Weekend Edition: China's amazing "horizontal skyscraper" opens to visitors

The Weekend Edition bundles the best of New Atlas' science, technology and transport coverage from the past seven days. In this installment we check out the Crystal, a monumental skybridge supported by four skyscrapers that's just opened to visitors in China. We also take the new Polaris Slingshot for a spin, plug a hole in the periodic table, and examine the latest evidence on how diet and exercise can reverse type 2 diabetes. [Architecture]( [China's amazing "horizontal skyscraper" opens to visitors]( [The Crystal measures 300 m (984 ft) in length and is supported in place by four skyscrapers]( Construction work is still ongoing on China's massive Raffles City Chongqing project but its most notable feature, the "horizontal skyscraper," has now opened to visitors. The stunning skybridge boasts a park and a glass-bottomed observation point. [Read more]( [Digital Cameras]( [The International Photography Awards celebrate the marvels of motion]( [2nd Place / Oneshot : Movement/Nature]( This year’s International Photography Awards One-Shot contest focused on how a single image can convey the concept of movement. The array of celebrated shots illustrate the sheer spectacle of humans, animals and machines in various states of motion. [Read more]( [Medical]( [New synthetic red blood cells are even better than the real thing]( [Researchers have created artificial red blood cells with more potential capabilities than real ones]( Researchers have created synthetic red blood cells that have all of the useful properties of the real thing, plus a few new tricks. These new cells could be put to work carrying oxygen or drugs through the body, sensing toxins, and other tasks. [Read more]( [Science]( [Secret of squid invisibility used to turn human cells transparent]( [Inspired by the squid, researchers have now engineered human cells to be able to turn themselves transparent]( Of all the superpowers in the animal kingdom, the squid’s ability to turn invisible is one of the coolest. And now scientists at UC Irvine have managed to recreate that in human cells for the first time, granting them tuneable transparency. [Read more]( [Health & Wellbeing]( [Diet and exercise reverses diabetes in 61% of patients, new trial reports]( [A new study builds on a large volume of evidence suggesting diet and exercise is better than medication for newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients]( New results from a clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of diet and exercise as a front-line type 2 diabetes treatment reveal nearly two-thirds of patients achieved complete disease remission after just 12 months of lifestyle interventions. [Read more]( [Tiny Houses]( [Updated Ecocapsule tiny house drops the price, keeps the egg shape]( [The Space by Ecocapsule starts at €49,900 (roughly US$55,000)]( The Ecocapsule is an egg-shaped off-grid tiny house completed in 2018. For those who like its novel styling but would prefer something more affordable, there's now a cheaper version available that comes without some of the bells and whistles. [Read more]( [Materials]( [Never-before-seen "black nitrogen" plugs puzzle in periodic table]( [The diamond stamp cell that was used to create black nitrogen]( Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have created a form of nitrogen that’s never been seen before. Nicknamed “black nitrogen,” the new substance is crystalline, occurs in two-dimensional sheets, and could be useful in advanced electronics. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [Watch the 1750-hp SSC Tuatara blast from 60-120mph in 2.5 seconds]( [The SSC Tuatara is designed to go 300 mph, so it handles the sprint from 60-120 mph absolutely effortlessly]( At 1,750 horsepower (on E85 fuel), the ludicrous rear-wheel drive SSC Tuatara hypercar is designed to break 300 mph (482 km/h). So it barely gets into 4th gear on the hectic sprint from 60-120 mph (100-200 km/h) in this newly released video. [Read more]( [Motorcycles]( [2020 Polaris Slingshot review: Big changes, monstrous fun]( ["It looks like the Batmobile," is a common reaction to the Polaris Slingshot]( The Polaris Slingshot is half car, half motorcycle with a sort of Batmobile-esque design. Sporting a completely new motor and auto transmission for 2020, it's likely the most fun you can have without resorting to a straight up two-wheeler. [Read more]( [Science]( [Discovery of brain’s “encoding mode” could enhance memory retention]( [Activity in the hippocampus about one second before new words were presented correlated with better subsequent memory retention]( Compelling research suggests neuronal activity in the hippocampus prior to the delivery of new information can enhance memory formation. The discovery points to a kind of "encoding mode" the brain enters in order to learn more effectively. [Read more]( [Marine]( [YuJet Surfer electric jetboard promises 40 minute ride at up to 24 mph]( [No need to hit the beach to surf, you can make your own waves with the YuJet Surfer electric jetboard]( A design team comprising pro surfers and engineers has revealed its first product aimed at having eco-friendly fun on the water. The YuJet Surfer is an electric surfboard that's said to bring "the power of a jetski to a surfboard." [Read more]( [Home Entertainment]( [Panasonic celebrates 55 years of Technics with limited turntable]( [The Technics SL-1210GAE turntable is limited to just 1,000 units worldwide]( Technics has made many hi-fi products over its 55 years of existence but is perhaps best known for the iconic SL-1200 DJ turntable. Now a special limited edition of the relaunched direct drive vinyl spinner celebrates the brand's 55th anniversary. [Read more]( [Energy]( [Extra salty sodium battery performs on par with lithium]( [Study author Junhua Song and his team's sodium-ion battery]( Scientists at Washington State University have come up with a new design for a sodium-ion battery that offers comparable energy capacity and cycling ability to some lithium-ion batteries already on the market. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Biomarker detects Alzheimer's decades before symptoms appear]( [A protein released into the body as a result of neuronal damage could indicate the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's over 20 years before symptoms appear]( Two new studies, published in The Lancet Neurology, are suggesting increasing levels of a particular brain protein, detected in blood and spinal fluid, could be the earliest sign of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. [Read more]( [Energy]( [Sweden welcomes its first wooden wind turbine tower]( [Sweden's first wooden wind power tower, standing 30 m high, has been erected outside Gothenburg]( The wheels have begun to turn on an interesting new form of wind turbine in Sweden, with the country’s first wooden power-generation tower now complete. It's hoped the tower will be a harbinger of cheaper and greener solutions for renewable energy. [Read more]( [Environment]( [Study finds sixth mass extinction accelerating at unprecedented rate]( [A new study has found endangered vertebrates around the world, such as Costa Rica's harlequin frog, are disappearing at unprecedented rates]( Back in 2015 scientists published a paper outlining what they perceived as a sixth mass extinction event. Researchers have now provided an update in the form of a new study that has found the rate of extinctions is increasing at an unprecedented rate. [Read more]( [Aircraft]( [HyPoint's "turbo fuel cells" promise huge range and power for eVTOLs]( [Bartini's eVTOL design, with eight tilting, coaxial ducted rotors, promises 550-km (342-mi) ranges and 300-km/h (186-mph) speeds thanks to HyPoint's turbo air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell powertrains]( A California company says its new "turbo air-cooled" fuel cell design can deliver three times the power and four times the lifespan of a regular fuel cell, opening the door for high-speed, long-range, hydrogen-powered electric VTOL aircraft. [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 © 2019