CATEGORIES

The Unnerving Presence of Javier Bardem

He's known for playing fanatics and murderous psychopaths. In real life, he loves his wife (and Brad Pitt) and cries during E.T.

The Fateful Eight

THE STORY BEHIND THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL TECHNOLOGICAL PAPER IN RECENT HISTORY.

SO YOU WANT TO REWIRE BRAINS

There's a lot to like about brain-computer interfaces, those sci-fi-sounding devices that jack into your skull and turn neural signals into software commands. Experimental BCIS help paralyzed people communicate, use the internet, and move prosthetic limbs.

FOR GIANT LIZARDS, PLEASE HOLD

The sounds of Slack have a secret history.

The Cascading Failures Behind One of the Worst Building Collapses in U.S. History

Engineers are still investigating the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside Florida, but early findings shed light on a risk facing poorly constructed residential and office buildings,

How This Particle Could Break Our Understanding of Reality

EINSTEIN'S SPECIAL THEORY OF relativity teaches us that nothing can accelerate past the speed of light. But what if, when you were born, you were already moving faster than light? What would that look like?

How the World's Largest Spherical Structure Was Built

THE SHINY, NEW LAS VEGAS SPHERE IS more than just a 17,600-seat amphitheaterstyle venue hosting a U2 residency. Since its opening in September 2023, it's become the world's largest spherical structure, at 516 feet wide and 366 feet tall.

The Right Way to Use a Fire Extinguisher

A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IS MORE THAN A of one 5-gallon bucket becomes the size of 64 burning buckets. Just 180 seconds after it begins, a fire can be transformed from a nuisance to a room-size, life-threatening inferno.

The Army's Drone-Killing Laser Weapon

THE U.S. ARMY FIELDED ITS FIRST LASERweapon-equipped unit in October. Based at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, the unit took possession of four laser-equipped Stryker infantry combat vehicles, each mounting a 50-kilowatt-class laser-weapon system. The combination of Stryker and laser can down both artillery, such as mortars and rockets, and drones in-flight.

Cutting the Cord

THE HANDHELD CIRCULAR SAW IS PERHAPS THE MOST VERSAtile power tool for cutting wood.

Why It's So Hard to Mine the World's Largest Lithium Deposit

A Pass, or Peehee Mu'huh to the local Paiute people has been mined since the 1970s, so the new analysis merely confirms what locals have long known about the area.

WHAT THE WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL X-RAY LASER WILL DO FOR SCIENCE

DEEP UNDER MENLO PARK, California, there is a threemile-long machine operating in a tunnel that scientists are keeping colder than even some of the deepest reaches of space.

How Three Amateurs Solved the Zodiac Killer's '340' Cipher

The mysterious code stumped the FBI and NSA for 53 years. What does the key, and the resulting solution, tell us about the infamous murderer?

POPULAR MECHANICS TOP AWARDS 2024

For more than 120 years, Popular Mechanics has been a heavy-duty brand. We see no reason to change that now.

LOVE, DEMENTIA AND ROBOTICS

When my parents got sick, I turned to a NEW GENERATION of roboticists and their GLOWING, TALKING, WARMHEARTED creations.

TAIL AS OLD AS TIME

Was Bobi the world's longest-lived dogor just another casualty of Big Kibble?

THE PROVINCE OF ALL MANKIND

TWO NATIONS. A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. AND THE URGENT NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE LAWS OF SPACE RIGHT NOW.

DEATH OF A PRESIDENT

Three decades after a devastating nuclear war between the US and China, a divided America faces a new threat to its very DNA. An excerpt from 2054: A Novel.

IN DEFENSE OF JAVASCRIPT

Mock it all you want-but it runs the world. Possibly even literally.

THE Algorithmic Authenticity OF Shou Zi Chew

The CEO of the world's most influential social media company likes tacos, Sheryl Crow, and Diablo IV. Is he for real-ora really good politician?

EVERY WOMAN IS AN ISLAND

Matriarchy, money, and a modern mariner named Marina.

Arsenic: The "King of Poisons"

Few things are saddled with darker connotations than arsenic. Used throughout much of history as a human poison, arsenic has become inexorably linked with death.

Why IQ Tests Are Bad Math

Some experts who study intelligence quotient (IQ) tests say these models are mathematically imperfect and can even lead to race and class discrimination.

Giving New Life to a Vintage Toolbox

Rust stripper plus spray paint overhaul a box that launched a business.

CAPTAIN AI

IN 2022, A VESSEL WITH NO HUMANS ABOARD SET SAIL ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. WOULD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE .BE ENOUGH TO KEEP IT AFLOAT?

The Safest Table Saw Tech Comes to Home Workshops

Big Important Product

The First Roads We'll Build on the Moon

PLANS FOR A FUTURE LUNAR MINING base and the 2025 Artemis III landing on the moon are about to launch a new era of human presence on the moon.

How to Break in Leather Boots

WHEN PERFECTLY SHAPED TO your foot, a well-worn leather boot can skyrocket to the top of your most comfortable boot list. Now, a leather boot that has not been properly broken in that's a different story, and one without as comfortable an ending.

Gadget AWARD'S

Life's good, but having the right tools can make it a hell of a lot better. The tech on the following pages can make knocking out work, gaming with friends, and controlling your home easier. Our editors spent the past year testing dozens of electronics ranging from smartphones to televisions. They used a mix of software benchmarks (where applicable), measurements, and extensive hands-on evaluation to find the devices that offer the most value and best performance-all to identify quality products best poised to serve you for years to come.

POWER STATIONS

For some folks, the advantages of portable power stations make them an ideal choice.