Sir Richard Branson (almost) flies into space on VSS Unity

[Space]( [Sir Richard Branson (almost) flies into space on VSS Unity]( [Sir Richard Branson (far right) and the team that flew on VSS Unity]( British billionaire Sir Richard Branson almost, but not quite, flew into space today as a passenger aboard the privately built and operated Virgin Galactic spaceplane, VSS Unity, which took off from Spaceport America, New Mexico at about 10:30 am EDT. [Read more]( Advertisement [Save 82% on this exclusive VPN Plan]( Ultra-fast speeds, 10 multi logins, 24-hour support, a 31-day money back guarantee and no logs are just some of the benefits of PureVPN. Right now you can get 3 years of this premier VPN service for just $1.92 per month, that’s a whopping 82% saving. [Read more]( [Bicycles]( [One-of-a-kind gravel bike was made with mountain bikers in mind]( [Gustav Gullholm (aka Dangerholm), with his custom Scott Scale Gravel bike]( Although gravel bikes are made to go places that road bikes can't, they still look a lot like road bikes. Swedish builder Gustav Gullholm – also known as Dangerholm – set out to change that, by creating a one-off gravel bike made for mountain bikers. [Read more]( [Science]( [Several inhalable COVID-19 vaccines move to human trials]( [With a number of different inhalable COVID-19 vaccines in various stages of development we should know if such nasal spray vaccines are effective over the coming year]( A new study in the journal Science Advances presents the latest research demonstrating the potential effectiveness of an inhalable COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is one of several in development designed to be administered through a nasal spray. [Read more]( [Military]( [US Air Force releases new image of the B-21 Raider nuclear bomber]( [Rendering of the B-21 Raider strategic bomber]( The US Air Force has released a new digital rendering of its B-21 Raider heavy strategic nuclear bomber, along with more information about the warplane that is being built by Northrop Grumman as part of the Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program. [Read more]( [Materials]( [Novel plastic disintegrates in a week in sunlight and oxygen]( [A novel type of plastic developed by researchers in China can safely break down in a week in sunlight and air]( Researchers in China have demonstrated a new form of plastic that degrades in just a week when exposed to sunlight and oxygen, which they believe could make for electronics that are easier to dispose of at the end of their lives. [Read more]( [Automotive]( [Tesla's new Full Self Driving beta 9.0 still looks a bit too exciting]( [Tesla has released the much-hyped V9.0 of its Full Self Driving software to a small group of advance testers]( Tesla released its FSD beta 9.0 software on Saturday night, another leap forward ahead of the pack with some impressive new abilities. But it's going to need to get a lot more boring and mundane before this tech really starts changing the world. [Read more]( [Electronics]( [Low-energy e-paper goes inverted for a full array of brilliant colors]( [Scientists in Sweden have developed a new form of electronic paper with particularly brilliant colors]( Working to widen the applications for electronic paper technology are scientists at Sweden's University of Technology, whose latest display takes on an inverted design to offer a full array of accurate and brilliant colors. [Read more]( [Materials]( [3D-printable phase-change materials insulate buildings better at scale]( [A small house model made of phase-change materials, which was able to effectively insulate the inside]( Heating and cooling systems are some of the biggest energy guzzlers, but passive temperature control could reduce emissions. Phase-change materials show promise for this, and now engineers have developed a new PCM composite that can be 3D printed. [Read more]( [Tiny Houses]( [Enormous tiny houses that push the boundaries of small living]( [The Canada Goose has a total floorspace of around 400 sq ft (37 sq m) and is one of five tiny houses that we're highlighting in our look at huge ho]( Forget the stereotype of a shed on wheels, some of the largest tiny houses are more like apartments and push the boundaries of what's possible in a towable home. With this in mind, we have a look at five of the biggest tiny houses we've seen so far. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [Dive deep into the world of cryptocurrency at only $4 per course]( Cryptocurrency seems to be everywhere these days. But what exactly is it? Learn the ins and outs of the trending digital currency with The Intro to Cryptocurrency & Bitcoin Bundle, now price-dropped to only $19.99. [Read more]( [Science]( [Understanding “marathon” cells key to waking up exhausted immune system]( [Immune T cells sometime display signs of "exhaustion" becoming less effective at doing their job, but new research may have found a way to wake those tired immune cells up and get them back to work]( Australian researchers have identified the mechanism that enables some immune cells to outlast others. The findings point to a treatment method that could improve the success of cancer immunotherapy and help patients beat severe viral infections. [Read more]( [Wearables]( [Sony promises all-day comfort with neckband speaker for remote workers]( [The adjustable neckband features two upfiring speakers for the promise of satisfying, open sound, and beamforming microphones that focus on a wearer's voice during calls]( Wearing headphones for extended Zoom sessions can be an uncomfortable experience, but using a laptop's built-in speakers can be less than ideal. Sony has launched a wireless neckband speaker designed for all-day comfort while working from home. [Read more]( [Games]( [xScreen turns the Xbox Series S into a "portable" laptop]( [The xScreen is an add-on laptop-like screen that makes the Xbox Series S portable]( Nintendo has the monopoly on hybrid home/portable gaming consoles, but soon you could take your Xbox Series S on the road too. The xScreen is a plug-in accessory currently on Kickstarter that turns Microsoft’s console into a kind of chunky laptop. [Read more]( [Medical]( [Microbiome metabolites may boost cancer immunotherapy effectiveness]( [Scientists have found that fatty acids produced by gut bacteria could improve cancer immunotherapy]( It’s hard to overstate the incredible influence our gut microbiome has on our health. Now, researchers have found that certain metabolites from intestinal bacteria could boost the cancer-killing effect of immunotherapy. [Read more]( [Environment]( [Different shark species hunt in shifts in the name of peace]( [Bull sharks were among the species studied in new research demonstrating that sharks can take turns hunting to coexist in peace]( They might hold a reputation as one of the ocean's most ruthless predators, but new research has shown that different species of sharks can actually go to some lengths to keep peace in the seas by doing their hunting in shifts. [Read more]( [Health & Wellbeing]( [Wearable robotic system could help rehabilitate stroke victims]( [A diagram of the NCyborg system – the N stands for "neural"]( When someone has suffered a stroke, they often have difficulty relaying commands from their brain to other parts of their body, such as their limbs. A new robotic system, known as NCyborg, may one day help them regain the ability to do so. [Read more]( [Collectibles]( [World auction record price for video games smashed twice in three days]( [The relatively recent ubiquitous nature of the games industry looks to have caught the marketplace unaware on the auction block. Just last Friday when a copy of the Legend of Zelda sold for $875,000, we wrote that “the first million-dollar game cartridge could happen this year, up from a $30,000 high just four years ago.” Little did we realise that we’d have seen that milestone disappear in the rear vision mirror before the weekend was out.]( The immense magnitude of the video games industry is beginning to be felt on the auction block, with the record price for a video game broken twice over the weekend, jumping from $660,000 to $875,000 on Friday, and then to $1,560,000 on Sunday night. [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