DARPA intends to wirelessly charge drones while in flight by power-beaming

Dr. Ifana Mahbub, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at The University of Texas, had already received the Young Faculty Award from DARPA in 2021, giving her US$500,000 over two years for her project. The fellowship offers an additional $250,000 in fundi … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Watch live: EarthCARE satellite will unlock the mysteries of clouds

Scientists know how clouds form, but not the complex relationship that exists between clouds and the aerosols needed to form them. EarthCARE, which stands for Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer, is set to provide some answers. Continue Reading Category: Space, Science Tag … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Human brain organoids are being wired into neural biocomputers

Current AI training methods burn colossal amounts of energy to learn, but the human brain sips just 20 W. Swiss startup FinalSpark is now selling access to cyborg biocomputers, running up to four living human brain organoids wired into silicon chips. Continue Reading Category: Co … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

New nuclear heaters use americium-241 to stop spacecraft freezing

Commercial operations on the Moon won't just be round-the-clock but round-the-calendar as ispace, inc. and the University of Leicester partner to develop nuclear heaters to allow future landers and rovers to survive the freezing lunar night. Continue Reading Category: Space, Scie … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Orcas are still smashing up boats – but we've finally worked out why

For four years now, orcas have been ramming and sinking luxury yachts in European waters, and scientists have struggled to work out just why these smart, social animals had learnt this destructive new trick. But, sadly, it's not their anticapitalist 'eat the rich' agenda, nor is … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Ozempic adds “saving kidneys, hearts and lives” to its list of benefits

The antidiabetic and weight loss drug semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is already a worldwide smash hit, and its list of health benefits outside these uses keeps getting longer. Recent studies have found it reduced heart risks in overweight non-diabetics and could be a treatment for … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Responder drone gets eyes on emergencies – and can even take action

Wouldn't it be neat to see a drone using flashing blue and red lights and a siren to chase down crooks? Well, the Responder quadcopter comes equipped with both, along with other gear designed to help quicken response times when crimes or other emergencies occur. Continue Reading … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

LightBoks brings handmade wooden charm to the world of video projectors

While many projectors produce stunning images, the projectors themselves are often nothing much to look at. The LightBoks is out to change that, with a retro-classy solid wood body – and no, it's not made of cheap Ikea-esque pine. Continue Reading Category: Home Entertainment, Te … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Off-grid tiny house lifts up its walls to embrace the outdoors

You'd think that designers would run out of new things to do with tiny houses, but whether they're extending outwards or taking off the roof, there's always another interesting idea on the horizon. This latest example is named the MO.CA (or Mobile Catalyst) and offers food for th … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

The $10 million artwork that might win Le Mans

Ethiopian-born American artist Julie Mehretu is on a roll. In October 2023, one of her paintings sold for $9.3 million with another fetching $10.7 million in November 2023. Though she had been "the most likely to succeed" for three decades, her work has now moved her name into th … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

More transparent than glass, new material cools rooms and self-cleans

Having lots of glass surfaces can brighten up a room, but it also lets in too much heat as well as neighbors’ prying eyes. A new metamaterial is not only more transparent to light, but adds privacy, cools the room inside, and automatically cleans itself. Continue Reading Category … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Heat battery system hits record efficiency for grid-scale energy storage

A new heat battery design has reached a record power conversion efficiency of 44%. This thermophotovoltaic cell is a major step on the way to sustainable grid-scale energy storage from renewable sources. Continue Reading Category: Energy, Science Tags: Heating, Battery, Batteries … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

2,000cc BMW boxer perfects motorcycling's Golden Ratio

Concorso d’Elegenza Villa d’Este has become such an annual treasure trove of automotive delights that the headline acts can overshadow some important debuts. This is one of them. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles, Transport | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Greek Marines help solve 3,500-year-old armor mystery

An ancient mystery may have been solved after researchers, with the help of 13 Hellenic Marines, proved that a unique 3,500-year-old suit of Greek armor wasn't necessarily just for show, but could have been used for combat at the time of the Trojan War. Continue Reading Category: … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Tattoos increase your risk of cancer by 21%

Tattoos are much more common than they were a couple of decades ago. According to the Pew Research Center, 32% of US adults have one, and 22% have more than one. Now considered to be more socially acceptable, everyone – from pop stars to politicians – seems to be sporting ink. Co … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Remarkable Kenworth SuperTruck 2 cuts fuel bills by 50%

Kenworth has unveiled a sleek-looking SuperTruck 2 at the Advanced Clean Transport expo in Las Vegas, attempting to squeeze the maximum possible efficiency out of a diesel powertrain. It works, too, beating the company's most efficient truck by 100%. Continue Reading Category: Au … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

