Posts

December 12, 2012

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7:30 PM | PSY, Mars, and Gabby Douglas: Google Sums Up The Year That Was 2012

PSY The Korean pop sensation's music video, "Gangnam Style" has 935 million views on YouTube, more than any other video. YouTubeWell, it's mid-December, so it's time to get all misty about the past year. Which means it's time to watch "Gangnam Style" again. You probably searched Gabby Douglas, Mars Curiosity, and PSY's names on Google or YouTube, because you want to be up to date on news, memes, and tiny gymnasts. What you didn't know was that you were voting with each search. Google assembled […]

December 07, 2012

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8:04 PM | AirHarp, The Instrument You Play Without Touching Anything

AirHarp Courtesy YouTubeUsing a Leap Motion device, Adam Somers turned his computer monitor into a harp. It looks like magic, but it's just technology. For a casual weekend hack, developer Adam Somers used a Leap Motion USB motion sensor device to turn his computer into a musical instrument. By adjusting settings in the AirHarp app and waving his fingers around like a wizard casting a hex, Somers was able to recreate the sound of a harp, playing in different keys, melodies and timbres. Watch […]

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6:15 PM | The Secret Weapons Behind The Japanese Attack On Pearl Harbor

Battleship Row PopSci archivesToday is the anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. To mark the occasion in 1966, Popular Science published a feature on how the Japanese designed such a successful assault--and how they paid for it later. Today marks 71 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor that catapulted the United States into World War II. The attack was devastating. More than 2,400 people died and more than 1,000 were wounded. It was also, in the cold language of military science, […]

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2:00 PM | 7 Gifts For The Internet Geek In Your Life

A Cat, Personified A tiny (and somewhat absurd) snapshot of the Internet geek macrocosm. Courtesy 9GagA set of trinkets and devices for those who are constantly plugged into the world wide web The internet is a dangerously addicting place. If you have a friend who spends all his free time with his eyes glued to the web, he or she is likely doing a few things there. Maybe chatting on Twitter or Reddit or Facebook with kindred souls, re-posting every possible GIF to Tumblr, or blogging about […]

December 05, 2012

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10:02 PM | Today On Mars: Where Curiosity's Cruise Stage Crashed Down

Scars On Mars Courtesy JPLCameras on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have taken pictures of the impact sites. When the Mars Rover Curiosity left Earth, it was carrying a cruise stage, whose parts included a sun sensor and star scanner, propellant tanks, and a couple antennae. The craft released the cruise stage, along with two 165-pound blocks of tungsten ballast, to gain some aerodynamic lift right before it hit Mars' atmosphere, preparing for the "seven minutes of terror" it would take to […]

December 04, 2012

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9:00 PM | Researchers Can Tell A Liar By The Nose With The 'Pinocchio Effect'

On The Nose Courtesy YouTubeThermography scans show that when you lie, your nose heats up. To tell if a person is lying, just measure his or her nose. No, not the length--the temperature. Researchers at the University of Grenada are calling it the "Pinocchio Effect," after--you guessed it!--the marionette who just couldn't seem to tell the truth and become a real boy. Thermograms show that the old fairytale isn't all that far off. Though the nose doesn't grow when you lie, its temperature […]

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2:00 PM | Better Than A Condom? Discreet Nanofabric Protects Against Pregnancy and HIV

The Rubber Condoms have saved countless lives, but can we do better? New research says so. Courtesy WikimediaThis nanofabric dissolves in the body, releasing antivirals and blocking sperm. University of Washington researchers have developed a new contraceptive that for the first time offers women a discreet way to protect against both sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy. An electrically spun nanofabric, the technology is designed to dissolve in the body, releasing preventative drugs. […]

December 03, 2012

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4:00 PM | FYI: What Do Forensic Chemists Do, And Why Would They Cheat?

Cocaine Alaska Department of Public SafetyA forensic chemist at a Massachusetts crime lab was arrested for tampering with drug evidence recently. A bad egg or the product of perverse incentives? Earlier this fall, a forensic chemist at the Massachusetts-based crime lab William A. Hinton State Laboratory was charged with obstruction of justice. Annie Dookhan allegedly mixed drug samples, neglected to test them properly and forged colleagues' signatures throughout her nine-year career to drive up […]

November 30, 2012

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10:30 PM | MIT Researchers Create The Swiss Army Knife Of The Robotics World

Specially designed motors are key MIT While engineering programmable matter, they also invented a motor that holds its position without power. MIT is calling this tiny device the Swiss army knife of the robotics world, though that doesn't really seem to do it justice. Developed at the university's Center for Bits and Atoms, the milli-motein is a caterpillar-sized robot that can be folded into assorted shapes, signaling a future in which devices shapeshift into almost anything imaginable. The […]

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9:44 PM | As Kilauea Volcano Spews Lava Into The Ocean, Tourists Flock To The Scene

Caution: Hot Lava See it bigger! Reuters/Hugh GentryUnlike hurricanes or earthquakes, this natural disaster could actually encourage tourism. Remember those plucky writers who were reckless enough to walk outside during Hurricane Sandy? Oh, right...that was us. But we at PopSci might not be the only ones who enjoy a good disaster despite the danger. A volcano pouring lava into the ocean, for example, might be pretty impossible to resist. Hawaii tourism officials are banking on that. The Kilauea […]

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5:21 PM | In 2013, Free Schools In England Will Have To Teach Evolution In The Classroom

Evolution Of Man Wikimedia Commons Scientists were concerned that children in England's free schools-- taxpayer-funded schools that aren't run by local authorities--might not learn about evolution in schools run by creationists. To ensure that students get a more balanced education, the government has instituted rules stating that evolution must be taught as "comprehensive and coherent scientific theory." Schools that don't follow the rules could lose their funding. [BBC News]

