Rotomolded plastic teardrop camper bashes through the African bush

Outdoors [Rotomolded plastic teardrop camper bashes through the African bush]( [Not the roughest stream crossing it's likely to encounter, but a nice photo op]( Rotomolded construction has become a staple in outdoor recreation via tough, bear-resistant coolers. Now it takes on a new role. South Africa's Edgeout crafts a rotomolded plastic teardrop ready for a quick safari or an intercontinental expedition. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [This lifetime learning bundle ft. Rosetta Stone is now over $1,500 off]( Help your loved one finally tackle the language (or languages) they’ve wanted to master with The Unlimited Lifetime Learning Subscription Bundle ft. Rosetta Stone, now on sale at over $1,500 off. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [South African data offers preliminary insights into Omicron variant]( [New data offers clues to Omicron's disease severity and its capacity for reinfecting those who have previously experienced COVID-19]( Two new reports out of South Africa are offering some early insights into how the Omicron variant could behave in humans. One report speculates the disease may be milder than prior variants, while another indicates Omicron may lead to more reinfections. [Read more]( Aircraft [eHang's pilotless eVTOL may be certified and operational within months]( [China's eHang says its EH216 autonomous air taxi is "hopefully" going to be fully certified and commercially operational within months]( It seems China's about to win the race to commercial, autonomous, electric VTOL air taxi operations, with daylight a distant second. eHang says its EH216 could be fully certified within months, several years ahead of competitors from the USA and EU. [Read more]( Architecture [Combined ski slope and power plant named WAF World Building of the Year]( [CopenHill, by BIG, has won the 2021 WAF World Building of the Year prize for its inspired combination of ski slope and waste-to-energy power plant]( The prestigious World Building of the Year prize has been revealed at the close of this year's World Architecture Festival. CopenHill, by Bjarke Ingels Group, has won for its inspired combination of waste-to-energy plant and ski slope. [Read more]( Robotics [Wheeled, legged quadruped robot is now set to stand and deliver]( [The ANYmal robot could already walk on four legs and roll on four wheels, but now it can also stand up and balance on its rear wheels]( The ANYmal robot was already impressive back when it walked on four legs. It got more interesting when wheels were added, letting it both walk and roll. That wheeled version is now also able to stand up, and could soon be used for urban deliveries. [Read more]( Physics [Harvard scientists observe new state of matter, a quantum spin liquid]( [Harvard researchers Mikhail Lukin (left) and Giulia Semeghini (right) have led a team that observed an exotic state of matter called a quantum spin liquid for the first time]( An exotic state of matter originally hypothesized almost 50 years ago has been observed for the first time. Created by Harvard researchers, this material called quantum spin liquid could eventually help improve quantum computers. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Novavax could have an Omicron-specific COVID vaccine ready by January]( [Novavax expects lab-work to be completed within weeks and says an Omicron-specific vaccine could hypothetically be commercially manufactured by the end of January]( As drugmakers race to understand how effective current COVID-19 vaccines may be against the new Omicron variant, Novavax has announced it anticipates the ability to begin mass manufacturing an Omicron-specific vaccine as soon as January next year. [Read more]( Science [Groundbreaking use of CRISPR selects sex of mice with 100% efficiency]( [Researchers have used CRISPR to genetically engineer litters of mice to be entirely male or entirely female, which could reduce unnecessary culling of animals]( Scientists have used the CRISPR gene-editing system to produce litters of mice that are 100 percent either male or female. The technique could help prevent the unnecessary culling of animals of unwanted sex in agriculture or scientific experiments. [Read more]( Aircraft [Chicago to Washington DC flight uses 100% sustainable fuel in one engine]( [The Boeing 737 Max 8 jet used in the SAF flight]( The shift to sustainable fuels in the aerospace sector passed another milestone last week when a United Airlines 737 MAX 8 airliner took to the skies with one of its two LEAP-1B engines running on 100-percent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). [Read more]( Medical ["Sight"-restoring bionic eye proceeds along the path to human trials]( [The Phoenix99 Bionic Eye consists of a communication module which is implanted behind the ear (left), and a stimulation module which is implanted on the retina (right)]( There may be new hope for people with certain types of blindness, as an experimental sight-restoring device has been deemed safe for implantation. It still has to be tested on humans, though, and it will likely provide a rudimentary form of vision. [Read more]( Architecture [Capsule hostel for bookworms named World Interior of the Year]( [The Capsule Hostel and Bookstore has been declared the winner of the World Interior of the Year, and features book-lined walls on the lower floor and "floating" capsule accommodation above]( Alongside the World Architecture Festival, the World Interior of the Year has also been decided. The winner is the Capsule Hostel and Bookstore, a radical renovation of a dilapidated old building in rural China. [Read more]( Motorcycles [WMC puts "big hole" technology into 3-wheel hybrid police scooter]( [WMC hasn't provided any photos looking through the big hole, but we're assured it's there between the front wheels where the arrows are]( UK company White Motorcycle Concepts, best known for the big hole in its land speed racer, has stuck a big hole and a small hybrid system into a three-wheeled police scooter, and says these two modifications can reduce emissions by up to 50 percent. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Late-night eating may add to diabetes and obesity risk for shift workers]( [New research suggests eating at nighttime rather than during the day can drive up blood glucose levels and increase the risk of diabetes]( A new study has drilled into the relationship between the timing of our meals and the body's blood glucose levels, finding that those chowing down after dark may be at greater risk of diabetes and obesity. [Read more]( Environment ["Earth's Black Box" to chronicle humanity's descent into climate chaos]( [Earth's Black Box will be constructed on a granite plain in Tasmania, Australia, with the site chosen for its geopolitical and geological stability]( An indestructible "black box" for the Earth is set to be built in Australia, and will be tasked with documenting our civilization's descent into climate chaos. Or better yet, inspire urgent action to turn the slow-motion train wreck around. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Revived BSA reveals 2022 Gold Star 650 as first model to enter production]( [BSA introduced the 2022 Gold Star 650 (right) as a tribute to one of its most iconic models of the past (left)]( As announced last week, BSA is back. The first motorcycle of its new era has now been revealed at the UK's Motorcycle Live show, and it's a revival of the Gold Star, one of its most famous motorcycles, which was in production from 1939 until 1963. [Read more]( Science [Rare Antarctic total solar eclipse to shed light on space weather]( [An Antartic solar exclipse seen in 2015]( A rarely seen total eclipse of the Sun in Antarctica on December 4 is drawing the attention of an international partnership of scientists who hope to learn more about the effects of such eclipses on space weather. [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