Weekend Edition: A holey motorcycle, air-free tires and ancient attire

Airless tires have been promising to free drivers from the fear of a flat for over a decade, but could Michelin's Uptis airless tires finally be ready for release? Still on the road, we hit the track with a motorcycle with a big ol' hole running through the middle of it, and check out the official range results for Lucid Motors' Air electric sedan. We also look at the oldest archeological evidence of clothes and some uplifting images from the 2021 Drone Photo Awards. All this and more in our regular weekly round up. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and thanks for reading New Atlas! Darren Quick Editor Automotive [Michelin's airless passenger car tires get their first public outing]( [Michelin's Uptis tire, being developed in partnership with GM, places an airless structure on top of a specially designed rim]( We've been reporting on Michelin's airless tire technology for more than 16 years now, and the company has finally put them on a demo passenger car for members of the public to experience what this re-invention of the wheel feels like to drive on. [Read more]( Science [Landmark study presents evidence Alzheimer’s disease begins in the liver]( [Using a newly developed preclinical model, new research demonstrates how toxic amyloid proteins are produced in the liver and then travel to the brain]( An impressive new study is presenting robust evidence showing the toxic proteins thought to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease may be produced in the liver and travel through the blood before landing in the brain causing neuron damage. [Read more]( Motorcycles ["Big hole" land speed electric motorcycle hits the track for first tests]( [The WMC250EV looks absolutely surreal with its giant Venturi tunnel]( There's no bike on earth remotely like the bizarre WMC250EV, an electric land speed racer built to slash aerodynamic drag by taking the radical step of tunneling a giant hole through the middle of it. Boy does it look surreal on track in this video. [Read more]( Outdoors [Bruder pushes deeper off-grid with EXP-8 off-road camper trailer]( [The EXP-8 includes 1,600 watts of roof-mounted solar to help keep its 1,000-Ah battery charged]( After shaking up the off-road camping trailer market with the EXP-6 back in 2016, Bruder is back with a new flagship. The EXP-8 puts the same burly exterior and comfy interior design into a more spacious package built for four-season off-grid living. [Read more]( Science [Oldest archeological evidence of clothes making found in Moroccan cave]( [The findings suggest humans were crafting clothes from animal furs with novel tools at least 120,000 years ago]( A new study is presenting archeological evidence of the oldest known bone tools used for making clothes. The tools, found in a cave in Morocco, suggest humans were skinning animals for fur to wear as clothes up to 120,000 years ago. [Read more]( Aircraft [Rolls-Royce's all-electric Spirit of Innovation flies for the first time]( [The Spirit of Innovation taking off]( Rolls-Royce's high-speed, all-electric Spirit of Innovation aircraft has flown for the first time. On September 15, the speedster prop plane took off from the UK Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down site fora 15-minute flight. [Read more]( Medical [Sodium acetate acts as a potential fountain of youth for aging bones]( [Young stem cells (left) produce more material (dark brown) for bone than old stem cells (center), and a new study shows how they can be rejuvenated by adding sodium acetate (right)]( Scientists looking into the biological mechanisms behind deteriorating bones have made a discovery that could help tackle age-related conditions like osteoporosis, by rejuvenating stem cells that to are central to their healthy maintenance. [Read more]( Automotive [Lucid Air blows past the competition (Tesla) with 520-mile EPA range]( [With the first EPA ratings out, the Lucid Air family edges closer to delivery]( When Lucid Motors first announced its Air sedan would return 517 miles on a single charge, it sounded too good to be true. A year and change later, Lucid's best-in-market EV range stands. The EPA numbers show the 2022 Air's range surpasses 500 miles. [Read more]( Science [Beyond CRISPR: New class of gene-editing enzymes discovered]( [MIT researchers have discovered a new class of enzymes that could open a new range of genetic engineering tools like CRISPR]( The CRISPR gene-editing system is built on a bacterial defense mechanism that allows scientists to make precise edits to DNA. Now scientists at MIT have discovered a new class of enzymes called OMEGAs that perform a similar function, perhaps better. [Read more]( Physics [Dark matter detector may have accidentally detected dark energy instead]( [Dark