Hi all - Loz Blain here
I’m sorry to inform you all, but it’s nearly the end of September already. I don’t know how this has happened, or who’s responsible, but we’re doing everything we can to ensure they’re brought to justice.
In other news, we’ve switched up the format of this weekly “best of New Atlas” newsletter to break it up into sections, making it easier to find your favorite categories. How do you like the new format? Reply to this email to let us know!
But enough about that, let’s open up the box of chocolates and check out our hand-picked selection of the best stories of the week!
Love,
Loz Blain
MD@New Atlas
Features of the week
Apollo laser takes down 200 drones unplugged
by David Szondy
Australian defense company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has unveiled its Apollo High Energy Laser Weapon (HELW) that pumps out up to 150 kW of power yet can take out 200 medium-sized drones running on its own internal power supply.
Hunger-blocking exercise molecule drives weight loss without workouts
by Bronwyn Thompson
Scientists have found out exactly how an exercise-triggered molecule suppresses hunger signals in the brain, leading to weight loss. It could be harnessed as a therapeutic, providing the same benefit without the work it takes to produce it naturally.
Family ready tiny house packs three bedrooms into 32 ft
by Adam Williams
Dragon Tiny Homes' Webster is well-suited to full-time living on wheels and features a spacious interior with three bedrooms, sleeping up to six people. The tiny house is currently up for sale for $85,000.
Top Stories: Science
Drunk bats and painted cows: The oddball Ig Nobel Prize winners of 2025
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.
"Lightning"-fast process turns toxic red mud into tough ceramics
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.
US cheese cave bugs are evolving in real time
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.
The ozone layer is steadily recovering – all thanks to global treaties
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.
Siberia’s mysterious exploding craters have a deep, violent origin story
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.
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Top stories: Technology
Slim 'Hololuminescent' display gives remarkable depth to onscreen visuals
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.
Skunk Works springs Vectis fighter drone on the world
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.
Budget-friendly smart projector swaps Google TV for Roku
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.
Deep Fission raises $30 million to build mile-deep nuclear reactor
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.
La Quête du Temps clock gives a guided tour of the heavens
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.
Top Stories: Transport
Jet-ignition motor multiplies electrified vehicle range past 800 miles
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.
Direct-push wheel design would replace the whole drivetrain
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.
Yangwang U9 Xtreme dethrones Bugatti as the world's fastest production car
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!
"Super-safe" bike helmet sports ball bearings and breakaway panels
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.
Ducati’s already manic electric racer now runs on a solid-state battery
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.
Top Stories: Body & Mind
Cocoa flavanols help fight heart 'inflammaging' in older adults
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.
Ozempic killer? New drug reprograms metabolism for lasting weight loss
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.
Retirement boosts mental health, but not for everyone
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.
Daily vitamin B3 dose slashes skin cancer risk by up to 54%
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%.
Ancient dish a boon for blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels
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.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Hand-triggered electric PWC packs 2x the jet power for predator speeds
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.
Upgraded electric four-wheeler takes wheelchair users on off-road adventures
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.
Ingenious space-saving Tiny Workshop named 2025 Shed of the Year
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.
Modular magnetic storage system organizes the junk in your trunk
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.
A well-known survival tool hides in this chunky long-range hiking boot
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.
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