Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 829)

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.

By Courtney Starr

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.

By Frank Mazzotti/The Conversation

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.

By Rob Verger

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.

By Rheeda Walker/The Conversation

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.

By Katherine Martinelli

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.

By Kat Eschner

Ocean

These adorable sharks have evolved to walk across the seafloor

They’re also champion hitchhikers.

By Kate Baggaley

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.

By Ula Chrobak

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.

By Bill Heavey/Field & Stream

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.

By Charlie Wood

Climate Change

The Doomsday Clock is now closer to midnight than ever before

Just 100 seconds to midnight.

By Rachel Feltman

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.

By Jeremy Deaton/Nexus Media

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.

By Sara Kiley Watson

Science

This is why you mishear popular song lyrics

Hold me closer ... Tony Danza?

By Sara Kiley Watson

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.

By Kat Eschner

Life Skills

How to fit in a workout while you travel

Sightseeing is just another excuse to break a sweat.

By Harry Guinness

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.

By Ula Chrobak

Physics

For better coffee, start with fewer beans

A new study flips the traditional technique on its head.

By Molly Glick

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.