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Media Platforms Design TeamImagine a cheap, plentiful source of energy that could provide safe, emissions-free power for hundreds of years without refueling and without any risk of nuclear proliferation. The fuel is , and it has been trumpeted by proponents as a “superfuel” that eludes many of the pitfalls of today’s nuclear energy. But now, as a number of countries including China, India, and the United States explore the potential use of thorium for nuclear power, researchers say one of the biggest claims made about the fuel—its proliferation resistance—doesn’t add up....

NASA has announced a new mission with a vast scope: understanding the foundational elements of the universe and determining how common the basic elements for life are within the Milky Way galaxy. Deemed the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx), the two-year mission will launch in 2023 with a budget of $242 million.View full post on Twitter“I’m really excited about this new mission,” says NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in a press statement....

Turns out there is ample life off-planet. The International Space Station is full of bacteria and fungi, according to a new NASA study. The microorganisms living on the space station include potentially dangerous bacteria that can cause illness, along with fungi that may be corroding the station itself. This microscopic life definitely would be worrisome if the space station were on Earth. In space, however, it’s not clear just how much of a threat these microorganisms pose....

Skiing is dangerous on its own. Cruising down the mountainside at high speeds with little protection is a good recipe for broken bones and concussions. But even the ordinary danger of winter sports seems mild in comparison to this malfunctioning chairlift at one ski resort in Georgia (the country, not the state).In a pair of videos published to YouTube, the chairlift in question, from a resort in the town of Gudauri, appears to malfunction and speed up while reversing direction....

With the new 2019 Chevy Silverado (and the GMC Sierra), GM has introduced a slew of new technologies designed to make the towing experience easier and safer for towing newcomers and experienced drivers alike. It’s no longer just about the towing capacity and payload—both of which have increased with the 2019 Silverado—but also how convenient it is to tow, even for one person. I tried it, and here’s what I found:Timothy DahlTrailer Light TestThe slate of tech in the Silverado is called the Advanced Trailering System, and it works in conjunction with the myChevrolet smartphone app to make your life easier....

Between elbowing through crowds at press conferences and uploading photos onto PM.com for our readers’ pleasure, the New York auto show really was a great place to relax and admire the beauty of some of the industry’s newest—and finest—auto specimens. Below, some of the highlights from the lighter side of the showroom floor:Aside from showing off the new XC70 wagon, which has convenient accessories for the trunk, Volvo brought one of the first cars it ever produced—the Jakob—to NYAS ‘07 (see photo below at top right)....

The U.S. Army, as part of a broad counter-unmanned aerial systems strategy, is pushing forward with the U.S. Air Force to develop a high-powered microwave weapon. A microwave would short out the electronics of a drone in flight, causing it to crash. The weapon’s broad firing arc means it could take out many drones at once, defeating enemy drone swarms. According to Defense News, the Army is teaming up with the Air Force to develop a high-powered microwave weapon....

Media Platforms Design TeamSean Casey’s TIV (Tornado Intercept Vehicle) 2 is a 7-ton monster that looks as if it were made to survive the apocalypse. Maybe so, but the real challenge for the TIV 2 in proving its worth is just getting into position. For tornado chasers like Casey, who seek to document these malevolent forces of nature, finding and catching them requires as much science and smarts as it does bravado....

Whether it’s by the use of tiny car-lifting robots or totally spherical wheels, the idea of a car that can move effortlessly sidewise is an endlessly appealing one. Parallel parking becomes a dream, parking garage management becomes a piece of cake. And out of all the ways to make that dream come true, these “Liddiard Wheels” seem like a pretty compelling one. Designed by one William Liddiard, the wheels are similar to the kind of “omni wheels” you’ll find on some robots and heavy machinery....

When a Formula 1 racing driver hits the brakes, he isn’t applying actual pressure to the master cylinder controlling the rear brakes. Instead, he’s sending a signal for the computer to interpret, and it’s the computer that determines how much pressure to apply to the rear brake calipers. We call this technology brake-by-wire, because it cuts the physical link between the pedal and the brake system itself. (Throttle-by-wire and steer-by-wire exist as well....

