Popular Science Summer 2021

AROUND THE 100TH BIRTHDAY of a close friend’s grandmother, we asked her to name the single greatest invention she’d seen in her lifetime. She’d been around when the first cars rolled off Ford’s assembly line, when commercial airliners made flying across the country or around the globe an everyday occurrence, and as person-to-person communication moved from copper lines to cell towers. Despite how much change she’d lived through, her reply came quickly and without hesitation: air conditioning. An artificial oasis cooled to a brisk 68 degrees on a blazing summer afternoon? Nothing could compare. For all the comfort it’s brought, though, AC is the quintessential example of the complicated relationship modern humans have with heat. Our desire for indoor chill in the steamy months feeds into the very problem it was conceived…

AROUND THE 100TH BIRTHDAY of a close friend’s grandmother, we asked her to name the single greatest invention she’d seen in her lifetime. She’d been around when the first cars rolled off Ford’s assembly line, when commercial airliners made flying across the country or around the globe an everyday occurrence, and as person-to-person communication moved from copper lines to cell towers. Despite how much change she’d lived through, her reply came quickly and without hesitation: air conditioning. An artificial oasis cooled to a brisk 68 degrees on a blazing summer afternoon? Nothing could compare. For all the comfort it’s brought, though, AC is the quintessential example of the complicated relationship modern humans have with heat. Our desire for indoor chill in the steamy months feeds into the very problem it was…

You’ll find me playing softball, baseball, or pretty much any outdoor sport. There’s almost nothing I enjoy more than being active under the blazing sun.John Kennedy, DIY editor I’m a sucker for photographing during sunrise in the summer. After a chilly night, you’ll sometimes get amazing fog moving through trees or over water.Stan Horaczek, senior gear editor Scanning for shorebirds on a marshy Jersey beach. Then I’ll wade around in a river to cool off and peel an Alphonso mango (or two) as a refreshing treat.Purbita Saha, senior editor Eating a hoagie in the sand, getting a little too hot, then taking a nap in the cool AC. Sliding into cold, crisp sheets makes me nostalgic for the shore!Rachel Feltman, executive editor I love waking up late to make breakfast…

You’ll find me playing softball, baseball, or pretty much any outdoor sport. There’s almost nothing I enjoy more than being active under the blazing sun.John Kennedy, DIY editorI’m a sucker for photographing during sunrise in the summer. After a chilly night, you’ll sometimes get amazing fog moving through trees or over water.Stan Horaczek, senior gear editorScanning for shorebirds on a marshy Jersey beach. Then I’ll wade around in a river to cool off and peel an Alphonso mango (or two) as a refreshing treat.Purbita Saha, senior editorEating a hoagie in the sand, getting a little too hot, then taking a nap in the cool AC. Sliding into cold, crisp sheets makes me nostalgic for the shore!Rachel Feltman, executive editorI love waking up late to make breakfast in a cabin in…

EARTH IS EVER SHIFTING. Continents drift, ice ages come and go, odd and wonderful creatures take shape only to one day vanish. Reviewing the history of our world, some might be tempted to dismiss the warming we are experiencing as just another of these planetary ebbs and flows. Yet scientific consensus is clear: Not only is the climate rapidly changing, but humans are to blame. Each decade for the last 40 years has replaced the preceding one as the hottest on record, and historical data proves this acceleration isn’t natural. But decadal temperature increases are hard to feel. Here are some signs that Homo sapiens are behind this trend, and a couple of effects you can feel yourself. A / Fossil-fueled skies Since 1800, global CO2 levels have climbed more…

EARTH IS EVER SHIFTING. Continents drift, ice ages come and go, odd and wonderful creatures take shape only to one day vanish. Reviewing the history of our world, some might be tempted to dismiss the warming we are experiencing as just another of these planetary ebbs and flows. Yet scientific consensus is clear: Not only is the climate rapidly changing, but humans are to blame. Each decade for the last 40 years has replaced the preceding one as the hottest on record, and historical data proves this acceleration isn’t natural. But decadal temperature increases are hard to feel. Here are some signs that Homo sapiens are behind this trend, and a couple of effects you can feel yourself. A / Fossil-fueled skies Since 1800, global CO2 levels have climbed more quickly than…