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16 Jun 2025
Q&A: How anacondas, chickens, and locals may be able to coexist in the Amazon - Popular Science
South America’s lush Amazon region is a biodiversity hotspot, which means that every living thing must find a way to co-exist. Even some of the most feared snakes on the planet–anacondas. In a paper published June 16 in the journal Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science, conservation biologists Beatriz Cosendey and Juarez Carlos Brito Pezzuti from the Federal University of Pará’s Center for Amazonian Studies in Brazil, analyze the key points behind the interactions between humans and the local anaconda populations.
Ahead of the paper’s publication, the team at Frontiers conducted this wide-ranging Q&A with Conesday. It has not been altered.
Frontiers: What inspired you to become a researcher?
Beatriz Cosendey: As a child, I was fascinated by reports and documentaries about field research and often wondered what it took to be there and what kind of knowledge was being produced. Later, as an ecologist, I felt the need for approaches that better connected scientific research with real-world contexts. I became especially interested in perspectives that viewed humans not as separate from nature, but as part of ecological systems. This led me to explore integrative methods that incorporate local and traditional knowledge, aiming to make research more relevant and accessible to the communities involved.
F: Can you tell us about the research you’re currently working on?
BC: My research focuses on ethnobiology, an interdisciplinary field intersecting ecology, conservation, and traditional knowledge. We investigate not only the biodiversity of an area but also the relationship local communities have with surrounding species, providing a better understanding of local dynamics and areas needing special attention for conservation. After all, no one knows a place better than those who have lived there for generations. This deep familiarity allows for early detection of changes or environmental shifts. Additionally, developing a collaborative project with residents generates greater engagement, as they recognize themselves as active contributors; and collective participation is essential for effective conservation.
Local boating the Amazon River. CREDIT: Beatriz Cosendey.F: Could you tell us about one of the legends surrounding anacondas?
BC: One of the greatest myths is about the Great Snake—a huge snake that is said to inhabit the Amazon River and sleep beneath the town. According to the dwellers, the Great Snake is an anaconda that has grown too large; its movements can shake the river’s waters, and its eyes look like fire in the darkness of night. People say anacondas can grow so big that they can swallow large animals—including humans or cattle—without difficulty.
F: What could be the reasons why the traditional role of anacondas as a spiritual and mythological entity has changed? Do you think the fact that fewer anacondas have been seen in recent years contributes to their diminished importance as an mythological entity?
BC: Not exactly. I believe the two are related, but not in a direct way. The mythology still exists, but among Aritapera dwellers, there’s a more practical, everyday concern—mainly the fear of losing their chickens. As a result, anacondas have come to be seen as stealthy thieves. These traits are mostly associated with smaller individuals (up to around 2–2.5 meters), while the larger ones—which may still carry the symbolic weight of the ‘Great Snake’—tend to retreat to more sheltered areas; because of the presence of houses, motorized boats, and general noise, they are now seen much less frequently.
A giant anaconda is being measured. Credit: Pedro Calazans.F: Can you share some of the quotes you’ve collected in interviews that show the attitude of community members towards anacondas? How do chickens come into play?
BC: When talking about anacondas, one thing always comes up: chickens. “Chicken is her [the anaconda’s] favorite dish. If one clucks, she comes,” said one dweller. This kind of remark helps explain why the conflict is often framed in economic terms. During the interviews and conversations with local dwellers, many emphasized the financial impact of losing their animals: “The biggest loss is that they keep taking chicks and chickens…” or “You raise the chicken—you can’t just let it be eaten for free, right?”
For them, it’s a loss of investment, especially since corn, which is used as chicken feed, is expensive. As one person put it: “We spend time feeding and raising the birds, and then the snake comes and takes them.” One dweller shared that, in an attempt to prevent another loss, he killed the anaconda and removed the last chicken it had swallowed from its belly—”it was still fresh,” he said—and used it for his meal, cooking the chicken for lunch so it wouldn’t go to waste.
One of the Amazonas communities where the researchers conducted their research. CREDIT: Beatriz Cosendey.Some interviewees reported that they had to rebuild their chicken coops and pigsties because too many anacondas were getting in. Participants would point out where the anaconda had entered and explained that they came in through gaps or cracks but couldn’t get out afterwards because they ‘tufavam’ — a local term referring to the snake’s body swelling after ingesting prey.
We saw chicken coops made with mesh, with nylon, some that worked and some that didn’t. Guided by the locals’ insights, we concluded that the best solution to compensate for the gaps between the wooden slats is to line the coop with a fine nylon mesh (to block smaller animals), and on the outside, a layer of wire mesh, which protects the inner mesh and prevents the entry of larger animals.
F: Are there any common misconceptions about this area of research? How would you address them?
BC: Yes, very much. Although ethnobiology is an old science, it’s still underexplored and often misunderstood. In some fields, there are ongoing debates about the robustness and scientific validity of the field and related areas. This is largely because the findings don’t always rely only on hard statistical data.
