Gizmag news
RV maker's self-driving tow sled packs battery power of 2 Cybertrucks
Lightship is part of the new guard of Silicon Valley-based high-tech electric camper builders. It became one of the first self-powered trailer pioneers to market when it began production of its AE.1 telescoper last summer. Now it's launching a different type of self-driving, battery-bulked electric trailer, one that could have an even bigger impact on how the world tows. The all-new Powersled is a simpler cargo trailer based on a chassis outright overflowing with lithium battery power. It shoulders thousands of pounds, then serves as a mobile power station on arrival.
Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: Outdoors and Camping, electric-camper, Self-Driving, trailers, Trailer, Cargo, Commercial, Off-grid
A vaccine designed using AI has just been tested in humans
Neil Mabbott, University of Edinburgh/ The Conversation
Category: Infectious Diseases, Illnesses and conditions, Body and Mind
Tags: Vaccines, Coronavirus (COVID-19), Bats, Machine Learning
Weaker bonds make for more impact-resistant polymers
In a new MIT study – in partnership with Purdue, Northwestern, and Duke universities – chemists have discovered that inserting weaker bonds into polystyrene actually makes the material more resistant to damage.
Category: Materials, Engineering
Tags: MIT, Duke University, Purdue University, Rubber, Plastics, Polymer, Rubber, Northwestern University
Extra-wide tiny house lets you downsize without sacrificing comfort
In the constant balancing act between portability and comfort typical of tiny house design, the Berenstein Bear comes down firmly on the side of comfort. The extra-wide model provides a spacious interior that includes a large living area, a generous kitchen, and even a bathtub.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home
Polaroid shrinks the moment again with tiny new Go Gen 3 instant camera
There's a rebellion underway against the always-on, infinitely-scrollable nature of the smartphone. Younger shooters in particular are reaching for more tactile, intentional ways to capture everyday life, from phone-free concerts and clubs to a renewed love of lo-fi, washed-out aesthetics. Instant film, with its limited shots and instant physicality, fits that mood perfectly.
Category: Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Polaroid, Instant Photography, Cameras, Compact
New evidence shows menopause rewires the brain
Every day in the US, an average of 6,000 women enter menopause.
Category: Aging Well, Wellness and Healthy Living, Body and Mind
Tags: University of Vermont, Menopause, Cognitive functioning, ADHD, Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Women, Age-Related, Brain, neurons, Hormones, estrogen
Boxy camper pod is an extreme bug-out bunker for escaping carnage
The latest camper from Mammoth Overland takes two of the brand's most creative launches of the recent past and fuses them together into a prepper-grade wilderness and apocalypse survival safe room built for immediate escape. Whether you're trying to keep away apex predators on regular camping or hunting expeditions, or getting out of dodge during a rapidly evolving "extinction level event," the Mammoth XLE might be the best civilian vessel in the world to have hitched up to your 4x4.
Category: Camping Trailers, Adventure Vehicles, Outdoors
Tags: Caravan, trailers, Trailer, Survival, Emergency, Shelter, RV, Overland Expo, Off-grid, Off-road, Camping, Outdoors and Camping
The Milky Way's star-forming edge may be closer than we thought
Astronomers have uncovered a surprising twist in the Milky Way's story.
Tags: milky way, Stars, Astrophysics
Historic drone rescue of Apache crew points to future of recovery missions
In a historic first, two US Army crew members from an AH-64 Apache helicopter forced down near the coast of Oman were rescued within two hours by a US Navy Saronic Corsair drone boat operated by the 5th Fleet's Task Force 59.
Category: Military, Engineering
Tags: US Army, US Navy, Autonomous Vehicles
Studies link hay-fever medication with dementia. Here's what you should know.
Eef Hogervorst, Loughborough University/ The Conversation
Category: Mental Health, Brain Health, Body and Mind
Tags: Dementia, Allergies, Medication, antihistamines
20-eyed, 20-legged robot moves in any direction with equal ease
Most of nature – including humans – is symmetrical, and as creations reflect their creators, many robots we create today feature this symmetry, with the general assumption that symmetry is best. Researchers at Duke University have challenged that assumption with Argus, a sea-urchin-like robot that ditches conventional symmetry altogether.
Category: Robotics, Engineering
Future robots could avoid damage by rolling up like armadillos
Nature has long served as a source of inspiration for scientific innovations. Many animals have evolved defensive features such as skins, shells, and scales to protect themselves from predators. Because protective mechanisms are essential in both biological organisms and engineered systems, a lot of these features have already been adopted in modern technologies. Recently, researchers from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University drew inspiration from the armadillo and its unique self-defense mechanism.
Category: Robotics, Engineering
Tags: North Carolina State University, Armor, Biomimicry, Self-defense
World-first hydrogen-powered 'gas station' for ships passes key trials
Retrofitting a port berth with shore power can take anywhere from three to seven years of permitting, construction, and grid upgrades. Now, a UK company has developed a floating hydrogen-powered platform and can make that wait disappear without having to move a single brick.
1 in 5 Parkinson’s cases may be a different disease
Each year in the US, around 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Category: Mental Health, Brain Health, Body and Mind
Tags: Parkinson's Disease, Dementia, Brain, Genetics
Apartment-like tiny house spreads out for spacious single floor living
The Miami tiny house doesn't try to squeeze too much into its extra-wide 400-sq-ft (37.16-sq-m) single-floor interior. Instead, it spreads out for a spacious and apartment-like layout that's designed to sleep two in comfort.
Category: Tiny Houses, Outdoors
Tags: Tiny Footprint, Building and Construction, Micro-House, House, Home
The riddle of the LA Olympics: No cars, no new venues – How?
In 2028 Los Angeles will become the first city to hold the (modern) Olympic Games for a third time, following previous runs in 1932 and 1984.
Category: Sports, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Olympics, Infrastructure, Sports, public transportation, Transport, Logistics
Lego recreates world's tallest church with largest-ever set
The Sagrada Familia has been under construction for more than 140 years, but Lego's new replica should hopefully prove a little quicker to assemble. Featuring just over 12,000 pieces, it's Lego's largest set to date by piece count.
Category: Architecture, Engineering
Tags: Lego, Education, Toys, Sagrada Familia
Modular next-gen US nuclear reactor goes critical
Nuclear energy in the West took another step forward as the first privately developed, non-light-water reactor to go critical in the United States in more than 40 years reached a major milestone when the Antares Nuclear Mark-0 test reactor came online at Idaho National Laboratory.
Category: Energy, Engineering
Tags: Small Modular Nuclear Reactor, Nuclear, Power Stations
Cave discovery pushes back the moment we first used fire
There’s no doubt about it – burning stuff is what makes us human. Aside from the fact that fire makes food safer, tastier, and more digestible, burning a few sticks pushes back the darkness, keeps predators at bay, and keeps us toasty warm.
Category: Archaeology, Science