Popular Science

Over the past decade, bionic exoskeletons have been making a bit of a splash in the medical world, promising new and exciting methods for locomotive rehabilitation. But…

The colors of the Parthenon aren't the only to have faded with time. Just as centuries of weather and sun have stripped the Greek icon of its rich hues, millennia of…

A stream of honey falls onto a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit. Before you devour this breakfast treat, you might notice that the honey you poured formed a wavy pattern on…

A solar-powered engine that can be 3D printed opens up a lot of possibilities for in remote areas and developing nations.

Whether you’re training for a marathon or pumping iron like Arnold, intense physical activity depletes your muscles’ primary source of energy, glycogen. There’s a whole…

The fastest way to move a submarine is through the air. At least, that’s the logic behind “Flimmer,” a new flying and swimming duck drone currently in development by the…

Remember the glow-in-the-dark reindeer we wrote about last year? The same group that came up with an animal-safe spray paint to prevent herds of Santa's helpers from…

Since the 1970s, doctors have been prescribing the drug fenofibrate (name brand Tricor) to help patients reduce their cholesterol. Now it’s one of the most popular drugs of…

The Korean demilitarized zone is an artifact of the Korean War, a heavily defended two-and-a-half-mile-wide static front line for a war that never officially ended. But…

Our brains are complex organs, separated into many parts and units for different functions and computations. According to new research published today in PLOS Computational Biology, this compartmental complexity is what helps us learn new information and retain it for longer. The researchers say these findings may help improve the neural networks involved in artificial intelligence, helping robots learn new skills and remember old ones longer. Lots of robots have artificial neural pathways, used for things like facial recognition and complex disease diagnosis. When one of these robots…

Some animals--such as pigeons--come with built-in compasses. Others, it seems, can be retrofitted. Researchers in Japan have managed to wire digital compasses, like the one…

Today, the field of oncology is exploring new and diverse ways to fight cancer, from antibodies to vaccines to cracking the genetic code. All of these biological elements…

Google Maps has done more than discourage us from asking for directions—it has enabled us to explore our world (and others like never before. Now an international team of…

Every major car show chases some kind of theme. A few years ago, all that manufacturers could talk about was LED headlights. Then it was hybrid technology. Then accident avoidance. At the Detroit Auto Show this year, we found twin-turbo V6’s in everything from pickup trucks to supercars. Now, at the New York International Auto Show, the emergent attribute is lightness--as in, the judicious use of aluminum and other lightweight materials in vehicle construction to boost fuel efficiency and performance. Sluggish luxury sedans are ancient history. Welcome to the era of light-heavyweight…

Maryland has a big, stinking problem. Every year, the poultry industry produces about 650 million pounds of manure within that state alone. Chicken manure is a great…

Blood supplies, especially platelets and plasma, are vital for taking care of injured people. But blood comes with an expiration date. Certain parts of it, like platelets…

Whether it’s after a hug from your teenage nephew or in that car on the subway, body odor hangs in the air. Some researchers from Queen’s University in Belfast, Ireland…

Liquids are great at absorbing bullets' energy. Fired underwater, an AK-47 can only send a bullet a few feet forwards, while in the air the same bullets would easily fly…

Easter is almost here, and with it, the annual crafting ritual of dyeing, coloring, painting, and otherwise bedazzling eggs with all kinds of designs. Nature also has plenty…

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