On the evening of March 18, as it was growing dark, I went to the window, not knowing what was drawing me. Next to the house stood a shadow, ghost-like, shrunken, at one with the dusk, almost translucent, and I recognized The Girl with the Broken Foot.
I walked out into the falling wet snow, slowly approaching her, and she allowed me to come close. Nine months old, she was the size of a fawn half that age. Starkly emaciated, her body seemed to be collapsing inward, her head held low. Literal hunger and a deeper starvation were palpable. She bore the haunted look of terminal solitude seen in souls driven to the margins of society, among the liv-ing, yet apart. She seemed so frail that I couldn’t imagine she would live more than another day or two.
Going inside and returning with a bowl of apples, I cut them into pieces and placed a few on the ground between us. She was raven-ously hungry and I gave her a few more apples, and still more, until she had eaten a total of eight. After she had finished eating, she stayed with me. We stood about a foot apart. She showed no fear of me, a fact which I would later come to recognize as meaningful. The moment had the compelling quality which has been present at the onset of many enduring connections in my life, of being un-bound by linear time.
“I am watching over you,” I said softly. “If you come here, I will take care of you. You are not alone.”
It was fully dark when we parted, having been together for an hour. I expected that she would recede into the woods, yet the next morning she was sleeping against the house, directly beneath the window closest to where I sit all day to work. Save for the wall separating us, she could not have gotten any closer to me.
Paul feeding Penelope. Image: Paul Bochner.
When I went around to the front of the house, she struggled to her feet and approached. In the morning light, I was better able to assess the state of her health. Months of solitary survival had taken a severe toll. Her body seemed hollowed, her ribs and pelvis sharply visible beneath her skin, and it felt a miracle that she was alive. On her right flank was a hemispherical mass the size of a cantaloupe, which I took to be a tumor, yet it had an open, running wound at its center, which she periodically craned her neck to lick. Her eyes were running and had congealed masses at their inner corners.
I bent to get a look at her injured foot. From not being walked on, the backward-facing cloven hoof had grown to an abnormal length and was curling upward. The wrist, which unnaturally bore her weight, had a flattened forward surface, an oval about two inches across, worn raw, without hair or skin, only pale pink–grey flesh, which, at its center, appeared to have been further abraded to the bone. Her right front foot, forced to compensate, was splayed and rockered, her right scapula protruded, and her front quarters were substantially lower than her hips.
I again placed apple pieces on the ground between us. I spoke very gently to her, saying, “You are the best one of all the deer. You are the most beautiful. You are good.” I continued to talk to her while she ate her apples, and when she had taken all she could, she returned to her resting spot under the window. I went inside to work, keeping periodic watch, pleased that she seemed to have claimed a place. But in a few minutes, from around the corner of the house came the twins, followed by their mother who immediately and ag-gressively charged at her. The Girl with the Broken Foot lurched upright and hobbled down the embankment, across the road and into the woods.
She was once again alone, but a step had been taken. Since the previous evening, things had changed. Even before her second feed-ing she had recognized me on sight. She had approached and had again allowed me near.
Although I had seen her fewer than half a dozen times in the preceding months, from the night of our first connection, she began to come to the house every day. She slowly gained strength and I would watch for her and thrill to the sight of her slow approach. It was our private time. We stood together, and I placed her food on the ground between us. After she ate, she would stare into my eyes for long periods, seemingly entranced. I told her stories. I sang softly to her. I told her she was my beauty.
So began our journey, and one of the greatest loves I have ever known.
Penelope walking into the house. Image: Paul Bochner.
About the Author
Paul Bochner began his professional life early, as a working musician through his mid-teens in Los Angeles, then moving to Montreal at the invitation of the National Film Board of Canada. He has won several international awards for his films and is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship in painting. He has written for The New Yorker and The Atlantic.
You would think, post-COVID, that we would all understand the importance of frequent and thorough handwashing. And yet, spend any time in a public restroom and you’ll see an alarming number of people who still see it as optional.
We know it can help curb the spread of illness when you’re sick, but on an average day, just how gross is it to not wash your hands?
“Your hands have a microbial flora that is always present. These are mostly good bacteria that help protect your skin,” Allison Pappas, PhD, Director of Business Development at Gillson Sciences, tells Popular Science. “On unwashed hands, your normal flora is going to be the most abundant group of inhabitants and they’re nothing to worry about. If you’re not washing your hands, they won’t become overgrown by deadly bacteria. However, your hands will accumulate an increasing number of pathogenic bacteria and viruses from your environment.”
Pappas explains that eating a sandwich or wiping your nose after exposure to these pathogenic bacteria are quick ways to then introduce those germs into your body. She describes it as a “tug-of-war,” with germs pulling one way and handwashing your only way to tug in the opposite direction. There are also physical characteristics that come into play as well. People with longer fingernails or rough, coarse skin give bacteria more places to hide. And it’s not always visible. As Pappas puts it: “Your hands can look clean but be utterly disgusting from a microbial perspective.”
“It’s extremely gross, but assume you’ve got poop on your hands,” says Pappas. “That sounds crazy, but studies have found fecal bacteria on children’s hands and toys and on the hands of 28 percent of commuters in the UK. Even if you don’t have a child and don’t commute via subways, you’re still touching all the same door handles and common utensils as the people who do. That poop is transferring to your hands, you just can’t see it.”
So how gross is not washing your hands? It’s “you have poop on your hands” gross.
Recent studies suggest that most people wash their hands too briefly to actually kill germs. So, if you want to avoid getting sick and spreading illness, it’s time to forget everything you thought you knew, and follow these instructions for proper hygiene:
Wet your hands with water at a comfortable temperature. You can’t actually get the water hot enough to kill microbes without burning your skin, so just do what feels nice. The CDC actually recommends shutting the tap off while you lather your soap to conserve water.
Lather your hands with soap. Don’t worry about buying something with anti-microbial ingredients; research shows that outside of a hospital setting, these additives don’t provide a significant benefit, and their use contributes to the rise of antibiotic resistance.
Make sure you lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails, as dangerous microbes can lurk on any part of your skin.
Continue scrubbing for 20-30 seconds before you start rinsing. It’s longer than you think. One study showed that most adults lather for just six seconds. Try singing “Happy Birthday” twice in your head (or out loud, if you’re feeling fun) to help keep time.
Turn the tap back on and rinse. The CDC notes there’s little evidence that using a paper towel to turn the tap on and off after washing will improve your health.
Dry your hands with a clean towel if possible, or with an air dryer. The CDC says that wet hands more easily transfer microbes. Plus, you don’t want to walk around with clammy hands all day.
One cold December day in 2021, Colorado carnivorous plant grower Jeremiah Harris shared some pictures of wild Amazonian giant water lilies (Victoria amazonica) plants in the Inírida River in Guainía, Colombia to Instagram. There’s just one problem. No known Victoria water lily species grow there.
When water lily expert Carlos Magdalena saw the post on Instagram, he suspected a new plant species could be involved. To investigate the matter, he used satellite imagery to remotely search the Inírida River and its surrounding lakes and confirmed the presence of Victorias.
And yes, you can see these enormous plants from space. Victorias grow the world’s second largest single plant leaf.
Victoria colombiana is the fourth Victoria water lily to be described. Image: Carlos Magdalena.
Magdalena is a botanical and scientific research horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the U.K. Along with his colleagues, the team went on a five-day expedition to Inírida. The team included members of the Indigenous reserves del río Atabapo, one of whom had seen the lilies during his childhood.
However, the trip didn’t exactly go according to plan. By their last night, they had found only two water lily plants, neither of which had flowers. This was a problem, because botanists need a flower to differentiate species. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the water lilies they found seemed to be struggling with a late rainy season.
But when Magdalena described their situation to the expedition’s boat captain, Gustavo Melo, he said he knew where they could find more of this water lily. They didn’t have much time to do so, with the team’s flight back to Bogotá was at 9:00 a.m. the next morning. Thus at 1:00 a.m., Melo, a member of the Indigenous Tucano community, led them to a small lake. There, they found five more Victorias, one of which was blooming.
Horiculturalist Carlos Magdalena holds up a giant lilypad. Image: Mauricio Bernal.
“This is one of those extraordinary stories where indigenous and horticultural knowledge with the help of social media and technology came together to uncover a truly extraordinary botanical achievement,” Magdalena said in a statement.
The researchers were able to collect what they needed to start the official scientific description of the new species: Victoria colombiana. They even managed to make that early flight. In their recent study published in the journal Phytotaxa, he and his colleagues also announced the discovery of another new Victoria species, Victoria mattogrossensis.
A Victoria colombiana bud. Image: Nilo Rodriguez.
The team estimates that there are only between 30 and 50 wild V. colombiana plants, and is extremely vulnerable to extinction. They are currently working to get the plant officially categorized as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List.
“Now that we know this water lily exists, our responsibility is to understand it better and protect it. With so many plants in the wild threatened with extinction, we simply cannot wait any longer to take action,” Magdalena added. Experts are considering starting a naturalized population in a more accessible lake in Indigenous territory and researchers also are hoping to cultivate the species in Bogotà.
When zoology professor Daniel Baldassarre traveled to the remote Galápagos Islands of Wolf and Darwin with two other researchers, getting there proved quite a challenge. With no beaches to land a boat on, they had to approach the islands’ cliffs in a small dinghy and wait for a lull in the waves before jumping onto sharp, black lava rocks.
But their efforts paid off. On that trip, they saw a bird that very few people have ever set eyes on in the wild: the vampire ground finch. These finches are only found on Wolf and Darwin, and feed on the blood of much larger birds called Nazca boobies that also live on the islands.
Up close, Baldassarre and his colleagues noted the vampire finches’ blood-stained bills and their throats visibly engorged with blood. They also saw them in action.
“We observed scores of vampire finches clamouring all over the backs, tails, and wings of boobies, opening up substantial wounds with their sharp beaks, and drinking their fill of blood,” they wrote in an article for The Conversation.
Why only some birds drink blood
“Blood is a notoriously difficult food source to process and extract nutrients from, which probably partly explains why so few animals have evolved to feed on it,” Baldassarre tells Popular Science. He suspects that on these islands where freshwater is extremely rare, blood might serve as a water source for the finches.
Two Nazca boobies perform their species’ mating call. Vampire ground finches feed on Nazca boobies on the remote Galápagos Islands of Wolf and Darwin. Image: Getty Images / inthedark72
It’s not the only component of the vampire finches’ diet, however. Based on unpublished data collected by Baldassarre and his colleagues, blood makes up about one-tenth of the vampire finches’ diet.
“These finches are quite opportunistic, so they will eat just about anything they can find,” Baldassarre says. “We observed them feeding on everything from seeds to insects to broken seabird eggs.”
One theory is that vampire finches rely more on blood feeding in periods of extreme drought, when other resources are scarce. But more research is needed to see if this idea holds up in practice.
How this strange behavior evolved
Vampire finches weren’t always vampires, scientists think. The relationship between vampire finches and boobies probably started off with the finches eating parasites found on the skin and feathers of the boobies. This would have been mutually beneficial because it provided a cleaning service for the boobies and food for the finches.
