Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 862)

Wi-Fi could get much faster thanks to a proposed change in the wireless spectrum
Security

Wi-Fi could get much faster thanks to a proposed change in the wireless spectrum

The FCC voted to open up more space in the spectrum for connected devices.

Adenovirus is normally harmless—here’s why some outbreaks turn deadly
Diseases

Adenovirus is normally harmless—here’s why some outbreaks turn deadly

Here's what you need to know about the adenovirus.

chickadee eating caterpillar
Birds

These plants bring all the birds to your yard

Songbirds need bugs, and bugs need local greens.

The FDA just approved the first new flu drug in 20 years. Here’s what you need to know.
Health

The FDA just approved the first new flu drug in 20 years. Here’s what you need to know.

Xofluza can help thousands of people this flu season, but it's not for everyone.

Black widow spiders could teach nanomaterial experts a thing or two
Spiders

Black widow spiders could teach nanomaterial experts a thing or two

Scientists are finally unspooling how spider silk works.

a tiny house wrapped in bubble wrap
The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

The weirdest things we learned this week: glowing Civil War soldiers and historic font battles

Our editors scrounged up some truly bizarre facts.

Behind the supersonic rise and fall of the Concorde, 15 years after its final flight
Aviation

Behind the supersonic rise and fall of the Concorde, 15 years after its final flight

Now NASA and Lockheed Martin are trying to bring supersonic flight back to the masses.

Tim Cook says Apple supports general digital privacy laws in the U.S.
Internet

Tim Cook says Apple supports general digital privacy laws in the U.S.

The Apple CEO laid out guidelines for sweeping privacy regulations.

The truth about organic food and cancer
Cancer

The truth about organic food and cancer

Your wallet might have more of an effect than your shopping cart.

hand touching iPhone
Tech Hacks

Apple has collected lots of your personal information—here’s how to see it

Time for a privacy check-up.

How many stars are there in the whole galaxy?
Space

How many stars are there in the whole galaxy?

Our solar system is just a tiny speck in the Milky Way.

This ‘self-lubricating’ condom concept uses clever chemistry to stay slippery
Health

This ‘self-lubricating’ condom concept uses clever chemistry to stay slippery

Research involved a ‘touch test’ with ‘slipperiness ratings.’

Hurricane Willa’s explosive intensification is the latest twist in a record-breaking season
Environment

Hurricane Willa’s explosive intensification is the latest twist in a record-breaking season

It's been a wild year for the Pacific.

Cemeteries are the perfect spot to track our planet’s demise
Climate Change

Cemeteries are the perfect spot to track our planet’s demise

In a changing climate, cemeteries make great laboratories.

Facebook’s new Messenger design is a rare simplification
Social Media

Facebook’s new Messenger design is a rare simplification

Instagram and Facebook are more chaotic than ever, but Messenger is cutting back.

There’s plastic in your poop, but we have no idea how dangerous that is
Pollution

There’s plastic in your poop, but we have no idea how dangerous that is

Microplastics are showing up everywhere.

Nobody really knows what smoking pot does to your lungs
Cancer

Nobody really knows what smoking pot does to your lungs

You shouldn't assume smoking a joint is harmless.

Peter Jackson made Hobbits look so tiny with this mind trick
Science

Peter Jackson made Hobbits look so tiny with this mind trick

Forced perspective takes control over the way our brains interpret size.

When flying into a hurricane won’t work, meteorologists use these high-tech alternatives
Weather

When flying into a hurricane won’t work, meteorologists use these high-tech alternatives

Satellites provide a safe and accurate alternative.

The evolutionary mystery of goosebumps
Evolution

The evolutionary mystery of goosebumps

Happiness and fear are more similar than you might think.