Weekend Edition: Better knees, self-healing plastic and where to spend a nuclear winter

[New Atlas logo]( A new hydrogel that could offer a superior replacement for cartilage in bung knees, and a supramolecular plastic that can self-heal when damaged or quickly break down after use lead our look back at the week. We also learn the best places on the planet to ride out a nuclear winter, and discover how astronauts could be pulling oxygen from water using magnets. Enjoy the Weekend Edition! Darren Quick Editor in Chief Medical [Hydrogel that outperforms cartilage could be in human knees in 2023]( [A new hydrogel material that outperforms natural cartilage could make for better knee replacements]( Joint pain is a common ailment of aging, thanks to cartilage’s tendency to wear out. Researchers at Duke University have developed a new hydrogel that’s stronger and more durable than the real thing, which could make for longer lasting knee implants. [Read more]( Materials [New supramolecular plastic heals itself in an instant]( [By reworking the bonds within the material, scientists have produced a supramolecular plastic with comparable mechanical strength]( Scientists experimenting with next-generation plastics at Finland's University of Turku have developed a self-healing form of the material with some impressive capabilities, most notably an ability to quickly break down after use. [Read more]( Science ["Nuclear winter" would starve billions, but some countries may be spared]( [Modeling estimates five billion people would die of hunger due to global food supply disruptions following a serious nuclear conflict]( If a nuclear war were ever to break out, it probably wouldn’t last long. For a few days, perhaps a week, nuclear weapons would be fired between several countries and catastrophic losses would be swift. But what happens next? [Read more]( Science [Chemistry breakthrough extracts oxygen from water using magnets]( [Beautiful turquoise water structure. Air bubbles under water macro]( In what's described as a key advancement for the future of systems that could help propel humans into deep space, scientists have demonstrated a method of extracting oxygen from water in microgravity using magnetism. [Read more]( Lifestyle [World's first liquid-nitrogen outdoor cooling system set for trials]( [The Kensho system blows nitrogen gas out at -10 °C, quickly cooling the surrounding area without needing power]( Israeli company Green Kinoko is preparing for the first public tests of a remarkable clean outdoor cooling system. The Kinsho system operates like the inverse of an outdoor cafe heater, cooling several tables per unit without using any electricity. [Read more]( Urban Transport [Fat-tire adult e-trike good for 85 miles of cargo-hauling adventures]( [The 2023 M-340 features a 750-W Bafang hub motor and a 48-V/20-Ah Samsung battery for more than 85 miles of per-charge riding]( Addmotor has updated its best-selling fat-tire e-trike for 2023. The M-340 offers an easy access step-through frame, comes with pedal-assist and throttle courtesy of a Bafang front-hub motor and has enough battery for 85 miles of per-charge riding. [Read more]( Aircraft [American Airlines puts down deposit for 20 Boom supersonic aircraft]( [Artist's concept of Overture]( The future of civilian commercial supersonic travel looks a bit firmer today after American Airlines and Boom Supersonic signed an agreement for the airline to put down a non-returnable deposit towards the purchase of 20 Overture supersonic aircraft. [Read more]( Outdoors [Cozy pop-up Crucoon is like a couch-cushion fort for adults]( [The Crucoon's graphene-infused insulation regulates the temperature inside the tent, plus it blocks light and muffles sound]( There's nothing like nestling down in your own private, comfy tent when camping in the wilderness. Well, the Crocoon is designed to bring that same snuggly vibe to people's homes, local parks, or even their beds. [Read more]( Medical [New mRNA cancer vaccine targets lymph nodes for stronger immune response]( [A new mRNA cancer vaccine is designed to target the lymph nodes to induce a stronger immune response]( Researchers have created a new mRNA vaccine for cancer that’s designed to carry its cargo to the lymph nodes rather than the liver. Tests in mice showed significant inhibition of the tumors, with complete remission in a decent percentage of cases. [Read more]( Aircraft [Zapata launches 250-km/h, flip-capable, jet-powered flying deck chair]( [Franky Zapata is back with another epic jet-powered flying machine]( When we last saw Franky Zapata back in May, he was spinning uncontrollably down into the water from a serious height in a terrifying jetboard crash. But the flying Frenchman is back to launch a new, high-speed personal aircraft called the JetRacer. