Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 770)

baskets of fish at an outdoor market
COVID-19

We’re still not sure where the novel coronavirus really came from

China’s wet markets don’t tell the whole story.

Person holding a film camera
Projects

Take better pictures by thinking like an old-school photographer

Make every shot count.

person with white hair
Health

We finally know why stress turns your hair white

Once those strands turn gray, they never go back. 

a small oak shelf key organizer cabinet hung with a French cleat so it appears to float on the wall
Projects

Build a floating key organizer cabinet you’ll love coming home to

It’s time to up your table saw game.

joan wong illustration
Archaeology

Seven mysterious sounds science has yet to solve

The loneliest whale in the world is just one example.

fruit fly connectome
Science

Check out the most complete 3D brain map ever made

The model shows a fruit fly’s 20 million synapses linking about 25,000 neurons.

sound in space illustration
Mars

What your voice would sound like on other planets and moons

Barry White’s got nothing on a Martian’s croon.

a wooden three-legged stool on a brick patio
Projects

Build the three-legged stool you didn’t know your home needed

The perfect multi-stool.

A green iguana on a palm tree trunk in Key West, Florida.
Animals

Iguanas are falling out of trees in Florida, and it’s completely fine

A recent cold snap is causing a reptile dysfunction.

airplane airbus A380
Aviation

Planes dump fuel into the sky more than you’d expect. Here’s why they do it.

The FAA knows of 47 events globally in which a US airline jettisoned fuel in the past three years.

young man sitting against a wall
Health

Black youth have some of the highest suicide rates in America, and we’re only beginning to understand why

Comparing patterns between different patients with depression could lead to better mental health services.

a copper pan full of wine corks
Life Skills

The key to cleaning copper cookware is probably in your fridge

Just don’t lick it off when you’re done cleaning. That’s gross.

a woman wears a black face mask on the train in Taipei city in taiwan
COVID-19

The CDC just confirmed a second U.S. case of the Wuhan coronavirus

The Seattle patient is joined by another in Chicago.

walking shark on the seafloor
Ocean

These adorable sharks have evolved to walk across the seafloor

They’re also champion hitchhikers.

tractor spraying insecticide over field
Agriculture

Pesticide testing is flawed—and it’s harming our birds and bees

Computer modeling of both chemicals and the organisms affected by them can help farmers make better choices.

Illustration of a box of wild animal poop.
Animals

Eleven animals you can identify by their poop

Scat, droppings, feces, or s&%! No matter what you call it, here’s how to use it as a clue.

lightsail 2's wing in the foreground, Earth and Australia in the background
Sun

LightSail 2′s success could pave the way for more sun-powered spacecrafts

The nimblest solar sail yet rides sunbeams around the Earth.

A mushroom cloud
Climate Change

The Doomsday Clock is now closer to midnight than ever before

Just 100 seconds to midnight.

Deucalion and Pyrrha
Climate Change

Real-life climate disasters are mirroring doomsday myths—and that’s worse than you think

If people start to believe the end is nigh, they might give up on tackling environmental problems.

Jewel beetle.
Insects

To remain hidden, these beetles sparkle like gems

Iridescent color isn’t always for standing out—for some creatures, it’s for blending in.