Weekend Edition: A speedy sailboat, a self-balancing motorbike, and a hybrid car retrofit

[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 Marine [World's fastest sailboat: Two wild designs hit the water for testing]( [The SP80 is built and on the water, being towed behind a boat for drag evaluation]( The SP80 and Syroco teams have both got their remarkable boats on the water. Looking like a pair of alien spaceships, and pulled by ultra-fast kites instead of sails on masts, both these machines are built to reach terrifying, unprecedented speeds. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Yamaha presents bizarre, twisting, self-balancing Motoroid 2]( [Click on this image and then back and forth with the next image to see the Motoroid 2 twisting and balancing its weight]( One of the strangest concept bikes in all of motorcycledom has been reworked for 2023. Yamaha has unveiled a second version of its futuristic Motoroid concept, complete with a twisting swingarm, AI facial recognition, and the ability to self-balance. [Read more]( Automotive [REVR plans to turn your ICE car into a plug-in hybrid for US$3,200]( [A simple, quick, low-cost kit for converting ICE cars into hybrids]( This year's Australian national Dyson Award winner tells us more about the bolt-on REVR retrofit kit he's developing, that aims to convert ICE cars to practical, efficient hybrids for less than US$3,200, taking less than a day to install. [Read more]( Military [Raytheon to build revolutionary rotating detonation engine for DARPA]( [Artist's concept of the Gambit engine in action]( DARPA has contracted Raytheon to develop a practical version of a revolutionary air-breathing rotating detonation engine called Gambit, which would have no moving parts and could lead to lighter missiles with longer ranges at lower cost. [Read more]( Bicycles [Dual-battery cargo ebike can help you haul for hundreds of miles]( [It rides with a bizarre name, but the Graoopro cargo ebike can haul you and your gear for up to 210 miles when packing dual batteries]( Addmotor, the Californian e-mobility company that released the 90-mile CityTri E-310 e-trike back in August, has added an oddly-named cargo ebike to its range that can haul 450 lb and rides for 210 miles per charge in dual-battery configuration. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Estonian treehouse turns tiny trends on their head]( [The Piil Treehouses will be available as glamping accommodation, as part of a micro-hotel in Estonia]( This nine-meter-high cabin offers a unique living space designed to blend with the natural surroundings. Dubbed Piil Treehouse, the home stands as a masterpiece of tiny house architecture that breaks the mold for tiny living and design. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Honda's new motorcycle E-Clutch makes the left lever entirely optional]( [An electronic system operates the clutch for you through all phases of riding – unless you grab hold of the lever yourself and take control]( The idea of a clutchless motorcycle just feels wrong to some riders. After many years trying to sell fully automatic motorcycles, Honda has come up with a "best of both worlds" E-Clutch system that lets you use or ignore the left lever as you please. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Renting ages your cells faster than unemployment or being an ex-smoker]( [Researchers have examined how housing-related factors affect biological aging]( A study has found that renting privately is more strongly associated with faster biological aging than unemployment or being an ex-smoker. The findings highlight the important link between housing and health. [Read more]( Environment [Hoppy ending: Dire times ahead for beer and its flavors, study warns]( [Researchers are calling on the science community to invest (more) time and money in beer]( Each day we’re learning of new, devastating impacts of climate change, and what's now brewing has researchers sounding the alarm on the future of European beer, thanks to a steady decline in the quality and quantity of high-quality hops from the region. [Read more]( Physics ["Modified gravity" could rule out both dark matter and Planet Nine]( [An artist's rendering of the hypothetical Planet Nine]( Our solar system officially houses eight planets, but some scientists say there could be a ninth hiding on the fringes. Now, a new study has found the oddities could be explained by modified theories of gravity, an alternative idea to dark matter. [Read more]( Science [Plasma tech transforms blue-green algae into a wound-healing wonder]( [Researchers have used plasma technology to transform blue-green algae into a wound-healing coating]( Researchers have used plasma technology to transform blue-green microalgae into a novel coating that can be applied to dressings and medical devices to protect patients from infection, speed up healing and reduce inflammation. [Read more]( Medical [Sleep disorder drug shown to be effective in treating adult ADHD]( [A wider range of treatment for adult ADHD would be hugely beneficial to sufferers]( A drug that treats excessive daytime sleepiness and obstructive