Falcon Heavy takes off on its maiden mission

[SPACE]( [Falcon Heavy takes off on its maiden mission]( Commercial space travel took a quantum leap forward this Tuesday, as SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket made its maiden flight. At 3:45 pm EST, the world's most powerful operational booster lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center on a mission intended to gather information about the launch system. [Read more]( [SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS]( [Learn a New Language with uTalk for Your Next International Getaway Together]( The world is flattening (figuratively) and it is becoming more and more valuable to learn a second, or third, fourth, or fifth language. uTalk helps you overcome the language barrier challenge by helping you learn real, practical vocabulary in a wide variety of languages from any device that you choose. uTalk's language programs let you understand how native speakers actually talk and feature independently verified translations so you'll be able to navigate through your next vacation like a real local. [Read more]( [ARCHITECTURE]( [Gallery: Post-human asteroid city amongst winners in Jacques Rougerie Competition]( The Jacques Rougerie Foundation’s annual International Competition in Architecture is designed to promote audacious concepts blending new technologies with extremely future-forward propositions and the nine winners from the 2017 competition certainly do exactly that. [Read more]( [ARCHITECTURE]( [Old harbor crane turned into luxury apartment for four]( Yays Concierged Boutique Apartments, working with designer Edward van Vliet, has turned a 1950s crane in Amsterdam into a serviced apartment. The project makes use of the original crane operator’s huts, and offers a great view of the surrounding area. [Read more]( [ENVIRONMENT]( [Thawing permafrost could release massive amounts of toxic mercury]( A new study has calculated there is more than 15 million gallons of toxic mercury trapped in the permafrost north of the equator. That's around 10 times the mercury emissions produced by humans over the past 30 years and researchers are understandably concerned about the effects it could have. [Read more]( Sponsored by Taboola [MOTORCYCLES]( [Cake electric dirt bike leaves behind plenty of dust but no emissions]( A helmet is essential, but it's typically the machine accompanying the helmet that really impresses. Perhaps that's why Stefan Ytterborn, founder of helmet brand POC, turned his attention to the world of powered bikes. His new company Cake debuts to make dirt trails a little quieter and cleaner. [Read more]( [AUTOMOTIVE]( [Electrified and connected Mercedes Sprinter to land in 2019]( Mercedes is forging ahead with the electrification of its van lineup, today announcing the arrival of the eSprinter. Set to arrive in 2019, the electrified version of Mercedes' light commercial van will be optimized for city driving. [Read more]( [SPACE]( [SpaceX beams live feed from its spacefaring Tesla Roadster]( If you're wondering what happened to that Tesla Roadster that SpaceX shot into interplanetary space on Tuesday atop its Falcon Heavy rocket, wonder no more, because the company has posted a live feed from the cosmic car on YouTube. [Read more]( [ENVIRONMENT]( [Cloudy with chance of viruses: Billions of microorganisms rain down daily]( Fresh air might not be quite as fresh as we think. Viruses and bacteria get swept up into the atmosphere in enormous amounts, and now a new study has quantified that amount, finding that untold billions of microorganisms are raining down across the Earth every day. [Read more]( [AUTOMOTIVE]( [Jaguar begins producing "new" D-type racers, but is it ruining the auction market for its biggest fans?]( Jaguar Classic has re-started production of its D-type race car, with the first prototype being shown today at Retromobile in Paris. Just 25 new D-types will be built, completing the 100 units originally planned for production in 1955. [Read more]( [ARCHITECTURE]( [Skinny London house measures just 91 inches wide]( Thanks to London's relatively expensive property market, thin is in, and developers can find significant value in even the skinniest plots. Such is the case with the Slim House, which measures just 91 in (2.3 m)-wide and is currently on the market with a guide price of £1 million (US$1.4 million). [Read more]( [BIOLOGY]( [Venus flytraps are surprisingly picky eaters]( Although familiar in our own homes, scientists have for the first time discovered which insects pollinate Venus flytraps in their native environment, and why they appear to be getting away from being the plant’s next meal. [Read more]( [DIGITAL CAMERAS]( [Olympus treats latest PEN camera to 4K video]( Olympus has announced the successor to its PEN E-PL8 micro four thirds camera. The retro-modern E-PL9 has been treated to a flagship image processor, a