World-first 'coffee concrete' gets laid, 30% stronger than regular

Last year, researchers from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, found that replacing up to 15% of the sand ordinarily used in concrete with waste coffee grounds made it 30% stronger. It's a case of killing two birds with one coffee bean: the production method not only reduce … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Slow-mo video: Robot solves Rubik's Cube in the blink of an eye, literally

For those who aren’t old enough to know what a Rubik’s Cube is, it’s a 3D puzzle that became a craze in the early ’80s. The puzzle is solved when each of the cube’s six faces is a solid color. In the early 2000s, Rubik’s Cubes enjoyed a resurgence in popularity and ‘speedcubing’ … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Eerie beauty: Winners of the 2024 GDT Nature Photographer of the Year

Entries to the annual members-only competition were divided into seven categories: birds, mammals, other animals, plants and fungi, landscapes, nature’s studio, and a special category titled ‘All things flow – Germany’s river landscapes.’ Judged by a jury of nature photographers, … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Tesla Cybertruck survivalist camper is the e-RV that makes water

Living Vehicle makes some of the most self-sustaining RVs on planet earth, so much so that it strived to carve out a new category - the LV, a fully equipped cabin in the woods that's ready to tow from private to public land and back again. Now the company turns its attention to T … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Clever rock-climbing robot channels its inner insect (and marsupial)

Scientists have created a four-legged bio-inspired robot that climbs like no other. It clings to rough vertical surfaces utilizing a unique mechanism that is highly effective, yet at the same time relatively simple. Continue Reading Category: Robotics, Technology Tags: Carnegie M … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Modular mobile ASTRA Bridge lets highway traffic fly over roadwork

A new modular mobile flyover bridge allows vehicles to drive right overtop of stretches of highway roadwork, instead of waiting to go around them. Known as the ASTRA Bridge, it's intended to make life easier for motorists and safer for roadway workers. Continue Reading Category: … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Heavy-lifting, long-range hydraulic uUAV multirotor flies into production

The Scottish company behind a novel heavy-lift utility UAV that uses an internal combustion engine and hydraulic motors has now frozen design plans and is preparing for production following successful flight tests in Denmark. Continue Reading Category: Aircraft, Transport Tags: U … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Potato scraps and sawdust form stool that's fuel for the fire

We don't usually want our furniture to be highly flammable, but the Briket, by Renaud Defrancesco, actually encourages it. Made from potatoes and sawdust, the stool is designed to be thrown in a fireplace for warmth once it reaches the end of its usefulness. Continue Reading Cate … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

1,000-kW full-suspension adventure ebike powers through city and trail

Among a newly refreshed lineup, Austin-based MOD Bikes has introduced the latest version of its full-suspension adventure ebike. The Black model boasts full squish, Kenda fat tires, 28-mph pedal-assist and up to 100 miles of dual-battery range. Continue Reading Category: Bicycles … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

James Webb captures first direct images of galaxies born at Cosmic Dawn

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured direct images of galaxies being born at the cosmic dawn. This is the first time this has ever been witnessed by astronomers, confirming models for galaxy formation. Continue Reading Category: Space, Science Tags: James Webb Space Telesc … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

World's oldest land plants turn smart tech into a relaxing mini forest

What does a 450-million-year old land plant have to do with waking you up for work in the morning? Unless you're sleeping on a forest floor, we'd say not a whole lot. Moss Echo is out to change all that, bringing ancient nature into the modern home in a rather clever little gadge … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Diamonds grown at normal pressure in just 15 minutes

Diamonds are famously formed under high pressure and temperature, which is partly why they’re so valuable. But now, scientists have created diamonds in a lab under regular pressure in just 15 minutes. Continue Reading Category: Materials, Science Tags: Diamonds, Synthesis, Instit … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Male birth control breakthrough safely switches off fit sperm for a while

A non-hormonal, reversible and non-toxic male birth control could be a step closer, with scientists successfully targeting a protein that's crucial in making fertile sperm. Knocking this protein out for a period of time would give men control over their protection window, much li … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

‘Selective hearing’ headphones: Hear clearly in a crowd with one look

It’s difficult to hear what one person is saying in a crowded, noisy space where lots of other people are speaking. This is especially true for people who are hard of hearing. While modern hearing aids use noise-cancelling technology, they can’t eliminate background noise complet … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

World's first microcomputer is up for auction right now

The Q1 desktop microcomputer, the world's first microcomputer that was uncovered in storage boxes by accident by cleaners at Kingston University in London, is going on the auction block at Heritage Auctions, along with a later version and a printer. Continue Reading Category: Com … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

HoloBike aims to put indoor cyclists right in the glasses-free 3D action

Indoor cycling could soon be getting a lot more appealing. The HoloBike system combines a stationary bike with an immersive, interactive 3D holographic display … and it doesn't require riders to wear cumbersome VR helmets or glasses. Continue Reading Category: Bicycles, Transport … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Little life-saving patch is big on reading blood flow in the brain

