Popular Mechanics

Discover the latest in technology, engineering, and tools with Popular Mechanics. Plus, get essential advice on your home and car, useful DIY ideas, in-depth explanations on how things work, and more!

1 My Pop Life • // EXPERT HACKS, GEAR RECS & LIFE-TESTED WISDOM FROM OUR MEMBERS //

Popular Mechanics

Go-To Gear

2 Members Only • // THE LATEST NEWS AND OTHER HAPPENINGS FROM POPMECH PRO //

FLASHES BEFORE YOUR EYES

3 Staff Meeting • // IN WHICH WE CONVENE THE EDITORS TO FLEX THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND SOLVE EXISTENTIAL QUANDARIES //

Make a Bespoke Bluetooth Speaker

HOW BAD IT WOULD BE IF ALL THE NUKES BLEW UP AT ONCE

What Happens to Your Data When You Die

The Statistical Flaws in the Scientific Method

THE WEIGHT OF SOUL

Whether Revving Your Engine During a Jump-Start Actually Helps

WHY T. REX HAD SUCH SHORT ARMS

What Sounds You Can Hear on Mars

How the Universe Bends the Laws of Physics by Itself

Why the Universe Is Like a Computer

If Everything You See Is From 15 Seconds in the Past

THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER • Our eyes and brain try, and sometimes fail, to make sense of the world around us. Here are some of the ways our minds come up short:

ASTROPHOTO ERAPHY

YES! YOU CAN • Use Your Smartphone to Take Astrophotos

The Tools You Need to Shoot the Galaxy

3 STEPS TO MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE

TURN YOUR GARAGE INTO A DIY HE AVEN • Three weekend projects that create a functional, efficient workshop fit for years of building.

WORKBENCH • This design is ready for all your future projects.

6 TOOLS TO MANAGE WORKSHOP DUST

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO VISES • Most workbench tasks are easier and safer when your project is secured to the bench. The preferred tool for the job is a vise, consisting of a pair of jaws—one fixed and one movable—with a screw feed used to tighten and loosen them. Vises have been tailored to the demands of many different trades, but for the homeowner or amateur woodworker, these three types are most appropriate.

LOW SAWHORSE • This simple build is an underrated essential.

HAIL THE MIGHTY SHOP RAG! • The humble shop rag is one of the most versatile tools in your garage. From applying wax or grease to cleaning up a spill, nothing does the job better. Here’s how to maximize its utility—plus an easy-to-build dispenser for access whenever you need one.

A-FRAME TOOLBOX • This classic design is roomy and practical. It goes where you go.

The Lost Graves of Muskowekwan • HUNDREDS OF MISSING CHILDREN, A CENTURIES-LONG COVER-UP, AND THE RADAR TECHNOLOGY THAT HELPED EXPOSE A NATION’S HORRIFYING SECRET HISTORY.

6 More GRP Discoveries

Measuring How Effective Smokeless Fire Pits Actually Are

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SMOKELESS FIRE • While smokeless fire pits for your backyard are a relatively recent development, smokeless fires have been burning for years—centuries, even.

HOW SMOKELESS FIRE PITS WORK

WOOD MATTERS

HOW WE TESTED

THE BEST OF THE TEST

The Next Generation of Charging Adapters Opening Tesla’s Network to All EVs

CHARGING STANDARDS IN THE U.S. • Charging an EV is often thought of as a simple plug-and-play experience. Spoiler alert: It’s not. Adapters simply wouldn’t be necessary if it were so easy. To offer some perspective, here are the four different charging standards you can expect to come across.

8 Editors’ Choice • // ONE PIECE OF GEAR THAT’S WON THE HEART OF OUR TEST TEAM //

Stanley No. 71 Router Plane