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A research group grew lettuce that produces a protein used to treat loss of bone density—a key health issue for astronauts living in microgravity for long periods. “Plants have a number of advantages” over the other possible ways of making drugs offworld, says Kevin Yates, a chemical engineering PhD candidate at the University of California, Davis who presented the research at the American Chemical Society’s Spring 2022 meeting. His research is part of NASA’s Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space (CUBES), which is all about using plants and microbes to make resources on the fly during space exploration....

Most of it comes down to the film’s reliance on real-world shooting and practical effects. In an image above you can see director Christopher Nolan and star Matthew McConaughey on a spaceship set that looks pretty much like it does in the movie. To get the look right, Nolan had the actors perform through realistic dust storms and other environments that another director might have edited in later. When it had to use CGI, Interstellar did it right....

Human challenge studies for influenza have a long history: The first was conducted in 1937, and they served to build understanding of the flu and test treatments for it. They were considered fairly safe; giving an already healthy person the influenza virus usually just meant a quick bout of the flu with a full recovery. In 2000, though, someone developed cardiac problems after participating in a challenge study. He recovered, but there very few were conducted for the next decade....

If visits continue to grow as they have been in recent decades, we might soon overwhelm the budgets of the 50 states’ respective park systems, according to a new study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. And a warming climate will only add to these costs. The findings are based on extensive data collected since 1984, when, scientists began cataloging information on the attendance, spending, and operations of the approximately 18....

If you took advantage of the holiday sales and invested in one of these gaming consoles, you should know how to get the best out of your hardware, so you can game smarter. Select a game from your library and instead of tapping Play on its listing page, tap the button showing a gamepad icon on the right. On the next screen, you’ll see the controller layout, which you can tweak by selecting Edit Layout....

The pet project of auto aficionado and British nobleman Edward Montagu, the machine was built from a mishmash of donated, salvaged and new or custom-fabricated parts that seemingly have no place working together: steam valves from a nearby power station, a fire engine’s water pump, heating elements from tea kettles. The group also designed 12 suitcase-size stainless-steel micro-boilers, where a mixture of propane gas and air flows in and ignites at temperatures nearing 2,000ºF, generating a whopping three megawatts of heat....

That means that avian eccentricity itself may be in danger. Across the world, so many species have disappeared or are disappearing that ecologists agree we are entering a sixth extinction event, on par with the dinosaur die-off. In an analysis published Thursday by British biologists in the journal Current Biology, the birds at the greatest risk of extinction are also disproportionately diverse. If the extinction crisis continues apace, the world will be left not only with fewer species of birds, but the ones that are left will look—and often act—like one another....

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko are each spending a year aboard the International Space Station, and on Wednesday December 9th, 2015, they’re talking to us LIVE from the ISS at 10:05am ET. Watch their conversation with Popular Science executive editor Jennifer Bogo in the stream embedded above. And submit your questions on social media with #AskPopSci.

Except to a special class of humans known as the “super-recognizers.” These individuals, first identified in the scientific literature in 2009, have an unusual ability to remember and identify faces, even if they’ve only seen them once, years ago, in an entirely different context. “I’ve learned to stop surprising people with bizarre comments like, ‘Hey, weren’t you at that so-and-so concert last fall… I recognize you’,” a super-recognizer told neuroscientist Richard Russell, the author of that foundational paper....

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Work on Air Force’s next bomber began years ago. Here’s what Popular Science said about it in 2012: Such a bomber would greatly expand the ability of the Air Force to hit protected places in enemy countries, places beyond the safe reach of America’s still-flying Cold War-era B-52 bombers. The Air Force expects to field between 80 and 100 of the new Long Range Strike Bomber, and they plan to have them ready for action by the mid 2020s....

With a full CPU/graphics chipset or card, monitor, and speakers all inside a sleek, screen-shaped chassis that sits on your desk, an AiO just needs you to plug in a few cables and you’re ready to go. Though they’re less popular than they used to be, they remain a great option for people who need a computer that can do a little bit of everything. The best all-in-one computers are powerful, well-rounded machines that excel for work and play....