But at some point in evolutionary history, in the process of picking off parasites, the finches started to create lesions on the boobies’ skin, and eventually began feeding on their blood.
Over time, their bills became more scalpel-like, perfect for making skin incisions. Their digestive system also changed. When Baldassarre and his colleagues studied the microbes found in vampire finches’ guts, they found that their gut microbiome was very different from that of other, non-blood-consuming finches on the Galápagos Islands, something they attribute to their unique diet.
Until recently, vampire finches were considered a subspecies of the sharp-beaked ground finch (Geospiza difficilis).
“But they have now been designated as their own species [Geospiza septentrionalis] because of the differences they have evolved because of blood feeding,” Baldassarre notes.
Vampire ground finches on Wolf island have been seen drinking nectar from Galápagos prickly pear flowers and other flowers. Image: Peter Wilton / CC BY 2.0
How the boobies cope
Baldassarre and his colleagues have seen vampire finches gang up on and kill nestling boobies,“but that was quite rare,” he points out.
“In most cases, the finches seem to inflict just enough damage to break the skin and extract some blood, but not too much to harm the boobies significantly.” This is similar to many parasite-host relationships, such as fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes on mammals. “You can kind of think of the vampire finches as giant mosquitoes,” Baldassarre says.
“For one, as in large animals being bitten by mosquitoes, often the damage is minimal and not noticeable, so it doesn’t elicit a strong reaction. Also, the boobies sometimes have a vested interest in staying put and guarding their spot in the colony, or perhaps nest or nestlings, so may not want to fly away. Finally, the finches seem to target hard-to-reach areas on the boobies like the base of tail feathers, so it’s likely difficult for the boobies to deter them.”
I, for one, was feeling very sorry for the boobies being constantly hounded by these small vampire birds. Until I learnt that Nazca boobies practice something called “obligate siblicide,” which essentially means that the first-hatched chick routinely attacks and kills its younger sibling. It’s a harsh, bird-eat-bird world in the Galápagos Islands.
In Ask Us Anything, Popular Science answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions, from the everyday things you’ve always wondered to the bizarre things you never thought to ask. Have something you’ve always wanted to know? Ask us.
When it comes to the mobile app heavyweights, few can beat WhatsApp. It’s estimated that around 3 billion people now use the cross-platform messaging tool at least once a month. And it’s important to remember there are only 8 billion or so people on the planet, so there are no signs of its popularity waning anytime soon.
Beyond being a hugely successful app, it’s also packed with features. You can use it to chat, make voice and video calls, share files, broadcast your location, and more. Even if you’ve used WhatsApp for years, you might not have discovered everything it’s capable of—which is where these tips come in.
1. Set a timer for messages to disappear
You don’t necessarily want everything you say on WhatsApp to be remembered forever, and the app includes a timer feature that will automatically expunge messages in a chat 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days after they’re read, unless you specifically keep them. This is set on a chat-by-chat basis, and affects everyone in a conversation.
To change the setting for one of your chats, tap the contact or group name at the top of the screen, then pick Disappearing messages to select your time limit. This is applied until you turn it off or select a different period, but doesn’t affect the conversation history.
2. Lock away your most sensitive chats
Put certain chats behind a lock. David Nield
Another way of protecting sensitive information in chats is to add an extra lock to specific conversations. Even if someone should gain access to your phone and your apps, they won’t be able to see your locked chats.
From inside a conversation, tap the contact or group name at the top, then pick Chat lock (Android) or Lock chat (iOS). You can then use a specific PIN code to block access to the conversation, or use the same biometric scan technology (such as Face ID) that already protects your phone at the lock screen.
3. Edit a message after sending it
Have you noticed you can edit messages after sending them? It’s handy for those typos you only spot after dispatching a message—long-press on whatever you just sent, then tap the three dots and Edit (Android), or just Edit on the pop-up menu (iOS). Modified messages have an ‘Edited’ label visible to everyone in the chat, but they won’t be able to see what the original message said.
4. Stop specific contacts from seeing when you’re active
Take control of who sees your activity on WhatsApp. David Niel
WhatsApp can tell your contacts whether you’re currently using the app and when you were “last seen,” but this might not be information you want to share with everyone. As well as disabling the feature entirely, you can also turn it off for specific contacts.
Open the You tab, then tap Privacy > Last seen and online, then select My contacts except … under the Who can see my last seen heading. You can then pick the contacts you don’t want to give this information to, and set the Who can see when I’m online option to match the same list.
5. Pin important messages you need to refer to or remember
Important details can quickly get lost in WhatsApp conversations, especially in busy group chats. But there is a way to pin specific messages to the top of the chat so they’re easy to get back to—someone’s address or the start time of an event, for example.
To pin a message on Android, long-press on it, then tap the three dots (top right) and Pin. On iOS, long-press a message and choose More > Pin. You can have up to three pinned messages per conversation, and select from three options for how long they’re pinned for: 24 hours, 7 days, or 30 days.
6. Give contacts their own notification sound
Your contacts can have their own alert sounds. David Nield
WhatsApp lets you assign specific notification sounds to specific contacts, which means you know who’s calling or messaging without picking up your phone. It gives you a better idea of whether something needs attention right away or can be safely ignored for a while.
Tap the group or contact name at the top of a chat, then pick Notifications and Notification tone or Ringtone to make changes. You can also select Vibrate to customize vibrations for each chat, though there are only four options here.
The option to mute the conversation is on the same screen—you can set mute separately for calls and messages.
7. Message yourself with notes and reminders
Not all messaging apps let you have a conversation with yourself, but WhatsApp does. This might seem like a rather pointless (and lonely) way of using the messaging app, but it can be really useful for jotting down things you need to remember on the go, leaving yourself voice notes of ideas and thoughts, and so on.
From the main conversation list, go to start a new chat, then search for “you” as the contact (or just enter your own username or phone number).
Some animal rescues are more complicated than others—especially when the creature in peril is about to become a snack for a seagull on a remote Alaskan beach with polar bears lurking nearby.
That was the sticky situation an orphaned Pacific walrus (a subspecies of Odobenus rosmarus) calf was in when two researchers found it on an island in the region of Point Lay, Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research walrus biologist Tony Fischbach and Ilisaġvik College student and Point Lay local Violet Anniskett stumbled upon the young male while investigating walrus carcasses on a remote beach. They found the orphan between the remains of two adult walruses, which was a first in Fischbach’s long experience working with walrus herds there.
The researchers requested permission to rehabilitate the walrus from the local Inupiaq community and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Once the approval arrived, the next hurdle was getting the mammal to the Alaska SeaLife Center. The center is the only marine mammal rehabilitation facility in Alaska, and was over 800 miles away. As if things could get any more difficult, stormy weather left Anniskett, Fischbach, and the walrus stuck on the island for days. In the meantime, the researchers guided the calf to an abandoned building to shelter from predators.
“When we found him, a determined flock of gulls was intent on scavenging him. He was in immediate peril of suffering this fate had we not gotten approval to intervene. Two polar bears were also active on the island,” Fischbach said in a statement.
“He bonded with us fast and wouldn’t sleep unless one of us were in the room. It was just us two for three days, stuck in a storm with the young walrus,” Anniskett added.
The calf was finally transported to the local airport, and made it to Alaska SeaLife Center on September 14 after a flight and van ride. The 200 pound baby arrived dehydrated, but in good physical condition. They treated some superficial wounds, gave him fluids, and applied other stabilizing treatments.
But the calf’s journey wasn’t over. In fact, orphaned Pacific walrus calves are one of the most specialized patients in marine mammal rehabilitation.That’s because in the wild, calves are very attached to their mothers, with whom they usually stay for one to two years. Close physical contact both with their mothers and others of their king is a crucial element in a calf’s early life. In the case of an orphaned calf, humans (who are authorized specialists) can act as surrogates, but it’s a tough babysitting job. Someone has to be around all the time to provide physical contact, social interaction, feeding support, and any veterinary care.
Caring for a Pacific walrus calf is not for the faint of heart, but can be pretty cute. Image: Kaiti Grant/Alaska SeaLife Center.
“Caring for an orphaned walrus calf is truly a team effort and requires around the clock commitment,” said Jane Belovarac, an Alaska SeaLife Center wildlife response curator. “At least two staff members have been working shifts around the clock to stay with him and provide the care he needs. This means long days and some unusual sleeping schedules for our team.”
It also means that the calf becomes comfortable with humans and thus cannot return to the wild. Now in a new long term home (whose location hasn’t been announced yet), he will be an ambassador for his species by teaching people about Pacific walruses.
Sometime between 32,000 and 11,000 years ago, dogs domesticated. Since then, these four-legged friends have provided companionship, assistance, and protection for people. Whether you favor a squished-face potato dog or a determined and smart working dog, you likely understand how dogs got the designation of “man’s best friend.”
The Dog Photography Awards celebrate dogs of all shapes and sizes. The annual competition awards prizes across six categories (Studio, Action, Portrait, Dogs & People, Documentary, and Open) in addition to naming an overall winner.
“City Lights” 2026 Portrait Outdoor, Honorable Mention Credit: Maddie Newton / Dog Photography Awards
This year, Katie Brockman took the prestigious title of Dog Photographer of the Year. The St. Louis-based photographer’s winning entry, titled “Loved and Hated” (seen below), captures the duality of feelings around pitbulls and similar breeds.
“I started photography after my dog Caldwell ended up at the emergency vet on Christmas Eve 2020 for an obstruction surgery” Brockman said. “I suddenly realized that I didn’t have enough photos of him, and I wanted a way to document our adventures together. So I saved up for a camera, and in 2021, I officially started my dog photography journey.”
“Loved and Hated” Dog Photographer of the Year 2026 Credit: Katie Brockman / Dog Photography Awards
This year’s competition drew 1,900 entries from photographers in 50 countries. A judging panel of photographers, dog experts, and industry professionals decided on the winners. And when it comes to photographing dogs, aren’t we all winners?
“Elegance Awaits” 2026 Portrait Outdoor, Honorable Mention Credit: Grace Fiselman / Dog Photography Awards“Mirror, Mirror” 2026 Portrait Outdoor, Honorable Mention Credit: Perdita Pretzl / Dog Photography Awards Henrik Spranz“Mission Balance” 2026 Action Category, 2nd Place Credit: Gavriella Leon / Dog Photography Awards“Beyond the Track” 2026 Portrait Outdoor Category Winner Credit: Elena Marchi / Dog Photography Awards Zeiss57“Chasing Beyond Limits” 2026 Documentary, Honorable Mention Credit: Jodie Grieve / Dog Photography Awards“Therapy Dogs in a Nursing Home” 2026 Documentary, Honorable Mention Credit: Jessica Mozzetti / Dog Photography Awards Jessica Mozzetti“Peggy” 2026 Studio Category, Honorable Mention Credit: Jane Thompson / Dog Photography Awards JANE THOMSON“Working as a Team” 2026 Documentary, Honorable Mention Credit: Rebecca Williams / Dog Photography Awards“Waiting” 2026 Documentary Category Winner Credit: Tianhang Zhang / Dog Photography Awards“The Weight of Connection” 2026 Dogs & People Category, 3rd Place Credit: Santos Ramón / Dog Photography Awards SANTOS ROMAN“Puppy’s Curiosity” 2026 Studio Category, Honorable Mention Credit: Sylvain Langler / Dog Photography Awards“Underwater Fetch” 2026 Action Category, Honorable Mention Credit: Tianhang Zhang / Dog Photography Awards
In my eyes, the best gift is a practical one. It’s useful and won’t rot in the back of someone’s closet for years; they’ll think of you whenever they use it; and you get major brownie points for introducing a magical, miracle product into their life. And what’s better than being known as someone who reliably gifts reliable products? I may still get made fun of by family for my history of wanting practical gifts (including lead refills for my mechanical pencil), but the gifts I treasure most often get the most use in my home. These are some of the best practical gear you can give to friends and family members who value utilitarianism over flash and fluff.