However, like any other scientific field, it follows standardized methodologies, and no result is accepted without proper grounding. What happens is that ethnobiology leans more toward the human sciences, placing human beings and traditional knowledge as key variables within its framework.
To address these misconceptions, I believe it’s important to emphasize that ethnobiology produces solid and relevant knowledge—especially in the context of conservation and sustainable development. It offers insights that purely biological approaches might overlook and helps build bridges between science and society.
The study focused on the várzea regions of the Lower Amazon River. CREDIT: Beatriz Cosendey.F: What are some of the areas of research you’d like to see tackled in the years ahead?
BC: I’d like to see more conservation projects that include local communities as active participants rather than as passive observers. Incorporating their voices, perspectives, and needs not only makes initiatives more effective, but also more just. There is also great potential in recognizing and valuing traditional knowledge. Beyond its cultural significance, certain practices—such as the use of natural compounds—could become practical assets for other vulnerable regions. Once properly documented and understood, many of these approaches offer adaptable forms of environmental management and could help inform broader conservation strategies elsewhere.
F: How has open science benefited the reach and impact of your research?
BC: Open science is crucial for making research more accessible. By eliminating access barriers, it facilitates a broader exchange of knowledge—important especially for interdisciplinary research like mine which draws on multiple knowledge systems and gains value when shared widely. For scientific work, it ensures that knowledge reaches a wider audience, including practitioners and policymakers. This openness fosters dialogue across different sectors, making research more inclusive and encouraging greater collaboration among diverse groups.
The Q&A can also be read here.
The post Q&A: How anacondas, chickens, and locals may be able to coexist in the Amazon appeared first on Popular Science.
Learn how to use Amazon to your advantage with this $19.99 How to sell on Amazon Bundle - Popular Science
For most people, times are tight right now. Between inflation and tariffs, everyday purchases are taking a larger chunk out of our paychecks. Many have turned to side hustles like gig jobs, freelance work, or trying to make passive income work. Think of how much you could do with some extra money each month. With this Amazon FBA bundle, you can learn how to sell products on Amazon for just $19.99.
This bundle includes 10 hours of courses with all the information you need to get started: Sourcing wholesale products, listing those products on Amazon, and most importantly, how to do it with a minimal amount of money coming out of your own pocket. With algorithms constantly changing, this course has been updated for 2025 to give you the most up-to-date information to be successful in this day and age.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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The Ultimate 2025 Amazon FBA Bundle: How to Sell on Amazon
If you’ve been wanting extra money in your pocket and didn’t know how to get started, take this as your sign to get started. You get lifetime access to 10 hours of instruction on things like finding suppliers, making your product listings stand out, and more. Regularly $60, you can get the Ultimate Amazon FBA Bundle now for just $19.99.
The post Learn how to use Amazon to your advantage with this $19.99 How to sell on Amazon Bundle appeared first on Popular Science.
I tried Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for a month—here’s why I’m not going back - Popular Science
I’ll admit it: I was a “buy one game, play it for six months” kind of person. But Xbox Game Pass Ultimate flipped that habit on its head. For $16.99 (reg. $19.99), this 1-month membership gives you access to over 100 high-quality games across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC—including some big names on day one.
It’s not just about the number of games. The Game Pass library is surprisingly impressive (at least to a gaming geek like me): Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Hi-Fi Rush, and Sea of Thieves all came included. I even found myself diving into indie gems and older titles I missed the first time around. Even better? I didn’t even need to make any extra downloads or purchases.
Plus, cloud gaming through Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) means you don’t even need the latest console or a high-end PC. I played Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice on my phone during a long subway ride (with a Backbone controller) and was genuinely impressed by how smoothly it ran. The science behind the low-latency streaming is a marvel in itself—Microsoft’s xCloud servers use custom Xbox Series X hardware to deliver frame-synced, ultra-responsive gameplay through the cloud.
This is also a stackable digital code, which means if you grab more than one month, they’ll add up. Just keep in mind that you can only stack three Xbox Game Pass codes at once, meaning you’ll get a max of three months of access. And since it’s compatible across platforms, switching from PC to Xbox to mobile doesn’t cost you anything extra or reset your progress.
For $16.99, it’s like getting a Netflix-style experience, but for AAA gaming. If you’ve been on the fence or just haven’t tried Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for a month yet, this is a great low-commitment way to see what the hype is about. Warning: You might start wondering why you ever paid $70 for a single game.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
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Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: 1-Month Membership – Stackable & North America (US/Canada) – (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows – Digital Code) – Final Sale
The post I tried Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for a month—here’s why I’m not going back appeared first on Popular Science.
15 Jun 2025
Google’s AI video creator gets major upgrade. How to use it. - Popular Science
With every passing month, AI-generated content gets harder to distinguish from material made by human beings. Google’s latest video maker is a case in point: The newly launched Veo 3 model is a step up in terms of realism, while also adding audio for the first time, so synced dialog, natural sound, and other audio effects can be added in.
Google promises the new Veo 3 model has a better understanding of real world physics, and is smarter at turning your text prompts into video clips. Those clips are capped at eight seconds for now, and at a resolution of 720p—presumably because of the high computing (and environmental) demands of generating these videos.
