Sci-Tech news

• Huge carbon stores under grasslands discovered

  10-02-2016 12:20
  
  A nationwide survey by ecologists has revealed that over 2 billion US tons of carbon is stored deep under the UK's grasslands, helping to curb climate change.
  
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• Cat-sized foxes in Texas are in trouble. Big guard dogs could help.

  03-11-2026 23:10 via Popular Science
  
  Two guard dogs could be protecting more than just the livestock grazing on the Rita Blanca National Grasslands in the Texas Panhandle. The working canines may be helping increase the odds of survival for the Lone Star State’s smallest fox.The swift fox (Vulpes velox) is about the size of a house cat. While not federally listed as endangered, conservationists believe there are fewer than 250 left in Texas. They only occupy about 40 percent of their historic range, from Texas north to Alberta, C
  
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• WWII submarine returns to Michigan after extensive restoration

  03-11-2026 22:00 via Popular Science
  
  A piece of World War II naval history has officially returned home to Muskegon, Michigan, looking like a brand new ship. On October 31, the USS Silversides arrived back at its museum after a 15-hour journey across Lake Michigan. The submarine was in Wisconsin for three months for its dry dock preservation in over 50 years. The endeavor involved completely removing the nearly 312-foot-long Gato-class submarine from the water in order to inspect and repair its lower hull.Although workers noted the
  
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• Oldest recordings of Louisiana Creole discovered in Indiana archive

  03-11-2026 20:20 via Popular Science
  
  A trailblazing Black linguist’s historical audio recordings have been rediscovered more than 90 years after his vital fieldwork. Originally etched onto aluminum discs, Lorenzo Dow Turner’s recordings are now the oldest known audio clips of authentic Louisiana Creole. Although the language has all-but-disappeared from daily life, the invaluable work resurfaces at a time when researchers and Creole descendents are striving to preserve—and even revive—the unique dialect. What is Louisiana
  
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• ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ movie prop may sell for over $1 million

  03-11-2026 18:00 via Popular Science
  
  Now is your chance to own as many pieces of film history as your bank account will allow. Numerous items from filmmaker Stanley Kubrick’s personal archive are hitting the auction block for the first time. Equipment, props, scripts, and more will go up for bid directly from the Stanley Kubrick Film Archives at Bonhams in London this February. Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was one of Hollywood’s most respected and influential filmmakers. His most impactful films include 2001: A Space Odyssey (1
  
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• Arrow the fearless black bear doesn’t care if a foe is bigger

  03-11-2026 16:31 via Popular Science
  
  If you are of a certain age, you might remember an innocent time when the honey badger (Mellivora capensis) took over the internet. Viral videos showing the feisty mammals that “don’t care” and punching above their weight made the honey badger a poster species for fearlessness.That same spirit appears to be alive and well in a bear named Arrow. The U.S. Forest Service team at Tongass National Forest has awarded the black bear (Ursus americanus) with the 2026 Honey Badger Award. Arrow is d
  
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• Do you need a preventative rabies vaccine? Probably not.

  03-11-2026 14:07 via Popular Science
  
  Of all the deadly diseases that can spread from mammals to humans, rabies is the most infamous. Cujo had it. Old Yeller had it. A squirrel in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” had it. Unfortunately, this virus doesn’t only live in fiction. It kills at least 59,000 people a year and is present in over 150 countries. On that list is the U.S., which is seeing a nationwide surge in reported cases of human exposures to rabid or possibly rabid animals. If left untreated, rabies is alway
  
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• Watchful mama bear Gemini wins 2026 Helicopter Mom Award

  02-11-2026 22:07 via Popular Science
  
  Even bears can be helicopter parents. The term coined in the 1990s by child development researchers Foster Cline and Jim Fay describes overly cautious parents who constantly monitor, control, and hover over (like a helicopter) their children’s activities out of fear. For these watchful tendencies, the U.S. Forest Service team at Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska has awarded a brown bear (Ursus arctos) named Gemini with the 2026 Helicopter Mom Award. “We understand her choice,
  
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• Dinosaur blood found in fossils for the first time

  02-11-2026 21:00 via Popular Science
  
  Paleontologists regularly discover fossilized dinosaur bones, but they sometimes locate footprints and prehistoric shells. On rare occasions, researchers have even identified the ancient indentations of a dinosaur’s skin or feathers. But fossilized cells? Researchers have long assumed such microscopic levels of preservation were impossible.But, once again, nature has proven otherwise.In a study published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), an international team of
  
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• A NASA telescope will likely plummet to Earth on Wednesday

  02-11-2026 19:23 via Popular Science
  
  A revolutionary NASA telescope is making its way back to Earth—but will not survive the journey. The United States Space Force has honed its estimate for the Neil Gehreis Swift Observatory’s fiery atmospheric reentry. According to the latest calculations, the 2,500-pound orbital telescope will largely burn-up during its descent on or around Wednesday, November 4.“We’ve known this day would come since before Swift was launched,” Pennsylvania State University astronomer and Swift control
  
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• Aloe found in ancient Egyptian mummy skull for the first time

