Features of the week
Volkswagen camper van kicks off the next era at surprising price
by C.C. Weiss
The age of all-electric Volkswagen camper vans is here. VW finally has an official electric California camper van on the way to market. The all-new ID. California Cruise is even closer than expected, with deliveries slated to begin next year.
Norway's Whale Museum evokes a giant tail rising out of the water
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Norway is getting a knowledge and experience center next year that's all about the whales that inhabit the waters near its northern coast. Fittingly, the building's form resembles one of these majestic sea creatures diving into the water.
US Army to install nuclear micro-reactors on 20 domestic military bases
by David Szondy
In a two-for-one move, the US Army has announced that it has authorized the construction of up to 20 nuclear micro-reactors across military bases in the continental United States to provide reliable power and boost the country's nuclear industrial base.
800-passenger commercial plane boldly reinvents how we will fly
by Bronwyn Thompson
More than 20 years since the Airbus A380 took to the skies, ushering in a new era of commercial flight, Chinese scientists have a bold plan to disrupt the aviation industry as we know it, with a bold futuristic jet unlike anything we've seen before.
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Top Stories: Transport
Review: 2026 Subaru Outback is no longer a wagon, goes full SUV
by Aaron Turpen
Is the Subaru Outback still a station wagon? The redesign drops the classic profile for a boxier SUV look with standard AWD, better tech, and up to 260 hp. Check out our full review to see if it lost its unique personality along the way.
1,430-mile range in BYD's full-size PHEV crossover
by Utkarsh Sood
I don’t know how, but BYD manages to get these sorts of headlines almost every week. This time, it’s for the company’s latest crossover SUV – the weirdly named BYD FCB Ti 9 that promises a whopping 1,430-mile (2,300-km) combined range.
Man builds solar e-bike to cross the Alps – France-to-China up next
by Omar Kardoudi
Shawn Ryan rode 1,300 km (808 miles) across the Alps on a sun-powered e-bike he built himself, pushing his solar panels, motor, and batteries to their limits amid the grueling heatwave that swept across Europe this summer.
The Flit M2i embraces bonded aerospace tech to beat Brompton
by Simon Heptinstall
The Flit M2i folding e-bike challenges Brompton's crown by swapping welded seams for glue. Can material science help this lightweight e-bike become a serious contender?
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Top stories: Body & Mind
Men cope with loneliness in a strikingly different way to women
by Mike McRae
For the first time, scientists find that the male brain is wired to motivate men to drink when they're lonely, while the opposite appears true when it comes to women. It highlights how sex-specific neural pathways inform our behaviors.
Alzheimer's hope: Nanoparticles regenerate cells to restore memory
by Mike McRae
Developed by researchers in the US, the remarkable new treatment could one day be used to treat patients in advanced stages of dementia by restoring the brain’s ability to recover from ongoing neurodegeneration.
Longevity is yours to control, as this obscure city of 'super-agers' shows
by Bronwyn Thompson
Clusters of towns and cities around the world have become curious case studies for scientists looking into just how residents there defy natural aging, living healthier for longer than anywhere else. Now, another "longevity hotspot" is in the news.
Particles from a joint replacement can enter your brain, study finds
by Mike McRae
New findings by a team of researchers from the US and Australia have complicated an ongoing debate over whether a total joint arthroplasty may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Top Stories: Outdoor
400-sq-ft tiny house offers downsizing without the usual compromises
by Adam Williams
Not everyone's cut out for climbing into small lofts using movable ladders, or sleeping on a sofa bed every night. The Summit tiny house is designed for those people who want to downsize but need a little more comfort.
Fairbairn-Sykes: The knife that changed modern warfare
by David Szondy
When we think of game-changing weapons, it brings to mind hydrogen bombs, ICBMs, nuclear submarines, hypersonic missiles, and lasers. But one of the most significant weapons was a knife. New Atlas looks at the legendary Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife.
World's most terrifying convenience store hangs off the side of a cliff
by Bronwyn Thompson
This tiny store 120 meters (394 feet) up a vertical cliff face has earned the title of being the world's most inconvenient convenience store. While it serves as a critical rest stop for climbers, I think I'd rather die of thirst than try to visit it.
Laptop-sized steel case flips open to bring campfire anywhere you ride
by C.C. Weiss
The RTE FireFold is one of the slimmest, fastest packing fire pits out there. It folds more completely than others, packing slim enough to carry in a laptop bag. And it's also ready to fire up when other campfires are banned.
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Top Stories: Technology
Sonic micro-robots burst into motion without batteries or motors
by Maryna Holovnova
What happens when a device becomes so small that there’s no room left for a battery or motor? Scientists have found a way to power tiny devices and robots and make them move by using sound.
Thunder Duo X puts Dolby Atmos and surround sound around your neck
by Joe Salas
On paper, the OXS Thunder Duo X sounds too good to be true. At a glance, I thought it might be a little gimmicky. After I plugged the system in and fired up Modern Warfare 3, I finished the campaign with some thoughts ...
The little pixel clock that became part of my smart home
by Howard Armitage
The Ulanzi TC001 is a small Wi-Fi clock built around a 32 x 8 RGB LED matrix. It’s compact, bright and just retro enough to be charming without looking like something dragged out of an arcade cabinet. Out of the box, the appeal is simple.
Review: $150 actioncam is a surprisingly capable GoPro alternative
by Bronwyn Thompson
The budget action camera market is a crowded one these days, with even GoPro having a crack at the space with its 4K basic Hero model released last year. But this robust all-rounder from XTU offers serious bang for your buck at just US$159.99.
Top Stories: Science
Yeast that makes food from plastic could solve two problems with one cookie
by Mike McRae
A protein-rich cookie made from plastic and agricultural waste could help solve two serious problems facing future generations, according to a team presenting results from their NASA-funded project at the Fall Meeting of the American Chemical Society.
324-million-year-old animal with 24 legs reveals how life conquered land
by Bronwyn Thompson
Most of us have learnt that life on land involved transitioning from the water and evolving the physiological means to do so. But a new study has found solid evidence that this formative process involved more diverse species also making the move.
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