Popular Science

The end-of-week dispatch from PopSci's commerce editor. Vol. 33.

Throughout the week I spend hours scouring the web for things that are ingenious or clever or ridiculously cheap. Below, gadgets that are awesome, rad, and random.

Health

Your deep core muscles aren't visible, but they could prevent chronic back pain.

Runners who have weaker deep core muscles could be more likely to experience chronic back pain than runners with stronger ones.

DIY

Grab your coat and your camera, then head out under the stars.

Winter is a fantastic time to capture night sky photos.

Technology

Understanding the two new scary silicon security issues.

There is bad news and good news about Meltdown and Spectre, the two new computer vulnerabilities.

Environment

“A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”

The Monetico mudslide is another chapter in a long history of American soil conservation.

Energy

Unbuilding an atomic giant.

Unbuilding an atomic giant, from cooling it to burying it.

Head Trip

They entertained you for entire minutes at the dentist's office.

When we view something, we notice big features and fail to zero in on less important details.

DIY

Your guide to a new software ecosystem.

Apple may want you to use its own iPhone apps. But Google and Microsoft make excellent iOS apps too. Here's how they can replace Apple's software ecosystem.

Gadgets

You don't need to be The Mountain from Game of Thrones to start moving mass.

You don't need to be The Mountain from Game of Thrones to start moving mass. This is powerlifting 101.

Science

My primary focus is searching for new forms of life—mostly white, eyeless crustaceans.

To study the biology and ecology of coastal, saltwater caves and the marine fauna that inhabit them, my cave diving partners and I head underground and underwater to…

Technology

CES 2018 showed us that we shouldn't fear robot takeover just yet.

The robots of CES 2018 did a lot of falling over.

Animals

Switzerland's new laws ask you to consider the lobster.

If you like eating lobster but have never cooked one yourself, here’s a brief word of advice: don’t.

Gadgets

The nine best items of the year. IMO.

I try out—and buy—products like it's my job. It, in fact, is my job, and has been for exactly one year. Here are the nine items that I had zero regrets purchasing this…

Fat Month

While you're just sitting around causing fatbergs.

We've all seen the fatbergs that result from improper grease disposal. What happens when waste is disposed of properly? The possibilities are limitless.