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A candid, full-body photograph shows a young girl swinging joyfully in a lush, green forest setting. She is barefoot and wearing a simple pink dress, with her eyes closed and a wide smile as she glides through the air. Warm sunlight filters through the dense trees in the background, illuminating the scene and a small wooden structure behind her.
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Why did childhood summers feel endless?

It’s not just nostalgia—your brain was actually experiencing time differently.

By Jennifer Byrne

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Phosphorescent paint inspired Victorian-era Australians to dress up as ghosts and pull pranks

Plus, Louis Pasteur’s secrets and other weird things we learned this week.

Rachel Feltman

Rachel Feltman

Host

At Popular Science, we report and write dozens of stories every week. And while a lot of the fun facts we stumble across make it into our articles, there are lots of other weird facts that we just keep around the office. So we figured, why not share those with you? Welcome to The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week.

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Macro photograph of a venomous brown recluse spider, commonly known as a fiddleback spider, crawling through a web filled pipe. There is much detail in the face and fangs of the spider. There is some grain due to the low light and high ISO that was needed to capture the image.
Spiders

How does spider venom damage human cells? 

Researchers uncover the killer mechanism of recluse spider toxin.

By Matthew Cordes / The Conversation

Two nuggets made from lab-grown chicken meat served on a bao with a dark sauce. This close up photograph shows a white person's hand holding the bao.
Nutrition

Is ‘lab-grown’ meat actually safe?

It isn’t identical to regular meat, but that might be a good thing.

By Clarissa Brincat

a black machine with a red blob of jello on top.
Physics

Giant Jell-O measures crowd volume in wobbles

This ‘jiggle tech’ is proprietary.

By Mack DeGeurin

computer
Tech Hacks

How to rescue an old laptop by installing Linux on it

Linux offers a lightweight, simple operating system for your aging hardware.

By David Nield

Two red cups under espresso machine as it brews coffee
Physics

Mathematicians figured out the perfect espresso

Coffee requires physics and flawless calculations.

By Andrew Paul

Rendering of a reconstructed polybolos within a virtual environment derived from reality-based documentation of the city walls. Digital survey and 3D model by S.B.; rendering and animation by V.C. with Lumion Pro Student 2024.
Weapons

Rome unleashed an ancient ‘machine gun’ on Pompeii

The polybolos was centuries, if not millennia, before its time.

By Andrew Paul

The author with a niece and nephew on the Xtracycle Swoop ASM cargo ebike
Outdoor Gear

Xtracycle Swoop ASM review: The family cargo electric bike that adapts to your day

It handles school runs, grocery hauls, and last-minute errands while still feeling surprisingly manageable to ride.

By Heather Kuldell-Ware

A person drinks Starbucks ice coffee in Krakow, Poland on June 7, 2025. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto)
Pollution

Your ‘widely recyclable’ Starbucks cup is still trash

A new label promises single-use cups are recyclable. But that doesn’t mean they actually get recycled.

By Joseph Winters / Grist

a pink orchid with delicate petals
Bees

Beware, bees! This wildflower will trap you in a floral escape room.

Pink lady’s slippers are to bees what Venus fly traps are to flies.

By Margherita Bassi

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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.
Daily, Popular Science unpacks the science behind the top current new stories, dissects the latest technology and digital trends, and helps readers live smarter, safer, and happier through clever DIY projects.

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