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Gemini said An over-the-shoulder photograph shows a person training a small black dog on a polished wooden floor. The person, seen from the back in a grey sweater, holds up their hand in a "stay" or "wait" command gesture. The dog, a small black mixed-breed with floppy ears and a pink collar, sits attentively and looks up at the person with a focused expression.
Dogs

Are some dog breeds really easier to train? Not really.

Even famously obedient breeds, like border collies and Labs, aren’t always easier to train.

By RJ Mackenzie

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Having to pee makes you scientifically better at video games

Plus what space smells like 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.

Latest Articles

Red tulips blooming in the tulip fields in the northern Netherlands. Tulips rely on increasing temperatures to know when to bloom.
Weather

How plants know when to bloom

Seasonal cues are the clue.

By Laura Baisas

cartoon of man hugging disposable coffee cup
Nutrition

Could paraxanthine replace caffeine?

What we know about the new stimulant appearing in coffee and energy drinks.

By Mayur Ranchordas / The Conversation

NASA’s Juno spacecraft passed north-to-south (yellow track) over Jupiter’s atmosphere on August 17, 2022, detecting a cluster of radio pulses from lightning (cyan symbols marking instrument pointing for each pulse). A background map from the Hubble Space Telescope identified the lightning source as an isolated “stealth superstorm.”
Solar System

Jupiter’s lightning is 100 times stronger than Earth’s bolts

Big planet. Big storms.

By Andrew Paul

Beachgoers cleaning sargassum seaweed from beach in Caribbean
Ocean

2026 Sargassum bloom on track to be the largest, smelliest season yet

It would beat last year’s record of 37.5 million tons of rotten egg-scented seaweed.

By Andrew Paul

A sperm whale and a photographer in the Atlantic Ocean near Portugal.
Whales

First-of-its-kind video confirms sperm whales really do headbutt

Captain Ahab was right.

By Laura Baisas

early big spring sale deals header
Gear

The 119 Best Early Deals From Amazon’s Big Spring Sale That Are Already Live

The first shopping holiday of the year has already started and you can save on just about everything at Amazon.

By Stan Horaczek

Robin song bird, nothing prettier then the basic robin in summer
Birds

4 myths about backyard birds, debunked

Don’t worry, rice doesn’t make birds explode.

By Justin Pot

A Japanese ukiyo-e style woodblock print by Suzuki Harunobu depicting a woman in a traditional red and floral kimono seated at a low wooden writing desk on an outdoor balcony. She holds a brush to her chin in a contemplative pose, looking out over a body of water toward a distant mountain.
Psychology

What is wisdom, and can it be taught?

Scientists are trying to name the qualities that make someone wise and figure out how to cultivate them.

By Emily Laber-Warren / Knowable Magazine

a green insect (left) the same insect, but it has changed to pink (right)
Wildlife

Green insect turns a puzzling shade of hot pink

But this leaf-masquerading katydid hasn’t been changed for good.

By Nidhi Sharma

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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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