Sony PlayStation 3 120 GB System: $300Sony’s PS3 just took a cut in price and size–it’s now a third slimmer, uses a third less power and costs $100 less than earlier versions. Great, but the real reason this may be the time to get a PS3, three years after it was first released, is that it’s the most future-proof of the current-generation home consoles. It packs more power under its hood than either the Nintendo Wii or the Xbox 360–a fact that is just now becoming apparent with the release of new PS3-exclusive titles (such as the superb Uncharted 2: Among Thieves) that seem to be beyond the technological capabilities of other consoles....

Media Platforms Design TeamWhat happens when you block someone on Twitter? I want to block a friend who tweets at me too much and who’s constantly being retweeted by others, but I don’t want him to find out.It would be very hard for someone who interacts with you a lot not to find out that he’s been blocked. Once you block someone, that person can’t follow you, read your tweets on his or her timeline, or put you on lists....

Media Platforms Design TeamYour past work in visual effects and directing Monsters makes it seem like you were tailor-made to be the director of Godzilla, obviously on a much larger budget. How did your past experience as a visual artist and small-budget director affect this film?Ive always been interested in sci-fi/fantasy to some extent, and I think whenever I took any jobs I always tried to give it that twist toward post-apocalypse and science....

There’s waterproof and then there’s the surface developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego. They’ve developed a surface so hydrophobic that it can actually be used to generate electrical voltage, turning seawater into 50 millivolts (or around 0.05 volts).Electrical voltages can be generated by ions, atoms with an electrical charge, moving over a charged surface. As ions move quickly over a charged surface, they can create voltage, and the faster the ions move, the more voltage can be created....

An outbreak of E. coli linked to romaine lettuce has spread to 11 U.S. states, leading to 35 reported infections from March 22 through March 31. People affected range from 12 to 84 years old, and 22 people have been hospitalized. Three people have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome, but no deaths have been reported.The CDC first announced it was investigating the outbreak last week, when it had only affected seven states....

This week’s episode begins with the kidnapping of Christine, a 27-year-old student from Boston, who, before her abduction, was on her way out of town to study in Rome. Her kidnapper is a man wearing a 60s-era suit, without hair or eyebrows. The Observer. After subduing security guards attempting to come to Christine’s rescue with a gun that seems to blast out waves of high energy, the Observer speeds off in a getaway car–with Christine....

In 1997, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, George Lucas re-released the original trilogy—this time with additional scenes and special effects. While most changes were largely unoffensive, others now feel like a harbinger of the CGI-fueled nightmare that would be The Phantom Menace (only two years into the future). Here’s a quick refresher:Direct lighting + 90s special effects = no goodA most CRUCIAL scene of a dewback blocking the entire frame....

Media Platforms Design TeamMORE NEWS ON CERN’S LARGE HADRON COLLIDER• PLUS: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Large Hadron Collider• HOW IT WORKS: Large Hadron Collider Aims to Unlock ‘God Particle’• PM NEWS: LHC Turns on Sept. 10, Tests Beam on Weekend• EARLIER: Heat of a Light Bulb Could Shut Down Large Hadron Collider If there’s one thing we can appreciate here at Popular Mechanics, it’s geeks willing to embarrass themselves in the name of science communication....

On its very first day on a job, a lifeguard-assisting drone in Australia has already saved two teenage boys from drowning. The teenagers, 15 and 17, were almost half a mile into the water with swells coming in at nearly 10 feet. A beachgoing member of the public spotted the boys in harm’s way and alerted the lifeguards, according to Australia’s ABC News. Within two minutes, the Little Ripper Life Saver drone had located the boys....

A few days ago we covered a group of scientists who found a way to turn CO2 into ethanol. The idea of an elegant solution for carbon emissions sparked a huge amount of enthusiasm—it’s already become Popular Mechanics’ most popular story of 2016, in fact. So we sat down with Adam Rondinone, one of the scientists behind the discovery, for a more in-depth look at this technology.Popular Mechanics: A lot of people on the internet have been really excited about what your team has discovered....