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Must-Read Stories

missile navigating underwater terrain

Autonomous Underwater Warfare Is Here—And America Is Fighting to Keep Up With North Korea

Underwater unmanned vehicles with nuclear payloads pose the danger of a “radioactive tsunami,” which could wipe out coastal cities.

marines bombard through a live fire range using m1a1 abrams tanks

A Chronological History of American Tanks

By Kyle Mizokami

artificial intelligence robot and binary

Can AI Robots Experience Real Emotions? Maybe.

By Stav Dimitropoulos

abstract sculpture of a woman

Now We Have Proof That Ancient Egyptians Got High

By Manasee Wagh

a composite image of a satellite firing an energy weapon at a target on earth

What a Future Space War Will Look Like

By Brandon J. Weichert

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Must Watch

preview for How to Live Forever, or Die Trying

How to Live Forever, or Die Trying

Can science finally overcome our ultimate biological limitations?

By Courtney Linder and Pavlína Černá

Trending

a sculptures head created from stone

An Expert Claims She’s Found a Bust of Cleopatra

primeval caveman wearing animal skin exploring cave at night holding torch with fire looking at drawings on the walls at night neanderthal searching safe place to spend the night back view

A New Hominid Species Defies Conventional Wisdom

historical map depicting coastal regions and vessels

A Hidden Clue Might Solve an American Mystery

By Michael Natale

breathtaking

Country’s Oldest Gun Discovered in Arizona

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Military & Defense

military drone flying above an aircraft carrier at sea

America’s $13 Billion Aircraft Carriers May Already Be Obsolete. Can High-Tech Drones Save Them?

a bright light in the night sky surrounded by clouds

Russia Says It Just Fired a New Hypersonic Weapon

usaf northrop grumman rq 4b global hawk

Could This Quantum Tech Defeat Aircraft Jamming?

rocket launch with flame and smoke against a dark background

In a First, India Launches a Hypersonic Missile

biohazard

Could AI Enable Would-Be Bioterrorists?

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Must-Read Story

a historical document with a grid of numbers and text overlaying a map

Two Centuries. Three Puzzling Cryptograms. One Ungodly Fortune.

Stay Curious

Tech

portable monitor setup showcasing a productivity display and a gaming scene

The Best Portable Monitors for Working on the Go

wine fridges under countertop

The 8 Best Wine Fridges

anthropomorphic figures

Scientist Reveals How to Escape Our Simulation

apple macbook air m2

Top-Selling MacBook Is Over $200 Off on Amazon

Science

close up of pinkish octopus on rock

Octopuses Just May Build the Next Civilization

young boy at the beach at sunset

6-Year-Old Discovers Neanderthal’s Axe on Beach

time concept silhouette of hourglass clock and smoke on dark background with hot yellow orange red blue cold back lighting, or symbols of time

Human Lifespan May Be Reaching A Temporary Peak

large school of white tip reef sharks that patrol the coral reef at night to hunt in cocos island national park

A New Predator Emerged From the Deepest Ocean

Space

a person touching the digital portal interaction with the unknown and cosmic exploration

There’s Still Unknown Physics in Our Universe

young adult pass through sea waves looking for better life

This Test Could Prove If Universe Is Made for Life

collection of gift items for space enthusiasts

34 Space Gifts That Are Out of This World

the milky way over a radio telescope at the karl g jansky very large array national radio astronomy observatory in new mexico

Could We Eavesdrop on Alien Messages?

Dive Deep

surgical light and monitors in operating theatre

No Doctor Has Ever Performed a Human Head Transplant. This Neurosurgeon Says He’s Ready to Do It.

The Western medical establishment ousted him. China embraced him. Will the man on a mission to perform the first human head transplant ever pull it off?

By Ashley Stimpson

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Flight

the national air and space museum, washington, dc

A Mysterious Image Was Supposed to Be Amelia Earhart’s Plane. Searchers Found Only an Illusion.

white airplane with black nose cone and united states dept of commerce on the side

Hurricane-Hunting Aircraft Fly Into the Storm

underside of the tu 144

The Day Russia's Supersonic Jet Fell From the Sky

john kennedy, jr attends ceremony awarding the john kennedy prize

What Doomed JFK Jr.'s Final Flight?

autonomous driverless aerial vehicle fly across city, 3d render

NASA Hoping to Make Air Taxi Rides Comfortable

Badass Military Machines

a plane flying in the sky

Why the F-15EX Is Such a Badass Plane

leopard 2 tank

Why the Leopard 2 Is Such a Badass Tank

By Kyle Mizokami

B-52 Badass Plane

Pop Mech Pro Pop Mech Pro

Why the B-52 Is Such a Badass Plane

By Alex Hollings

c5 galaxy

Pop Mech Pro Pop Mech Pro

Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane

By Kyle Mizokami

Learn Something New

Physics

a female figure projection in a dark environment

Scientists Are Working on Teleporting Humans

eternal enamel paint clock face

This Would Be the Most Accurate Clock Ever Made

abstract tokamak reactor

How Nuclear Fusion Will Give Us Limitless Energy

black holes

Black Holes Could Be Back Doors to Other Universes

Deep Math

infinite

A New Kind of Infinity Just Dropped

numbers background on blue bg 3d rendering

Mathematicians Solved a Notorious Old Problem

the greek letter pi the symbol of the mathematical constant

A New Formula for Pi Is Here

opened safe deposit with glowing insides

Are We Close to Solving a Notorious Math Problem?

