Science
Popular Mechanics US
HIS FAMILY WANTED TO DONATE HIS ORGANS.
IT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THIS HARD.
10+ min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
A New Human Species
ALTHOUGH ONLY ONE SPECIES OF hominin exists on the planet today—good ol' Homo sapiens—the human family once comprised a complex tableau of members. And over the years, scientists have tried to get a clearer picture of that prehistoric story by excavating ancient human sites around the world.
1 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
This Secret Military Base
OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE DUG UP A LOT of stuff buried underneath layers upon layers of ice. Ancient tools, animal corpses, World War II planes—you name it, ice has buried it, and we've found it.
2 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
DIY WINE RACK
Make it your own by selecting unique wood, altering the dimensions, or using a special finish.
4 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
A Small Town.A Missing Security Guard.A Brazen Heist.
When $220,000 worth of platinum went missing from a Pennsylvania glass factory, authorities were stumped. Then they saw the security footage.
10+ min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
D.B. Cooper
THE CHILDREN OF CONVICTED SKYJACKER Richard McCoy II believe their dear old dad may have been D. B. Cooper, the notorious central figure in 1971's unsolved skyjacking. It's in fact the only one in U.S. history without an answer—until, perhaps, now.
2 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
HOW TO PREP YOUR A/C FOR SUMMER
With the last two years being the hottest on record, in many parts of the world, an air conditioning system isn't just a luxury; it's a lifesaver. Taking good care of your A/C is therefore essential. Neglecting upkeep could lead to worsened indoor air quality, higher utility bills, and a shortened life span of your unit. Some repairs are best handled by a professional, but there are several maintenance tasks you can manage yourself. Here's how to set up and look after your A/C to ensure efficiency, smooth running, and a cool(er) summer.
9 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Longevity Escape Velocity
Death and Taxes the twin inevitabilities of human life. At least, for the moment. If you ask some of the most prominent futurists in the world, death may not be on that (admittedly short and cliché) list for much longer.
2 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
This Whiskey Shipwreck
DURING A STORMY NIGHT IN 1878, A three-masted schooner called the James R. Bentley struck a shoal and sank to the bottom of Lake Huron on a Chicagoto-Buffalo voyage. Although the crew was rescued, the ship and its precious cargo went into the 39°F water.
2 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
A New Predator Emerging From the Deep
SCIENTISTS AT WOODS HOLE OCEANO-graphic Institute (WHOI) and the Universidad de Concepción in Chile have discovered new life—a previously unknown, active predator in one of the deepest trenches in the world.
1 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
QUANTUM GRAVITY
ALMOST ALL WE KNOW about the universe boils down to the rules of quantum mechanics. Just about everything can be described as fields (electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force) and matter, and we've slowly rebuilt our understanding of the cosmos out of these fundamental building blocks.
2 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
A Gopher Volcano
IT WOULD PROBABLY BE PRETTY ALARMING to learn that, in the early 1980s, scientists decided to drop off a bunch of gophers at the site of a volcanic eruption.
1 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
A Third Form of Magnetism
SCIENTISTS HAVE RECENTLY CRAFTED and imaged a novel magnetic substance known as an altermagnetic material.
2 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
A Christian Amulet
AN 1,800-YEAR-OLD SILVER amulet discovered buried in a Frankfurt, Germany, grave—still next to the chin of the man who wore it—has 18 lines of text written in Latin on just 1.37 inches of silver foil. That could be enough to rewrite the known history of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
2 min |
May - June 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Indiana Jones
THE SANDSTONE CLIFF FACES OF THE ancient city of Petra (one of the New Seven Wonders of the World) have long been in the archaeological limelight.
2 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Humans: Neanderthal
\"THERE IS NOTHING LIKE LOOKING, if you want to find something,\" says Thorin Oakenshield in J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy novel The Hobbit. \"You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.\"
1 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
WILL WE EVER UNLOCK ITS SECRETS?
2,000 Years Ago, the Greeks Built What May Be the World's First Computer.
10+ min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Quantum Paradox
FOR OVER 100 YEARS NOW, QUANTUM mechanics has rattled the cage of everything we've known about physics. Is everything just made of wiggles and waves if you look closely? How far can one entanglement be stretched-is it long enough to enable quantum telecommunications?
2 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Consciousness
A RECENT GROUNDBREAKING EXPERIment in which anesthesia was administered to rats has convinced scientists that tiny structures in the rodents' brains are responsible for consciousness.
2 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
COMB JELLY
THE WARTY COMB JELLY, MNEMIOPSIS leidyi, is a fascinatingly weird creature that can regenerate parts of its body, reproduce from a larval stage, and even fuse its body with other comb jellies in order to survive when injured.
2 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
FOREVER
Two Tornadoes Struck the Same Military Base Five Days Apart in 1948. It Changed the Way We Forecast Weather
10+ min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
HOW TO BUILD A DIY ROUTER SLED
Flatten wood slabs at home with the precision of a professional.
6 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Fastest Submarines
IMAGINE A SUBMARINE SO FAST THAT IT CAN outrun a torpedo. That could soon be a possibility, thanks to a breakthrough propulsion method that Chinese scientists claim could produce the fastest submarines in the world.
2 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Betelbuddy
BETELGEUSE (NOT BEETLEJUICE, THE slimy character of movie fame) is one of the most celebrated celestial objects in the night sky and has been at the heart of several mysteries over the years.
1 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
Biggest Prime
A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF prime numbers-if we were to compile and write it out-would make this an absolutely insufferable article to read through. And, technically, we couldn't do it anyway. Theoretically, there are infinite prime numbers, but they become fewer and farther between as you count higher and higher.
2 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
POPULAR MECHANICS TOOL AWARDS 2025
Tools are the cornerstone of civilization. Our use and creation of them sets us apart from every other creature on earth. The best tools not only make work go faster, they make it easier, better, and more efficient. The tools here are the latest and greatest for both common and tricky tasks.
6 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
5th Force
ACCORDING TO THE CURrent Standard Model, four fundamental forces underpin all known physics: electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. However, since the mid-1980s, physicists have wondered if a fifth fundamental force could exist, which would help to explain some observational anomalies. And since then, many studies have boldly claimed discovery of this elusive force.
1 min |
March - April 2025
Popular Mechanics US
ONE OF THE 'GREATEST THREATS' TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ISN'T WHAT YOU THINK.
EXPERTS ARE PREPARING THE REGION AGAINST THE THREAT OF DANGEROUS VOLCANIC MUDFLOWS, KNOWN AS LAHARS, WHICH COULD INUNDATE THE COMMUNITIES SURROUNDING MT. RAINIER IN AS LITTLE AS 30 MINUTES.
10+ min |
January - February 2025
Popular Mechanics US
THE WORLD'S TOUGHEST ROW
They rowed 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, battling unpredictable weather, chaotic seas, and finicky equipment. But what they discovered gave them profound new insights into the power of the ocean.
10+ min |
January - February 2025
Popular Mechanics US
HOW TO DIY OFF-GRID SOLAR
SPEND THE TIME UP FRONT AND PLAN IT CAREFULLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
9 min |