The OLIGHT Baton4 Pro rechargeable flashlight is a $63 flashlight that’s well worth the cost. They’ll never need another flashlight, and they’ll struggle to find one as bright and powerful as this. This torch clocks in at 1600 lumens, and its beam reaches 200 meters long, with a cool white color that cuts through the darkest sky. Dual switches—a side switch and tail switch—allow for one-handed mode selection (choose from high, turbo, and momentary on). Use it hands-free with an included L stand that sticks to metal surfaces, and know it will stay cool and comfortable in hand, even in Turbo mode. Charge it with the included magnetic charger, or unscrew the tailcap to reveal a USB-C port for universal charging anywhere. Your next power outage, camping trip, and attic exploration mission will thank you for this gift.
Best multitool: LEATHERMAN Wave Plus 18-in-1 Multi-Tool
Carry an entire box’s worth of tools in your hand with this $130 LEATHERMAN Wave Plus 18-in-1 Multi-Tool. Standouts and crowd-pleasers include regular pliers, needle-nose pliers, replaceable wire cutters, knives, a saw, a can opener, a bottle opener, spring-action scissors, and three driver sizes. This multitool is made to be portable, reliable, durable, and multifunctional, all ingredients for one practical gift.
Best oil for phenol-menal flavor: Primis Imports Early Harvest EVOO – Koroneiki, Messenia Greece
Primis Imports Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Koroneiki, Messenia Greece $35
Made from 100 percent Greek Koroneiki olives, this single-varietal, cold-extracted, early harvest extra virgin olive oil adds zest to whatever you love best. From a bowl of simple greens to artisan bread, grilled fish to wood-fired vegetables, you’ll love the grassy, sassy brightness it brings. And that’s how you also know it’s packed with plenty of polyphenols, so you can fight free radicals—reducing inflammation while elevating taste. Combine it with basil and black olives for the kind of flavor the foodies in your life will want to put on a pedestal (not included).
Best aromatherapy with attitude: Hand-crafted candles by FRET12
Hand-crafted candles by FRET12 $12 – $48, plus graphic tees $36
Being backstage at a show is a vibe. Sometimes weird, sometimes wild, but always an interesting mix of calm and chaos. Chicago’s FRET12 brand aims to capture the smell of decompression and anticipation and bring it home with its hand-poured “Green Room” candle, which blends birch, bark, fig, and bergamot into something restful and ripe you can gift the joint audiophile-aromaphile in your orbit. For something more after-hours and intimate, try “Deep Cuts,” or spark up “Campfire Acoustic” and bask in wafts of sweet, warm smoke and vanilla. Available in 3-, 8-, and 10-ounce sizes. And while you’re at it, pick up a custom-designed and -printed T-shirt and other garb for that special member of your personal road crew who wants to celebrate their love of all things analog while they shop for some M&M’s (no brown ones) and white tube socks.
Best golf accessories: Mileseey GenePro G1 Touchscreen Rangefinder & GeneSonic Pro Golf Speaker + GPS Handheld
The Mileseey GeneSonic Pro and GenePro G1 give you what you want for a casual round with friends, and what you need if you still want to know that carry number or feel confident before you even swing a club in more serious competition. The IP65 GenePro G1 delivers accuracy on par with top-of-the-line rangefinders on the market today, while also giving you a full view of the hole. It offers front/center/back yardages, Ball-to-Pin distance, 600-yard flag-lock, SmartSlope compensation, and more. And the IP67 magnetically mounted GeneSonic Pro speaker delivers quality sound and a built-in detachable GPS with 43,000+ preloaded advanced course views for those pesky cart path-only days. Plus, it’s a 30W power bank, so you can get out and continue to jam out, no matter what the weather brings or how you swing. Whichever one suits your game, you can’t go wrong, and they make a great gift for the golfer in your life.
I’ve sung the praises of this $98 Levoit Core300-P air purifier for years. It’s one of our best budget air purifiers, and there are currently two of them in my home: one in the primary bedroom and another in the living room. The replaceable filters aren’t prohibitively expensive, and they’re whisper-quiet at their lowest speeds. I’ve tested many air purifiers, and this one easily beats its more expensive competitors. My asthmatic cat loves this air purifier, my fiancé, who hasn’t gotten sick in years, loves it, and I love it. I’d buy it for all my friends if I could.
Best dehumidifier: Midea Cube 20 Pint Dehumidifier
Good things come in small packages, including this $180 Midea dehumidifier, which is two feet high and a little over a foot wide. This small dehumidifier holds 3.2 gallons of water and can cover 1,500 square feet, making it perfect for apartments, bathrooms, and even damp walk-in closets. Control it via app or voice, or use the built-in buttons. A side window shows when it’s time to empty the water tank, and a handle makes it easy to carry. The dehumidifier is also on wheels, so you don’t even have to carry it in some cases.
Best humidifier: Carepod One Stainless Steel Humidifier for Large Room
Carepod One Stainless Steel Humidifier for Large Room $279
Other humidifiers quickly get gross and grody. The Carepod One is a splurge at $279, but this high-end humidifier stays mold-free thanks to a sterilizable, dishwasher-safe stainless steel basin. It has only three parts to clean: the white wand, stainless steel water tank, and stainless steel inner lid. The humidifier runs for up to 30 hours and includes a built-in timer for hassle-free use. It’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances-certified, meaning it’s free of hazardous substances like lead and mercury.
Best handheld vacuum: Shark Cyclone PET Handheld Vacuum
Sometimes, a mess isn’t messy enough to warrant breaking out the big, heavy vacuum, and there is no other pleasure like having a tool for a very specific task. This $80 handheld vacuum from Shark is excellent for cleaning pet hair off couches or collecting the crust from your car. An extra-large dust cup means you can clean all these small messes in one go or have extra room for pet hair when the couch gets particularly fuzzy.
Regardless of water bottle allegiance, the $20 Kuppy Silicone Water Bottle Drying Rack helps reusable bottles of all sizes, wine glasses, and even silicone snack bags dry thoroughly to prevent odor from trapped water. They’re stackable for storage in the water bottle section of a kitchen (Everyone has a Water Bottle Kingdom somewhere in their home). Best of all, they take up less space than traditional dish racks.
Best shower filter for clean freaks: Aquabliss SF100 Daily Revitalize Shower Filter
This $37 Aquabliss SF100 Daily Revitalize Shower Filter is for the person in your life who has a codependent relationship with their Brita pitcher. This budget shower filter fits standard fittings and works with fixed, rain, handheld, and combination shower heads. It also adds three to four inches to an existing shower arm and maintains water pressure for cleaner water without weaker streams. The filter cartridge takes two minutes to replace and lasts three to six months depending on water quality.
Best electric toothbrush: Philips Sonicare Prestige 9900
The Philips Sonicare Prestige 9900 is a $380 rechargeable toothbrush that provides dentist-level cleaning every day. Sonic technology and multi-angle bristles remove plaque regardless of brush technique. SenseIQ Technology automatically adjusts intensity and flashes when it detects too much pressure. This toothbrush comes with five modes, plus three intensity levels. The Oral-B iO Series 3 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush is a cheaper option that’s still just as giftable.
Best water flosser: Waterpik Aquarius Countertop Water Flosser
A water flosser is the bedrock of a well-rounded oral care routine. The Waterpik Aquarius Countertop Water Flosser is a $100 countertop water flosser that’s more like a power washer for mouths. Choose from 10 settings for extra pearly whites, including a massage mode that helps stimulate gums. Although it’s not a replacement for floss, it’s excellent for getting the job done after a late night. I personally use mine after flossing and add a bit of mouthwash to the reservoir to get fluoride where my teeth need it most.
The Nori Press Travel Steam Iron is a $120 handheld iron that resembles a giant hair straightener. If your gift recipient is like me and has ironed out my polo collars with a hair straightener, this iron should feel familiar. Two heated plates iron the front and back of a garment at once, removing wrinkles without an ironing board. The compact iron also includes a built-in steamer to remove wrinkles from more delicate fabrics. At 14 inches long and weighing a little under 1.5 pounds, it’s packable for clothing emergencies.
Best hair dryer: Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer
The Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer is a $450 hair dryer designed to maintain healthy hair and a healthy scalp. It’s also engineered to reduce flakes and shedding and balance hair oils. This smart hair dryer reduces airflow and deactivates the heater when set down; a Hall sensor recognizes each attachment as it’s used and automatically adjusts settings based on the attachment; and intelligent heat control monitors airflow to prevent hair damage. It also dries hair fast, a plus for practical friends who hate going to bed with wet hair.
Best head shaver: Wahl Baldscaper Head & Body Shaver
Your most practical friend is most likely a Virgo or Capricorn. Popular Science’s resident Virgo and Managing Editor, Gear & Commerce, enjoys using this Baldscaper to keep his head smooth without causing physical/emotional damage to himself and his loved ones. Four floating shaver heads contour to the head, face, and body for a smooth shave, cutting it close sans nicks and razor burn. It’s fully waterproof, rinses clean with just water, and can be used wet or dry. A powerful motor and 90-minute battery life cut through coarse hair without dying halfway through a head shave.
The TUSHY Classic 3.0 Bidet is a $124 starter bidet that helps your gift recipient feel cleaner than using toilet paper alone. It includes all materials needed for installation, which takes less than 10 minutes. A Schmutz Shield (actual name for this feature) blocks grime from escaping past the toilet lid, and a self-cleaning nozzle means this bidet won’t cause more cleaning-related headaches your practical friend may experience daily.
Best cordless vacuum: Shark PowerPro Flex Reveal Plus Cordless Vacuum
Shark PowerPro Flex Reveal Plus Cordless Vacuum $380
Shark makes some of the best cordless vacuums, and this $380 option includes some of our favorite features in a vacuum cleaner, including a MultiFLEX wand that makes it infinitely easier to reach under furniture, a light that reveals missed spots, and Floor Detect technology that adjusts brushroll speed depending on the surface. It also doubles as a handvac and comes with tools for crevices and upholstery. With 50 minutes of runtime, HEPA filtration, and an anti-allergen seal, dust busting won’t involve a sneezing fit.
Give the gift of a fully connected home with the $130 Aeotec Smart Home Hub2, which can be used as a SmartThings Hub and supports Zigbee and Matter Gateway protocols. It’s also compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Wi-Fi. Although it’s not Z-Wave compliant, it offers wider device compatibility and stronger security than some competitors.
