A rock in Argentina turns out to be the oldest tadpole fossil ever found
Paleontologists don’t always get what they are digging for. In January 2020, a team from the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences was hoping to find some feathered...
View ArticleWORX makes our favorite compact leaf blower and it’s currently 30% off at Amazon
A leaf blower is one of the most important pieces of outdoor gear to own if you live in a foliage-heavy state like mine. I call the great state of Pennsylvania home, and the name literally means...
View ArticleBoeing allegedly overcharged the military 8,000% for airplane soap dispensers
Boeing is under federal scrutiny yet again, but this time it isn’t for midflight door malfunctions, faulty wheels, or makeshift lubricants. According to an audit released on October 29th by the...
View ArticleSatellite imaging can now spot plastic trash hiding on beaches
Take a stroll down any major beach and it likely won’t be long before you stumble upon some abandoned refuse. Old water bottles, trash bags, straws, and countless other variations of plastic scrap...
View ArticleThis laptop hub stand is well worth its pricetag—it’s now cheaper than it’s...
Still bending your neck to your desk or propping your laptop up on a wobbly stack of books? You’re overdue for an upgrade. But don’t grab a cheap stand that merely props your device up to eye level....
View ArticleNovember’s sky lights up with three meteor showers and the last supermoon of...
November 1Mars Below GeminiNovember 5Southern Taurids Meteor Shower Predicted PeakNovember 12Northern Taurids Meteor Shower Predicted PeakNovember 15Full Beaver MoonNovember 17Leonids Meteor Shower...
View ArticleThat’s not blood, it’s a fungus oozing excess juice
Bleeding tooth fungus looks like a ghoulish forest crime scene. This type of mushroom called Hydnellum peckii also goes by “devil’s tooth fungus” or the much more pleasant sounding “strawberries and...
View ArticleWant a job at Tesla? These coding skills might be your ticket in
Ever wonder how you can work for companies like Tesla, SpaceX, or Blue Origin? The possibility is not as far off as you think. These headlining companies are looking for experienced software...
View ArticleYouTube is full of election lies, and no one is stopping it
Roughly a third of all US adults regularly turn to YouTube for their news. Since the 2020 presidential race, the platform has loosened its guidelines, allowing increased spread of political...
View ArticleOh good, the humanoid robots are working on their own
Boston Dynamics, the flashy robotics company maybe best known for orchestrating absurd robo-dance routines, has a new video out emphasizing its pivot towards commercial factory work. The three-minute...
View ArticleHow these tiny bats use a sound map to navigate
Bats are well known for their ability to “see” with sound, using echolocation to find food and their roosts. Some bats may also conceive a map made of sounds from their home range. This map can help...
View ArticleStudying WWII-era rationing shows that sugar is dangerous even in utero
During and in the aftermath of World War II, between January 1940 and September 1953, the United Kingdom rationed most food items. For some chunk of those fourteen years, everything except fish and...
View ArticleGoogly-eyed potato eclipse filmed by NASA’s Perseverance rover
Phobos is no slowpoke. Given its size, angle, and orbital pattern, the moon makes a full-circle around Mars roughly once every 7.6 hours. This frequency also makes it far more likely to pass in front...
View ArticleSign up for a Costco membership and get a $45 digital gift card
I just joined Costco, and something strange happened. They sent me a $45 Digital Costco Shop Card*. Did I win a contest? Was it a glitch? Alright, I’m joking. I knew it was their holiday...
View ArticleIs someone watching your hotel room? This will tell you
This isn’t some post-Halloween scary story—there are indeed some sick, twisted people out there installing hidden cameras and listening devices in hotel rooms and Airbnbs. Those of us traveling for...
View ArticleThe uber-optimistic history and prolonged future of space tourism
Tired of the same old vacation getaway? Looking for something out of this world? Book a weekend stay at a LEO Island resort. All our Low Earth Orbit hotels are a mere 100 miles from any shuttle...
View ArticleNew method for finding sperm whales kind of works like a rideshare app
Marine biologists are inching closer to understanding the ins and outs of sperm whale communication. But in order to decode what the cetaceans are saying, they must first need to find them and know...
