"Walking" anchor and plasma drill promise cheap, deep geothermal power

[New Atlas logo]( Energy ["Walking" anchor and plasma drill promise cheap, deep geothermal power]( [GA Drilling has demonstrated its Anchorbit technology, a walking anchor system designed to stabilize and accelerate super-deep drilling]( Slovakia's GA Drilling has demonstrated a pair of new technologies it says could unlock geothermal power generation more or less anywhere on the planet. Anchorbit and Plasmabit promise much faster and cheaper drilling into hot rock 10 km underground. [Read more]( Special Promotion for New Atlas Readers [This intro course to ChatGPT will help enhance your customer service]( If you're tired of being chained to your customer service phone line or inbox, then you need to learn how to use ChatGPT, the cutting-edge technology designed to help make your life easier and your customers happier. [Read more]( Biology [Contraceptive gene therapy injections in cats replaces surgical spaying]( [Some of the cats involved in a trial of a new gene therapy contraceptive that could reduce the need for surgical spaying]( Getting your cat spayed is a normal part of pet ownership, but it can be expensive, invasive and not very practical on strays. Now scientists have tested a new method that renders female cats permanently sterile with a single gene therapy injection. [Read more]( Biology [‘World’s most painful insect sting’ found to target nerves in unique way]( [Researchers have discovered the unique way toxins in the venom of the bullet ant, pictured, targets the body's nerves to produce severe, long-lasting pain]( Researchers have discovered that some of the most painful ant stings are caused by neurotoxins that affect the body in a way that's never been seen before. Their findings further our understanding of how pain works and how it might be treated. [Read more]( Materials [Architects collaborate with nature for fungus-based building material]( [PLP Labs, the in-house research group of PLP Architecture, have created renewable, biodegradable building blocks using fungus mycelium]( Focused on creating a greener future, the UK’s PLP Architects have collaborated with nature to create a renewable, biodegradable fungus-based modular block with the potential to become a new building material with minimal environmental impact. [Read more]( Mobile Technology [LG squeezes 27-inch smart display and sound system in a rugged briefcase]( [Audiovisual entertainment indoors or out with the LG StanbyME Go]( Folks wanting to watch a movie at camp, listen to music at a picnic or play board games at the beach will likely have to haul a bunch of different gadgets. LG proposes an all-in-one solution with a smart display in a briefcase called the StanbyME Go. [Read more]( Biology ["Virgin birth" seen in a crocodile suggests dinosaurs could also go solo]( [Scientists have observed the first known case of a female crocodile undergoing a "virgin birth," without needing a male]( Scientists have observed the first known “virgin birth” in a female crocodile, kept alone in captivity for 16 years. The find reveals that this unusual form of reproduction is possible in more species than we thought – including, perhaps, dinosaurs. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Sea cucumbers may help stave off type 2 diabetes and its complications]( [An Australian study has found that sea cucumbers may delay the onset of type 2 diabetes and reduce complications caused by the disease]( A study has found that the humble sea cucumber may contain key ingredients that delay the onset of type 2 diabetes and the complications brought about by the disease. The discovery may lead to a natural treatment for the condition. [Read more]( Space [Webb spots galactic smoke signals from across the universe]( [A false-color James Webb image in which astronomers detected the most distant complex organic molecules. The blue circle in the center is a foreground galaxy which has distorted a background galaxy into the orange ring around it, magnifying the "smoke signals"]( The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted complex organic molecules, which usually form in smoke, in the very distant universe. With help from a galactic gravitational anomaly, the telescope could see the molecules from 12 billion light-years away. [Read more]( Virtual Reality [Face-worn tech could help bring smell-o-vision to the world of VR]( [An onscreen avatar smells a rose, while two odor generators (inset) produce the scent for the user]( While we've seen multiple attempts to produce real-world odors in VR environments, many have involved cumbersome wearable devices. Chinese scientists have developed a much more streamlined system, which is applied to the skin below the user's nose. [Read more]( Outdoors [Dometic pumps up camp with panoramic Air inflatable rooftop tent]( [Mountain bike touring and camping with the new Dometic TRT 140 Air]( After decades of being synonymous with large RVs, Dometic has been leaning light and fast of late, pushing into simpler camper gear. Its new TRT 140 Air inflatable rooftop tent aims to keep up with adventurers who rise at dawn and get after it. [Read more]( Medical [Temperature-sensitive dressing could revolutionize burn treatment]( [Sheets of the hydrogel material can be custom 3D-printed to match the contours of the burned body part]( It's a sad fact that burn victims often feel a great deal of pain when the dressings on their wounds are removed. A new hydrogel-based dressing could change that, however, as it easily releases from the skin when cooled. [Read more]( Automotive ["Ghost driver" study tests visual prompts for autonomous vehicle comms]( [A Nissan Leaf with a "ghost driver" at the wheel explored how pedestrians reacted to visual prompts indicating autonomous vehicle intent or behavior]( With autonomous vehicles already rolling on public roads, researchers from the University of Nottingham in the UK have used a camouflaged driver to look at how pedestrians react to visual cues from oncoming cars without a human at the wheel. [Read more]( Good Thinking [Switch Hex T wrench keeps six bits at the ready in a rotating head]( [The Switch Hex T wrench is presently on Kickstarter]( Although interchangeable-bit hex wrenches aren't that hard to use, there's always room for improvement … right? The designers of the Switch Hex T seem to think so, as their wrench features a carousel-like multi-bit rotating head. 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