Weekend Edition: Impossible stars, improbable plants, and skyscraper batteries

What's the largest plant in the world? A towering Californian Redwood? A giant Banyan tree? Neither, as it turns out. Scientists have discovered a single seagrass plant off the coast of Australia that covers a crazy 77 square miles. Also boggling our minds this week: a neutron star that defies explanation, 3D printing with sound, and a plan to turn skyscrapers into gravity batteries using autonomous trailer robots. As always, thanks for reading New Atlas! Noel McKeegan Editor-in-Chief Space ["Impossible" neutron star spins too slowly and emits 7 types of signals]( [An artist's illustration of the newly discovered ultra-slow period neutron star (magenta), compared to the signals from more common pulsars (blue)]( Astronomers have discovered a strange neutron star that challenges our understanding of them – but may help unlock the mystery of fast radio bursts. The object spins far slower than any known neutron star, and gives off seven types of radio pulses. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [LumiCure uses red light therapy to help alleviate sore muscles and joints]( We are going to shed a whole new light on how to help relieve aching muscles and joints. Well, actually you are, with this LumiCure Light Therapy Torch. Using red and infrared light, it targets the area of discomfort and alleviates the pain. [Read more]( Automotive [DeLorean previews Alpha5 Launch Edition ahead of Pebble Beach debut]( [The Alpha5 Launch Edition electric sports coupe retains style touches from the original DeLorean, such as those massive gullwing doors]( The DeLorean Motor Company has offered an early look at an upcoming all-electric evolution of the vehicle made famous by the Back to the Future trilogy. The Alpha5 sports coupe will debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August. [Read more]( Aircraft [Lilium claims eVTOL landmark by transitioning main wing mid-flight]( [Rendering of the Lilium VTOL taxi in flight]( The prospect of a flying taxi service like that imagined by Lilium hinges on the ability of these aircraft to seamlessly transition from vertical to horizontal flight, and the startup has just demonstrated a key element of this functionality. [Read more]( Energy [Lift Energy Storage System: Turning skyscrapers into gravity batteries]( [The Lift Energy Storage System would turn skyscrapers into giant gravity batteries, and would work even more efficiently if paired with next-level cable-free magnetic elevator systems like Thyssenkrupp's Multi-elevator, pictured above]( Researchers want to turn skyscrapers into giant gravity batteries for remarkably cheap renewable energy storage, moving heavy weights up and down in the elevators to store and release energy. The team says it'll cost far less than conventional batteries. [Read more]( Drones [You can now buy a co-ordinated multi-drone swarm in a box]( [Teal's Golden Eagle is one of very few drones that are approved by the US DoD]( Puerto Rico-based Red Cat Holdings has announced what it believes is the first and only commercially available multi-drone swarm system, allowing several DoD-approved drones to perform co-ordinated tasks under the control of a single pilot. [Read more]( 3D Printing [New type of 3D printing uses sound waves to build up objects]( [Direct sound printing uses ultrasound to create microscopic oscillating bubbles, which in turn cause resin to solidify at specific locations]( 3D printing typically involves depositing layers of molten plastic, laser-melting powdered metal, or using UV light to harden gelatinous resin. A new technique takes yet another approach, however, by utilizing sound waves. [Read more]( Aircraft [Video: Franky Zapata survives whirling jetboard crash]( [Franky Zapata piloting the Flyboard Air at high speed in 2016]( Ah, those magnificent men in their flying machines. They go up, diddly-up-up. They go down, diddly-own-down. French sky-surfer and Green Goblin lookalike Franky Zapata went down diddly-own-down in frightening fashion at an airshow on the weekend. [Read more]( Medical [Scientists solve a mystery of severe asthma and how to treat it]( [A new study identifies why some patients with severe asthma don't respond to a common drug treatment – and points to a way to fix it]( Corticosteroid inhalers are a common treatment for asthma, but patients with severe asthma don’t respond well to it. Now scientists have identified a mechanism that seems to block the drugs, and importantly, a potential way to bypass the problem. [Read more]( Medical [Alzheimer's discovery hints at drugs to stop cells frying "like eggs"]( [A first-of-a-kind study has shown how Alzheimer's disease can cause brain cells to overheat]( Scientists at the University of Cambridge have taken cutting-edge sensors used to measure temperature changes within cells to gain fascinating new insights into Alzheimer's disease, and shown how preventing overheating could slow its progression. [Read more]( Science [World's largest plant: 112-mile-long seagrass found off Australian coast]( [A section of the seagrass meadow that's now been found to be the largest plant in the world]( Researchers have discovered the largest plant in the world – a meadow of seagrass off the coast of Western Australia that covers a total of 200 sq km (77 sq miles). The entire expanse has grown from just one seedling, spreading by cloning itself. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Best time of day to exercise seems to be different for men and women]( [A new study finds that the best time of day to exercise could be different for men and women]( A new study suggests that the best time of day to exercise differs by sex. Evening exercise was found to be more effective for men, while results for women varied, with different health outcomes improving with different exercise times. [Read more]( Medical [Newly identified prostate cancer subtypes suggest new treatment options]( [Researchers have identified new subtypes of prostate cancer]( Scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified two new subtypes of prostate cancer. These new forms of the disease are resistant to usual treatments, but categorizing and studying them could lead to new therapies. [Read more]( Computers [Frontier breaks the exascale threshold to take top supercomputer spot]( [ORNL's Frontier supercomputer has been confirmed the world's fastest at 1.1 exaflops]( The US Department of Energy's Frontier supercomputer has been crowned world's fastest at the International Supercomputing Conference 2022 in Hamburg, Germany, and is the first system to enter the exascale era of computing. [Read more]( Environment [World's fastest carbon capture system claims 99% efficiency in ambient air]( [Researchers have developed a new carbon capture system that they claim is the world's fastest, and has an efficiency of 99 percent]( Carbon capture could be an important tool to fight climate change. Researchers have now developed a new compound that can reportedly remove carbon dioxide from ambient air with 99 percent efficiency and at least twice as fast as existing systems. [Read more]( Aircraft [Stratolaunch unveils new test aircraft for hypersonic flight program]( [The TA-0 will be used to assess the system that releases it from its host Roc aircraft]( Back in 2020 we first heard about the Talon-A hypersonic aircraft, which would be released from the world's largest airplane at an altitude of 35,000 ft (10,000 m). A test version of the Talon-A, called the TA-0, was unveiled this week. [Read more]( Bicycles [300-mile adventure ebike gets wired for Everest-level epics]( [With]( Optibike has a new ebike with enough battery power to travel 30 percent farther than the official world record. The bike is called the R22 Everest because it's the "only ebike able to climb Mt. Everest on a single charge ... if there was a road." [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