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sidewinder missile illustration

America’s Groundbreaking Sidewinder Was Poised to Rule the Skies. Then, the Soviet Union Stole It.

One of the most successful missiles of all time with 270 kills to date, the Sidewinder completely revolutionized aerial warfare.

By Kyle Mizokami

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Top Stories

a plant in a wooden box

Two-Tool Project: Build a Cedar Planter

All you need is wood, a saw, and a drill.

By Roy Berendsohn

a pair of jackets on a wall

Overhaul Your Shop

By Roy Berendsohn

zero point energy, illustration

Fifth State of Matter Makes a Quantum Breakthrough

flintlock muzzle loader muskets guns firing smoke from the gunpowder fills the air

Lost Revolutionary War Barracks Found in Virginia

abstract light in a tunnel

A Groundbreaking Discovery For Interstellar Travel

By Manasee Wagh

Dive Deeper

aerial photograph, emeryville crescent i 80 i 880 i 580 freeway interchange alameda california

Rebuilding the Maze

After a crucial section of a California freeway collapsed, this formidable construction boss pulled off one of the fastest, riskiest, most high-stakes reconstructions in U.S. history.

By Mitch Moxley and | Additional Reporting by Beth Ruyak

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Trending Now

fisherman against fantasy monster

A Colossal Squid Might Have Shown Its Secret Face

welder inside steel tank

A New Alloy Is Defying the Limits of Metal

By Caroline Delbert

bong and marge

Plane Flown by 'Ace of Aces' Pilot Finally Found

By Michael Natale

toothache pain

Humans May Be Able to Grow New Teeth in 6 Years

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Military & Defense

a soldier holding a gun

Will the Army’s New Rifle—And the Bigger Bullets It Fires—Be Able to Take on Russian Body Armor?

fujian aircraft carrier rendered in red and orange

China Could Rule the Seas With This New Tech

drones in crosshairs

The U.S. Has Built an Unstoppable Microwave Weapon

the virginia class attack submarine pre commissioning unit missouri conducts sea trials, july 2, in the atlantic ocean missouri is scheduled to be commissioned july 31 at naval submarine base new london

This Is the Most Lethal Submarine in the Sea

fire trucks on a road

The Most Expensive Plane Crash in History

Stay Curious

Tech

neckfan lead

The Best Neck Fans for Beating the Heat on the Go

best digital picture frames

The 10 Best Digital Picture Frames

cassette audio tape illustration with glitch vhs effect

The Arms Race That Started a Music Revolution

apple macbook air with m3 chip

Shop Memorial Day Apple Deals Still Happening

Science

podium with fiery frame

A 13-Year-Old Built Archimedes' Mythical Death Ray

voodoo temple

This King Built Funerary Huts With Human Blood

portrait of beautiful paleontologist cleaning tyrannosaurus dinosaur skeleton with brushes archeologists discover fossil remains of new predator species archeological excavation digging site

A Near-Complete Stegosaurus Is Up for Auction

magnet fishing

Magnet Fishing Yields Cash-Filled Safe in NYC

Space

starship

The World’s Biggest Rocket Just Got Closer to Mars

touching virtual

A Researcher Says There Could Be an Anti-Universe

communications satellite on the background of the moon satellite connection

This Is the World's First Wooden Satellite

astronaut on mars kneeling looking at space rocket in distance

NASA Puts More Money Behind Sci-Fi Plasma Rocket

Editor Tested and Selected

popular mechanics 2024 yard and garden awards

The 2024 Popular Mechanics Yard & Garden Awards

This spring’s best equipment for your yard and garden.

By Roy Berendsohn, Bradley Ford and Photography by Trevor Raab

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Flight

topshot australia malaysia china malaysiaairlines accident trans

Treasure Hunters Say They Found Amelia Earhart’s Plane. Now, They’re Looking for MH370.

bessie coleman with helmet and goggles, bi plane illustration

How Bessie Coleman's Sky-High Ambition Killed Her

a group of soldiers standing next to a plane

Can Smokejumpers Still Protect a World on Fire?

fingerprints, police sketch of db cooper

7 People Who Have Confessed to Being D.B. Cooper

amelia earhart in the cockpit of an airplane

Possible Evidence of Amelia Earhart’s Plane

Badass Military Machines

a plane flying in the sky

Why the F-15EX Is Such a Badass Plane

leopard 2 tank

Why the Leopard 2 Is Such a Badass Tank

By Kyle Mizokami

B-52 Badass Plane

Pop Mech Pro Pop Mech Pro

Why the B-52 Is Such a Badass Plane

By Alex Hollings

c5 galaxy

Pop Mech Pro Pop Mech Pro

Why the C-5 Galaxy Is Such a Badass Plane

By Kyle Mizokami

Learn Something New

Physics

nebula with womans face

The Source of All Consciousness May Be Black Holes

human hands stretched out to the burning sun, ethereal and unreal concepts of universe, spiritual and natural powers otherwise, fires burning down the past life, natural disaster, climate change and global warming, inferno, hell and chaos ultimate conceptual shot

Immortality Is Impossible Until We Beat Physics

a planet with stars and a galaxy

Could the Chair You Sit on Have a Soul?

rainbow colored brain with lightning bolts all over it before a rainbow galaxy background with tiny stars

Is Consciousness Everywhere All at Once?