Best electric blanket: Westinghouse Electric Blanket Heated Throw
The best electric blankets provide warmth without turning up the thermostat. This $50 electric throw blanket from Westinghouse is reliable and heats evenly. Plus, it protects itself from overheating and includes an auto-off function for peace of mind when a nap strikes. A weighty smart digital controller cycles through six heat settings and a timer up to 10 hours. Throw it in the washing machine and hang it to dry between seasons.
Best outdoor blanket for sports fans: Rumpl Gametime Puffy Blanket
The Rumpl Gametime Puffy is a $100 2-in-1 stadium accessory made for overtime, any time. It packs a full-size 50×70″ insulated blanket into a TPU-laminated storage case featuring an adjustable, removable shoulder strap and an integrated 1-inch insulated foam pad to sit on when you pull the blanket out (and it’s an extra-padded 4” cushion with the blanket in). The shell and case have a PFAS-free water-repellent finish, and the blanket keeps you warm down to 45 degrees, making it great for football games, soccer matches, and club tournaments.
Best drill: Greenworks Pro PowerAll 24V 530 in-lb Drill Driver & 2,200 in-lb Impact Driver Combo Kit
I’ve assembled my fair share of furniture from a multinational home furnishings store, and let’s be real: Sometimes those Allen wrenches don’t cut it. Enter the Greenworks Pro PowerAll 24V Drill Driver and Impact Driver Combo Kit, a $169 bundle that gives you two handy tools for the price of one. The drill driver and impact driver use brushless motors and 24-volt batteries, and run 20% longer than 18- and 20-volt counterparts. It’s compact, lightweight, and easy to use in tight spaces, making it an excellent gift for DIY-minded friends and family.
Best glass containers: Anyday 4-Piece Medium Glass Food Storage with Lids
Anyday 4-Piece Medium Glass Food Storage with Lids $65
The $65 Anyday 4-Piece Medium Glass Food Storage system is made for microwaving or cooking directly in the oven, thanks to sturdy borosilicate glass that’s stronger and better resists extreme temperature changes than soft glass. The glass dishware is even freezer-safe. A glass lid prevents splatters in the microwave; lay-flat knobs vent food while cooking or create an airtight seal when it’s time to store any leftovers.
This $160 waterproof, compact carry-all from RUX works like an everyday tote, then converts to a roll-top dry bag to protect against rain and random liquids. It fits a laptop, lunch, and any layers, while internal and external pockets keep keys, a phone, and wallet within reach. Grab it by the handles, or wear it crossbody with the included shoulder strap on a two-hands kind of day. Exterior lash points connect pockets and panels (sold separately) for added storage and organization if your gift recipient desires a gift that keeps on giving.
Best pens: uniball JETSTREAM RT, 0.7 mm Ballpoint Pen
Practical people definitely have plenty of pen opinions—I know I do. And this $6.50 pack of uniball Jetstream pens is a favorite thanks to its smooth, opaque, quick-drying ink that’s water- and fade-resistant. Choose the .7 millimeter option for a finer line, or the 1 millimeter thickness for those who prefer a more robust script.
Best notebook: LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 (Medium) Notebook
My $26 LEUCHTTURM1917 A5 notebook holds my journal ramblings, my to-do lists, and random neurotic notes I need to get out of my head and onto a page. Numbered pages, two page markers, and a blank table of contents help organize all my jumbled thoughts. I personally go for a hardcover notebook with ruled paper, but LEUCHTTURM1917 also sells softcover journals in every color of the rainbow, with square grid ruling, dotted ruling, or blank pages.
The Ember Mug 3 is the latest generation of the popular smart mug that can keep hot drinks at a precise temperature all day long. Each 14 oz mug includes a sliding lid that extends battery life up to three hours on a single charge (it’s 80 minutes without the lid). And a charging coaster recharges your mug after your daily dose of bean juice (or maintains the temperature indefinitely if you keep the mug on it). Customize your preferred temperature in the app, or set it manually with a button on the mug. It’s also top-rack dishwasher safe.
This $35 leakproof travel mug from BrüMate is for those who don’t mix their coffee with their electronics. A ceramic lining preserves flavor while preventing staining and leftover odors, and triple insulation keeps drinks hot or cold for hours. It’s cup-holder friendly for caffeinating on the go, and a magnetic, OctaLock lid prevents spills while running errands.
Best bag carrier: Click & Carry Ergonomic Grocery Bag Carrier Handle & Bag Holder
Click & Carry Ergonomic Grocery Bag Carrier Handle & Bag Holder $14
The Click & Carry Ergonomic Grocery Bag Carrier Handle & Bag Holder is a $14 gizmo that saves trips and reduces hassle when unloading groceries. It’s gentle on joints, reduces hand strain, and its ergonomic design lowers injury risk. The bag carrier has a 100-pound weight capacity but weighs just under three ounces. The friend who always tests the boundaries of bringing everything inside in one trip will thank you.
Socks are a well-liked practical gift, and this $25 two-pack of merino wool, COOLMAX EcoMade polyester, REPREVE recycled polyester + nylon socks from Gordini uses fine-gauge and ultra-lightweight yarns to keep feet dry and supported with Linear Wicking Channels that move away moisture and Quilted AirForms that distribute shock and cushion impact. These OrbitFit anatomically mapped 3D zones create a purpose-knit performance fit that keeps you comfortable at home, on a walk, or while running or hiking. If cotton socks are on the gift list, we’re fans of the HUE Women’s Mini Crew Sock and the Men’s Casual Ribbed Crew Socks, which are breathable and comfortable.
The Garmin Venu 4 is a $550 multisport watch that blends style and function. A bright 1.4-inch AMOLED display clearly shows health and fitness stats like sleep tracking and time needed for workout recovery, along with on-screen workouts. A smart wake alarm helps with waking up at an optimal time, and a built-in LED flashlight illuminates dark morning walks. This watch supports running and triathlon, strength training, jet lag recovery, and more. Data-obsessed friends and family members will be pleased with all the numbers and stats they can pull from this watch.
This $50 OtterBox Symmetry Series Case has protected my iPhone 13 for years: the only blemish is a dent in the aluminum bumper from when I took it out of its case and immediately dropped it on my concrete porch. I’ve learned my lesson and never forgo a phone case. The OtterBox Symmetry Series Case is sleek without being too flimsy and protects without bulk. It’s on my repurchase list and should be on yours, too, especially if you’re looking at one of the new iPhone 18s.
Best noise-canceling headphones: Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)
These newly refreshed noise-canceling headphones from Bose are essential for quiet commutes and tuning out the airport chaos while traveling. Bose makes some of our favorite noise-canceling headphones and earbuds thanks to thoughtful design and helpful tech in each pair. We’re particularly fond of the comfortable pill-shaped earcups, 24-hour battery life, Immersive Audio, QuietControl noise cancellation, and updated ActiveSense Tech to smooth sound spikes in Aware Mode.
This practical gift is also personal. Every pair of these $249 orthotics from Stride is custom-made from a 3D scan of someone’s foot and a gait video with just their smartphone required, no doctor’s visit necessary. Take a short quiz about pain areas, activity levels, goals, and shoe preferences; provide the digital data; and podiatrists in Germany customize the orthotics and print them on durable TPU (personalized for the recipient) before they arrive at your doorstep in just 10 to 15 days. And they go well beyond arch support. It’s hard to convey the initially odd and then quickly invigorating sensation of an insole that considers each unique contour of the ball of your foot, but we guarantee your achiest friend or family member will appreciate a custom gift that addresses a big pain point, literally.
Best gloves for cyclists and beyond: Hestra CZone Bike Mistral – 5 finger
I hate when gloves hinder my range of movement. These $85 bike gloves from Hestra have a flexible but durable outer fabric and stretchy polyester on the palm. Primaloft Gold synthetic insulation, a fleece lining, and a membrane that stops rain and slush without making hands clammy keep your fingers warm. And the Lycra-clad slit makes the glove easy to put on and take off. Even if we don’t ride, these gloves could be our ride or die.
Best work boots: Danner Bull Run Chelsea and Classic Moc Boots
Danner Bull Run Chelsea and Classic Moc Boots $239 – $259
Style and practicality can go hand-in-hand. The Danner Chelsea boot is just that: Proudly assembled in the company’s Portland, Oregon factory with signature stitchdown construction, it slips on and is made of full-grain leather. The nonconductive (Electrical Hazard Certified) outsole is oil- and slip-resistant and is comfortable and durable even after climbing on ladders or standing on unforgiving surfaces like wood, tile, or concrete. Even better, the boots are Danner Recraftable, meaning they are eligible for part replacements, leather care, and restitching (paid services), so you are investing in someone’s ongoing comfort. If your gift recipient is good with laces, the Bull Run Moc Toe is another top choice for both looks and stability.
Best post-workout recovery shoes for athletes: Nike x Hyperice Nike Air Zoom Hyperslide
These $249 Nike slides are a collab with recovery company Hyperice, known for its wellness and recovery technology (we’re currently testing the Normatec dynamic air compression massage legs to positive effect). The comfortable slides combine heat, vibration, and responsive cushioning to make every step feel lighter. They’re like giving a pair of heated slippers a friar-like tonsure.
Best microphone for aspiring podcasters and musicians: RØDE NT1 Signature Series
The Rode NT1 Signature Series is a $159 workhorse. This cardioid condenser microphone has warm bass, a detailed midrange, and glistening highs for exceptional performance when recording bedroom melodies and harmonies, instruments, voiceovers, and a podcast episode that may never see the sun. Choose from eight vibrant colors, including red, green, blue, cobalt, and orange, or stick with black. Keep us updated on the views and streams! And if you’re looking for an extremely versatile mic and willing to pay a little more, the AKG C114 Large Diaphragm Multi-Pattern Condenser Microphone is a 2026 release we’ve seen used to record an entire band to a greatly immersive effect.
Best tuner for guitarists: Snark ST-2HPT High Precision Rechargeable Tuner
Snark ST-2HPT High Precision Rechargeable Tuner $25.99
Gifting gear or a gadget related to someone’s hobby will always be a hit. If someone in your life recently got an acoustic guitar, a clip-on tuner is a present that keeps giving. This high-precision tuner blocks room noise for faster, easier tuning. Strummed chords ring out in tune, and songs sound infinitely better for it. If an electric guitar and a pedalboard are part of the gear setup, consider adding a tuner pedal like the TC Electronic POLYTUNE 3.
Best durable down jacket: Stio Hometown Down Jacket
After many frigid Pittsburgh winters, I’ve learned that investing in a down jacket always pays off. I’m a fan of Stio’s $449 Colter Down Jacket, but the Hometown style is an even more budget-friendly down jacket. A recycled nylon ripstop outer with a PFAS-free DWR shields from the elements. It’s insulated with HyperDRY water-repellent goose down that offers 800-fill warmth even in wet snow. Other helpful features include pockets for hand warmers and valuable tech, and low-profile cord locks for a customized fit. We also think this limited-edition anniversary denim print shown above is just darling.
On October 16, the National Park Service (NPS)announced the latest additions to a growing list of designated World War II Heritage Cities. The park service began the program in 2020, as a way to honor local ties to history. Officials have since celebrated locations across 46 states and two territories, but there are many more places worthy of distinction.
