Many weapons of the modern age first entered the combat stage during the First World War, but the uniforms of a century ago still reflected the trends of the previous centuries more than the high-tech gear of today. Join Pop Mech Pro and get exclusive answers to your most pressing science questions, starting NOW.A 2018 video shows the typical clothing worn by British troops in World War I to protect them from the weather and hostile fire....
Though not a Pixar film, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets comes with its own accompanying short film. Technically it is just the opening credits sequence, but not even Watchmen’s brilliant, tuneful introduction is as perfect. It’s like a rare mineral flung out in space for eons, finally orbiting back to us with luminescence, and explaining just how mankind might possibly save itself from extinction, all set to a David Bowie song....
A British Airways flight departing London for Dusseldorf, Germany accidentally missed its intended destination by a whopping 740 miles when it landed, of all places, in Edinburgh, Scotland on Monday.Instead of hopping over the English Channel eastward toward Bavaria, BA Flight 3271 crawled north, staying entirely within the United Kingdom. The reason for the snafu stems from a bureaucratic jumble involving different airline contractors and a flight path that was filed dead wrong....
Google Health has published new research showing that AI can diagnose breast cancers better than radiologists.This is similar to recent research that AI can study EKG results and predict death.The algorithm reduced diagnostic errors, and Google suggests this could reduce the need for diagnostic staff.Artificial intelligence can diagnose breast cancer with greater accuracy than human radiologist, according to study published in Nature where Google Health programmers explained their findings and methods....
Apple is announcing its latest iPhone models and more in a special live event on Tuesday, September 10, at 10 a.m. PST (1 p.m. EST).Rumors point to three new handsets called iPhone Pro, improved AirPods, and maybe even a 16-inch MacBook.Software will be a significant part of the show between new operating systems for the iPhone, Apple Watch and Mac plus a new experience called Apple Arcade.It’s that time again: Apple is ready to make its annual announcement about new hardware (and software) and once again, we’re expecting a whole new line of iPhones....
A viral post on Twitter shows someone’s MacBook screen completely destroyed after the person in front of him on a Delta flight supposedly reclined their seat and broke it. Knee Defender, a product originally meant to keep people in front of you from reclining to preserve leg room, has taken on a new life as a laptop defender.Let’s say a prayer for the now-deceased MacBook Pro screen that was absolutely demolished on a Delta flight on Wednesday when its owner learned a tough lesson: Never, under any circumstances, tuck your laptop screen into the lip of your meal tray....
As a record-breaking heatwave continues to plague the Pacific Northwest, we’re increasingly turning to our trusty old air conditioners for refuge. But if you don’t have one already, you could be waiting awhile: demand for AC has skyrocketed in places like Seattle, meaning you could be on the waitlist for a new unit for months. 🛠 You love DIY projects. So do we. Let’s build something cool together.That’s why we came up with five effective (and affordable) alternatives for how to cool down a room, all without having to rely on window AC units....
If you, as I do, live anywhere in the northern half of the U.S., the end of Daylight Saving Time this week likely also marks the beginning of three (or four, or five) months of snow, rain, and general clammy dampness. Or as I think of it, Boot Season. The rest of the footwear goes to the back of the closet, and out come the snow boots, rain boots, work boots, hiking boots....
Flights can get delayed for any number of reasons, the most common reason being airlines themselves. But a Delta flight that was supposed to be a direct flight from New York City to Seattle encountered an unusual in-air malfunction: the bathrooms.While 180 miles north of Billings, Montana, Delta flight DL-453 had an unfortunate realization: All of the bathrooms had stopped functioning, the toilets were full and passengers “needed to ‘go really bad’,” according to The Aviation Herald....
Media Platforms Design TeamWe’ve always known Elon Musk was dreaming big, but a few Twitter hints on Saturday gave us a few ideas how big. Long story short: Musk is designing a craft that resembles the wing pattern of an X-Wing, as well as preparing a landing point at sea. The SpaceX chief unveiled the new Falcon 9R rocket design, which includes four guiding wings that unfurl shortly after launch. While subtitling it the “X-Wing” design, it’s actually the Hypersonic Grid Fins....
