Headliner
Has Saudi Arabia's audacious 105-mile-long city hit final roadblock?
by Adam Williams
The world's largest earthworks, millions of work hours, and huge sums of money have all gone into pursuing the dream of a 105-mile-long desert city in Saudi Arabia. However, a recent report suggests it might all turn out to be a mirage.
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Highlights
Kawasaki introduces its first all-new two-stroke motorcycle in 20 years
by Utkarsh Sood
Just when most of us thought the era of two strokes was over, Japanese bikemaker Kawasaki has released its first big two-strokers in more than two decades – the KX327 motocrosser and the cross-country-focused KX327X.
Weaker bonds make for more impact-resistant polymers
by Shirl Leigh
In a new MIT study – in partnership with Purdue, Northwestern, and Duke universities – chemists have discovered that inserting weaker bonds into polystyrene actually makes the material more resistant to damage.
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RV maker's self-driving tow sled packs battery power of 2 Cybertrucks
by C.C. Weiss
Lightship became one of the first self-powered trailer pioneers to market last summer. Now it's launching a different type of self-driving electric trailer, one that could have an even bigger impact on how the world tows than the original AE.1.
Peugeot recaptures retro spirit with first electric GTi hot-hatch
by Simon Heptinstall
Who said hot-hatches are finished? With the help of its motorsport division, Peugeot has made a new GTi that’s fast AND spirited. It's also the brand's first electric GTi, and is faster than any Peugeot GTi before.
Two new mini-ROVs are set to explore the inky depths
by Ben Coxworth
It was nine years ago that we told you about the intriguing Pioneer mini-ROV (underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle), made by Norway's Blueye Robotics. Well, it's now got not one but two more capable siblings, in the forms of the ocean-exploring X3 Ultra and X7.
Insta360 and Leica's Luna Ultra targets DJI's pocket camera crown
by Omar Kardoudi
Insta360 and Leica's first co-designed gimbal camera packs dual lenses, 8K Dolby Vision video, and a detachable OLED screen into a 200 g body – the most serious challenger to DJI's Osmo Pocket yet.
VW T7 camper van is a California-style rig with a toilet and a twist
by C.C. Weiss
Trakka has a long history of turning Volkswagen's various vans into Outback-ready expedition machines. Now it focuses attention on turning VW's newest van into a more versatile, rugged, comfortable camper with an options sheet that trumps VW's own.
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Refractor: Science & Health
Please note that articles listed in this section will open at our sister site: Refractor
A vaccine designed using AI has just been tested in humans
by The Conversation
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed what they describe as a fundamentally new type of vaccine. The vaccine’s key component was designed entirely by AI and has now been tested in people for the first time.
Dante's Hell was inspired by an asteroid impact
by Dr. Jaroslav Boublik
New research is offering a dramatic new way to read Dante Alighieri’s Inferno: not simply as a religious vision of Hell, but as an early attempt to imagine the effects of a catastrophic planetary impact.
Scientists investigate origins of a ‘ghost particle’ 30x more powerful than any other
by Chris Young
Three years ago, a single “ghost particle” soared into the Mediterranean with more energy than any ever observed before. Now, a team of researchers in Italy claims the particle may have originated in a specific class of blazars.
Common supplement could accelerate Alzheimer's decline
by The Conversation
People with Alzheimer’s disease who took the over-the-counter supplement glucosamine were 25% more likely to die within five years than those who didn’t. This new study investigates its role in speeding up cognitive decline.
Elsewhere
Iceland Air recently announced the winner of a very unusual photo competition. With the tagline "even the worst photographer can take great photos of Iceland" judges spent more than 2,000 hours crawling through 127,642 applicants to find a prize-winning bad photographer.
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