IN 1993, SWEDISH psychologist K. Anders Ericsson set out to find the secret to turning a typical teen into a violin virtuoso. His answer? Practice: 10,000 hours of it. The figure, a simple average of a few prodigies’ regimens, stuck; journalist and a

PopSci’s team of fact-checkers makes sure that the big stories we print jibe with the evidence. In the process they often dig up some knowledge nuggets that normally wouldn’t make it to press. Here are their favorites. “Surfing’s Big Break,” page 60

IN THE MIDAFTERNOON slog of spreadsheets and deadlines, we tend to conjure up more pleasant scenes, like lush beaches with generously poured margaritas. How can our minds suddenly fly thousands of miles while our bodies remain tethered to office cubi

THREE SLICES OF FRESH APPLE PIE SIT ON THE kitchen counter, and you and a trio of buddies are drooling over them. What do you do? Try to grab a piece right away, and you risk a tussle with a pal who makes the same move. Hesitate, and you might get no

ON JANUARY 14, 2020, three Jeopardy! masterminds duked it out for a hefty cash prize and the title of Greatest of All Time. More than 13 million viewers watched Ken Jennings eke out a victory on the final clue. His response to a prompt for Shakespear

Playful behavior can help a species survive. Adult bonobos, for example, seem to make silly faces as a way of reducing tension with potential mates. Similarly, male polar bears sometimes fake-fight, which may help them to gauge the limits of their ow

ADMIT IT: SOON AFTER FIRING UP YOUR FIRST Sims game, you trapped them in a doorless room just to watch them starve to death. Perhaps your Barbies planned and executed a series of elaborate bank heists. Or maybe you pushed your Oregon Trail party at a

Editor-in-Chief Corinne Iozzio Group Digital Director Amy Schellenbaum Design Director Russ Smith Features Editor Susan Murcko Articles Editor Rachel Feltman Senior Editors Purbita Saha, Chuck Squatriglia Technology Editor Stan Horaczek DIY Editor Jo

JES WOODS, NIKE RUNNING COACH While working as an engineer, I started running ultramarathons for fun. I quickly realized that I was never going to be the fastest runner. So instead I took a scientific approach to training, which ultimately led to my