Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 802)

A roll of toilet paper labeled as "emergency"
COVID-19

No, you don’t need to hoard toilet paper to prep for a pandemic

Hoarding causes shortages that wouldn’t otherwise exist. But the impulse may be part of our biology and psychology.

Jan’s pies
DIY

This Alaskan town is a crucial stop on the Iditarod—for its pie

Nell Huffman’s blueberry pie (recipe inside) makes the grueling dog-sled trek worth it.

A webby, pink-and-orange mock-up of what the universe might look like.
Biology

Lowly slime molds are helping us map out the cosmos

The single-cell organism has helped map invisible regions of the universe.

A body thermometer
COVID-19

Europe is the new epicenter of coronavirus, and the US may be next

Here are the latest updates.

River dam puzzle
Wildlife

America thrived by choking its rivers with dams. Now it’s time to undo the damage.

The country must decide the fate of more than 90,000 dams, many of which are in disrepair.

thawed permafrost
Global Warming

The Arctic might be a methane time bomb—or not

Researchers are still debating whether permafrost melting will release mostly methane or carbon dioxide.

Masked researchers handling samples
COVID-19

How the COVID-19 mask shortage imperils virus research

Scientists are being forced to hit the pause button on high-risk projects.

Isle of Skye dinosaurs in the mid Jurassic.
Dinosaurs

Ancient Stegosaurus relatives wandered across the Scottish highlands

Remnants of 170 million-year-old Jurassic bagpipes are yet to be found.

Eleven soup recipes perfect for freezing and hoarding
Projects

Eleven soup recipes perfect for freezing and hoarding

These are great for when you’re tired of canned food.

airport travel
COVID-19

Gotta fly? Wash your hands early and often to keep COVID-19 from following you home

Airports are crowded, confined areas that microbes thrive in.

Death cap Amanita phalloides
Life Skills

From the death cap to the alcohol inky: seven poisonous mushrooms you definitely don’t want to eat

They’ll take you on one hell of a trip—to the morgue.

Artist's interpretation of the teardrop star and its partner.
Exoplanets

First of its kind ‘teardrop’ star pulses with its own rhythm

What other kinds of wild star shapes are out there?

The California Department of Public Health
COVID-19

Who’s responsible for containing COVID-19?

It’s written in the Constitution (sort of).

medical face mask
COVID-19

COVID-19 symptoms typically appear 5 days after infection

But the incubation period can vary from roughly 2 to 12 days.

White hospital beds
COVID-19

COVID-19 has now killed 29 people in the U.S.

Here’s everything we know about the fatalities.

Closeup details of leather boots and laces.
DIY

The best proven way to make your leather boots last

Shower them with love, attention, and bit of baking soda.

four champagne glasses full of colorful liquid
Food Safety

Teen bootleggers are making dangerous booze on TikTok

The homemade brew can poison you if you’re not careful.

a bunch of people putting their hands together
Tech Hacks

Seven apps that make it much easier to work remotely

Collaborate with others without being in the same room.

Verónica Grech illustration
Mental Health

A popular autism drug for children isn’t as safe as its label indicates

A decade’s worth of data suggests that the makers of Abilify haven’t been forthcoming about its side effects.

sea turtle in tank
Ocean

Sea turtles think old ocean plastic smells delicious

Smells like chicken.