🌎 New Atlas stories of the week

by Bronwyn Thompson

Following on from last year's 34th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize, the 35th First Annual Ig Nobel Prize night took place at Boston University this week, celebrating the joy of science: Real research with some delightfully sideways paths of investigation.

by Michael Franco

Aluminum production creates a toxic byproduct known as red mud. In an effort to cut down on this waste, researchers have figured out a way to send electric pulses through the mud to purify it and allow it to be reused instead of discarded.

by Bronwyn Thompson

A chance discovery in a US cheese cave has given scientists a rare glimpse of evolution in real time – and the surprise findings have huge potential for protecting human health, enhancing food security and even delivering new flavors to turophiles.

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

And now for a spot of good news for our planet: the protective layer of ozone continues to heal, with the hole in our stratospheric shield having shrunk to a smaller size in 2024 than in the period between 2020-2023.

by Bronwyn Thompson

On the remote Yamal and Gydan peninsulas of western Siberia, the landscape is marked by massive craters that look as though the Earth has blown holes in itself. Now, 12 years after the first one was found, scientists say they know what's causing them.

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

Looking Glass Factory has been making glasses-free holograms a thing with innovative displays. For its latest trick, it's devised a screen that can present video and animated content with convincing depth that goes far beyond its slim profile.

by David Szondy

A super-secret Lockheed Martin Skunk Works project is no longer a secret after the company revealed its Vectis Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) – an autonomous stealth fighter drone developed entirely in-house with company funds.

by Paul Ridden

Folks in the US looking for a smart projector are pretty much dependent on Google running the show, or have to plug in a streaming stick. Roku has now partnered with Aurzen for a wallet-friendly entertainment hub with Roku TV baked in.

by David Szondy

Giving a whole new meaning to underground power, startup Deep Fission Nuclear has secured US$30 million in funding to install a micro-reactor in a mile-deep borehole by July 4, 2026 as part of the US Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program.

by David Szondy

When you're one of the premiere watchmakers in the world, you can push the boat out for your 270th anniversary. Case in point is Vacheron Constantin, which has rolled out its La Quête du Temps haute chronologie clock complete with an automaton astronomer.

by C.C. Weiss

Mahle recently took a short break from pushing out compact, torque-maximizing ebike motors to reveal a small, high-efficiency multi-fuel engine-generator it says is ready to deliver hybridized driving ranges up to 838 miles.

by Loz Blain

I'm a sucker for a good "reinventing the wheel" story, and David Henson's 'SurfacePlan' concept is an odd a take on one of humanity's greatest inventions as we've seen in a long time. It's designed to replace engines and drivetrains altogether.

by Utkarsh Sood

The Bugatti Chiron Supersport 300+ held the crown for the world's fastest car since 2019. It took six long years for a worthy contender to not just step up but snatch that feat from Bugatti like it was nothing … in the form of an EV, no less!

by Ben Coxworth

Foam may protect you from whacks on the head, but it's not sufficient when you're cycling at speed. That's where RLS bike helmet tech comes in. It offers 4x the concussion protection of a regular helmet, via ball bearings and pop-off panels.

by Utkarsh Sood

The IAA Mobility trade show in Munich was bound to throw some really unusual motos our way. But most wouldn't have put their money on the first Volkswagen vehicle to run on a solid-state lithium-metal battery to be a Ducati superbike.

by Bronwyn Thompson

A daily cocoa supplement appears to reduce age-related inflammation, according to the largest study of its kind. The findings support earlier evidence that flavanols from plants like cocoa may help protect the heart and even slow biological aging.

by Michael Franco

While Ozempic and other drugs like it have proven effective in helping people lose weight, many gain it back when the injections stop. A new drug targets weight loss differently, leading to a more permanent fat-shedding solution.

by Paul McClure

Retirement can boost mental health, but not for everyone. A new study shows that income, gender, and job type influence whose well-being flourishes and who struggles once the 9-to-5 workdays are ended.

by Bronwyn Thompson

An inexpensive, over-the-counter form of vitamin B3 cut new skin cancers by an average of 14% in a study of more than 33,000 people. Among those who began taking a daily dose after a first diagnosis, the risk of a repeat skin cancer fell by up to 54%.

by Bronwyn Thompson

A fermented food that has been a staple on plates in Korea for thousands of years has gone global in the past decade, with new research revealing that kimchi can naturally lower triglycerides and blood pressure and regulate fasting glucose levels.

by C.C. Weiss

Lamborghini has teamed with e-PWC specialist Cayago to develop what it calls the "most powerful Seabob ever," a grab-and-go personal jet sled that promises exhilaration on and under the water at speeds that compete with various species of shark.

by Ben Coxworth

Just because you're a wheelchair user, that doesn't mean you should be limited to using nothing but a wheelchair. That was the thinking behind the electric Exoquad, and it's definitely the thinking behind its more capable successor, the Exoquad V2.

by Adam Williams

The Cuprinol Shed of the Year winner for 2025 has been announced. London's Mike Robinson has won with his ingenious space-saving Tiny Workshop, which showcases an inspired use of shelving and spare parts.

by Ben Coxworth

If there's one thing that outdoorsy types like, it's the ability to tote stuff around in the back of their vehicle, while keeping that gear organized at the same time. Well, Subcube is a new magnetic modular system which allows anyone to do so.

by C.C. Weiss

Hoka's all-new Mafate X Hike hybrid boot aims to help adventurers fulfill some of their loftiest goals, pushing them deeper and harder into wild spaces inaccessible to ordinary mortals.