The10 new cities and counties announced today span Alaska all the way to the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“These designations highlight the enduring legacy of service, sacrifice, innovation, and industrial achievement…and continue to shape our national story,” NPS Jessica Bowron said in a statement.
According to Bowron, this year’s selections include hubs for military manufacturing, training facilities, and logistical centers integral to Allied campaigns. In Aurora, Colorado, Fitzsimons General Hospital cared for wounded returning service members, while the city of Pendleton, Oregon, featured an airfield that trained B-25 crews that later participated in the Doolittle Raid. Meanwhile, South Charleston, West Virginia’s Naval Ordinance Plant supplied invaluable inventories and was largely staffed by local women and Black workers.
A full list of the latest entrants can be found below:
An extensive new analysis further confirms the oldest known human footprints in North America date back to the last ice age (about 23,500–21,700 years). To pinpoint their origins, researchers at the University of Arizona relied on cutting-edge methods at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Radiocarbon Laboratory to examine hundreds of thousands of prehistoric pollen grains extracted from the tracks. According to researchers writing this week in the journal Science Advances, the team can even describe some of the dramatic environmental fluctuations experienced by these prehistoric humans within a single generation.
New Mexico’s White Sands National Park contains more than stunning vistas and desert dunes. It’s also home to one of the most controversial (and consequential) prehistoric discoveries of the last century. In 2006, archaeologists located footprints inside a dry lakebed that they later determined to be the earliest evidence of humans in North America. But there was a problem. Until then, researchers largely agreed that the first humans migrated into the continent about 16,000–12,000 years ago via Beringia, the subcontinent once connecting Alaska to Russia.
However, the White Sands footprints were estimated to be around 23,000 years old. That implied a sustained human presence on the continent at least seven millennia earlier than expected. Various archeological camps continued debating the true age of the White Sands footprints for years, while others cited similar—and sometimes older— sites in both North and South America. Meanwhile, the dry lakebed’s rarely seen geological conditions allowed researchers like University of Arizona geoscientist Jessica Tierney to learn more than each footprint’s age.
“The White Sands sediments are unique in that they allow us to reconstruct environmental conditions during the last ice age at a very high temporal resolution, so that we can see fluctuations that were relevant for the humans present at that time,” Tierney said.
Combining geochemical sediment signatures with the fossilized pollen, researchers accurately determined ancient regional details such as plant distribution, precipitation, temperature, and aridity. They soon learned that the humans who made the White Sands footprints would have experienced incredibly dramatic environmental shifts within their own lifetimes. Within only a few decades, the surrounding conifer forests transformed into plains covered with oak and sage. Lake Oterio, a giant body of water that once covered New Mexico’s national park, fluctuated in size for about 1,500 years until it receded completely. Although these shifts were large, they actually closely followed similar global climate changes at the time.
“And throughout that whole sequence, people were walking there, leaving their tracks alongside those of mammoths, giant sloths and dire wolves,” added Tierney.
It takes a village to raise a child, and sometimes it takes more than one wildlife rehabilitation center to care for a bat. Even if the bat in question weighs only six grams (about two ounces).
The recent rescue of the juvenile bat in Lancaster, Pennsylvania involved teamwork from the beginning. The “sky puppy” had been hanging on a local porch for two days. While that might not sound off, the bat’s exposure to the elements in a single location for that period of time made the situation an emergency, according to Raven Ridge Wildlife Center in southern Pennsylvania.
The rescued bat perched on a local porch. Image: Raven Ridge Wildlife Center.
Pennsylvania Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation contacted Raven Ridge, who sent a team member to get the bat. The winged mammal was very dehydrated and underweight. It was also unlike the bats that typically arrive at Raven Ridge. The team stabilized her, recontacted PA Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation, and the two organizations realized that they had a northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) on their hands.
“Sadly, northern long-eared bats are now critically endangered in North America, with their population dropping by as much as 97% to 100% because of white-nose syndrome,” Tracie Young, Raven Ridge Wildlife Center director, tells Popular Science. White-nose syndrome is a fungal disease that has killed millions of bats in the U.S. and Canada.
“They are now protected at both the state and federal levels,” Young adds.
A Raven Ridge volunteer ultimately drove the youngster to the PA Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation facility about an hour away, where the team is expert in critically endangered bats. The bat was eventually returned to the wild, with a video featuring the little bat launching from a woman’s gloved hand into the night.
“Even though this is just one bat, it was important to get this bat to the rehabber who specializes not only in bats but also in those in a critically endangered status,” Young adds. “The video shows her flying beautifully. This effort was a wonderful partnership between Raven Ridge Wildlife Center and PA Bat Conservation and Rehabilitation.”
Your eyes really can betray your thoughts, but don’t get too self-conscious about it. Researchers in Japan believe that the subtle signs our eyeballs make are more useful to neuroscientists than the interrogation room. Based on their findings recently published in the journal iScience, examining the difference physiological responses from “inner” versus “overt” speech may help us better understand everything from linguistic development in children to the efficacy of silent pep talks.
To learn more, a team at the University of Tsukuba in Honshu enlisted dozens of volunteers for a series of simple counting exercises. After observing the participants at rest while thinking about nothing in particular for a control, researchers then asked them to count sequentially (1, 2, 3…), in number-subject combinations (one dog, two dogs…), and in specific intervals (1, 3, 5…). They also completed each task both silently and aloud. In each phase, the team carefully monitored their pupil dilation.
The results were subtle, but striking. Participants’ pupils dilated during each overt speech task, but this same muscle movement depended across each inner speech directive. Pupils constricted while volunteers silently counted sequentially, dilated for interval counting, and didn’t change at all for number-subject counting. But regardless of the inner speech task, pupil size changes were always smaller than they were during overt speech.
“The results of the present study do not support the initial assumption that inner and overt speech produce equivalent pupillary responses,” the team summarized. “Across the three experiments, overt speech consistently elicited pupil dilation, whereas inner speech did not.”
This collective data indicates that our inner speech isn’t simply the nonverbal counterpart to talking aloud. Instead, it’s a form of communication that appears to correspond to lower levels of brain arousal. If true, measuring pupil dilation may become a valuable tool when attempting to assess internal language and thinking. This could be particularly useful for studying language development in young children and infants who can’t properly describe their experiences to adults yet.
Tough times can fuel innovation, and battle-hardened Ukraine has demonstrated that fact of life more than most places in recent years. Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, the country has utilized drones and robotics in ways not before seen in large-scale warfare. More recently, Ukraine has introduced a variety of remotely controlled ground vehicles tasked with entering contested territory and resupplying areas or even evacuating wounded troops. But while those wheeled robots help keep soldiers off the front lines, they are also vulnerable. Their air-filled tires are particularly vulnerable, since they can be shot at or break when rolling over barbed wire, shrapnel or even rugged debris. To solve that issue, engineers from a pair of Ukrainian companies developed a new type of 3D-printable tire that doesn’t require any air at all. And it’s already being deployed on front lines.
The airless wheel is the result of a collaboration between two Print&Live UA, and iSCALE 3D. Their design is proposed to be built for Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGV) that come in various shapes and sizes depending on their task. Instead of a rubber casing filled with pressurized air, these new wheels are 3D printed around a lightweight internal lattice made from durable elastomers and composite polymers. The lattice flexes and springs back over rough terrain, essentially doing the cushioning work that air pressure does in conventional tires, but without the risk of a sudden debilitating puncture.
The tires also feature a rounded tread and enclosed sidewalls which are meant to keep mud, stones and ice from packing in. According to Print&Live UA and iSCALE 3D, the result is a wheel set far lighter than Western airless alternatives and that keeps working even after taking some damage. Fewer blown out tires, they say, could mean more lives saved.
“The most important mission of a UGV is not spectacular—it is bringing a wounded person back, or water, medicine and supplies forward,” the companies write on their websites. “Every immobilized vehicle puts people at risk. That is the real purpose of this development.”
“One puncture and the mission ends where the machine stops,” they add.
The wheels are designed with enclosed sidewalls to keep mud, snow, or debris from sneaking in and causing damage. Image: Print&Live UA, and iSCALE 3D
No tire factory? No problem
In addition to the airless design, the 3D printing process makes the new wheels more adaptable. Each set can be tinkered with and adjusted to best suit the type of vehicle they will be equipped on, as well as for the specific mission type they might engage in. Stiffness, shock absorption, and overall geometry can all be tweaked on a computer. The process requires large, industrial-scale printers most hobbyists won’t have in their garage, but it’s still a much smaller, nimbler approach than an entire factory built to roll out one specific product.
“Because the geometry is digital, stiffness and damping are programmed for each UGV type and payload, and a design upgrade is nothing more than a new file,” the companies write.
The engineers also designed these wheels with the chaos of a battlefield in mind. Each two-piece rim set lets soldiers swap out a damaged tire without the tire-changing machines or presses a conventional repair would need. That flexibility means soldiers can repair or swap tires with simple hand tools in battlefield areas where full workshops aren’t available.
A new R&D hub for defense tech
Airless UGV wheels are just the latest in a growing list of creative fixes forced by the Russia-Ukraine war. The constant need for better drones and robots has turbocharged the country’s tech sector, which has grown from a handful of defense companies before the invasion to hundreds today. Most of the companies building out the new hardware are Ukrainian, but the war has also attracted a number of American defense startups that have set up shop there, drawn in by the change to their designs in the real world. The country’s capital city has attracted so much tech sector interest that some have even ascribed it the moniker: “Mil-Tech Valley.”
Many of the cutest animals on Earth have one appendage in common. Whether you’re thinking of an adorable raccoon, a kitten, or a puppy, it’s hard to imagine them without their fluffy tail. In fact, the overwhelming majority of animals have tails. Only a select few, like us humans, don’t have an external tail.
Sarah Durn: Think of some of the cutest animals you know, a puppy, a kitten, maybe a little red panda. Now, picture them without their tails.
It’s weird, right?
Tails are such a normal part of the animal world that we barely think about them, and they’re not just adorable accessories.
A kangaroo uses its big muscular tail to help it balance. Opossums can use their tails to grip branches. Fish use theirs to propel them through the water. And your dog can communicate an entire emotional journey with just a few well-timed wags.
Tails can help animals climb, swim, steer, balance, communicate, even swat away an annoying bug.
So what happened to ours? Because humans are part of a huge evolutionary family where tails are basically standard equipment.
We even briefly start developing a tail when we’re embryos. But look behind you now, and unless something has gone very unexpectedly, you probably don’t have one.
And neither do chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, or any of our other ape relatives. So somewhere deep in our evolutionary past, our ancestors lost their tails. But why? And what would life be like if we still had them?
No question is too simple or too out there. I’m Sarah Durn, an editor at Popular Science.
Annie Colbert: And hi, I’m Annie Colbert, editor-in-chief
SD: Here at PopSci, we’re always pondering quirky questions
AC: And this week we’re wondering: Why don’t humans have tails? Because tails are everywhere in the animal kingdom.
SD: And they’re incredibly useful. Beavers use their big flat tails to help maneuver through the water. Some monkeys can basically use their tails like an extra limb, wrapping them around branches as they climb. And rattlesnakes, of course, turn theirs into a built-in warning system
AC: So what happened to ours? Did we just lose them somewhere?
