Weekend Edition: Coronavirus convergent evolution, dino deaths, and blowhole power

[New Atlas logo]( Contrary to what some are saying, it appears coronavirus may not be done with us yet. Rich Hardy examines how a number of different SARS-CoV-2 variants are developing the same mutations, which may help the virus evade or pre-existing immunity. We also delve into some more details about the asteroid that marked the end of the dinosaurs, and learn that a type of artificial blowhole could provide some of the cheapest renewable energy available. Enjoy the Weekend Edition! Darren Quick Editor-in-Chief Science [As Omicron mutates wildly the virus shows first signs of convergent evolution]( [Researchers tracking COVID variants around the world have recently discovered different strains seem to be evolving the same mutations]( Researchers tracking emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants have started noticing something strange. Different subvariants seem to be accumulating the same mutations in a sign of convergent evolution but what does this mean for the future of the pandemic? [Read more]( Science [Dino-killing asteroid set off mile-high tsunami and month-long mega-quake]( [An artist's impression of an asteroid headed for Earth, much like the one that killed the dinosaurs]( Around 66 million years ago a huge asteroid slammed into Earth and wiped out most life. Two new studies have identified evidence that the impact triggered global tsunamis almost a mile high and mega-earthquakes that rumbled for months afterwards. [Read more]( Energy [Blowhole wave energy could soon be world's cheapest clean power]( [The UniWave 200 has been making reliable, clean energy for Australia's King Island for a year now, delivering better performance than expected]( The UniWave sea platform is an artificial blowhole that harvests energy from ocean waves. Independent analysis now predicts it'll create some of the cheapest renewable energy on the market – and some of the most reliable and predictable, as well. [Read more]( Automotive [Ford to dazzle RV and van lifers with adventure-ready Transit Trail]( [Ford Pro will introduce the new 2023 Transit Trail van in November, bringing a little more "adventure-seeking capability" to the Transit lineup]( After months of rumors, the Ford Transit Trail is officially coming to America. Ford promises the new van will be a "turnkey canvas" for DIY builders and motorhome distributors, bringing them "adventure-seeking capability." [Read more]( Biology [Milestone study answers genetic mysteries of human height]( [Researchers are confident they've uncovered 12,000 variants that account for nearly all the genes that influence height in humans]( The results of the world's largest ever gene study have revealed almost all the genetic variants that influence a person's height. The study analyzed DNA from five million people and homed in on 12,000 variants that play a role in how tall we are. [Read more]( Home Entertainment [Sony lays claim to the smallest 3LCD laser projectors in the world]( [The VPL-PHZ61 3LCD laser projector boasts a center brightness of 7,000 lumens, while the cheaper VPL-PHZ51 model puts out up to 5,800 lumens at the image center]( Sony has announced the successors to a pair of compact home/business projectors launched in 2020, this time going so far as calling the VPL-PHZ61 and VPL-PHZ51 models the world's smallest WUXGA 3LCD laser projectors. [Read more]( Environment [Weed-killing plant-based foam shown to be as effective as herbicides]( [Pictured here being used to kill weeds between cobblestones, Foamstream has recently been trialled on olive groves in Greece]( It's no secret that herbicides can be harmful to the environment, plus they're costly, and weeds may develop a resistance to them. New research now suggests that farmers could get the same weed-killing results from a hot biodegradable foam. [Read more]( Science [Brain cells in a lab dish "exhibit sentience" by learning to play Pong]( [A microscope image of neurons within DishBrain, with cells highlighted using fluorescent markers]( Scientists have demonstrated that clusters of brain cells in a lab dish can be taught to play Pong in an approximation of sentience. This is the first time that these cells have performed goal-directed tasks, opening the door for better brain models. [Read more]( Energy [Cheap wind harvester generates electricity from a gentle breeze]( [Nanyang Technological University scientists with their newly developed wind harvester]( While wind energy systems can come in some pretty big forms, scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore have developed a small, low-cost device sensitive enough to capture energy from a light breeze. [Read more]( Space [Astronomers can't explain a black hole "burp" years after it ate a star]( [An artist's impression of a black hole destroying a star in a tidal disruption event (TDE)]( Black holes chow down on stars that wander too close, producing a bright stellar show. But now a black hole has done something nobody’s ever seen before – it “burped up” material several years after eating a star, leaving astronomers baffled. [Read more]( Aircraft [XPeng's X2 flying car makes first public flight in Dubai]( [The X2 flying car in action in Dubai]( Chinese electric vehicle-maker XPeng has been developing a teardrop-shaped eVTOL to serve as a flying taxi of the future, and has just flown it in public for the first time at Skydive Dubai in front of 150 onlookers. [Read more]( Telecommunications [World's fastest internet network upgraded to staggering 46 Terabit/s]( [The US Department of Energy has unveiled ESnet6, the