Weekend Edition: Breathtaking views of campsite & cosmos, & can video games up IQs?

This week we take in the great outdoors in a pop-up pickup topper that provides bed-to-ceiling views front and back, and folds flat when it’s time to get back on the road. Then, for breathtaking views even further afield we check out the winners of the annual Milky Way Photographer of the Year competition. And returning indoors, kids have a new study to point their parents to when they want to play some video games – it shows gaming could help raise their IQ. Enjoy our look back at the week’s top stories. Darren Quick Managing Editor Automotive [Toyota Tacoma camper's floor-to-ceiling windows let the outdoors in]( [The all-new Rossmönster Lagom is available for popular midsize and full-size pickups: the Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Gladiator (pictured) and Ford F-150]( Rossmönster has introduced the most unique light pickup camper out there. The all-new Lagom is one of a very few hard-wall designs out there, and it expands via full-height front and rear windows that create a gorgeous rooftop observatory. [Read more]( Photography [Our majestic Milky Way stars in annual astrophotography competition]( [The Rocks. The bright galaxy sets over ancient sea stacks and exposed reefs at Motukiekie, along the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand]( The Milky Way is one of the night sky’s most majestic subjects for photography, so it's the star of travel blog Capture the Atlas's annual competition. The 25 winning shots of this year’s Milky Way Photographer of the Year have now been unveiled. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Could video games be making kids smarter? A new study says yes]( [Following a large cohort of 10-year-old children for two years, new research saw video game players increase their intelligence scores more than those who didn't play games]( Screen time is generally considered to be a negative influence on a child’s development but a new study makes a strikingly different case, presenting evidence that playing video games may actually boost a child’s intelligence. [Read more]( Materials [Wood-based foam passively cools buildings to cut energy bills]( [Left: the new wood-derived white foam. Right: the foam demonstrating its cooling nature in direct sunlight]( A huge chunk of energy usage goes towards heating and cooling homes and buildings, so it’s important to find new ways to regulate temperature passively. A new wood-based foam could drastically cool buildings to a degree that can be easily tuned. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Retraining minds to resist cravings shows long-term weight loss potential]( [A new study has demonstrated how targeting responses to food cues in certain people can have long-term benefits for weight loss]( Scientists have drawn up an alternative approach to tackle obesity that retrains the minds of people highly responsive to food cues to resist cravings, and demonstrated that it may outperform current go-to strategies for long-term weight loss. [Read more]( Science [Link between COVID-19 and Parkinson’s disease risk grows with new findings]( [Animal research found a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection increased susceptibility to a chemical used to model Parkinson's disease neurodegeneration]( Ever since doctors saw a spike in Parkinson’s disease cases following the 1918 flu pandemic scientists have studied the link between viral infection and neurodegeneration. Now, new research is presenting evidence COVID-19 may increase Parkinson's risk. [Read more]( Energy [Bizarre night-time solar cell generates power in a backwards process]( [A USNW team has measured the first power generation from a thermoradiative diode, which could be used to harvest re-emitted solar energy at night]( In a world first, a team at the University of New South Wales has demonstrated measurable power generation from "the inverse of a conventional solar cell." It could eventually produce around one tenth as much power as a solar panel – but at night. [Read more]( Medical [New cataract-clearing drug shows promise in tests in mice]( [A new drug to help clear cataracts shows promise in tests in mice]( Cataracts are one of the most common forms of vision impairment, and unfortunately surgery is the only real treatment. But the clouds may be parting on a new drug treatment, improving the vision of the majority of mice it was tested on. [Read more]( Military [US Air Force successfully flies hypersonic missile on fourth attempt]( [The AGM-183A hypersonic missile]( It was fourth time's the charm as the US Air Force successfully launched its hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) from a B-52H Stratofortress on May 14 off the coast of Southern California, following three failures. [Read more]( Medical [Tiny dental nanobots generate heat to deep clean the teeth]( [Newly developed nanobot technology could make root canal treatments of infected teeth more safe and effective]( The buildup of bacteria deep in our teeth can cause infections in difficult to reach areas, and scientists at the Indian Institute of Science have developed tiny cleaning robots they believe are up to the task. [Read more]( Automotive [$6,500 Squad solar-electric microcar makes its official entrance]( [Initially announced in 2019, the Squad solar-electric microcar made its world debut on Monday]( When Squad Mobility announced plans for a solar-electric city car in 2019, it had only renderings and promises. This week, it revealed the completed Squad, an evolved microcar that still maintains its simple, highly affordable solarized design. