Ask Us Anything(Page 2)

Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the ordinary to the off-the-wall.

Latest in Ask Us Anything

Voyager Golden Record cover on black background

What is on the Voyager Golden Record? Shockingly, not The Beatles. What is on the Voyager Golden Record? Shockingly, not The Beatles.

flying with cellphone airplane mode

Why do we still have to use airplane mode? Why do we still have to use airplane mode?

The long finger sticking out of the Sun at the bottom left of this image is a coronal mass ejection. It was captured by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory on August 31, 2012.

Does the Sun make noise? Does the Sun make noise?

By Harriet Weber

an orange cat with green eyes with its tongue out

Why do some cats have orange fur? New hue clues in an old mystery. Why do some cats have orange fur? New hue clues in an old mystery.

By Clarissa Brincat

Anything with mass cannot reach lightspeed.

What would happen to the human body moving at near lightspeed? What would happen to the human body moving at near lightspeed?

By Lauren Leffer

a slice of jelly toast faced down on the floor

Is the five-second rule true? Don’t push your luck. Is the five-second rule true? Don’t push your luck.

By Clarissa Brincat

dog kissing human licking face

Why do dogs lick humans? It could be a sign of affection. Why do dogs lick humans? It could be a sign of affection.

By Lauren Leffer

A Tesla Model 3 engaged in the so-called ‘Full Self Driving’ mode reportedly plowed through a deer without ever detecting it. While more advanced driverless systems use a mix of sensors including LiDAR, Tesla is trying to attain full autonomy using only cameras.

Why are ‘driverless’ cars still hitting things? Why are ‘driverless’ cars still hitting things?

By Mack DeGeurin

mercury broken thermometer

Are ‘heavy metals’ dangerous? Yes, but not everything you’ve heard is true. Are ‘heavy metals’ dangerous? Yes, but not everything you’ve heard is true.

By Lauren Leffer

Peach and Blossom, the National Thanksgiving Turkeys, are seen on the South Lawn of the White House before recieving a Presidential Pardon from US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC, on November 25, 2024.

How did Thanksgiving turkeys get so darn big? How did Thanksgiving turkeys get so darn big?

By Mack DeGeurin

a body on a morgue table with only the feet showing and a toe tag on the big toe

What happens when you donate your body to science? What happens when you donate your body to science?

By RJ Mackenzie

How does science explain déjà vu? It’s a brain glitch with a purpose. How does science explain déjà vu? It’s a brain glitch with a purpose.

By Julia Craven

Why do humans have toenails? Because we’re evolutionary ‘weirdos.’ Why do humans have toenails? Because we’re evolutionary ‘weirdos.’

By Lauren Leffer

the sound of your own voice

Why do people hate the sound of their own voice? Why do people hate the sound of their own voice?

By Julia Craven

raw milk poured into a glass

Is raw milk safe? Science has a clear answer. Is raw milk safe? Science has a clear answer.

By Lauren Leffer

An image of the Sun from June 20, 2013, at 11:15 p.m. EDT.

Why can’t we just launch all of Earth’s garbage into the sun? Why can’t we just launch all of Earth’s garbage into the sun?

By Harriet Weber

young woman in bed with alarm clock and eyes opened suffering insomnia and sleep disorder thinking about his problem on dark studio lighting in sleeping and nightmare issues

What causes you to jolt awake right before falling asleep? What causes you to jolt awake right before falling asleep?

Without humans, what would happen to Earth? Without humans, what would happen to Earth?

By Lauren Leffer

A graphic depicting the inner workings of a 2024 Toyota Mirai, showing the vehicle's hydrogen storage system, fuel cell, and electric motor.

Why aren’t we driving hydrogen powered cars yet? There’s a reason EVs won. Why aren’t we driving hydrogen powered cars yet? There’s a reason EVs won.

By Harriet Weber

Janet Leigh screaming during iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho.'

Why do jump scares terrify us so much? Blame evolution. Why do jump scares terrify us so much? Blame evolution.

poppy seed bagel

What causes positive drug tests? It’s not just drugs… or poppy seeds. What causes positive drug tests? It’s not just drugs… or poppy seeds.

By Lauren Leffer

Group of Snow Geese in elegant flight against blue sky at Bosque del Apache wildlife refuge in New Mexico in winter.

Why do birds migrate? Scientists have a few major theories. Why do birds migrate? Scientists have a few major theories.

By Lauren Leffer

A variety of behaviors can foster muscle tension and lead to knots.

What is a muscle knot actually? A pain in the neck, but not a knot. What is a muscle knot actually? A pain in the neck, but not a knot.

By Harriet Weber

This artist concept illustrates the frenzied activity at the core of our Milky Way galaxy. The galactic center hosts a supermassive black hole in the region known as Sagittarius A*, or Sgr A*, with a mass of about four million times that of our sun.

Can the black hole in the center of our galaxy expand to our solar system? Can the black hole in the center of our galaxy expand to our solar system?

By Alex Hazlett

Using the microwave oven to heat food. Woman's hand puts plastic container with broccoli and buckwheat in the microwave

Seriously, stop microwaving your food in plastic Seriously, stop microwaving your food in plastic

By Lauren Leffer

a space craft floats in space

What human-made object is the farthest from Earth? What human-made object is the farthest from Earth?

By Alex Hazlett

Contrail clouds from passing jet planes streak the sky over the Utah desert.

Why airplanes leave white streaks in the sky Why airplanes leave white streaks in the sky

By Lauren Leffer

child playing with fidget spinner

Does fidgeting really help you focus? Does fidgeting really help you focus?

By Lauren Leffer

Human ear closeup

Why do we have earlobes? They make no evolutionary sense. Why do we have earlobes? They make no evolutionary sense.

