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Cooper didn’t know it at the time, but the key to cracking the puzzle had already been published years before, to little fanfare, in the journal of Poultry Science. “That journal changed the world, says Gregg Silverman, a pathologist at the NYU Langone Health. Now, more than sixty years later, the research has won a Golden Goose award for its unlikely contribution to modern medicine. The author, Bruce Glick, never set out to upend immunology....

The “No Mow May” movement originated in the UK in 2019, but now includes dozens of participant cities in the US. By leaving their usually clean-cut lawns untouched, homeowners aim to help bees and other pollinators thrive as they emerge in the spring. But private lawns are just one part of the eco-friendly trend: Local governments and businesses are also contributing by rethinking their landscaping practices in urban green spaces to promote biodiversity....

With the virus and its variants still at-large, and the vaccine only a point on the horizon for young kids, many families are still adapting their weekend getaways to enjoy the last of the warm weather (with less of a threat of heatwaves and wildfires). While not every family will be eager to take long bike trips or hit the hiking trails, there is a way to stoke a child’s imagination in the great outdoors and offer them the chance to sleuth around....

A cross-country skier glides through a winter wonderland, amazed by the sparkling snow and lonely landscape, when his skis crash through a frozen lake. As he gasps for breath, trying in vain to stay afloat, the icy water shocks his system and he feels like his heart has stopped. As their body temperatures drop, hypothermia sets in. Unless they know what to do, it’s only a matter of time before both the hiker and the skier lose consciousness and succumb to the cold....

A couple of days ago, one of the PopSci editors asked me if it was possible to brew a beer in time for Election Day. That’s related to one of the most-often encountered questions I get about homebrewing: How long does it take to make beer? My standard answer is “approximately six weeks,” because here at BeerSci we tend to brew styles that benefit from that schedule, and we have a limited amount of space for non-essential equipment such as giant cylinders of CO2....

Reusing those leftovers meant I could install a drawer under my work area, giving me space to store various tools and supplies without piling them on top where I work. A handy addition, as extra storage is always welcome. I did buy the drawer slides, though. Odds are, you will, too. There are simple, inexpensive ones, but you can also spend a few extra dollars for more advanced capabilities and increased carrying capacity....

“This is all available today,” says Solar Decathlon director Richard King. “[The teams] take everything that’s available and try to make something creative out of it.” That means the same innovative, sustainable solutions that went into the 14 Solar Decathlon houses—which were on display in Irvine, California this month—could also make their way to your shelf, your wall, or your roof. Solar Technology If you’re going to go solar, you have options for which panels to use and how to position them....

First thing’s first: what’s a “relatively powerful computer?” In May 2015, Oculus released its minimum specifications that a computer would need to run games and applications displayed through the Rift. Processor: Intel i5-4590Graphics Card: Nvidia GTX 970 or AMD 290RAM: 8GB The processor and RAM required are pretty standard, actually, and can probably already be found in most modern PCs. The recommended processor, Intel’s i5-4590, was released in May 2014, and can hardly be called cutting-edge....

Our ancestors began cooking with fire at least a million years ago, and there’s even a controversial theory that says the first barbecue might’ve sparked the evolution of modern humans. Despite that history, understanding how to build a cooking fire is a skill that can be difficult to learn, especially when stoves are so easy. Given the depictions of campfire cooking and flame-grilled burgers that pervade our collective consciousness, it’s easy to think that all you have to do is start a steady blaze....

A DIY cotton-candy machine consists of a small metal container, repurposed lighter parts to provide heat, and a switch-controlled motor to set everything spinning. Slowly pour granulated sugar into the container, and flames from the lighters will melt it. As the motor spins, the liquid sugar will fly out through little holes in the container’s sides, forming thin strands. A paper cylinder placed around the machine will capture them. Once they’ve built up, simply swirl a chopstick around the perimeter to gather the candy and taste your sweet success....

When a friend asks for your WiFi password, how long is your explanation? Saying “Oh, it’s a mess of letters and numbers taped to the router behind the refrigerator in the rental unit upstairs” doesn’t make things easy for them. There are better ways to share your WiFi. If your guests are Android users, you can share the info via Nearby, Google’s version of Apple’s AirDrop. To do this, tap the Nearby button below the QR code and wait until your device finds your guests so they can hop online....

In summer, you can avoid this problem by checking labels at the store or buying food at the farmer’s market. But once the snow flies, it becomes harder to obtain a variety of fresh veggies and protect the environment at the same time. Fortunately, with a little botany and some updated pioneer know-how, you can still eat a winter diet that’s green in every way. Why can’t winter produce go green?...

Storm season is here, but the pandemic doesn’t care. Emergency preparedness will need to look different this year, but thinking ahead and staying informed will help you stay primed and ready if catastrophe strikes. Assess your risk ahead of time Before you make a plan, you’ll need to know exactly what disaster risks you face where you live, says Jonathan McNamara, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross. By staying vigilant about what may happen and when, you can adjust the intensity of your planning accordingly....

There’s a whole intricate media machine of supply and demand that drives these misleading headlines, but suffice to say that most outlets need clicks to keep the lights on, university press offices often write flashy news releases to boost their institution’s public recognition, and journalists, like all humans, can be unscrupulous or gullible (or perhaps simply overworked). But when the media mill pumps out a story that says, for example, that you’re growing horns because you look down at your phone too much, it’s useful to be able to fact check what you’re reading....

On social media, you get to catch up with old friends, make new connections, and coo over cute baby photos. Although you’re supposed to enjoy these visits to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, a single persistent commenter or obnoxious “friend” can ruin your experience. That’s why these services provide ways for you to fight back. Take these steps to protect your privacy and slay trolls on three of the world’s biggest social networks....

In other words, you need to recover your missing phone as soon as possible. The good news is that your phone has apps to help you. The bad news is that these apps need to be set up in advance. Now that we rely on our smartphones for everything from checking bank balances to making perfect social posts, losing one can create a huge headache. And we’re not just talking about missing out on Facebook updates....

Duolingo Most language-app roundups give Duolingo a spot near the top of the list. And it’s not hard to see why: it boasts a simple, intuitive learning system, easy progress tracking, and access on an internet browser as well as through your phone. Plus, Duolingo makes all these educational features available for free. If you want an ad-free experience and other extras, you can pay for Duolingo Plus. We’ve chosen five of the most comprehensive options, apps that take you from beginner level up to at least slight fluency....

It’s all about the sound The most important part of a livestream isn’t the video, it’s the sound. Just think of all the blurry, low-resolution YouTube videos and questionably-procured episodes of TV you’ve watched over the years. It’s much more important to hear the bride and groom make their vows than to see it happen in 4K HDR. At some point, this is likely to be the case for you. Whether it’s a wedding, funeral, birthday celebration, holiday gathering, or something else, getting the livestream right will be crucial....

With a bit of creative circuitry work—you’ll need to add a small circuit called a charge pump to increase the voltage—you can replace the bulb in any cheap lantern-style flashlight with several bright white LEDs. All you need to power your DIY version are three small AA batteries instead of that huge, heavy six-volt. Plus, LEDs will last far longer than regular flashlight bulbs, so you’ll never be left in the dark....

Love them or hate them, they’re here to stay, so if you’re in one, we’re here to help you figure out how to dull the roar and get some work done. Open offices can be distracting Noise, of any sort, ruins our day. Sudden loud sounds and other aural aggravations may amplify depressive and anxious symptoms, for example. Nor is it your imagination that as the office fills up, it gets exponentially louder....