The Best of New Atlas
20+ most popular New Atlas articles, as voted by our community.
Extraordinary ideas that move the world forward
Trending
These are currently making the rounds on Refind.
Scans that are 64 million times clearer give a new look at the brain
Fifty years on from American chemist Pal Laterbur detailing the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists have marked this historic medical anniversary with the sharpest-ever scans of a mouse…
Captura facility could remove gigatons of carbon dioxide from the ocean
Captura Corporation, a spinoff of the California Institute of Technology, has developed a revolutionary plan to remove carbon emissions by creating an aquatic purification facility in the middle of…
New Atlas on Aviation
Jetoptera targets Mach 0.8 with bladeless-propulsion VTOL aircraft
Like bladeless Dyson fans on steroids, Jetoptera's unique aircraft propulsion systems look like pure sci-fi. But they're beginning to demonstrate some fascinating capabilities in testing, and the next…
New Atlas on Ebikes
Skarper tech turns bikes into ebikes by powering the brake rotor
There are now a number of kits for converting regular bikes into ebikes, most of which involve swapping in a motorized wheel or adding a device that rolls against the rear tire. The Skarper system is…
New Atlas on Health
Surprise findings suggest anti-inflammatories increase chronic pain risk
A new study led by researchers at McGill University challenges current notions of how acute pain is treated. The findings suggest treating some forms of acute pain with anti-inflammatory drugs may…
Injectable hydrogel treats back pain from damaged discs in human trials
Human trials have shown that hydrogel injections are a promising, effective treatment for chronic lower back pain caused by degenerative disc disease (DDD). The treatment is far less invasive than…
New Atlas on Makers
100x faster, 10x cheaper: 3D metal printing is about to go mainstream
Desktop Metal - remember the name. This Massachussetts company is preparing to turn manufacturing on its head, with a 3D metal printing system that's so much faster, safer and cheaper than existing…
New Atlas on Physics
New quantum state boosts material's conductivity by a billion percent
Scientists at Georgia Tech have discovered a new quantum state in a quirky material. In a phenomenon never before seen in anything else, the team found that applying a magnetic field increased the…
Dual Coincidence is likely the world's most complex electromechanical game
As compared to today's video gaming systems, pinball machines may seem quaint and simple. Such is certainly not the case with New York artist Andy Cavatorta's Dual Coincidence installation, however,…
New Atlas on Psychedelics
Psilocybin for major depression granted Breakthrough Therapy by FDA
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted psilocybin therapy a Breakthrough Therapy designation for the second time in a year, this time with a view on accelerating trials testing its efficacy treating major depressive disorder (MDD).
Tripping on virtual reality: The artists trying to replicate psychedelic experiences in VR
Can a drug-induced psychedelic experience be replicated by virtual reality? Or, can VR induce its own unique altered state of consciousness?
New Atlas on Psychotherapy
Psilocybin therapy 4 times more effective than antidepressants, study finds
A new study is presenting the first published data from preliminary human trials investigating the effect of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy to treat major depressive disorder (MDD). The incredibly positive results have been described as just a “taste of things to come” with larger a Phase 2 trial well underway.
New Atlas on Science
Arthritis drug mimics "young blood" transfusions to reverse aging in mice
In what sounds like dystopian sci-fi, researchers have recently shown that infusions of youthful blood can improve the health of older people. A new study has found that an existing arthritis drug can…
Sunlight-activated "loofah hydrogel" excels at purifying water
Although we've seen a number of systems that use sunlight to purify tainted water, their output is often quite limited. A new loofah-inspired hydrogel, however, uses sunlight to treat much more water…
New Atlas on Space
NASA's "evolved structures" radically reduce weight
Evolution has shaped the load-bearing skeletons of animals over aeons with incredible precision. Now, an accelerated simulation of the evolution process is helping NASA create stronger, lighter parts…
Liquid nitrogen may do the trick for getting moon dust off spacesuits
If you've ever been to the Moon (and who hasn't?), then you'll know that the clingy dust which covers its surface can damage spacesuits. According to a new study, a spray of liquid nitrogen may offer…
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Record-setting quantum entanglement connects two atoms across 20 miles
Researchers in Germany have demonstrated quantum entanglement of two atoms separated by 33 km (20.5 miles) of fiber optics. This is a record distance for this kind of communication and marks a…
Year-long exercise study reveals surprising impacts on mental health
We’ve seen studies offer some valuable insights into different ways exercise can be beneficial for brain health, from combating depression, to fighting dementia, to boosting our memory. New research…
Contra-rotating floating turbines promise unprecedented scale and power
Norway's World Wide Wind has a radically different take on offshore wind power. These floating, vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) feature two sets of blades, tuned to contra-rotate – and they…
World's smallest 8-kW generator rocks a deafening microturbine
Drone-maker Fusionflight has announced an 8-kW microturbine generator that weighs less than one-tenth of what an equivalent petrol generator would, and it's the size of a toolbox instead of needing…
Stanford study into “Zoom Fatigue” explains why video chats are so tiring
A new study from Stanford University communications expert Jeremy Bailenson is investigating the very modern phenomenon of "Zoom Fatigue." Bailenson suggests there are four key factors that make videoconferencing so uniquely tiring, and he recommends some simple solutions to reduce exhaustion.
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