CDC building.
COVID-19

The CDC’s new COVID-19 testing guidelines could make the pandemic worse

Testing is still as important as ever, politics aside.

A kitten in a litter box.
Cats

Toilet training your cat isn’t as great as it sounds

It could instigate a multitude of health and behavioral problems.

Burlap sacks
Projects

Five cool ways to upcycle old coffee sacks

Drink it, DIY it, do it again.

jones fire california
Environment

California and the Forest Service have a plan to prevent future catastrophic fires

In a recent agreement, officials committed to ramping up thinning and burning across the state.

a satellite image of storms approaching the US
Weather

Hurricane Laura will bring ‘unsurvivable’ storm surges to the Gulf of Mexico

The 2020 hurricane season is picking up steam.

The Brooks Range sets the backdrop for vital caribou feeding grounds in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.
Fossil Fuels

The Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies—but none may bite

Low oil prices, a pandemic-driven recession, and looming elections add up to highly unfavorable conditions for remote drilling operations.

Cuddled up pug.
COVID-19

How to help your pet with separation anxiety

Your buddy misses you when you're gone, so let them know you're coming back.