Petra's remarkable thermal bore cuts through undrillable rock

Technology [Watch as Petra's remarkable thermal bore cuts through undrillable rock]( [A combination of heat and high pressure allow this semi-autonomous boring robot to tunnel through undrillable rock]( San Francisco startup Petra says its new contactless thermal drilling robot can make steady progress through super-hard rock that would normally destroy drilling equipment – and it's absolutely mesmerizing to watch "Swifty" in action. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [Bring the big screen to you with the 10 best deals on home projectors]( 'Tis the season for cozy nights at home, family gatherings, and the ultimate friend reunions. Invite your loved ones to your place and watch your favorite movies with these top 10 deals on home theater projectors. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Long COVID still a threat after mild infections, researchers warn]( [Researchers are questioning what impact the current wave of Omicron infections will have on long COVID cases in the coming months]( Cedars-Sinai researchers are reporting even mild COVID-19 cases show lingering signs of an overactive immune system months after the acute disease, and experts are concerned the current wave of Omicron infections could lead to huge rates of long COVID. [Read more]( Outdoors [Inflatable Exod air-ground tent slims down for solo camping missions]( [Exod's new Monolith is a solo inflatable air/ground tent]( Back in 2020, Exod debuted one of the more striking tents of modern times. As intriguing as it was, the 18-lb, $2,240 Ark wasn't practical for many. Exod strikes back with the Monolith, a smaller, lighter inflatable ground/tree tent with lower price. [Read more]( Physics ["Quantum tornadoes" mark crossover from classical to quantum physics]( [The progression of a cloud of atoms from a classical "needle" structure (left) to a series of "quantum tornadoes" (right)]( The universe is governed by two sets of seemingly incompatible laws of physics – classical and quantum physics. MIT physicists have now observed the moment atoms switch from one to the other, as they form intriguing “quantum tornadoes.” [Read more]( Technology [New Atlas Weekly Newscast]( [The Vision EQXX battery has nearly the capacity of the production EQS battery but at half the size]( Listen to the week's top stories from New Atlas. [Read more]( Marine [Electric Pontoon Boat packs General Motors battery power]( [The Pure Watercraft Electric Pontoon Boat is presently on display at CES 2022]( One of the big complaints about power boats is the fact that they bring noise and pollution to lakes that should be pristine. Electric boats address those problems, and one of the latest – from Pure Watercraft – was developed in partnership with GM. [Read more]( Automotive [Goodyear airless tires get put to the test on delivery robots]( [One of the Starship Technologies robots, sporting its snazzy new tires]( A special version of Goodyear's airless tire has been fitted to six-wheeled delivery robots at Ohio's Bowling Green State University campus in order to test factors such as tread wear, braking performance and vibration damping. [Read more]( Bicycles [Carbon fiber electric mountainbike readied for road and trail]( [The carbon-cool EB20 electric mountainbike debuts this week at CES 2022 in Las Vegas]( Though Okai does have a couple of ebikes sat among the e-kickscooters in its product lineup, they're more like e-mopeds than road or trail rides. That's about to change with the CES 2022 debut of an electric pedal-assist mountainbike called the EB20. [Read more]( Biology [Zoo experiments detect dozens of animals from airborne DNA]( [Two new studies have demonstrated that animals can be detected through airborne DNA]( Two new studies collected air samples from zoos and demonstrated the ability to identify a range of animals living there from their airborne DNA. This could eventually be used as a non-invasive way to track biodiversity. [Read more]( Aircraft [Joby accelerates certification effort with second pre-production eVTOL]( [Joby aviation has rolled out its second pre-production eVTOL prototype to accelerate its certification program]( American eVTOL pioneer Joby Aviation is accelerating its path to FAA type certification, today unveiling a second pre-production prototype that's already approved to join the company's flight test program, and is due to fly later this month. [Read more]( Robotics [Robot uses bending legs and pivoting wheels to traverse city streets]( [The Mighty delivery robot pictured alongside one of its piezoelectric motors, which allow it to stay in a given position without using any power]( We've recently heard about several urban delivery robots which would move along city sidewalks on four wheels. The Mighty bot brings something new to the mix, however, with pivoting wheels that are mounted on articulated legs. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Colorful tiny house serves as pint-sized home for parent and child]( [The Tiny House Planedennig has a total length of 6 m (19.6 ft), which is small even by tiny house standards]( This simple but somewhat colorful-looking tiny house serves as the primary home for its owner and child. Though it sports compact dimensions, it has some notable features, including a bathtub, a netted play area, and a relatively spacious kitchen. [Read more]( Around The Home [Portl M will allow folks to beam into homes as a hologram]( [Forget your two-dimensional Zoom calls, the M by Portl can beam holograms into your home]( During the pandemic lockdowns, the humble webcam has helped many of us feel less isolated, but can lack depth. What we need is the kind of freestanding holograms like the one in Star Wars. We're not there yet, but the M by Portl comes pretty close. [Read more]( Architecture [Glass-walled library envisioned as a tree-filled forest]( [The Beijing Sub-Center Library is expected to be completed by the end of 2022]( Snøhetta's Beijing Sub-Center Library will feature glazed walls and tree-shaped columns, as well as a forest canopy-like roof. Visitors will enjoy a light-filled environment that plays on the idea of sitting under a tree and reading a book. [Read more]( Automotive [Chrysler resurrects the Airflow as a concept electric vehicle]( [The Chrysler Airflow Concept has been unveiled at CES 2022 as a battery electric vehicle with connected tech]( At the Consumer Electronics Show 2022, Chrysler unveiled a new battery electric concept vehicle, recalling the name of the Airflow car from the 1930s. Chrysler also announced plans to launch its first fully electric vehicle by 2025. [Read more]( Space [Amazon's Alexa and Cisco's Webex to fly on Artemis I Moon mission]( [Callisto is a technology demonstration that will fly onboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft during the Artemis I mission to the Moon]( When NASA's Artemis spacecraft lifts off on its uncrewed circumlunar mission this year, it will have its own voice-activated Alexa digital assistant and Webex video conference technology aboard installed in a Lockheed Martin demo pack called Callisto. 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