As is the norm with AI upgrades, Google doesn’t talk about energy use or what these models have been trained on, but it has enlisted the help of filmmakers Dave Clark, Henry Daubrez, and Junie Lau in promoting the capabilities of Veo 3. Short movies are already being created, with more on the way.
At the same time, Google has also announced an online video editor called Flow, which lets you string together scenes and take a more structured approach to building with AI. If you don’t want to create anything but want to see what’s possible with these tools, sit back and watch some Flow TV in your browser.
So how does Veo 3 impact the state of AI video making? It’s clear that we’re going to see more deepfakes than ever, and that distinguishing real video from AI video is going to be even more difficult—and as you’ll see from the examples collected below, a whole new range of AI video creations are possible.
What people are makingYou don’t have to look far for examples of Veo 3 being put to use. Perhaps Google’s own showreel is a good place to start: You can see feathers floating through the air, animated characters in the woods, a detective interrogating a rubber duck, and a violinist playing music.
These clips show off some of the leaps forward that Veo 3 has made, particularly in terms of video quality, and the accompanying audio. On the whole, the music and the dialog matches up with the video perfectly well, adding to the overall effect—it really does look as though real actors are speaking real lines.
Even Google’s hand-picked collection of clips aren’t flawless though. The physics are often wonky, and we have no way of knowing how closely the finished results adhere to the text prompts that were used, because they’re not included. Creating realistic AI video is one thing, but closely following the supplied text instructions to make it is another.
One Veo 3 series that’s recently gone viral is a Stormtrooper vlog on Instagram, following the exploits of a hapless Stormtrooper called Greg. The series is a clever way of keeping consistency across multiple videos and multiple scenes—because of course all Stormtroopers look the same—and it again shows the high level of video quality that’s possible with Veo 3.
The AI video generator has also proved popular for producing vox pop videos, where people are interviewed in the streets: See the clip Endless Line in NYC for example. There are inconsistencies and errors if you look closely enough, but it’s still a convincing artificial spoof of real-life interviews that you would find on YouTube.
One of the reasons that these AI interviews look so realistic is that Veo 3 will have been trained extensively on videos like them. Note how the camera angle always tends to be the same, and the people always look rather generic. When it comes to creating more obscure content, that Veo 3 has less training data to draw upon, it’s not quite as capable.
How to use Veo 3Right now, you need to sign up to the Google AI Ultra plan—a whopping $250 a month—to make the most of Veo 3. That is a steep ask for casual users and the AI curious, though perhaps not such a big expense for a creative studio or a film company. Even then, there are usage limits, though these aren’t specified (the restrictions generally depend on how much pressure Google’s AI infrastructure is under at any particular time).
If you’re on the more modest $20-per-month Google AI Pro plan, you get 3 credits per day for what’s called ‘Veo 3 Fast’. It’s a quicker, lower-quality, less energy intensive version of Veo 3, though Google hasn’t gone into too much depth about the differences between Veo 3 and Veo 3 Fast. Over time, these allowances may change around.
Be as specific as possible with the prompts you use. Screenshot: GoogleThose of you on an AI Pro or AI Ultra plan can head to Gemini on the web to start making videos (Google says access in the mobile app is still rolling out, so you might see it there too). In the prompt box at the bottom of the screen, click Video to tell the app you want to produce a video, then type out a description of what you want to see.
Remember you’ve only got 8 seconds here, so you can’t include too much in the way of scene direction and plot. Specify as much as you can in terms of the camera angle and movement, what you want to see in the scene, and the sound effects. When you’re ready, click the arrow on the right, and the AI gets to work.
In general, it helps to be as specific as possible when making Veo 3 videos. Anything you don’t mention will be invented by the AI (and it won’t always follow your instructions to the letter either). Above is my effort at trying to create a summery hiking scene, which came out okay, apart from the rather random cut half way through. Once you’ve used up your allocation of Veo 3 credits, you’ll be put back on the older Veo 2 AI model.
These videos may be ultra-realistic on the whole, but they’re still no match for real filmmaking. There are still way too many inconsistencies, physics problems, and deviations from the prompt, not to mention the issue of generic output, which means a lot of content looks similar. However, there’s no doubt Veo 4 is already in the works.
The post Google’s AI video creator gets major upgrade. How to use it. appeared first on Popular Science.
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a stunning piece of engineering - Popular Science
At 95 degrees, the heat rising off the track at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, makes it impossible to see the 40-mph left turn at the end of the 170-mph straight before you need to brake for the turn. This makes every lap a leap of faith of sorts as you brake at the appointed spot and pray to Brembo, the patron saint of deceleration, that you’ll slow in time to make the turn you know is coming but cannot see clearly through shimmering heat waves.
The Brembo-supplied carbon ceramic brakes feature six-piston monobloc front calipers gripping 15.7-inch rotors and four-piston monobloc rear calipers squeezing 15.4-inch rotors. Pounding around COTA for lap after lap, the brakes continue to deliver, with no fade or hair-raising long pedal as exhibited by the Aston Martin Vantage during last year’s track test.
