Weekend Edition: Sand batteries, floss bots, and hydraulic hiking boots

[New Atlas logo]( While [piston-powered boots]( are your staple nutty professor invention, German startup Terrein might actually have found a practical reason to combine hydraulics and footwear with its anti-ankle-twisting Ascent boots. Also practical (and odd) is the prospect of using microrobots to brush your teeth, or a giant tank full of sand as a battery ... and that's just a taste of what our look back at the best of New Atlas this week has in store. Thanks for reading, and enjoy the Weekend Edition! Noel McKeegan Editor-in-Chief Energy [World's first commercial sand battery begins energy storage in Finland]( [A new type of battery being put to use in Finland is exploring the potential of sand as an energy storage medium]( Polar Night Energy says it's developed and commercialized a super-cheap, super-simple way of storing energy for anywhere between hours and months, simply using heated sand. Its first 8-megawatt-hour thermal battery has gone online in Finland. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [This Excel Certification and Microsoft Office Subscription is $59.99]( If you’re entering a new workplace where Excel is on the menu and you’re feeling nervous, then maybe you should get The Ultimate Excel VBA Certification Bundle + Microsoft Office Professional Plus for Windows while it’s on sale for $59.99. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Tiny shapeshifting robots brush and floss your teeth, kill bacteria]( [A new tooth-cleaning system uses shapeshifting microrobots to brush and floss, and kill bacteria]( Like many menial tasks, there may soon be a way to outsource brushing your teeth to robots. A new system of microrobots can change shape to form bristles or floss, and don’t just brush plaque away but release antimicrobials to kill bad bacteria. [Read more]( Outdoors [Hiking boots use hydraulic pistons to stabilize ankles on rocky ground]( [The new Terrein Ascent hiking boot adds some tech to protect ankles]( Nothing stops a relaxing hike dead in its tracks quite like an ankle-crumpling misstep. The high-rising Terrein Ascent boot from German startup Terrein with its ankle-stabilizing piston is designed to make such incidents a problem of the past. [Read more]( Photography [The 2022 Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist is out of this world]( [Stars and Nebulae. NGC 6888 – The Crescent Nebula. A deep view of the Crescent Nebula in Cygnus, the result of shockwaves originating from the Wolf–Rayet star WR 134. Taken with a ZWO-ASI6200MM-Cool camera, 3654 mm f/9, 45 hours of 10-minute exposures]( The greatest space photography competition in the universe has revealed its 2022 shortlist and its nothing short of spectacular – from a stunning moonrise over an ancient tower to a glimpse of the Milky Way above the highest motorway in the world. [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 of 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 [Methanol as fuel: An accessible early step toward clean shipping]( [Massive cargo ships are an essential part of the world economy, but belch out bulk pollution. Could methanol fuel help with the giant decarbonization effort ahead?]( Decarbonizing shipping is an enormous challenge, and green ammonia has some serious issues as marine fuel. It seems the industry is leaning toward methanol and dual-fuel setups as an early measure, so let's take a look at methanol's clean potential. [Read more]( Automotive [Ford Transit 4x4 camper van sets forth on ground-detonating adventure]( [A Ford Transit base injects extra "adventure" into the Sunlight Cliff camper van series]( Thanks to the innovation-loaded 2019 Cliff 4x4 Adventure Van concept, the Sunlight Cliff camper van has a reputation for being more adventuresome than average. With the new 4x4 Adventure Edition, Sunlight pushes the Cliff to full adventure potential. [Read more]( Automotive [Morphable VW pop-top RV erases divide between camper van and motorhome]( [The Tourer CUV MQ includes a raised rear bed over top a roomy garage]( Knaus has emptied the tricks out of both sleeves in its latest attempt to change the RV game. Its new VW T6.1-based Tourer CUV sizes shorter than many camper vans but lives like a Class B+ motorhome thanks to a pop-up roof and expandable dry bathroom. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Quirky shed packs in everything from solar power to a chicken coop]( [The Gardenrobe measures 20 ft (6 m) in length and has a width of 4 ft (1.2 m)]( Pin-Up Houses is known for creating unique designs. However, the firm's latest model, a shed/storage space named Gardenrobe, mixes together such disparate features as solar power, rainwater collection, and even a chicken coop. [Read more]( Science [Another universal coronavirus vaccine readies for human trials]( [The vaccine is moving into Phase 1 human trials testing for safety and immunogenicity]( Researchers at Caltech are reporting preclinical success with a universal coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine uses mosaic nanoparticle technology to protect not only against SARS-CoV-2 but also the original SARS, and several common cold coronaviruses. [Read more]( Medical [Sight of mouthwatering meals triggers inflammation linked to diabetes]( [A new study has shown that the anticipation of a meal can drive inflammatory responses before we even have the first bite]( The sight of a mouthwatering dish can certainly be enough to send our senses into overdrive, and a new study has demonstrated how the mechanisms behind this may play an important role in type 2 diabetes. [Read more]( Physics ["Quantum flute" gets light moving in way never seen before]( [A new "quantum flute" could help make quantum computers easier to control]( Scientists have created a “quantum flute” that can coax photons to move in sync and interact with each other, which they almost never do in nature. The device could help improve future quantum computer designs. [Read more]( Energy [New energy-dense lithium-sulfur battery works at extreme temperatures]( [Battery cells are tested in an oven]( Scientists at UCSD have built a lithium battery that can not only operate at freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures, but may store double the energy of current devices and be friendlier to the environment while it's at it. [Read more]( Bicycles [Stylish Cobra ebike packs a collision-warning rearview camera]( [The TO.TEM Cobra ebike has been nominated for an Innovation Award at the Eurobike show]( Amongst the risks faced by urban cyclists is the possibility of being struck from behind by an automobile. The Cobra ebike is designed to reduce that risk, with a rearview camera system that warns of impending impacts. [Read more]( Bicycles [Bizarre split-wheel bike chops the back wheel in half]( [Certainly an attention-grabbing bike]( Ukrainian YouTuber Sergeii Gordieiev, AKA "The Q," has gone and done a very YouTubey thing indeed, rigging up a bicycle to ride with two half-wheels instead of a single rear wheel. Why? Well, because it looks absolutely bizarre rolling down the road. [Read more]( Architecture [Polestar's sleek spaceship-like treehouse lands in a Finnish forest]( [The Koja is installed in a Finnish forest at a height of 6 m (19.6 ft) above the ground]( Polestar has decided to dip a toe into architectural design. The Swedish automotive brand has created a sleek minimalist treehouse likened to a spaceship that features generous glazing to frame the view of the surrounding forest. [Read more]( Biology [Study argues insects feel pain, raises questions around ethical farming]( [If insects feel pain, what are the ethical implications for current insect farming practices?]( A new review article suggests insects have the capacity to experience pain. The research summarizes the latest behavioral and molecular science and concludes pain states in insects could have ethical implications for current farming practices. [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