Weekend Edition: New organisms, a Tazzie Tiger discovery and a super-bright space flash

[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, relax and enjoy the Weekend Edition. Darren Quick Editor-in-Chief Biology [New branch on Tree of Life contains organisms unlike any others on Earth]( [A microscope image of a Provoran, a micro-organism from the newly discovered supergroup]( Scientists have discovered a completely new branch on the tree of life. This “supergroup” contains an incredibly diverse range of predatory microbes that are extremely different genetically from any other form of life on Earth. [Read more]( Science [Famous footage may not depict the last living thylacine after all]( [A still from a colorized video of a thylacine in Beaumaris Zoo in 1933. A new study reveals that this may not have been the last known living thylacine after all]( Famous video of a thylacine in captivity may not depict the last member of the species after all, according to new research. Australian scientists have rediscovered the preserved remains of a later thylacine in the collection of a museum in Tasmania. [Read more]( Space [Flash of light as bright as a quadrillion Suns dazzles astronomers]( [An artist's impression of a black hole producing jets, which are believed to be responsible for an extremely bright flash of light detected by astronomers]( Astronomers have spotted an incredibly bright flash of light beaming halfway across the universe. The strange light was estimated to throw off more light than one quadrillion Suns, and in an ironic twist came from one of the darkest objects possible. [Read more]( Medical [First human study into sleep apnea nasal spray reports promising results]( [A preliminary human trial has laid the groundwork for future, larger clinical tests for a novel nasal spray to treat sleep apnea]( A preliminary human study has shown promising results from an experimental nasal spray developed to treat sleep apnea. The early findings suggest a quick nasal spray before sleep could effectively keep a person's airways open throughout the night. [Read more]( Marine [Impossible Metals demonstrates its super-careful seabed mining robot]( [Impossible Metals Eureka 1: a proof of concept prototype of a super-careful way of extracting vital metals from the ocean floor]( The green economy desperately needs huge quantities of battery metals, and they're sitting right there on the deep ocean floor. Here's a device designed to harvest them with the minimum possible impact to one of the world's last untouched ecosystems. [Read more]( Aircraft [RotorX opens pre-orders on its kit-build ultralight personal eVTOL]( [The RotorX Dragon: a kit-build personal eVTOL out of Arizona]( Kit helicopter manufacturer RotorX has stepped into the personal eVTOL fray with its own take on the manned multicopter. The Dragon promises to zip you around at up to 63 mph (101 km/h), with joystick control, auto-landing, and a ballistic parachute. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Two studies deliver strong evidence linking depression and gut bacteria]( [New studies offer the largest insights yet into the association between gut bacteria and depression]( Two new studies offer some of the strongest evidence to date for a relationship between depression and gut bacteria. The studies do not claim causality but do suggest a strong correlation that could inform novel diagnostic biomarkers for depression. [Read more]( Outdoors [Radical 1.5-lb Dyneema tent carries lighter than the clouds below it]( [We've noticed Samaya is great at two things: Building award-winning ultralight tents and photographing them in unlikely camping spots]( Last year, Samaya impressed mountaineers and backpackers the world over with the ultralight Assaut 2 tent. Not two years later, it's back with the new Radical 1, an even lighter, smaller four-season tent that barely breaks half a kilogram. [Read more]( Architecture [Future-proof Red House declared Britain's best new home]( [The Red House, by David Kohn Architects, is the winner of the 2022 RIBA House of the Year competition]( The winner of the prestigious RIBA House of the Year competition has been announced. David Kohn Architects got the nod for the Red House, which was hailed for its lighthearted design and practical approach to future-proofing for old age. [Read more]( Space [NASA's Ingenuity helicopter sets an altitude record on Mars]( [Ingenuity as seen by the Perseverance rover]( Ever since taking off on its historic first flight last year, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has been single-handedly raising the bar for the Red Planet’s aviation scene, and has now soared to its greatest heights yet. [Read more]( Military [US Army selects V-280 Valor as replacement for Black Hawk and Apache]( [The V-280 Valor will replace the Black Hawk and Apache helicopters]( After years of testing and deliberation, the US Army has made the US$1.3-billion decision to select the Bell V-280 Valor tilt-rotor craft to replace the Army's 2,000 UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters and 1,200 AH-64 Apache assault helicopters. [Read more]( Space [Giant magma plume reveals Mars may not be a dead planet after all]( [A fissure in the Cerberus Fossae system, which suggests fairly recent volcanic activity]( Mars is usually considered a geologically dead planet, but a new study challenges that idea. Multiple lines of evidence reveals a giant plume of magma is forcing its way up through the mantle and producing seismic activity in one region of the surface. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Identical twin study sheds light on how exercise tunes our genes]( [A new study found specific beneficial epigenetic changes in twins who exercised more than their identical sibling]( New research has homed in on the way our genes can be turned up or down depending on levels of physical activity. The unique study focused on exercise-induced epigenetic differences in genetically identical twins. [Read more]( Outdoors [Sub-$10K Polydrops trailer sheds lines and weight to boost EV camping]( [Similar but different: The new P19 Shorty gets its own smoothed out shape]( Polydrops made an immediate name for itself by reimagining the teardrop trailer as a polyhedron. Now, in an effort to offer a lighter, more aerodynamic drop-sized camper for EVs, it's deleted some of the "poly" to create the sleek, 640-lb P19 Shorty. [Read more]( Automotive [Awesome-looking SUV cleverly sidesteps hydrogen's biggest problem]( [Pininfarina gets the credit here for highlighting the removeable hydrogen cartridges in such an iconic way]( There's not enough lithium for the EV revolution, and hydrogen cars are tough to sell because you can't fill them up anywhere. But NamX has a neat solution, and it's had Pininfarina design a "Hydrogen Utility Vehicle" to get the idea rolling by 2026. [Read more]( Aircraft [Intercontinental hybrid VTOL could fly halfway around the world]( [The Ranger folds its wings in like Darth Vader's shuttle for heliport operations]( Aura Aerospace has proposed a crazy new take on advanced air mobility. The five-seat Ranger looks like Darth Vader's shuttle when it's folded up, but it promises to fly further than any normal airliner, with roof-to-roof vertical takeoff and landing. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Harvard study links severe COVID with genetic signs of brain aging]( [The study found severe COVID was linked with many of the same gene expression changes in brain tissue seen in old age]( A study looking at post-mortem brain tissue samples has found severe COVID-19 is associated with molecular signs of brain aging. The researchers warn potential long-term neurological problems could emerge in the years following the pandemic. [Read more]( Architecture [Radical skyscraper transformation named WAF World Building of the Year]( [The Quay Quarter Tower in Sydney, Australia, has been named the world's best new building during the 2022 World Architecture Festival]( The winner of the World Building of the Year has been named at the close of the World Architecture Festival. Quay Quarter Tower, by 3XN Architects, won for its innovative design, which involved radically renovating an existing skyscraper. [Read more]( Aircraft [Airbus looks to run full-size airliners on liquid hydrogen by 2035]( [Liquid hydrogen, gasified then run through a fuel cell, will provide electric power for a new generation of zero-emissions airliners]( Airbus says it's on track to have a fully operational megawatt-class electric powertrain, fueled by cryogenic liquid hydrogen, tested in flight by 2026, ahead of a full-scale zero-emissions passenger airliner it plans to put into service by 2035. [Read more]( Space [Construction begins on the world's largest radio observatory]( [The SKA Observatory will comprise more than 100,00 antennas and almost 200 telescopes at two sprawling locations in South Africa and Australia]( A highly sensitive, next-generation radio observatory has started to come to life, with construction now officially underway on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a dual-site science facility located in Australia and South Africa. [Read more]( Energy [Full-scale 5-MW floating "pyramid" wind turbine will be put to the test]( [Pyramid-shaped floating turbines like these should scale to at least 20 MW, according to Eolink]( Floating wind turbines are crucial to the future of offshore wind, but they require radically different thinking. French company Eolink is building a full-scale pyramid-style floating wind turbine that reduces materials and weight by more than 30%. [Read more]( Military [B-21 Raider strategic stealth bomber makes its public debut]( [The B-21 raider strategic bomber]( In a presentation long on stagecraft and short on hard facts, Northrop Grumman has revealed the US Air Force's long-anticipated B-21 Raider stealth nuclear strategic bomber, which will replace all other heavy bombers in the American inventory. [Read more]( Automotive [Mercedes EQT tiny camper concept teases brilliant e-RVing future]( [Mercedes shows a concept EQT Marco Polo mini-camper ahead of a planned production version]( Mercedes is working to extend electrification to its Marco Polo camper van line. The Concept EQT Marco Polo previews an electric mini-camper that sleeps four, prepares meals on a double-stove galley, and switches back to an everyday MPV in minutes. [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