Traction is provided by Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires as part of the ZTK track package. I’ve experienced the tires previously and consider them the equivalent of a real-life cheat code because they provide so much grip when tearing around race tracks. However, like old-school Japanese superhero Ultraman, they operate under a time constraint before reverting to mortal status.
In the blistering Austin heat, that time limit proved to be about four or five laps. During lunch I’d chatted with Road & Track’s Mike Austin, who recalled that during his just-completed drive session, he’d reached a point after a handful of laps when he found himself wondering whether the tires were getting greasy or whether he was just getting sloppy with his driving.
Looking down on the ZR1 from above reveals the car’s pass-through hood that ducts air from under the car and directs it over the roof to the enormous rear wing. Image: Richard Prince Photo / General Motors Co. Richard PrinceHalf an hour later, during my turn on track, I found myself five laps into the session and beginning to slide the car onto exit curbing that I was trying to avoid and began wondering to myself the same thing.
The light bulb illuminated as I recalled my lunch chat with Mike. During F1 races you’ll often hear the drivers complaining that the tires have lost grip. Their teams will counsel them to slow for a few laps to let the tire cool to restore performance. I wasn’t in a race, so I chose to ease off.
Corvette PracticeChevy had us work up to this, starting first in regular Corvette Stingrays and moving to ZR1s in civilian trim and rolling on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Those tires provide less maximum grip, but they have conventional tread that allows them to be used in normal driving conditions. The Cup 2 R tires that come with the ZTK package are practically racing slicks, so they don’t fare well in the rain or cold.
Lightweight carbon fiber wheels wrap the ZR1’s six-piston Brembo front brake calipers and carbon ceramic brake rotor. Image: Dan Carney / Popular ScienceThe Circuit of the Americas is a technical track, and the esses section requires timing and certitude about the speed of the upcoming turn, which looks very much like others that can be taken at a different speed—familiarization laps in the Stingray were key. Those laps were also tremendous fun. The Stingray is so capable that flinging it around COTA is like the world’s biggest karting venue. Everyone came in from their lapping time in the Stingrays beaming from the fun.
Track driving in the ZR1 is a different, more serious matter. The car is much faster, thanks to its twin-turbocharged LT7 V8 engine’s 1,064 official horsepower. I say “official” because the ZR1’s intake system exploits a ram air effect at speed that boosts maximum power at the car’s 233-mph top speed to 1,090 hp.
The pit exit at COTA climbs the steep hill to turn 1, and that’s how long it took to feel the LT7’s incredible power. The ZR1 teleports from the end of the pit lane to the braking zone for turn 1, putting the driver on notice that this version of the Corvette is insanely fast.
For reference, the $174,995 (including destination) Corvette ZR1 produces 1,064 hp and has a top speed of 233 mph. That compares to 1,016 hp and 199 mph for the $528,764 Ferrari SF90 XX and 1,001 hp and 218 mph for the $608,358 Lamborghini Revuelto.
Limitless GoalsHow did Chevy deliver such an incredible piece of engineering? By not encumbering their engineers with a “good-enough” target. When the ZR1 team set out to develop a turbocharged version of the 670-hp 5.5-liter double-overhead cam LT6 V8 used in the Z06, they guesstimated a target between 800 and 850 hp.
However, because they were told to develop the most power they could achieve rather than simply stopping when the dynamometer read “850,” they were able to build an engine that is certain to enter automotive lore.
“As we got into the (DOHC V8) Gemini architecture development and more specifically the boosted LT7, we quickly learned we had a lot more headroom than we were originally planning to try to achieve,” revealed assistant chief engineer Dustin Gardner. “It really started this thousand-horsepower mission internally with the engine folks.”
The incredible Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires perform like racing slicks and it is because they also look a lot like racing slicks, with just enough tread to make them legal for driving on public roads. Image: Dan Carney / Popular ScienceGetting there meant that there was more to it than just bolting a pair of enormous 76-mm BorgWarner turbochargers onto an LT6 from the Corvette Z06 and calling it good. “We made a lot of turbocharger optimizations; the vehicle team had to upgrade the fuel system to support it. Everybody got together when we realized we had the potential to do a four-figure engine.”
That work included things like new head castings with CNC-machined combustion chambers and intake and exhaust ports, which ensure the necessary consistency for an engine putting out so much power. Those exhaust ports are also angled to direct the outrushing exhaust gases more directly onto the turbos’ impeller turbines.
The engine carries two separate fuel injection systems: a direct-injection system for most driving conditions and a port injection system that joins in during wide-open throttle running. Previous Corvette engines with both systems switched between them depending on conditions, but for the ZR1 the two systems run simultaneously at full power, pouring fuel through the engine at the rate of two gallons per minute, if there was anywhere you could hold a ZR1’s gas pedal to the floor for a minute without lifting.