A portable air conditioner or window unit can keep your place nice and chill even during the hottest summer months. But if you’re looking for a way to stay cool without blowing up your energy bills, consider these ways to air out your home without cranking the A/C.1: The Cross BreezeGeorge RetseckBest for: A single floorIf there’s a breeze, open a window on the side of the house receiving the breeze, and another on the opposite side....
Michael StillwellJackets have become surprisingly high-tech, using everything from hydrophobic polyester to next-gen synthetic down—but few jackets weave in actual tech used to fight the elements on other planets. NASA uses aerogel to help insulates electronics and rovers, and PrimaLoft, the company behind a new lineup of L.L. Bean jackets, have harnessed that thermal insulation and turned the world’s lightest weight solid into a fiber.Aerogel starts off in a gel form, but using a drying process that flashes off the liquid and replaces it with gas....
The only thing worse than headphones that start shorting out is having to throw them away and buy a whole new pair. That, or sit very still in one very specific position and hope that either of the channels cuts out. Cheapo earbuds are going to break, and they’re probably not worth fixing. But more expensive ‘buds can be worth a quick rescue operation. All you really need is a soldering iron, some replacement cable (and or headphone jack), and a little know-how—including a wiring technique from none other than NASA....
Media Platforms Design TeamYes, the Wright Brothers’ plane is on most of the license plates in North Carolina. And yes, they’re still a household name. But we tend to think of Orville and Wilbur as inventors of one thing: the airplane. And in that way, the famed pair is still underrated. David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers is one of the best books of 2015. We interviewed him this summer about their legacy, and now that we’ve made our way through the book—well, mostly—we feel the need to reiterate how amazing these brothers truly were....
Media Platforms Design TeamWhen it comes to disaster, it’s not a question of “if” but “when.” Disaster will strike. It’s inevitable. The only question is whether you’ll be prepared to meet it head on.On June 4, at the Reliant Center in Houston, TX, Popular Mechanics is mounting its first RAM Home Safety Prep Show, an event to help ordinary folks face down disaster. The event features a rare, live, training session with survival expert Cody Lundin, star of the hit show Dual Survival—Friday’s at 9pm on Discovery....
Jumping spiders are pretty incredible creatures. A typical jumping spider is only about half an inch long, yet they can jump around half a foot or more in distance, several times the length of their bodies. How exactly this works is still not well understood, so a group of scientists trained a spider to jump on command.The spider is named Kim, and was one of four spiders selected by researchers at the University of Manchester for their study....
Elon Musk is in the news for his plan to take humanity to Mars. But there’s a much simpler way to reach much further across the galaxy: self-replicating machines. This helpful clip breaks down the cosmic idea:View full post on YoutubeNamed after Johnny von Neumann, the genius mathematician who influenced everything from game theory to the atomic bomb to the modern computer, von Neumann machines would traverse the galaxy and harvest the resources of planets they encounter....
If we every want to build monster machines in space, cheaper and more sustainable ways to get raw materials into orbit is of ever increasing importance. SpaceX recently made history with with heavy boosters returning after the initial launch of the Falcon Heavy, but a new challenger has a potentially cheaper alternative: catapult. SpinLaunch, founded in secrecy in 2014, is now making itself known in an interview with TechCrunch. Founded by Jonathan Yancey, who sold a solar-powered drone startup to Google (which Alphabet killed off last year), SpinLaunch is now showing off its ideas in the hopes of finding big investors....
Julia Powell is a very ambitious teenager. She’ into the sciences, and has designed (along with some classmates at Duchesne Academy in Houston) a launch-ready experiment that was supposed to go to the International Space Station. The problem? Well, the first version of her project was aboard the Orbital ATK Antares rocket that exploded in October. The second was aboard the SpaceX rocket that exploded on Sunday.Had it not burned up in a firey blaze, the experiment would have tested the effects of red and blue LED lights on plants growing in space....
A simple metal compound could make some big waves in robotics thanks to a strange property: it can move under its own volition, given the right environment. It’s also in a liquid state, meaning it can change shape to negotiate bends and curves. Made of gallium, indium, and tin, this simple chemical gains those incredible abilities when placed in a salt water solution. When an electrical current is applied, the material can even make complex shapes, then turn back into a small droplet once the energy is removed....
