Popular Science

It’s common to see historic military planes on display in a museum, and they still occasionally perform  at airshows. However, it’s much rarer to watch one of these fighter planes not only take to the sky, but demonstrate its intense firepower. For over two years, preservationists at the Soaring By The Sea Foundation have worked to revive one of history’s most iconic aircraft, the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk. But in addition to bringing it back to life, the team also committed to installing

Major clues to the origins of our planet—and life itself—are locked inside some three billion-year-old volcanic rocks from Western Australia. These ancient rocks show that water was likely already shaping Earth’s interior and driving volcanic activity over three billion years ago.  The findings published today in the journal Nature Communications suggest that Earth was already running a version of the water-recycling processes that shape our planet today, even though our home planet was

For Luigi the lobster, it was simply time to grow. Literally. The spineless American lobster (Homarus americanus) recently molted—when a crustacean sheds its outer shell—in front of visitors to the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn. Luigi is an unusual shade of orange that is only seen in one in 30 million American lobsters.   “On the morning in question, keeper staff discovered a molt in Luigi’s habitat,” William Hana, the Director of Animal Programs at New York Aquarium, tells Popular

Don’t expect a dramatic, AI-assisted sci-fi encounter if humanity ever definitively detects evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Scouring the stars for signs of aliens is less about waiting for giant unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) to fly into view, and more about pouring through mountains of complex data looking for delicate biosignatures.  In recent years, many researchers—including some at NASA—have advocated incorporating machine learning and artificial intelligence in

Boston-based Andover Audio has established a solid foundation, a base, a SpinBase to be specific, as a go-to manufacturer of low-profile high-fidelity turntable speakers. Just last month, we recommended the flagship Andover One-SB as a top audiophile pick for Father’s Day. Even the more affordable model is perfect for a newer generation of vinyl fanatics who are building a collection but don’t have the square footage to build a traditional components stack. But those same music fans have grown u

Almost a decade ago, I finished my doctoral degree in archaeology with a thesis that investigated the hunting and gathering behavior of early Homo sapiens and our extinct relatives, the Neanderthals.  To my non-archaeologist family members and friends, I was the Stone Age Expert, to whom all questions about anything Paleolithic should be directed. I developed some strong opinions about the viral “ancestral” or “Paleo” diet. I did my part to contribute to the rebranding of the Neanderthal

Air quality is linked to a wide range of health issues including respiratory problems, cardiovascular complications, and cancer, and that list of concerns only continues to grow. According to researchers presenting this week at the 42nd Annual Meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), common pollutants may be fundamentally disrupting human sperm genetics—and these alterations may affect far more than male fertility. One of the largest studies of its kind, t

It’s one of military history’s most exciting chapters. In 218 BCE, Carthaginian general Hannibal crossed the Alps with a squadron of 37 war elephants to invade Italy.  While we can’t say which route he used to cross this rugged terrain, a new study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) offers some new clues. The new analysis shows which of Hannibal’s potential routes would have been less taxing on his 40,000 men, 7,000 horses and 37 war ele

There is a certain historical charm to wooden rollercoasters, even if many prefer to admire them from a distance these days. Although the thrill ride’s origins technically trace back to 19th century France, the first traditional “gravity switchback railway” design debuted at New York’s Coney Island in 1884. The introduction of steel rail coasters during the 1950s marked a new era, allowing for previously impossible feats of design like hairpin turns, dizzying loops, steeper drops, and cars runni

During last year’s brief visit from the comet 3I/ATLAS, astronomers got an extremely rare glimpse into the cosmos beyond our solar system. As only the third known interstellar object to pass by Earth, the frigid, dusty rock has already provided researchers with new and unexpected data about deep space. But in addition to recently learning about the comet’s surprisingly alcohol-laden, ice volcano-covered composition, astronomers now say they have a better sense of its age. According to chemical t

While traipsing around the tide pools in Asilomar State Park in Pacific Grove, California on a gloomy May day, marine science communicator and conservationist Molly Fishman spotted a curious color. Something purple was sitting there amid the brown rocks and green algae. Fishman took a closer look and realized she was looking at a complete sea otter skeleton, but this wasn’t any old skeleton. Each and every bone on the skeleton was a bright and iridescent purple. “The wave of emotions [I] felt

Walter, a young African penguin at the New York Aquarium, is stealing hearts by bursting bubbles.  According to a social media post by the aquarium, Walter has shown a heightened interest in one of the many enrichment activities provided by his keepers: breaking bubbles with his beak. “As African penguins explore the world with their beaks, he will nip at the bubbles to investigate further,” the aquarium writes.  Enrichment activities give animals in human care (everything from p

Every single day, we’re constantly looking at pixels. The tiny elements make up the displays on our phone screens and televisions, and allow us to capture images on digital cameras. Generally, a pixel works by either controlling light (think a computer) or analyzing it (like a camera sensor). Now, researchers writing in the journal Nature say they’ve created a pixel that can do both.  Called a Fourier pixel, the new pixel tech is based on a fundamental principle of physics: interference.

It’s difficult to overstate just how much the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has helped advance our understanding of the universe. Since its debut in 2008, the 16.7-mile-wide subatomic smasher buried underneath Switzerland proved the existence of the Higgs boson particle (aka the God particle), highlighted the perplexing nature of muons, and even measured antimatter. Apocalyptic conspiracy theories to the contrary, it expanded on key concepts in quantum physics, while charting a path forward for re

There’s a particular kind of trance that takes hold when you gaze into a glowing, flickering campfire—the kind where you don’t even notice that your marshmallow has gone from toasty treat to active volcano to some kind of science experiment gone horribly wrong, all while you were looking right at it.  Fire has mesmerized us for as long as we’ve known how to control it. It warms us, feeds us, and lights our homes. But something else is clearly going on: right alongside premium enter

After a two week expedition off the coast of Brazil, an international team of researchers discovered 31 new marine species, including a fast-moving gossamer worm, a creepy fish, and other organisms that look straight out of outer space. Take a look and learn more about some of the newly-discovered creatures living deep in the southern Atlantic Ocean.   This is a new species from the genus Tomopteris, commonly known as gossamer worms. Tomopterids spend their entire lives in the water

Today, we celebrate the United States’ semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. During reflective national moments like these, we tend to focus on the political ambitions and accomplishments of our nation’s founders and those that followed. However, American independence was not won through perseverance and politics alone. Many of our nation’s founders were also practitioners of “natural philosophy” or what we call science today.  “Ameri

A juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) entangled in the opening to Alaska’s Endicott Arm was successfully freed after a multi-agency rescue mission. Endicott Arm is a narrow fjord located about 50 miles southeast of Juneau. While remote, it’s a major destination for cruise ships and commercial fishing vessels that can be a risk to whales and other marine wildlife.  According to a statement from NOAA on June 24, several mariners noticed the entangled juvenile whale on the even

With the United States’ 250th birthday coming up on July Fourth, it may seem like George Washington is everywhere, from a live PBS broadcast featuring Ken Burns at Colonial Williamsburg to two-part screenings of the musical Hamilton where actor Christopher Jackson plays the Revolutionary War hero. But at the Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, visitors can almost touch the first president of the United States—or at least part of his jacket. In honor of the country’s semiquincen

America’s Time Capsule is about to go underground until 2276. In honor of the United States’ 250th birthday, America250 will bury the zombie-proof historical repository this Fourth of July at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. And you do not need to be in the City of Brotherly Love to watch. A livestream of the event will begin on July 4 at 8:30 a.m. EDT. Speakers will include Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, U.S. Semiquincentennial Commissioners Re