By Lauren Leffer

Do aphrodisiacs work? What the science says. Do aphrodisiacs work? What the science says.

By RJ Mackenzie

hands reaching out to tickle you

Why are we ticklish? The science of the silly response. Why are we ticklish? The science of the silly response.

By Lauren Leffer

baby sloth poses for the camera on the tree

Which animals can and can’t fart? Which animals can and can’t fart?

By Alex Hazlett

Pouring cooking oil from bottle into frying pan, closeup

What science actually says about seed oils What science actually says about seed oils

By Lauren Leffer

A rare visitor, a Mandarin Duck, showed up in Central Park, New York City in 2018.

Why are there so many birds? Why are there so many birds?

By Lauren Leffer

chewing gum pieces on red background

Can chewing gum reshape your jawline? We asked experts. Can chewing gum reshape your jawline? We asked experts.

Oil Pulling Mouthwash, dental oral hygiene rinse aid liquid, trendy alternative detoxifying mouthwash with toothbrush, toothpaste for cleaning teeth on bath background

What does oil pulling do to your teeth? We asked dentists. What does oil pulling do to your teeth? We asked dentists.

man sneezing on a colorful, illustrated background

Why do some people sneeze so loudly? Why do some people sneeze so loudly?

By RJ Mackenzie

Orange juice with spoon of collagen

Does drinking collagen actually do anything? We asked experts. Does drinking collagen actually do anything? We asked experts.

Dog sitting in nature in sunglasses

DIY

Are you wearing the right sunglasses? How to prevent eye sunburn. Are you wearing the right sunglasses? How to prevent eye sunburn.

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

three colored bamboo toothbrushes in a ceramic glass on green background

DIY

To rinse or not to rinse? You might be brushing your teeth wrong. To rinse or not to rinse? You might be brushing your teeth wrong.

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

a person's hands typing on a laptop keyboard

How do chatbots work? How do chatbots work?

By Popular Science Team

robot doctor talks to elderly person sitting in chair

Will we ever be able to trust health advice from an AI? Will we ever be able to trust health advice from an AI?

By Keith Wagstaff

A person wearing running shorts holding their thigh on a beach, potentially wondering what happens when you pull a muscle, because they probably just did.

Here’s what really happens when you pull a muscle Here’s what really happens when you pull a muscle

By Nicole Wetsman

engineers working on voyager 2

How is Voyager’s vintage technology still flying? How is Voyager’s vintage technology still flying?

By Popular Science Team

Magnetic tape and Blu-Ray Discs for data storage forming an infinity sign on a yellow background. Illustrated.

Inside the search for the best way to save humanity’s data Inside the search for the best way to save humanity’s data

By Charlotte Hu

Red and pink pill on yellow background with Swiss army knife coming out of it to symbolize off-label use of medications. Illustrated.

Viagra and the abortion pill can treat multiple illnesses. But how? Viagra and the abortion pill can treat multiple illnesses. But how?

By Jocelyn Solis-Moreira

An airplane taking off toward the camera at dusk, with lights along the runway and on the front of the plane, against a cloudy reddish sunset.

Let’s talk about how planes fly Let’s talk about how planes fly

illustration of person at computer with devil horns and cloven hooves

Does playing devil’s advocate do more harm than good? Does playing devil’s advocate do more harm than good?

By Julia Craven

illustration of astronaut floating in space

How astronauts pull off dangerous spacewalks How astronauts pull off dangerous spacewalks

By Maria Parazo Rose

illustration of people on rollercoaster

4 of the most extreme amusement park rides on the planet 4 of the most extreme amusement park rides on the planet

By Purbita Saha

illustration of woman navigator

Voyagers made it to Hawaiʻi thousands of years ago with no compasses. Here’s how. Voyagers made it to Hawaiʻi thousands of years ago with no compasses. Here’s how.

illustration of pufferfish on a fork

Deadly and delicious: These 6 foods can actually kill you Deadly and delicious: These 6 foods can actually kill you

By Charlotte Hu

illustration of free-falling woman

Why do we love watching people defy death? Why do we love watching people defy death?

By Leigh Cowart

a woman looks in the mirror as she pinches a pimple on her check with her two pointer fingers

Why some people find pimple popping so grossly satisfying Why some people find pimple popping so grossly satisfying

By Chelsey B. Coombs

x-ray of impacted wisdom tooth

We finally know why we grow wisdom teeth as adults We finally know why we grow wisdom teeth as adults

By Sara Chodosh

Bees hanging onto each other

Do we still need to save the bees? Do we still need to save the bees?

By Philip Kiefer

Germs and dirt around a playful child illustrated

Children are grimy, and that’s (mostly) ok Children are grimy, and that’s (mostly) ok

By Jesse Greenspan

An hypothetical illustration of society running on garbage.

Is trash a form of renewable energy? Is trash a form of renewable energy?

By Sara Kiley Watson

Person with brown curly hair on a tablet looking unhappy while going back to work after vacation

Why you hate going back to work after vacation Why you hate going back to work after vacation

Jack Russell terrier dog facing a podcast microphone to record a science show

Our favorite science podcast episodes of 2021 Our favorite science podcast episodes of 2021

By PopSci Editors

What happens if you eat too many Tums?

What happens if you eat too many Tums? What happens if you eat too many Tums?

By Claire Maldarelli

Is it safe to take expired medication?

Is it safe to take expired medication? Is it safe to take expired medication?

By Nicole Wetsman

Person in gray exercise shirt and pink running tights with a side stitch

When you get a stitch in your side, what’s really going on? When you get a stitch in your side, what’s really going on?

By Nicole Wetsman

Why do marathon runners get the runs?

Why do marathon runners get the runs? Why do marathon runners get the runs?

By Ellen Airhart

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