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The New York Times reports that there have been 30 adult deaths due to flu during the 2018-2019 season, and thousands of adult deaths due to pneumonia—a condition often related to the flu. Flu season typically peaks between December and February. Ideally, all kids who are able to get the shot would be vaccinated by the time illness hits its stride, but the start of October is so early in the season that many parents may not have prioritized getting their kids to the pediatrician or pharmacy for their annual shot....

On May 1, 1976, the Hōkūle’a set sail from the island of Maui. Just before their departure, Mau addressed the crew, telling them how to behave while they were at sea. “Before we leave,” he told them, “throw away all the things that are worrying you. Leave all your problems on land.” On the ocean, he said, “everything we do is different.” At all times, the crew would be under the captain’s command: “When he says eat, we eat....

Click to launch the photo gallery_ This week, Iran claimed it finally succeeded in its long-fought effort to launch a monkey into space. The poor creature did not appear to enjoy the preparations, according to the pained, slightly constipated expression in photographs of him in his safety seat. That got us thinking about the many other animals to have ventured into space before him. A veritable zoo of creatures, from dogs and cats to apes and amoebas, has visited space on our behalf....

But that has not prevented humans from venturing to this inhospitable place. Explorers have done so only a handful of times, with both crewed and uncrewed systems, in specially-designed craft that can handle the pressure. However, they’ve never done so in a long-term, systematic way—but that is about to change. At the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, a small team of scientists and engineers are developing a new class of autonomous robotic systems called Orpheus, named for a figure in Greek mythology who ventured through the depths of Hades....

Most streets are either too bright or too dark. Streets and roads without street lighting account for nearly a third of all the fatal crashes at night. When street lights are too bright they can cause light pollution, something that delays the maturity of crops, aggravates astronomers, and disorients wildlife like sea turtle hatchlings, which can wander inland instead of toward the sea, where they end up dying after being run over by cars or eaten by predators....

In a new study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, a team of linguists and marine biologists mapped how those sperm whales identify themselves with songs, called codas, learned from their family groups. Each identifying song is linked to “differences between those groups in how they move, forage, and associate,” says study author Taylor Hersh, a bioacoustician at the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics in the Netherlands....

While there’s a lot to love about twinning Siamese cats and wiener dogs slathered in (fake) ketchup, mustard, and sauerkraut, your pet will communicate if they’re feeling festive or not. Some furry friends might enjoy the experience of dressing up; others might find it uncomfortable or even frightening. It all comes down to their breed, personality, and level of tolerance, says Amy Pike, a veterinarian at the Animal Behavior Wellness Center in Virginia....

For all of you photogs, another contest is in the works. After the jump, get the low down. And as always, happy shooting! About the winner: Photographers: upload your photos, and the editors’ pick will be highlighted on the site, along with a short profile of the photographer. The next contest’s theme is “Technology You Love” (which leaves you plenty of room for interpretation) and our winner will be chosen on Friday, September 12....

Read more of Popular Science’s predictions for 2009.

EcoFlow Delta Pro $3,199 (Was $3,599) The only generator from our top picks with a meaningful discount for Prime Day is the massive EcoFlow Delta Pro. It’s more of a home backup system than something you can lug around, but stores an incredible 3600Wh of power. You’re only getting 10 percent off its $3,600+ price tag, but that’s still a few hundred bucks off. If you’re setting up emergency backup power, the Delta Pro is worth the investment....

These quantum computers will likely be used in applications such as financial forecasting, and the development of new materials and medicines. If the timeline sticks, Fujitsu and Riken’s machines will beat out Google’s commercial quantum computers, which the company has previously said would be ready by 2029. Since 2019, IBM has been offering a commercial quantum-classical hybrid service for companies to test. However, IBM says that it can have a machine capable of quantum advantage (in which it can reliably and accurately solve a problem better than a classical computer) ready by 2025....

What is rabies? The rabies virus—rabies lyssavirus—is what’s called a zoonotic disease, which means that it can be transmitted to humans by other animals (and vice versa). Rabies spreads via saliva (and technically, but far more rarely, through cerebrospinal fluid) much like the common cold or flu. Once inside an animal host, the virus travels through nerve cells until it hits the central nervous system and the brain, causing swelling and inflammation (known as encephalitis) which often proves deadly....

The comment box is open. Practical? Plausible? What are the obstacles? Submit your science and technology questions to fyi@popsci.com.

In 2017, Mozilla created its *Privacy Not Included buying guide to help people shop for safe products that are connected to the internet. Many devices and services track large amounts of identifying and incredibly personal information, and don’t take the necessary steps to protect it. The minimum security standards Mozilla is looking for are fair and, for the companies and developers creating these products, relatively simple to have in place....

The researchers examined chemicals deposited over time in one of the mammoth’s well-preserved tusks in order to map his movements and geographic range. They discovered that the intrepid animal roamed over most of the state of Alaska before eventually starving in the frigid north. If this wanderlust was shared by other members of his species, the findings could help shed light on why woolly mammoths died out. “There are many questions about woolly mammoth extinction,” says Yue Wang, a paleontologist at Georgia Tech who was not involved in the research....

But today iRobot announced an even pricier model, called the S9, that costs $1,300. (It goes for $1,000 without the self-cleaning base station.) When I asked iRobot’s CEO, Colin Angle, how this newest cleaning machine compares to the i7—I referred to the i7 as the “Cadillac of Roombas” when phrasing the question—he called the s9 “the Hummer.” Part of what justifies that Hummer nickname is its ability to suck more powerfully than previous, older Roombas—it has four times the suction of the i7....

Massachusetts-based company iRobot has been producing its floor-cleaning robots since 2002, and today, it’s announced the latest version. It’s called the i7 and it’s a Roomba that can remember the layout of your home. You can instruct it to leave its base and go tidy up a specific room, and then it can empty itself back at its dock. Here’s how it can figure out where it is in your home....

Earth’s magnetic fields deflect cosmic and solar rays, protecting those of us living on the planet and in orbit just above it. But astronauts traveling to Mars, or living in deep space for the long haul, will live in a constant barrage of cosmic radiation from which there is no escape. The prevailing concern is the risk of cancer, caused by high-energy protons interfering with space travelers’ DNA. There is, however, also a clear risk of neurological damage, which would stem from inflammation in the central nervous system....

Normally sold for $2,299, this uniquely modern mode of transportation is presently available at only $899.99 with no coupon necessary. With savings of more than 60 percent, this is a perfect opportunity to upgrade your personal plans for commuting or exercising or to consider a holiday gift idea at a great price. Colored a sleek black, BirdBike reaches a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour with a motor power of 500 watts....

Cold therapy comes in many forms, including an ice bath, cold shower, ice pack, and topical cooling agents. There’s also a technique called cryotherapy, and it involves exposing the body or a specific body part to cold temperatures for a set amount of time to soothe inflammation, improve circulation, spike energy levels, and more.You can enjoy what cryotherapy has to offer with a tool like the CryoFrost Compression System, only $249....