Headliner
Steel rebar may have met its match – in the form of wavy plastic
by Etiido Uko
Who could possibly compare to Superman, the Man of Steel? Definitely not a man of plastic! Right? Wrong. Scientists have discovered that unconventionally shaped plastics may rival steel bars as reinforcement materials in construction concrete.
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Highlights
Tiny HousesOutdoors
Two-person tiny house keeps things simple with single-level layout
by Adam Williams
This tiny house keeps things simple with a single-level layout that sleeps up to two people. Named the Audrey, the home's compact but comfortable interior is well-suited for use as a vacation home or a guest house or similar.
BicyclesTransport
DJI's crazy-powerful motor rewrites the ebike rulebook all over again
by Omar Kardoudi
After leaving the competition scrambling with the launch of a powerful ebike drive system in 2024, DJI brand Avinox is set to do it all again with a second-generation flavor designed to beat every rival on power, torque, and weight.
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More Stories
MotorcyclesTransport
Liter-class superbike gets car-level aids to analyze the tarmac for you
by Utkarsh Sood
Most ‘new motorcycles’ that come out of China often follow the imitation route. They’re often copies of successful European and even Japanese models in affordable, low-displacement packages. So what's special about the Guruma 1000 RR?
MarineTransport
Torqued-loop Sharrow propeller hits breakthrough in production scaling
by C.C. Weiss
Sharrow made an efficiency breakthrough the instant it transformed propeller blades into twisted loops, but efficient manufacturing has proven more difficult. It's finally scaling production and slashing build times with 3D sand-casting technology.
RoboticsEngineering
Speak! Robot guide dogs converse with their owners
by Michael Franco
Since the early 1900s, dogs have helped people who are blind to navigate their world. Now, in a very 21st century twist, seeing-eye dogs have gone robotic and added a skill that not even the most well-trained canine could pull off: conversation.
AutomotiveTransport
Hyundai concept cars let design run wild, in opposite directions
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
While Hyundai's Ioniq EVs have been racking up awards around the world, they haven't been available in China – until now. The Korean automaker is making a splash there with a big launch – and two wild concept vehicles that are worth a closer look.
Consumer TechTechnology
Retro-style cassette player offers much more than a walk down memory lane
by Bronwyn Thompson
Not everything old is worth a modern makeover, but this is something audio-lifestyle brand Gadhouse seems to understand. Following on from some stunning retro-modern turntables, it's now reviving 1980s portable audio paired with modern convenience.
MotorcyclesTransport
World's most powerful three-wheeled scooter comes from an unlikely brand
by Utkarsh Sood
Here I am, talking about a scooter that is more powerful than most motorcycles that some people will ever own. And it doesn’t even come from the likes of Honda, Yamaha, or any other usual suspects. Rather, it comes from Kymco from Taiwan.
AutomotiveTransport
VW’s three-row Atlas II SUV lands with a whimper, not a bang
by Simon Heptinstall
Volkswagen unveiled its new Atlas SUV at the New York International Auto Show recently, but the smaller engine and lack of hybrids suggest it still doesn’t grasp what American buyers want in the booming three-row seven-seater market.
MilitaryEngineering
AI drones make mine clearing faster and safer
by David Szondy
The British Army and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory have completed a multi-week test in Essex using drones, advanced sensors, and AI to speed up and make safer the hunt for deadly mines and munitions scattered on battlefields.
EnergyEngineering
Energy storage breakthrough traps sunlight in a molecule
by Chelsea Haney
Imagine harnessing the power of the sun as chemical bonds in molecules. That could unlock a complementary energy storage method for heating to conventional batteries – and we're getting close, thanks to a breakthrough at UCSB.
Refractor: Science & Health
BiologyScience
Different people attract different mosquito species
by Jay Kakade
Some of us get bitten far more often than others – but it seems we each also appear tasty to different species of mosquito. New research illuminates what's making a given individual attractive, and to which mosquitos.
EnvironmentScience
Pig-boar hybrids in Fukushima evacuation zone rewrite wild genomes
by Chelsea Haney
When escaped domestic pigs bred with wild boar after the Fukushima evacuation, researchers gained a rare chance to observe large-scale hybridization. The result offers a new lens on how fast-breeding traits can quietly reshape wildlife genetics.
ArchaeologyScience
The oldest known evidence of stitched clothing
by Jay Kakade
Fascinating new analysis of fabric samples and other artifacts from a cave in Oregon reveals that humans may have stitched clothing as far back as 12,600 years ago – giving us an understanding of a critical aspect of evolution in that period.
Elsewhere
Ammonia set to revolutionize zero-carbon shipping with launch of first vessels.
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