Traces of two unknown archaic human species turn up in modern DNA

The human genome can tell us where we’ve come from, and it’s hiding more than a few surprises. Now researchers from the University of Adelaide have found evidence of two unknown, archaic human species in modern DNA. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Harvard study says an inch of silica aerogel could make patches of Mars liveable

Researchers from Harvard have shown that thin layers of silica aerogel could warm the surface of Mars and block UV radiation while still letting visible light through. That could be enough to keep water liquid and let plants photosynthesize within a given region. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Immune cells reprogrammed to kill HIV-infected T cells

There exists a group of HIV-positive people who have a rare ability to naturally control the HIV infection. Now, after years of research, a team of scientists from the Institut Pasteur in Paris, has successfully reprogrammed cells that lack this ability, giving them the same, ant … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Scientists capture image of quantum entanglement for the first time

​​Quantum entanglement, where two objects become intertwined and remain so no matter the distance that grows between them, is a tricky phenomenon to study let alone photograph. But scientists doing the former have now managed the latter, for the first time ever. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Hurricane-resistant home built from more than 600k plastic bottles

Canadian construction firm JD Composites has completed its first concept home, made from about 612,000 recycled plastic bottles. Beach House is located in Nova Scotia, Canada, and is not only a great example of how recycled plastic can be put to good use, but it's also hurricane … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

REE re-invents the wheel, and plans a complete disruption of the auto industry

A Tel Aviv-based company is making a push to revolutionize the architecture of future automobiles. REE has developed a massively modular platform that squeezes the entire motor, transmission, steering, suspension, brakes and more into the wheel bay, enabling a full range of vehic … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Earth's eighth persistent lava lake found on remote sub-Antarctic island

Many of us will know what bubbling lakes of lava within volcanoes look like. After all, we've seen them our entire lives in movies and on TV. But that doesn't mean they're common. In fact, only seven lava lakes have been found so far, until now. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

ISS is home to super-tough molds that laugh in the face of deadly radiation

Mold spores commonly found aboard the International Space Station (ISS) turn out to be radiation resistant enough to survive 200 times the X-ray dose needed to kill a human being, indicating that sterilizing interplanetary spacecraft may be much more difficult than previously tho … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

EEG scan detects hidden consciousness in unresponsive brain injury patients

A landmark study has described a new method to detect signs of consciousness in unresponsive brain-injured patients using a simple EEG scan​. The research also suggests the EEG data can predict which patients have a high chance of regaining consciousness and recovering. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Phone-connected device detects bacterial toxins in water

​Potentially fatal to both animals and humans, blue-green algae blooms occur when overly-abundant cyanobacteria in the water produce harmful substances known as cyanotoxins. The sooner those toxins are detected, the better – which is where a new smartphone-connected device comes … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Smartphones and fitness trackers used to gauge employee performance

​Ordinarily, when employers wish to assess the performance of employees, they have them fill out questionnaires or take part in interviews. A new (and perhaps somewhat Orwellian) system is claimed to be more objective and thus more accurate, however, by utilizing smartphones and … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Intriguing results from first-ever placebo-controlled LSD microdose human study

A fascinating new study from scientists at the University of Chicago is offering the very first placebo-controlled clinical research testing the mood-altering, physiological and behavioral effects of tiny LSD microdoses. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Brain imaging study reveals signs of Parkinson’s decades before symptoms appear

A new study upends conventional thinking about the origins of Parkinson’s disease. The research reveals distinct changes in the brain’s serotonin system can be identified up to 20 years before any Parkinson’s symptoms appear, suggesting a new biomarker to detect the disease at it … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Eviation sets sights on regional travel with nine-seat electric Alice aircraft

Early days it may be, but there are plenty of exciting things happening in electric aviation. Making its mark at the Paris Air Show this week is Eviation's Alice, which is a light nine-seater all-electric plane designed to service regional areas. ​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

ESA developing radiation-hardened computer for Hera mission

The ESA is working on a specially radiation-hardened computer to control its Hera deep-space probe on its task to observe the effects of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Volvo Trucks' cabin-less self-driving hauler takes on its first job

