New method converts carbon into graphene or diamond in a flash

[Materials]( [New method converts carbon into graphene or diamond in a flash]( [Researchers have developed a way to use "flashes" of electricity to convert carbon into different forms such as graphene or nanodiamonds]( A new method converts carbon from a variety of sources straight into useful forms such as graphene or diamond. The technique uses a “flash” of electricity to heat the carbon, converting it into a final form determined by the length of the flash. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [The world's thinnest portable touchscreen monitor is now $50 off]( If you have limited space for an extra monitor or like to change up your working location, this monitor may be for you. Espresso, the world's thinnest portable touchscreen monitor, brings you a mega bundle that maximizes your productivity. [Read more]( [Robotics]( [Hyundai buys Boston Dynamics, maker of Spot the robotic dog]( [Hyundai has acquired a controlling stake in robotics firm Boston Dynamics]( Hyundai Motor Group has made a major move into the world of mobile robotics, announcing today that it has acquired a majority stake in Boston Dynamics from Japanese technology firm Softbank that values the firm at $1.1 billion. [Read more]( [Science]( [Experimental brain implant instantly detects and relieves pain]( [New research is a very early step towards a brain implant that can detect and suppress pain in real time]( Researchers have developed a brain implant designed to detect pain sensations in real-time and deliver bursts of pain-relieving stimulation. The device is still experimental but a proof of concept study shows it working effectively in rodent models. [Read more]( [Architecture]( [Skybridge-linked Toronto towers will create a community in the sky]( [Orca Toronto will consist of eight residential towers and an office tower. A series of skybridges will connect the residential towers]( Skybridges aren't a new idea, but rarely are they used as ambitiously as for the nine towers of the Orca Toronto project by Safdie Architects, most of which will be connected by skybridges to allow for easy movement between buildings. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [Hopium rolls out a prototype of its handsome hydrogen-powered sedan]( [The Hopium Machina is a 500-horsepower hydrogen performance sedan]( French company Hopium has wasted no time getting a prototype up and running. The company announced its intentions to build high-performance hydrogen cars in October 2020, and has now shown video of its 200-km/h Alpha 0 prototype on a test track. [Read more]( [Materials]( [Durable concrete uses graphene particles to fend off water and cracks]( [Study author Ange-Therese Akono with a sample of graphene-infused cement]( As the world's strongest artificial material, graphene may have a lot to offer the world of construction, and scientists have offered another example of this by using it to create a novel form of cement that is highly resistant to water and cracks. [Read more]( [Tiny Houses]( [No-frills tiny house keeps things simple to drive costs down]( [Build Tiny estimates that the Purple Palace would have cost between NZD 150,000-170,000 (US$104,000 - 11,8000) without the cost-saving measures, but says that it came in closer to NZD 115,000 ($80,000)]( The Purple Palace isn't a palace, nor is it even purple, but what it does offer is a compact tiny house at a relatively low cost. Build Tiny went to considerable lengths to keep the price down by focusing on the basics. [Read more]( [Space]( [Rocket mining system blasts water from beneath the Moon's surface]( [The mining rover with its cover removed to show its pressure dome and support systems]( Masten Space Systems is developing a robotic rover that could one day mine water on the Moon using rocket blasts. The Rocket M rover uses rocket pulses to break up ice-bearing lunar soil and collect up to 100 kg of ice particles per day. [Read more]( [Bicycles]( [Proximity sensing bike light shoots video of close-passing cars]( [The Dashbike tail light (at right) is currently on Kickstarter]( A large percentage of bike-versus-car accidents occur when automobiles pass too closely to cyclists. The Dashbike tail light was designed with that in mind, as it automatically records video of any too-close drive-bys. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [Baidu partners with BAIC to introduce Apollo Moon robotaxi]( [Baidu and BAIC-owned EV maker Arcfox have joined forces to launch the fifth generation of ride-hailing autonomous vehicles, built around an all-electric crossover and named the Apollo Moon]( Baidu has partnered with EV maker Arcfox, part of China's state-owned BAIC Group, to accelerate the commercialization of fully autonomous ride-hailing services, and to jointly release the latest version of the Apollo robotaxi. [Read more]( [Computers]( [Sabrent focuses on capacity and speed with latest Rocket external SSD]( [The Rocket XTRM-Q 16-TB external SSD is reported capable of up to 2,800 MB/s data transfer speeds in RAID 0 mode]( Computing accessory maker Sabrent has launched a new external SSD rocking two 8-TB drives that can be configured as separate data vaults or combined into one capacious solution to meet the growing storage needs of professionals and creators. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Hydrogel for the heart may prevent a common post-surgical complication]( [A diagram depicting the application of the hydrogel]( After open-heart surgery has been performed, the scar tissue that forms on the heart will sometimes stick to the tissue surrounding it. Such complications are known as adhesions, and a new hydrogel may help keep them from occurring. [Read more]( [Medical]( [New mechanism controls superbugs by sparing the death sentence]( [A colony of Pseudomonas aeruginosa grown in a dish for three days]( Antibiotics may work, but they drive bacteria to evolve into new drug-resistant forms. Now a new study has uncovered a mechanism that could make the bugs non-infectious without killing them, reducing the evolutionary pressure that leads to superbugs. [Read more]( [Health & Wellbeing]( [Personalized therapy for aggressive brain cancer shows promising results]( [It's estimated a novel drug could help around five percent of patients with glioblastomas carrying a specific protein biomarker]( New data from a preliminary trial testing a novel kind of brain cancer drug has found incredibly promising responses in a particular subset of patients. A Phase 2 trial is now underway concentrating on patients with a specific biomarker. [Read more]( [Bicycles]( [Super73's retro ebike gets smart and packs a swappable battery]( [Super73 is taking orders for the new ZX now]( Super73 has been carving out its own little corner of the ebike market with a head-turning line of vintage two-wheelers built for on-road fun and off-road adventure, and has now added a lighter, smarter model with a swappable battery. [Read more]( [Health & Wellbeing]( [Drinking device claimed to help halt hiccups]( [The commercial version of the FISST device, marketed as the HiccAway]( Although hiccups are a temporary nuisance for most of us, they can be a major problem for people who experience them chronically. There may be new hope for such folks, though, in the form of what is essentially a fancy drinking straw. [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