🛞 Reinventing the wheel... with pushrods?

Hi all! Loz here again.

As we keep tweaking the newsletter system, I thought I might selfishly drop a story I just wrote into today’s headliner slot. I’m supposed to be buried in spreadsheets running the business, but I simply can’t resist a good, weird “reinventing the wheel” story, so I dusted off the ol’ writer’s hat for a few hours and thoroughly enjoyed myself exploring this very odd mechanical invention.

That one’s a long shot, for sure – but getting closer to the realm of reality is Paul McClure’s piece on a remarkable new way to control obesity and diabetes – researchers have found a single gene that, when switched off in mice, boosted their metabolism to the point where they easily burned off a high-fat diet, with reduced inflammation and a range of other promising health benefits. Why do mice get all the best new medicines? They’re not even the ones getting fat. 😉

Elsewhere, CC has dug up a 450-mile, range-extended electric RV, Paul Ridden’s found a giant deep-sea claw machine, and Ben’s looking at a bike helmet packed with ball bearings that… Allegedly make it safer?

Drop us a line if you get wind of any other next-gen innovations we should take a look at! 🙂

Loz Blain
Managing Director, Gizmag/New Atlas

Headliner

AutomotiveTransport

Direct-push wheel design would replace the whole drivetrain

by Loz Blain

I'm a sucker for a good "reinventing the wheel" story, and David Henson's 'SurfacePlan' concept is an odd a take on one of humanity's greatest inventions as we've seen in a long time. It's designed to replace engines and drivetrains altogether.

A Titanium Frying Pan with a 100-Year Warranty? This Company Actually Built It

Titaner's latest project, the 5-Layer Titanium Frying Pan, is now on Kickstarter — and it’s pitched as a lifetime solution to the problems that plague most cookware: coatings that peel, pans that warp, and meals ruined by uneven heating.

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Today’s highlights

ObesityIllnesses and conditionsBody and Mind

Enzyme behind diet-induced obesity and diabetes can be ‘switched off’

by Paul McClure

Switching off a single enzyme in immune cells protected mice from obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease in a new study, offering a potential new treatment target for metabolic disorders.

BicyclesTransport

"Super-safe" bike helmet sports ball bearings and breakaway panels

by Ben Coxworth

Foam may protect you from whacks on the head, but it's not sufficient when you're cycling at speed. That's where RLS bike helmet tech comes in. It offers 4x the concussion protection of a regular helmet, via ball bearings and pop-off panels.