Weekend Edition: From super hi-res brain scans to reversing heart attack damage

[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 Science [Scans that are 64 million times clearer give a new look at the brain]( [MRI and light sheet microscopy has offered a new look inside an entire mouse brain]( Nearly 40 years in the making, scientists have supersized magnetic resonance imaging to produce never-before-seen detail of a brain. They believe this mouse model will pave the way for similar human imaging for a crucial view into how our brains age. [Read more]( Medical [Technique reverses heart attack damage by reprogramming scar cells]( [The key to the new research involved getting fibroblasts like these to convert into healthy heart tissue, thus helping restore its elasticity]( For all they do for us, our hearts aren't very good at repairing themselves. Now however, inspired by young hearts, researchers have transmuted scars into healthy tissue in mice, walking back the damage brought about by heart attacks. [Read more]( Architecture [India's first Apple Store topped by complex 450,000-piece timber ceiling]( [Apple BKC is defined by its stunning timber ceiling, which extends outwards onto the store's shading canopy]( Apple has opened its first retail store in India. Located in Mumbai, Apple BKC incorporates sustainably sourced and local materials, and features a light-filled interior that's defined by an impressive handcrafted timber ceiling. [Read more]( Materials [New recipe makes concrete that absorbs more CO2 than it emits]( [A new cement recipe containing up to 30% treated biochar could make for carbon-negative concrete]( Concrete is one of the largest single sources of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions. Engineers at Washington State University have now developed a new method for making concrete that absorbs more carbon than it emits. [Read more]( Military [JACKAL VTOL drone fires advanced multi-role missiles in successful trial]( [JACKAL firing the LMM]( The age of uncrewed air combat took a step forward as two Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) JACKAL drones developed by Flyby Technology successfully fired Thales Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) in tests sponsored by the Royal Air Force. [Read more]( Outdoors [Alpaca pickup pop-topper might be the most stylish truck camper out there]( [With colorful fabrics and available wood paneling, the DOT Alpaca looks quite different from the average pickup topper or camper]( For far too long, pickup campers have been dragged down by chronic fugliness. But not the new Days on Tracks Alpaca. This lightweight pop-up camping topper is downright pretty thanks to vibrant fabric and wooden wall, door and roof panels. [Read more]( Bicycles [OKGO Smart E-Bike crams the tech into a carbon fiber package]( [OKGO's Smart E-Bike debuted in March at the Taipei Cycle bicycle show]( While some companies make ebikes which come off as being like regular bikes, others revel in the whole "this is the bike that Tron might ride" thing. Taiwanese company OKGO has really gone in for the latter, with its carbon-framed Smart E-Bike. [Read more]( Technology [xMEMS aims for mobile audiophiles with silicon-based microspeakers]( [Exploded view of one potential application for the Montara Plus silicon-based microspeaker - audiophile-grade in-ear monitors]( xMEMS Labs is aiming to replace century-old coil-based speaker technology with silicon-based microspeakers, and has launched three Solid-State Fidelity solutions for use in upcoming true-wireless earphones, in-ear monitors and digital hearing aids. [Read more]( Energy [New KAUST tandem solar cell breaks efficiency world record]( [A sample of new record-breaking silicon/perovskite tandem solar cells, developed by KAUST]( The dynamic duo of silicon and perovskite continue their rampage through the solar cell industry. Researchers at KAUST have developed a new silicon/perovskite tandem solar cell with a record-breaking efficiency. [Read more]( Space [Ingenuity Mars helicopter celebrates 50 flights with new altitude record]( [Ingenuity as seen from Perseverance]( The first aircraft to fly on another planet has hit a new milestone. NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has recently clocked up its 50th flight, and achieved a new altitude record in the process. [Read more]( Energy [Solar dish reactor produces hydrogen and captures waste products]( [The parabolic dish that plays a key role in the new solar hydrogen reactor from EPFL]( EPFL engineers have built and tested a solar reactor that generates hydrogen gas from sunlight and water. The system is not only highly efficient at producing hydrogen, it also captures the “waste” products of oxygen and heat to put them to use too. [Read more]( Science [Hat trick: Newly discovered shape solves 60-year mathematical mystery]( [A tiling of a 13-sided shape called the Hat, the first known example of a shape that can be tiled without gaps or overlaps, and without repeating a pattern even across an infinite plane]( A new shape has been discovered which would make for a pretty unique set of bathroom tiles. Nicknamed “the Hat,” the 13-sided shape can tesselate with itself without ever repeating a pattern, solving a 60-year-old mathematical mystery. [Read more]( Environment [Sound can successfully remove microplastics from water]( [Filtering microplastic out of water is a huge challenge for scientists]( There’s no debate that microplastics present an ever-increasing ecological and health threat, but given their size, they're incredibly hard to remove from water. Now, some scientists believe sound waves and microfluidic technology may hold the key. [Read more]( Space [SpaceX successfully launches largest ever space rocket – which blows up]( [Starship lifting off]( History was made today as a private company leapfrogged ahead of NASA by launching the largest, most powerful rocket ever. At 8:36 am CDT, SpaceX's uncrewed Starship lifted off from the company's Starbase in Texas on an orbital test flight. [Read more]( Medical [New method of analyzing tumor samples may make pathologists obsolete]( [Researchers have developed a fast and simple method of analyzing cancer tumor samples]( Diagnosing cancer requires a pathologist's expertise to analyze a biopsy sample. But a team of scientists has now developed a quick and simple method of analyzing biopsy samples for cancer that might make pathologists a thing of the past. [Read more]( Space [Algorithm makeover produces highest resolution image of black hole]( [The updated image of the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy M87, which is now at the maximum resolution of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration's capabilities]( In 2019 we got the first-ever direct image of a black hole, which resembled a fuzzy, orange donut. Now the team has refined the iconic image with the help of machine learning to produce the highest resolution image possible with the original data. [Read more]( Medical [Chronic inflammation discovery may turn the tide on heart attack, stroke]( [Chronic inflammation can greatly increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and more]( More than 50% of deaths across the globe are from inflammation-related diseases. Now, a breakthrough in immune cell behavior has the potential to treat the condition before it triggers serious health issues such as stroke and heart attack. [Read more]( Outdoors [The James Brand's newest multitool carries slimmer than a pack of gum]( [The James Brand Ellis slim is a new standard in minimalist everyday carry]( The James Brand has released several iterations of its Ellis knife over the years, and they've all been about as slim and minimalist as multitool pocket knives get. But the new Ellis Slim bests them all as the thinnest full-length knife in the line. [Read more]( Outdoors [Living Vehicle's H2O-making, solar-winged RV slashes all ties to grid]( [Living Vehicle ups the self sufficiency on its MY2024 lineup]( Living Vehicle trailers have always straddled the gap between RVs and micro-homes. Now they're taking a step toward frontier-style off-grid homesteads. The new 4-season HD-Pro has an EV-size battery, expandable solar and available water maker. [Read more]( Medical ["Swiss Army knife" bears reveal anti-blood-clotting secret]( [A brown bear walking in the woods]( Bears don't move much all winter long, but people are advised to get up frequently during a long flight to prevent blood clots. A new study uncovers why this discrepancy exists, and how it might lead to safer replacements for blood thinners. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Tiny house gets extra girth for spacious apartment-like interior]( [Jen's 34' x 10' Tiny Home has a roomy almost apartment-like 520 sq ft (48 sq m) interior layout]( Mitchcraft Tiny Homes, the firm behind the pint-sized Nicole's 16 x 8 Tiny Home, recently completed another interesting model that's far more spacious. It provides a roomy interior layout that measures 520 sq ft and is centered around a large kitchen. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). 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