Popular Science. Demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872.
How Americans stayed cool before air conditioning: From sitting on smelly ice to sleeping on the roof
Even Presidents had to get clever in the heat, such as building a screened-in porch on top of the White House just to catch a breeze.
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Sound waves power these tiny drones
These new ‘microfliers’ could help engineers build miniature vehicles that don’t require batteries or engines.
Oldest known ‘Odyssey’ fragment on display in New York City
Watch Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’ in movie theaters, then go read a portion of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Scientists pinpoint the chemicals behind a cat’s signature urine smell
And how they help that pee smell stick around.
A star spinning at 15,000 miles per second tests Einstein theory of relativity
S301 is the closest known star to the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole.
NASA’s next flying lab readies for takeoff after new paint job
The repurposed Boeing 777 will carry up to 75,000 pounds of scientific equipment.
Desert tarantulas prepare for sex and death at Zion National Park
It rarely ends well for males.
Narwhal tusks are twisty, magical mathematical marvels
Their single long tooth twists in opposite directions.
Bald eagle Shadow and new female KD1 sing a morning song
But it still does not mean they are partners.
300 years of mummies found in ancient Egyptian tomb
At least 20 people and one dog reside in the Theban Necropolis chamber.
Don’t worry, Katmai’s brown bears didn’t vanish from Brooks Falls
In August, the brown bears spread out to find salmon.
TikTok helps scientists discover new underground, translucent eel in India
Finding ‘Gangaichthys indonepalicus’ required hand pumping over 600 gallons of water.
3D-printed ‘balloon banjo’ is ready for pickin’
The DIY project is better suited as a learning tool than a jam session instrument, but it’s still ingenious.
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