Weekend Edition: Diabetes roots, tinnitus hopes, and new world’s fastest EV

[New Atlas logo]( Welcome to our weekly wrap of the best stories to grace the pages of New Atlas over the last seven days. Sit back, put your feet up and enjoy the Weekend Edition. Darren Quick Editor-in-Chief Health & Wellbeing [Oxford scientists discover key cause of type 2 diabetes]( [A study has found it isn't glucose damaging the body's ability to produce insulin but products of glucose metabolism that lead to type 2 diabetes]( A study has shed light on the mystery of how high blood glucose leads to type 2 diabetes. The discovery reveals glucose metabolites can damage insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, and disrupting this process could offer a way to treat the disease. [Read more]( Medical ["Polytherapeutic" tinnitus treatment app delivers impressive results]( [There's hope for a wider range of tinnitus sufferers, as a new polytherapeutic smartphone app has delivered excellent results in tests over three and six months]( The ringing, rushing sound of tinnitus is a complex condition. It's caused by a range of factors, so there's no known one-size-fits-all treatment. But researchers are reporting excellent results with a combination treatment in a smartphone app. [Read more]( Automotive [Rimac Nevera destroys Tesla record to become world’s fastest EV]( [Already the world's quickest production car down a drag strip, the Rimac Nevera is now also officially the fastest production EV in history]( Croatian electric hypercar manufacturer Rimac has laid claim to the outright EV top speed record, at a blistering 258 mph (412 km/h), putting a 91-mph (146-km/h) gap on the highest speed we can find verifiably recorded for a Tesla Model S Plaid. [Read more]( Energy [World's first electric lithium mine: Birth of an American supply chain]( [An idyllic site in Canada for the world's first all-electric, carbon-neutral lithium mine]( As the world rushes toward "the greatest disconnect between supply and demand in the history of commodities," Snow Lake Lithium CEO Philip Gross talks us through his company's plans to open the world's first all-electric lithium mine in Canada. [Read more]( Automotive [Two-piece con rods claimed to boost low-end engine torque by 30%]( [Transcend says its two-piece Thunder Rods replace standard connecting rods, and deliver a huge whack of additional low-end torque while eliminating piston rock]( Utah's Transcend Energy Group claims it has a relatively simple and cheap way to dramatically increase the torque output of combustion engines, simply by replacing the standard connecting rods with new two-piece designs with a secondary joint. [Read more]( Medical [Can AirPods do the job of $10,000 hearing aids?]( [The inner sides of AirPods]( A team of scientists exploring low-cost alternative for hearing aids has turned to Apple’s AirPods as a potential solution, assessing them alongside conventional hearing aids and finding they stack up surprisingly well. [Read more]( Energy [All-perovskite tandem solar cell boasts high efficiency, record voltage]( [The team's prototype all-perovskite tandem solar cell]( A new solar cell packs a record voltage and (arguably) a record efficiency for its kind. The tandem solar cell uses two layers of perovskite that tap into different wavelengths of light, plus a special surface treatment reduces wasted energy. [Read more]( Automotive [EarthRoamer builds Chevy Silverado into $1-million no-man's-land yacht]( [The all-new EarthRoamer SX starts at $995K but can rise quickly from there, depending upon options selected]( The first Chevy expedition RV in EarthRoamer's line, the new SX packs a carbon fiber shell equipped like a mini luxury home. The ultra-rugged RV carries amenities like off-grid electricity and digital entertainment to the exact middle of nowhere. [Read more]( Science ["Superpopcorn" packs almost twice the amount of an essential nutrient]( [Lead scientist David Holding sorts popcorn on a light table in his lab]( Although plain popcorn is a relatively healthy snack, it's still not one that most people would think of as being very nutritious. That could change, however, as a new variety reportedly offers nearly twice the normal levels of an important nutrient. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Experimental fentanyl vaccine stops the drug from entering the brain]( [Fentanyl is one of the most potent opioids, and is therefore one of the most lethal when taken in excess]( Even when someone is determined to beat their fentanyl addiction, there's still a good chance they will relapse at some point, and start taking the opioid again. A new vaccine is designed to help get them back on track, by blocking fentanyl's effect on the brain. