Popular Science

This is the most exciting time to be alive in history. Discovery and innovation are reshaping the world around us, and Popular Science makes even the most complex ideas entertaining and accessible. We deliver the future now.

A CASE FOR THE EDGE

Popular Science

CONTRIBUTORS

the casual observers • UFO SIGHTINGS ARE A BIT LIKE lottery tickets. They can be thrilling, embarrassing to amass, and all it takes is one good encounter to change someone’s life (or life as we know it) forever. And boy, do people amass them. For decades,

aliens among us

staring into a cosmic abyss

whomst’d’ve thought?

new worlds from old oysters

i, tinker

where is the edge of everything?

lab at the edge of the world

pale blue dots in a haystack • ASTRONOMERS’ CUPS HAVE RUNNETH OVER WITH ALIEN worlds since NASA launched its (now retired) exoplanet-hunting Kepler space telescope in 2009. But sussing out which orbiting rocks could support life as we know it isn’t an exact science; our current deep-space-searching technology can’t peer closely enough to determine surface and atmospheric compositions on faraway places. Here’s what experts have managed to work out so far.

how to become the next area 51 • EVERY CONSPIRACY THEORY STARTS AS A NOTION NESTLED safely in someone’s head, just waiting for a chance to spread. Some are harmless fun (Keanu Reeves is immortal), while others are deadly (vaccines cause autism). But all run on the same psychological tricks: They make believers feel more in control of a chaotic world. Folks cling to stories that affirm their beliefs, explain away mysteries, and provide scapegoats for their troubles. But there are many paths to infamy. Which will you choose?

MARS 2020 VISION

SPACE-TIME CONTINUUM

CLIMB HIGH • DESPITE GRAVITY’S EFFORTS TO KEEP HUMANS GROUNDED, the lure of exploring and conquering massive walls draws climbers upward. A little training and the right gear go a long way toward getting anyone started on an ascent. Here’s what beginners need to master vertigo-inducing heights on the mountain or at the gym, and reach the top smiling.

DIVE LOW • OCEANS COVER ROUGHLY 70 PERCENT OF THE PLANET, AND that water teems with life. Exploring this other world requires special equipment. You can rent the big stuff like an air tank, regulator, and dive computer, but you’ll want a few essentials in your personal kit. Suit up with these items, and you’ll be ready to dive into the deep or snorkel along the shore.

DINNER IS PRESERVED • THE FIRST AMERICANS IN SPACE SQUIRTED THEIR MEALS OUT of tubes. Their successors on the Apollo missions enjoyed somewhat finer fare, nibbling on freeze-dried food. Today, travelers and desk jockeys can enjoy the descendants of those space dishes with an array of dehydrated cuisine. The kit below stuffs 2,000 calories in a package ideal for disaster prep or camping trips.

GLIMPSE WITHIN • A SHARP PAIR OF EYES CAN PROBABLY SPOT SOMETHING AS wee as a paramecium swimming in a petri dish. Anything tinier requires the optical assist of lenses refracting light toward your peepers, making the itty-bitty look big. These microscopes offer increasingly powerful optics, giving you a towering perspective on hidden realms.

GET CLOSER • THE WOODS IN YOUR LOCAL PARK OR THE GRASS IN THE African savanna hold visual treasures you’ll miss when just peering with your eyeballs. Instead, after you spot that goldfinch or lion, raise a pair of binoculars to reveal the details of their feathers or fur. Picking the right zoom ensures you’ll get the best view of all the creatures in the distance.

ZOOM AND ENHANCE • GALILEO’S TELESCOPES ALLOWED HIM TO STUDY THE LUNAR surface, glimpse Jupiter’s moons, and chart constellations. Modern backyard versions let you peer even deeper into the universe and...