Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 771)

Niv Bavarsky illustration
Science

This is why you mishear popular song lyrics

Hold me closer ... Tony Danza?

someone helps an older woman put on a face mask
COVID-19

The timing of the Wuhan coronavirus could be a global-health nightmare

Here’s how China is working to halt its spread despite holiday travel.

Person working out in a hotel room.
Life Skills

How to fit in a workout while you travel

Sightseeing is just another excuse to break a sweat.

firefighter looks out over burned land and fire
Environment

California needs to set more fires

A new study reveals the risks, regulations, and limited resources that hold back plans for prescribed blazes.

Hendrick Motorsports track attack cars
Vehicles

You can now own a stock car that’s just like what NASCAR pros race

The $125,000 vehicles aren’t street-legal, but will motor you around the track like Jimmie Johnson’s whip.

espresso being made
Physics

For better coffee, start with fewer beans

A new study flips the traditional technique on its head.

the Yarrabubba crater in western australia
Space

This 43-mile-wide crater is 2.2 billion years old—making it Earth’s oldest meteorite impact

Billions of years ago, the strike might have helped end an ice age.

special forces dog goggles
Military

These camera-equipped dog goggles keep special-forces canines connected to their handlers

But the doggles don’t come cheap.

spacex crew dragon capsule
Space X

SpaceX saves mannequins from fireball. Next up, astronauts.

The company aced its last major uncrewed safety test.

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

The Wuhan coronavirus has officially hit the US—but don’t panic

At least for now, officials think the virus doesn’t pose a huge threat.

screenshot of guy dipping finger in soy sauce then putting it on his testicles
Social Media

No, you can’t taste anything with your testicles

That’d mean you could taste with your intestines and bladder, too.

Lee Johnston (BMW Ashcourt Racing) hurtles a short distance from the dreaded Armco barriers, with the city in the background.
Science

The world’s most thrilling motorcycle race, in photos

Track knowledge can make the difference between life and death during the notorious Macau Grand Prix.

International Fund For Animal Welfare
Fossil Fuels

Even with international protections, the Galápagos Islands are becoming more vulnerable to humans

A recent diesel spill renews concerns about industry and tourism in one of the world’s most storied ecosystems.

a woman sitting on a bed with white blankets, using a Chromebook
Tech Hacks

Two alternatives to Microsoft Word that are free and customizable

These open source writing programs won’t cost you a thing.

arctic terns flying against clouds with person silhouetted against background
Ocean

Marine parks need to move along with the animals they’re protecting

An overhaul of the 1982 UN Law of the Sea is giving us a chance to better conserve ocean species.

Hearing loss
Health

Hidden hearing loss is hitting people of all ages. Neuroscientists are still debating why.

Those affected can hear all right, but when it’s noisy, they can’t understand.

flooded field with silo in background
Agriculture

Last year’s historic floods ruined 20 million acres of farmland

2019 was a terrible year for farmers, and climate change will only make things worse.

Klamath National Forest
Animals

California’s trees could shift as global warming forces birds to move out

Song surveys show that species key to spreading seeds are shuffling up and down the mountain.

woman using cream at cold winter weather. skin protection. dry face
Projects

Winter-proof your lips with this DIY lip balm

Protect that pout.

a tiny organism with four nubbin legs
Biology

These tiny living robots could help science eavesdrop on cellular gossip

They’re designed by AI and made of frog cells.