Weekend Edition: An “inverse vaccine, AI robot teachers, and a “yacht on wheels”

[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 our Weekend Edition. Darren Quick Editor-in-Chief Medical [“Inverse vaccine” reverses autoimmune diseases like MS, diabetes & arthritis]( [Researchers have developed an "inverse vaccine" that reverses autoimmune diseases without suppressing the entire immune system]( An ‘inverse vaccine’ has been developed that reverses the damage caused when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s healthy organs and tissues. It could pave the way to a treatment for autoimmune diseases like MS, type 1 diabetes and arthritis. [Read more]( Robotics [Toyota upends robot learning: New AI masters complex tasks in hours]( [A new approach to AI in the physical world is vastly accelerating robots' ability to acquire and refine new skills]( "We've had a bit of a breakthrough." Toyota, MIT and Columbia Engineering have shown off wild results from a new AI learning approach that massively accelerates how quickly robots can acquire new skills. It looks like a ChatGPT moment for robotics. [Read more]( Automotive [European "yacht on wheels" camper van journeys onto American market]( [Innova has created a luxurious yacht-inspired camper van out of the Mercedes Sprinter 144, and Caleche Customs brings it over to the US]( Caleche Customs is bringing an attractive European camper van option to US soil. The Sprinter-based Innova Roadtrip features a uniquely rounded design with yacht-style floor, a full bathroom, and a well-equipped kitchen ready to prepare large meals. [Read more]( Materials [Bionic silkworms with spider genes spin fibers 6x tougher than Kevlar]( [Transgenic silkworms have produced fibers that have both high strength and toughness]( For the first time, scientists have successfully produced full-length spider silk fibers using genetically modified silkworms. This silk has the potential to provide a scalable, sustainable and better-quality alternative to current synthetic fibers. [Read more]( Architecture [Work restarts on audacious kilometer-tall skyscraper]( [The Jeddah Tower has already reached a height of roughly 60 floors but work had been halted for several years]( Following a delay of several years, Saudi Arabia has reportedly restarted work on its incredibly ambitious Jeddah Tower. The megatall skyscraper will be the new world's tallest manmade structure once complete and will reach over 1 km in height. [Read more]( Computers [With some 1,500 dead animals in its wake, Neuralink heads to humans]( [Neuralink marches ahead with its first human brain implant trial]( Following years of controversy, including whistleblowers reporting of rushed experimental “hack jobs” that resulted in as many as 1,500 animal fatalities, Elon Musk's brain-chip implant company has begun recruiting for its landmark first human trial. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [Triple-laser projector throws big-screen 4K visuals from inches away]( [The Nomvdic P2000UST-RGB Laser TV boasts a triple-laser light source for "vivid, lifelike colors" and a projection engine capable of 4K UHD visuals from mere inches away from the display surface]( California-based projector maker Nomvdic has announced its new flagship model, a triple-laser ultra-short-throw Laser TV capable of projecting 100-inch 4K UHD visuals from just inches away, supported by Harman Kardon sound. [Read more]( Outdoors [Introducing the Bullet Ant 2.0, a multitool pen for all occasions]( [The Bullet Ant 2.0 is a sleek upgrade on its popular predecessor but still offering the same diverse range of functions]( Building upon the success of its first-generation predecessor, the new-and-improved Bullet Ant 2.0 pushes the boundaries of multitool pens, catering to a diverse range of needs while clipping snugly in your pocket. [Read more]( Outdoors [Knaus' lightweight morphing RV reinvents caravan design for e-mobility]( [The Yaseo trailers look boxy from the side and rear, but up front, Knaus has tapered the body in for]( Knaus has reimagined the camping trailer, developing its new Yaseo series from the ground up for EV compatibility. The trailer does more with less via a flexible multifunctional interior and uses gas-free power that can plug into the tow EV. [Read more]( Bicycles [Expeditions ebike trailer lowers the floor instead of raising the roof]( [The Swiss-made Expeditions Trailer with its legroom-extending, weight-bearing floor box deployed]( If you've gone and bought a high-end ebike, you won't want to tow just any ol' bicycle-camping trailer behind it. With its lowerable floor, sharp lines and composite construction, the Expeditions Trailer may be just what you're looking for. [Read more]( Medical [Diabetes-treating implant produces oxygen to support islet cells]( [The current version of the device is about the size of a US quarter-dollar coin – a version for use in humans may be more around the size of a stick of chewing gum]( Daily insulin injections are painful and inconvenient, which is why scientists are developing implants that treat diabetes without any need for needles. A new one looks particularly promising, as it produces oxygen to feed onboard islet cells. