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A portrait-style photograph shows a life-like reconstruction of an early human ancestor, Australopithecus afarensis, against a dark, blurred background. The figure is shown from the chest up, with its head turned to look over its shoulder toward the camera. It has prominent brow ridges, a flat nose, and large, dark, expressive eyes. Its skin is a dark tan, and its head and body are covered in short, reddish-brown hair.
Evolution

Why humans don’t have tails

The answer goes back at least 20 million years.

By Sara Kiley Watson

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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.

Latest Articles

Multiple Sriracha bottles photoshopped floating above the lunar landscape during earthrise
Moons

The 5 hot sauces aboard Artemis II are kinda weak

Don’t expect any ‘Hot Ones’ entries on the menu.

By Andrew Paul

man holding android phone
Tech Hacks

Samsung Galaxy phones now support Apple AirDrop. Here’s how it works.

It’s now easier to move files from Android to Apple devices.

By David Nield

Healthy senior woman exercising with aqua dumbbells at water aerobic session in swimming pool. Healthy seniors workout in a swimming pool with aqua dumbbells.
Fitness & Exercise

What exercises will keep my aging joints healthy?

Walking deserves a special mention.

By Gordon Waddington / The Conversation

Title: Burned Land Credit: © Brais Lorenzo, EFE, Revista 5W, El País Caption: A man fights a wildfire with a branch in Cualedro. When resources are stretched, residents use whatever is available to extinguish flames, including branches, farming tools, and water hoses. Ourense, Galicia, Spain, 15 August 2025. Story: 2025 was a record year for wildfires in Europe. More than 200,000 hectares burned across Galicia during Spain’s worst fire season in about three decades. The increasingly severe fires in this region are attributed to drought and heat intensified by climate change, rural depopulation, and shortsighted forest management policies, including the widespread planting of highly flammable non-native species. Born in Ourense, the photographer grew up with the smell of smoke every summer and has documented Galician wildfires since 2011.
Environment

17 poignant images from the 2026 World Press Photo Contest

From wildfires in Spain to a polar bear feast in Norway to a wedding amongst floods in the Philippines.

By Popular Science Team

This image provided by NASA, astronaut and Artemis II mission specialist Christina Koch peers out of one of the Orion spacecraft's main cabin windows, looking back at Earth, as the crew travels towards the Moon on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
Moons

Artemis II astronaut Christina Koch: ‘Looking back at Earth…it truly emphasized how alike we are’

Koch previously spent 328 consecutive days in space.

By Popular Science Team

Illustration of two black holes nearing a collision with a beam of energy connecting them
Black Holes

Two supermassive black holes are on a collision course

It’s the first time astronomers have ever witnessed the stunning cosmic event.

By Andrew Paul

Google search page with 'Is AI Overview accurate?' -- the thinking emojis are placed over the two o's in Google
AI

Study: Google’s AI Overviews show millions of wrong answers every hour

With over 4 trillion Google queries every year, the inaccuracies add up.

By Andrew Paul

A high-resolution photograph shows both sides of a damaged, circular silver-gilt pendant depicting John the Baptist. The artifact is chipped on the right side and features a small suspension hole at the top. The obverse (left) shows a profile view of a bearded figure wearing a crown or headdress, while the reverse (right) features a central equal-armed cross enclosed in a beaded circle and surrounded by medieval-style lettering.
Archaeology

Metal detectorist finds Viking Age gold coin that might upend history

The ninth-century coin pendant depicts a Christian saint in a pagan world.

By Sarah Durn

baby oppossum on a stick
Wildlife

What to do if you find a baby opossum 

Opossum mothers kind of suck.

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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