Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics is a renowned magazine focused on science and technology for the general public. It was originally launched by Henry Haven Windsor on January 11, 1902, and has been under the ownership of Hearst Communications since 1958. The magazine is available in nine different international editions, which includes a Latin American version that is no longer in circulation after many years, as well as a newer edition for South Africa. The Russian edition has been in publication since 2002. In 2013, the US edition reduced its frequency from twelve issues a year to ten.

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#6349

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#1400

Computers Electronics and Technology

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Articles

Archaeologists Explored a ‘Blood Cave’-and Found Chopped-Up Maya Skulls

2 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Tim Newcomb

Guatemala’s Cueva de Sangre, translated as “blood cave,” isn’t just a clever name. It’s an apropos description of the cave former purpose, as a depository of fragments of human remains sacrificed by the Maya people to their rain god. If that sounds violent, that’s because it was.
Archaeologists Found Someone They Never Expected in an Ancient Chinese Tomb: a Blonde Man

4 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Tim Newcomb

A 2018 reconstruction project of a hillside road in the capital of the Shanxi Province led to unearthing the tomb, but archaeologists hadn’t really reported on the discovery until recently.
Humanity Could Return to Our Underwater Evolutionary Roots—It Could Happen Sooner Than You Think

5 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Darren Orf

Some 370 million years ago, the great-great-great (and on and on and on) vertebrate ancestor of Homo sapiens—a weird-looking salamander creature called a tetrapod—ditched the water for land. In the ensuing geological epochs, humans (or what would eventually become humans) didn’t look back. However, with the rise of modern technology in the last century, our species is eyeing other forms of habitation beyond ground-floor living.
Archaeologists Explored Secret Mountain Rooms—and Found Ancient Psychedelic Paraphernalia

5 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Tim Newcomb

The discovery of ancient bones carved into tubes in the mountains of Peru led researchers to conduct chemical analyses. Results of chemical and microscopic studies showed that the tubes contained hallucinogenic substances—the first direct evidence of its kind from the region. The the substances were used as part of a hierarchical class system, as well as for their hallucinogenic impact.
For the First Time, Scientists Caught Atoms Freely Interacting in Space—and It Was Stunning

5 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Elizabeth Rayne

Until now, atoms have never been imaged interacting freely in space, but a new technique known as non-resolved microscopy has changed that. MIT physicists were able to successfully capture images of interacting bosons and fermions that were frozen in place and then illuminated. The images proved previous predictions about these types of atoms. This demonstrates that there is real, tangible proof of mathematical predictions in the physical world. What do atoms do when we’re not watching?
China's Next-Gen Fusion Reactor Could Achieve First Plasma in Just 2 Years

5 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Darren Orf

China is racing forward in its effort to pave the way in fusion energy science, and state-sponsored media reported earlier this week that one of the country’s next-gen reactors is now under construction. The Burning Plasma Experiment Superconducting Tokamak, or BEST, is an intermediary reactor between China’s first-generation reactor and the Chinese Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR)—a fusion plant demonstrator.
Out-of-Body Experiences Suggest Consciousness May Exist Outside the Brain, Some Scientists Say

5 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Darren Orf

Consciousness is primarily experienced internally, but the phenomenon of out-of-body experiences (OBEs) challenges this assumption. Although scientists have developed biological-based explanations for OBEs (a mismatch of sensory information or the disruptions of coordination across certain brain areas), other experts wonder if OBEs could be evidence of non-local consciousness—the extremely controversial idea that the brain isn’t at the center of our awareness.
Is a Smart Toaster Actually Worth It? Here’s What Our Testing Suggests

6 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Kalea Martin

These days if you can plug something in, chances are it comes with an app, connects to Alexa, or sends you push notifications. That includes your kitchen appliances. Whether it's smart ovens or smart tea kettles (seriously), everything seems to be getting a tech upgrade, and it was only a matter of time before the humble toaster got swept up in the trend. Do I need an app to tell me when my toast is done? Probably not, but here we are.
A Father and Daughter Went Fishing—and Accidentally Discovered a 152-Year-Old Shipwreck

6 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Tim Newcomb

A father and daughter who were out on a fishing adventure discovered a previously unknown shipwreck. The find of a 152-year-old ship in Wisconsin has historical ties to the Great Peshtigo Fire. Every shipwreck discovery offers a new clue into history. Last year, a Wisconsin elementary school gathered its students together for a special ceremony honoring a discoverer: kindergartener Henley Wollak, who along with her dad, Tim, accidentally found the 153-year-old shipwreck of the George L. Newman.
Cats and Dogs Are Weirdly Starting to Look Like Each Other, Thanks to Human Evolution

6 days ago | popularmechanics.com | Elizabeth Rayne

While dogs and cats are genetically unrelated, breeding for certain features is making some dog and cat breeds look more and more alike. Preferred features include a flat face and huge eyes, which is why breeds such as pugs and Persian cats are starting to take on an uncanny resemblance to each other. Humans likely breed for these features because they most closely resemble those of human infants and trigger parental instincts. Cats or dogs? Dogs or cats?