SD: Well, technically, humans never lost them.
AC: Okay.
SD: But that said, we have to go way back in our family tree, tens of millions of years back, to find out why our butts don’t have tails anymore.
AC: I’m guessing the answer isn’t because of pants?
SD: No, you are correct. This goes way beyond pants. We’re talking back to a time when our ancient ape ancestors were still hanging out in trees
AC: So when did tails disappear then? And more importantly, why would you want to give up a perfectly good tail?
SD: That’s the big question because for lots of animals, tails are incredibly useful for balance. But the way our ancient ape ancestors moved through the trees may have actually made a tail kind of pointless.
AC: So evolution really said, “We’re not using this anymore, so just get rid of it.”
SD: Yeah, pretty much. And later we’re going to get into what those ancient apes looked like and why their particular style of tree climbing may have made tails more trouble than they’re worth.
AC: And naturally, we also have to ask the important question: Would life actually be better if humans still had tails?
SD: I have some thoughts.
AC: Same. Many thoughts.
Now, before we swing into our evolutionary past, we want to know what questions are circling in your brain hole. If there’s something you’ve always wanted to know, submit your questions by clicking the “Ask Us” link at popsci.com/ask.
Again, that’s popsci.com/ask and click the “Ask Us” link
SD: We can’t wait to hear your questions
AC: We’ll be back right after this quick break to find out how humans ended up on team no tail.
SD: And stick around to the end because we’ll be joined by Science Friday host Flora Lichtman to discuss what makes a really good tail and whether she’d want one herself.
And we’re back. Okay, Annie, before this episode, how much time have you spent thinking about your tail?
AC: Absolutely none. I can confidently say I have never yearned for a tail.
SD: Yeah. No, I mean, neither have I, but I have spent a lot of time thinking about my tailbone.
AC: Uh-oh, where is this going?
SD: Yeah. Uh, a couple years ago, I was walking my Saint Bernard, Poochie, when he caught a whiff of something and took off. And me, trying to be a responsible dog walker, tried to hold onto the leash.
AC: Oh no.
SD: Yes, yes, yes. Safe to say Poochie, the Saint Bernard, won, and I fell straight onto my butt.
AC: Oh, Sarah. Ouch
SD: Yes, it was un-ideal. I ended up bruising my tailbone pretty bad.
AC: Mm.
SD: And unfortunately for me, this happened about a week before I left for a two-week long trip to Italy.
AC: Oof.
SD: Rome, Pompeii, the Colosseum, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, all while carrying a little donut butt pillow everywhere I went.
AC: Oh my.
SD: Sometimes I even wore it as a hat.
AC: I mean, obviously.
SD: You know, sun protection is important.
AC: Crucial.
SD: Yeah, so I have actually spent a bit of time thinking about and cursing our teeny-tiny, mostly not there human tail because out we actually do have a tail. Kinda.
AC: Hmm. All right. Tell me more
SD: That tailbone I bruised, the coccyx, is at the bottom of your spine.
It’s basically what’s left of when our ancestors actually had a proper external tail.
AC: But humans had more of a tail at one point, right? Like fetuses have tails in the womb?
SD: Correct. When human embryos are developing, we actually form a little tail that extends beyond the rest of the body. But by around eight weeks, that external tail disappears.
AC: So I briefly had a tail?
SD: You did!
AC: Ugh, RIP. Gone too soon.
SD: We should all have a, like, little tail funeral upon our birth.
AC: Eh, that’s obviously the only normal response here.
SD: I mean, obviously.
Okay, but here’s the thing. Humans didn’t suddenly decide to ditch our tails. We inherited our tailless bodies from our ape ancestors.
So if we really want to figure out why humans don’t have tails today, we have to first figure out how our furry ancestors lost theirs. And for that, we have to go way back.
AC: How far back are we talking?
SD: Well, first let’s go back about five or six million years.
That’s roughly when scientists estimate the last common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos lived, and that doesn’t really help us with our tail mystery
AC: Because chimps and bonobos don’t have tails either.
SD: Exactly. And neither do gorillas, orangutans, or any other modern ape. So we have to keep going back.
AC: So rewind. Whoop, rewind.
SD: And eventually we get all the way back to around 25 to 30 million years ago. Megalodon is stalking the seas. Daeodon, aka “hell pigs,” were roaming North American forests. And keep in mind, we’re still tens of millions of years before the first saber-toothed cats and mammoths pop up.
And this is where things get interesting because around this time, our ape ancestors branched off from the ancestors of modern monkeys.
AC: And monkeys do have tails.
SD: Right. Most do.
So somewhere around this part of our family tree, around 25 to 30 million years ago, we finally crossed over to the tailless side from our tailed ancestors.
The frustrating thing is the fossil record doesn’t give us a perfect family album. We can’t point to one specific ancient ape and say, “There, that’s our ancestor, that’s the one that lost the tail.” But we can find clues, and one of the best clues comes from an ancient ape called Ekembo.
AC: Tell us your secret, ancient ape
SD: Yes! Tell them. So fossils from this genus have been found in Kenya and date back about 17 to 20 million years. And these animals would’ve looked pretty different from modern apes.
One species, Ekembo heseloni, probably had arms and legs that were roughly the same size. It climbed around on tree branches on all fours, and it had a long, flexible lower back, unlike modern apes. But there’s one thing we know it didn’t have.
AC: A tail?
SD: Exactly. And we can tell because of particular bone, the sacrum.
AC: And where is my sacrum?
SD: It’s right at the base of your lower spine, and it’s actually one of the places scientists can look to to figure out whether an animal could have supported a tail or not.
If you look at the sacrum of a cat or another tailed mammal, it leads into a whole bunch of tail vertebrae.
But in humans and apes, the sacrum just ends in a, you know, little point. And scientists see that little point in Ekembo heseloni. So even though this animal lived up to 20 million years ago, we know they didn’t have a tail.
AC: So by 20 million years ago, the tail was already gone.
SD: At least in Ekembo.
AC: Mm.
SD: And it’s not alone.
Another ancient ape called Nacholapithecus shows up in Kenya around 15 million years ago, and fossils of its sacrum show the same thing. It couldn’t have supported a tail either.
So we don’t know exactly which one of these ancient apes ultimately gave rise to later hominids, aka our ancestors, but we do know that tailless apes were already walking or climbing around millions and millions of years before humans existed.
AC: Okay, so we know the tail disappeared way back in our evolutionary history, but that still leaves the biggest question, which is why? Like, why would you give up a tail? They seem kind of awesome.
SD: And this is where we get into a little bit of scientific speculation because we don’t have one definitive answer.
One possibility is that it has to do with the way these early apes moved. Think about modern animals that really benefit from tails.
If you’re a cheetah sprinting and making incredibly fast turns, a tail can help you balance. Or if you’re a monkey moving quickly through the trees, a tail can be really useful. But these early apes weren’t moving like modern monkeys.
AC: So what were they doing?
SD: Well, millions of years ago, these apes probably had arms and legs that were about the same length, and scientists think they walked on all fours.
They were also climbing through trees looking for fruit. And if you’re trying to get some delicious fruit growing way out on the edge of a branch, you don’t necessarily want to go flying through the canopy.
You want to move slowly and carefully they could support their weight across multiple branches and deliberately work their way towards the good stuff.
AC: So less swinging dramatically through the jungle…
SD: …and more very cautious trip to the fruit bowl.
AC: Got it.
SD: And if you’re moving that slowly and deliberately, a tail might not give you much of an advantage. In fact, it could actually come with costs.
Your body has to spend energy growing this whole extra appendage, and then you’re dragging it around behind you where a predator could potentially grab it.
So as the University of Missouri anatomist Carol Ward told Popular Science, for these slow-moving, careful climbers, the tail just didn’t offer an advantage.
AC: So after all of this, the answer to why don’t humans have tails is basically because our ancestors stopped needing them.
SD: That’s one theory, but the important thing is that we didn’t lose our tails because humans started walking upright or because of something that happened recently in human evolution.
By the time anything resembling a human showed up, tails had already been absent from our branch of the family tree for millions and millions of years
AC: So I never really stood a chance.
SD: Nope. You were born into a long, proud lineage of tailless apes.
AC: Yet after this whole conversation, I’m starting to feel like we kinda got a bad deal.
SD: Yeah, well, before you get too jealous of Team Tail, there is someone I want us to talk to because last year Science Friday host Flora Lichtman went looking for an answer to a very important question. If you are gonna have a tail, what’s the best one to have?
AC: Ooh, yes. Let’s talk upgrades.
SD: Yes, let’s. We’ll talk with Flora about the science of tails, whether there really is a best tail for balance, and whether she’d actually want one herself. That’s after this quick break.
And we’re back with Flora Lichtman. Flora is a podcaster extraordinaire, an Emmy-nominated writer for Bill Nye’s Netflix show, Bill Nye Saves the World, and one of the hosts of Science Friday, a public radio program and podcast about science, nature, technology, and health.
Flora, thank you so much for making the time to come on Popular Science’s Ask Us Anything podcast.
Flora Lichtman: I am delighted to be here. Thank you for the invitation, and I love tails, so glad to talk about them.
SD: So yes, as you know, throughout this episode, we’ve been talking all about why humans don’t have tails when so many animals do, and last year you actually explored an important piece of this puzzle on a Science Friday episode called “In Search of the Best Tail for Balance,” which we’ll link in the show notes.
In the episode, you talked with roboticist Dr. Talia Moore and developmental biologist Dr. Ceri Weber about their work into figuring out what’s the best tail, and how a tail could actually help us build better robots.
So obviously I have to ask: Is there actually a best tail for balance?
FL: You know, of course, if you ask scientists, they’ll never give you a best because that’s their, their whole job is to find the nuance and the complicated elements of every story. But what I did learn from them is that there are ways to design tails so that they do their job better.
SD: Hmm.
FL: And the thing that I didn’t know about tails is that they’re an inertial appendage, which is not a term I’d heard.
But the way these researchers described it is that it’s like a tightrope walker’s stick.
SD: Hmm.
FL: That you use to sort of regain your balance. Like that, for animals with tails, that is a primary reason why they have a tail.
SD: Yeah.
FL: The difference, though, between a tightrope walker stick and a tail is that most tails aren’t rigid rods, right? Like, they’re curvy and they’re twisty.
So what these researchers did is this simulation to try to compare, you know, what tails work best as this inertial appendage, and they found that design matters, and, like, you can optimize basically the bones in the tail to make them work better. And they found, it turns out if you have, like, short bones, then long bones, then short bones, that gives you a very good tail.
And it turns out that a lot of mammals in the animal kingdom have tails just like this.
SD: Wow. Amazing. So after spending all of this time thinking about tails: Would you want one?
FL: You know, Sarah, I’ve been thinking about that. Here’s the problem. I already have such a problem finding pants that I like and that fit, so I feel like the tail is just not a challenge I need.
On the other hand, I’m also very clumsy, and I do feel like maybe a tail would’ve helped me in the past.
SD: Yes.
FL: …keep my balance.
SD: Yeah. Yeah, I mean, like theoretically, pants aside, if you did have a tail as a human, what would be different? What would be harder? What would be easier?