View ArticleMaryland historical society finally identifies 100-year-old mystery machine
Historians of a small Maryland town were recently stumped by a 100-year-old mystery contraption stored in their archives for almost three decades. After turning to the public for help, the Dorchester...
View ArticleThe best electric commuter bikes for 2024, tested and reviewed
I started using an electric commuter bike out of necessity. I live in the suburbs of D.C., where our Metro lines occasionally close for weeks or months for train track and station upgrades. And...
View ArticleNASA warns SpaceX over safety issues after astronaut hospitalization
NASA is concerned SpaceX is prioritizing its mission schedule over safety after a recent ocean landing resulted in the brief hospitalizations of all four astronauts. Former astronaut Kent Rominger...
View ArticleThe best light therapy lamps to brighten up your life
A light therapy life does more for you than simply illuminate your space. These tools can help combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and reset your biological clock via the body’s natural circadian...
View ArticleThere’s a real Wayne Enterprises, and it’s selling a $3 million Batmobile
Hollywood has moved far past the Christopher Nolan era of Batman films, but the Dark Knight trilogy’s influence still looms large over pop culture. Now, a full 12 years afterThe Dark Knight Rises hit...
View ArticleNovember 2, 2000: The first residents move into the International Space Station
The International Space Station, or ISS—our largest home away from home—has been continuously occupied since November 2, 2000. That month Popular Science published an interview conducted by Science...
View ArticleHow to take screenshots (and scrolling screenshots) of webpages
You’re browsing the web, and come across a page you want to save or share with someone else: Whatever the reason, you need a webpage screenshot. It’s not too difficult to capture webpages wholesale,...
View ArticleHow the MacBook Air is now something everyone can afford
That’s a bold claim, but it’s true. MacBook Airs are more affordable now than ever. While it might not be the case when you visit Apple’s website and see those four-figure price tags, you’re just...
View ArticleHow to gift Grandma digital versions of her old slides
Warning: This holiday season, you might be subjected to endless slideshows of blurry vacation photos from the ‘70s (again) … unless you take action. The family’s been talking about digitizing those...
View ArticleForget the AirTag, this is the ultimate gift for forgetful friends
How many times have you watched that one friend search for their wallet or keys in a blind panic? Help them restore order (and maybe their sanity) with a gift that ends the chaos: A tracker card that...
View ArticleInvisible to the naked eye: 15 gorgeous images captured under a microscope
A groundbreaking image of mouse brain tumor cells took top honors at the 2024 Nikon Small World Competition. At first glance, the image (seen below) might look like a sci-fi plant structure, but it’s...
View ArticleTwo drones for the price of one! This early gifting deal ends today
Last year, you might’ve been that person who waited until the week before Christmas to start gift shopping. Whoops. You could be crowned the ultimate gift-giver this year by surprising two lucky...
View ArticleMeet the ham radio enthusiasts who help keep the New York Marathon running...
By any metric, the New York Marathon is an immense production. The 50,000+ runners who are starting the race on Sunday November 3 make this the world’s largest marathon. Their route will take them...
View ArticleHow to remember your favorite places using Apple Maps
Among the flurry of new features introduced in iOS 18, you’ve got an improved set of tools for saving places in Apple Maps. That includes a dedicated space for your lists of locations, plus the option...
View ArticleMicrosoft Visio makes me look like a pro designer
I’m not a designer. I’ve struggled with Canva and barely made it out of Microsoft Word’s graph builder, but when I want to look like I’m a pro at turning complex data sets into streamlined visuals, I...
View ArticleFrom CAD to caddies: Foresight Sports and the trajectory of designing golf...
It’s a typical coastal morning as I walk off the street in San Diego and onto the driving range. A thin veil of June gloom hangs in the air, but there’s no marine layer, no light wind, no variables on...
View ArticleThis discounted e-scooter is the perfect gift for anyone who loves shortcuts...
Know someone who dreams of a quicker, comfier way to get around town? The Phantom Commuter R1 Pro is here to make their commute as easy as sitting down! With a built-in seat, powerful 500W motor, and...