Turbo TrickeryThe ZR1’s turbos are the largest ever installed on a production passenger car, according to GM. The inertia of such large turbos is a recipe for turbo lag—that’s the delay between the time when a driver floors the gas pedal and the engine’s turbo reaches full boost to provide maximum power.
For the ZR1, the engineering team has designed the system so that when a driver lifts off the throttle, the turbos can freewheel to maintain their speed, providing nearly immediate power when the throttle re-opens. “We have electric wastegate controls, electric blow-off controls, pressure sensors on both sides of the turbos, and we also have active turbo speed measurement,” Gardner explained.
“When you tip out [of the throttle], we still have energy in the turbos, we still have air going through the exhaust,” he continued. “So the system will close-loop on itself, looking to maintain turbo speed while you’re off throttle. So when you roll back into the throttle at 5,000 rpm on the track, you’re going to be less than half a second away from getting full boost back.”
That’s how the boost is preserved, but there is still that half-second delay in power delivery. You can’t discern it from the driver’s seat because Chevy employs some electronic trickery to hide it. “The way we bring that out is to modulate the pedal [electronically],” said Gardner. “It is very linear and very ‘expected’ as it brings the power back up, which is a big deal for a big turbo like this.”
The LT7’s power is routed to the rear wheels through a reinforced version of the same Tremec 8-speed dual-clutch transmission used in other Corvettes. It features a strengthened input shaft, and the gears are shot-peened for surface hardening to withstand the engine’s force. The Tremec transaxle seemed larger than necessary when the mid-engine eighth-generation Corvette (C8 to enthusiasts) debuted, and now we know why it needed to be as big as it is.
A pair of these 76-mm BorgWarner turbochargers are the main source of the ZR1’s incredible power. This is the heart of the ZR1; its LT7 twin-turbocharged V8 engine. Images: Dan Carney / Popular Science Coping with the PowerWhen a car generates this kind of power and speed, the ability to control it with correspondingly capable handling and braking is magnified. This is why the laps at COTA were so intense. Each journalist on hand for the track drive exited the ZR1 with a sweat-soaked shirt. Focusing this intently is real work.
The ZR1 features the same suspension technology seen previously in the Z06. That includes Magnetic Ride Control active damping shock absorbers, an electronic limited-slip differential, and the Corvette’s Performance Traction Management stability control system. For track driving, the $8,495 ZR1 Carbon Fiber Aero Package and $1,500 ZTK Performance Package yield 1,200 lbs. of downforce at top speed, sticking the ZR1 to the track through fast corners.
This downforce starts with a pass-through hood duct that routes air from beneath the front of the car and out over the windshield. “Everything works better with that,” said David Caples, performance vehicles aerodynamics technical lead engineer. “We have the flow-through hood and then the wing, and so we have the same underwing splitter and dive planes and underbody strakes as the Z06, but they all just work better.”
The team developed the car’s aerodynamics starting with computational fluid dynamics modeling, he said. That was followed by scale-model wind tunnel testing, then full-scale wind tunnel testing, and finally track testing the car to tweak details such as the exact angle of the enormous rear wing.
Compared to the maximum-downforce aerodynamic setup available for the Z06, the ZR1 enjoys 33 percent more downforce with only a fractional increase in drag. “That’s just free performance,” crowed Caples.
This made itself felt all the way around the track at COTA, as the ZR1 with the ZTK package felt more precise and more responsive than the regular ZR1 and that car was exponentially more so than the Stingray. The extra hundred grand buys you a more precise track weapon in addition to more than doubling the horsepower. If only it could also provide a clearer view of COTA’s turn 12!
The post The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is a stunning piece of engineering appeared first on Popular Science.
4 battery myths (and why they’re not true) - Popular Science
We all depend on batteries. From our phones to our flashlights, all of us need these tiny energy storage devices to get things done every day. Few of us know how they work. And battery technology keeps changing.
It’s not surprising, then, that so many of us believe battery myths. From storing batteries in the freezer to overthinking how much they are or aren’t charged, here are a few untrue things you might believe about batteries along with the truth.
Myth: Put Batteries in the Freezer or FridgeA relatively common belief is that storing your household batteries in the fridge or freezer can extend their lifespans. The idea here is that chilling or freezing batteries can slow the chemical processes that cause them to lose charge over time, even when not in use. I can’t find any scientific research that backs this claim, though, and every major battery manufacturer advises that batteries be stored at room temperature. Duracell states on their website that storing batteries in the fridge or freeze “will not…increase storage life”.
And it turns out there are actual downsides to putting your batteries in the fridge or freezer, mostly condensation. Energizer explains that putting batteries in the fridge “can in fact harm batteries if condensation results in corroded contacts or label or seal damage due to extreme temperature storage.”
Now, this isn’t to say that temperature doesn’t matter. Storing batteries in a consistently hot place—for example, in your attic or in the basement next to your furnace—will result in reduced lifespans. Your standard battery is designed to be stored in a dry place at room temperature, between 68 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
Myth: Don’t Charge Your Phone OvernightYou’ve probably heard that it’s not a good idea to constantly charge your phone to 100 percent, and as such, a bad idea to charge it overnight. And the thing about this myth is that it’s actually true—or, at least, it was. The reason it’s mostly a myth now is because device manufacturers have taken it upon themselves to do the work for you.
