Features of the week
ArchitectureEngineering
This 1933 Escher-like structure is now the last of its kind in the world
by Bronwyn Thompson
Amid cranes on top of new skyscrapers, Shanghai has held onto of the most remarkable buildings you may ever experience – one built in 1933 by British architect firm Balfours to efficiently steer a production line of cattle to their deaths.
EnergyEngineering
Germany’s telescoping wind turbine becomes world’s tallest
by Omar Kardoudi
Germany is taking wind power to new heights. The world’s tallest turbine now stands 365 m (1,198 ft) in Schipkau, where it aims to tap stronger, steadier winds and test whether existing wind farms could grow upward with a second story.
ArchitectureEngineering
Three shipping containers transformed into one luxurious home
by Adam Williams
This recent example of shipping container-based architecture is a lot more comfortable than most. It involved transforming three of them into a spacious home complete with a rooftop terrace and even a sauna.
MotorcyclesTransport
The 2026 CFMOTO SR-S750: Riding China's attempt at a Japanese sportsbike
by Boris Mihailovic
I was set to hate it. I felt I had to. It was made in China, and while I think CFMoto, on general principles, makes pretty good bikes, what business does it have attempting an in-line four?
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ToolDance X1 desktop CNC cuts titanium – no machining degree required
The ToolDance X1 pairs a 1.5 kW spindle and nine-tool changer with software that plans its own toolpaths and a machine that measures its own stock, putting metal parts within reach of people who have never written G-code.
Top Stories: Transport
Jaguar re-launches itself with striking 1,000-hp Type 01 GT electric
by Simon Heptinstall
Jaguar unveiled the Type 01 with much fanfare in New York earlier this week. The extraordinary all-electric, all-wheel-drive, 1,030-hp GT is a radical departure from the brand's styling history.
Modular recyclable tire hunts immortality with swappable tread
by Ben Coxworth
Car tires are made to take a lot of abuse for a long time, so breaking them down for recycling has always been quite a challenge. Spanish scientists are developing a solution to that problem, with a modular tire that has a removable silicone tread.
Triumph shrinks its iconic Bonneville to a 400
by Utkarsh Sood
The Triumph Bonneville 400 is the sort of motorcycle that makes you wonder why Triumph didn't build it years ago and why, once you look at it, nobody else thought of doing exactly this. Well, Triumph finally built one.
Fiat MPV concept adds more 'multipurpose' by transforming into pickup
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
For its latest concept, Fiat's gone back to the ol' drawing board, found inspiration in possibly its quirkiest car in history, and come up with the Multiplay. This shape-shifter concept can transform from a family MPV to a pickup – open bed and all.
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Top stories: Body & Mind
Mounjaro plus experimental drug dramatically boosts weight loss
by Mike McRae
Using both the popular weight-loss medication tirzepatide with another hormone mimic may boost the popular drug's effectiveness, according to the results of a recent clinical trial. Essentially, it means greater weight loss than using only Mounjaro.
Latest sleep trend may do more harm than good – here's how to make it work
by Bronwyn Thompson
We've become increasingly aware of how critical sleep is to our health, which has made many of us focused on the best ways to go about it. Now, experts have some advice for those trying to "optimize" sleep – and it doesn't involve any effort at all.
Water could be the key to understanding Alzheimer's tangled mystery
by Mike McRae
Scientists have discovered a consistent anchor point on tau proteins where the molecules meet before contorting into a pathogenic shape. Blocking the site may substantially hinder the growth of the problematic protein tangles.
Vanilla-derived compound shown to accelerate healing of chronic wounds
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Researchers based in Australia have found that Vanillin, the compound found in vanilla pods, is not only an aromatic flavoring agent for foods and perfumes, but it can also help treat chronic wounds.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Wild pickup camper automatically unfurls into a multi-tent in seconds
by C.C. Weiss
The new Wild Land Pickupmate Trunk is an impressive piece of truck camping kit that fuses several different products into one. It's not quite a rooftop tent, not quite a pickup camping topper and not quite a basic truck cap. It's all three.
Tiny house spreads out with a pair of porches and a spacious interior
by Adam Williams
The Nordic Nook is a not-so-tiny house designed for a comfortable full-time life on wheels. It features a single-level layout for two and includes a well-equipped kitchen, an open living area, and not just one but two porches.
Pocket piston 2.0 updates the art of combusting fire out of thin air
by C.C. Weiss
Based on timeless, inalterable physics, the Aerohart Aviator's Ember fire piston sparks a flame with nothing more than tinder, air and a quick smack of the hand. Now the tool has been fully redesigned and improved to work even better.
Flat bottle pioneer puts lid mold on notice with easy clean Round
by Monica J. White
Melbourne's memobottle built its name on flat, bag-friendly bottles. Its first round model, the memo Round, centers on a lid that pulls apart into three pieces in seconds, tackling the mold that hides in most insulated bottle lids.
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Top Stories: Technology
VR chair offers a new way into virtual worlds without a headset
by Omar Kardoudi
Virtual reality can take you anywhere, but strap on a headset for long enough and your sore neck brings you back to actual reality. A Kyushu University researcher wants to change that, and his idea is a chair that offers a new way of experiencing VR.
'Invisible ink' keeps tattoos hidden until they're under certain light
by Mike McRae
New inks could add a degree of transience to tattoos, making them more like summer wear than permanent features. Called PhotoTat, the inks can be switched between almost invisible and brightly coloured states using different kinds of light.
Google Japan puts 116 keys on conveyor belts because typing was too easy
by Monica J. White
Google Japan's latest Gboard experiment puts 116 keys on four moving conveyor belts, bringing letters to your fingers instead of the other way around – and yes, it may be ridiculous, but it does actually work.
Comedy Wildlife Awards spark much-needed joy in nature
by Bronwyn Thompson
This year, more than 10,000 entries from 112 countries were judged in one of the most enjoyable photo competitions on the calendar. And here we present a snapshot of the 40 images that made the shortlist, with winners announced in December.
Top Stories: Science
Human-driven 'junk-food diet' messes with hundreds of inflammatory genes
by Bronwyn Thompson
In a landmark study, scientists have uncovered that a vibrant reef resident has had hundreds of its genes change in activity – most linked to inflammation and immune responses – by choosing more polluted but food-abundant habitats closer to humans.
High-speed video reveals bee’s unique venom pump in action
by Mike McRae
A honey bee’s barbed sting could be among the most sophisticated of venom-delivery systems in the natural world. Despite knowing about this relatively unusual anatomy for more than a century, nobody had ever observed it in action. Until now.
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