Weekend Edition: Exoskeletons, antivitamins and the astonishing bubble house

An Avatar-esque mech suit, a potential alternative to antibiotics, and an amazing piece of Australian architecture headline our look back at the standout stories of the week. Enjoy the New Atlas Weekend Edition! [Robotics]( [US$1,515 will let you drive the beastly Prosthesis mech suit]( [Aspiring mech pilots can now sign up to drive the giant Prosthesis exo-mech]( This giant mechanical exo-suit copies the movements of a pilot's limbs. It's 13 feet tall, and has the power to pick up and crush small cars. And if you've got US$1,515 lying about, you can now sign up to strap in and drive it. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Antivitamins breakthrough could make for antibiotics alternative]( [Researchers have found that an antivitamin version of Vitamin B1 could be an effective new way to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria]( The usefulness of antibiotics is beginning to unravel, with potentially devastating results. In the hunt for new drugs, researchers have now investigated how an antivitamin of Vitamin B1 could be a promising new weapon against these “superbugs.” [Read more]( [Architecture]( [Extraordinary Australian "bubble house" hits the market]( [Eleven interconnecting domes]( A truly unique piece of Australian real estate is up for grabs. Architect Graham Birchall's personal home, based around a series of 11 intersecting bubble domes, has gone up for sale in Ipswich, Queensland. [Read more]( [Science]( [LSD microdose trial for acute pain relief reports “remarkable” results]( [Researchers report 20 micrograms of LSD delivers similar analgesic results to opioids such as oxycodone and morphine in an acute pain test]( An incredible, first-of-its-kind trial testing the pain-killing properties of LSD microdoses has delivered the compelling suggestion that tiny, non-psychedelic doses of this infamous drug could serve as an effective analgesic. [Read more]( [Aircraft]( [Vertical Aerospace joins the tilt-rotor race with new VA-1X eVTOL]( [Vertical Aerospace has unveiled the design of its upcoming VA-1X tilt-rotor eVTOL air taxi]( Moving on from the squat, chunky Seraph and its basic manned multirotor design, Britain's Vertical Aerospace has released designs for an upcoming five-seat tilt rotor air taxi it's calling the VA-1X that can take advantage of efficient winged flight. [Read more]( [Bicycles]( [Stunning Theos F e-mountain bike is twice as tough as carbon fiber]( [There's presently no word on when the Kellys Theos F series will be available]( Kellys' gorgeous new Theos F ebike sports an innovative frame built from thermoplastic hybrid steel-carbon composite that's twice as impact-resistant, twice as durable, and no heavier than a comparable frame made from conventional resin carbon fiber. [Read more]( [Aircraft]( [Reaction Engines testing ammonia as carbon-free aviation fuel]( [The new ammonia propulsion system uses heat exchanger technology originally developed for Reaction Engines' Skylon spaceplane]( Reaction Engines and Britain's Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) have completed a concept study into the practicality of using ammonia as a sustainable, low-emission jet aviation fuel. [Read more]( [Tiny Houses]( [Minimaliste shrinks its hardy tiny house, still sleeps four]( [The Ébène V3 is based on a triple-axle trailer and measures 32.5 ft (10 m) in length, compared to the original model's 36 ft (11 m)]( Back in 2018, we were impressed with Minimaliste's Ébène, which was designed to stand up to Canada's harshest winter weather. The firm has now produced a compact version that retains the same hardy construction and sleeps up to four people. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [McLaren 570S review: The slings and arrows of supercar driving]( [A photo taken before the inevitable crowd arrives to fawn over the 2020 McLaren 570S]( The problem with supercars, is there’s always a crowd. Our only alone time as a couple was in my tiny garage. Once that door opened and the McLaren 570S was revealed, it was only a matter of minutes before people started showing up. It gets brutal. [Read more]( [Photography]( [The top-flight winners of the 2020 Bird Photographer of the Year]( [Silver, Birds in Flight. Touch and Go. Pallid Swift (Apus pallidus). Athens, Attica, Greece]( The magnificent selection of winning images from the 2020 Bird Photographer of the Year offer a diverse assortment of shots, from an evocatively impressionistic grand-prize-winning photograph to incredible perspectives of birds in human environments. [Read more]( [Space]( [Repeating radio signal from space fires back up on predicted schedule]( [A strange repeating radio signal from space has now been found to have a cycle]( Back in June, astronomers discovered a hidden pattern within seemingly-random fast radio bursts. It was predicted that the next bursts of activity should flare up around August – and now those signals have come through, right on schedule. [Read more]( [Science]( [World-first database catalogs 1,000s of viruses in our gut microbiome]( [A new study detected over 33,000 unique virus populations that reside in human gut microbiomes]( Researchers from Ohio State University have created the first catalog of viral populations known to inhabit the human gut. Called the Gut Virome Database, the study suggests each person’s gut viral population is as unique as their fingerprints. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [GehoCab turns new Bronco and Defender into sleek, go-anywhere mini-RVs]( [GehoCab Defender Fiete]( The last time we looked at GehoCab, it was concentrating its skills on off-road motorhomes for the VW Amarok. It's now reconfiguring its carbon campers for some of the world's favorite 4x4s, including the new Land Rover Defender and Ford Bronco. [Read more]( [Mobile Technology]( [Doogee S88 Pro review: The super-tough survival phone]( [The Doogee S88 Pro is a chunky, heavy phone that can survive almost anything]( What do you want in a phone? For some it's a big, vivid screen, for others it's a top-tier camera, or it might be lengthy battery life. However, if what you prioritize most is go-anywhere, do-anything toughness, then the Doogee S88 Pro has to appeal. [Read more]( [Tiny Houses]( [Charming off-grid Cabns offer eco-friendly refuge in the Australian bush]( [A look at the outside of the Jude Cabn,]( Australian outfit Cabn looks to lure busy folks into quiet corners of the country by way of charming off-grid cabins tucked away in idyllic settings, and built with a strong emphasis on sustainability and respect for the local landscape. [Read more]( [Bicycles]( [SmartSaddle sets out to get to the bottom of cycling discomfort]( [The SmartSaddle is presently on Kickstarter]( It's an understatement to say that many cyclists find traditional saddles uncomfortable. Sore-butted riders who are looking for an alternative already have several to choose from, but now there's another – the SmartSaddle. [Read more]( [Health & Wellbeing]( [Experts respond to first documented case of COVID-19 re-infection]( [A new report uses genomic data to show a man in Hong Kong was infected on two occasions with different strains of the virus, 4.5 months apart]( A new case study is reporting the first clinically confirmed case of SARS-CoV-2 re-infection. Responding to the news, infectious disease specialists suggest the re-infection is not surprising, could be rare, and may have implications for the efficacy of a vaccine. [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 © 2020