🌎 New Atlas stories of the week

by David Szondy

A hybrid-electric jet engine may seem as absurd as a horse-drawn Zeppelin, but GE Aerospace is ground testing a new megawatt-class hybrid turbofan engine and its full powertrain that is powerful enough to run a medium-haul narrow-body airliner.

by Simon Heptinstall

It’s hyperbole season in the automotive world. Volvo has unveiled revealed "the true meaning of freedom to move" with the launch of an electric SUV named the EX60, which boasts a per-charge range of more than 500 miles.

by Ben Coxworth

Horizon Aircraft's Cavorite X7 already sported a radical design, even within the wild world of hybrid eVTOLs. That design has now been updated, however, for enhanced aerodynamics, cruising performance, and flight safety.

by Aaron Turpen

Capricorn Group has unveiled its second prototype of the 01 Zagato hypercar at the Salon Rétromobile in Paris. The presentation came packed with all the right buzzwords to appeal to enthusiasts.

by Bronwyn Thompson

For some time, we've known that it's rare to see people with both cancer and Alzheimer's diseases. Now, scientists believe they may have found why, discovering a molecule in cancer cells that clears problem proteins from the brain.

by Michael Franco

If you've ever had a sonogram you know that, even though the test isn't too hard to endure, the cold glob of gel that goes on your skin before you get "wanded" is pretty unpleasant. Japanese researchers have now come up with an alternative.

by Malcolm Azania

Don’t remember if you took your pills? Try MIT’s SAFARI (Smart Adherence via FARaday cage And Resorbable Ingestible). The capsule has its own bioresorbable radio that activates itself when swallowed, so you’ll never worry about missing a dosage.

by Bronwyn Thompson

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a landmark eye drop that uses a combined dose of medication to restore age-related near-sightedness, without the need for surgery, for longer than anything else on the market – and with less side effects.

by Adam Williams

Going tiny always means making some sacrifices, but the Natural Luxe needs fewer than most. It has a remarkably open and spacious layout with a large kitchen and living area, and even a dedicated home office.

by C.C. Weiss

The Mercedes-Benz Unimog always makes an impression. That becomes even truer when the stout-jawed U418 variant shows up painted in Rover green carrying what appears to be a truck-sized beer barrel or treasure chest below a rooftop tent.

by Stefan Ionescu

Woods Design has unveiled a stylish metal bracelet that’s actually an EDC toolkit featuring hex screwdrivers, a spoke wrench, whistle, compass, eternal pen, and a fire starter. It can even morph into a strap for your smartwatch.

by C.C. Weiss

The Ford Transit Custom isn't the only van to gain an inflatable pop-up roof design – the VW T7 gets one, too. Rhön Camp presents the first VW camper van with Freescape inflatable roof, pairing the air tent with a California-style interior.

by Adam Williams

Zaha Hadid Architects has revealed plans for the largest airport in Africa. As you might expect from the firm, this ambitious building is very striking, and it will take the form of a massive futuristic structure in the desert.

by Monica J. White

A YouTuber has upgraded his drone-powered flying umbrella with autonomous “follow me” capabilities, turning a striking novelty into something approaching practical hands-free rain protection.

by Joe Salas

Watch this video of a working Lego clock that uses gear trains, a pendulum escapement, falling-weight power, and solar-driven rewinding to operate a multi-stage calendar and billion-year counter.

by Abhimanyu Ghoshal

There are all kinds of critical infrastructure lying underwater – road and rail tunnels, pipelines for oil and gas, dams, and more. Could we simply 3D print such projects beneath the surface of the ocean? Cornell University is about to find out.

by David Szondy

Okay, CERN's Large Hadron Collider (LHC) might have uncovered the Higgs boson and helped redefine our concept of physical reality, but what has it done for us lately? How about a side hustle heating several thousand homes in the neighborhood?

by Michael Franco

Researchers at Hiroshima University in Japan have developed a way to leverage the cameras on smartphones to provide accurate radiation readings. The system they created costs less than $70 and could be a big help in disaster situations.

by Maryna Holovnova

Nowadays, wood is rapidly becoming a valuable material in the renewable tech industry, replacing many harmful materials. Recent research shows that wood-derived compounds can serve as an alternative to the toxic chemicals used in paper receipts.