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Fun in the time of fear

Popular Science

Contributors

The most dangerous game

Computers for the win

Horseplay—or not?

One chair, five ways

There’s no place like home

Who should get to compete as a woman?

How will we keep astronauts entertained?

Does practice really make perfect?

What fun things did we learn making this issue?

Explain game theory like I’m 5

What makes quiz shows timeless?

Why did we evolve to goof off? • ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDS— and the modern-day antics of our primate relatives—make it clear that monkeying around goes way back. Less certain, however, are the developmental and evolutionary advantages that underlie our instinct to build forts, toss balls, and cuddle stuffed critters. We asked four experts why humans just wanna have fun.

Why do good folks play dirty?

String theory

Short circuits • TOYS THAT TEACH CODING CAN SPARK A LIFELONG INTEREST IN PROGRAMMING. THESE BOTS OFFER INCREASING LEVELS OF CUSTOMIZABILITY AND COMPLEXITY TO MATCH A YOUNG ONE’S SKILLS.

Digital domination • GAMING ON A CONSOLE OR PHONE IS FUN AND ALL, BUT ELITE PLAYERS RELY ON MASSIVE PCS WITH PRECISION PERIPHERALS TO WIELD THEIR WEAPONS WITH JOHN WICK–LIKE AGILITY. THIS RIG IS READY TO SMITE EVERY ONLINE FOE.

Hard hitter

Wow-abunga • WHETHER YOU WANT TO BUST TRICKS OR JUST CRUISE AROUND, THERE’S A SKATEBOARD THAT’LL GET YOU SHREDDING. (DON’T FORGET YOUR PADS, HELMET, AND VANS SLIP-ONS.)

Dune buddy • ODDS ARE, YOU DON’T NEED A VEHICLE LIKE THE CAN-AM MAVERICK X3 X RS TURBO RR. BUT IF YOU WANT OODLES OF HORSEPOWER AND A MAMMOTH SUSPENSION, THIS SIDE-BY-SIDE HAS YOU COVERED FOR EVERY ADVENTURE.

Turf wars • UP THE STAKES AT YOUR NEXT BBQ WITH A YARD GAME THAT REWARDS FINESSE OVER FITNESS. YOU DON’T EVEN HAVE TO LET GO OF THAT BEER TO THROW DOWN.

Baby driver grows up • FOUR DECADES AGO, TAYLORMADE BROUGHT DRIVERS INTO THE MODERN ERA BY CRAFTING THE HEAD OF THE CLUB FROM METAL, NOT WOOD—A MOVE THAT FOUND FAVOR WITH PROS. HERE’S HOW IT EVOLVED.

Hell? Yes! • Endurance athletes and the pleasure of pushing it

The dolls that changed the world

Kandy-kolored, streamlined, and definitely around the bend • PINEWOOD DERBY RACING AND THE DADS WHO JUST CAN’T GET ENOUGH

Anatomy of a laugh

Surfing’s big break • As the sport takes its place in the Olympic lineup, science and tech help carve its future.

Lane brains • THE WEIRD ANATOMY OF PRO BOWLING BALLS

Gamers, start your engines • The next generation of racecar drivers will master their skills in the virtual world

Our checkered past

Science helped us build better sports bras

Let children be a little wild

Who’s got the beat?

Play meets work • The average person spends some 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime, which adds up to 10 years on the clock. But some folks figured out how to bring their extracurriculars into the office. Here’s how four lucky people folded fun into their professional callings.

Making baby toys less busy

How to create a true game of chance

We are (all) the champions

Making fetch happen

Why Disney’s massive lines feel so short

Gaming the system

Mind over muscle

What happens when we daydream?

Behind the cover