Features of the week
Ski and SnowboardToysOutdoors
Giant rotating hamster wheels aim to 'revolutionize' indoor skiing
by Loz Blain
An Australian company is preparing to roll out a series of giant, rotating ski barrels designed to make the experience of carving endless fresh snow available to city folk without a long drive. We talk to Snowtunnel co-founder and CEO Scott Kessler.
BiologyScience
Ultra-slo-mo reveals how the deadliest snakes make the most of their bites
by Ian Baker
Ultra-slow-motion footage has revealed that snake strikes aren’t the simple, lightning-fast stabs we imagine. Instead, each deadly family has evolved its own sinister, precision method for delivering venom in just milliseconds.
Tiny HousesOutdoors
Weekender tiny house is designed for a good time, not a long time
by Adam Williams
As its name suggests, the Weekender isn't intended for full-time living. However, the compact tiny house offers a well-designed, light-filled interior that's well-suited to regular travel and short stays.
Technology
The Biro turns 80: How a simple pen rewrote everyday life
by David Szondy
This month marks 80 years since one of the most influential yet underrated inventions burst onto the market in New York on October 29, 1945. The Biro may seem unremarkable, but it fast became part of our everyday lives and revolutionized communications.
Top Stories: Transport
Toyota vaults into Bentley territory with ultra-premium Century coupe
by Utkarsh Sood
Century aims at offering a fully bespoke, "One of One" experience to its customers, sitting above Lexus as Toyota’s ultra-luxury spin-off. First out of the gate is a sultry new coupe model to challenge the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
World Record: Longest non-stop flight is WAY longer than you think
by Joe Salas
"You can either go to Vegas, or you can go to The Hacienda," is what got this world-record-setting idea off the ground and into the air for a couple of months. Yep, I said months.
Electric front-loader flips the script on folding cargo ebikes
by Paul Ridden
We're a little late to the party on this one, but this folding electric Long John is definitely worth a closer look. The E-Fold comes from a German startup and was born of the founder's frustration with trying to get his ride on public transport.
The Rebelle Rally isn’t about speed or tech, but there’s a lot of both
by Aaron Turpen
I stood in the windy desert of Nevada watching one vehicle after the next launch out of the inflatable arch and into the sand ahead. These women were heading out into the unknown with nothing more than a map and a pencil to guide them. It was pretty badass.
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Top stories: Body & Mind
ADHD brains are more creative – and we might have worked out why
by Bronwyn Thompson
While not everyone with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder has tapped into their creative side, there are a lot of creative people who also have neurodivergent brains. Now, new research suggests this could be due to the way our minds wander.
Designer drug targets both heart disease and diabetes
by Paul McClure
A promising “two-in-one” experimental drug could tackle both type 2 diabetes and heart disease by slashing cholesterol and inflammation, potentially offering a powerful new way to protect the heart and improve metabolism.
Bird flu virus found surviving in certain cheeses
by Pranjal Malewar
A dangerous type of bird flu virus (called H5N1) continues to circulate among dairy cows in the US. Infected milk can expose other cows, pets, wild animals, and possibly humans to the virus, a potential threat beyond just the farm.
Tumor microbiome: Hidden signature shapes diagnosis and treatment
by Paul McClure
Scientists found that nearly every cancer harbors its own distinct community of microbes – tiny passengers that can influence how tumors start, spread, and respond to treatment, paving the way for a new era of precision medicine.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Lovable Toyota tiny camper van gets even tinier and more lovable
by C.C. Weiss
Toyota's Kayoibako van concept won over the 2023 Japan Mobility Show. Toyota is now talking up a Kayoibako family and showing the Daihatsu Kayoibako-K, a kei transporter that's a tiny delivery van, micro-camper, automated adventure shuttle and more.
Sleek, skeletal Swiss Army knife packs a locking blade and plenty more
by C.C. Weiss
Victorinox's new Alox Refined Swiss Army knife collection wears a set of skeletonized aluminum oxide scales for sure-gripping performance and a unique look. The flagship of the 3-knife series, the Synergy X brings 9 handy tools to your pocket.
Tiny, pop-out pod camper promises Mitsubishi Delica 4x4 levels of fun
by C.C. Weiss
At this year's Japan Mobility Show, the legendary little Mitsubishi Delica van cedes the stage (for a moment, anyway) to an even cooler Mitsubishi camping rig: a futuristic concept combo that expands into a multi-room base camp.
26-ft tiny house goes extra-wide for surprisingly spacious small living
by Adam Williams
This light-filled tiny house combines compact dimensions with a focus on daylight and home comforts. Featuring an extra-wide interior, it squeezes in a well-proportioned kitchen, a downstairs bedroom, and a bathroom with a bathtub.
Top Stories: Technology
Rolls-Royce rolls out world's first 100% methanol marine engine
by David Szondy
Rolls-Royce is ditching diesel for methanol with its new maritime engine, described as the world's first high-speed marine engine in its performance class to operate exclusively on pure wood alcohol for a potentially CO₂-neutral drivetrain.
Biochips made from mushrooms rival power of manmade semiconductors
by Bronwyn Thompson
They may be better known for stir-fries than supercomputing, but shiitake mushrooms have now been harnessed to function as living processors, storing and recalling data like a semiconductor chip but with almost no environmental footprint.
E Ink goes mobile with budget eye-friendly smartphone
by Paul Ridden
Catching up with the latest viral TikToks on your smartphone can be a strain on the eyes. E Ink alternatives are few and far between, and they can be pricey for what you get. Bigme has now launched more budget-friendly options.
All That Jazzmaster: Ode to an icon that luckily missed its mark
by Barry Divola
How did a guitar that failed to grab its intended market – the market it was literally named after – end up becoming the instrument of choice across surf-rock, post-punk, new wave, power pop, shoegaze and more?
Top Stories: Science
This roof paint blocks 97% of sunlight and pulls water from the air
by Bronwyn Thompson
A roof paint that can cool your home and pull fresh water straight out of the air? It's within reach, as scientists scale up production of a new kind of paint-like coating that shields roofing from the sun's rays and harvests dew from its surface.
Chinese space oven puts chicken wings on the menu
by David Szondy
First Japan wants to make space sake and now China has been roasting New Orleans-style chicken wings and black pepper steaks in a specially made hot-air oven aboard its Tiangong space station, according to China's Global Times state news service.
World's largest archeological museum opens in Egypt with 100K exhibits
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
After two decades under construction, Egypt has officially thrown open the doors to the largest archeological museum in the world, spanning 94 football fields and built to house some 100,000 exhibits through several millennia.
Slowing climate change by using aerosols to block sunlight? Maybe not such a good idea
by Malcolm Azania
Holy sun-repellant spray, Batman! Could injecting sunlight-dimming aerosols into the atmosphere save the planet from industrial climate destruction? A new Columbia Climate School report definitely suggests that caution is warranted.
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