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Aluminum-bodied FMC Storm brings jet-like aeros to the motorcycle world]( [The FMC Storm is a superb piece of metalwork that completely transforms the BMW R NineT]( Draped in liquid-smooth aluminum bodywork, this visually stunning custom motorcycle features a number of air scoops that wouldn't look out of place on a fighter jet, as well as a nearly fully-enclosed front wheel and some absurdly low-mount clip-ons. [Read more]( Materials [Teflon-like desalination membrane purifies water fast and friction-free]( [A new type of water desalination membrane uses tiny rings of fluorine to repel salt]( A new type of desalination membrane uses a series of nanoscale tubes lined with a Teflon-inspired material that repels salts while allowing water to flow through with little friction. The team says it's fast, and requires little pressure and energy. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Weight training burns fat as well as aerobic exercise, on the right diet]( [A new study suggests that weight training can be an effective way to shed pounds when combined with a healthy diet]( A team at Australia's Edith Cowan University have shown that when combined with the right diet, resistance training such as body-weight exercises or lifting dumbbells, can have similar effects to aerobic exercise when it comes to burning fat. [Read more]( Medical [Antibiotic overuse linked to immune defects and bowel disease]( [Older people were more than twice as likely to develop inflammatory bowel disease if they had several courses of antibiotics recently]( New studies have highlighted the importance of judicious antibiotic use, one found antibiotics can increase a person’s risk of fungal infections, while another suggests antibiotic use in old age is linked to higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease. [Read more]( Aircraft [Ryse Recon eVTOL may soon be flying across a ranch near you]( [The Ryse Recon could be used to survey land, locate lost cattle, or test soil]( Farmers and ranchers have a lot of land to cover, and a lot of work to get done in a day. The Ryse Recon was designed with those facts in mind, as it's being made to quickly fly rural users from place to place. [Read more]( Automotive [First drive: 2023 Nissan Z is smooth perfection]( [Nissan has a lot riding on the new Z, and the result is a nearly perfect sports coupe]( The mantra "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" carries with it the ideal that thoughtful application is superior to brute force. Hurrying means making mistakes. The 2023 Nissan Z is an embodiment of this philosophy from its inception, and it’s paid off. [Read more]( Motorcycles [2WD electric Ultra Bike stores range-extending fuel in its huge wheels]( [Giant fat wheels can hold some 20 liters of fuel or water each]( This electric 2WD fat bike is built to tackle just about anything, with huge balloon tires at the front and rear. It can cross water in amphibious mode, and handle serious distances with a range extender and up to 40 liters of fuel in the wheels. [Read more]( Medical [Enzyme "sugar tag" blocks excess cell death behind chronic inflammation]( [A new discovery around excessive cell death in the body offers new hope of treating conditions driven by chronic inflammation]( A new discovery around inflammation and excessive cell death in the body illuminates the key role a certain enzyme plays in the process, and how targeting a "sugar tag" could lead to treatments for a wide range of conditions. [Read more]( Aircraft [China's TCab E20 eVTOL prototype is making regular transition flights]( [China's TCab Tech has been making impressive progress on its E20 eVTOL air taxi]( Shanghai's TCab Tech has become one of China's leading eVTOL contenders, claiming it's now made many test flights validating its 50-percent scale prototype air taxi design in vertical lift and hover mode, as well as transitions to winged cruise flight. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [FDA approves new kind of diabetes drug with anti-obesity potential]( [A newly approved drug is a once-weekly injection designed to mimic the action of a gut hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite]( The FDA has approved a new kind of drug for type 2 diabetes. The once-weekly injection was found to be more effective at controlling blood sugar levels than current treatments, and a recent trial found it also may be useful as an anti-obesity therapy. [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 © 2022