Hi all - Loz Blain here to say welcome to the new daily New Atlas newsletter, now powered by Beehiiv!
You’ll notice a few small format changes, particularly on desktop, and we’ll be showcasing a few highlights for you each day. We’ve also adjusted the timing, which I know will be an annoying change for some people!
Please feel free to send a rocket up our backsides if that’s the case; the team and I will be keeping an eye on the inbox for comments, questions and suggestions - just reply to this newsletter any time to get in touch and let us know how we’re doing!
– Loz Blain
Managing Director, New Atlas
Headliner
EnergyTechnology
Deep Fission raises $30 million to build mile-deep nuclear reactor
by David Szondy
Giving a whole new meaning to underground power, startup Deep Fission Nuclear has secured US$30 million in funding to install a micro-reactor in a mile-deep borehole by July 4, 2026 as part of the US Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program.
Today’s newsletter sponsor
Redefine Your EDC: The Titanium Dog Tag Knife
Discover the Volt: the world's first titanium dog tag knife with hand-carved texture. A fusion of precision CNC machining, hand-finished art, and M390 super steel. It’s the fifth-pocket powerhouse designed for those who value elegance and readiness.
Today’s highlights
Science
Gifted dogs show human-like understanding of verbal labels
by Ben Coxworth
Everybody knows that dogs can learn to associate spoken words with objects that look a certain way. A new study, however, shows that some gifted dogs can also match given spoken words to dissimilar-looking objects that perform certain functions.
MotorcyclesTransport
Ducati’s already manic electric racer now runs on a solid-state battery
by Utkarsh Sood
The IAA Mobility trade show in Munich was bound to throw some really unusual motos our way. But most wouldn't have put their money on the first Volkswagen vehicle to run on a solid-state lithium-metal battery to be a Ducati superbike.
Tiny HousesOutdoors
Family ready tiny house packs three bedrooms into 32 ft
by Adam Williams
Dragon Tiny Homes' Webster is well-suited to full-time living on wheels and features a spacious interior with three bedrooms, sleeping up to six people. The tiny house is currently up for sale for $85,000.
Special promotion for New Atlas readers
This $1,499 MacBook is now only $400
Creating a home office starts with the right computer. MacBooks are a staple, but you’re overpaying if you’re getting a new MacBook for office work. Instead, try this near-mint refurbished MacBook Air marked down to $399.99 (reg. $1,499).
More stories
Garmin Mini 2 digital survival beacon throws lifeline farther off-grid
by C.C. Weiss
In 2018, Garmin launched the ultralight inReach Mini two-way emergency communicator. Now it updates the tiny, satellite-based survival tool into the all-new Mini 2, a palm-sized device with more power for saving your bacon in the backcountry.
Space travel found to accelerate cellular aging
by Pranjal Malewar
Previous research has shown that microgravity affects the immune system but what about the stem cells that build it? Until recently, no one had tested how spaceflight affects the aging and fitness of these crucial cells, and the news is not so great.
Your nose tastes odors in a way that upends decades of understanding
by Bronwyn Thompson
For the first time, scientists have found that smell and taste are inseparable much earlier in the brain than we'd thought. Odors can actually be coded as tastes in the primary taste cortex, overturning decades of assumptions as to how flavor is built.
Review: Clever new stick vacuum solves two of my biggest cleaning problems
by Loz Blain
Roborock is best known for its futuristic and forward-thinking robovacs – but it's out to prove it can be just as innovative in the world of hand-held stick vacuums. The H60 Hub Ultra brings robovac tech to the stick world, to excellent effect.
Cutting out lymph nodes may cut cancer treatment success
by Paul McClure
New research shows lymph nodes aren’t just cancer bystanders, they’re the command centers fueling immune attacks. Surgically removing them along with tumors may weaken treatment, while preserving them could supercharge it.
