The knife that launched The James Brand has done a full 180

Over the past 10 years, we've watched The James Brand introduce one sleek, timeless knife and tool after another, fast-developing into a modern icon of minimalist design. The Chapter was the knife that started it all, and now it's gotten a top-to-bottom redesign, filling out a si … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Ultra-high density battery vests give next-gen soldiers twice the energy

The idea is simple enough; soldiers of the future will need to carry maximum energy at minimal weight to feed the host of mission-critical electrical hardware they'll wear, stash and carry by hand through the field. Amprius claims its ultra-dense batteries will double the runtime … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Human hair: A surprisingly effective way to soak up oil spills

Lisa Gautier and her partner Patrice Gautier founded Matter of Trust in 1998 with the hopes of being able to tackle environmental issues. They soon met up with Phillip McCrory, a hair-dresser from Alabama, who had the idea for hair mats being a useful tool for oily-cleanup when h … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Human hair is being used to clean up oil spills

Lisa Gautier and her partner Patrice Gautier founded Matter of Trust in 1998 with the hopes of being able to tackle environmental issues. They soon met up with Phillip McCrory, a hair-dresser from Alabama, who had the idea for hair mats being a useful tool for oily-cleanup when h … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Ummahat AlShaykh Island sets new standards in sustainable tourism

In the realm of innovative architecture, few projects rival Ummahat AlShaykh Island in sheer ambition and eco-conscious design. Spearheaded by architect Kengo Kuma and his team, this project is a triumph of sustainability and luxury tourism in the heart of the Red Sea. Continue R … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Hard-wall origami roof tent is a lighter, cheaper, sleeker SUV abode

When we saw the impressive modularity of Hardsider's pickup camping system back in November, we figured it must have a standalone rooftop tent (RTT) in the works. That hunch proved correct, as the company has released a hard-walled rooftop tent like no other. The relatively light … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Video: Robo erectus – W1 quadruped robot evolves to stand and walk upright

You might think that having four legs with wheels on the ends would already make a robot pretty useful. China's LimX Dynamics is taking things further, however, as its W1 quadruped robot is now able to stand up and walk on two "feet." Continue Reading Category: Robotics, Technolo … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Energy-efficient underwater robot rises and falls via fuel-cell balloons

If scuba divers use inflatable BCDs (buoyancy control devices), why don't underwater robots? Well, an experimental new one does, and the technology is claimed to be much more energy-efficient than traditional methods of moving up and down in the water. Continue Reading Category: … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

eFoil inflatables soften the learning curve of hover-surfing the water

Puerto Rico's Lift Foils likens its new Blowfish add-on accessory to a set of inflatable training wheels for eFoil beginners, making launches easier as well as providing a more versatile platform for seasoned flyers. Continue Reading Category: Marine, Transport Tags: Liftfoil, eF … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Dexterous robot hand can take a beating in the name of AI research

A robotics company likely most famous for a demo of its dexterous robot hand at Amazon re:MARS with Jeff Bezos has now unveiled a new robust model designed for machine learning research, which was developed in collaboration with Google's DeepMind. Continue Reading Category: Robot … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Please, Google, for the good of humanity add this to YouTube

In 2023, Pew Research Center reported that 26% of Americans regularly got their news from YouTube. Because YouTube’s search results are affected by a user’s watch history, opening up the possibility of being presented with all sorts of content, users are likely to encounter misin … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Unprecedented 3D wiring diagram of human brain looks like a tiny world

Harvard and Google Research have released a startlingly deep dive into the human brain, mapping thousands of cells and millions of synapses in a poppy seed-sized sample of brain tissue. The effort produced some stunning images and marks a major step towards one of the biggest cha … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Salting your food increases your risk of stomach cancer by 41%

Worldwide, stomach cancer rounds out the top five most commonly diagnosed cancers. While incidence rates are highest in Eastern Asia, there’s been an alarming rise in the incidence of stomach cancer among people under 50 in both high- and low-risk countries, including the US, Can … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Groundbreaking spaceplane crashes before world-first aerospike rocket test

The MIRA I, from German aerospace startup Polaris Raumflugzeuge, was traveling at approximately 105 mph (169 km/h) during takeoff when a "landing gear steering reaction" plus a side wind caused a "hard landing event," rendering the space plane inoperable and it's fiberglass airfr … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Mayman Aerospace flying motorcycle becomes a military VTOL jet drone

Mayman Aerospace has unwrapped its new family of jet-powered, High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HS VTOL) AI-equipped drones that can deliver everything from medical supplies to Hellfire missiles at 500 mph (800 km/h) in a compact airframe. Continue Reading Category: Milit … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Soft caterpillar robot moves its body by origami-power

If a soft-bodied robot uses rigid actuators to move its body, then it isn't really soft now, is it? An experimental new caterpillar-inspired bot gets around that conundrum by using soft, collapsible origami segments to squirm and steer its way into our hearts. Continue Reading Ca … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Special silk sheets suppress sound by giving off good vibrations