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Nomad 30 tiny house is ready for off-grid all-weather adventuring]( [The Nomad 30 runs off-the-grid with a solar panel and battery setup]( Minimaliste's Nomad was originally conceived as an all-weather model in a smaller and easier-to-tow package. The firm has now iterated on that tiny house with the Nomad 30, which offers a new interior layout and an adventure-ready off-grid design. [Read more]( Medical [Common sweetener now linked to impaired memory and learning]( [The sweetener in common diet drinks is now linked to cognitive impairment]( Two months on from it being declared safe by the FDA, aspartame is again making headlines for the wrong reasons, this time for its potential negative impact on learning and memory. In a mice study, these cognitive impairments were passed on to young. [Read more]( Robotics ["World's first humanoid robot factory" will ship Digits in 2024]( [The factory will partially be staffed by Agility's own Digit robots]( Agility Robotics is well into construction of a 70,000-sq-ft facility in Salem, Oregon, with the capacity to produce more than 10,000 units per year of the company's Digit humanoid robot – which will work alongside humans on the factory floor. [Read more]( Materials [Revolutionary "true zero carbon" cement uses electrolysis, not furnaces]( [Sublime is commercializing an electrolysis process that generates zero-carbon lime for totally green cement and concrete production]( Sublime Cement says it's ready to start scaling on the "world's cleanest cement," which meets industry performance standards relying on room-temperature electrolyzers in place of fossil-fueled furnaces, using a variety of zero-carbon input materials. [Read more]( Automotive [Airstream Interstate 19X is a nimbler off-grid camper for nomads]( [Airstream takes its Interstate X series lighter, smaller and more nimble with the all-new 19X]( Two years ago, Airstream welcomed the summer season in with the Interstate 24X off-road camper van. Now it closes summer out with the Interstate 19X, a smaller playful camper van that helps define the future of outdoor adventure travel at Airstream. [Read more]( Medical [Novel electrical therapy rebuilds muscles lost through natural aging]( [Sarcopenia is a key driver in the loss of physical mobility in older age]( Scientists at Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST) in South Korea have developed a novel bioelectric therapy that restored muscle cells in aging mice, and they’re confident of its promise to have a similar effect in human models. [Read more]( Military [US Air Force gets new aggressive electronic warfare aircraft]( [The EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft]( The US Air Force has taken delivery of the first of 10 improved EC-37B Compass Call electronic attack warfare aircraft from BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies as it replaces its vintage EC-130H Compass Call that has been in service since 1982. [Read more]( Medical [Nasal Alzheimer’s drug effective regardless of brain plaque levels]( [Researchers have found that a drug, delivered through the nose, effectively reduced brain inflammation in mice with Alzheimer's disease]( Researchers have found that an intranasal drug, currently being tested as an MS treatment, reduced brain inflammation and improved cognition in mice with Alzheimer’s disease, independent of the amount of beta-amyloid plaques present. [Read more]( Aircraft [Audacious modular jet concept uses swappable wings, engines and cabins]( [One architecture, many aircraft: Aeralis plans to pioneer a highly modular jet design in military aviation]( UK company Aeralis is going full throttle on a disruptive new modular jet concept that could handle a huge range of capabilities, from advanced jet training to long-range unmanned ISR missions, with a single fuselage and a range of swappable parts. [Read more]( Outdoors [Fixed-blade version of crazy Romotow flip-knife RV saves $100K]( [W2 builds the main body and deck separately anyway, so offering them as separate products won't require any huge changes]( The name "Romotow" has long been synonymous with a big, white camping trailer with integrated swinging deck. Times change, though, and to bring prices and weights down, Romotow creator W2 has launched a bald, deck-free version of the trailer. [Read more]( Outdoors [Crazy-tiny electric pump takes the blow out of ultralight camping]( [The Zero Pump packs serious inflation power in a package so small it fits comfortably on a keychain]( Flextail has made it a mission to design battery-powered pumps tiny enough for even the most ultralight of camping trips. All those efforts have led to the new Zero, a pump so small it clips to a keychain and brings automated inflation everywhere. [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