FL: I mean, besides my look, I think, the thing that would be easier is walking on a slippery, icy day in the Northeast.
SD: Mm-hmm.
FL: I think they do really help you regain balance. I like the idea of being able to swing from the trees.
SD: Yeah.
FL: I’m at the playground a lot with my kids. I feel like it would be a real flex to get on those monkey bars with a tail.
SD: Oh my God, you’d be the coolest mom.
FL: The something-ist mom for sure.
Would you want a tail?
SD: I think, yeah, I mean, I guess, like, I think I would. I think it’d be fun. I feel like it’s kinda like having wings, you know?
You’d be definitely, like, ostracized a little bit. Like, people would look at you funny, but you could do a lot of cool stuff. I don’t know. I look at squirrels, and they’re basically flying,
FL: That’s true.
SD: Okay, so you also encountered a lot of impressive tales, I’m sure, in your reporting. Do you have a favorite tale from the animal world?
FL: I’m really love seahorse tails.
SD: Oh, yeah.
FL: They’re so iconic and twisty and beautiful and they really need them because they’re these lightweight little animals that are, like, being, you know, battered by ocean waves, and they can use them to hang on.
But I was reading that not only that, which is like, that’s all cool, but actually, while most tails are cylindrical, the seahorse tail actually has a square profile, which I thought was cool, too.
So it’s… I don’t know. I’m into the seahorse tail.
SD: Yeah, no, excellent choice. Excellent, excellent choice. Flora, thank you so much for taking the time to talk tails with us. It was absolutely lovely.
FL: Delighted to be here. I would love to come back anytime.
SD: Oh, we’d love to have you.
AC: Okay, I started this episode having never really thought about having a tail, and now I definitely feel like maybe I’m missing out. Like, when I need help holding things, give me a tail.
SD: Same. Although after my tailbone incident, maybe I shouldn’t be trusted with an additional appendage.
AC: Yeah, that’s maybe for the best.
And that’s it for this episode. But don’t worry, we’ve got more episodes of Ask Us Anything live in our feed right now. Follow or subscribe to Ask Us Anything by Popular Science wherever you enjoy your podcasts.
And if you like our show, please leave a rating and a review
SD: If you could have any animal’s tail, which one would you want? Tell us in the comments.
AC: Yes, we want to know.
SD: We wanna know. Our producer is Alan Haburchak. This week’s episode was based on an article written for Popular Science by Sarah Kiley Watson, and a big thank you to Flora Lichtman for joining us.
AC: Thank you team, thank you tails, and thank you everyone for listening
SD: And one more time, if you want something you’ve always wondered about explained on a future episode, go to popsci.com/ask and click the “Ask Us” link. Until next time, be careful with your tailbone and keep the questions coming.
AC: Wait, if we had tails, what would chairs look like? And pants, and car seats.
SD: Planes? It’d be kind of cute to see all the tails lined up.
AC: I feel like we need tails. It’s time to change up humans.
Nothing is quite as joyful as watching a dog get caught up in a bout of “zoomies,” zipping around a living room or backyard in a burst of energy. But our canine pals aren’t the only animals subject to these hyperactive displays.
Young condors can also engage in zoomies, as demonstrated in a recent Facebook post from the Ventana Wildlife Society in California. The video shows clips of two young California condors (Gymnogyps californianus), Chert and Pumice, seemingly having a blast in their release pen.
“We observe the zoomies in both captive and wild condors. It’s just a sudden expression of pure excitement for young condors and very fun to watch,” Joe Burnett, California Condor Recovery Program Manager at the wildlife society, tells Popular Science. “Zoomies come out of nowhere and they just can’t contain themselves and totally let loose. They hop, run in circles, or flap around, or all the above! It’s just pure fun!”
It’s not just about the fun, however. Zoomies allow the young condors to release energy and grow stronger, as well as help them figure out their wings, according to the team.
The two zoomie condors are 1.5-year-old males who were raised in zoos before arriving at Ventana Wildlife Society’s San Simeon release pen in early September. It’s called a release pen because Chert, Pumice, and three other captive condors will be kept in the pen to acclimate until their release on October 24 at 10 a.m. The release will also be livestreamed.
The quintet will become a part of the wild condor population of central California, which today includes 104 individuals. But it won’t be a total goodbye. Scientists will be able to keep an eye on Pumice and Chert’s locations via wing-mounted radio & GPS transmitters and ID tags.
California condors are North America’s largest land bird. They measure 9.5 feet from wing tip to wing tip. But their size didn’t spare them from a precipitous population drop. In 1982 there were only 23 condors left in the world. All wild condors were captured and included in a captive breeding program.
“Condor releases are critical to achieving our ultimate goal- to reestablish a self-sustaining condor population in the wild,” Burnett concludes.
At the end of 2025, there were 607 California condors. We’d say Pumice and Chert earned their right to party.
A central air system is the final boss for home battery backup systems. The AC’s compressor pulls a big surge of current at startup, which trips many battery inverters. EcoFlow says its new TITAN Series flagship, the TITAN 5000 Plus, can start and run a compatible 3-ton central AC unit without extra hardware, using a single 5kWh battery.
All three TITAN models are available to reserve at Early Bird pricing starting today through EcoFlow’s website. Standalone units land in the $2,000 to $3,000 range, and EcoFlow says exact prices arrive November 3. It’s a big step up from portable power stations like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 series we tried last year, with a wall-mounted transfer panel and room for up to 30kWh of storage.
Rooftop solar owners get the most out of this one. Its two charge controllers accept up to 8kW of panels, and PV Boost lifts output from 7.2kW to 10kW while the sun is out. It’s also the model EcoFlow rates to start a 3-ton central air conditioner without a soft starter, and it’s the only TITAN with a 50-amp L14-50 outlet.
How a 5kWh battery puts out 7.2kW
Home batteries typically sell on capacity, the kilowatt-hours that decide how long the lights stay on. Output, the kilowatts that decide what can run at once, tends to scale with it, so a household that needs a well pump and an AC unit running together often ends up paying for more storage than it would use. TITAN separates the two.
The TITAN 5000 and TITAN 5000 Plus each hold about 5kWh and are rated for 7,200 watts of continuous 120/240V output. EcoFlow credits its 40160 lithium iron phosphate cells, which are large cylindrical cells rated at 2C. That means each cell can discharge its full capacity in half an hour, and that headroom is what lets a modest pack swallow a compressor’s startup spike.
On the Plus, a feature EcoFlow calls PV Boost raises output to 10kW while solar panels are feeding the system. Capacity grows in 5kWh steps with stackable TITAN batteries, each about 83 pounds, to a maximum of 30kWh per unit. That ceiling is roughly what the average US home buys from the grid in a day.
A transfer panel that skips the main panel swap
Each TITAN pairs with EcoFlow’s Smart Home Panel 10, a wall-mounted box that sits alongside your existing breaker panel and any rooftop solar you already have. It backs up 10 selected circuits at up to 50 amps. EcoFlow says it flips to battery within 20 milliseconds, though it tells owners of medical equipment to check that device’s own backup requirements.
Installation is where EcoFlow is pushing hardest. The company pre-wires the panel and installs the breakers at the factory, and it claims that cuts on-site labor by up to 80 percent, to about two hours of work. The seven-day install it advertises comes with an asterisk, since EcoFlow counts business days starting after permits are approved and limits the service to certain ZIP codes.
Day to day, EcoFlow’s OASIS 3.0 software charges the batteries when time-of-use rates are low and draws them down during peak pricing. The TITAN 5000 spec sheet lists its grid connection as no-export, so it won’t sell power back to the utility. Any savings come from buying less peak-rate electricity, and EcoFlow’s own savings estimate assumes a 15kWh system, 4kW of solar, and a San Diego rate plan.
TITAN 5000 Plus vs. TITAN 5000 vs. Classic
The Plus and the standard TITAN 5000 share the 7.2kW output and 5kWh battery, and the difference is solar. The Plus takes up to 8kW of panels across two charge controllers, double the standard model’s 4kW, and it adds PV Boost and a 50-amp L14-50 outlet. Both pair with the 240V version of Smart Home Panel 10.
The TITAN 5000 Classic is the budget model, and its limits matter more than its price. It puts out 4kW at 120V only, takes 3.2kW of solar, and pairs with a 120V version of the panel. Central air conditioners, electric dryers, and many well pumps run on 240V, so the Classic is better suited to keeping the fridge, lights, and outlets going.
The bigger TITANs also undercut EcoFlow’s own DELTA Pro Ultra, which pairs the same 7,200-watt output with 6kWh of storage and lists at $5,799 for an inverter and one battery. EcoFlow had that bundle marked down to $4,199 and it sold out as of October 13. The TITAN 5000 gives up about 1kWh of storage and lands in the $3,000 range.
How to reserve an EcoFlow TITAN
EcoFlow is taking reservations now with a $50 coupon that knocks 5 percent off eligible TITAN gear and adds two free 220W portable solar panels during the launch sale. The purchase has to go through by December 31, or EcoFlow refunds the $50. Shipping is free everywhere except Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Bundles with the Smart Home Panel 10 and professional installation run in the $7,000 range for the TITAN 5000 and TITAN 5000 Plus, and in the $5,000 range for the Classic. EcoFlow says final prices for every configuration, including the add-on batteries, post on November 3.
Think of the standard TITAN 5000 as the Plus with half the solar input. It keeps the 7.2kW of 120/240V output and the 5kWh battery, takes up to 4kW of panels through one charge controller, and adds USB-C and USB-A ports that EcoFlow doesn’t list on the Plus. Its IP20 rating means it belongs indoors or in a garage, not out in the weather.
Households that mostly care about the fridge, the router, and the furnace blower during an outage can drop a price tier here. The Classic puts out 4kW at 120V, takes 3.2kW of solar, and pairs with a 120V version of Smart Home Panel 10, so 240V appliances stay dark. It still expands to 30kWh with the same add-on batteries as its siblings.
In the Huab River Valley of Namibia, a female elephant carries the body of a deceased calf. It’s a tragic scene that offers a rare glimpse at the complex social behaviors of animals. Photographer Federico Veronesi documented the moment and his striking image took top honors at 2026 Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards.
“This photograph works on so many levels. Emotionally it’s a gut punch, heartbreakingly poignant,” Kathy Moran, Chair of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Jury, said. “Intellectually it’s proof that animals have cognition. This photograph says it all!”
“The Aftermath“ Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Winner, Behaviour: Mammals Federico was tracking elephants when he came across an unusual pattern of drag marks in the sand of a dry riverbed. The source became clear when he caught up with a family group. A female emerged with the calf, its leg wedged between her tusk and trunk. Behaviours centring on death have been observed in both Asian and African elephants, including vocalisations, guarding the dead, inspecting and handling bones, and carrying the deceased. Some researchers suggest these behaviours could indicate an elephant’s journey to understanding death, while others interpret these actions as possible displays of grief. Credit: Federico Veronesi / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Photographers from around the world submitted more than 65,000 photographs for consideration this year. Prizes were awarded across 20 categories, including honors for young photographers.
