I have to admit to getting a little excited at the prospect of piloted multi-rotor flying machines whooshing around a course, going head to head with other airspeed demons in the race to the top. If that sounds like your kind of gig, check out our lead story today.
Elsewhere you'll find a fascinating deep dive (sorry) into how manta rays navigate unfamiliar waters, as well as the "World's most advanced electric supermoto." Enjoy !
Highlights

Watch: Single-seater eVTOLs duke it out for air race supremacy
by Paul Ridden
What could be better than strapping yourself into your own personal electric flyer? Racing with some buddies of course, and that's coming closer with the unveiling of the Jetson Air Games concept recently. Strap in, and join us for a demo vid.

Beached dolphins show signs of Alzheimer's due to polluted waters
by Pranjal Malewar
A new study found stranded dolphins show brain damage eerily similar to that of people with Alzheimer's. Just like people with dementia sometimes wander far from home, scientists think dolphins with Alzheimer's might get confused at sea.

Stark SM claims highest power-to-weight ratio of any production supermoto
by Utkarsh Sood
The launch of the Varg SM marks the start of a new chapter for Stark. The Spanish-Swedish manufacture calls it the “world’s most advanced electric supermoto” and with good reason.
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Impossibly tough inflatable tent stands even stronger in 112-mph wind
by C.C. Weiss
Believe it or not, the inflatable Mavericks tent has been handling 112-mph wind for over a decade. Still, the expedition-grade inflatable has gotten some new upgrades to become Heimplanet's self-declared strongest tent ever: the Mavericks Blue Ice.

'Gly-Low' compounds rewire hunger to fight diabetes and aging
by Paul McClure
A blend of natural compounds that blocks sugar damage extended lifespan in mice by curbing hunger and improving metabolism in a new study. It hints at a new way to fight obesity, diabetes, and aging without cutting calories.

Review: Roomba's Plus 505 Robovac combo, now on sale
by Loz Blain
iRobot has fixed a couple of glaring issues with its robot vacuum range – but are the latest Roombas enough to save the company? We spent a couple of months with the affordable, midrange Roomba Plus 505 Combo Robot + AutoWash dock.

These 16-ton self-driving cargo trucks are joining the US Army
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Oshkosh Defense is upgrading its Palletized Load System vehicles for transporting cargo across battlefields with the ability to drive themselves – providing a critical advantage to troops moving supplies to where they're needed most during conflicts.

Deep-diving manta rays are retrieving directions from nature’s Google Maps
by Bronwyn Thompson
Oceanic manta rays make extreme dives of more than 1,200 meters – three-quarters of a mile – but it's not to feed. Instead, the mantas are calibrating their own kind of Google Maps as soon as they find themselves out beyond the continental shelf.
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