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American Pilots Were Tracking Soviet Weapons Development. They Saw Something Completely Inexplicable.

A Cold War spy plane captured something inexplicable after a Soviet missile launch—a translucent wall of light that engulfed the sky in seconds.

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Three people seated together discussing a potential clue about Amelia Earhart.

Have We Finally Found Amelia Earhart's Plane?

By PopMech Editors

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Ancient inscription on stone depicting various symbols and characters.

AI Can’t Crack the Dead Sea Scrolls’ Treasure Map

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Fluorescent beach In Yellow Sea

Scientists Are Solving the Mystery of “Milky Seas”

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Changes to astronauts brain in space, conceptual illustration

In Zero-G, Your Brain Acts like It’s Tripping

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Trending Stories

homo floresinensis photo illustration

Tiny Humans Could Rewrite the Story of Evolution

By Manasee Wagh

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Clear ice bin filled with ice cubes beside an ice maker on a carpeted floor.

Euhomy Smart Countertop Nugget Ice Maker Review

A serene garden path illuminated by soft lights under a starry night sky on a TCL QM7L SQD-Mini-LED 4K TV

TCL QM7L 4K SQD Mini-LED TV Review

By Stefan Vazharov

Wooden Stonehenge near Worth Matravers, Jurassic Coast, Dorset, England

Archaeologists Found Stonehenge’s Prototype

By Elizabeth Rayne

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The Astounding Pop Mech Show

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A Former Navy Admiral Thinks UFOs May Be Hiding in Earth's Oceans

On the latest episode of “The Astounding Pop Mech Show,” Andrew Daniels, Shawn Gorman, and Jamie Sorcher discuss unidentified submersible objects.

By PopMech Editors

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Science News

Science

Unidentified flying object, illustration

This Is Why We haven’t Found Aliens Yet

By PopMech Editors

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Investigation on the Mind

Your Consciousness Might Travel During NDEs

By Stav Dimitropoulos

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Back view of man with shaved head

This Root Could Help Treat Balding, Studiea Find

By Emma Frederickson

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Katana Display

Japan’s Most Famous Samurai Sword Vanished

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Space

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch

Rockets Are Badly Polluting the Upper Atmosphere

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A mysterious scary UFO above a hooded figure. On a spooky country road. On a foggy winters night.

Think You’ve Seen a UFO? Here’s What to Do

By Popular Mechanics Editors

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silhouette standing in front of moon

What Would Living on the Moon Look Like?

By Elizabeth Howell

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Man in glasses wearing a blue suit against a cosmic background.

Does Avi Loeb Know Something the Rest of Us Don’t?

By David Howard

Our Planet

concept illustration global warming around the world is about to be burned by human hands 3d image

We May Have Botched Our Global Warming Timeline

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Abstract liquid spheres cluster symbolizing cellular intelligence and future biotechnology

Scientists Just Built an Almost-Living Cell

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underwater pyramid

The Truth Behind Japan’s “Atlantis”

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grunge world map background

Earth’s Hidden Eighth Continent Is No Longer Lost

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Military

Crypto

6 Years Ago, Journalists Exposed the Biggest Spy Operation You’ve Never Heard Of. It Was Buried Again the Same Day.

By Michael Natale

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nuclear submarine

Why Four Submarines Disappeared in 1968

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WW2 Mitchell B-25 Medium Bombers flying in V-Formation

Mysterious Fireballs Stalked Confused WWII Pilots

By Elizabeth Rayne

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ship wreck

He Found a Sunken WWII Submarine Full of Gold

By Elizabeth Rayne

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uss scorpion on its maiden voyage

The Story of the Last American Sub Lost at Sea

By Kyle Mizokami

cover highlighting stray dogs in chernobyl

Download The Latest Pop Mech Digital Issue

Popular Mechanics digital issues are packed with original, in-depth feature stories you can’t find anywhere else, exploring the most compelling topics that our readers love.

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Consciousness

Multiple outlines of a human head expanding out from each other

She Can Trip Without Any Psychedelics—And It Feels Like ‘Double Consciousness’

By Andrew Zaleski

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man walking into tunnel of light

Where Does Your Consciousness Go When You Die?

By PopMech Editors

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Fortuneteller's Hands Above Crystal Ball Purple Hue

Can Consciousness Travel Through Time?

By PopMech Editors

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Observing subatomic particles, conceptual image

Psychedelics Could Unleash a New Ability for Some.

By Thomas Pace as told to Ashley Stimpson

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rainbow magic mushrooms

The Psychedelics That Shaped Human History

By PopMech Editors

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Gear Reviews

The Best in Tools, Tech, & Home Products

A hand using a knife to cut a colorful rope.

The 6 Best Cheap (But Good) Pocket Knives

By Rachel Klein

solo stove summit fire pit

The 9 Best Smokeless Fire Pits

By Bradley Ford, Amber Joglar, Tom Price

electric cooler in use

The 8 Best Portable Refrigerators

By Danny Perez, Tom Price

a person opening and placing a camping chair outside

The 7 Best Camp Chairs, Tested

By Tom Price, Will Egensteiner

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Home

Black outdoor grill with smoke rising, placed on a patio with a brick wall in the background.