Deep Math

pool table

Billiards With Memory Creates Intricate Patterns

prime numbers

A Prime Numbers Study Is Stirring Up Controversy

portrait of french mathematician, pierre de fermat

Machines About to Tackle Fermat’s Last Theorem

numbers around a phantom face in black and blue

Can AI Help Solve Math’s Thorniest Mysteries?

Home & DIY

dewalt dwpw2100 pressure washer

Tested: The Best Electric Pressure Washers of 2024

a wooden shop shelf holding some equipment

Presented by Castrol

How To Build Your Own Shop Shelves

using induction to heat a frozen nut

Presented by Castrol

Use Induction Heat to Break Free Rusted Bolts

front brake pads being replaced

Presented by Castrol

How to Replace Your Car’s Brakes

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Artificial Intelligence

seated robot artist painting on digital screen

AI Image Generators Will Blow Your Mind. Here Are the Best 3 Right Now

male face, illustration

Should We Worry About AI Reaching Singularity?

humanoid robots facing each other, illustration

Could AI Really Have Thoughts and Feelings?

robot hand holding a paint brush

Why You Should Try Using AI For Your DIY Projects

a tape measure spread across a wooden box with a phone displaying the chatgpt dashboard

I Tried to Learn Woodworking Through ChatGPT

More Great Stuff

Culture

henrietta lacks

Henrietta Lacks Never Asked to Be Immortal

documents from stargate project

The CIA’s Secret Plan to Use Mind Control

walt disney head, clouds, dry ice

The Truth About Walt Disney’s Frozen Head

harry houdini with locked chains around wrists

Who Killed Harry Houdini?

Editor Favorites

view of the glomar explorerr

Inside the CIA’s Quest to Steal a Soviet Sub

a frozen human brain inside a spinning ice cube 3d illustration

Could Freezing Your Brain Help You Live Forever?

astronaut on moon collecting samples

The Incredible Case of NASA’S Missing Moondust

multicolored painted nebula

The Universe Could Be Eternal, This Theory Says

Conspiracy Theories

close up image of full moon as seen in the northern hemisphere

The Strange Origin of the Hollow Moon Conspiracy

nasa captured this image during the sts 88 space shuttle mission while 246 miles above the coast of namibia and looking north

Presented by Pop Mech Pro

The Truth About the ‘Black Knight’ Satellite

roman empire

Why Some People Deny the Roman Empire Ever Existed

portrait of challenger crew

Why Challenger Conspiracy Theories Persist

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Our Planet

arching fountain of lava, kilauea volcano, 1983

A New Kind of Volcano Just Dropped: the Stomp-Rocket Eruption

global warming concept

The World Suffered 26 Excess Hot Days in Past Year

oil pump, oil industry equipment

How Fracking Wastewater Could Be a Climate Ally

rock face on the shore

There Are 5,251 Holes Lining California's Coast

baobab trees, adansonia digitata, nxai pan national park, makgadikgadi pans, botswana

Uncovering the Origin Story of the ‘Tree of Life'

Live the POP Life

Cars & Trucks

best microfiber cloths

The Best Microfiber Car Cloths for Your Vehicle

a coffee cup and a coffee mug

The Best Car Cup Holder Adapters in 2024

a person spraying water on a car

Presented by Castrol

How To Wash Your Car

best car tools, car maintenance, diy car maintenance

Presented by Castrol

The Best Car Tools to Keep Up With Maintenance

Adventure

ultimate camping gear guide

The Ultimate Camping Gear Guide

a piece of meat on a grill

22 Great Grill Accessories for Better Barbecues

solar chargers

The Best Solar Chargers to Keep You Plugged In

young woman pouring gas into the generator at camp

The 8 Best RV Generators of 2024

Gear & Gadgets

best sprinklers melnor xt turbo oscillating sprinker

The Best Sprinklers for Hassle-Free Watering

jackery explorer 1000 portable power station

Jackery Power Stations Are 37% Off at Amazon

windmill ac unit lead

The Best Window Air Conditioners for Summer 2024

best pressure washers

Tested and Approved: The 5 Best Pressure Washers

The Latest

ultimate camping gear guide

The Ultimate Camping Gear Guide

best poolside chair

The 12 Best Pool Lounge Chairs for a Staycation

best sprinklers melnor xt turbo oscillating sprinker

The Best Sprinklers for Hassle-Free Watering

jackery explorer 1000 portable power station

Jackery Power Stations Are 37% Off at Amazon

windmill ac unit lead

The Best Window Air Conditioners for Summer 2024

starship

The World’s Biggest Rocket Just Got Closer to Mars

touching virtual

A Researcher Says There Could Be an Anti-Universe

podium with fiery frame

A 13-Year-Old Built Archimedes' Mythical Death Ray

voodoo temple

This King Built Funerary Huts With Human Blood

vidaxl metal shed

The Best Metal Sheds for Yard and Garden Tools

best pressure washers

Tested and Approved: The 5 Best Pressure Washers

sidewinder missile illustration

How Russia Copied America’s Deadliest Missile