Let’s back up. Modern laptop and phone batteries are lithium-ion, and like all rechargeable batteries it can only withstand so many recharging cycles. You can increase the lifespan of your battery by keeping your charge between 40 and 80 percent as much as possible. That’s according to Battery University, a website with all kinds of information about batteries provided by Cadex, a consultancy that helps large companies like Amazon and Motorola get more out of their batteries. It is particularly bad to store a fully charged or fully depleted battery.
Go to bed: Your phone will be OK. Image: Getty Images AlavinphotoThis is where battery optimization comes in. This is a software feature that charges your phone up to 80 percent and doesn’t fully charge until you’re likely to unplug your phone. Such software typically keeps track of your daily routine and charges so that the battery will typically be around 80 percent right up until you need to use the battery. On the iPhone this feature is called optimized battery charging and on Android devices it’s called adaptive battery. If you have this feature enabled, you can charge your phone overnight without worrying—the software is doing everything it can to keep your battery healthy.
Myth: Closing Apps Saves Battery LifeMany people, when the battery is dying on their phone, will manually “close” as many applications as possible. The idea is that those applications are taking up resources and closing them will allow the battery to last longer. The problem: this isn’t how phone operating systems work. Both Android and iOS suspend applications you’re not currently using, as reported by multiple outlets from Quartz to HowToGeek.
That’s not to say there’s nothing you can do to get a little bit more juice out of a dying battery. On most phones the screen is the thing that uses the most energy, so turning down the brightness can do a lot. You can also leave the screen completely off as much as possible. Finally, both iOS and Android offer a battery saver mode, which can be found in the settings. Enabling this will stop applications from updating in the background, meaning things like emails won’t be downloaded automatically and your battery will last longer.
Myth: You Need to Fully Discharge Batteries Before ChargingSome people think it’s a good idea to fully discharge batteries before charging them fully, an idea that has its roots in history. Nickel-cadmium batteries were common in the 20th century, and at some point during their lifespan, the story of the memory effect became household knowledge. The rough idea was that if you charged such batteries before fully depleting them, they’d have less charge over time. This wasn’t exactly true.
According to an article in the Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, the origins of this idea was extremely specific to the aviation and aerospace industry, where batteries were routinely depleted to exactly 25 percent and then fully charged. The effect occurred after repeating this hundreds of times, which isn’t something that happens in standard household use. And even in the original scenario, engineers were able to negate the effect with a few software tweaks. Put simply: Memory is a real thing but it doesn’t apply to the AA batteries in your remote control.
And, in any case, most modern rechargeable batteries don’t use nickel-cadmium. The memory effect has never been found in lithium-ion batteries, so even if the effect was real in the household context, it doesn’t apply to modern devices.
The post 4 battery myths (and why they’re not true) appeared first on Popular Science.
14 Jun 2025
15 riveting images from the 2025 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition - Popular Science
The striking eye of a humpback whale named Sweet Girl peers at the camera. Just four days later, she would be dead, hit by a speeding boat and one of the 20,000 whales killed by ship strikes each year. Photographer Rachel Moore’s captivating image (seen below) of Sweet Girl earned top honors at the 2025 United Nations World Oceans Day Photo Competition.
Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us — WinnerThis photo, taken in Mo’orea, French Polynesia in 2024, captures the eye of a humpback whale named Sweet Girl, just days before her tragic death. Four days after I captured this intimate moment, she was struck and killed by a fast-moving ship. Her death serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the 20,000 whales lost to ship strikes every year. We are using her story to advocate for stronger protections, petitioning for stricter speed laws around Tahiti and Mo’orea during whale season. I hope Sweet Girl’s legacy will spark real change to protect these incredible animals and prevent further senseless loss.
Credit: Rachel Moore (USA) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org
Now in its twelfth year, the competition is coordinated in collaboration between the UN Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, DivePhotoGuide (DPG), Oceanic Global, and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. Each year, thousands of underwater photographers submit images that judges award prizes for across four categories: Big and Small Underwater Faces, Underwater Seascapes, Above Water Seascapes, and Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us.
This year’s winning images include a curious leopard seal, a swarm of jellyfish, and a very grumpy looking Japanese warbonnet. Given our oceans’ perilous state, all competition participants were required to sign a charter of 14 commitments regarding ethics in photography.
Underwater Seascapes — Honorable MentionWith only orcas as their natural predators, leopard seals are Antarctica’s most versatile hunters, preying on everything from fish and cephalopods to penguins and other seals. Gentoo penguins are a favored menu item, and leopard seals can be observed patrolling the waters around their colonies. For this shot, I used a split image to capture both worlds: the gentoo penguin colony in the background with the leopard seal on the hunt in the foreground.