Oklahoma Joe’s Laredo Deluxe Grill Review

By David Dritsas

Person using a power sander on a piece of wood, with focus on hands and tool.

Skil 20V Cordless Random Orbital Sander, Reviewed

By Paul Smith, John Gilpatrick

collection of stick, upright, canister, robot vacuums on purple carpet

The 8 Best Vacuums for Every Floor Type

By Amber Joglar, John Gilpatrick

Closed black protective case containing important documents

The 8 Best Fireproof Safes

By Tom Price, John Gilpatrick

Tech

A person standing on an electric scooter on a city street.

The 8 Best Electric Scooters

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Digital interface displaying a calendar and a family photo, with a hand holding a smartphone in the foreground.

Best Gadgets for the College Dorm in 2026

By Sarah Connor

jeep energizer flashlight

The 6 Best Flashlights for Everyday Use

3d printer displaying a model under construction

The Best 3D Printers for Every Kind of Maker

Outdoor Gear

a vosteed parallel pocket knife next to a watch and a wallet

The 9 Best Pocket Knives

By Rachel Klein, Justin Park

a covert trail camera attached to a tree

The 8 Best Trail Cameras of 2026

By Justin Park, Jamie Sorcher

Igloo cooler with the lid open, displaying interior and power cord, set on a modern workspace table.

Igloo ICF Electric Cooler Review

Man with a beard wearing a green cap and jacket, standing outdoors against a light tent backdrop.

Take Up to 60% Off in Filson’s Outlet Section

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Popular Mechanics Explains Precognition

True gut feelings? Or just random chance? See what the science says.

By Elizabeth Rayne

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More Great Stuff

Math

the greek letter pi the symbol of the mathematical constant

A New Formula for Pi Is Here

By Caroline Delbert

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text, letter

Breaking the 1880s Silk Dress Cryptogram

vibrant abstract gradient art. a mesmerizing abstract image featuring vibrant gradient colors in purple, pink, blue, and yellow hues, creating a dynamic and visually striking effect.

Scientists Finally Figured Out Color Perception

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a mesmerizing display of swirling blue smoke against a deep blue background

The Mystery of How Smoke Particles Move—Solved

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Cars

battery tender 800 amp jump starter and tire inflator combo lithium battery for extended use led flashlight emergency strobe 2 fast usb charging ports 030 3010 wh

The 8 Best Portable Jump Starters

By Doug Newcomb

Portable car jump starter connected to a vehicle battery.

AstroAI S8 Jump Starter Tested

By Doug Newcomb

Valentine V1 Gen2 radar detector device on display

Valentine V1 Gen2 Radar Detector Tested

By Doug Newcomb

abstract unique identifier or code representation

Pennzoil Pennzoil

Larry Chen and Pennzoil Are Preserving Car Culture

By Mara Balagtas McIlwrath

Flight

Children in Turkiye's Van release balloons into the sky for their Palestinian peers

Inside the Tragic Journey of the Balloonist Priest

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amelia earhart

Earhart’s Plane May Be Found After Radio Discovery

By Michael Natale

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Top view of a large airplane shadow gliding over a lush green tropical rainforest canopy, symbolizing air travel, adventure, and flight transit over nature. concept nature travel

How a Decimal Point Doomed This Airliner

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Charles Nungesser And François Coli

Searching For the Plane That Almost Beat Lindbergh

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Pop Mech Exclusives

human head in front of bacteria

Bacteria Can Pass Down Memories, Study Reveals—Suggesting Your Memory May Be Hiding in Single Cells

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Cloud filled sky seen in crystal ball, in front of galaxy background

We Could Start Alien Life—But Should We?

By Emma Frederickson

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Human brain with motion blur effect symbolizing cognition, thinking, memory and mental processes

Think Like the Man With the World’s Best Memory

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Anatomy of an Eye 4

A Breakthrough Treatment Could Reverse Blindness

By Taayoo Murray

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Miners celebrating the rescue of a trapped colleague, with a rescue basket and safety gear visible.

The Quecreek Mine Rescue

By Bill Donahue

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The Latest

levoit, coway, clorox air purifiers

The 8 Best Air Purifiers for Your Home

friedrich zoneaire portable ac unit

The 8 Best Portable Air Conditioners

a hot tub jet side by side with a hot tub

The Best Hot Tubs

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handheld vacuum sucking up pet hair on couch, dog next to upright vacuum

The 9 Best Vacuums for Pet Hair

cantilever umbrellas set up over patio tables

The 8 Best Cantilever Umbrellas

if you’re tired of spending hours cleaning floors, want a smarter way to keep up with pet hair, or just need a low maintenance solution for daily dust and dirt, robot vacuums make home upkeep effortless. our top pick is the roborock qrevo s robot vacuum and mop.

The 8 Best Robot Vacuums We’ve Tested

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a person using a nokta fdnix pro metal detector

The 6 Best Metal Detectors of 2026

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man washing his car with an electric pressure washer

Tested: The Best Electric Pressure Washers of 2026

best paper shredders

The 7 Best Paper Shredders of 2026

a closeup of a home weather station

The 6 Best Home Weather Stations

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ductless mini split ac

Best Ductless Air Conditioners

Levoit LVAC-300 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner in use on wooden floor and rug.

The 8 Best Cordless Stick Vacuums We Recommend