There may be new hope for people with noisy neighbors. Scientists at MIT have developed a method of using thin sheets of fabric to either cancel or block sound – in the latter case, the racket even gets reflected back to its maker. Continue Reading Category: Materials, Science Ta … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Cold brew coffee in under 3 minutes? Ultrasound makes it possible

Downing a freshly brewed cup of coffee in the morning can be vital for facing the day ahead, but what if you had to wait up to a day to get your caffeine hit? That's on the menu if you like your Joe brewed cold, but researchers have now managed to cold brew in minutes thanks to u … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Excretings! Elephants say hello in a way you'll never forget

There are so many ways to say hello. People wave, bow, shake hands, hug, kiss, fist bump, say “hi” or any combo of these. But there’s one greeting from nature that we sure hope doesn’t catch on, as a new study finds that elephants often greet chums with a dump. Continue Reading C … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Latest Saudi extravagance floats as superyacht marina for the mega rich

Though its initial plans for the Line seem to have been scaled back – by a lot – Saudi Arabia isn't done wowing us with its wildly ambitious, and at times impractical, vision to remake the desert country into a tourist paradise. Its latest project under the Neom banner involves t … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Versatile electric scrambler rides out for under $6,000

The Outset e-scrambler is the second electric motorcycle from California-based Ryvid, and shapes up as a keenly priced highway-capable ride designed for daily commutes as well as "multi-role" adventuring at the weekend. Continue Reading Category: Motorcycles, Transport Tags: Elec … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Swiss Army what?! An iconic tool loses its blade

There are many models of Swiss Army knives, which can be equipped with everything from a flashlight to a seatbelt cutter. To date though, there's not a version without the tool's namesake knife. That's about to change. Continue Reading Category: Good Thinking, Lifestyle Tags: Mul … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

AlphaFold 3 unlocks a new scientific era, mastering 'all of life's molecules'

Proteins are one of nature's most incredible and versatile inventions. These essential building blocks of life catalyze virtually every chemical reaction in the body, regulate gene expression and the immune system, make up the major structural elements of all cells, and form the … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Earth's 'Gateway to Hell' is growing by 35 million cubic feet each year

Whether you're a John Carpenter fan or a biology enthusiast, you shouldn't need much convincing to know that the melting of subterranean permafrost at the poles is not a good thing. Last year, scientists gave us one more thing to lose sleep over, reviving a 48,500-year-old 'zombi … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Chinese humanoid factory video plunges back into the uncanny valley

A 20-second video from inside a Chinese humanoid robot factory is causing some consternation today around social media. It shows a range of highly realistic-looking, partially skinned humanoids under construction. Continue Reading Category: Robotics, Technology Tags: China, Human … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Video: Death by black hole looks absolutely stunning

What would it look like to fall into a black hole? It’s a question basically everyone has pondered, and now NASA has finally given us a first-person view of the experience with scientifically-accurate visualizations produced by a supercomputer. Continue Reading Category: Space, S … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Tiny tenacious robots snatch bacteria and microplastics out of the water

Scientists have developed tiny "robots" which appear to be very effective at removing microplastics pollution from water. What's more, the little bots also target the harmful bacteria that often hitch a ride on the plastic particles. Continue Reading Category: Environment, Scienc … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Glass waste and trash-ash find their way into better, greener bricks

Bricks made partially of discarded glass and recycling-waste ash have been shown to insulate better than regular bricks, while also requiring less energy to produce. And of course, they additionally use materials which would otherwise end up in landfills. Continue Reading Categor … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Plans for larger, higher Baltimore bridge keep channel clear for ships

Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, a team made up of Carlo Ratti Associati, along with construction firm Webuild and structural engineer Michel Virlogeux, has proposed a new – and safer – replacement. Continue Reading Category: Architecture, Life … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Sub-$12k electric micro-car will roll on US roads later this year

LA-based Eli Electric Vehicles is launching its flagship Zero electric micro-car in the US market later this year, hoping to build on sales success in Europe and beyond. The teeny two-person city dweller starts at just $11,990. Continue Reading Category: Automotive, Transport Tag … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Drilling into magma: Risky plan takes geothermal to supercritical extremes

The Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) "has the potential to be for geoscientists what the Large Hadron Collider has been for particle physicists." So say researchers working on the project to drill straight into a magma chamber to explore massive geothermal power. Continue Reading Categ … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

5:2 fasting diet's anti-inflammatory effects come down to two proteins

The most prevalent chronic liver condition worldwide is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a build-up of fat in the liver that isn’t caused by heavy alcohol use. Linked to genetics and overweight or obesity, if NAFLD is left untreated, it can progress into its most severe … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

