Headliner
Fluoride and the brain: Largest US study ever unearths surprise new link
by Bronwyn Thompson
In the first US study looking at whether the recommended fluoride levels in drinking water affects brain function, researchers have found that the hot-button mineral has no negative impacts on cognition – and may actually be giving it a boost.
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Highlights
New tech pulls lithium from dead batteries cheaper than you can buy it
by Michael Franco
While lithium extraction technologies generally focus on ways to get the essential metal out of the ground, there's another source to mine: existing batteries that no longer work. A new technique could now make that process economically viable.
New Atlas tours the Polaris R&D facility on the Slingshot's 10th anniversary
by Aaron Turpen
It may surprise some to learn that Polaris has a serious research, development, and testing facility. I got a full tour of the place, along with a dedicated test track that I got to use later.
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DragonFire laser weapon takes down high-speed drones
by David Szondy
Britain's DragonFire laser weapon upped the ante on November 20 at the Ministry of Defence's Hebrides Range in Scotland when the high-powered, solid-state laser for the Royal Navy shot down drones flying at 351 knots (404 mph, 650 km/h).
Best multitools of 2025: Revamped Leathermans to Swiss Army skeletons
by C.C. Weiss
After a rather slow 2024, 2025 saw more multitool debuts than we could keep up with. Our favorites included a reimagining of Leatherman's most popular, a skeletal Swiss Army knife, and a Gerber campsite classic that starts fires.
Solar-powered floating airports: The missing link for air taxis?
by David Szondy
Air taxis might be the next big thing but they can't get very big if there's no place for them to land. AutoFlight Aviation Technology is developing a vertiport that's essentially a solar-powered barge that can go where it's needed – water permitting.
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Sub-30-lb rooftop tent slashes price & boosts car camping convenience
by C.C. Weiss
So many rooftop tents on the market weigh well over 100 lb. The all-new Weekend from Groenberg shatters that mold and weighs in at a fraction of those figures. And for a limited time, it also prices in at a fraction of the competition.
Tuneable perovskite: A breakthrough in low-cost solar and laser materials
by Malcolm Azania
High-efficiency, inexpensive LEDs and solar cells may arise from crystalline structures cheaper than silicon. A new vapor-based method works like superconductor manufacturing, creating perovskite layers at the Angstrom level for greater durability.
Launch mishap may knock Russia out of astronaut launches for years
by David Szondy
Russia has suffered a major setback after the launch of its Soyuz MS-28 mission ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) caused severe damage to the country's only pad capable of handling crewed boosters.
Tiny house sauna lets you get your sweat on wherever you can park it
by Adam Williams
At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking this neat little structure is a tiny house, but it's actually a sauna. Named the Aquila Sauna, it runs fully off-grid and allows up to six people to get their sweat on.
This clever sticker printer for kids is AI hardware I can get behind
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
The Stickerbox turns your child's wildest ideas – like a lizard riding a skateboard – into printed stickers they can tear off immediately and color in using regular pencils and crayons. It's basically generative AI and a printer, and it's genius.
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