energy is the mysterious force thought to be responsible for driving the expansion of the universe to accelerate – and now physicists suggest we may have detected it]( Last year, physicists reported that an experimental dark matter detector picked up a strange signal. A new Cambridge study suggests it could be the first direct detection of dark energy, the mysterious force accelerating the expansion of the universe. [Read more]( Science [Low-energy freezing technology keeps food fresh without forming ice]( [By submersing food items in liquid rather than exposing them to air, a new freezing technology could change the game when it comes to food storage]( The freezers found homes and restaurants play an invaluable role in preserving foods until they're ready to be eaten, but an alternative technology promises to not only use far less energy, but improve food quality at the same time. [Read more]( Medical [Bioartificial kidney prototype aces lab tests, could replace dialysis]( [A bioartificial kidney prototype has been tested in the lab]( Patients with kidney failure require regular dialysis, an invasive and potentially risky treatment. But now researchers have successfully demonstrated a prototype bioartificial kidney, which can be implanted and works without the need for drugs. [Read more]( Photography [The art of aerial photography in the 2021 Drone Photo Awards]( [Commended - Nature. Poodle in Rapeseed. Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland]( This year’s Drone Photo Award winners raise the bar for the art of drone photography, from an incredible close-up of a polar bear taking a nap to mind-bendingly surreal glimpse inside an erupting volcano. [Read more]( Automotive [Ultralight foam-core runabout squeezes mileage out of small fuel cell]( [With a weight under 1,000 lb and a hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrain, the SLRV makes for a clean, efficient commute]( The German Aerospace Center combines ultralight foam-sandwich construction and small, efficient fuel-cell power into the Safe Light Regional Vehicle, a flashy prototype meant to be an efficient, zero-emissions commuter for the city and beyond. [Read more]( Health & Wellbeing [How gut bacteria may be sabotaging your weight loss efforts]( [New research found individuals not responding well to weight loss interventions had specific microbiome differences compared to those who effectively lost weight]( Can the make-up of your gut microbiome affect the success of a weight loss intervention? A unique new study is indicating this is certainly possible, identifying several mechanisms by which gut bacteria can either help or hinder weight loss. [Read more]( Outdoors [Car camper in a bag turns small cars into solo or duo micro-RVs]( [So long as you have a hatchback, CarCamper helps you create a camper]( CarCamper distills in-vehicle camping down to the basics with a light, simple, affordable "camper in a bag" that works with a variety of vehicles. The collapsible kit transforms everything from actual vans to three-door hatchbacks into micro-campers. [Read more]( Motorcycles [After 27 years, Triumph turns the Speed Triple back into a sportsbike]( [Fold-in mirrors will make the RR a weapon in traffic]( Anyone who's thought Speed Triple riders are nuts riding around on 178-horsepower monsters with zero wind protection can wear a satisfied smirk today. Triumph has revealed its new flagship: a neo-retro, bikini-faired Speed Triple 1200 RR cafe racer. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [4K laser projector huddles close to the wall for big-screen home cinema]( [The Vava Chroma can throw a 100-inch image onto an Ambient Light Rejecting screen or wall from just 7.2 inches away]( Californian tech company Vava has today launched its sixth crowdfunding campaign, this time hoping to attract home cinema lovers with a 4K ultra-short-throw laser projector rocking a Harman Kardon sound system. [Read more]( Aircraft [Lilium releases 5th-gen eVTOL flight test footage with sound]( [Lilium's 7-seat air taxi design is quite a departure from the rest of the industry]( Lilium's eVTOL is vastly different to anything else in the air taxi world, using 36 small ducted fans in place of larger rotors. One of the key advantages, says Lilium, is the reduced noise signature – and now we get to hear it for the first time. [Read more]( Materials [World-first resurfacing project mixes graphene into freshly laid UK road]( [Graphene additives may help boost the longevity of road surfaces]( A first-of-a-kind trial now underway seeks to apply the wonder material graphene's impressive attributes to one of the UK's major thoroughfares, by deploying it in a road resurfacing project along a stretch of the A1. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). 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