🌎 New Atlas stories of the week

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.