Features of the week
SpaceScience
Voyager 1 approaches one light day from Earth
by David Szondy
As it heads out of the solar system never to return, the deep space probe Voyager 1 is headed for yet another cosmic milestone. In late 2026, it will become the first spacecraft to travel so far that a radio signal from Earth takes 24 hours, or one light day, to reach it.
MotorcyclesTransport
Shoei launches world's first helmet with fully integrated AR
by Utkarsh Sood
Shoei has just launched the GT-Air 3 Smart, the world’s first moto helmet to feature fully integrated augmented reality thanks to a partnership with EyeLights, which specializes in head-up displays and Bluetooth audio kits.
BiologyScience
We’re evolving too slowly for the world we’ve built, according to science
by Bronwyn Thompson
As our evolution slows and industrialization and technology accelerates, research suggests that human biology is struggling to keep pace. A new study investigated whether rapid and extensive environmental shifts have compromised the fitness of Homo sapiens.
Body and Mind
First totally synthetic human brain model has been realized
by Pranjal Malewar
Scientists have, for the first time, developed functional, brain-like tissue without relying on animal-derived materials or biological coatings. The innovation offers a new, fully synthetic platform for neural tissue engineering.
This week’s newsletter sponsor
The daily health habit you’ll actually stick with…
This time of year, it’s SO hard to stay healthy.
That’s why you need a daily habit that’s easy.
Meet AG1: With just one quick scoop, you’ll support your immune health, gut health, energy, and fill nutrient gaps.
Give AG1 a try today to unlock their best offer ever.
Top Stories: Transport
The world's first self-charging solar motorcycle is here – as a concept
by Utkarsh Sood
Who would have guessed the world's first self-charging solar motorcycle would come from an architecture firm? The bike can produce power on its own without the need for fuel, or big, heavy batteries, dense charging networks, or electrical grids.
Bizarre flapless X-65 diamond-wing aircraft comes together
by David Szondy
DARPA's X-65, that replaces conventional aircraft flight controls with puffs of air, is coming together at Boeing subsidiary Aurora’s Bridgeport, West Virginia facility. The fuselage is taking shape and awaits its radical wing design.
Review: 2025 Toyota 4Runner tested in two renditions
by Aaron Turpen
What Toyota has done with the 2025 4Runner is evolutionary. The new 4Runner sits on the TNGA-F body-on-frame architecture, and that underpins much of what’s compelling about this generation. I drove both the Limited and the Trailhunter models.
Electric mini bike with go-kart tires is built for all-day wheelies
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
If you've got a couple thousand bucks burning a hole in your pocket, you could do a whole lot worse than drop it on an Antic. This little beast lets you get into all kinds of trouble on two wheels – or one, if you're feeling rowdy.
Special Promotion for New Atlas readers:
A Netflix competitor just dropped a lifetime subscription for $140
Most streaming menus treat documentaries like a side dish. MagellanTV flips that, it’s a service made for long-form non-fiction, and it is running a lifetime subscription for only $139.97 (reg. $999).
Top stories: Body & Mind
We now know what causes lupus – the Epstein-Barr virus 95% of us live with
by Bronwyn Thompson
Scientists have found the clearest evidence yet that Epstein-Barr virus – which nearly all of us carry for life – is directly responsible for hijacking our immune system's cells to cause lupus, a chronic disease that affects up to a million Americans.
The five 'lives' of your brain have been mapped by Cambridge
by Michael Franco
In a new study, researchers discovered that the human brain has four pivotal periods when it goes through marked changes, sparking five "epochs" that last for years. The adolescent phase, for example, was found to extend into our early 30s.
New study finds popular fitness apps may actually demotivate users
by Maryna Holovnova
We already know how watching other people’s lives on social media can affect our self-esteem. Apparently, using apps to track your fitness activities can have a similar effect. A new study suggests that fitness apps can become major demotivators.
Speech-restoring brain chip gets FDA approval for human trial
by Bronwyn Thompson
US brain-computer-interface startup Paradromics is establishing itself as a major player in the neural-device space, with the Food and Drug Administration green-lighting a human trial to test its ability in restoring speech to people with paralysis.
Top Stories: Outdoor
Frameless tiny house delivers rustic cabin charm at an affordable price
by Adam Williams
This charming tiny house takes design cues from traditional cabins to deliver a rustic small living experience. Named the Nature Pod, it features generous glazing and optional off-grid functionality, and starts at roughly $16,600.
Nike's smart trail jacket fits in your palm & keeps pace with weather
by C.C. Weiss
Nike's new Lava Loft Down Jacket uses a rather unconventional solution to solve a common problem, interspersing wide open vents between baffles of ultra-warm down to react to the massive weather shifts a trail runner can experience.
Titanium pocket ratchet has crazy tight swing arc and remarkable agility
by Michael Franco
If you've struggled to get a ratchet to work in a tight space, you'll appreciate a new take on the tool from Titaner. The palm-sized tool engages each sprocket with just a tiny turn and has multiple configurations for maximum situational adaptability.
Brilliantly classic egg camper adds off-road spec the RV world covets
by C.C. Weiss
Scamp might not be quite as celebrated as Airstream, but it is a similarly iconic camping trailer brand. The all-new Scamp X is the company's first off-road-specific model in more than 50 years in business, putting a new twist on a classic.
Top Stories: Technology
Star Catcher breaks DARPA's record for beaming power wirelessly
by David Szondy
Star Catcher Industries has set a new record for beaming power at a distance. Its Star Catcher Network technology beamed 1.1 kW of power at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida using off-the-shelf solar panel components.
World's first underwater exoskeleton intuitively powers your sea legs
by Michael Franco
Divers may soon be able to get a welcome boost to their flutter kicks thanks to an exoskeleton developed by researchers at Peking University. By shouldering some of the burden of underwater swimming, the device could also make scuba tanks last longer.
Under-construction skyscraper smashes North American height record
by Adam Williams
A new residential skyscraper has broken a North American record, becoming the tallest building in Canada – and it's not even finished. The Pinnacle SkyTower will rise to an impressive height of 1,154 ft in Toronto once complete.
Lightweight smart telescope simplifies deep sky exploration
by Paul Ridden
Photographing the deep sky at night can be a complicated business. DwarfLab's book-sized smart telescopes have removed many pain points over the years, but the company has gone lightweight as well as compact and portable for its latest design.
Top Stories: Science
Mach-23 potato gun to shoot satellites into space
by Joe Salas
We speak to the wild man behind Longshot Space, a company planning to build a colossal 6-mile-long (10-km) space cannon to shoot several-ton objects into low Earth orbit (LEO). The company has already built a working proof of concept.
Common fern found gathering rare earth metals out of the ground
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Rare earth elements that are crucial for producing tech products, from EVs to phones, require destructive mining to get them out of the ground. Scientists in China might have just found another source for them that's easier to reach: ferns.
3D-printable concrete alternative hardens in three days, not four weeks
by Ben Coxworth
Although we've heard a lot about how 3D-printing concrete homes speeds up the construction process, you still have to wait up to 28 days for the concrete to sufficiently cure. A new printable substitute, however, is ready to go in just three days.
A drying lake is triggering weird seismic activity deep beneath its basin
by Chelsea Haney
We tend to think earthquakes are predominantly driven by deep-Earth forces. But a new discovery reshapes that long-held assumption suggesting lake-level fluctuations can stir the shallow crust influencing earthquake risk and tectonic plate movement.
Let us know what you’d like more or less of in this weekly roundup - just reply to this email and we’ll take it on board!
Get your next issue ad-free – and support our work – join New Atlas Plus!
|
