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Vintage mug shot of a white man with no hair.
Space Telescope

The criminal behind Los Angeles’ Griffith Observatory

In 1903, real-estate magnate Griffith J. Griffith shot his wife. She survived: His reputation didn’t.

By Andrew Coletti

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a team of six sled dogs running
Dogs

Sled dogs have stubby legs for a reason

9,000 years of pulling humans around has left its mark.

By Laura Baisas

3D Render of a Topographic Map of the Atlantic Ocean with the clouds from August 19, 2006. Storm Ellen approaching Western Europe. All source data is in the public domain. Cloud texture: Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS) courtesy of NASA, VIIRS data courtesy of NOAA. https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/eosdis/science-system-description/eosdis-components/gibs Color texture: Made with Natural Earth. http://www.naturalearthdata.com/downloads/10m-raster-data/10m-cross-blend-hypso/ Relief texture: GMTED 2010 data courtesy of USGS. URL of source image: https://topotools.cr.usgs.gov/gmted_viewer/viewer.htm Water texture: SRTM Water Body SWDB: https://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/SWBD/
Weather

New weather model may finally offer a reliable six-week forecast

And it challenges 50 years of chaos theory in the process.

By Andrew Paul

The back and front of the famous Honus Wagner Sweet Caporal cigarettes baseball card
Internet

The ‘Holy Grail’ of baseball cards is up for auction

The rare T206 Wagner card could sell for over $3 million on October 25.

By Andrew Paul

Close up of hand solving a blank crossword puzzle
Internet

Use Crossword Generator to create challenging custom puzzles in 27 languages

Try to solve an exclusive ‘Popular Science’ crossword, then make your own.

By Andrew Paul

NASA Perseverance Mars rover selfie photo taken on planet's surface
Mars

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover sets distance record

The six-wheeled laboratory has traveled over 28 miles and will keep trucking until at least 2028.

By Andrew Paul

an orange and black butterfly in a human hand (left). a person uses a cotton swab to apply cornstarch to a butterfly's wings
Wildlife

Monarch butterfly saved after landing in refried beans

Cornstarch to the rescue.

By Laura Baisas

Nuclear power plant, Georgia, USA
Energy

Why Google is paying to upgrade nuclear power plants

In the race to power data centers, could tech company cash help carbon-free energy win out?

By Emily Jones / Grist

Magpie Mine, Derbyshire. Magpie Mine, near the village of Sheldon in the Peak District, is an old lead mine. It was first worked in around 1740 but closed for the last time in 1954, although it only operated intermittently from 1835 onwards. It reached the peak of its production in the 1820s after a Newcomen pumping engine was installed to keep the workings free of water. The mine became notoious in 1833 after 24 of its miners were put on trial for murder. The Magpie men and those of the nearby Maypitt mine were both working on the same disputed seam of ore underground, and would light fires in order to try to smoke each other out. One such incident led to three Maypitt miners dying after being overcome by fumes. None of the Magpie workers were convicted, partly owing to the difficulty of ascertaining which individuals were actually responsible. It is said that the widows of the dead Maypitt men laid a curse on the Magpie Mine, leading to its ruin. (Photo by Peter Thompson/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
Pollution

Human teeth pinpoint when lead began poisoning medieval town

Dental enamel reveals the toxic metal’s origins in England.

By Andrew Paul

a giant pumpkin on a forklift
Agriculture

Rocky the pumpkin wins ‘Superbowl of Pumpkin Weigh Offs’ at 2,389 pounds

Minnesota’s Travis Gienger won the Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh Off for the fifth time.

By Laura Baisas

a bee stinging human skin
Bees

Bee stingers work like saws to pump venom  

Watch new slow-mo video to see these tiny stingers in action.

By Laura Baisas

Chihuahua standing on back of Great Dane
Dogs

Large dog breeds die younger. Biologists think they finally know why.

‘Jumping genes’ may explain shorter lifespans.

By Andrew Paul

Black and white photo of Stalag Luft 3 prison camp next to scan of a prisoner's questionnaire form
Archaeology

World War II notes linked to ‘The Great Escape’ prison camp found in garage crawlspace

Handwritten accounts describe the horrors of Stalag Luft 3.

By Andrew Paul

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Popular Science has been demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872. We explain the inner workings of the phone in your pocket, explore world-changing innovations, and examine everything from the marvels of deep space to the secret lives of staples like bread. We deliver an engaging, approachable, and inclusive look at emerging technologies and scientific advances.
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