Weekend Edition: From the Earth’s core to the far reaches of the Milky Way

[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. Science [Earth's inner core may have stopped spinning – but what does that mean?]( [An artist's impression of the core]( The inner Earth is a mysterious place, and now scientists may have uncovered a strange new secret. According to a new study, the Earth’s inner core may have recently stopped rotating, relative to the surface, as part of a decades-long cycle. [Read more]( Space [Feel tiny in this gigantic, zoomable galaxy map charting 3 billion stars]( [A tiny portion of the gigantic new image of the Milky Way's stars, as part of the second data release of the Dark Energy Camera Plane Survey (DECaPS2)]( Astronomers have released one of the biggest data dumps of the Milky Way ever, cataloging an incredible 3.32 billion cosmic objects in detail. The end result is a gigantic image that can be zoomed in and out for a stunning sense of scale. [Read more]( Science [New mosquito repellents keep bugs at bay for over 8 hours]( [Researchers have developed potential new alternative mosquito repellents]( Mosquito repellent is a key weapon to keep those biting bugs at bay, but it can be frustratingly fickle. Now researchers in Italy have developed new formulations that they say can last as long as eight hours, are odorless and boast other advantages. [Read more]( Environment [Magnetic solution removes toxic "forever chemicals" from water in seconds]( [A sample of contaminated water being treated using the new technique, with the PFAS chemicals being attracted to the side with the magnet]( Scientists in Australia have developed an intriguing new technique for removing toxic “forever chemicals” from water. Adding a solution to contaminated water coats the pollutants and makes them magnetic, so they can easily be attracted and isolated. [Read more]( Aircraft [Toroidal propellers: A noise-killing game changer in air and water]( [Toroidal propellers: a radically quieter and more efficient design that can boost fuel economy by 20% when swapped onto a marine motor]( These strangely-shaped twisted-toroid propellers look like a revolutionary (sorry) advance for the aviation and marine sectors. Radically quieter than traditional propellers in both air and water, they're also showing some huge efficiency gains. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Award-winning New Zealand tiny cabin is 100% off-grid]( [Kererū Retreat is situated near Mount Hutt on the South Island of New Zealand]( New Zealand Studio Well Architecture is the creator of this quaint tiny cabin, which offers travelers a 100% off-grid holiday experience. Dubbed Kererū Retreat, the home is a great example of a bare-bones tiny build that embraces simplistic design. [Read more]( Automotive [Cummins RV hybrid energy concept boosts off-grid power, cuts emissions]( [Cummins explores a hybrid energy system that would power RVers off-grid with less emissions]( Cummins has debuted a hardware concept meant to ease RVers' reliance on gas. The new hybrid concept seamlessly blends battery storage and gas generation to decrease emissions while still offering days of off-grid power. [Read more]( Outdoors [Off-road Mule wagon can be hand-pulled, bike-towed or trailer-hitched]( [Pricing for the Mule wagon starts at US$199]( Ordinarily, we think of hand-pulled cargo carts as being one thing, and bicycle trailers as being another. The Mule wagon combines both in one off-road-capable device, which can also be mounted on a car or truck's trailer hitch. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Pint-sized tiny house packs in plenty of home comforts]( [As its name suggests, Nicole's 16 x 8 Tiny Home measures 16 ft (4.8 m) long and has a width of 8 ft (2.4 m), which is definitely on the smaller side for a US tiny house nowadays]( This recently completed tiny house by MitchCraft Tiny Homes measures only 16 ft in length. Despite its size, it has features we'd typically expect to see in a larger model, including a home office, a bathtub, and a kitchen complete with dishwasher. [Read more]( Energy [Report: Japan's "hydrogen society" policy is a "complete failure"]( [Toyota's high-tech Woven City technology test bed beneath Mt. Fuji is one example of an initiative that uses hydrogen in all the wrong places]( In 2017, Japan created a pioneering national hydrogen strategy, envisaging a carbon-neutral "hydrogen society." But a Renewable Energy Institute report slams the policy as catastrophically misguided, with 70% of its 10-year budget "spent on bad ideas." [Read more]( Military [US Army awards contract for microwave weapon to counter drone swarms]( [The Leonidas high-power microwave weapon]( The US Army has awarded Eprius a contract worth US$66.1 million to deliver prototypes of a new microwave weapon called Leonidas that is capable of bringing down entire swarms of enemy drones in a single burst, while leaving friendly aircraft intact. [Read more]( Automotive [2024 Polestar 2 spits out some teeth and jumps to 300 miles of range]( [The refreshed Polestar 2 trades out the old grille grate for a new center "SmartZone"]( It's been four years since Polestar first revealed the Tesla 3-battling Polestar 2 sedan. The sedan has been itching for an update, and Polestar has delivered with more of virtually everything buyers want – range, power, performance and standard features. [Read more]( Drones [MightyFly's new autonomous cargo drone carries 100 lb for 600 miles]( [The Cento drone is capable of "unprecedented" 600-mile, hundred-pound cargo deliveries]( Carrying