Winners across categories:
10 Years and Under: Amelie Davis (UK)
11 – 14 Years: Oscar Whitfield (UK/Zimbabwe)
15 – 17 Years: Konrad Gräeter (Germany)
Animals in their Environment: James Lewin (UK)
Animal Portraits: Aaron Sanders (UK)
Behaviour: Birds – Isak Pretorius (South Africa)
Behaviour: Mammals – Federico Veronesi (Italy)
Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles – Anton Sorokin (USA)
Behaviour: Invertebrates – Sitaram Raul (India)
Oceans: The Bigger Picture – Alex Lindbloom (USA)
Plants and Fungi: Agorastos Papatsanis (Greece)
Natural Artistry: Michał Michalski (Poland)
Underwater: Tony Wu (Japan/USA)
Urban Wildlife: Seth Forestson (USA)
Wetlands: The Bigger Picture – Alex Visbal (Colombia)
Photojournalism: Francisco Negroni (Chile)
Photojournalist Story Award: Loren Elliott (USA)
Rising Star Award: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas (Germany)
Portfolio Award: Kutub Uddin (Bangladesh/UK)
Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Federico Veronesi (Italy)
“Afternoon Snack” Winner, Rising Star Award When Alexis spotted this robber fly, it had already impaled the flesh fly with its needlelike mouthparts. The bubbles forming in the victim’s eyes indicate that the robber fly has injected digestive enzymes that liquefy its internal tissues before they are sucked out. Credit: Alexis Tinker-Tsavalas / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 “On the Outskirts“ Winner, Photojournalist Story Award A coyote pads along a trail in Bernal Heights Park, overlooking the city and bay of San Francisco. This individual is part of a resident pack that Loren observed hunting rodents in the park, which is also popular with people and dogs. Credit: Loren Elliott / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 LOREN ELLIOTT“Urban Jungle” Winner, Urban Wildlife The challenge wasn’t finding these lizards, but catching them in action, as they spend most of the day basking in the sun. When Seth spotted this one, he lowered himself down onto the mud to frame this city dragon against the Bangkok skyline. Common water monitors have successfully adapted to living within cities across South and Southeast Asia. They will take whatever food source is available, such as the plentiful supplies of catfish and koi in the lakes of Bangkok’s Lumphini Park. Credit: Seth Forestson / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026“Warning Sign” Winner, Photojournalism Tied to the fence and presented as a hunting trophy, this display was one Francisco had ‘never witnessed or photographed before’. In 2025, Santa Cruz banned the hunting of pumas, but illegal persecution continues. Livestock predation is one of the major causes of human–puma conflict, and it’s suggested that enclosing sheep at night and using guard dogs can significantly reduce the loss of livestock without resorting to hunting. In southern Chile, some owners have even abandoned sheep farming in favour of puma tourism. Credit: Francisco Negroni / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 Francisco Negroni“Scenes from the Swamp“ Winner, Behaviour: Birds Exploring the swamp in a narrow canoe with a guide, Isak felt exceptionally lucky to see not one but two elusive shoebills. The birds pulled out vegetation, dropped it and then repeated the process several times. It’s likely this is a breeding pair gathering nesting material. Though often called the shoebill stork, these large birds are more closely related to pelicans, herons and ibises. Fewer than 5,300 mature shoebills survive across their entire range and their numbers are decreasing. Credit: Isak Pretorius / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London. The winning images will be on display at the museum until July 11, 2027.
Almost one year ago, paleontologists finally settled a longstanding debate about Tyrannosaurus rex, arguably Earth’s most famous dinosaur. After reviewing decades of mounting evidence, researchers documented around 150 morphological differences across multiple supposed juvenile T. rex skeletons. Instead of young dinosaurs, these were actually adult examples of an entirely separate species now known as Nanotyrannus lancensis.
While Nanotyrannus was dwarfed by its massive relative, itstill reached an impressive 18 feet long and weighed as much as 1,500 pounds. But while it may have lost some of its cultural cache during the rebrand, a well-preserved specimen nicknamed Jodi may still sell for upwards of $9 million at an upcoming auction.
“It completely changes what we understand about the Cretaceous,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’s head of science and natural history, said during a recent interview.
Paleontologists first suspected the existence of a separate species after discovering a uniquely proportioned skull at Montana’s Hell Creek Formation in 1946. Back-and-forth arguments about the dinosaur’s true identity continued for the next 80 years, but the ramifications weren’t simply a matter of semantics. If confirmed, it meant T. rex wasn’t the only tyrannosauroid roaming North America during the late Cretaceous period.
Jodi is a relatively new find. Named after the Montana rancher who found it, Jodi Pierson, the skeleton was excavated at the Hell Creek Formation in 2019, and is estimated to be about 55 percent complete. It features all four of its claws as well as 35 teeth in a nearly complete skull. According to the Sotheby’s auction listing, Jodi stands about 6.5 feet tall and measures 19.6 feet from nose to tail. The mounted dinosaur includes all of its surviving fossilized bones along with 3D-printed and sculpted additions to fill in the paleontological gaps.
Jodi will officially go up for auction on October 27 in New York City, where she is expected to sell for $6–8 million. The final price may still surprise bidders, however. In July, auctioneers estimated that a nearly complete T. rex named Gus would sell for $30 million. Gus blew that out of the water, ultimately fetching over $50 million.
Marine biologists are sounding the alarm on behalf of the Galápagos Islands’ marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Without tightened regulations on the often abused exotic pet trade, researchers warn that a recent “strange uptick” in illegal animal trafficking combined with this season’s Super El Niño is further endangering the already vulnerable reptiles living on the Eastern Pacific archipelago.
“They are already shrinking in size and facing mass mortality, either by starvation or by trying to swim longer distances in search of food,” Juan José Alava, a marine ecotoxicologist at Canada’s Simon Fraser University, explained in a recent letter published in Science.
The marine iguana family encompasses at least 11 known subspecies, each specially evolved to live on the Galápagos Islands. They are the only reptiles in the world capable of foraging underwater for macroalgae, which makes up the majority of their diet. Although iguana colonies remain relatively stable, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) still lists them as Vulnerable due to predators, mounting pollution issues, and cyclical El Niño events. Ten of the 11 recognized subspecies are also locally classified as either Critically Endangered or Endangered. Sale of iguanas is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but a recent uptick in illegal trafficking along with increasingly dramatic climate shifts is adding more stress to the situation.
Ecuadorian authorities have caught people attempting to smuggle iguanas multiple times this year. In May, officials discovered at least a dozen animals inside handbags at an airport that were bound for illegal markets. Law enforcement found another 32 tied up inside a suitcase intended for similar buyers in August. Many trafficked iguanas won’t survive the stress and rough handling, but even rescued reptiles face challenges. Because subspecies are evolved to live on specific islands, ecologists must test each rescued iguana’s DNA to determine where to return them.
Smuggling hasn’t been seen within the Galápagos Marine Reserve itself, but Alava and his colleagues theorize that smugglers are capturing iguanas near Ecuador’s coastal shorelines. Traffickers then obtain CITES permits that falsely declare the reptiles are captive bred in other nations, even though no such authorized facilities actually exist. Often, smugglers are only engaged in the industry out of financial necessity or coercion.
“Artisinal fishing communities from Galapagos and coastal Ecuador, who are facing severe socioeconomic hardship and expanding organized crime activities, may feel pressured to participate in this international black market,” the letter’s authors wrote.
Conservationists are now urging a multifaceted approach to protect the animals. CITES representatives need to close existing permit loopholes, while the Ecuadorian government should focus on simultaneously breaking up organized crime and providing economic aid to struggling communities.
“Maintaining global ocean observing systems is essential, and extreme marine event forecasting and response capabilities are improving,” the authors wrote. “But responsibility and action remain fragmented across environmental [organizations], fisheries, and emergency management, and public health agencies.”
Just when you think Sony’s 2026 product parade is over, there’s one more thing for audiophiles to add to their Christmas wishlist. While the first half of the year focused on playback devices (flagship true wireless earbuds, powerful party speakers), and just last week there was a spatial microphone for content capture, now there’s something to bridge the gap: The Walkman. But this isn’t the portable cassette player of the ’80s and ’90s, even though those are so haute right now. No, these Walkmen are digital audio players (DAPs), with optimized signal paths and DSP that make all your streaming services and downloaded music (up to 384 kHz/32-bit PCM) sound extra expressive (and you can even display a cassette tape screensaver or use a “Vinyl Processor,” if you’re analog maxxing).
Kicking off the next-generation refresh, the NW-ZX900 has new premium parts, including an ultra-low-noise LDO regulator and crystal oscillators shared with the higher-end models for stable voltage to the audio block. The chassis is a mix of milled aluminum and press-formed oxygen-free copper (OFC) components. Most obvious is the updated 5″ 1920×1080 TFT color display, offering larger, clearer album art and a responsive way to control the Android 16-based system. As for the audio, with its 20-40,000 Hz frequency response, the 11.2MHz DSD Remastering Engine and S-Master HX digital amp technology, plus a balanced 4.4mm output with 250mW+250mW High Gain Mode (a distinct improvement over the previous, power-capped ZX700), deliver the best sound from your wired headphones or in-ear monitors. And a battery life of up to 40 hours of lower-bitrate MP3 playback, or up to 35 hours with the streaming service apps, ensures you’ll make it through that playlist.
Step up to the 425g NW-WM1AM3, and you get a new low-resistance oxygen-free chassis for stronger grounding, as well as a 5.5″ 1920×1080 Full HD screen. The elevated materials extend to a direct OFC audio power supply, OFC cable at the headphone output, and OFC copper-wound large coil. In addition, there are dual large solid polymer capacitors, Gold vapor-deposited ultra-low phase-noise clocks, 10-layer low-dielectric PCBs, and a higher-performance low-power SoC to run the DSD Remastering Engine, newly developed look-ahead Noise Shaper with Light / Balance / Deep modes, 10-band equalizer, C Phase Linearizer, Dynamic Normalizer, and DSEE Ultimate signal enhancement of whatever you play off the 128GB internal storage, microSD slot, or streaming services. The power-supply architecture, battery figures, and audio processing are shared with the flagship (showcased below), so you get the best balance of performance and value for those flagship wired headphones (but there’s no shame in a little Bluetooth 5.4 LDAC action with the 1000X The ColleXion headphones, or LC3/AAC/aptX Adaptive with another top pick).
As for the cost-no-object NW-WM1ZM3 flagship, it’s all about mechanical construction. This 670g investment gets you a 99.99% (4N) OFC precision-milled main chassis with a precision-machined (not press-formed) OFC rear chassis that uses 99.96% pure OFC with direct gold plating to further enhance ground stability. It’s all held together with low-resistance, direct-coupled gold-plated screws for a lower-resistance mechanical path, plus 4-wire braided KIMBER KABLE is implemented in the balanced output. The promise of this reinforced architecture and isolated circuitry is a wider soundstage, stronger low-frequency presence, and clearer fine detail for a more analog character. In addition, internal storage is doubled to 256GB.
A caveat for all three models: Despite there being a USB-C port, it is not intended to be used as an audio out. Just power and file transfer. Though it can be used as an external DAC for a PC. Listening, however, is done only via the 3.5mm/4.4mm ports or wireless codecs.
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