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Popular Science
The greening of planes, trains, and automobiles
This article was originally featured on Knowable Magazine. As the world races to decarbonize everything from the electricity grid to industry, it faces particular problems with transportation — which alone is responsible for about a quarter of our planet’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. The fuels for transport need to be not just green, cheap and powerful, but also lightweight and safe enough to be carried around.
Three-quarters of pedestrian deaths happen after dark. This technology can help change that.
Pedestrian deaths by car surged 19 percent from 2019 to 2022. And according to AAA, three-quarters of all pedestrian fatalities occur after dark. Automotive technology supplier Magna is actively trying to change that, with thermal technology installed on 1.2 million vehicles and counting. Originally named “Night Vision” and introduced on...
One fish, two fish, 3,000 fish …
This article was originally featured on Knowable Magazine. It was pure serendipity. I had been searching for a suitable pet for my son for months when I spotted a young teenager — let’s call him Matovu — who’d strategically placed himself and several fishbowls near the entrance of one of the many shopping arcades in Uganda’s capital. Speaking in broken English, Matovu told me that the Kampala Capital City Authority frequently detains unlicensed hawkers and confiscates their goods. At this very moment, the coast was clear.
Convert complex data into clear visuals with Microsoft Visio Pro 2021, now $19.97 through July 21
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. From basic flowcharts to intricate network diagrams, enhance your productivity with Microsoft Visio 2021 Professional for Windows, a leading platform offering a comprehensive tool suite. Take advantage of our version of Prime Day and save significantly on this top-rated software, now available for just $19.97 (reg. $249) for a limited time.
Bring your vintage slides into the digital age with this Kodak digitizer
Learn more about the Kodak scanner that’s going viral on TikTok, now $169.97 on sale during Deal Days—our version of Prime Day. Hurry, this price drop only lasts until 21 July 11:59 p.m. What is the Kodak Slide N Scan?. It’s a film and slide digitizer that allows...
How does hail grow to the size of golf balls and even grapefruit?
This article was originally featured on The Conversation. Hail the size of grapefruit shattered car windows in Johnson City, Texas. In June, 2024, a storm chaser found a hailstone almost as big as a pineapple. Even larger hailstones have been documented in South Dakota, Kansas and Nebraska. Hail has damaged airplanes and even crashed through the roofs of houses.
Grab Microsoft Office Pro for your Windows or Mac for only $24.97
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. Microsoft Office is the very definition of a product that is often imitated but never duplicated. And sure, while there are alternative options in the market that come close to what it can do, nothing beats the original. It remains the most-used productivity suite in the workplace for a reason, after all.
Tired of your confusing Apple TV remote? Try this one.
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. If you shout at your Apple TV remote in pure frustration, it’s time to find a user-friendly alternative. The Function101 Button Remote is only $33.97 (reg. $39.99) during our version of Prime Day!
Get 3 months of gaming for just $37.97 with this Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. Are you looking to elevate your gaming experience? The Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3-Month Membership is a great contender, combining Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass. Plus, it’s stackable, letting you add multiple codes to the same account for automatic renewal at just $37.97 for each membership.
This Shark voice-controlled robotic vacuum is half-off right now during Amazon’s July 4th holiday sale
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. It’s July 5 (or somewhere around there), and your house is still kind of a wreck from the Independence Day festivities. That’s OK. We’re not here to judge. But imagine you had a handy voice-controlled robotic vacuum that you could call on to make quick work of all those Dorito crumbs and firework ashes. Right now, Amazon has the Shark AI Ultra robotic vacuum for $299, which is half off of its retail price and the lowest price we have seen all year.
These owls spread from east to west. Not everyone is pleased.
This article was originally featured on Hakai Magazine, an online publication about science and society in coastal ecosystems. Read more stories like this at hakaimagazine.com. At home with owls. They seize suburbs. They seize cities. They seize habitat a continent away. They arrive uninvited. They stay indefinitely. They are indomitable.
Snag a foldable electric scooter at $600 off during our version of Prime Day
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. In the bustling streets of modern cities, the demand for efficient, eco-friendly, and convenient modes of transportation is ever-growing. Enter the 500W Electric Folding Scooter—a game-changer in urban mobility and now on sale for only $399.97 (reg. $999) during our version of Prime Day. But this reduced price only lasts through July 21 at 11:59 p.m.
Pain doesn’t belong on a scale of zero to 10
This article was originally published on KFF Health News. Over the past two years, a simple but baffling request has preceded most of my encounters with medical professionals: “Rate your pain on a scale of zero to 10.”. I trained as a physician and have asked patients the very...
Get this Bluetooth meat thermometer for half off
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. As you progress in your journey as a home cook, you might find that varying lengths and temperatures from internet recipes have you wanting to hone in on your own specifics. To exact precise control over the quality and end result of the meat you’re cooking, an internal thermometer can go a long way.
Enhance your guitar-learning journey with this Indiegogo-backed LED system
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. Whether you are a novice looking to grasp the basics or an experienced player aiming to enhance your skills, this innovative system offers an interactive and engaging learning experience. The improved Fret Zealot 2: Guitar Teaching LED System is now $50 off for a limited time and brings over 250K tracks to help you master new scales and effortlessly learn to play your favorite tunes on the guitar.
These viking ladies tried to start a trend for pointy heads, but it didn’t take off
What’s the weirdest thing you learned this week? Well, whatever it is, we promise you’ll have an even weirder answer if you listen to PopSci’s hit podcast. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week hits Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts every-other Wednesday morning. It’s your new favorite source for the strangest science-adjacent facts, figures, and Wikipedia spirals the editors of Popular Science can muster. If you like the stories in this post, we guarantee you’ll love the show.
100 years of EEG: How this technology transformed neuroscience
This article was originally featured on The Conversation. Electroencephalography, or EEG, was invented 100 years ago. In the years since the invention of this device to monitor brain electricity, it has had an incredible impact on how scientists study the human brain. Since its first use, the EEG has shaped...
Flash sale! Babbel lifetime access is now $140 until July 5
We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more ›. Learning a second (or third) language for travel, work, or personal growth might sound intimidating, but Babbel makes it fun and borderline addicting. Take short lessons, play mini-games, and come back every day to keep up your learning streak.
Why some cats scratch more than others
For many cat owners, torn furniture seems to come with the territory. Our feline friends have an innate instinct to use their claws and scratch, that humans often view as a behavioral problem to be corrected. Recently, a team of researchers recently explored what factors influence domestic cats to scratch and found it’s not necessarily simply tied to a bad kitty. Personality traits, the presence of small children, and the type of play cats are engaging in have a significant impact on scratching behavior. The findings are detailed in a study published July 3 in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science and points to some ways that cat owners can try to prevent scratching.
Lab-grown human brain tissue used to control robot
Scientists merged human brain-like tissue with a computer chip in order to help teach small robotic systems how to navigate obstacles, as well as how to track and grasp items. The steps to make your own “brain-on-chip” are even available open-source online—if you know how to cultivate three-dimensional stem cell organoids and are versed in attaching them to electrode chips.
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