Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 752)

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!

fungus-colonized plants
Environment

The challenge of keeping science alive during the COVID-19 shutdowns

Keepers of one of the largest fungi and blood-sucking-fly collections are following strict protocols as they tend to their valuable lab subjects.

a bottle of clorox bleach on a wooden table
COVID-19

Drinking, bathing in, or injecting yourself with bleach can be deadly—and it won’t cure COVID-19

No matter what anyone says.

These strawberries aren’t red. Here’s why your brain is sure they are.
Science

These strawberries aren’t red. Here’s why your brain is sure they are.

Color constancy is playing tricks on you.

Person holding a homemade mask on a dirt road
COVID-19

COVID-19 hurts rural areas, too, even if it’s not obvious

Don’t underestimate how quickly the new coronavirus moves. Start staying at home now.

Hands holding candle.
COVID-19

How to grieve in the midst of social distancing

Coming to terms with death and loss in the midst of COVID-19.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't make the top 20 in the 2005 NFL draft. But he rated high on the Wonderlic test and has taken his team to the Super Bowl.
Science

Some NFL teams still draft quarterbacks based on an obsolete intelligence test

Sure, smarts can lead to more touchdowns and rings. But there are other statistics that carry weight on draft night.

zipline coronavirus testing
COVID-19

Speedy drones are helping Ghana test for the novel coronavirus

The small unmanned aircraft drop off the samples by parachute.

Smartphone
Tech Hacks

You can actually get a refund on that app you didn’t like

It may take a Twitter rant, but it’s possible.

World health organization workers wearing PPE during the Ebola epidemic.
COVID-19

Trump’s move to pull WHO funds could make the pandemic worse 

International collaboration, which the World Health Organization helps provide, is key to getting through a pandemic.

a group of New Yorkers participating in the 1970 Earth Day demonstrations in New York City
Environment

Looking back on 50 years of Earth Days

How Earth Day came to be and what’s changed over the years.

smog over shanghai
COVID-19

Air pollution has made the COVID-19 pandemic worse

Both attack our lungs and incite a similar response by the immune system.

grand teton
COVID-19

Many national parks remain open during the pandemic. The man in charge explains why.

COVID-19 is putting our system of public land management to the test.

a drawing of a large worm
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

Welcome to Earth, home to human-sized salamanders and skin-eating worms

Celebrate Earth Day with some truly bizarre facts about our world.

Rotten Fruit
DIY

Carrot-top pesto, beet ketchup, and other recipes for using up odds and ends in your fridge

Honor Mother Nature by cooking with what you’d normally throw away.