Weekend Edition: Key advances in clean energy, humanoid robots and next-gen aircraft

[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. Cheers, Loz Blain Editorial Director Energy [28-ton, 1.2-megawatt tidal kite is now exporting power to the grid]( [The 39-foot wingspan of the Dragon 12, being towed out for sub-surface deployment]( Minesto's fully operational Dragon 12 looks like some sort of futuristic military drone – but it behaves remarkably like a kite underwater. It uses lift generated by tidal flows to fly patterns faster than the currents, harvesting renewable energy. [Read more]( Marine [Japan's oldest outboard builder silences seas with all-electric motor]( [Japan's oldest outboard manufacturer, Tohatsu leaps into the electric outboard market with help from Ilmor Engineering]( Yamaha may be the largest, most well-known outboard manufacturer in Japan, but Tohatsu was the country's first. Tohatsu remains a venerable force in outboard production today and is now teaming with Ilmor on an all-electric global outboard family. [Read more]( Robotics [OpenAI's Eve humanoids make impressive progress in autonomous work]( [1X robots might be physically undergunned compared to the competition, but they're doing useful work fully autonomously]( "The video contains no teleoperation," says Norwegian humanoid robot maker 1X. "No computer graphics, no cuts, no video speedups, no scripted trajectory playback. It's all controlled via neural networks, all autonomous, all 1X speed." [Read more]( Around The Home [USDA approves stunning bioluminescent "firefly petunias" for sale]( [The effect is most powerful in areas of new growth]( The USDA has approved Light Bio's "Firefly Petunias," and the company is taking US$29 pre-orders on these remarkable gene-edited houseplants. They glow in the dark, making them a captivating home decor addition for science buffs. [Read more]( Energy [Historic fusion ignition in a lab experiment confirmed]( [The laser target area of the fusion experiment]( Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has published an extensive paper confirming the validity of its 2022 fusion experiment where multiple lasers focused on a sphere of deuterium and tritium to achieve the first fusion ignition in a laboratory. [Read more]( Architecture [Saudi Arabia's newest Neom project forms rocky outcrop in the desert]( [Xaynor will be located on the Gulf of Aqaba, on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastline]( More plans have been revealed for the massive upcoming Neom development which is currently remaking the Saudi Arabian landscape. Named Xaynor, it will offer an ultra-exclusive club that takes the form of an unusual rocky outcrop. [Read more]( Aircraft [FlyNow eCopter takes a smaller, simpler approach to "air taxi" travel]( [The eCopter may constitute a more attainable type of air taxi]( There are now a number of companies working on eVTOL "air taxis," most of which look a bit like larger versions of consumer quadcopter drones. The eCopter is different, however, in a way that could make it more likely to see real-world use. [Read more]( Biology [Hunter-gatherers were violently wiped off the map by farmers, DNA reveals]( [The Porsmose man from the Neolithic period, killed by two arrows with bone tips. New evidence suggests it was not such a peaceful transition of power from the hunter-gatherers to the first farmers.]( Upending existing theories, there was no peaceful transition of power from hunter-gathers to the first farmers. New DNA analysis reveals that instead it was a deadly takeover – one that completely wiped out the hunter-gathers within a few generations. [Read more]( Marine [Decarbonization containers turn 78% of marine emissions into limestone]( [Seabound's carbon capture prototype sailed for two months on this medium-sized container ship]( A remarkable pilot project installed on a 240-m (787-ft) container ship has proven it's possible to capture at least 78% of emissions from the smokestacks of cargo ships and convert the CO2 into limestone pebbles, which can be offloaded and sold. [Read more]( Energy [Advanced geothermal drilling is 70% faster and 50% cheaper than 2022]( [Cape Station, Fervo's enhanced geothermal system in Utah, is set to come online in 2028]( Geothermal development company Fervo Energy has announced impressive strides being made at its Cape Station facility in southern Utah. The results could lead to a quicker and more widespread uptake of this super-clean energy production process. [Read more]( Military [Bell ground tests high-speed tiltrotor technology for SPRINT X-plane]( [Artist's concept of the Sprint X-plane on a sea platform]( Bell has released a video showing off its High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL) technology in action. The two-minute video shows a ground test of the nacelle system used to lift and land a VTOL X-plane before converting to jet flight. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Shed-like tiny house embraces rural off-grid living]( [The Long Shed costs around £135,000 (US$170,000), depending on options chosen]( Scotland's Echo recently completed a new tiny house named the Long Shed. Featuring a fully off-the-grid setup, it connects to the outside via a large sliding glass door and deck, and sports an open layout inside, all arranged on one floor. [Read more]( Outdoors [Tufport "ultimate ultralight" 4x4 truck camper packs seaworthy unibody]( [The long-running Tufport Adventure canopy (pictured here) is about to get a big brother: the Tufport Overlander]( Tufport puts decades of fiberglass truck canopy expertise into the new Overlander, an ultralight fiberglass pickup camper with multiple floor plans. Made for the "most ambitious off-road use," the slide-in promises light, agile four-season adventure. [Read more]( Tiny Houses [Timber tiny house opens up its interior to the outside]( [The Raposa really opens up to the outside thanks to its two large skylights]( Madeiguincho has impressed us with its line of tiny houses that showcase superb wooden detailing, and the firm's latest model maintains this timber craftsmanship while connecting with the outside via large operable skylights and double doors. [Read more]( Marine [Yamaha's world-first hydrogen outboard unveiled on prototype boat]( [Yamaha reveals its hydrogen outboard and the boat it will power for testing at MIBS 2024]( Yamaha previously announced it would show a prototype hydrogen outboard at the 2024 Miami Boat Show. Instead of simply revealing the motor, it's installed it on a prototype boat complete with fuel delivery system. Testing will begin this year. [Read more]( Technology [Glasses with spiral lenses could help you see clearer, farther]( [A sample spiral contact lens, held between the fingers of a researcher]( Scientists have developed a new type of lens that creates multiple focal points, which could make for glasses or contacts that provide a clearer view over a range of distances. The secret? Making the lens a spiral shape. [Read more]( Science [The alien earthworm invasion is here, says new study]( [The jumping worm (Amynthas agrestis) is one of at least 70 alien earthworm species in North America]( There's been a takeover of North America's soil by scores of non-native earthworm species this past century. It's time we pay more attention to the invaders and their potentially major impact on the continent's ecosystem, says a new Stanford study. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [Tai chi better at reducing high BP than aerobic exercise, study finds]( [Tai chi was found to be better than aerobic exercise at lowering problematic high blood pressure]( A study has found that tai chi was more effective than aerobic exercise at lowering blood pressure in 18-to-65-year-olds with prehypertension, a condition that can progress to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [Brian Eno launches limited-edition color-changing vinyl spinner]( [Brian Eno shown with his Turntable II limited-edition creation]( A limited-edition turntable will go on sale next week in the UK, created by iconic "non-musician" and artist Brian Eno. Packed with color-changing LED lights, the signed and numbered functional sculpture carries an eye-watering launch price of £20,000. [Read more]( Robotics [Robot built with 'insect brain' can zip around obstacles with ease]( [Elisabetta Chicca (left) and Thorben Schoepe with their robot designed to mimmick insect navigation]( A fruit fly's pinhead-sized brain is not the place you'd expect find inspiration for new robotics. But in a bold move, researchers have built a speedy robot with a 'brain' based on the insect's low-energy, highly efficient navigational neural network. 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