sleep apnea could be repurposed to relieve debilitating symptoms of attention deficit hyperactive disorder, without the serious health risks that stimulants may hold for older adults. [Read more]( Technology [Take your birding to an exciting new and immersive level]( [You don't need to be a bird expert to find out all about the feathered friends in your environment]( Technology has been very kind to bird lovers, with apps such as Merlin Bird ID allowing enthusiasts of all levels to easily identify their local feathered friends. Now, the BirdWeather PUC ups the ante to turn anyone into a global bird citizen scientist. [Read more]( Medical [Replacing a critical nutrient with a mimic starves pancreatic cancer]( [Researchers have found a way to starve pancreatic cancer cells, slowing their growth and spread]( Researchers have found that replacing a nutrient that pancreatic cancer cells rely on to survive and grow with a copycat version starves the cancer, slowing its spread. It opens the door to an entirely new approach to treating this deadly cancer. [Read more]( Medical [In a world first, scientists discover 'roadmap' to beating bowel cancer]( [The discovery could help vastly improve patient outcomes and survival rate for cancer sufferers]( Each year, more than 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with bowel cancer, or colorectal cancer, and the disease has a dire survival rate if surgery isn’t successful. Scientists now believe they have found one tiny molecule that could change all that. [Read more]( Science [Triple test confirms age of oldest human footprints in North America]( [Fossilized human footprints in White Sands National Park may represent the oldest evidence of humans in North America]( A 2021 study caused a stir by claiming that a set of fossilized human footprints were 20,000 years old – much earlier earlier than humans were thought to have set foot in North America. Now two extra dating methods have seemingly confirmed the age. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Kawasaki launches world's first hybrid streetbike – with "e-boost"]( [The performance of 650-700, the fuel consumption of a 250, and the instant acceleration of a literbike]( Kawasaki has managed to squeeze both a combustion engine and a full electric powertrain into its new Ninja 7 Hybrid streetbike – and it doesn't look as ungainly as you'd think. The benefits? Fuel economy, electric boost, and some other neat tricks. [Read more]( Robotics [Disney's super-cute new bipedal robot demonstrates the power of style]( [Disney has developed a process that takes expressive character animations and rolls them into a robot's motion schema]( Most robots walk like they've soiled themselves; this one walks with a crazy amount of personality. Disney is getting very good at combining the art of character animation with the science of bipedal robotics, and the results are ... adorable. [Read more]( Automotive [Offtrack upscales Volkswagen camper so you can live your best van life]( [Offtrack offers its VW T6/6.1 camper van in both two-sleeper hard roof and four-sleeper pop-top versions]( The classic California camper van floor plan remains popular but rarely results in the most inviting home-on-wheels. Offtrack has improved upon the layout, dressing it in decor and equipment that look plucked from the pages of a design magazine. [Read more]( Military [Northrop Grumman to build one-shot-one-kill shell for US Navy]( [The new shell will be able to automatically track and steer toward moving targets]( As the age of the smart weapon continues, Northrop Grumman has been awarded a US Navy contract to develop a new self-guided 57-mm artillery shell for the Navy's Mk110 Naval Gun Mount medium-sized gun used on Littoral Combat Ships. [Read more]( Outdoors [Collapsible RV bed makes impromptu camper wagon out of a Subaru or SUV]( [Each Pacific Adventure Works HSP model adjusts in height and length to fit the vehicle and provide the optimal balance of headroom and cargo space]( Pacific Adventure Works is about to make it much easier to sleep in the car. Its portable sleeper platform rolls up slim for travel and quickly builds into a fully adjustable bed that makes a camper out of an SUV or station wagon. [Read more]( Bicycles [Big-wheeled Bastille bike folds down in seconds]( [The Bastille will ultimately sell for €2,590 (about US$2,742)]( Folding bikes may be handy, but most of them have small wheels that easily fall victim to potholes or other urban hazards. The Bastille is different, in that it folds down in a claimed five to 10 seconds while still using full-size 27.5-inch wheels. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [Pro-Ject celebrates landmark Pink Floyd classic with special turntable]( [A stunning limited-edition tribute to Pink Floyd's eighth studio album, The Dark Side Of The Moon]( To mark the 50th anniversary of the release of The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd, Austrian hi-fi brand Pro-Ject has launched a special Artist Collection turntable – featuring a look designed to mimic the iconic album cover. [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