Home & DIY

diy mid century modern coffee table

Add Style With This DIY Mid-Century Coffee Table

popular mechanics gear of the year 2025, diablo fine finish and plywood track saw blade, phlipbit ult multibit screwdriver, brunt marin comp toe, klein tools work fan

Gear of The Year 2025

A person relaxing in a hammock surrounded by lawn care equipment

Our DIY Maestro: Roy Berendsohn

a bucket filled with tools and a tool belt

Five Uses For a Five-Gallon Bucket

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Unlocking Consciousness

waves traveling across wire frame of man's brain digitally generated

Alien Civilizations May Have Already Formed a New Kind of AI-Based Consciousness, Scientists Say

man walking into different dimension

You Could Be Visiting Other Dimensions in Dreams

brain enveloped in complex light trails in an image about future brain research artificial intelligence and creativity

Scientists Are Trying to ‘See’ Your Consciousness

head stars

Our Consciousness May Come From a Higher Dimension

brain floating in light trails

This Study Backs a Quantum Theory of Consciousness

More Great Stuff

Culture

a floating transparent ghostly woman standing in front of a gothic old tower with a cctv surveillance edit

Ghost Hunters Say They Can Prove Spirits Are Real

earthen tunnel and a circular hole in the floor with light shining through

Clues Emerge About Mysterious Tunnels Below Europe

neanderthal, conceptual illustration

Genome of 'Last Neanderthal' Has Been Sequenced

film stacks from the sunken hexagon capsule on the ocean floor

America’s Secret Race to Recover a Spy Satellite

Editor Favorites

sap running through hoses to the processing facility

Inside the Race to Save the Maple Syrup Industry

asteroid samples gathered from osiris rex

Chasing an Asteroid

night scenes at skinwalker ranch

Skinwalker Ranch, Revealed

UFO Sightings are Spiking. This Man Knows Why.

UFO Central

circular ufo flying over mountain landscape

Why UAPs Might Be Defying Laws of Physics

shard of gray rock

Could This Metal Shard Be Alien Technology?

ufo appearing from whirlpool, illustration

Are Underwater UFOs an Imminent Threat?

ascending from the hidden depths of the mountain, a ufo saucer gracefully takes flight

Aliens May Be Hiding Underground, Scientists Say

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Our Planet

relief of a drop of red liquid with small bubbles of white liquid inside on a white canvas

Scientists Think Earth’s First Life Forms Were Basically Born in a Hot Tub

zealandia

Earth’s Hidden Eighth Continent Is No Longer Lost

brain underwater

The Ocean Can Remember for 20 Years, Study Says

businessman with umbrella in boat

14 Million Americans May Sink Within 76 Years

global balance

Earth Has Tilted 31.5 Inches. That's Alarming.

Live the POP Life

Cars & Trucks

portable jump starter with digital display and battery clamps featured in automotive context

Cyber Monday Avapow Car Jump Starter Deals 2024

black friday dashcam deals 2024

Save Big Dough On Dashcams for Cyber Monday 2024

acura

From Popular Mechanics for Acura

Your Guide to Electric Vehicle Charging

a dashboard camera

The Best Dashcams for Your Next Road Trip

Adventure

smartwool thermal underwear

The 8 Best Thermal Underwear for Men

winter gloves

The 7 Best Winter Gloves

desert solitaire, barbarian days, no shortcuts to the top, wild, thirst, in the heart of the sea, into thin air

The 9 Best Adventure Books

person wearing a winter hat inside a tent surrounded by sleeping gear

The 4 Best Four-Season Tents

Gear & Gadgets

kobalt battery powered leaf blower, makita backpack leaf blower, on sale

Save 38% on Powerful Cordless Leaf Blowers

best gaming laptops

The 5 Best Gaming Laptops

a hand connecting a charging device to a power strip on the ground

The Best Power Strips and Surge Protectors

electric kettles

The Best Electric Kettles for Tea and Coffee

The Latest

close up of pinkish octopus on rock

Octopuses Just May Build the Next Civilization

portable monitor setup showcasing a productivity display and a gaming scene

The Best Portable Monitors for Working on the Go

person using a pressure washer on a surface outdoors

How to Get Started With a Pressure Washer

kobalt battery powered leaf blower, makita backpack leaf blower, on sale

Save 38% on Powerful Cordless Leaf Blowers

15th china international aviation and aerospace exhibition day 4

Is China’s New Stealth Fighter a Copy of the F-35?

best gaming laptops

The 5 Best Gaming Laptops

young boy at the beach at sunset

6-Year-Old Discovers Neanderthal’s Axe on Beach

stealth bomber flying over a desert landscape

He Sold America's Stealth Secrets to China

time concept silhouette of hourglass clock and smoke on dark background with hot yellow orange red blue cold back lighting, or symbols of time

Human Lifespan May Be Reaching A Temporary Peak

large school of white tip reef sharks that patrol the coral reef at night to hunt in cocos island national park

A New Predator Emerged From the Deepest Ocean

wine fridges under countertop

The 8 Best Wine Fridges

a hand connecting a charging device to a power strip on the ground

The Best Power Strips and Surge Protectors