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.

The Daredevil Issue

Favor the bold

How do you navigate the globe without a compass?

What is an adrenaline rush?

Which deadly dishes do we love?

How scary are spacewalks?

What are the most extreme thrill rides?

Does playing devil’s advocate help?

Why do we love watching people defy death?

What lies beneath • Cave diving is a dangerous hobby. But for these paleontologists, it grants passage to the past.

Flip the script • Stuntwoman-turned-scientist Leslie McMichael wants to upend the way her colleagues’ bodies and brains get handled on set.

Flirting with the assassin • With pests growing resistant to insecticides, and climate change creating a bug boom, towns consider a lab-bred mosquito with a killer gene.

Fringe benefits • Pushed to the brink, animals are picking up new behaviors and tricks to persevere in a human-dominated world.

Jump or die • Atop a new generation of souped-up sticks, a group of gravity-defying tricksters want to do for pogo what legends like Tony Hawk did for skateboarding.

Thin ice • In a frigid landscape, a group of dedicated scientists work to record stark signs of the climate crisis.

Film gnar • Picking the right rugged action camera will ensure your exploits earn you the internet glory you deserve.

Boundary pusher • The Grit Freedom Chair relies on mountain bike parts for ruggedness and easy maintenance.

Sensory dispensers • For the best virtual reality experience, you need gear that envelops you from head to toe.

How (not) to build your own scuba gear • A 1953 tutorial for building your own underwater breathing apparatus wouldn’t be very practical today, but it sure was optimistic.