Best for chocolate lovers: Goodnow Farms Chocolate Complete CollectionBest for seafood fanatics: Luças Conserva Wooden Gift BoxBest for a sweet tooth: Swiss Heritage Gift BoxBest for meat eaters: Vermont Waygu Spread The JoyBest for bakers: Crumble Crate Cranberry Ginger Tea BreadBest Charcuterie Set: iGourmet 2022 Ultimate Party CollectionBest for bread lovers: WildgrainBest for “Hot Ones” enthusiasts: Fuegobox Three Bottle SubscriptionBest for the enthusiastic home cook: Savory Spice’s Seasons of SpiceBest for the discerning foodie: CortoBest for snack fiends: BokksuBest for coffee connoisseurs: Danger Coffee...

Best earbuds: Buderflys Curiosity G2 Wireless Earbuds Just because someone says they can’t get enough of something like podcasts doesn’t mean they can enjoy an indefinite amount if their body is experiencing discomfort. And if you’ve ever tried a pair of ill-fitting earbuds, you know that, after a while, they can hurt—and when someone is deep in a two-hour podcast episode waiting for the big twist, they won’t want to take to have to take a breather....

Looking for the complete list of 100 winners? Check it out here. Grand Award Winner: A tangle-proof vacuum head Anyone living with a long-haired person or pet knows all-too-well the struggle of clearing a vacuum brush head after a thorough cleaning. Those formerly luscious locks love to loop, loop, loop around the rotating cylinder until it’s so clogged you have to wield scissors or a utility knife to free it—barely able to tell which bristles are built in and which used to be on someone’s dome....

When it comes to animals that strike fear into our hearts, bears, sharks, and mountain lions get all the attention. But what about wild pigs? The news rarely publishes stories of encounters with them, even though they’re big, have sharp tusks, and are taking over North America. In fact, there have been more fatalities from wild hogs in the last decade than from sharks. So, what happens if you really do find 30-50 feral hogs, or, as is more likely, just one, on your property?...

Best overall: Logitech StreamCamBest for pros: Elgato FacecamBest with pro audio: Poly Studio P15 Personal Video BarBest with ring light: Razer Kiyo Streaming Webcam Best budget: Logitech C922x Pro Stream WebcamBest adjustable field-of-view: Anker PowerConf C300Best 4K: Logitech Brio How we selected the best webcams for streaming As a freelance technology critic for over 10 years, I’ve tested work-from-home gear, including webcams, for publications including Popular Mechanics, Tom’s Guide, The Daily Beast, Architectural Digest, Apartment Therapy, and Bob Vila....

Best overall: Nakamichi Shockwafe Ultra 9.2.4 eARC SSE MaxEasiest setup: JBL Bar 9.1Best sound quality: Bluesound PULSE systemBest wireless combination: Enclave CineHome PROBest design: Sonos Arc with Sonos Sub and Sonos One pair Best with 4K video compatibility: Sony HT-A7000 with SW3 subwoofer and RS3S rear speakers How we picked the best wireless surround sound systems I have previewed and reviewed products—both in the pro audio and home audio realms—on and off throughout most of the 21st century for outlets including Mix, Maximum Tech, DJ Tech Tools, Bob Vila, and some defunct publications printed on paper called magazines....

You may only know shingles as the disease you see on posters in your local drugstore depicting an elderly person smiling. That’s because the condition generally doesn’t hit until you reach 50 (mainly due to your immune system getting weaker). It’s also why the recent vaccines to prevent shingles have been recommended for those 50 and older. But the truth is you can get shingles at any age with one caveat—you had to have had chickenpox....

In recent years, non-menthol cigarettes have become less prevalent, but menthol cigarette use did not decrease nor change significantly. As a result, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed a ban on menthol in cigarettes and other characterizing flavors other than tobacco in cigars to reduce cigarette use, pushing menthol cigarette users to stop smoking. A menthol ban such as this may minimize health disparities since vulnerable populations have a higher tendency to use menthol cigarettes....