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Hub-drive Metacycle starts riding out to US reservation holders]( [Sondors recently began delivering production Metacycles to reservation holders in California, and has now extended that to the rest of the US]( Sondors caused much excitement last year with the launch of a $5,000 electric motorcycle named the Metacycle. It's taken a little longer than anticipated, but the company has announced that deliveries have now started for customers across the US. [Read more]( Biology [3D microscope video tracks virus zipping around in real time]( [Researchers have developed a new imaging technique that can track viruses before they infect cells]( Scientists at Duke University have created a real-time video that captures the frantic movements of a single virus as it tries to infect a cell. The video shows a part of the process that’s normally hard to see. [Read more]( Energy [Fusion researchers spot strange, high-energy behavior in burning plasma]( [Scientists studying nuclear fusion have identified an unexpected high-energy behavior in burning plasma]( Having achieved a self-heating “burning plasma” in the quest for producing clean, limitless energy using nuclear fusion, on closer inspection of that plasma researchers have discovered strange, unexplained behavior of ions within it. [Read more]( Marine [Pancake-motored electric outboard to power e-boats of the future]( [The full Propel S1 electric outboard weighs around 104 lb (battery not included)]( Saietta Group is readying its Red Dot-winning Propel S1 electric outboard for production. Designed to help meet future demand for clean, quiet e-boat drives, the compact 104-lb outboard uses a 10-kW pancake motor to propel boats for up to 56 miles. [Read more]( Architecture [Ambitious 3D-printed, 100-home neighborhood being constructed in Texas]( [The Genesis Collection at Wolf Ranch's homes will be open for pre-order in 2023 and are expected to cost around US$450,000 each]( Though it currently makes up a tiny slice of the housing market, 3D-printed architecture is growing incredibly fast. Leading the charge is Icon, which is currently constructing a huge new 100-home neighborhood near Austin in Texas. [Read more]( Medical ["Seminal" study gene edits immune cells to target cancer]( [A new study is the first to CRISPR-edit a patient's immune cells to specifically target their own cancer in the most personalized and complicated gene therapy ever attempted]( In a new study described as "seminal" and "pioneering", researchers in the US have successfully used CRISPR gene-editing technology to create personalized cancer-targeting immune cells, paving the way for future customized cancer treatments. [Read more]( Space [US Space Force's "secret" spaceplane lands after record 908 days in orbit]( [OTV-6 spent 908 days in orbit]( With a reported sonic boom, the US Space Force's open-secret X-37B spaceplane returned to Earth on Saturday. The robotic craft touched down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:22 am EST after a record-breaking 908 days in orbit. [Read more]( Medical [Australia gives world-first regulatory approval to fecal transplant therapy]( [Australian regulators have approved a microbiome therapy targeting C. diff bacterial infections]( Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration has granted approval to a fecal transplant therapy designed to target a serious bacterial infection, marking the first time any regulatory body in the world has formally authorized this kind of microbiome therapy. [Read more]( Marine [Inflatable 2-story e-catamaran party lounge packs down into car trunk]( [Chilling out on the Portless Catamaran Deluxe for a day of fun in the sun]( A watercraft quite unlike others, the Portless Catamaran is a large inflatable that rides to the water in a motor vehicle. It quickly inflates into a dual-deck cruiser and lounge propelled along cleanly and quietly by a small electric outboard. [Read more]( Automotive [Rhön Camp puts together the Ultimate Volkswagen pop-up camper van]( [Rhön Camp Ultimate VW T6.1 pop-up camper van]( What would the ultimate Volkswagen California-style camper van look like? German startup Rhön Camp has concocted a compelling answer with its very own Ultimate camper van, a VW T6.1 that accommodates four people with a light, adaptable interior. [Read more]( Robotics [Luxonis puts a powerful rolling robotics lab in your pocket]( [Depth-sensing computer vision technology, 4K video capabilities, AI processing and machine learning, mobile app integration and control, and much more combine in a pocket-friendly battery powered roving robotics lab called rae]( Luxonis has launched a hackable, open-source roving robot called rae that packs AI processing and machine learning, depth-sensing cameras, app control and fun RGB lighting into a pint-sized package designed "for every age, and every skill level." [Read more]( Telecommunications [Speed record shattered for data transmission over standard optical fiber]( [A new data transmission speed record has been set using fiber optics]( Engineers have set a new speed record for data transmission through a standard diameter optical fiber. By beaming 55 “modes” of signals down a single-core optical fiber, the team was able to transmit at a data rate of 1.53 petabits per second. [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