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Continental Tire’s newest line takes on the oldest tradeoff in driving

Continental Tire’s newest line takes on the oldest tradeoff in driving

17th century skeleton of a young woman in burial plot in Poland
Archaeology

400-year-old ‘vampire’ grave discovered in Poland

The wealthy young woman was buried with a sickle over her neck and a padlock on her toe.

Two conservation officers holding large Burmese python after confiscating it from owner on Coney Island
Wildlife

Police seize massive Burmese python near Coney Island boardwalk

PSA: Don’t bring illegal pets to Brooklyn—or anywhere.

Starlings (‘Sturnus vulgaris’) fly up from a meadow in the early morning. The migratory birds were seen currently gathering for their journey to the southern wintering grounds in Germany on October 10, 2020.
Birds

Over 200 million migratory birds are hitting the sky this week

The central U.S. should be a particular hot spot for birds heading south.

Artist's concept art of the NASA Gateway lunar spaceport orbiting the moon in the background
NASA

How NASA is prepping for lunar traffic jams

Gateway spaceport will make Earth’s air traffic control look easy.

Apple Mac Studio and Mac Mini M6 and M5 Max
Computers

Apple’s new M6 Mac mini and M5 Ultra Mac Studio: 10 details you might have missed

The new Apple silicon desktops boast 2nm chips, quad-die architecture, and massive AI multipliers. Here is the fine print before you upgrade.

a turtle with a telemetry device on its shell
Endangered Species

How do you find Eastern box turtle nests? You’ll need a spool of thread.

Nests are frequently attacked by predators, so building is serious business for these vulnerable reptiles.

Swamp crocodile, and black-necked stilt in Laguna del Carpintero in Tampico, Tamaulipas
Birds

Crocodiles can’t fly. Birds can. Scientists have finally figured out why.

Even if crocodiles somehow had wings, the metabolic difference in power alone would mean they could never fly.

Two men in a steamy landscape with a pipe. One man has his hands on two valves.
Land

In 1973, Icelanders fought a volcano—and won

Firefighters, physicists, and volunteers sprayed seawater at the flows, creating 100-foot-tall lava walls.

A region of space filled with bright stars and clouds of gas. In the centre, the densest clouds form the shape of a chest with its lid open. The chest appears to glow from within. At its base it breaks apart into long pillars of thick gas. Many of the gas clouds in the background are dark orange globules, while others form large, pale hazes. A few brightly shining stars lie in the foreground, the biggest and brightest in front of the chest’s lid.
Space Telescope

‘Treasure Chest’ cosmic cloud glitters with dozens of young stars

The JWST caught a glimpse of the cometary globule about 7,500 light-years away.

a sloth gets accupuncture
Wildlife

Florida zoo treats a manatee, a duck, and a chick with acupuncture

The treatment can support healing and increase patient comfort.

30 July 2026, Schleswig-Holstein, Wacken: Fans celebrate during a concert by the band H-Blockx in front of the "Louder" stage at Wacken Open Air (W:O:A). W:O:A is considered the world's largest heavy metal festival. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa (Photo by Frank Molter/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Mental Health

Heavy metal fans may handle pain better than others

Or ‘ride the lightning,’ as Metallica says.

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Popular Science has been demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872. We explain the inner workings of the phone in your pocket, explore world-changing innovations, and examine everything from the marvels of deep space to the secret lives of staples like bread. We deliver an engaging, approachable, and inclusive look at emerging technologies and scientific advances.
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