Weekend Edition: Harley heads offroad, Zoom fatigue, and the first modern computer

In this week's look back at the best of New Atlas we find out why video meetings leave you feeling flat, examine Harley-Davidson's tilt at the adventure bike market, and wind back the clock 75 years to learn about ENIAC – the first ever electronic, programmable, general purpose, digital computer. [Computers]( [75 years ago, the world's first modern computer made its public debut]( [ENIAC was built to compute gunnery tables]( Seventy five years ago, the world was introduced to ENIAC, the first ever electronic, programmable, general purpose, digital computer, which not only ushered in the beginning of the computer age, but also shaped popular conceptions of the computer. [Read more]( [Telecommunications]( [Stanford study into “Zoom Fatigue” explains why video chats are so tiring]( [A new study explores the common recent trend of Zoom Fatigue and suggests some ways to avoid exhaustion from a day of videoconferencing]( A new study from Stanford University is investigating the very modern phenomenon of "Zoom Fatigue." The research suggests there are four factors that make videoconferencing so uniquely tiring, and some simple solutions that could reduce exhaustion. [Read more]( [Motorcycles]( [Harley-Davidson's Pan America launches assault on the adventure market]( [The 2021 Pan America 1250 is Harley-Davidson's first ever adventure bike]( America's most iconic motorcycle company has taken a brave step forward today, launching a brand-new bike with a brand-new motor into a weather-beaten adventure segment full of tough competitors. But the 150-hp Pan America has some tricks up its sleeve. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Can a major risk factor for Alzheimer's be revealed by pain perception?]( [A new study has demonstrated how differing pain thresholds may be indicative of a heightened Alzheimer's risk]( Given the difficulty in diagnosing the Alzheimer's, scientists are exploring all kinds of avenues to reveal the disease in its early stages. New research indicates a person's pain perception could be used a biomarker for diagnosing Alzheimer's. [Read more]( [Photography]( [MIT creates a camera lens that can change focus without moving parts]( [A team at MIT has developed and tested a new "meta-lens" capable of changing its focal point in response to temperature]( Researchers have modified the material used in re-writable CDs to create a new optical lens that shifts its focal point in response to heat, with no moving parts. It could enable miniature zoom lenses for drones, cellphones, or night vision goggles. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [Darc debuts with wicked Dakar-inspired carbon off-road motorhome]( [Darc says it uses 100 percent recycled carbon fiber in the construction of the Mono cabin]( German startup Darc makes its debut with an impressive carbon-monocoque motorhome inspired by the contrasting worlds of Dakar and F1 racing. The "ultimate expedition vehicle" journeys away from hookups for two weeks at a time. [Read more]( [Energy]( [Aqua Aerem to extract water from desert air and convert it to hydrogen]( [The "Devil's Marbles," or Karlu Karlu, about an hour south of Australia's Tennant Creek, where an innovative solar-to-hydrogen project is about to begin testing]( A new project in the Australian Outback will trial an innovative technique for converting solar energy into hydrogen by capturing moisture from the air and splitting it via hydrolysis, making it possible for hot, arid areas to become energy exporters. [Read more]( [Environment]( [Ancient tree tells chaotic tale of Earth’s magnetic field reversal]( [An ancient kauri tree log from Ngāwhā, New Zealand]( An ancient tree fossil has offered scientists a peek into a moment 42,000 years ago when the Earth’s magnetic field went haywire. The study paints a picture of environmental chaos, influencing everything from an increase in cave paintings to the extinction of the Neanderthals. [Read more]( [Space]( [Dramatic multi-cam video shows Perseverance rover's landing on Mars]( [Mars as seen from Perseverance]( NASA has released a new video that includes historic color, high-resolution footage from multiple cameras on the Mars 2020 spacecraft as it delivered the Perseverance rover to the surface of the Red Planet last week. [Read more]( [Virtual Reality]( [Sony teases next-gen VR headset for the PlayStation 5]( [Sony's original PSVR (pictured) is the best-selling virtual reality headset of all time, and the company says it's now working on a sequel capable of getting the most out of the beefy new PlayStation 5 console]( Sony has confirmed that it's working on a new virtual reality system to take advantage of the PS5's impressive grunt, promising "dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity" as well as enhanced field of view, resolution, haptics and tracking. [Read more]( [Marine]( [Triton's Titanic Explorer will reach new depths for luxury bubble-subs]( [Triton's new Titanic Explorer submarine rocks a neat set of extending gull wings, and is rated for more than 13,000 ft depths, making it the only acrylic ball sub capable of visiting the wreck of the Titanic]( Resting 12,500 ft below the surface, the wreck of the Titanic has rarely been visited by manned submarines. But Triton's latest luxury sub can take you down there in air-conditioned comfort, and it sports a clever set of articulating gull wings. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [Gordon Murray reveals wildly audacious T.50s "Niki Lauda" track car]( [The T.50s with three-time Indy 500 winnder Dario Francetti, left, and Gordon Murray, right]( The outrageously innovative T.50 is probably the most remarkable street supercar of the modern age. Now Gordon Murray has announced a track-focused sibling, somehow nearly 15% lighter, that carries the same extreme ideas to their logical conclusion. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [US Postal Service previews next-gen mail truck with electric option]( [A preview of the next-generation US mail truck]( In what it hails as the most dramatic modernization of its fleet in three decades, the US Postal Service has revealed the maker of its next-generation delivery truck, which will be built in both gasoline and electric powertrain variants. [Read more]( [Science]( [Alternative to opioids found in trio of old antibiotics]( [A combination of three old antibiotics has been found to block nerve pain in mice]( New research led by scientists from UT Southwestern suggests a novel combination of three old antibiotics may be repurposed into an alternative to opiates for a particular kind of nerve pain. [Read more]( [Architecture]( [City blocks go vertical as Manhattan supertall nears completion]( [50 Hudson Yards' final steel section has been ceremonially lifted into position]( Taking up the footprint of an entire city block and rising to a height of 308 m, Foster + Partners' 50 Hudson Yards recently topped out in Manhattan. The project is now well on the way to completion and expected to be in use by 2022. [Read more]( [Aircraft]( [Stunning video shows just how quiet Joby's eVTOL air taxi will be]( [Joby Aviation's five-seat, six-rotor transitioning eVTOL air taxi in flight]( A stunning new video from Joby Aviation gives us a sense of just how revolutionary these electric VTOL air taxis will be in urban settings compared to noisy helicopters. Founder JoeBen Bevirt doesn't even have to raise his voice as it takes off. [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 © 2021