Millions of you have turned to Popular Science each month in 2024 to see the latest scientific breakthroughs and technological debacles and everything in between. Using a secret formula of readership statistics, social activity, and curatorial instinct, we have collected 22 (why not!) stories spanning everything from DIY home tips to (so-called) gates of hell to (real) transparent mice. Peruse our most popular headlines of 2024 below and click through to read the stories.
Why can’t we just launch all of Earth’s garbage into the sun?
We love answering our readers’ questions in our series Ask Us Anything. When posed with a question of what to do with Earth’s ever-mounting piles of e-waste, plastic, recalled microwaves, bedbug-ridden couches, beached tankers, what have you… One of our readers had the idea of shooting it all into the sun. Popular Science contributor Harri Weber seriously considered the proposal and consulted experts to see if it was viable in one of our most read stories of the year. Short answer: No. But why? The answer is… practical. (If you’re feeling inspired, you can always submit your burning questions using this form. Nothing is too outrageous for us to tackle, clearly.)
Nature wasn’t healing: What really happened with wildlife during pandemic lockdowns
If you were on the internet at all during the first two years of the pandemic, you may have seen a very persistent meme floating around. It insisted that while we were sequestered to our homes by well-meaning health authorities, the lack of human activity in the outside world had resulted in a sort of ecological Renaissance. Turns out that that wasn’t actually true. Popular Science contributor Lauren Leffer dug into the real science behind the viral (but fake) phenomena. And no, dolphins weren’t swimming in the Venice canals. Sorry.
Watch us try to make ‘Butler in a Box’ work like it’s 1983
The Mastervoice Butler in a Box was the original home voice assistant, first introduced way back in 1983, costing more than $4,000 a pop in today’s money. Our intrepid video team set out to find it and reactivate it more than forty years later. It was a journey! Watch us unravel the ancient gadget’s rich history and try, try to make it work.
Does drinking collagen actually do anything? We asked experts.
What happens if you ingest collagen? A $4 billion market will tell you that its benefits are plentiful, especially if you’re trying to revitalize your skin’s youthful glow. Contributor Hannah Seo digs into the claims on a granular… nay, molecular level. For more on collagen drinks, dermatology advice, and the wild world of under-regulated supplements, read the story.
Don’t throw away your old sunglasses
You know you can recycle, upcycle, and repair your old sunglasses instead of contributing to piles of garbage (which, we repeat, you cannot just launch into the sun) and wasting money? Of the countless projects, tips, and guides we’ve published this year, something about sunglasses piqued your interest. 😎
The dye in Doritos can make mice transparent
It may sound like stuff of science fiction, but, with the help of physics and chemistry, scientists have turned the bellies of live lab mice nearly transparent, allowing for an unobstracted view of the pumping and throbbing innards within. Oh, also they used a dye commonly found in your most orange snacks. Wild! You can read our feature story with interviews with the scientists and catch us on NPR, if you don’t believe us.
Orca observed hunting and killing a great white shark by itself for the first time
Usually, orcas hang and hunt in pods, but this solitary creature with a taste for blood took on one of Earth’s most formidable predators all by itself. Our resident expert all things under the sea Laura Baisas observed this gnarly display of nature.
Smugglers melted and spray painted $10 million in gold to look like machine parts
We love a good heist… and airplanes! Staff writer Andrew Paul spotted this particularly creative one earlier this year. All that effort and creativity, but the alleged smugglers did not get away with it this time.
For the first time in one billion years, two lifeforms truly merged into one organism
This was the first documented case of two lifeforms merging into one in an extremely rare case of primary endosymbiosis. In a lab experiment, a type of marine algae and a bacterium had combined into one living organism. Scientists predict that this event could not have happened in the last billion years… that we know of!
Earth’s ‘Gateway to Hell’ is growing
There are many natural landmarks on our planet named after a biblical destination of eternal damnation. But this one in particular appears to be growing. Uh-oh.
The $580 million vinyl movie disaster that destroyed an empire
In yet another popular video on the history of lost technology, we explore RCA’s ill-fated attempt at making the home media system Selectavision 400 happen. It was a disaster for the company. Of course, we had to get one of these and try to make it work. The struggle was real.
You can (and should) stop charging your phone when it hits 80 percent
Did you know that there’s a sweet spot of optimal battery power for your Android phone? Shocking, we know, but it’s not 100%. Popular Science contributor and tech hacks extraordinaire David Nield breaks down the mechanism behind the perfect charge. Whether or not you can handle it psychologically is up to you.
10 clever ways to reuse coffee grounds
Did you know coffee grounds can reduce odor and boost compost? Neither did we until inspired DIY’er Debbie Wolfe outline this and many more uses for this supposed waste product. For more home tips from Debbie, check out her herb drying guide, food pickling instructions, and microwave cleaning tips.
Meet the new king of the ‘living fossils’
Humans grow and change. It’s part our nature. Not this guy. Gar the dart-shaped fish has been found to have the slowest rate of molecular evolution among all jawed vertebrates, with its genome changes much more slowly than other vertebrates walking and swimming around the globe. That might explain the “old soul” look in Gar’s eyes.
Why Ski-Doo is the only snowmobile permitted in Yellowstone
Kristin Shaw, our contributor for all things auto, dug into the history of Ski-Doo, the only snowmobile quiet enough to be allowed at Yellowstone National Park. If you’re interested in rules, regulations, and snowmobile design, please enjoy this deep dive.
What’s going on with spotted lanternflies?
We were told to squish as many of these brightly-patterned bugs as we could, but has it made a difference? In this very through feature from Lauren Leffer, we not only answer your burning question but break down exactly how invasive species get designated and dealt with. Read it and explore the scientific mysteries of ecological imbalance. Meanwhile, keep squishing.
Burmese pythons stretch their mouths even wider than we thought possible
We’ll let the scientists speak for this one: “Watching an invasive apex predator swallow a full-sized deer in front of you is something that you will never forget.” Yikes! Revisit the gnarly snippet of nature and try, try to unsee it.
7 computer maintenance tasks you should do every month
These basic but very important tips that apply to both Windows and macOS will not only keep your computer running smoothly, they will help you declutter your life. Try them out and find out for yourself.
Why do we have earlobes? They make no evolutionary sense.
Ever touched the soft flesh bags dangling from your ear and wondered, what are these even for? (Besides wearing earrings, of course.) We dipped into the latest science on vestigial organs and offered some very convincing theories on the evolutionary mystery of earlobes in this Ask Us Anything feature.
Zildjian’s Alchem-E e-drums solve one of the biggest problems with electronic percussion
Ever wondered how electronic drums and cymbals work? What do they sound like? What do they feel like? This hands-on breakdown from Stan Horaczek offers a detailed look at the technology.
A 13-year-old wunderkind is the first human to ‘beat’ Tetris
This one was close to Andrew’s heart, and we’re glad our readers shared the interest. At the intersection of luck and technology, meet the kid that finally “beat” this game, daw at the look on his face, and learn more about the history of Tetris kill screens, mods, and “hypertapping.”
One in 100 million cotton candy lobster caught in New Hampshire
Laura spotted this ultra-rare specimen on a New Hampshire local news outlet and interviewed the scientists that received it as a donation. Get a better look at its ombre claws and learn how it came to be this way. Then, stay tuned for more amazing animals, groundbreaking inventions, and handy tips in 2025.
Win the Holidays with PopSci's Gift Guides
Shopping for, well, anyone? The PopSci team’s holiday gift recommendations mean you’ll never need to buy another last-minute gift card.