Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 740)

ladybug flying
Robots

These fold-up robots fly just like ladybugs

Snap. Lock. Fold. Repeat.

person in protective gear in a morgue
COVID-19

Catching COVID-19 from a dead body is possible, but there’s no proof it’s happened yet

Wearing proper PPE is essential.

Artist's impression of 'Oumuamua.
Exoplanets

A new ’Oumuamua theory could mean many more interstellar visitors are headed our way

‘Oumuamua sure looked like an oddball, but similar planetary tatters could be floating everywhere.

C-17 coronavirus transport
COVID-19

First mission for the Air Force’s flying hospital pods: Pulling COVID-19 patients from Afghanistan

The bio-containment modules date to the 2014 Ebola crisis.

A knife being sharpened on a wet stone.
Life Skills

Eight wood-carving skills to help you survive

Make tools, start a fire, and trap wild game with just some sticks and a knife.

USPS delivering mail
Health

The 2001 anthrax attacks could have made the USPS more secure. Instead it’s more vulnerable than ever.

Twenty years ago, postal workers rallied for changes that never took hold.

flooding
COVID-19

Natural disasters will push the US further into crisis mode

This year’s hurricanes and tornados will be hard for the US to bear.

"Bedlam" tackles the systemic failures and cultural taboos of treating mental health conditions. It airs on PBS tonight at 10 p.m. EDT.
Mental Health

Meet the health care workers and patients on the front lines of another national crisis

‘Bedlam’ traces the lives of people who cycle through California’s overflowing psych wards.

Laptop on bed
COVID-19

Porn is helping people cope with the pandemic

The psychological and physical distraction might help flatten the curve more.

Smartphone uses
Internet

Apple and Google plan to track COVID-19 using your phone’s Bluetooth

It will start as apps and eventually move into iOS and Android.

Zoom app on mobile
Tech Hacks

The best Zoom tricks and add-ons for your video chats

Get straight to zooming like a pro.

construction dig site
Science

Archaeologists and construction workers are teaming up to unearth historic relics

One massive rail project, 10 millennia of history, 60-plus excavation sites, 143 miles of track, and thousands of skeletons.

an empty airport
COVID-19

Your travel-related COVID-19 questions, answered

It’s all about managing risk.

Sliced Bread
Technology

Twelve classic products that were perfect from the start

Nailed it the first time!

dinosaurs
Dinosaurs

How do we know what dinosaurs looked like?

Paleontologists pull inspiration from modern birds and reptiles to design true-to-life T. rexes.

rhesus monkeys
COVID-19

We probably won’t see the next COVID-19 coming

The novel coronavirus is just one of many microbes that have jumped from animals into people.

Close-up of modern flax cordage showing twisted fibre construction
Evolution

An ancient bit of yarn suggests Neanderthals were super crafty

They may have been the world’s first weavers.

A "heroes at work" sign in front of the Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Georgia, honors the medical staff treating COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19

Inside the struggles and successes of one Georgia county’s fight with COVID-19

As the governor idled, Carroll County leaders began pondering their own lockdown. Their decision may have saved lives.

two people in protective gear stand by hospital beds
COVID-19

See when COVID-19 could hit your state hardest

These graphs show where we are in the course of the pandemic, based on the most recent data.

747
COVID-19

The pandemic could shrink the global aviation fleet by nearly 10 percent

Big beloved planes like 747s and A380s are being parked or retired.