Credit: Lars von Ritter Zahony (Germany) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Above Water Seascapes – Winner
A serene lake cradled by arid dunes, where a gentle stream breathes life into the heart of Mother Earth’s creation: Captured from an airplane, this image reveals the powerful contrasts and hidden beauty where land and ocean meet, reminding us that the ocean is the source of all life and that everything in nature is deeply connected. The location is a remote stretch of coastline near Shark Bay, Western Australia.
Credit: Leander Nardin (Austria) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Above Water Seascapes — 3rd Place
Paradise Harbour is one of the most beautiful places on the Antarctic Peninsula. When I visited, the sea was extremely calm, and I was lucky enough to witness a wonderfully clear reflection of the Suárez Glacier (aka Petzval Glacier) in the water. The only problem was the waves created by our speedboat, and the only way to capture the perfect reflection was to lie on the bottom of the boat while it moved towards the glacier.
Credit: Andrey Nosik (Russia) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Underwater Seascapes — 3rd Place
“La Rapadura” is a natural hidden treasure on the northern coast of Tenerife, in the Spanish territory of the Canary Islands. Only discovered in 1996, it is one of the most astonishing underwater landscapes in the world, consistently ranking among the planet’s best dive sites. These towering columns of basalt are the result of volcanic processes that occurred between 500,000 and a million years ago. The formation was created when a basaltic lava flow reached the ocean, where, upon cooling and solidifying, it contracted, creating natural structures often compared to the pipes of church organs. Located in a region where marine life has been impacted by once common illegal fishing practices, this stunning natural monument has both geological and ecological value, and scientists and underwater photographers are advocating for its protection. (Model: Yolanda Garcia)
Credit: Pedro Carrillo (Spain) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Underwater Seascapes — Winner
This year, I had the incredible opportunity to visit a jellyfish lake during a liveaboard trip around southern Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Being surrounded by millions of jellyfish, which have evolved to lose their stinging ability due to the absence of predators, was one of the most breathtaking experiences I’ve ever had.
Credit: Dani Escayola (Spain) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Underwater Seascapes — 2nd Place
This shot captures a school of rays resting at a cleaning station in Mauritius, where strong currents once attracted them regularly. Some rays grew accustomed to divers, allowing close encounters like this. Sadly, after the severe bleaching that the reefs here suffered last year, such gatherings have become rare, and I fear I may not witness this again at the same spot.
Credit: Gerald Rambert (Mauritius) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us — 3rd Place
Shot in Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina—a protected shark sanctuary—this image captures a Caribbean reef shark weaving through a group of silky sharks near the surface. Using a slow shutter and strobes as the shark pivoted sharply, the motion blurred into a wave-like arc across its head, lit by the golden hues of sunset. The abundance and behavior of sharks here is a living symbol of what protected oceans can look like.
Credit: Steven Lopez (USA) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Above Water Seascapes — 2nd Place
Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) soar above the dramatic cliffs of Scotland’s Hermaness National Nature Reserve, their sleek white bodies and black-tipped wings slicing through the Shetland winds. These seabirds, the largest in the North Atlantic, are renowned for their striking plunge-dives, reaching speeds up to 100 kph (60 mph) as they hunt for fish beneath the waves. The cliffs of Hermaness provide ideal nesting sites, with updrafts aiding their take-offs and landings. Each spring, thousands return to this rugged coastline, forming one of the UK’s most significant gannet colonies. It was a major challenge to take photos at the edge of these cliffs at almost 200 meters (650 feet) with the winds up to 30 kph (20 mph).
Credit: Nur Tucker (UK/Turkey) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Above Water Seascapes — Honorable Mention
A South Atlantic swell breaks on the Dungeons Reef off the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, shot while photographing a big-wave surf session in October 2017. It’s the crescendoing sounds of these breaking swells that always amazes me.
Credit: Ken Findlay (South Africa) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us — Honorable Mention
Humpback whales in their thousands migrate along the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia every year on the way to and from their calving grounds. In four seasons of swimming with them on the reef here, this is the only encounter I’ve had like this one. This pair of huge adult whales repeatedly spy-hopped alongside us, seeking to interact with and investigate us, leaving me completely breathless. The female in the foreground was much more confident than the male behind and would constantly make close approaches, whilst the male hung back a little, still interested but shy. After more than 10 years working with wildlife in the water, this was one of the best experiences of my life.
Credit: Ollie Clarke (UK) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Big and Small Underwater Faces — 2nd Place
On one of my many blackwater dives in Anilao, in the Philippines, my guide and I spotted something moving erratically at a depth of around 20 meters (65 feet), about 10 to 15 centimeters in size. We quickly realized that it was a rare blanket octopus (Tremoctopus sp.). As we approached, it opened up its beautiful blanket, revealing its multicolored mantle. I managed to take a few shots before it went on its way. I felt truly privileged to have captured this fascinating deep-sea cephalopod. Among its many unique characteristics, this species exhibits some of the most extreme sexual size-dimorphism in nature, with females weighing up to 40,000 times more than males.
