Weekend Edition: Wind-powered supertanker, biggest flow battery and the whitest paint

[New Atlas logo]( This week we set sail in a giant supertanker from China that cuts down on emissions through the use of sails. Also in China, we learn about the world’s largest flow battery to store renewable energy. Further afield, we check out the world’s whitest paint, which has been thinned down, making it suitable for application on planes, trains and automobiles, and a microRV for the Toyota Land Cruiser that doesn't scrimp on the amenities . These stories and more in our Weekend Edition. Thanks for reading! Darren Quick Editor-in-Chief Marine [Giant supertanker uses 9.8% less fuel thanks to 130-foot sails]( [The M/V New Aden – a sail-assisted supertanker – has been delivered in China]( As the shipping industry moves to decarbonize, huge sails could be making a comeback. The China Merchant Energy Shipping company (CMES) has taken delivery of a new supertanker, whose four large sails will cut down average fuel consumption by nearly 10%. [Read more]( Energy [World's largest flow battery connected to the grid in China]( [The Dalian Flow Battery Energy Storage Peak-shaving Power Station was connected to the grid on September 29]( The Chinese city of Dalian has just switched on a world-leading new energy storage system, expected to supply enough power for up to 200,000 residents each day, with an initial capacity of 400 MWh and output of 100 MW. [Read more]( Materials [World's whitest paint is now thin enough to coat cars and planes]( [Creators of the world's whitest paint hope to soon apply it to planes and cars]( Last year, engineers at Purdue University used their expertise in materials science to produce the world’s whitest paint, and have now made some tweaks to the recipe and produced a version that is thinner and lighter. [Read more]( Automotive [Toyota Land Cruiser micro RV deploys into loaded off-grid base camp]( [The new Land Cruiser 79-based Bushwakka Kamelback features swing- and fold-out implements like any other fully loaded multitool ... only this one, you live in]( Like a multitool you can drive and live in, the all-new Bushwakka Kamelback folds, slides and flips its way from compact Toyota truck to cozy home. It supports explorers with a full outdoor kitchen and bathroom, oversized bedroom and off-grid power. [Read more]( Biology [Scientists scrutinize new video of orcas hunting great white sharks]( [A still from the video shows what is described as "the first confirmed observation of a group of killer whales killing a white shark"]( Back in July, we heard how orcas were hunting great white sharks in South Africa. While scientists were basing their findings on examinations of shark carcasses, they've now gained new insights by analyzing aerial video of a hunt in action. [Read more]( Marine [U-Boat Worx floats $25-million submersible superyacht]( [U-Boat Worx seems more determined than the average studio or independent designer to bring its subaquatic superyacht vision to the actual sea]( With the Nautilus, U-Boat Worx determines to bring the concept of a submersible superyacht to reality. The impressive vessel has a pool, bar, indoor and outdoor dining, and the unique abilities to dive down to 650 ft and stay underwater for days. [Read more]( Medical [Chronic back pain treatment blocks nerve signals with heat]( [The Intracept procedure tackles lower back pain with heat via radio-frequency ablation]( Persistent lower back pain is a debilitating problem for millions of people around the world and it’s not something that is easily treated, but a technology called Intracept is making waves in this space. [Read more]( Energy [China turns on the world's largest compressed air energy storage plant]( [The new clean compressed air energy storage facility in Zhangjiakou, China, is the largest and most efficient system ever connected to a power grid]( The world's largest and, more importantly, most efficient clean compressed air energy storage system is up and running, connected to a city power grid in northern China. It'll store up to 400 MWh of energy and release enough power for 40-60,000 homes. [Read more]( Environment [Wax worm saliva shown to degrade plastic bags in just hours]( [Scientists have pinpointed enzymes in wax worm saliva that can degrade plastic bags in hours]( Scientists continue to unearth enzymes that can eat away plastic materials with high efficiency, and a team in Spain has just discovered more in the saliva of wax worms, which have the ability to degrade plastic bags in hours at room temperature. [Read more]( Aircraft [Sabrewing prototype VTOL breaks a weight-lifting record]( [The RG-1-A Alpha