video recording boost and improved autofocus. And it's said to be lighter than a 500 ml bottle of water, including the Zuiko kit lens. [Read more]( [SCIENCE]( [Digitized worm brain learns a new trick]( The human brain is a beast of a computer, but before we can emulate that we’ll need to start with something simpler. C. elegans is a worm whose basic brain of only 302 neurons has been digitized. Now researchers have taught this virtual worm a new trick, without writing a single line of code. [Read more]( [DRONES]( [LA Drone Film Festival winners raise the bar for drone cinematography]( The LA Drone Film Festival has concluded and the winners announced. And they're a pretty stunning collection of super-short films. Drones are still a relatively new addition to the world of filmmaking, and it's awesome to see the creative ways they're being used. [Read more]( [SCIENCE]( [Dual studies suggest electrical brain stimulation improves memory and learning]( ​Two new studies are showing evidence that electrical stimulation to a specific area of the brain can significantly enhance memory and learning. The research suggests a possible future where implantable neural stimulation systems could help improve a person's memory. [Read more]( [MATERIALS]( [Cement made with volcanic ash can make cities stronger and greener]( Scientists are continually searching for greener ways of producing cement, which is an energy-intensive process. Now an MIT team has found that pulverizing volcanic ash and adding it to the mix not only makes the process more environmentally friendly, but the resulting structures stronger as well. ​ [Read more]( [SPACE]( [How a quietening Sun could help slow (but not stop) our warming climate]( New research suggests the Sun might be headed towards a “grand minimum” of a centuries-long cycle, during which the Earth would receive much less ultraviolet radiation. If so, it may even help slow – but not stop – the progression of the climate’s general warming trend. [Read more]( [HEALTH & WELLBEING]( [Bulk hair follicle germ growth holds promise for treating baldness]( There are plenty of people around the world waiting for an effective treatment for baldness and researchers from Yokohama National University have given them new hope by growing up to 5,000 hair follicle germs (HFGs) in the lab, which is the largest scale to date. [Read more]( [SCIENCE]( [How ants could inspire a new generation of antibiotics]( A team studying the antimicrobial properties of several ant species has found the industrious insects could help scientists develop new antibiotics to join the fight against human diseases. [Read more]( [SCIENCE]( [Malaria parasites killed quickly by blue dye]( Malaria is responsible for approximately 445,000 deaths every year. That number may be due to drop, however, as scientists have found that a human-safe blue dye kills parasites in patients' bloodstreams within two days – that's faster than has ever been possible before.​ [Read more]( [COMPUTERS]( [Apple's latest patent application is for a stylus that can write in mid-air]( Right now the Apple Pencil stylus only works with the iPad Pro, but it seems Apple has bigger plans for its pointing device. The company's latest patent shows a new device that's capable of writing on any surface it's pressed up against, and even in mid-air. [Read more]( [MARINE]( [Spanish underwater drone is ready to take a dive]( ​If you've ever wanted to explore the underwater world using your own ROV (remotely-operated vehicle), there are now a number of consumer models in the works. The Sibiu Nano is one of the most recent to hit the scene, and it's being made with the do-it-yourselfer in mind. [Read more]( [LAPTOPS]( [LG's premium gram notebook goes on sale]( LG has announced the availability of its thin and light portable powerhouse that's designed to work all day long in conditions that might see competitors fall. The 15.6-inch Z980 series gram laptop is just 0.7 inches thick, weights 2.4 lb, and has sailed through seven US Military durability tests. [Read more]( [ARCHITECTURE]( [Contoured Californian family retreat takes cues from the landscape]( Nestled into a coastal canyon near Santa Barbara, California, this family retreat does its best to be one with nature. Surrounded by 100-plus-year-old oak trees, it is set deep within steep sandstone canyon walls with distant ridgeline views. [Read more]( [HEALTH & WELLBEING]( [Being bilingual might help save your brain]( ​Researchers have analyzed brain scans from both multilingual and monolingual people, all of whom were previously diagnosed with either Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Their conclusion: knowing a second language may help offset the effects of degenerative brain disorders. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). [Update profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( Copyright New Atlas © 2018