up to 96 small USPS packages in its internal cargo bay, the new Cento needs nothing more than two parking spaces for takeoff, landing and automatic unloading. MightyFly is working with the FAA to expand its long-range flight authorization. [Read more]( Automotive [World's first ID. Buzz electric camper opens new era of VW van life]( [Alpinecamper bursts out of the gates with the first full-time Volkswagen ID. Buzz camper van the world has seen]( German brand Alpincamper has prepared the first fully converted VW ID. Buzz electric camper van in the world. The prototype camper suggests a promising future for tiny electric RVing, packing in a smart, compact and functional interior. [Read more]( Aircraft [Turbojet to hypersonic ramjet: Hybrid Chimera engine shows its range]( [In order to take off from standstill on a runway, then accelerate through to hypersonic speeds, a hybrid engine is required]( Atlanta company Hermeus has its sights set on Mach 4 next year, to beat the Mach 3.3 benchmark set by the SR-71 Blackbird way back in 1976. Watch its Chimera hybrid engine nailing the switch between low-speed turbojet mode and hypersonic ramjet mode. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Micro-cabin with rock-like finish blends into a French forest]( [Thérèse is located in a rural forested area of Sergy, in eastern France, and is part of a local artistic residency]( Back in 2014, Bureau constructed a novel rock-like dwelling named Antoine that blends into the Swiss Alps. The firm has now followed up with another literature-inspired micro-cabin named Thérèse with a rocky exterior finish. [Read more]( Aircraft [Arc announces hybrid slowed-rotor aircraft with 800-mile range]( [ARC, formerly Samad Aerospace, has announced it's working on a nine-seat hybrid VTOL gyroplane, for longer-range missions]( Britain's Arc Aero Systems, formerly Samad Aerospace, has put forth its vision for a "cost-effective, low-carbon solution to intercity travel." The hybrid Linx P9 promises to beat comparably sized helicopters on range, speed and operating cost. [Read more]( Medical [Unique gene mutation in superagers could rewind heart age by a decade]( [Researchers have discovered a gene mutation that could turn the clock back on aging hearts]( Researchers studying healthy centenarians have homed in on a gene mutation that plays a crucial role in maintaining cardiovascular health in old age. Across a series of experiments the researchers demonstrated how gene therapy could rejuvenate aging hearts. [Read more]( Architecture [Shipping containers transformed into attractive light-filled homes]( [Despite the project's singular name, the Container House actually consists of two shipping-container-based dwellings: Champa, pictured, and Chameli]( RSDA offers an impressive example of shipping-container-based architecture with its Container House. Located in rural India, the project involved modifying shipping containers to create a pair of remarkably attractive and light-filled homes. [Read more]( Good Thinking [Flamboyant Italian clothes defeat facial recognition without masks]( [Capable's clothing uses patterns designed to throw off AI object detection systems]( They may be a little brutal on the eye, but Capable says its visually confusing and very pricey cotton knits are designed to throw off AI facial recognition systems, by fooling machine learning systems into thinking you're an animal and not a human. [Read more]( Transport [China launches 100-mph hydrogen/supercapacitor train]( [Chinese rail giant CRRC has debuted its first hydrogen-powered passenger train]( The world's largest rail vehicle manufacturer has rolled out a zero-emissions train running on hydrogen fuel cells with a supercapacitor buffer. The four-car train is capable of 100 mph (160 km/h), making it the fastest hydrogen train to date. [Read more]( Science [Our body temperature is decreasing and gut bacteria could be responsible]( [A new study speculates dietary changes over the past century have altered the average human microbiome and subsequently lowered our average body temperature]( Over the past 150 years, researchers have seen the average human body temperature drop by more than half a degree Fahrenheit (0.3 °C). Now, researchers are speculating microbiome changes could be driving these long-term body temperature variations. [Read more]( Automotive [Wild Ford camper concept explores new style of work-from-anywhere RV]( [A peek inside at the Alpine Cross Cabin's unique interior]( Alpine is known the world over for car audio and infotainment equipment, not so much for outrageous concept vehicles. That changes with the new Cross Cabin, a concept work-from-anywhere RV with a skeletal bamboo interior optimized for work and play. [Read more]( Bicycles [Bicycle airbag backpack blows up womb-like head and neck protection]( [In & Motion's new Stan airbag backpack looks to expand inflated cyclist protection]( In & Motion is developing a backpack to take bicycle airbag protection to the next level. Its Stan pack works like other protective inflatables but gives the commuter more complete protection around the head, neck, chest and back. [Read more]( Outdoors [Titanium multi-tool packs a ratcheting driver and an everlasting pencil]( [The Titanium Multi-Function Pry Bar is currently on Kickstarter]( So yes, there are indeed a ton of multi-tools on Kickstarter and Indiegogo right now. One of the latest distinguishes itself, however, by including tools such as an "everlasting" pencil and a ratcheting screwdriver. [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