Weekend Edition: Hidden hydrogen, bumpy solar cells and the world's first microcomputer found

[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 Energy [Trillions of tons of buried hydrogen: Clean energy gold rush begins]( [Hundreds of years' worth of cleaner-than-green hydrogen energy is sitting in rock deposits and exploitable like natural gas. A new gold hydrogen rush is starting]( There's enough natural hydrogen trapped underground to meet all projected demands for hundreds of years. An unpublished report by the US Geological Survey identifies it as a new primary resource, and fires the starter pistol on a new gold rush. [Read more]( Computers [Priceless barn find: World's first microcomputers discovered by cleaners]( [The Q1 computer]( Two of the first-ever desktop computers have been found in storage boxes at Kingston University in London. A milestone in human achievement, the Q1 microprocessor computer was released more than half a century ago, and only one other is known to exist. [Read more]( Energy [Nuclear SMR welding breakthrough: A year's work now takes a day]( [The reactor vessel welded by the new method]( Small Modular Reactor (SMR) construction shifts into high gear, as UK company Sheffield Forgemasters welds a full-size nuclear reactor vessel in under 24 hours instead of the usual 12 months. The rollout of this game-changing tech could be massive. [Read more]( Bicycles [Tern's 200-mile adventure cargo ebike takes hauling beyond city limits]( ["With dual-battery capability and an efficient Bosch motor, Orox has a range of more than 300 km, opening the door to epic trips to rarely traveled places"]( Combining aspects of a mountain bike, trekking bike and cargo bike, Tern has designed an all-weather, all-terrain pedal-assist gear hauler called the Orox that taps into Bosch power and is dual-battery ready for extended trips into the wild. [Read more]( Energy [Ultra-high density hydrogen storage holds twice as much as liquid H2]( [A material that can hold twice the amount of hydrogen as current methods could address the challenges of large-scale hydrogen storage]( A nanoporous material that holds hydrogen at twice the density of cryogenic liquid H2 could address the challenges of large-scale liquid and gas storage that have held this clean fuel back. [Read more]( Science [Striking "lost" bird species found and featured in first-known photo]( [The Yellow-crested Helmetshrike was ready for what might be its first-ever closeup]( No-one has seen the Yellow-crested Helmetshrike for about 20 years. That changed when researchers embarked on a six-week expedition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and captured the dramatic-looking yellow-topped bird in its first-known photo. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [What happens when you go off weight-loss drugs?]( [Anti-obesity drugs alone may not be effective at maintaining weight loss]( Next-gen anti-obesity drugs like injectable liraglutide, sold as Saxenda, deliver impressive results in the first 12 months. New research looks into what happens to those results once treatment stops. [Read more]( Marine [Vision complements e-outboards with "unsinkable" fully recyclable boat]( [Vision Marine launches a new beast of a boat called the Phantom]( Vision Marine, the company behind the world's most powerful electric outboard, has launched the Phantom, a rotomolded plastic boat that's tough enough to last a generation and ready to be recycled at lifecycle's end. [Read more]( Science [The invention of the decimal dot that changed mathematics forever]( [Dawn of an idea: The decimal point has stuck where other ways of splitting integers have not]( Historians have discovered what may be the world's first decimal point, in an ancient manuscript written 150 years before its next known appearance. There have been many ways to split integers, but this little dot has proven uniquely powerful. [Read more]( Technology [Stunning new AI adds realistic sound effects to any video]( ["What if you could describe a sound and generate it with AI?" teases ElevenLabs as AI-generated sound effects and dialog are added to video footage generated by Sora from OpenAI]( If OpenAI's Sora heralds the end of videography, ElevenLabs has just fired a broadside over the foley and sounds effects departments, with another groundbreaking new AI that takes silent video and generates audio to match, taking text guidance. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [Review: Compact Atom laser projector puts Google TV in sharp focus]( [Despite its compact proportions, the Atom throws bright and sharp big screen HD visuals served up by Google TV]( We've spent the past few weeks having our streamed entertainment served up by a mini-PC-sized Full HD laser projector that Dangbei launched at IFA 2023 in Germany last year. The Atom made its way to the US for CES recently, and is now up for sale. [Read more]( Architecture [NYC skyscrapers to meet at the top with skybridge and infinity pool]( [Freedom Plaza will be located on what is currently the largest plot of undeveloped land in Manhattan, a 6.7 acre (2.7 hectare) site south of the United Nations headquarters]( Four new skyscrapers are planned for Manhattan's largest plot of undeveloped land. Named Freedom Plaza, two of the towers will meet at the top with a dramatically cantilevering skybridge and one of the biggest infinity pools America has ever seen. [Read more]( Energy [Massive geothermal potential found offshore, where the Earth splits]( [Seafloor spreading rifts could offer some of the world's best geothermal resources, according to CGG]( A potentially game-changing and largely unexplored energy jackpot lies beneath the ocean floor, according to a whitepaper from geoscience tech consultancy CGG. Unique conditions under the sea bed promise cheaper and more accessible geothermal power. [Read more]( Science [Altermagnetism: New form of magnetism discovered in common materials]( [Scientists have discovered a new form of magnetism, called altermagnetism]( Scientists have confirmed the existence of a strange new form of magnetism. Hiding right under our noses, the team says that “altermagnetism” can be found in everyday materials and could have major technological uses. [Read more]( Space [Is Kennedy Space Center ready to withstand the power of Starship?]( [Starship is larger and twice as powerful as the Apollo-era Saturn V]( SpaceX's flagship new rocket is an absolute monster of a space vehicle. It blasted its launchpad to pieces on its maiden test flight – and Kennedy is now scrambling to prepare for a launch schedule that's unprecedented in mass and sheer frequency. [Read more]( Energy [Bumpy solar cells could harvest up to 66% more energy]( [A new solar cell design consisting of "hemispheres" on the surface, like braille dots, could improve efficiency]( Solar cell efficiency may get a bump from bumps. New research suggests that building tiny domes into the surface of organic solar cells could boost their efficiency by up to two-thirds, while capturing light from a wider angle. [Read more]( Outdoors [Loaded camper-in-a-box kit makes cozy mini-RV with bath & picnic area]( [Campboks innovates a slide-out dining set that works seamlessly within its camper-in-a-box kit]( A smart evolution of the camper-in-a-box system, the Campboks brings a few extra sliders to base camp. Beyond just a kitchen and bed, it also packs an outdoor dining set, two interior sofa lounges, a workstation, and even an available bathroom setup. [Read more]( Sports [Wilson Airless basketball bounces to market for four-figure price]( [Wilson makes prototype reality with the Airless Gen1 basketball]( Wilson's Airless 3D-printed basketball prototype was an off-court highlight of last year's NBA All-Star Weekend. It wasn't clear then what future the ball had, but now Wilson has launched it as a limited edition. A very expensive limited edition. [Read more]( Robotics [The Seeing Eye Dog V2.0 is shaping up as a gamechanger]( [The University of Glasgow has been working with the Unitree G01 platform for quite some time now, specifically to develop guide dogs for blind and partially sighted people]( An important iteration of the robotic seeing eye dog has been shown off, the RoboGuide AI-powered quadruped. The future for robotic canine assistants looks not just commercially huge, but also massively empowering for the world's visually impaired people. [Read more]( Technology [OpenAI Sora: Wake up humans, the world has changed again]( [Wake up, human, the world has changed again]( AI-generated video was a complete joke less than a year ago; look what it can do now. OpenAI has announced its new Sora model, which turns descriptive text into video, and calling it a frighteningly massive leap forward feels like an understatement. [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