The ozone layer is steadily recovering – all thanks to global treaties
by Abhimanyu Ghoshal
And now for a spot of good news for our planet: the protective layer of ozone continues to heal, with the hole in our stratospheric shield having shrunk to a smaller size in 2024 than in the period between 2020-2023.
Budget-friendly smart projector swaps Google TV for Roku
by Paul Ridden
Folks in the US looking for a smart projector are pretty much dependent on Google running the show, or have to plug in a streaming stick. Roku has now partnered with Aurzen for a wallet-friendly entertainment hub with Roku TV baked in.
Retirement boosts mental health, but not for everyone
by Paul McClure
Retirement can boost mental health, but not for everyone. A new study shows that income, gender, and job type influence whose well-being flourishes and who struggles once the 9-to-5 workdays are ended.
Second B-21 Raider nuclear bomber makes maiden flight
by David Szondy
The US Air Force's second B-21 Raider nuclear bomber has taken to the skies for the first time. The second of a planned fleet of 100, the sixth-gen aircraft took off from Northrop Grumman's Palmdale, California facility on September 11 at 8:00 am.
Scientists strive to make soybeans taste better
by Pranjal Malewar
Soy has been a kitchen hero in Asia for centuries, packed with nutrition and health perks but many Western eaters shy away due to their "beany" taste, perceiving them as grassy and earthy. So can scientists engineer a new kind of tasty soy bean?
Key HIV weakness could pave way for a cure
by Paul McClure
A groundbreaking discovery reveals how HIV integrates its genetic material into human DNA, exposing a key viral vulnerability that could lead to new therapies and bring the world closer to a functional HIV cure.
Ancient dish a boon for blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels
by Bronwyn Thompson
A fermented food that has been a staple on plates in Korea for thousands of years has gone global in the past decade, with new research revealing that kimchi can naturally lower triglycerides and blood pressure and regulate fasting glucose levels.
Little Lodge tiny house offers rustic cabin-like living on wheels
by Adam Williams
The Little Lodge provides a simple cabin-like experience on wheels. Sleeping up to two people, the compact home comes with multiple options, including off-grid functionality, and is fronted by a small porch.
Magnesium, the microbiome, and reducing the risk of colon cancer
by Paul McClure
A new clinical trial suggests magnesium supplements may boost gut bacteria that help block the development of colon cancer – but only for some people, depending on their genes and sex.
Ford 4x4 camper van outfitted into the gnarliest Nugget of them all
by C.C. Weiss
Weeks before Ford revealed its winter-ready Nugget High Roof last month, it put an even more ready-for-anything Nugget camper van on show. You won't find this axe-wielding off-road Nugget van at the Ford dealership, but it is available to buy.
Brash, chunky ultra-hiking X boot could save your life
by C.C. Weiss
Hoka has long been cradling feet with some of the beefiest, cushiest running and hiking shoes in the game, and now it's protecting wearers in a new way. Its all-new Mafate X Hike hybrid boot aims to help adventurers fulfill some of their loftiest goals, pushing them deeper and harder into wild spaces inaccessible to ordinary mortals. And if something goes wrong, the innovative new boot helps prevent those brave souls from being relegated to wolf feed, streamlining search-and-rescue ops with integrated Recco tech.
Plastic fantastic: Inflated PVC forms huge donut-shaped concert hall
by Adam Williams
The extraordinary Ark Nova concert hall was designed by sculptor Sir Anish Kapoor and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Arata Isozaki. The structure resembles a giant purple donut and can accommodate up to 500 visitors.
Legit or bogus: NASA just found signs of life on the Moon.
Sometimes even evidence-backed facts can sound like pure fiction. Guess if this headline above is a real story we recently published or not – no cheating!
If you’ve got any feedback for us on how to make this newsletter more useful – topics you’d like to see more of, general comments, whatever – just reply to this email and we’ll take it on board!
Get your next issue ad-free – and support our work: join New Atlas Plus!