Weekend Edition: Mammoth plans, cabless trucks, and AR on your eyeball

Grand visions are afoot in this week’s roundup of New Atlas’ top stories. Plans to directly remove gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere are moving forward in Iceland, cabless autonomous electric trucks are rolling onto US roads as part of the looming transport revolution, and at Mojo's lab in California, a feature-complete smart contact lens has brought home the incredible potential of augmented reality. Thanks for reading New Atlas! Noel McKeegan Editor-in-Chief Environment [Work begins on Mammoth, the world's largest CO2 direct air capture plant]( [Climeworks has broken ground on Mammoth, which is set to become the world's largest direct air capture plant]( Swiss outfit Climeworks has today broken ground on its second direct air capture plant in Iceland, and one that marks significant progress in its ambitions of removing gigatons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year by 2050. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [These best-selling HD drones are now priced at 2 for the price of 1]( The Alpha Z PRO 4K + Flying Fox 4K Wide Angle Dual Camera Drones Bundle brings you two best-selling drones, both outfitted with 4K cameras and features galore. Plus, for a limited time, you'll also get 20% off orders $100+ with code JULY20. [Read more]( Wearables [CEO test-drives Mojo Vision's smart augmented reality contact lens]( [Mojo Vision CEO Drew Perkins became the first person to test a fully functional prototype of the company's smart AR contact lens]( Forget your bulky AR headsets, smart contact lenses are coming to place augmented reality displays right there on your eyeball. Last week, Mojo Vision CEO Drew Perkins volunteered to test the first feature-complete prototype of his company's design. [Read more]( Science [Novavax COVID vaccine surprisingly effective against all Omicron variants]( [New data, yet to be peer-reviewed and published in a journal, indicates Novavax's vaccine induces a strong antibody response against all circulating Omicron variants]( Biotech company Novavax has revealed its COVID-19 vaccine can generate effective immune responses against all circulating Omicron variants. The unexpected data was delivered to a panel convened by the FDA to recommend booster plans for later this year. [Read more]( Automotive [Cabless autonomous electric truck approved for US public roads]( [With NHTSA approval for driving on public roads in the bag, Einride's cabless autonomous electric Pod will begin pilot operations at a GE Appliances manufacturing facility in the US from Q3 2022]( Einride first introduced its cabless autonomous electric T-pod truck back in 2017, which rolled on Swedish roads for the first time a couple of years later. Now the company has been given the green light for operation on public roads in the US. [Read more]( New Atlas Plus [Support New Atlas and get our ad-free layout for just $19 a year]( New Atlas has been a reliable source for inspiring science and tech news for 20 years. Now we’re asking for your support so we can continue to deliver no-nonsense, independent journalism – and you can enjoy our pages without the distraction of ads! [Read more]( Energy [Pyramid lenses catch light from any angle to boost solar cell efficiency]( [A new passive technology can collect sunlight striking it from any angle and bend it towards the solar cell beneath]( There’s still room for improvement for solar cells. Stanford engineers have now developed pyramid-shaped lenses that focus sunlight from any angle onto a solar cell, keeping it collecting power from sunrise to sunset. [Read more]( Energy [First perovskite solar cell to cross 30-year expected lifespan]( [Princeton researchers have demonstrated a new perovskite solar cell design with an expected lifespan of 30 years]( Before perovskite can become viable for solar cells, it needs to overcome a major durability issue. Engineers at Princeton have unveiled a new perovskite solar cell design that tests suggest could last as long as 30 years of real-world use. [Read more]( Automotive [Hyundai goes super-low drag with new Ioniq 6 electric streamliner sedan]( [Hyundai has revealed a radically different look and an 0.21 drag coefficient for its Ioniq 6 "electric streamliner" sedan]( Hyundai has followed up its hugely successful Ioniq 5 SUV debut with an "electric streamliner" sedan that follows a much curvier design language. The Ioniq 6's drag coefficient of 0.21 places it among the lowest-drag production cars ever made. [Read more]( Automotive [Asphalt-sucking McMurtry hyper fan car sets Goodwood afire]( [The McMurtry Spéirling lived up to the hype at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed]( It's been over 40 years, but the fan car is back. The McMurtry Spéirling became the first fan car to race in sanctioned motorsport since 1978, winning this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed and becoming the fastest car to ever tackle the hillclimb. [Read more]( Automotive [Vision EQXX squeezes a staggering 747 miles out of less than 100 kWh]( [Autobahn closures near Stuttgart reduced the average speed for the trip, which was mainly on motorways]( The Vision EQXX left Stuttgart and drove to the UK on a single charge of its sub-100 kWh battery, mainly at motorway speeds, then completed a few track laps before running out of juice at 1,202 km (747 miles). That's about twice what a Model S gets. [Read more]( Biology [Newly classified carnivorous plant goes underground to catch prey]( [Some of Nepenthes pudica's subterranean pitchers, unearthed by the researchers]( Carnivorous plants are already quite fascinating, but a newly discovered one ratchets up the weirdness factor even further. It's a type of pitcher plant, and it captures prey that lives underground. [Read more]( Architecture [Hair-raising cantilevered cliff-face home soars above Quebec wilderness]( [The m.o.r.e. Cabin takes its name from the initials of the clients' grandmothers]( Canadian firm Kariouk Architects has completed a stunning cabin amid the treetops in the Quebec wilderness. Dubbed m.o.r.e Cabin, the environmentally-responsible design sits upon a 60-ft-tall steel mast that lifts the entire dwelling off the ground. [Read more]( Medical [Common bone density scan can predict later-life dementia risk]( [A certain biomarker picked up by the common scan was linked to a doubling of dementia risk over the following 15 years]( Researchers can now assess a person’s risk of developing late-life dementia using data from a common type of bone density scan. The study revealed calcification within the abdominal aorta can double one’s risk of developing dementia over the age of 80. [Read more]( Space [Cygnus cargo ship allows US to control ISS orbit without Russian help]( [The Cygnus cargo ship docked with the ISS]( The United States now has the ability to control the orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) without Russian cooperation after a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo spacecraft successfully boosted the space lab into a higher orbit. [Read more]( Medical [Cold temperatures induce anti-inflammatory molecule that counters obesity]( [A new study has shed new light on the way fat behaves when subjected to cold temperatures]( Researchers continue to unravel the complex role inflammation plays in obesity, now demonstrating how cold temperatures can stimulate the release of a molecule that reverses this type of inflammation and reduces body weight in mice. [Read more]( Outdoors [GoSun's solar-powered camper trailer pops up in under 10 minutes]( [Pricing for the GoSun Camp365 trailer starts at US$32,500]( GoSun has established a firm foothold in the adventure gear market with its long line of solar-powered camping accessories, and it has now made its first foray into complete outdoor shelters with the GoSun Camp365 trailer. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [COVID-19 increases risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s & stroke, study finds]( [Looking at millions of health records in Denmark across 2020 and 2021, researchers saw higher rates of several neurodegenerative diseases in patients following COVID-19 infections]( New research has found an increased risk of several neurological disorders in patients following a bout of COVID-19. The study found the risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and stroke all increased in COVID-positive subjects compared to those uninfected. [Read more]( Wearables [Wearable muscles offer an impressive upper-body endurance boost]( [The Myoshirt wearable muscle reads movement impulses and contributes power by shortening Dyneema cables]( Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a lightweight, wearable textile exomuscle that uses sensors embedded in its fabric to detect a user's movement intentions and chip in extra force as needed. Initial tests show a significant boost in endurance. 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