Credit: Giacomo Marchione (Italy) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Big and Small Underwater Faces – Winner
This photo of a Japanese warbonnet (Chirolophis japonicus) was captured in the Sea of Japan, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Vladivostok, Russia. I found the ornate fish at a depth of about 30 meters (100 feet), under the stern of a shipwreck. This species does not appear to be afraid of divers—on the contrary, it seems to enjoy the attention—and it even tried to sit on the dome port of my camera.
Credit: Andrey Nosik (Russia) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us — 2nd Place
A juvenile pinnate batfish (Platax pinnatus) captured with a slow shutter speed, a snooted light, and deliberate camera panning to create a sense of motion and drama. Juvenile pinnate batfish are known for their striking black bodies outlined in vibrant orange—a coloration they lose within just a few months as they mature. I encountered this restless subject in the tropical waters of Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait. Capturing this image took patience and persistence over two dives, as these active young fish constantly dart for cover in crevices, making the shot particularly challenging.
Credit: Luis Arpa (Spain) / United Nations World Oceans Day www.unworldoceansday.org
The post 15 riveting images from the 2025 UN World Oceans Day Photo Competition appeared first on Popular Science.
Free alternatives to Photoshop, Office, Premiere, and Netflix - Popular Science
Most of us are signed up to plenty of digital subscriptions, covering streaming services, cloud storage, fitness apps, and plenty more. This extends to software subscriptions, too: Both Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office (now Microsoft 365) ask for monthly or yearly subscriptions if you want to stay up to date.
Add up $5 here and $10 there and you can soon find yourself paying out more each week than you want. What you might not know is that for just about every paid software program out there, there’s a perfectly adequate and free replacement—so you can cut your dependency on software subscriptions right down.
Use GIMP instead of Adobe Photoshop GIMP is an image editor packed with features. Screenshot: GIMPThe rather oddly named GIMP—it stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program—is a head-on challenger to Adobe Photoshop, with a lot of the same advanced features on offer across object selections and manipulations, layers, and effects. GIMP doesn’t have as much AI stuffed into it as Photoshop does, but you might see that as a benefit.
Whether you want to touch up and enhance the photos you’ve taken, or you want to create digital art, GIMP can handle it all. Open up the software and you’ll see you get a wealth of tools to play around with; there are plenty of third-party extensions and customizations available too—plus lots of tutorials and more help on the web.
Download GIMP for Windows or macOS.
Use LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office LibreOffice Writer is a solid alternative to Microsoft Word. Screenshot: LibreOfficeMicrosoft Office is now called Microsoft 365, but however you refer to it, it’s anchored by Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. While Microsoft asks for a one-off fee or regular subscription, you can use LibreOffice completely free of charge—including the equivalent apps Writer (documents), Calc (spreadsheets), and Impress (presentations).
If you have any experience using the Microsoft apps, you’ll feel right at home inside the LibreOffice apps—and they can import and export using Office file formats too. And just because you’re not paying for the software doesn’t mean you’re missing out on features, because these programs come backed with a host of useful options and tools.
Download LibreOffice for Windows or macOS.
Use Tubi instead of Netflix Watch as much as you want on Tubi, for free. Screenshot: TubiWhen it comes to movies and shows, there are plenty of services that will charge you a fee for access, including Netflix. Not so Tubi, which is completely funded by ads. Okay, it might not have the latest and greatest selection of titles, but there’s still plenty to watch, completely free. You aren’t going to run out of viewing material anytime soon.
Tubi is one of a growing number of FAST streaming services, which stands for free ad-supported streaming television; others you might want to check out include Pluto TV and the Roku Channel. While content on these platforms is usually older than on the alternatives, you’ll probably be surprised at how much good stuff there is.
Watch Tubi on the web, or on Android or iOS.
Use KeePass as your password manager KeePass is a simple, straightforward password manager. Screenshot: KeePassWe’ve written before about the benefits of using a password manager, but most of them require a subscription to use all of their features. If a password manager offers a free plan at all, it usually restricts how many passwords you can save or how many devices you can sync between, or apply some other limitations.
KeePass is different, as it’s completely free and open source (so you can look at the source code yourself, if you wish). It comes with plenty of features to keep your passwords private and secure, and while there’s only an official version for Windows, there are several unofficial ports so you can sync your passwords across macOS, Android, and iOS too.
Download KeePass for Windows.
Use OpenShot instead of Adobe Premiere Pro Create videos with ease with OpenShot. Screenshot: OpenShotWe’ll finish where we started, with an alternative to a program from the Adobe Creative Cloud suite. Unless you’re a professional filmmaker who needs the very best in industry-standard tools, OpenShot will give you everything you need in video editing features and options, and it’s capable of some impressive results.
The extensive list includes support for key frame animations, an unlimited number of tracks, easy-to-use scaling and trimming tools, compositing, image overlays, title creating (including 3D titles), and support for a broad range of video, audio, and image formats. Despite all of those features and more, you won’t find it difficult to use.
Download OpenShot for Windows or macOS.
The post Free alternatives to Photoshop, Office, Premiere, and Netflix appeared first on Popular Science.
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