next generation of its high-speed science internet network]( The fastest internet network in the US just got a bit faster. The Energy Sciences Network has been upgraded to ESnet6, boasting a blistering bandwidth of 46 Terabits per second (Tbps). But don’t get too excited yet – it’s strictly scientists only. [Read more]( Outdoors [World's first VW ID. Buzz electric camper kit launches for under $3K]( [Ququq launches the BusBox-4 kit for the VW ID. Buzz]( The ID. Buzz van took forever to get to market, but the ID. Buzz camper van has been moving more quickly. Ququq already has the world's first ID. Buzz camper kit ready to order for well under $3K. It also has a new kit for the VW T7 Multivan. [Read more]( Energy [Record energy haul: Offshore prototype operates over capacity for 24 hrs]( [A Siemens-Gamesa offshore wind turbine prototype has recorded a stunning daily energy record of 359 Megawatt-hours in 24 hours]( A prototype wind turbine has recorded an extraordinary single-day renewable energy production total, bringing in a massive 359 megawatt-hours in a 24-hour time period. To get there, it had to operate over its rated capacity, essentially all day long. [Read more]( Space [Ancient Martian life may have died out in self-induced climate change]( [An artist's impression of a hypothesized watery ancient Mars]( Humans might not be the first lifeforms to face self-induced climate change. A new model suggests Mars was once habitable enough to support microbes, and they may have wiped themselves out by causing irreparable damage to the Red Planet’s atmosphere. [Read more]( Medical [App turns smartphones into electronic stethoscopes]( [The Echoes app captures recordings of a user's heartbeat through the smartphone's microphone]( A new study has demonstrated that an app designed to turn a smartphone into an electronic stethoscope can capture reliable, quality recordings of user heartbeats across the population, which could be used to remotely monitor heart conditions. [Read more]( Materials [New class of ceramics can be thermoformed into shape like sheet metal]( [Scientists have demonstrated a new class of materials they call thermoformable ceramics]( In what they hail as a “new frontier in materials,” engineers at Northeastern University have developed a new type of ceramic that can be fashioned into thin and complex shapes, opening up expansive new applications in electronics. [Read more]( Medical [Fungal pigment proves promising source of cancer-fighting compounds]( [A novel compound found in a fungus species has some promising cancer-fighting potential]( Scientists have delved into the makeup of a fungus species and discovered a novel compound with some promising cancer-fighting qualities, while also serendipitously unearthing a new crimson dye with good food preservation potential. [Read more]( Science [A stomach virus is suspected to trigger inflammatory bowel disease]( [A study found norovirus, a common gastro infection, can trigger a process leading to Crohn's disease in people with certain genetic variants]( New research has found evidence a common viral infection can trigger inflammatory bowel disease in genetically susceptible people. Across a series of mouse experiments the researchers demonstrated how a norovirus infection can bring on Crohn’s disease. [Read more]( Materials [Efficient new catalyst converts mixed plastic waste into propane]( [A diagram illustrating how the new catalyst converts mixed plastics into propane, which can be used as a low-impact fuel or made into new plastics]( Plastic waste is one of the most pressing environmental problems of our time. Now, engineers at MIT have developed an effective new catalyst that breaks down mixed plastics into propane, which can then be burned as fuel or used to make new plastic. [Read more]( Science [Wild simulations of cosmic collisions show the Moon forming in just hours]( [A simulation of the Moon forming after a massive collision between ancient Earth and a Mars-sized protoplanet]( It’s believed that the Moon formed billions of years ago, from debris from a cosmic collision with Earth. New high-resolution simulations not only illustrate the idea in stunning detail, but reveal that the Moon’s birth might have taken mere hours. [Read more]( Medical [MIT and Harvard study unpacks the push and pull of diet and exercise]( [A new study has revealed cellular changes that take place in response to exercise and high-fat diets in mice]( A new study from scientists at MIT and Harvard University has delved into the complex relationship between nutrition, exercise and the human body, and turned up some fascinating insights around the way they impact on cells. [Read more]( Energy [Satellite power grid would beam energy around the globe just like data]( [You don't need space-based solar if you've got a global wireless energy network, says Emrod]( New Zealand company Emrod says it's got the technology to enable efficient wireless energy transfer from orbit. It's proposing a global wireless energy matrix, which would instantly beam renewable energy via satellite between any two points on Earth. [Read more]( Marine [JetCycle hydrofoil is the recumbent bike that soars over water]( [Soaring over top the water under pure pedal power]( Hydrofoil cycling is among the more intriguing new water sports out there, but it's also rather intimidating. JetCycle skips the high saddled frame and drops its pedaled foil down to kayak level, offering high-flying glide with less intimidation. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). [Update profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( Copyright New Atlas © 2022