Ask Us Anything

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

Latest in Ask Us Anything

water from a faucet fills a plastic cup
Health

Why is fluoride in water so controversial? The science of fluoridation, explained.

By Lauren Leffer

a wrinkly hand
Science

Why do our fingers wrinkle in water? It’s much deeper than skin.

By RJ Mackenzie

White SUV driving with passenger holding American flag
Technology

Why are cars bigger in the U.S.? It’s not just cheap gas.

By Kristin Shaw

Sant'Antiocho, Sardinia, Italy - May 6, 2008: A senior fisherman in a traditional cap squints at the camera at golden hour with the sea in the background in the fishing village of Sant'Antiocho. Close-up shot.
Health

Do people in blue zones actually live longer?

By Clarissa Brincat

colorful and fun web of polygons lines and small round particles floating randomly
Science

Why don’t molecules ever stop moving?

By Harriet Weber

Man shakes his head while being doused with water
Science

How is head hair different from body hair? 

By RJ Mackenzie

A postcard advertises the GM (or General Motors) Chevrolet Nova Custom coupe, seen from both the side and from the rear with the hatchback open, 1974. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images)
Technology

How do cars get their names? Art, science, and a legal process.

By Kristin Shaw

An Opened Prescription Medicine Bottle Among Many Other Sealed Bottles on Yellow Background High Angle View.
Health

How prescription drugs get their names

By Julia Craven

CALIFORNIA, USA - MAY 9: U.S. President Biden arrives at Moffett Federal Airfield of NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, United States on May 9, 2024.
Technology

Why does Air Force One take so long to replace? It’s not just bureaucracy.

By Mack DeGeurin

Florida, Coral Gables, Classic Car Show, 1955 Pontiac, blue, chrome bumper,
Technology

Why don’t cars have bulky bumpers anymore? 

By Kristin Shaw

an arm covered in a rose tattoo
Science

Where does tattoo ink go in your body? There’s one particular spot.

By RJ Mackenzie

A pattern of ears on a background
Science

Why can some people wiggle their ears?

By Clarissa Brincat

two side by side illustrations. on the left, a man with a red background sweating next to a thermometer with a high temperature. on the right, a man with a blue background shivering next to a thermometer with a lower temperature
Environment

What is ‘feels-like’ temperature? A meteorologist explains.

By Laura Baisas

Young woman yawning, close up
Science

Why do some people need less sleep?

By Clarissa Brincat

Once considered vestigial, the appendix may play an essential role in gut health.
Science

Which body parts do humans not need?

By Julia Craven

noses and a green stink cloud
Science

Can bad smells harm you? 

By Keith Wagstaff

girl dreaming waking up
Science

Why don’t you remember all your dreams?

By Lauren Leffer

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of a solar flare–as seen in the bright flash on the right side–on September 10, 2017. The image shows a combination of wavelengths of extreme ultraviolet light that highlights the extremely hot material in flares, which has then been colorized.
Science

Could the Carrington Event happen again?

By Laura Baisas

Close up on woman white teeth.
Science

Could we ever regrow our adult teeth?

By Harriet Weber

dog depression
Science

Do animals experience mental illness?

By Mack DeGeurin