'New' genetic Alzheimer's disease may impact 6.7 million Americans

An incredible new study has upended our understanding of genetic Alzheimer's disease, finding that nearly everyone carrying two copies of a culprit gene had distinct biological markers of the degenerative condition by the age of 65. This means the APOE4 gene may no longer merely … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

'Underwater bicycle' propels swimmers forward at superhuman speed

I can't say I've seen anything like this "underwater mobility device" before. The idea is simple enough; you extend the Seabike's pole to the appropriate length, then strap it to your waist with a belt. Then you find the pedals with your feet, and start turning the crank, with th … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

High-speed military amphibian skims the waves using Surface Effect

Changes in the geopolitical situation are drastically altering how the major military powers are dealing with logistics. Since the Second World War, the main focus of Western planning has been in regards to a land war in Europe. This meant sorting out how to move soldiers and mat … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Rock art indicates cows once grazed a lush, green Sahara

The vast, rocky Eastern Desert of Sudan, known to locals as the ‘Atbai,’ is a part of the Sahara Desert and home to nomadic groups. During 2018 and 2019, archeologists undertook fieldwork in the region as part of the Atbai Survey Project, aiming to investigate the relationship be … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

New VW California PHEV camper van goes all-terrain & extra outdoorsy

No matter how many amazing camper vans other brands come out with, there's still only one Volkswagen California... and it just got a dramatic makeover, from tires to pop-up roof. Continue Reading Category: Automotive, Transport Tags: Campervan, RV, Volkswagen, Camping, Outdoors, … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Way-out wearable lets you drink from your shirt

Many runners don't like the way hydration packs bounce and sway with every step, nor do they like holding onto water bottles. Vessel Athletics' Hydroshirt offers what might be a better alternative to both, in that it incorporates its own snugged-down water bladder. Continue Readi … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

ePack is a li'l urban semi-trailer truck – that you pedal

It's highly unlikely that you've ever seen a pedal-electric delivery vehicle quite like the ePack before. In order to accommodate its 4,000 liters of cargo space, the six-wheeler has the same articulated form factor as a semi-trailer transport truck. Continue Reading Category: Ur … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Carbon folding ebike rides super light, but ain't the lightest in town

China's A Dece Oasis (ADO) has launched an Indiegogo for what's billed as the lightest carbon folding ebike – at 12.5 kg. That's very back-friendly indeed, but is it the lightest of the light? Nope. That honor still goes to UK company Hummingbird. Continue Reading Category: Bicyc … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Titanium cards stack and spin in 80-function-strong multitool

With a "more is more" approach to its latest offering on Kickstarter, London-based Gadget On has packed everything from a sundial clock to a SIM card ejector into its new TitanSpin multitool. And, oh yeah, the whole thing is also a fidget spinner. Continue Reading Category: Good … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Hill-hugging tiny house takes Swiss Army knife approach to downsizing

Situated on a steep hillside plot in California, this compact dwelling by Mork-Ulnes Architects was constructed on the existing foundations of a 1950s garage. Its interior layout is likened to a Swiss Army knife in the way it maximizes features in a compact space and it showcases … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

China's home-grown general-purpose humanoid jogs out at 6 km/h

The Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center has unveiled Tiangong, an electrically-driven general-purpose humanoid that's capable of stable running at 6 km/h, while also able to tackle slopes and stairs in "blind conditions." Continue Reading Category: Robotics, Technology Tags: … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Lofty cat throne will keep your needy colleague off your keyboard (maybe)

For many of us, one of the joys of being able to work from home is being around our pets more often. And they might be purr-fect work colleagues – pets have been shown to lower stress levels and improve heart health – if they could just understand and respected boundaries a littl … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Review: 2024 Land Rover Defender proved us right, purists be damned

The British are known for things like putting milk into hot tea and adding extra vowels to words. They are not, however, known to bring back nostalgic nameplates just for the marketing of it, which is why I test-drove the Land Rover Defender. Continue Reading Category: Automotive … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Spinal red-light therapy protects and regenerates damaged nerve cells

Directly applying red-light therapy to a damaged spinal cord protects and regenerates nerve cells, leading to a return of motor and sensory function, according to new research. The treatment could expand the currently limited treatments available to people with spinal cord injuri … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

GPT trains robots better than humans – as proven by this dog on a yoga ball

DrEureka, a new open-source software package that anyone can play with, is used to train robots to perform real-world tasks using Large Language Models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT 4. It's a "sim-to-reality" system, meaning it teaches the robots in a virtual environment using simulated … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago

Video: Sleek SpaceX suit to make its runway debut on Polaris Dawn mission

Bridging fashion and functionality, SpaceX has revealed what its astronauts will be wearing on the first-ever private spacewalk in 2024. In a new video, the company details the futuristic features of the suit that will be space-tested on the Polaris Dawn mission. Continue Reading … | Continue reading


@newatlas.com | 6 months ago