Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 737)

oil barrels petro canada
Energy

The environment won’t be helped by oil producers declaring bankruptcy

It may just lead to more consumption and fewer investments in renewables.

a process photo of the egg-in-bottle experiment, from the egg on a glass bottle, to an egg being pushed (not sucked) into the bottle by fire from matches, to the result
Projects

Stay-at-home science project: Use fire to push an egg into a bottle

Humpty Dumpty’s lucky he only fell off a wall.

A weather radar station in South Dakota with a thunderstorm in the background
COVID-19

The unexpected way COVID-19 is screwing up weather reports

Reports from commercial flight crews are an important part of weather validation.

an american flag face mask on a black background
COVID-19

COVID-19 cases surge past 1 million in the US just as some states start reopening

Meanwhile, CDC reports show that the death count might be largely under reported.

a boy with his mouth open
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

You can totally sprain your teeth (and you’ve probably done it before)

A crunchy surprise.

people's faces
COVID-19

Why we evolved to feel empathy during pandemics and other disasters

Empathy is a complex trait that could massively benefit or harm individuals.

doctors performing a surgery in a hospital
COVID-19

COVID-19 is causing strokes in young people and doctors don’t know why

Researchers are faced with a glut of front-line data and a deficit of lab research.

Sensors on the back, front, and bottom help the DJI Mavic Air 2 navigate.
Drones

DJI’s newest drone can dodge other flying objects

The Mavic Air 2 has a 34-minute flight time and a fixed 4K camera.

Invisible Ink messages.
Projects

Stay-at-home science project: Leave secret messages with invisible ink

More like Double-Oh-Lemon.

a woman writing notes in a book in front of a computer while working from home
Life Skills

How to make money from home

There are more work-from-home opportunities than you might realize.

Lemur family.
Animals

Horny lemurs use body odor as a pick-up line

When they’re feeling frisky they make a big stink about it.

a person in a lab
COVID-19

The CDC just added six official COVID-19 symptoms

And everything else you need to know about the novel coronavirus this week.

The facade of the Movimiento Juventud 2000 migrant shelter.
COVID-19

Migrants don’t carry more viruses than anyone else

The pandemic has renewed rhetoric on immigration as a public health threat. But research doesn’t support that.

Pale blue blip
Evolution

This timeline shows just how insignificant humans are

If history’s an ocean, humanity is a raindrop.

a photo of a person pouring colored water into a glass of shaving cream and water to demonstrate rainfall with a science experiment project creating a storm in a glass
Projects

Stay-at-home science project: Whip up a storm in a glass

In less than 10 minutes, you can demonstrate the basics of rainfall.

Facebook Messenger Rooms tiled view
Social Media

Facebook Messenger Rooms wants to be the new Zoom

The company has some upgrades to help people communicate during social distancing.

wastewater treatment facility
COVID-19

Poop could be the key to tracking COVID-19 outbreaks

Searching wastewater for the coronavirus is fast, cheap, and anonymous.

Stuart Patience illustration
Psychology

This staircase goes on forever. Or does it?

We dissected the brain science behind this classic “impossible object."

American woodcock in the leaves.
Animals

Weekend activity: watch (and listen) for this bird’s extraordinary sky dance

Find a tree-lined field before sunset and wait for the American woodcock’s show to begin.

Hubble zooms in for an up-close look at star assembly in one of the galaxies orbiting the Milky Way.
Exoplanets

The Hubble Space Telescope just turned 30, and it’s working better than ever

Thirty, flirty, and thriving!