Popular Science. Demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872.

Podcasts

Latest Articles

Pet buff orpington hen looking at the camera in a family garden.
Animals

Why haven’t farm animals evolved against humans?

A biologist explains why there won’t be a chicken uprising anytime soon.

scientists with gloved hands put a tracker on a bat
Bats

Expert ‘bat wranglers’ put GPS trackers on California’s bats

These winged mammals can cover a lot of ground during their seasonal migrations.

a baby deer walking into a home
Wildlife

The remarkable bond between a man and a deer

In his new book ‘Penelope,’ author Paul Bochner recounts ‘one of the greatest loves I have ever known.’

Washing hands, soap and water for cleaning, hygiene and wellness in bathroom lens flare. Liquid, hand or skin care for bacteria, germs or virus protection in sink for healthcare and safety background
Diseases

Wash your hands. There’s probably poop on them.

They may look clean, but not from a microbial perspective.

Women water seedlings at a nursery with watering cans.
Wildlife

Fifty billion seedlings: Can Ethiopia replant its ravaged forests?

A legacy of deforestation has left Ethiopia struggling with more intense flooding and drought. The country is trying to restore its native forests through one of the world’s most ambitious and well-funded tree-planting campaigns, but such projects in other nations have often fallen short.

giant green waterlillies
Conservation

New water lily can be seen from space

A chance Instagram post led to a big discovery in Colombia.

Two hands holding a smartphone that's showing a messaging app, probably WhatsApp
Tech Hacks

WhatsApp like a pro with these 7 expert tricks and hidden features

There’s lots to dig into in this hugely popular messaging app.

Catfish being held by human hands with a black growth inside of its mouth.
Cancer

Dogs, devils, clams and catfish: When cancer is contagious

In a handful of animals, tumors can be transmitted like infectious diseases or parasites, defying science’s tidy definitions.

a walrus calf laying on an orange mat
Wildlife

Orphaned walrus calf rescued from nearby polar bears in Alaska

The calf was transported over 800 miles to safety—without becoming a snack.

L - R, Sergeants Clarence Beavers, James Kornegay, Ned Bess, Corporal Elijah Wesby and Sergeant Alvin Moon of the United States Army All African American 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (nicknamed the "Triple Nickles" because of its numerical designation) aim their M3 .45-caliber submachine guns, commonly referred to as the "Grease Gun" during a training exercise at Fort Benning circa February 1944 at Fort Benning, Georgia, United States. These five soldiers were part of the original 17 member selection that succeeded in becoming the first All African American parachute infantry battalion. In early 1945 the battalion were sent to Camp Pendleton in Oregon and assigned to the 9th Services Command, trained by the U.S. Forest Service, and became history's first military airborne firefighting smokejumpers. (Photo by INP/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
Military

National Park Service names 10 new American World War II Heritage cities

The latest designations are located in Alaska all the way to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Artist's depiction of White Sands in New Mexico as it existed during the last ice age. At the time, it was marshy and colder, and populated by mammoths, giant sloths, and humans
Ask Us Anything

North America’s oldest human footprints tell a tale of ice age chaos

Pollen shows how present-day New Mexico completely transformed within only a few decades.

a side by side of a sleeping bat with an awake bat
Endangered Species

Tiny, critically endangered bat rescued and released in Pennsylvania

A fungal disease has wiped out up to 97 percent of northern long-eared bats in North America.

Popular Science Cover Art Store

Own a piece of science history.

Browse all covers

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.

Meet the team

Our writers and editors