Popular Science

Popular Science has been demystifying the worlds of science and technology since 1872. Our digital subscription delivers deeply reported stories that explain the inner workings of the phone in your pocket, explore world-changing innovations, and examine everything from the marvels of deep space to the secret lives of staples like bread.

We’re improvising

Could letting go of perfection be the ultimate cleaning hack?

How have Voyager 1 and 2 lasted so long?

What is an ecosystem engineer?

How can one medicine treat multiple illnesses?

What are the best kinds of homes for off-the-grid living?

Can we store data forever?

How do you grow plants in the dark?

The pure power of poop • Americans dish out nearly 6 million metric tons of biosolids a year, much of it rotting in landfills instead of becoming fertilizer. But one father-son team is determined to change that.

A guide to enhancing your life with mushrooms • Think beyond foraging.

Concrete dreams • Lessons from 2,000-year-old Roman material could help us build structures better suited for a waterlogged future.

Feels so good • A British startup set out to design sex toys and ended up creating medical devices that relieve health conditions, one orgasm at a time.

Flight risk • A Copenhagen collective wants to launch a human to the edge of space in a DIY rocket. Should it?

The 1950 DIY voice assistant that could (kind of) • The ambitious Popular Science tutorial required the use of a soldering iron.