has successfully dead-lifted an 829-lb (374-kg) payload]( It goes without saying that the heavier a load an aircraft can carry, the more useful that aircraft becomes. Well, the RG-1-A Alpha has reportedly just broken a record, by "dead-lifting" more weight than any autonomous VTOL has previously managed. [Read more]( Energy [Oil-eating microbes excrete the world's cheapest "clean" hydrogen]( [Cemvita tested its oil-eating, hydrogen-producing, engineered microbes in a depleted oil well, and the company says results exceeded]( A Texan company promises clean hydrogen at less than US$1/kg, after testing a fascinating new technique in the lab and the field. The idea is to pump specially developed microbes into depleted oil wells, where they'll eat oil and excrete hydrogen. [Read more]( Automotive [Hobby Maxia adds RV hygge to forever raise the bar on VW camper vans]( [The Hobby Maxia Van is the first product developed in a new agreement between Hobby and VW]( VW and Hobby may be German brands, but it's Scandinavia that provides inspiration for the new Hobby Maxia Van. The camper van design channels the warm, cozy feeling of Scandinavian "hygge" into an interior that feels like a modern tiny home. [Read more]( Space [Satellite-flinging SpinLaunch puts NASA payload through the wringer]( [SpinLaunch has some innovative ideas when it comes firing things into space]( Space startup SpinLaunch's kinetic launch system will require payloads to endure 10,000 g and speeds of 5,000 mph (8,000 km/h) and in this regard, the company may have just passed its biggest test yet. [Read more]( Biology [Evolution in action as frogs in Chernobyl exclusion zone turn black]( [Two specimens of Eastern tree frog at the extremes of coloration. The left one was taken from within the Chernobyl exclusion zone, while the right one was found outside the zone]( Evolution occurs as species adapt to environmental pressures, and few environments exert pressures like the Chernobyl exclusion zone. A new study shows evolution in action as frogs within the radioactive region are turning blacker than those outside. [Read more]( Science [Modeling predicts supercontinent Amasia will form in 300 million years]( [Modeling predicts the Pacific Ocean will close and America will collide with Asia]( New modeling from researchers at Curtin University has simulated 300 million years of tectonic plate movement to predict the formation of a supercontinent called Amasia. The modeling estimates the Pacific Ocean closing and America colliding with Asia. [Read more]( Medical [Cambridge cancer breakthrough may prompt rethink of metastasis]( [A new study could recontextualize metastasis in cancer]( Scientists at Cambridge have identified a protein that plays a key role in cancer metastasis, which not only hints at a new potential treatment but reveals for the first time that this process isn’t unique to cancer, as previously thought. [Read more]( Medical [Memory-enhancing "super neurons" discovered in the brains of SuperAgers]( [A new study has discovered the existence of enlarged neurons in the brains of SuperAgers]( Scientists studying the brains of so-called “SuperAgers” have discovered a set of significantly enlarged neurons associated with memory that also appeared more resistant to characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease. [Read more]( Photography [Siena Photo Awards serve up the best of 2022]( [Honorable Mention - Journeys & Adventures. Polar Bear 81. Hudson Bay, Canada.]( The Siena Photo Awards reliably deliver a most spectacular array of shots and this year’s winners are no exception, from tourists being accosted by polar bears and hippos, to surreal snaps of headless swimmers and Angelina Jolie covered in bees. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Increasing evidence a common virus triggers type 1 diabetes]( [Coxsackievirus (above) is one type of the enterovirus genus associated with the development of type 1 diabetes]( A new review is presenting strong evidence the development of type 1 diabetes is linked to a large group of common viruses. The findings build on an old hypothesis, with vaccines currently in development targeting the most likely viral strains. [Read more]( Outdoors [Beefy hard-wall rooftop tent hauls more to camp than a Thule cargo box]( [The AntiShanty RTD debuts as a dual-function, hard-sided vehicle-top shelter]( AntiShanty looks to make the "RTD," rooftop dwelling, the everyday term that "RTT," rooftop tent, has become. With aluminum walls instead of fabric and the ability to carry nearly 800 liters of gear to camp, the RTD is quite unlike other roof tents. [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