​​What would trucks look like if they didn’t need to accommodate a human driver? Volvo Trucks' Vera vehicle is an exploration of this idea and has just been assigned its first task delivering containers to a port terminal in Sweden. ​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

US Air Force tests hypersonic missile on bomber flight

The US Air Force's new hypersonic missile takes to the air for the first time as an AGM-183A ARRW went aloft strapped under the wing of a B-52, the engine-less prototype was not dropped, but was equipped with sensors to record drag and vibrations on the vehicle and the aircraft. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Ancient marijuana use uncovered in 2,500-year-old tomb

A study has revealed cannabis residue with high levels of THC in funerary incense burners found in western China. The discovery is the earliest evidence of marijuana being used burned for its psychoactive properties, as the THC levels found were higher than what is seen in wild t … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

World's smallest autonomous racing drone created by Dutch scientists

Scientists at TU Delft have developed what is claimed to be the smallest autonomous racing drone on the planet, a feat that involved some serious innovations in the algorithms that control its flight path. ​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Gut microbiome disruptions speed up metastatic spread of breast cancer

New research from the University of Virginia suggests an unhealthy gut microbiome can actively promote the spread of breast cancer. Through a series of animal experiments the new study demonstrated how disruptions to gut bacterial populations can drive metastatic spread of tumor … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Delfast reveals powerful Top 2.0 e-bike

​A couple of months after launching a fleet-ready reworking of its record-breaking Prime e-bike, Delfast has announced an update to its fastest model. The Top 2.0 has the same top speed as its predecessor, but has a much more powerful motor.​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Delfast reveals powerful Top.0 e-bike

​A couple of months after launching a fleet-ready reworking of its record-breaking Prime e-bike, Delfast has announced an update to its fastest model. The Top 2.0 has the same top speed as its predecessor, but has a much more powerful motor.​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

First public flight for largest hybrid-electric plane

LA’s Ampaire has put into the air what it says is the largest hybrid-propulsion plane to ever take flight, with plans to kick off commercial operations in the next couple of years. ​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Study finds US fertilizer industry emits 100 times more methane than estimated

A new study has independently measured methane emissions from a number of ammonia fertilizer plants. The startling results suggest methane emissions are 100 times higher than industry estimates, and three times higher than the EPA’s estimate for all industry methane emissions in … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Apollo’s brain: The computer that guided man to the Moon

This is the story of the Apollo Guidance Computer that helped the Apollo astronauts safely navigate to the Moon. It was a computer that was so advanced that the engineers who created it said they probably wouldn't have tried to do so if they'd known what they were getting themsel … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Bulletproof metal foam could make military vehicles lighter and more efficient

​How do you stop bullets using the lightest material possible? Researchers working on this problem have developed a new type of bulletproof material comparable in performance to conventional armor, but with just half the weight. ​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Michelin and GM unveil airless tires for a puncture-free ride

Michelin has teamed with General Motors to target a 2024 production goal for airless tires. The tires, called Uptis, will have several benefits over radial tubeless tires and will debut for testing on the Chevrolet Bolt electric car. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Harvard breakthrough shows stem cells can be genetically edited in the body

In recent years scientists have been able to correct genetic diseases by removing stem cells, editing their genomes and implanting them back into patients, but that adds complications. Now new research led by Harvard scientists has successfully edited the genes of stem cells whil … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Device may allow the deaf to “hear through their fingertips”

​Amongst the challenges faced by the deaf is what's known as the "cocktail party effect," in which they have difficulty discerning one speaker's voice from others in crowded, noisy environments. A new device could help, however – by buzzing two of their fingers. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Earbud-like sensor predicts fertility window for more accurate family planning

Identifying one's fertility window is critical for many women trying to get pregnant – and those wanting to avoid it – but it can be a difficult, inaccurate process. Yono, an earbud-like device takes the data collection and analysis off your hands, while adding significant improv … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Raspberry-picking robot completes first field trials

Fieldwork Robotics – a spinout company from the University of Plymouth in the UK – has announced the successful completion of early field trials of a raspberry-harvesting robot. If commercialized, the system could help make up for a shortage of human fruit pickers in the country. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Antibiotics found in world's rivers at levels up to 300 times above safe levels