  02-11-2026 18:58 via Popular Science
  
  Archaeologists have identified a previously undocumented ingredient used in ancient Egyptian mummifications—and a famous medieval medicine concocted from the mummies themselves. At Germany’s Marburg University, researchers pinpointed traces of aloe-associated plant material in a 2,700-year-old mummy skull, and a popular centuries’ old apothecary cure-all known as Mumia vera aegyptiaca.There is no one way to make a mummy. Mummification methods have varied across the world for thousands of y
  
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• Aloe found in ancient Egyptian mummy skull

  02-11-2026 18:58 via Popular Science
  
  Archaeologists have identified a previously undocumented ingredient used in ancient Egyptian mummifications—and a famous medieval medicine concocted from the mummies themselves. At Germany’s Marburg University, researchers pinpointed traces of aloe-associated plant material in a 2,700-year-old mummy skull, and a popular centuries’ old apothecary cure-all known as Mumia vera aegyptiaca.There is no one way to make a mummy. Mummification methods have varied across the world for thousands of y
  
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• A bull and a male donkey’s sexual relationship turns heads

  02-11-2026 17:00 via Popular Science
  
  Sex between two animals of the same sex is widespread. Over 1,000 animal species from nematode worms to penguins to cattle all dabble in same-sex interactions. But a relationship between a bull named Achille and a male donkey named Patrocolo is raising eyebrows. The pair lives on a plateau in Ethiopia, and both could have chosen partners of the opposite sex and same species on numerous occasions. However, they continued to choose each other, despite belonging to different owners and only seeing
  
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• A NASA telescope will likely plummet to Earth on Friday

  02-11-2026 16:01 via Popular Science
  
  A revolutionary NASA telescope is making its way back to Earth—but will not survive the journey. The United States Space Force has honed its estimate for the Neil Gehreis Swift Observatory’s fiery atmospheric reentry. According to the latest calculations, the 2,500-pound orbital telescope will largely burn-up during its descent on or around Friday, November 6.“We’ve known this day would come since before Swift was launched,” Pennsylvania State University astronomer and Swift control le
  
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• Amazon’s early Black Friday deals have started and these 28 products are at their 2026 lows

  02-11-2026 15:34 via Popular Science
  
  Halloween is over, which means it’s time to put away the giant skeletons and start thinking about holiday shopping. Amazon’s early Black Friday deals went live November 1, and new ones are rolling out every day, so we’re keeping track. Most of the bargains run through the end of the month, which leaves time to deal with the shelf that never got hung or the grill that won’t survive another season. We checked every price in this post on Amazon Monday morning, November 2.Top early Black Fri
  
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• Bald eagle mistaken for trashbag on the road to recovery

  02-11-2026 15:00 via Popular Science
  
  A Pennsylvania resident recently arrived home to find what looked like an unassuming black trash bag in their yard. But the bag moved and lifted its head. Turns out, it was not a bag, but a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). And something was very wrong with her. A state Game Warden brought the eagle to Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in southern Pennsylvania to be checked out. The bird couldn’t stand and her legs were limp, which is a typical symptom of spinal trauma. Nonetheless, the team a
  
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• The grossest thing you touch every day, according to science

  01-11-2026 23:02 via Popular Science
  
  It’s probably not something you want to think about, but what do you think is the dirtiest thing you touch every day? If you commute via subway, you might suspect a stairwell handle or train pole as the most likely culprit. If you go from your house to your car to an office, maybe it’s the elevator button or the key fob you have to dig out of your bag. All very good guesses–you might even be tempted to pull out your phone and look up the correct answer. And there we have it. “It might
  
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• 2026 Gifts of the Year: Our editors have picked the best presents for anyone on your list

  01-11-2026 21:42 via Popular Science
  
  A gift cart isn’t a terrible present, but we believe you can do better. That’s why the editors here at Popular Science have put together this list of our favorite gifts of the year. We spend all year researching, testing, and covering products, so we know what we’re talking about. Even if you don’t end up grabbing one of these exact products, it’s a great place to start. Show them you know what they like and leave the gift cards for your nephew who you don’t really like that much.Pop
  
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• Amazon’s early Black Friday deals have started and these 21 products are at their 2026 lows

  01-11-2026 21:27 via Popular Science
  
  Halloween is over, which means it’s time to put away the giant skeletons and start thinking about holiday shopping. Amazon’s early Black Friday deals went live November 1, and most run through the end of the month, which leaves time to deal with the shelf that never got hung or the grill that won’t survive another season. We checked every price in this post on Amazon Sunday afternoon, November 1.Top early Black Friday deals on Amazon
  Weber Smoque 22-inch pellet smoker $599.00 (was $799.00)
  
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• How to build an air purifier in 6 steps

  01-11-2026 21:00 via Popular Science
  
  Though invisible itself, the air we breathe is a microcosm of identifiable pollen, fungal spores, viruses, dust particles, and fine particles of human pollution from everything from cars to asphalt sidewalks. It’s not something we should obsess over day to day, but as more people measure air quality on their own, many are getting readings they’d prefer to address. However, not everyone wants to buy an air purifier, which can cost several hundred dollars.One proposed solution for at-home a
  
