The Oscars produces major red carpet waste
Now that the Oscars are behind us, it’s time to turn our attention to the red carpet that stars such as Brad Pitt and Regina King graced last night. Some celebrities hopped on the sustainability trend...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Most humans don’t have tails. So why do we have the bones for it?
For February, we’re focusing on the body parts that shape us, oxygenate us, and power us as we take long walks on the beach. Bony bonafide bones. These skeletal building blocks inspire curiosity and...
View ArticleFor better coffee, start with fewer beans
Here’s some tiresome news for coffee-enthusiasts everywhere: Your morning cup of joe might not be as invigorating as you thought. The conventional coffee-brewing technique—grinding large amounts of...
View ArticleWhy don’t we grow to be 10 feet tall?
We all know the families populated by towering basketball players versus the petite households with builds best suited for, say, horse jockeying or wrestling. There’s probably a fair amount of height...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Did a high sex drive really save the giant tortoise from extinction?
Diego has put in a lot of hard work these past few years. The centenarian made headlines in January after his “raging sex drive” aided the survival of his species: He’s fathered close to 40 percent of...
View ArticleNASA’s now taking astronaut applications. Do you have the right stuff?
Good news for aspiring space travellers: NASA is currently accepting applications for its next astronaut class. New hires will join the Houston-based Artemis lunar exploration program, which aims to...
View ArticleA food scientist breaks down the thermodynamics between marshmallows and hot...
Hot chocolate is simply incomplete without marshmallows. As the plump white globs melt to form a puffy blanket, it’s easy to take for granted the molecular phenomena occurring inside as you sip on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Great Lakes are higher than they’ve ever been, and we’re not sure what...
A single road near Lake Superior connects Michigan’s Keweenaw Bay Indian Community to the rest of the state. During major rains, rocks and wood litter the route and cut off travel in and out. Over the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
These 10 scientists are on the cusp of changing the world
Leaving a tangible mark on your scientific field is a staggering achievement at any stage of your career. Each year, Popular Science honors 10 early-career researchers who’ve gotten a head start: The...
View ArticleCheck out the most complete 3D brain map ever made
You can now explore the biggest high-resolution brain connectivity map in any animal, thanks to researchers from Google and the Janelia Research Campus in Virginia. The vibrant brain-wiring diagram,...
View ArticleSpace might be the perfect place to grow human organs
Three-dimensional printers have now assembled candy, clothing, and even mouse ovaries. But in the next decade, specialized bioprinters could begin to build functioning human organs in space. It turns...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pro surfers hit artificial waves in the heat of the climate crisis
Kelly Slater (left) and Bianca Valenti test the waves at Slater’s surf park in California. The facility is just one of many that have opened around the world to meet the demands of surfing and a...
View ArticleTeen bootleggers are making dangerous booze on TikTok
In the latest concerning TikTok trend, teens have documented their DIY alcohol adventures while brewing booze with grocery store ingredients—usually fruit juice, sugar, and active dry yeast. Some...
View ArticleWhat COVID-19’s ‘inevitable’ spread in the United States actually means
Follow all of PopSci’s COVID-19 coverage here, including travel advice, pregnancy concerns, and the latest findings on the virus itself. The novel coronavirus will likely spread across U.S....
View ArticleClik here to view.
These infrared images show just how alive butterflies’ wings are
From the iridescent blue wings of the Eumaeus atala butterfly to the painted lady’s signature fiery orange, it’s no secret butterflies have some pretty captivating flappers. For a long time, it seemed...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Home team advantage explained in three charts
Popular Science’s Play issue is now available to everyone. Read it now, no app or credit card required. Athletes tend to do better on their own turf. But the factors that create the mythical...
View ArticleHumans need bumble bees—and they are disappearing faster than we thought
Within just one human generation, the odds for bumble bee survival have dropped by an average of more than 30 percent, according to a new study. As global temperatures rise and precipitation rates...
View ArticleWe finally know how millipedes have sex, thanks to glowing genitals
After much anticipation, we now know exactly how millipedes have sex. With the help of imaging techniques that take advantage of glowing millipede tissues, researchers have illuminated this...
View ArticlePrehistoric migration could hint at how birds will handle climate change
Avian migration may date back way further than previously predicted. Scientists used to think that birds wouldn’t wing across a perpetually frostbitten Earth, so they set the timeline of the biannual...
View ArticleWhy romaine lettuce keeps getting recalled
Once a kitchen staple, the ubiquitous romaine lettuce now often conjures fear and disgust. Since 2017, contaminated romaine has sparked four major E. coli outbreaks throughout the US. Last month, the...
View ArticleGoogle results for probiotics are totally unreliable
They’re not Goop-level pseudoscience, but most probiotics lack solid scientific evidence in their favor. Supplement brands claim that daily use can ease digestive issues and reduce the risk of colon...
View ArticleKatherine Johnson, whose calculations enabled the first moonwalk, dies at 101
NASA mathematician and trailblazer Katherine Johnson has died at 101 years old. Johnson was among the first black women to work at the space agency as well as at its predecessor, the National Advisory...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Fish gave us legs—and four other finny facts
An Atlantic spotted mackerel with its skeleton stained for analysis. © AMNH/J. Sparks For February, we’re focusing on the body parts that shape us, oxygenate us, and power us as we take long walks on...
View Article