Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. In the pitch black hours nearing midnight last March on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, a team of scientists came across a startling discovery: a hot pink leaf-masquerading katydid (Arota festae), striking a pose in the glow of a…
Beavers’ dams and ponds can turn a stream corridor into a net annual carbon sink, drawing in more carbon than it released over the course of a year, a new study finds. The finding has big implications for the reintroduction of Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) across Europe after centuries of being hunted to near extinction….
I still clearly remember the first portable CD player my parents bought me in the early 2000s. I’d always wanted one, but I had to make do with a cheap Walkman clone instead, dubbing CDs to tape using our home Hi-Fi. With a portable player, I could finally take my small collection of CDs with…
March 22, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm How stress causes an eczema flare up Scientists have identified the neurons that worsen the condition during stress By Miryam Naddaf & Nature magazine Soothing the skin can help reduce eczema flare-ups. Ladanifer/iStock via Getty For people with eczema, stress can trigger flare-ups and…
The US is experiencing a striking mix of weather extremes this March. Flooding rains in Hawaii, rare snow in Alabama, flip-flopping temperatures in the north-east and, perhaps most concerning, a severe heatwave affecting the west coast are raising questions about how strange these patterns really are, and what role the climate crisis is playing. Experts…
On the evening of 29 December 2011, police officer Clifton Lewis was moonlighting as a security guard at a Chicago minimart when two men walked in. They shot Lewis several times, then took off with his gun and police star. A week later, police had their suspects: four men affiliated with a gang called the…
ATLANTA (AP) — Allergy season can be miserable for tens of millions of Americans when trees, grass, and other pollens cause runny noses, itchy eyes, coughing and sneezing. Where you live, what you’re allergic to and your lifestyle can make a big difference when it comes to the severity of your allergies. Experts say climate…
Saleem Ali, an environmental systems scientist at the University of Delaware who also provides research and advice on critical metals to the United Nations, says that deep-sea mining should be part of discussions on the green transition. He coauthored a 2022 analysis, funded by The Metals Company, that compared mining waste from terrestrial deposits to that…
Quick Facts What it is: Star PicII-503 inside the Pictor II dwarf galaxy Where it is: 150,000 light-years from Earth in the Pictor constellation When it was shared: March 16, 2026 This gorgeous snap, taken by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted atop the VÃctor M. Blanco 4-meter (13 feet) Telescope in Chile, shows a…
There are dozens of Linux file systems, and I’m sure you’ve heard of ReiserFS at least once. It promised a great deal but ultimately failed. I could give you some technical reason for its demise, but that would be dishonest. The true reason is much darker, and if you heard it, you might appreciate your…