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• How to build an air purifier in 6 simple steps

  01-11-2026 21:00 via Popular Science
  
  Though invisible itself, the air we breathe is a microcosm of identifiable pollen, fungal spores, viruses, dust particles, and fine particles of human pollution from everything from cars to asphalt sidewalks. It’s not something we should obsess over day to day, but as more people measure air quality on their own, many are getting readings they’d prefer to address. However, not everyone wants to buy an air purifier, which can cost several hundred dollars.One proposed solution for at-home a
  
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• Fierce turtles square off in a rare woodland turf battle

  01-11-2026 16:10 via Popular Science
  
  At first, it appears that two turtles with yellow spots are calmly sitting side by side. Suddenly, one of them turns, slowly—and lunges out with its head, its open beak clearly trying to take an aggressive chomp out of its neighbor. Moments later, the turtle tries again. Now, both reptiles are going head-to-head, though each is retracted into the protection of its shell. The two combatants are male eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) competing for dominance. Eastern box turtles
  
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• Putrid blood shoots from these lizards’ eyes

  01-11-2026 14:03 via Popular Science
  
  Horned lizards are spiky cuties. Three to six inches long, these lizards are coated with sharp spines all across their hard, sand-colored backs. But in the dry deserts and prairies they call home, they are still vulnerable. As they scuttle through the protective brush in arid landscapes from Mexico to southern Canada, they have to reckon with hungry coyotes, snakes that will gobble them whole, and even peckish roadrunners. That’s why multiple species of horned lizards have developed a weird bu
  
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• What to do if you hit a deer

  31-10-2026 19:07 via Popular Science
  
  When you think of the fall season, chances are that gorgeous foliage, brisk sweater weather, and Halloween decorations come to mind. Deer, on the other hand, think of sex. Deer breeding behavior, known as the rut, aligns with the changing length of daylight. As daylight decreases, buck (male deer) and doe (female deer) hormones increase. While in southern states the rut can last several months, it only runs for a short period of time during the fall in the Northeast. During the rut, bucks seek
  
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• 3 things you might not know about daylight saving time

  31-10-2026 18:39 via Popular Science
  
  Heads up: The clocks are about to change. The evening of Halloween gets an extra hour as the clocks fall back an hour, meaning you can sleep in on Sunday, November 1. Complaints about daylight savings are as old as daylight savings itself, and pretty much everyone has an opinion about the practice. As with any such topic, there are all kinds of myths and misunderstandings out there. Farmers didn’t ask for daylight savingsThis one comes up a lot: the idea that farmers are the reason we have d
  
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• November skygazing: Planetary alignments, a supermoon, comet, and more

  31-10-2026 14:00 via Popular Science
  
  November 12Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter in AlignmentNovember 16Mars and Jupiter ConjunctionNovember 18Leonids Meteor Shower Predicted peakNovember 24Full Beaver SupermoonNovember 27Comet 161P/Hartley–IRAS PerihelionAutumn is here! The air is crisp, the leaves are falling, and the sky is alive. November brings a whole gamut of celestial phenomena for stargazing enthusiasts from a  planetary prom to a meteor shower that can explode occasionally into the most spectacular of sky shows, and 
  
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• 9 spooky photos of dead man’s finger fungus

  31-10-2026 13:00 via Popular Science
  
  What’s Halloween without a little fun-gi. Arguably the most creepy of all fungi, Xylaria polymorpha can look like decaying zombie fingers creeping up from the forest floor. Commonly called dead man’s finger fungus, it and other similar sinister-looking fungi in the genus Xylaria grow throughout the United States. Take a look at at nine creepy pictures of this fungus—if you dare.Dead man’s fingers are usually spotted at the bottom of decaying or dead trees. They break down deceased wood
  
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• How Trump Is Dismantling America’s Scientific Research Machine

  31-10-2026 10:00 via NYT > Science and Technology
  The system that has driven life-altering discoveries and helped make the United States a superpower is now under intense strain.
  
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• Amazon has rare deals on Kiehl’s skincare right now, with most products 25% off

  30-10-2026 22:22 via Popular Science
  
  If you saw me, you wouldn’t think I’m into skincare. That’s exactly why I have gotten into skincare. I have really enjoyed the Kiehl’s products I bought over the summer, but they certainly aren’t cheap. That’s why I’m personally jumping on these 25-percent discounts currently happening on Amazon. This stuff doesn’t get discounts very often, so if you’re a regular user, it’s a great time to stock up. Winter is coming and your face will thank you during the dry season.Editor’
  
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• Psychedelic nasal spray treats depression with toad-inspired goo

  30-10-2026 20:45 via Popular Science
  
  A powerful psychedelic compound best associated with the Sonoran desert toad (Incilius alvarius) has been recreated in a lab and transformed into a fast-acting nasal spray. A recent clinical trial outlined this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) suggests this spray could help people with treatment resistant depression, without the often less pleasant element of psychedelics. In the study, a single squeeze of the spray eased patients’ depressive symptoms with benefit
  
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