A wearable ultrasound patch could soon be saving lives, by monitoring the blood flow in hospital patients' brains. The device is only about the size of a postage stamp plus it works continuously, unlike traditional methods. Continue Reading Category: Medical, Science Tags: UC San … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Hydrogen passenger ferry cleared for commercial service in the Bay Area

Switch Maritime has revealed that the US Coast Guard has given the green light for the first hydrogen passenger ferry in the US to enter commercial service. The Sea Change is expected to start full operations later this year. Continue Reading Category: Marine, Transport Tags: Hyd … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Sikorsky flight tests rotor blown wing VTOL tail-sitter for DARPA

Sikorsky has advanced to the next phase of a DARPA project to develop an unmanned VTOL aircraft capable of flying all-weather missions from ships or land. The rotor blown wing VTOL tail-sitter is currently undergoing flight testing. Continue Reading Category: Aircraft, Transport … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Not-so-tiny house provides apartment-like living experience

The Urban Park Max, by TruForm Tiny, pushes the very definition of a tiny house with its length of 38 ft (11.5 m). While likely a handful to tow, its substantial size does offer the benefit of a spacious and apartment-like living experience on wheels. Continue Reading Category: T … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

'Absolute miracle' breakthrough provides recipe for zero-carbon cement

Concrete and steel production are major sources of CO2 emissions, but a new solution from Cambridge could recycle both at the same time. Throwing old concrete into steel-processing furnaces not only purifies iron but produces “reactivated cement” as a byproduct. If done using ren … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

DARPA's new high-speed, blended-wing VTOL X-plane

Aurora Flight Sciences has revealed its latest concept for a low-drag, fan-in-blended-wing body design for DARPA's Speed and Runway Independent Technologies (SPRINT) program aimed at producing a high-speed VTOL aircraft for Special Forces missions. Continue Reading Category: Mili … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Inherited melanoma risk 7-fold higher than previously thought

Melanoma is not generally thought of as being caused by ‘cancer genes’ like, say, breast or prostate cancer. Previous studies have estimated that only 2% to 2.5% of melanoma cases are genetic, so public health messaging in relation to the cancer has focused on limiting sun exposu … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Swiss scientists invent a new type of chocolate

If you’re a bit bored by the regular chocolate varieties in your grocery store, Swiss scientists have invented a brand new kind of chocolate made of “cocoa fruit jelly.” The new concoction uses more of the cocoa fruit, making it healthier and more sustainable. Continue Reading Ca … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

'Bio-paper' implant: Personalized wireless electrotherapy for Parkinson's

Therapies that deliver electrical stimulation to the brain to treat neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s have been found to be effective. To deliver this deep brain stimulation (DBS), electrodes are implanted in areas of the brain through small holes drille … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Head transplants performed by robots planned within the decade

In what sounds more like the opening scene from a B-grade sci-fi/horror flick, head transplant operations performed entirely by robotic surgeons could be coming to a hospital near you within a decade, if startup BrainBridge is to be believed. Continue Reading Category: Medical, S … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Autonomous robot invents the world's best shock absorber

MAMA BEAR – which stands for Mechanics of Additively Manufactured Architectures Bayesian Experimental Autonomous Researcher – 3D prints small structures before gently placing them into a hydraulic press and crushes them. It measures the energy absorption of each little creation i … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

US Air Force releases first official pics of B-21 bomber in flight

Although snapshots of the B-21 Raider nuclear bomber in flight have been taken previously by the public in the vicinity of Edwards Air Force Base in California, these weren't with permission. Now the United States Air Force has released the first official images of the aircraft i … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Boeing scrubs Starliner launch indefinitely

Boeing's ill-fated Starliner spacecraft has suffered another major setback as NASA announced today that its first crewed launch has been postponed indefinitely. This comes after four launch dates were scrubbed in less than three weeks due to technical issues. Continue Reading Cat … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Proximity-sensing film lets people communicate by blinking

Human-machine interfaces such as smartphone screens would be a lot cleaner and longer-lasting if we didn't have to actually touch the darn things. Scientists have now created a proximity-sensing film which makes such a scenario more possible and practical than ever before. Contin … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Game-changing nanostrings vibrate longer than any solid-state material

"Imagine a swing that, once pushed, keeps swinging for almost 100 years because it loses almost no energy through the ropes." So says a Delft University of Technology researcher who has helped his team accomplish a parallel feat at the nanoscale. Continue Reading Category: Materi … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Titanium Xbar packs a blade, pry bar, bottle opener and hex wrenches

A lot of multitools boast a ton of features, but such products often just end up being cluttered and confusing. The no-nonsense titanium Xbar sticks to the essentials, with a pry bar, bottle opener, hex wrenches and a fold-out cutting blade. Continue Reading Category: Outdoors, L … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago