Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 79)

Passengers inside the cabin of a commercial airliner during flight. Shallow depth of field with focus on the seats in the foreground.
Ask Us Anything

Why are airline seats so small? It all started in 1978.

Seats and legroom have shrunk over the years as Americans have gotten larger. Experts warn that could be a recipe for a disaster.

White toilet soap in female hands against the background of a fragrant foam bath. Woman in white terry bathrobe washing her hands with soap. Relaxation and beauty treatments. Natural beauty, daily skincare routine. Moisturizing, cleansing
Health

How does soap keep you clean? A chemist explains the science of soap.

Deep ALMA observations of 12CO emission from fifteen protoplanetary disks reveal a stunning range of structures in the gas morphology including gaps, rings and spirals.
Exoplanets

Future planets revealed in unprecedented detail

exoALMA’s new methods are like ‘switching from reading glasses to high-powered binoculars.’

six faces
AI

Scientists warn deepfakes are about to become undetectable

AI-generated videos can 'inherit' human heartbeats, making them harder to spot.

Pile of historic gold coins
Archaeology

Hikers discover nearly 600 gold coins dating back to 1808

The treasure trove is estimated to be worth over $340,000.

An axolotl crawling up to the aquarium pane at the Hamburg animal shelter.
Endangered Species

Axolotls raised in captivity can survive in the wild

The popular amphibians are only found in one lake in Mexico City.

Bald eaglets in canoe with caps over eyes
Birds

Rescuers borrow canoe to save baby bald eagles in river

Wind blew a pair of eaglets and their nest into a Missouri river.

A flight-illuminated path and the Milky Way are appearing in the night sky during the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, peaking in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, on May 5, 2024. The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower is an annual event caused by Earth passing through debris left behind by Halley's Comet.
Space

May skygazing: Meteors, a floral moon, and cosmic beehive

This month brings the arrival of the Flower Moon, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, and more.

A fringe-lipped bat approaches a Fitzinger's robber frog in Panama. This species of bat eavesdrops on the mating calls that male frogs produce to attract females, and uses these frog calls to detect, assess, and localize its prey.
Bats

Young bats develop a ‘caller ID’ to avoid poisonous prey

‘Like human children, young bats needed time and experience to hone their discrimination skills.’

Illustration of mosasaur chasing prey underwater
Dinosaurs

Geologists accidentally found a monstrous mosasaur fossil in Mississippi mud

'This is a true, true sea monster.'

Boeing Super Hornet taking off from the deck of an aircraft carrier
Navy

US Navy loses $60 million fighter jet after it falls into Red Sea

An F/A-18E Super Hornet took a tumble after its aircraft carrier made an unexpectedly hard turn.

The Gorilla Playsets Basic swing set with no children swinging on it.
Home

Get a full-sized wooden swing set for $209 delivered during Wayfair’s extended Way Day sale

Make this summer a lot more fun with a sturdy wooden play set on sale during Wayfair's annual Way Day sale. The free shipping is a huge savings all on its own.

The introductory page of the pamflyt compiled of cheese. It is written in loopy script on beige paper.
Nutrition

Oldest known English book on cheese advises against drinking dog milk

The pamphlet dating back to the 1580s may have been read by Elizabeth I's physician.

google messages screenshots
Tech Hacks

7 helpful Google Messages tips you need to know

How to make the most of the default texting app on Android.

Autistic girl child with hands over her face
Health

Interview: Why Autistic women have been overlooked for decades

Long undiagnosed, autistic women and girls who cope by putting on their “best normal” are finally being recognized.

Scientists working on space probe in lab
Solar System

A dead Soviet space probe from 1972 is falling back to Earth

Kosmos 482 poses small risks 'similar to that of a meteorite impact.'

a child's drawing of a rainbow with a girl in pigtails standing inder it
Space

Kids draw what they love about Earth

The artwork reflects how kids see the world.

Black and white overhead shot of Mars rover and tracks on planet
Mars

NASA satellite spies Curiosity chugging along on Mars

The car-sized rover averages about 98 feet per hour.

Toucan beak decorated with beads in museum display
Archaeology

Lavish gravesite confirms women’s power in ancient South America

The Caral civilization flourished from 3000–1800 BCE.

a bandage with daffy duck from looney tunes on a child's arm
Vaccines

Why using the same arm for vaccines might boost the body’s response

Site matters for memory B cells and macrophages.