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5:02 PM | BigPic: The Northern Lights Like You've Never Seen Them Before

NORUSCA II Color Composite Optics ExpressHyperspectral images capture the mysterious beauty of this phenomenon. In pictures and in person, the Earth's aurora looks sorta like wispy clouds made of emerald fuzz. That's gorgeous and all, but we need a clearer picture for scientific study. Auroras, which happen when charged particles from the sun enter Earth's magnetic field, could reveal a lot to us about how the Earth and the Sun interact. Most cameras just swallow all the light into one image […]

November 27, 2012

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10:00 PM | 5 Of Physics's Greatest Sex Sandals

He's Just A Love Machine Wikimedia CommonsPhysicists need love, too. Just ask Paul Frampton, the physics professor who was sentenced recently after an alleged scam involving drugs and a bikini model. We know it can be hard to resist the temptation of bikini models on the Internet, but physicist Paul Frampton was duped pretty bad. The University of North Carolina professor flew to Bolivia to meet up with model Denise Milani, but Milani never showed up. Instead, a man with a briefcase claiming to […]

November 26, 2012

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8:00 PM | NASA Employees Have Highest Job Satisfaction In Federal Government

NASA Employees really, really like NASA. Wikimedia CommonsAn Office Personnel Management report shows that NASA is a pretty sweet gig. Working for the famously bureaucratic federal government can feel like a major drag--unless, that is, you work for NASA. The US Office of Personnel Management conducted the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, a yearly questionnaire for employees of federal government agencies, and NASA workers reported having the highest job satisfaction. The survey questions […]

November 21, 2012

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6:00 PM | Watch This Awesome Robot Play Catch Better Than Your Dad

This Robot Practically Has Palms YouTubeDisney researchers invented a humanoid animatron that plays a lifelike game of catch. Fancy a round of catch? This Disney robot plays an eerily humanlike game. In a combination of engineering and sorcery, researchers created a robot that follows the ball in the air with its eyes, catches the ball in its hands, and reacts when it misses a catch. Also, it juggles. They used an external camera system to track the balls and an algorithm to predict where […]

November 16, 2012

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10:00 PM | FYI: What's The Most Porous Material On Earth?

MOF-200 Courtesy UCLAThese crystalline compounds soak up CO2 like sponges. It goes without saying that global warming is one of the thorniest problems of our time. If only we had some kind of sponge to just soak up all that carbon dioxide! The Metal Organic Frameworks (MOFs) developed by UCLA researchers might not be a catchall solution. But as the most porous materials on earth, they can be used to store, separate or convert molecules--and could help absorb harmful gases before they reach the […]

November 15, 2012

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11:00 PM | FYI: What Material Is Most Afraid Of Water?

Macroscopic Droplets Courtesy Kripa Varanasi"Water can slide off like ketchup." Researchers have been trying to create ultra-hydrophobic materials--materials that repel water--because condensation of vapor can interfere with the energy efficiency of industrial processes. That includes nuclear power generation, water harvesting, transportation, desalination and air conditioning. But with the right material, those resource-heavy processes could become less costly. Enter MIT. Researchers there […]

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8:00 PM | U.S. Navy To Retire Mine-Sweeping Dolphins And Use Robots Instead

Sea Lab Dolphin Training Courtesy U.S. Navy Marine Mammal ProgramThe Knifefish, an unmanned underwater vehicle, should be hunting for mines by 2017. Soon, dolphins and sea lions won't be hunting mines any more. The U.S. Navy is phasing out the Marine Mammal Program. Though trained sea mammals have been serving the Navy for 50 years, they're retiring to make way for cheaper, easier-to-manage robots. Dolphins use sonar-like echolocation--essentially, seeing with their ears--which makes them […]

November 14, 2012

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4:30 PM | How Abraham Lincoln Developed Modern War Technology

God Of War PopSci archivesWith the release of a new feature film about the nation's 16th president, we revisit a 1957 PopSci article on Lincoln's heroic efforts to modernize the science of war. In between shots of soldiers meeting their brutal end and Sally Field being the most perfect Mary Todd Lincoln of all time (besides maybe MTL herself), the trailer for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, a war drama in theaters everywhere November 16, presents Honest Abe as an honest badass. "I am the President […]

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2:00 PM | FYI: What's The Darkest Material On Earth?

His Darkest Material Courtesy Shawn-Yu LinThis material absorbs 99.970 percent of light, making it an ideal coating for solar panels. The idea of dark materials might sound familiar to you if you read fantasy trilogies or like casually memorizing lines from Paradise Lost. Unfortunately, this material isn't used to create more worlds--but it might help save this one. Vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNT), the darkest material known to man, was developed by researchers at Rennselaer […]

November 13, 2012

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2:00 PM | FYI: What's The Lightest Metal On Earth?

Light, But Not Delicate Courtesy HRL LabsThis material is 100 times lighter than styrofoam--but it's also really strong! The lighter a structure launching into air, the better. That's one of the reasons why ostriches can't fly--because their bones are solid instead of hollow. It's also one of the reasons why researchers at HRL Laboratories created the lightest metal known to man. The researchers collaborated with scientists at Caltech and UC Irvine to design metallic microlattice, a mesh […]

November 09, 2012

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10:25 PM | Vintage PopSci: Carl Sagan Advocates For Life On Mars

Carl Sagan This astronomer predicted that "we will one day venture to the stars." Wikimedia CommonsIn 1972, the astronomer was discovering properties of Mars we never thought possible. Carl Sagan, everyone's favorite late astronomer, would have been 78 today. We can't think of anyone who inspired so many people to love science and the universe than good old Sagan. This year, we're looking back to an interview with the scientist that appeared in our September 1972 issue. At the time, he was […]