Weekend Edition: From fossilized chilis to a lost lunar lander

[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 [Colorado chili pepper fossil discovery may upend evolutionary timeline]( [Researchers identified this fossil as a chili pepper due to its unique 'hat'. The discovery has caused scientists to rethink the plant's evolutionary timeline]( Fossilized plants can provide much information about the planet’s geography and evolution. Researchers have discovered an ancient chili pepper from Colorado that may upend our understanding of when and where the plant originated. [Read more]( Space [Japan's Hakuto-R Moon landing ends in silence]( [A depiction of the Hakuto-R lander on the Moon's surface]( Japan's attempt to put a privately-owned spacecraft on the Moon appears to have ended in failure. Scheduled to land at 16:40 GMT, the Hakuto-R lander lost contact with Mission Control in Nihonbashi, Tokyo shortly before the planned touchdown. [Read more]( Outdoors [Titanium tool boasts changeable scalpel blades and quick-release clip]( [Two Bladeclips on the ground next to a beer bottle]( Multitools are great – until you don't have one with you, or the one you have has a blade that's too dull to achieve much. The Bladeclip tackles these issues with a clip built into the tool's body and a smart scalpel-style blade-change system. [Read more]( Space [This strange blue asteroid has another big surprise for us]( [The heating of the asteroid by the Sun sees its surface release sodium gas, which produces a comet-like tail]( This space oddity has long puzzled scientists for its peculiar non-asteroid-like behaviors. Researchers have now uncovered another curious characteristic of 3200 Phaethon, this time with its dazzling tail, rewriting 14 years of science knowledge. [Read more]( Technology [Jaw-dropping AI NeRF tech is gaining incredible 3D capabilities]( [This is not a drone photo of Italy's Amalfi Coast. It's a volumetric 3D rendering built out of drone-based images using Neural Radiance Field (NeRF) technology from nVidia]( If you haven't already noticed these incredible next-gen video effects, you'll soon be seeing them everywhere. Neural Radiance Field, (NeRF) technology, is advancing at the same breakneck pace as the rest of the AI world, with staggering results. [Read more]( Automotive [Unicamp Kia minivan camper grabs baton as affordable US pop-up RV]( [The $16,000 Unicamp pop-up roof turns the Kia Carnival from a SUV-inspired minivan into an MPV light camper]( With the American compact van market fast going the way of the dinosaur, affordable pop-up camper vans are soon to be few and far between. Caleche Customs is helping fill the void by bringing over the Korean-designed Unicamp Kia Carnival pop-up roof. [Read more]( Automotive [250-mile BrightDrop glamping van eases America into electric RV era]( [RollAway is working to turn the BrightDrop Zevo 600 into a luxurious camper van it calls a Suite on Wheels]( Finally someone is turning a futuristic electric van into an RV. RollAway's BrightDrop Zevo 600 e-RV is meant to be a 5-star rental glamper that lets guests experience electric van life while supported by the promise of hotel-style vacation services. [Read more]( Technology [nVidia's new text-to-video AI shows an insane rate of progress]( [A stormtrooper vacuums at the beach ... except the vacuum head is a pool cleaner and it's plugged into his butt. We live in interesting times]( "Will Smith eating spaghetti" made text-to-video generative AIs look like a bit of a joke just a month or two ago, but nVidia has now demonstrated a new system that blows previous efforts out of the water. The pace of progress here is astonishing. [Read more]( Physics [World's heaviest "Schrödinger's cat" pushes quantum boundaries]( [An artist's impression of "Schrödinger's cats" of various weights, which a new study has probed]( The famous thought experiment of Schrödinger’s Cat neatly sums up a complex quantum phenomenon in terms we can visualize. Now scientists have created the heaviest Schrödinger’s Cat to date, probing the boundaries between quantum and classical physics. [Read more]( Military [Game-changing DSEND suit protects deep sea divers from pressure dangers]( [DSEND is designed to protect the wearer against water pressure during deep dives]( The US Navy recently completed tank tests of a new deep-diving suit called the Deep Sea Expeditionary with No Decompression (DSEND) system that is light and flexible, yet maintains sea-level pressure around the wearer when hundreds of feet underwater. [Read more]( Automotive [Solarized VW ID. Buzz camper van ready to e-camp stealthily across the UK]( [TC Conversions presents the first British take on an ID. Buzz electric camper van]( TC Conversions presents the first all-electric VW ID. Buzz camper vans we've seen in the UK. Its new camper van family includes a full-size pop-up roof, an all-electric, gas-free equipment setup, a clever indoor/outdoor kitchen and solar charging. [Read more]( Medical [Dual-action hydrogel prevents brain cancer returning in 100% of test mice]( [An injectable hydrogel, loaded with chemotherapy and immunotherapy drugs, could help prevent deadly brain cancer from returning after being surgically removed]( In new hope for aggressive brain cancers, injecting a drug-laden hydrogel into the brain after tumors were surgically removed was found to launch a combined chemo- and immunotherapy attack, preventing cancer from returning in 100% of treated mice. [Read more]( Materials [Latest Kevlar EXO fabric is lighter, more flexible and bulletproof]( [Kevlar Exo is lighter and more protective that previous versions]( DuPont has launched a new version of its Kevlar fabric called EXO. The company says it is the most significant aramid fiber innovation in over 50 years with better ballistic protection and it's also lighter, more flexible, and more heat resistant. [Read more]( Architecture [Discarded whiskey barrels used to form stunning one-of-a-kind bar]( [The Laizhou Bar is located in Shanghai, China]( Commissioned to design a new bar for a whiskey distillery, Roomoo Design Studio came up with the idea of incorporating discarded whiskey barrels into the design. The firm painstakingly dismantled oak barrels to create a unique and eye-catching interior. [Read more]( Space [New space habitat from Airbus looks sci-fi slick]( [Computer render of space habitat interior]( While astronauts' space capsules look great in sci-fi films, the reality can be quite different. Now, Airbus' new space habitation called the Loop could merge the design of Hollywood with more practical space-based needs. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Oregon's magic mushroom move is ever closer to being open for business]( [Fancy a trip in Oregon? The first psilocybin therapy clinics aren't too far off]( Stunning nature, craft breweries, marionberries and Voodoo Doughnuts are some of the things the Pacific Northwest state is famous for, but with new licenses rolling out, it'll soon be known as the unofficial home of the burgeoning psilocybin industry. [Read more]( Technology [Biofire Smart Gun uses dual biometric sensors to prevent unauthorized use]( [The Biofire Smart Gun incorporates sensors to prevent unauthorized use]( A 'safe' handgun is a relative term, but Colorado-based Biofire Technologies is taking a high-tech crack at the idea with its Biofire Smart Gun, which uses an electronic identification and firing system to prevent accidental or unauthorized use. [Read more]( Outdoors [Sitpack chases cheeks with go-anywhere 5-second camping chair]( [The Sitpack Campster 2 helps you relax while exploring the world]( Sitpack's latest six-figure crowdfunder looks to launch the Campster 2, a fast, low version of the ultra-portable Campster chair. The new model packs down to the size of a bottle, sets up in 5 seconds and provides a comfy sit, on or off the map. [Read more]( Outdoors [Calicamp kit turns VW camper into go-anywhere gourmet grilling machine]( [Calicamp adds serious cooking capability to any Volkswagen camper van]( A VW California camper van with built-in charcoal grill – what could possibly exemplify "summer" better than that? Calicamp has prepared an add-on kitchen system specifically for VW vans that will turn a scenic pull-over into a five-star meal. [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