Popular Mechanics

Discover the latest in technology, engineering, and tools with Popular Mechanics. Plus, get essential advice on your home and car, useful DIY ideas, in-depth explanations on how things work, and more!

Father’s Day

EVERYWHERE

LARGE PHOTO OF THE MONTH

JAPAN’S ELECTRIC COMPETITOR • Can the Nissan Leaf’s 150 miles of range for $30,000 compete with the Chevy Bolt and Tesla Model 3?

THE CAR IS YOUR PERSONAL POWER PLANT

CHARGER WARS • Any electric car can use a Level 2 charger (240-volt), the kind you find at hotels, public parking lots, and maybe your own garage. But when you need a DC fast charge (480-volt), not everyone agrees on a standard plug. Here’s who can use what.

WHY I USE A GLASS STRAW

SCIENTISTS CONVERT MENTAL IMAGES TO ACTUAL IMAGES

HOW TO TRACK WEED • A new technology allows law enforcement to track legal marijuana using DNA.

HOW IT WORKS: POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTIONS

The Most Compact and Capable Drone • DJI’s new Mavic Air is tiny and simple—and powerful enough for a professional.

Tech Battle Royale • The world of consumer technology is full of choices, some of them expensive. Here’s some help with the decision-making.

The New American Whiskey • Craft distillers in the U.S. are borrowing a Scottish tradition and making it their own. Try the mesquite.

26 USES FOR A HEAT GUN

BUY THE SECOND-FASTEST CAR

GENERATE POWER FROM TEMPERATURE SWINGS

ASK ROY • POPULAR MECHANICS’ SENIOR HOME EDITOR SOLVES YOUR MOST PRESSING PROBLEMS.

UPDATE: MYSTERIOUS NOISES

GETTING STARTED IN…   SAILING • One of the world’s oldest sports is more approachable than you might think.

Questions from the First-Time Sailor

THE BACK PAIN REPAIR MANUAL

ROAD TESTES

1992 Mazda RX-7

HISTORY, UPDATED • The Honda Gold Wing arrived four decades ago. It keeps getting better.

THE BARN DOCTOR • SETH KELLEY IS ON A ONE-MAN MISSION TO SAVE VERMONT’S TIMBER-FRAME BARNS.

THE SHOPPABLE LIFE

THE LAST SHIFT • CARRIER MADE AIR CONDITIONERS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT AT A PLANT IN INDIANAPOLIS FOR 60 YEARS. WHEN THEY ANNOUNCED IT WAS MOVING TO MEXICO, THE PRESIDENT STEPPED IN. A YEAR LATER, THIS IS WHAT REMAINS.

SUSAN CROPPER

SHARENE WEAVER

KELLY SCHLOTTER

THE FUTURE OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURING

The Companies We Surveyed

16 American-Made Products to Improve Your Summer • SAVOR LONG DAYS AND WARM NIGHTS WITH OUR FAVORITE HOMEGROWN GEAR.

Dispatches From the High-Tech Gold Rush • Deep in the Yukon, the world’s most successful prospector is using advanced technology to find ever tinier flecks of gold that could be worth billions.

PROJECT: Treehouse • First, find your tree. Then make your plan. Then be ready to adapt that plan.

MAKE YOUR OWN CORNHOLE SET • You can build the classic bean-bag-toss game in an hour for less than $30.

SHOP NOTES • EASY WAYS TO DO HARD THINGS

BUDGET-FRIENDLY MITER SAWS • You don’t have to pay pro prices for accurate, clean cuts.

A Field Guide to Summer Creatures • What you should know about the different animals that may show up in your backyard when the temperature rises.

Brandon McMillan

The Big and Little Dipper

GREAT UNKNOWNS • BIG QUESTIONS. ANSWERS YOU CAN’T FIND ON THE INTERNET.