🌎 New Atlas stories of the week

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

An Italian optics research firm might have just tackled literally the biggest issue I face while motorcycling: the sun in my eyes. Irid's liquid crystal-based technology tints helmet visors to cut glare in an instant.

by Omar Kardoudi

South Metro Atlanta is set to become home to a demonstration pilot for a publicly accessible automated transit network using autonomous electric vehicles on dedicated guideways – promising to deliver rail-like capacity at bus-fare prices.

by C.C. Weiss

VW knows what it takes to make a great van, whether we're talking passenger or goods haulers. Its latest multipurpose van is a split-personality ID. Buzz that seats a family of five while carrying all means of cargo in a discrete compartment.

by Stefan Ionescu

Up until very recently, DJI's lightweight-but-torquey Avinox mid-drive motor has been powering off-road eMTB adventures. The Revo-C from Germany's Velo De Ville high-end custom is one of the first commuter rides to bring such power to city riding.

by Chelsea Haney

New research shows that people with obesity host a distinct oral microbiome. The study turns our attention to the mouth as a signal of metabolic health in a shift that challenges long-held assumptions about where obesity-related biomarkers can be measured.

by Michael Franco

After an analysis of data from over 131,000 people, researchers found that drinking coffee and tea daily seems to guard against the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of cognitive decline - caffeine may be the key protective compound.

by Michael Franco

While AI certainly has its issues, there’s little doubt that it shines in terms of medical diagnostics. Now, a new study suggests it can even make the humble stethoscope an even more powerful tool than it already is for detecting heart disease.

by Michael Franco

Zinc oxide remains one of the best forms of sun protection thanks to its ability to block both UVB and UVA rays. However, few really appreciate its thick white look – except, maybe, lifeguards in the '80s. UCLA researchers believe they have a solution.

by C.C. Weiss

Kia has introduced an officially branded camper package for the tiny PV5 electric van. Interestingly, the flat-pack IKEA-like assemble-yourself mini-camper kit was developed in the USA, which has not yet been confirmed as a PV5 market.

by Adam Williams

Downsizing to a tiny house usually requires some serious compromises. However, the English Garden has a remarkably roomy and stylish interior that feels more like an apartment than a traditional tiny house.

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

This new piece of camping kit is designed to not only make it way easier to start a fire, but also keep your site free of smoke. That means you can comfortably enjoy the warmth from the flames, and even get a cookout going with minimal effort.

by C.C. Weiss

One of the smoothest hunks of sleep-in fiberglass you'll see this year, the Awaken Morningstar looks to "wake up" an age of higher quality US Midwest-built campers. The trailer's robust dual-hulled build aims to eliminate rotting and leaking.

by Etiido Uko

What do Rihanna, stunning beaches, and a potential 50-megawatt wave-energy project have in common? Barbados! The island nation is deploying a unique type of wave energy tech to convert its ocean waves into sustainable electricity and freshwater.

by Bronwyn Thompson

We have certainly entered the age of AI robots doing the jobs we formerly relied on humans for. Some are yet to do it as well, but the Pongbot Pace S Pro is the best tennis coach I've had – even if it doesn't criticize my poor two-handed backhand grip.

by Monica J. White

Epson has unveiled the EB-XQ2030B, billed as the world’s smallest and lightest 30,000-lumen 4K projector. Aimed at rental, staging, and immersive installations, it focuses on making extreme projection easier to deploy, hide, and manage.

by David Szondy

With a single invisible shot, Raytheon's Coyote Block 3 UAV zapped swarms of drones out of the sky in a US Army demonstration showing that a reusable drone with electromagnetic weapons is an economical alternative to explosive interceptors.

by Jay Kakade

The earliest ancestors of all backboned animals, including humans, may have viewed the world with four eyes, not just two, according to a new study. The remnants of those extra eyes persist deep in the human brain today as the pineal organ.