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Lowering a dumbbell 6 times a day offers significant gains in strength]( [A new study shows that eccentric contractions of the bicep, achieved by lowering a dumbbell, can lead to significant gains in strength even if performed just six times a day]( New research has offered interesting new insights around the most efficient forms of exercise, demonstrating that even very brief dumbbell workouts each day can lead to a significant boost in muscle strength. [Read more]( Physics [World's strongest steady magnetic field generated in China]( [Chinese scientists have generated the strongest steady magnetic field on Earth]( Scientists in China have set a new world record for the strongest steady magnetic field ever generated on Earth. The hybrid magnet managed to produce a field measuring 45.22 Tesla (T), which is over a million times stronger than the planet’s own. [Read more]( Architecture [Solar facade designed to exceed office building's electricity needs]( [550 Spencer is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in mid-2023]( Australian firm Kennon has revealed plans for an ambitious new project in Melbourne. Named 550 Spencer, the eight-story office building will produce more electricity than it requires using a cutting-edge solar facade made up of 1,182 solar panels. [Read more]( Science [Bizarre new armored dinosaur species was a two-legged tank]( [An artist's illustration of Jakapil Kaniukura, a newly discovered bipedal armored dinosaur]( Armored dinosaurs like Stegosaurus and Ankylosaurus were mostly big, bulky animals that walked on four legs, but paleontologists have now discovered a bizarre relative the size of a dog that strutted around on two legs. [Read more]( Urban Transport [China’s "Sky Train" levitates power-free on permanent magnet tracks]( [China's new permanent-magnet maglev Sky Train]( A new Sky Train test track in Southern China has debuted the world's first maglev transit system built using permanent magnets instead of electromagnets. It's capable of keeping its underslung carriages suspended indefinitely without a power supply. [Read more]( Medical [Cornea implant made from pig skin restores vision in landmark pilot trial]( [A pilot study saw bioengineered implants restore the vision of 14 volunteers who were completely blind before the experimental procedure]( A cornea implant made out of collagen gathered from pig skin has restored the vision of volunteers in a landmark study. Pending further testing, the novel implant is hoped to improve the vision of millions waiting for difficult transplant surgeries. [Read more]( Automotive [Monterey Car Week 2022 Auction Preview: the $10 million cars]( [The depth of talent at the top end this year is nothing short of astonishing.]( Monterey Car Week is upon us once more, and the auction cluster that provides a large part of the show at the week-long automotive celebration is shaping as the biggest in history. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Lead in eggs from hens in city backyards raises urban farming concerns]( [Some of the eggs analyzed in the new study contained 40 times more lead than what can be found in commercially available eggs]( A striking study has found eggs from hens in urban backyards can contain up to 40 times more lead than eggs from commercially farmed hens. The researchers recommend those in inner-city locations test their soil before raising chickens or growing food. [Read more]( Automotive [Electric UTV camper to use topo-reading smarts to uncage 4x4 adventure]( [Potential Motors teases the "new category of off-road vehicle" it plans to open this fall]( Potential Motors is deep in development on what it classifies a new category of vehicle. The compact, go-anywhere side-by-side camper will proficiently explore rough, wild terrain using a predictive 4-wheel control system. [Read more]( Energy [TAE on track for billion-degree hydrogen-boron fusion by early 2030s]( [TAE's fifth-generation fusion reactor prototype was designed to generate 30 million-degree temperatures, but it's already achieved 75 million degrees]( Some fusion projects aim to create hundred-million degree working temperatures in magnetically confined plasma. The CEO of TAE Technologies tells us his team's aiming for 10 times that temperature, targeting cheaper, easier and safer boron fuel. [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