Read the latest articles from Popular Science (Page 97)

An unrecognizable person doing full-body red light therapy (RLT) in a dark room surrounded by LED.
Health

Do infrared saunas work? What the science says. 

Purported health benefits include reduced blood pressure and 'detoxification.'

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA - AUGUST 9, 2024 - Twin containment domes rise above the facility as seen through a windshield on the drive to the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in San Luis Obispo on August 9, 2024. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times)
AI

For the first time, artificial intelligence is being used at a nuclear power plant: California’s Diablo Canyon

Some lawmakers think additional guardrails are needed for future uses. For now, the facility will use AI to comply with regulations

An Emperor chick begs and squaks at its parent to be fed.
Birds

Filmmaker James Cameron on penguins, arctic cold, and lowlight cameras

Overhead view of fruit and vegetable scraps in a white enamel container, ready to go in the compost.
Sustainability

New York City is making people compost — or pay up

New Yorkers can now get fined for not separating their food scraps. Some critics say that's not the right approach.

plex on screen
Tech Hacks

How to use Plex to create your own private Netflix or Spotify

Movies, shows, and music on demand, and on every device.

Dreo fans on a cloudy background in a row on sale at Walmart
Home

Walmart has Dreo fans and air purifiers at clearance prices during this pre-summer sale

Grab a tower fan, pedestal fan, humidifier, or air purifier to make your home more comfortable before the hot weather hits.

Black Skullcandy Method ANC earbuds retail product sitting on top of a yellow pelican case on a grey felt background
Earbuds

Skullcandy’s new Method 360 ANC earbuds feel like a steal

Following a heist-themed party in NYC, we wrap our head around the latest Skullcandy release.

the color spectrum
Health

Five people view a never-before-seen color called ‘olo’

But it takes a trip to 'Oz' to see it.

We're Safety Now Haven't We album art featuring animals in photoshopped helmets and on smoke detectors
Social Media

PSA: US government’s dance album about helmets and smoke alarms is a banger

It's the most fun you'll have learning about cell phone-related injuries between 2013 and 2022.

a sea slug in the ocean with whispy purple tendrils
Wildlife

Sea slugs harness the power of the sun to show off their colors

‘Don’t eat me, I’m poisonous.’

George Lucas, Doug Chiang, and John Knoll in a scene from Lucasfilm's LIGHT & MAGIC, Season 2, exclusively on Disney+.
Science Fiction

Q&A: The legendary VFX artist who brought Captain Davy Jones, ‘The Abyss,’ and more to life

The award winning VFX artist discusses the past and future of the field ahead of a new season of ‘Light & Magic’ on Disney+.

a large bird with brown, gray, and white plumage walks in an open grassland
Archaeology

Ancient funerals may have included a ritual feast on a giant bird

Great bustards may have been eaten when humans buried their dead about 15,000 years ago.

Images of Jyvaskylavirus. The virus particle is about twice the size of influenza or coronavirus. Credit: University of Jyväskylä
Biology

Finland finds its first giant virus

Jyvaskylavirus is double the size of influenza and coronavirus, but poses no known threat.

Neurons and their branch extensions known as dendrites are featured within a mouse’s cerebral cortex.
Biology

Scientists watch how mice learn, one synapse at a time

We’re finally beginning to understand how the brain changes as it picks up a new task.

A photomosaic taken by the Curiosity Rover on April 30, 2023 at the Ubajara drill site in Gale Crater, Mars. Rock powder samples drilled here contained substantial amounts of siderite (an iron carbonate mineral). The siderite played a role in ancient carbon cycling processes that impacted conditions at the planet’s surface. Rover tracks in the foreground are 40 cm wide. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)
Mars

Curiosity rover finds key ingredient for past life on Mars

'Habitability is a very fragile thing.'

Lego creative box and Star Wars sets on a space background on sale at Amazon
Gear

Amazon’s sneaky LEGO sale drops prices on some popular sets

This unadvertised Lego sale drops prices 20 percent or more on popular kits including the LEGO Classic box and a number of Star Wars kits.

Red tinged spiral galaxy made with infrared wavelengths
Deep Space

The universe isn’t just expanding—it may be spinning

But at 500 billion years per rotation, don't expect to feel dizzy.

Two young gorillas, habituated to human presence, scratch the soil in search of truffles
Wildlife

A group of gorillas have a surprising knack for hunting truffles, researchers find

Traditional knowledge and daily observations in Congo reveal the goal of their ‘soil scratching.’

Overhead view of water flushing through a white color toilet bowl
Environment

The fix for parched western states: Recycled toilet water

If it’s perfectly safe to drink purified wastewater, why aren’t drought-plagued states drinking more of it?

An illustration of what the aurora might have looked like during a polar reversal about 41,000 years ago. The green glow of an aurora is much further south than we see it today.
Sun

Sunscreen may have kept ancient humans alive during a polar reversal

When solar radiation increased, these techniques may have helped our species spread across Europe and Asia.