Since founding TerraPower in 2008, Bill Gates has had his eye on developing a safe, efficient, and clean next-gen nuclear plant. That project, called Natrium, has already broken ground in Wyoming and has just leaped over a critical hurdle.
Category: Energy, Technology
Tags: Nuclear, Reactors, Power, Clean Energy, Alternative Energy, Bill Gates, TerraPower
Researchers have developed proof-of-concept technology that allows people to do common smartphone tasks – listen to music, take a phone call, and order food – all by making simple, not-too-socially-awkward gestures with their feet while they’re walking.
Category: Technology
Tags: Proof-of-concept, Walk, Augmented Reality, Smartphones, University of Waterloo
A frothy breakthrough at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), using lasers with a silver metal foam that's as light as air, has created the brightest yet X-ray source ever, twice as brilliant as that of anything previous.
Category: Science
An emerging new generation of ultralight backpacking tents combines compact, seriously lightweight construction with more comfort and convenience at camp. The Durston X-Dome 1+ was one recent example, and the all-new Lunar Orbiter from Six Moon Designs makes another intriguing option, complete with a wide-spanning exterior pole structure for increased volume, freestanding stability and lightning-fast setup.
Tags: Tent, Backpacking, Camping, Bikepacking, Outdoors and Camping, Lightweight
We all know that a healthy, balanced diet dominated by unprocessed foods is a recipe for gut and overall health, but scientists have now found just how one nutrient – fiber – can trigger a microbiotic chain reaction that actually shields the body from influenza and other viruses.
Category: Infectious Diseases, Illnesses and conditions, Body & Mind
Tags: Chinese University of Hong Kong, Influenza, Gut Bacteria, Gut health, Microbiome, Virus
Frontier Tiny Homes impressed us with its spacious extra-wide Felicity model, but with its Agatha, the firm has gone in the opposite direction and produced a compact tiny house that's more in line with smaller European models, while still being suitable for full-time living.
Category: Tiny Houses, Lifestyle
Tags: Building and Construction, Tiny Footprint, Micro-House, House, Home
DJI's simple-but-capable Neo drone is indeed kind of a big deal, but is it not quite capable enough for you? If so, you might want to check out the new DJI Flip. It sports a folding design, multiple autonomous flight modes, and a whopping 31-minute battery life.
Category: Drones, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: DJI Innovations, Quadcopter, Camera drone
Bold guitarists looking to push boundaries can go down the digital processing rabbit hole, but Verso's latest oddball build takes a more mechanical approach to shaping tones. The Sine guitar rocks movable pickups and a novel metal pad for swells and tremolo plus pedal control and expression.
Category: Music, Consumer Tech, Technology
Tags: Guitar, Guitar Effects
This is not your grandad's cable car gondola. Born of an amusement ride and opening to the public in 2026, this remarkably clever kiwi idea offers quick, cheap, on-demand urban transit – that's much more direct and private than public transport.
Category: Urban Transport, Transport
Tags: Transport, Autonomous Vehicles, urban transport, Public Transport, Electric Vehicles, New Zealand
Each night, our brains execute a "wash and rinse" routine that clears away harmful protein waste linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. Now, new research shows that a common prescription sleep aid can disrupt this essential process.
Category: Sleep, Wellness & Healthy Living, Body & Mind
Tags: Insomnia, Sleeping, Ambien, University of Rochester, Medication, Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Glymphatic System
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research has partnered with Grifols, a global healthcare company, to identify biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease well in advance of symptoms appearing. The initiative could lead to new diagnostic tools and ways of slowing or stopping the condition’s progression.
Category: Illnesses and conditions, Body & Mind
Tags: Parkinson's Disease, Biomarkers, Plasma
There are loads of great flashlights built for outdoor adventures, but the best light is the one you have on you. That's what makes the tiny new Ysmart Bullet2 a great choice out in the wilderness: it's small enough to fit on a keychain or belt loop, and it turns on as soon as you yank it from its magnetic base.
Tags: Flashlights, Camping, Kickstarter, EDC
We've never been closer to accurately assessing whether an individual is more susceptible to developing major depressive disorder due to their biology, with 293 newly identified gene variants found to play a role in ramping up the risk factor. That's 42% more than was previously known.
Category: Mental Health, Brain Health, Body & Mind
Tags: University of Sydney, Genetics, University of Edinburgh, King's College London, Neuroscience, Depression, ADHD, neurons, Brain
Ever since rolling out its distinctively rugged Luna Rover, inTech has been injecting the same otherworldly DNA into larger camping trailers. Today, it unveiled the largest of them all, the all-new dual-axle Aucta Sycamore, a family trailer with unique looks, rugged construction, hideaway features, and an interior that's versatile enough to keep up with the most demanding full-time RV-dwelling families.
Tags: Caravan, Trailer, trailers, Camping, RV, Outdoors and Camping, Travel
If you've ever ridden in a car that can park itself at the push of a button, you'll appreciate the achievement of Skyryse, which has made a fully-conforming production helicopter that can hover with the swipe of a finger.
Tags: Helicopters, Autonomous flight, Aviation, Flight Tests, Flight
Is obesity a disease or a risk factor for disease? In medical circles – and outside of them – the question is contentious, with supporters on either side. In a newly published report, the Global Commission on Clinical Obesity has strived to settle the debate, introducing a new framework that redefines obesity.
Category: Obesity, Illnesses and conditions, Body & Mind
Tags: Obesity, Diagnosis, Model, Public health
The aviation industry has long been in a relentless pursuit of technological advancement, efficiency, and sustainability in propulsion. In a recent collaboration, Turbotech, Safran, and Air Liquide teamed up to validate the feasibility of using liquid hydrogen to power a turbine engine.
Tags: Hydrogen Aviation, Turbine, Aircraft, Flight
What has 14 legs, lives at the bottom of the sea, and looks like Darth Vader? It's a newly discovered species of supergiant isopod, and should you happen to be in Vietnam sometime soon, you can buy one and eat it.
In the future, daily commuters may have to decide between a traditional motor vehicle and a flying car. Or maybe not. Xpeng AeroHT is developing a stunning dual-mode transporter it calls the "Land Aircraft Carrier" (LAC), a six-wheeled van built to launch a two-person foldable eVTOL out its trunk, promising a new era of hybrid land-air travel. The LAC once appeared to be a fanciful concept but has been progressing rapidly since last year, and now has a full demo launch and flight under its belt.
Category: Automotive, Transport
Tags: eVTOL, Flying+Car, Hybrid, Modular, Xpeng, CES 2025, Electric Vehicles
On January 10th, the world's first carbon fiber subway train – called the Cetrovo 1.0 Carbon Star Rapid Rail – took to the tracks for the very first time in Qingdao, China. It is promised to be stronger, safer, and produce less harmful emissions than traditional trains.
Category: Transport
Tags: Trains, China, public transportation, Carbon Fiber, World's First
