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Two images side by side. On left, vintage photograph of a White woman from the late 1800s in an oval. On the right, a vintage photograph of a stinkhorn mushroom.
Environment

Charles Darwin’s daughter had an unusual hobby: Hunting phallic mushrooms

Eccentric “Aunt Etty” also edited several of her father’s most important works.

By Leah Hudson

Featured

Gear and Reviews

Podcasts

Videos

The Baffling Cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion

The Baffling Cases of Spontaneous Human Combustion

The Real Reasons Permanent Daylight Savings Time Never Stuck

The Real Reasons Permanent Daylight Savings Time Never Stuck

The Experiment That Tried to Weigh the Human Soul

The Experiment That Tried to Weigh the Human Soul

Latest Articles

Manila clam shells on beach sand
Wildlife

Invasive (but delicious) clams discovered in Cape Cod

The Manila clam has officially conquered the Northern Hemisphere.

By Andrew Paul

A nuclear explosion from an air-dropped hydrogen bomb test shows a plate-shaped cloud developing over ground zero as it rises through the atmosphere, 1964. The image was later used in a public health educational film on medical self-help. Image courtesy CDC. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Weapons

New satellite system could detect nukes in space

‘You can fake intelligence, but you can’t fake physics.’

By Andrew Paul

Beautiful fluffy tabby cat portrait, walks from a wooden old rural fence, green grass of the garden, summer sunny day
Cats

Beyond birds and mice, free‑ranging cats eat a surprising number of insects

At least 7% of the species cats eat are insects and other invertebrates, particularly beetles.

By Christopher A. Lepczyk, Daniel Rubinoff, Jean E. Fantle-Lepczyk / The Conversation

Side view of P-40 fighter plane firing its machine guns midflight in the desert
Air Force

Restored WWII fighter plane tests out .50 caliber machine guns

The revived P-40 Warhawk saw combat at least seven times in the Pacific theater.

By Andrew Paul

An example of variolitic pillow lavas in the Whundo Group. The black spots are a feature known as varioles, which form in water-rich lavas.
Archaeology

Ancient rocks suggest water has shaped earth for 3.1 billion years

Some of the planet’s oldest volcanic rocks can still be found in Western Australia.

By Laura Baisas

A fresh-shelled Luigi (left) next to his older and molted shell (right).
Animals

Super rare orange lobster molts at New York Aquarium

Lobsters like Luigi often chow down on their old skin.

By Laura Baisas

Bad quality photo of U.F.O. in sky. Black and white grainy photo of circular alien flying object. Sky with clouds and unknown spaceship.
Deep Space

AI labels a lot of stuff as alien life

‘It’s a very serious vulnerability.’

By Andrew Paul

Recreation of a Neanderthal man in a museum display case with a person walking by behind.
Evolution

Could we ever clone Neanderthals?

The answer involves ancient DNA, dire wolves, and a whole bunch of bioethics.

By Anna Goldfield

Smoke emanates from smokestacks at the Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery in Linden, New Jersey, on March 18, 2026. Oil prices surged Wednesday following a strike on a major Iranian gas facility as the Federal Reserve raised its inflation forecast while holding interest rates steady. (Photo by kena betancur / AFP)
Pollution

Air pollution may be changing sperm

Harmful nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels could affect fertility and pregnancies.

By Andrew Paul

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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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