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Popular Mechanics
1 My Pop Life • EXPERT HACKS, GEAR RECS & LIFE-TESTED WISDOM FROM OUR STAFF
How You Helped Build This Issue
The Best Motorcycle for Every Type of Rider
The iPad’s Handwriting Recognition Tech Shows How Apple Does Machine Learning
Uncovering the Hidden Secrets of Procedural Generation
The World’s First Fusion Reactor Is (Almost) Ready to Turn On
The Magnetic North Pole Is Racing Toward Russia
Is NASA Working on a Warp Drive?
READER PROJECT: Make Something Old Into Something Cool • We asked you to grab your old junk and repurpose it into a brand-new creation. Here’s what you built.
“MAD MIKE” HUGHES REJECTED SCIENCE AND CHASED FAME. IT KILLED HIM.
HOW MIKE AND WALDO’S ROCKET WORKED • The steam-powered rocket operates on the same principle as a jet engine, creating thrust by expelling gas behind it. It’s Newton’s third law of motion: Every action (shooting steam) has a reaction (flying rocket).
I BUILT THIS BOAT WITH A BOOK FROM 1935 • THE GENTLEMAN’S RACER DESIGN CAME FROM OLD POPULAR MECHANICS PLANS.
DEFIANT VS. VALOR • INSIDE THE HEAD-TO-HEAD BATTLE TO REPLACE THE BLACK HAWK
The Best Multitools to Get Any Job Done
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MULTITOOL
The Best Tents for Sleeping Under the Stars
THE TYPES OF TENTS • Having a preferred shape or style in mind can help you narrow down the options. Some tents are budget-friendly and more suitable for established campgrounds, while others offer more living space and weather protection.
12 Editors’ Choice • AWARD-WINNING TOOLS AND GEAR RIGOROUSLY VETTED BY OUR TEST TEAM
Headphones That Turn Down the Volume on Excess Noise
HOW NOISE CANCELLATION WORKS
Five Mattresses for Your Best Sleep Ever
15 How to Be Good at What You Do • LUIS JAIME PÉREZ SÁNCHEZ, 22, MEZCAL MAKER, OAXACA, MEXICO