In a huge global study hundreds of rivers around the world have been tested for levels of common antibiotics. It found 65 percent of all samples contained some concentration of antibiotics, with the worst cases showing levels more than 300 times higher than the generally accepted … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

New superconductivity record edges closer to room temperature

Superconductors can conduct electricity with absolutely no loss, so they could be revolutionary if not for one little problem: they only work if kept extremely cold. But now researchers at Max Planck have reported a new record high temperature for superconductivity, at a toasty - … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Artist creates nanosculptures smaller than a human hair

A statue so tiny that it cannot be seen by the naked eye has been produced using a new 3D printing technique. Measuring a picayune 20 x 80 x 100 microns, it's claimed the smallest sculpture of the human form ever created. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Electricity deters antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections

An incredible study has demonstrated the potential of a wound dressing that can fight bacterial infections using a weak electrical field. Offering a novel way to battle antibiotic-resistant infections, the dressing has been approved by the FDA and is currently being tested in hum … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Lilium's full-sized electric jet flies for the first time

​​Lilium first emerged in 2016 as an aviation startup with some very lofty ambitions, revealing plans to develop a five-seat electric aircraft. It has now taken a significant step toward achieving this aim, completing a flight of a full-scale prototype. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Mobile app can “hear” ear infections with just a phone and a paper cone

Ear infections are common, but conditions can be difficult to diagnose. Researchers from the University of Washington have stepped up with a mobile app that can detect fluid behind the eardrum using just a cone of paper and your phone.​ | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Voynich code may have been cracked

​An academic from the University of Bristol in the UK has reportedly cracked the codex behind the so-called Voynich code. The language used in the 200-page manuscript has remained a mystery since it came to light more than a century ago. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Nawa's carbon nanotube ultra-capacitors are going into mass production

Charging almost instantly and offering massive power density, Nawa's innovative ultracapacitors are ready to make a mark across industries from automotive to power tools and aviation. And after raising more than US$10 million, this French company is going into mass production. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Safety of common food additive questioned after study reveals effects on gut

New Australian research is raising questions over the safety of a common food additive after mouse studies found titanium dioxide can induce gut microbiome changes associated with the development of several diseases, including colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Flappy Hummingbird–Open Source Flapping Wing Robots&Animals Dynamic Simulation

The hummingbird's ability to hover and make sharp turns could teach drones a thing or two. Now researchers at Purdue University have managed to do just that, building a hummingbird-inspired drone and teaching it to fly using algorithms trained on the birds’ natural flight pattern … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Pig lungs live and breathe outside the body for 36 hours

Transplanting any organ is a complicated process, but lungs are particularly vulnerable to damage. Now, researchers have developed a way to repair that damage, keeping the lungs of pigs alive outside the body for up to 36 hours and allowing them to bring the organ up to a transpl … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

How to Land on the Moon

Today, we take it for granted that the Apollo lunar landing was possible, but at the time, no one had done anything remotely like it – let alone in a craft that had never been fully tested. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Organisms that breathe arsenic discovered in the Pacific Ocean

Arsenic is toxic to almost all life forms, but now researchers have discovered that some microbes in the Pacific Ocean actively breathe it. The discovery has implications for how life may adapt to a changing climate, as well as where we might find it on other planets. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

How to land on the moon

Today, we take it for granted that the Apollo lunar landing was possible, but at the time, no one had done anything remotely like it – let alone in a craft that had never been fully tested. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Self launching glider packs a retractable jet engine

New Mexico-based company, Desert Aerospace, has made a self-launching glider with a retractable jet engine. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Laser radio transmitter/receiver paves way for ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi

Researchers have, for the first time, used a semiconductor laser​ to send and receive radio signals. The hybrid electronic-photonic device uses a laser to extract and transmit microwave signals, providing a data rate that may one day lead to ultra-high-speed Wi-Fi. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago

Landmark research creates “universal” stem cells using CRISPR gene editing

In an incredible milestone, scientists have for the first time created “universal” stem cells by using CRISPR gene-editing technology to produce pluripotent stem cells that can be transplanted into any patient without generating an immune system response. | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 5 years ago