View ArticleWithout humans, what would happen to Earth?
We don’t know how or why it happened–perhaps a particularly deadly, Homo sapien-specific virus. Or maybe it was a more drawn-out decline brought on by unfettered climate change, escalating conflict,...
View ArticleFor the first time ever, this Dyson cordless vacuum is 50% off at Amazon
Black Friday is weeks away, but you can beat the crowds (and shipping deadlines) by taking advantage of early deals right now. One of the best early Black Friday home deals we’ve seen is a 50% price...
View ArticleMeat-eating terror birds could grow up to 12 feet tall
Millions of years ago, apex predators in the Phorusrhacidae family lived up to their more common name—terror birds. The mostly flightless, meat-eating dinosaur descendents were the size of dogs at...
View ArticleSave up to $700 on a Samsung Galaxy S10 tablet when you trade in an old device
If you see this on Nov. 4, 2024, you have a unique opportunity to save up to $700 on a Samsung Galaxy S10+ or Galaxy S10 Ultra tablet when you trade in a qualifying device. The list of qualifying...
View ArticleHow the 2025 Ram 1500 RHO squeezes more power from fewer cylinders
Ram Trucks heralded the arrival of its newest engine, the 3.0-liter Hurricane High Output straight six, with the promise of more power, more performance, and more efficiency. High-octane fans were...
View ArticleBaseball’s legendary ‘magic mud’ finally analyzed by scientists
While it can’t be credited with winning the Los Angeles Dodgers their eighth World Series championship, baseball’s “magic mud” is the stuff of lore. Each Major League Baseball (MLB) team’s equipment...
View ArticleThe best soundbars for gaming in 2024
Choosing a soundbar for gaming won’t just affect your overall enjoyment, but it could make the difference between winning and losing. There are tons of great-sounding soundbars on the market at the...
View ArticleRare bees kill Meta’s nuclear-powered AI data center plans
Environmental regulators reportedly quashed Mark Zuckerberg’s nuclear plant partnership meant to help power Meta’s ongoing artificial intelligence projects. Details remain scarce, but the main reason...
View Article6,000-year-old Mesopotamian artifacts linked to the dawn of writing
The origins of writing in ancient Mesopotamia and beyond may rest on a group of cylindrical seals. A team of archeologists from the University of Bologna in Italy has identified a series of...
View ArticleLearn to flirt in every language with help from Babbel on sale
If the language of love is universal, then why not learn them all? With the Babbel Language Learning lifetime subscription for $149.97 through Nov. 10, you can brush up on romance-ready phrases in...
View Article6 of the weirdest things to ever wash up on the beach
Earth’s surface is about 70 percent water. Our blue planet is more ocean than anything else. And here’s another fact: About 80 percent of consumer goods–nearly all the stuff we buy in stores and...
View ArticleZoom in on squirrel drama with a $30 high-def monocular telescope
If you’ve ever wondered what the squirrels are chattering about—or why that bird’s got an attitude—it’s time to get the scoop with a high-definition monocular telescope. This little gadget lets you...
View Article5 things to know about pygmy hippos–like Scotland’s own Haggis
Meet Haggis! The tiny pygmy hippo (Choeropsis liberiensis) calf was born at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo on October 30. The zoo’s adult pygmy hippos Otto and Glorida...
View ArticleWorld’s first wooden satellite shares material with samurai sword sheaths
A SpaceX Dragon capsule docked at the International Space Station at 9:52 AM EST on November 5th carrying over 6,000 lbs of cargo along with one small, unique prototype. On Tuesday, the company’s 31st...
View ArticleBioprinting breakthrough uses acoustic waves to create lab-grown human tissue
Researchers often test experimental pharmaceutical therapies using lab-grown human tissues. Unfortunately, creating these materials can be complex and costly, leading many researchers to turn to...
View ArticleDinosaurs discovered in ‘Chinese Pompeii’ actually died in extremely boring ways
A famous fossil formation in the Yixian region of Northeast China has revealed some of the most striking, well-preserved dinosaur remains on record. Over the past 60 years, archaeologists excavating...
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