Weekend Edition: See-through bamboo, physical humanoids and one epic metal multitool

[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 the Weekend Edition. Materials [Transparent bamboo: A fireproof and waterproof alternative to glass]( [Scientists have developed transparent bamboo that's also water- and fire-resistant]( Glass might soon have some competition from an unlikely rival – bamboo. Scientists in China have turned regular old bamboo into a transparent material that’s also resistant to fire and water, and suppresses smoke. [Read more]( Robotics [Video: $16k G1 humanoid rises up to smash nuts, twist and twirl]( [Flexible joint and internal "hollow joint" wiring "unlock unlimited movement ability"]( Humanoid development at China's Unitree continues apace. Following its entry into the melee just last year, its fast-walking H1 bot recently got its backflip groove on. Now the faceless and hand-less humanoid is being joined by an impressive all-rounder. [Read more]( Outdoors [Bolt-action titanium toothpick should get the job done]( [The AcePick is presently on Kickstarter]( A lot of crowdfunded multitools make a lot of claims, but the AcePick boasts a feature we genuinely haven't seen before: a bolt-action toothpick. It also sports a combination box cutter/pry tool, along with all-titanium construction. [Read more]( Military [New energy weapon replaces million-dollar missiles at 13 cents a shot]( [The RFDEW costs 13 cents per shot]( A new directed energy weapon is being rolled out to bolster British defense capabilities. And, at 13 cents a shot, it's just as effective, but a lot cheaper than the multi-million dollar missiles it's designed to replace. [Read more]( Robotics [Watch: Sony's new microsurgery robot stitches up a corn kernel]( [Sony's microsurgery robot operates on a corn kernel]( Sony has shown off its new surgical robot doing some super-precise work sewing up a tiny slit in a corn kernel. It's the first machine of its kind that auto-switches between its different tools, and has successfully been tested in animal surgery. [Read more]( Outdoors [Tactical cot-tent pitches a comfier way to camp at ground level]( [Helinox finally invites Americans to get up off the ground and enjoy the comfort of a cot with the built-in protection of a tent]( Helinox is best known in North America for its light, compact chairs, cots and camp furniture. Now it's bringing over some coveted Asian-market kit for Americans to get their hands on, including slim, solo-sleeper cot-tents. [Read more]( Transport [Self-balancing commuter pods ride old railway lines on demand]( [Two of the Monocabs making a trial run – these test models are equipped with extendible "catching devices" that keep them from tipping over in the event of a mishap]( Country folk tend to like the independence offered by their cars, so how do you get them to use public transit? The Monocab system may be the answer, as it utilizes individual on-demand pods that travel on existing abandoned railways. [Read more]( Energy [40% of US lithium needs could come from unlikely source in Pennsylvania]( [Runoff from fracking operations is not usually considered a good thing, but a new finding reveals it could be a source of a very valuable metal]( Thanks to the increase of electric vehicles and other battery-using technologies, the demand for lithium is expected to skyrocket in the coming years. One odd but potent source of the metal is a Pennsylvania wastewater stream, says a new study. [Read more]( Technology [Google starts doing the Googling for you: Search will never be the same]( [Google will start doing the Googling for you, using its Gemini AI]( The world's most popular search engine, serving 8.5 billion requests every day, is getting a complete overhaul, and the experience of looking for information online will never be the same. [Read more]( Outdoors [Blacked-out camper trailer packs two kitchens and a flip-out bathroom]( [The Carbon color fits the Pursuit trailer like a glove]( BRS Offroad's new Pursuit Carbon camping trailer bushwhacks through nature's gnarliest, expanding into a cozy shelter with hard-floor bathroom, indoor and outdoor kitchens, and queen bedroom below the starry night sky. [Read more]( Around The Home [Silencer for leaf blowers picked up by Black & Decker]( [The new leaf blower silencer (orange) is an attachment that drastically reduces the most annoying frequencies blasted out]( Leaf-blowers are the bane of suburban Sunday mornings. Now a team of engineering students at Johns Hopkins University has invented a kind of silencer attachment to radically reduce noise, which could be on shelves in a few years from Black & Decker. [Read more]( Motorcycles [Video: 'Monster Chopper' goes full send on its first test ride]( [Nerves of steel to be jumping this 814 lbs (369 kg) behemoth]( What do you get when you cross a KTM 1190 V-twin wedged into a custom steel-tube trellis frame with 46" off-road tires that has hydraulic steering? A Monster Chopper. This is the kinda stuff that happens without proper adult supervision. [Read more]( Drones [Video: World's fastest quadcopter smashes Guinness speed record]( [The Peregreen 2 controlled by Luke Bell has flown into the Guinness World record books]( Last year, a mechanical engineer set a Guinness World Record for the fastest battery-powered RC quadcopter, which was clocked at 224 mph. Now that record has been smashed by a custom-made drone that clocked nearly 300 mph. [Read more]( Automotive [Toyota 3000GT super-roadster: Modern replica drop-top gets 50% more power]( [Rocky Auto’s convertible 3000GT - a reproduction of a car that never was.]( With manufacturers starting to end production of their iconic ICE automobiles, it might be time to start thinking about one last snarling beast to take into the EV wilderness with you … and this car presents as a contender for several reasons. [Read more]( Environment [This 50,000-year-old block of ice reveals the true state of CO2 levels now]( [This ancient ice block is helping tell the true story of global warming]( Despite evidence that indicates we're now living beneath unprecedented levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases, a lack of historical records has meant we've had little to compare it to. So scientists decided to consult the planet's own record books. [Read more]( Energy [Fusion record paves way for commercial reactors]( [The WEST reactor uses a tungsten lining]( The Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) hits a new fusion reactor endurance record that could open the door to practical fusion power on a commercial scale. Using a tungsten lining, the WEST reactor held a reaction for six minutes. [Read more]( Energy [Volcanic ash: The cheapest battery for solar energy storage]( [Pyroclastic flow and clouds of volcanic ash as Krakatoa erupts]( It's rarely great news when an area gets blanketed in volcanic ash – but University of Barcelona researchers have discovered it has a rare combination of useful properties, which make it remarkably useful as an energy storage medium. [Read more]( Marine [Reimagined electric outboard propeller keeps plastic out of the ocean]( [Torqeedo hopes to put plastic in the sea in a more responsible way]( Torqeedo, a major innovator of all-electric boat motors, is trying to further improve its clean track record. It's deep in the works on a new version of its iconic bright-orange propeller that's crafted from 100% recycled plastic. [Read more]( Military [Lockheed Skunk Works releases first images of its innovative aerial tanker]( [Artist's concept of the NGAS tanker]( Lockheed Martin's paradoxically famous/secret Skunk Works has released the first image of its futuristic stealth tanker aircraft designed to refuel US and allied warplanes at long distances close to combat zones sometime in the 2040s. [Read more]( Energy [World's highest-efficiency hydrogen system scales up for mass production]( [Hysata claims its capillary-feed electrolyzer is the world's most efficient, using some 20% less energy to produce hydrogen while also being cheaper to install and maintain]( Hysata promises the world's cheapest hydrogen, thanks to a remarkable device that splits water into H2 and O2 at 95% efficiency – some 20% higher than the best conventional electrolyzers. The company has raised US$111 million to scale up production. [Read more]( Energy [Ultra-high density battery vests give next-gen soldiers twice the energy]( [Amprius takes the next step toward a more powerful, field-ready wearable battery]( Amprius began shipping its remarkable silicone-anode batteries in 2022, laying claim to the world's highest-density battery cells along the way. It's now focusing attention on a unique use case: a military-spec wearable battery for warfighters. 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