New Atlas

Gizmag is now New Atlas:  Why we changed our name BIOLOGY We could bring the woolly mammoth back to life, but should we? With various “de-extinction” projects in the works right now, researchers have published a paper analyzing the ecological benefits, risks and responsibilities of reintroducing once-extinct species into modern ecosystems.  Read more VR How VR is rewriting the rules of storytelling New Atlas speaks to Eric Darnell, co-founder of Hollywood VR studio Baobab, and Google’s principle VR filmmaker Jessica Brillhart about the challenges in taking traditional storytelling into the nascent medium of virtual reality.   Read more DIGITAL CAMERAS Should you take a camera on holiday, or just use your smartphone? With smartphones capable of taking amazing photographs, you might be tempted to leave your camera at home next time you go on vacation. But does a dedicated shooter still deserve a spot in your suitcase? Here we look at some reasons to pack a camera, and others to leave it behind.   Read more GOOD THINKING One big question: Why can't we 3D print functioning organs today? We recently reported on heart structures 3D-printed in a weightless environment. For the first of a regular new feature, we asked one of the company’s chief scientist what was the single biggest impediment to having lab-grown organs available right now. Here’s what he had to say.   Read more MOTORCYCLES Top Motorcycle sales at Monterey Car Week 2016 (and 7 bargains still available) This is not a normal auction report in that we've included a number of significant bikes that didn't sell, and we've listed them with their high bid. That means opportunity for motorcycle enthusiasts.  Read more ENVIRONMENT NASA probes Namibian clouds to help predict future climate models ​NASA has sent two research aircraft and a bunch of scientists to the Namibian coast to provide a better understanding how aerosols interact with clouds, and how cloud behavior is directly or indirectly changed.   Read more TINY HOUSES Tiny home's unusual layout maximizes available space French tiny house firm Baluchon recently completed the Odyssée. In a bid to make use of every inch of available space, the firm designed an unusual interior layout that features an upstairs lounge, a kitchen split into two, and another bedroom that could serve as a child's room or guest room.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Mercedes goes campin' with expanded leisure van line At this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon, Mercede-Benz will be showing camper vans based on every van model in its lineup. There'll be an AMG version of the Marco Polo camper, collaborations with German camper converters like Hymer and Terracamper, and a simple Citan Tourer camper with roof-top tent.  Read more AUTOMOTIVE BYD Denza 400 points to Daimler's EV future The Chinese BYD Denza 400 shares a basic platform with the Mercedes B-Class EV launched in 2014, but improvements in the production process mean a battery of the same size now provides twice the range.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Classic compilation: Photos from the 2016 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Each August auto enthusiasts make their way to the Laguna Seca raceway for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion as part of Monterey Car Week. As the largest auto event of the week, the four day rolling museum attracts hundreds of classic cars from a variety of periods and racing categories.   Read more MEDICAL Face transplant gives ex-firefighter his life back One year ago, Patrick Hardison underwent the world's most extensive face transplant. The severely-burned Mississippi firefighter had lost most his facial and head features in the line of duty in 2001, but 15 years later the change is nothing short of dramatic.   Read more OUTDOORS Motorola's modular lantern lights camp, plays music and repels bugs We're quite used to carrying Motorola gadgets but not so used to leaving them at home for every outing that doesn't involve hiking and camping. But that's what folks will be doing with Motorola's new Lumo Hybrid lantern, a versatile flashlight-lantern with speaker, mosquito repellent and more.​​   Read more MEDICAL Ultrasound used to "jump-start" coma patient's brain ​Researchers at UCLA have used an ultrasound treatment to stimulate neurons in the thalamus of a coma patient, leading to a marked improvement in his condition. Once verified with other patients, it’s possible that the method could provide a low-cost treatment for severe brain injuries.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Car-racking software is really packin' them in Imagine if you were in charge of putting cars into shipping containers. Given all the shapes and sizes you might be working with, how would you know which ones to put together, and in what configurations? Well, that's where new racking software developed at the University of Warwick comes in.   Read more SPACE Rosetta data points to comet landslide as cause of dramatic outburst ​ESA's Rosetta spacecraft has observed a dramatic increase in activity from the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, seemingly brought on by a landslide. The new data will help scientists to further characterize the activity that continues to shape 67P to this day.   Read more DIGITAL CAMERAS DJI adds a zoom lens to its smooth-moving Osmo actioncam ​​Drone-maker DJI impressed us with its portable Osmo action camera released last year. The company has now returned with the second generation dubbed the Osmo+, which includes an integrated zoom lens along with a few other minor improvements.​   Read more MOBILE TECHNOLOGY Samsung Galaxy Note 7 vs. Moto Z In this comparison, we match up Samsung's high-end stylus-navigated Galaxy Note 7 with Lenovo/Motorola's dynamic, modular Moto Z. Both are clearly premium smartphones with solid foundations, topped off with bells and whistles too substantive to be passed off as mere gimmicks.   Read more VR Barackulus Rift: President Obama using VR for National Park conservation awareness ​100 years ago, people used stereoscopes to view 3D slides of faraway natural wonders. The more things are different, the more they stay the same: today, Oculus announced a virtual reality experience where you can explore Yosemite National Park alongside President Obama.   Read more MEDICAL Protein successfully combats Alzheimer's in mice Scientists at the Salk Institute have used a laboratory mouse model of Alzheimer's to evaluate the effectiveness of a specific protein at breaking up plaques in the brain, that are central to the progression of the condition.   Read more DRONES Domino's drone gives new meaning to "pie in the sky" Pizza giant Dominos is set to use drones from Flirtey's to carry pizzas from a select store in New Zealand and lower them down to customer's homes by way of a tether, using some form of special pizza packaging to preserve the temperature and taste.   Read more ROBOTICS Honeybot would teach kids using "3D augmented reality" Designed by Chinese tech company Hui Yu, the Honeybot robot is billed as an interactive, Android-based robot that uses a type of 3D Augmented Reality (AR) to both teach and entertain kids ages 3 to 8 years old.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Amazon motors into auto listings, but only for research Amazon can be useful for researching products, even if you don't end up buying them there. That, ostensibly, is the point of Amazon Vehicles, a new place to to find information on cars and to draw upon the knowledge of its community.   Read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS Get Lifetime Access to This Bitcoin Training Platform For Just $39 The internet has changed the way we do many things: communicate, consume news, travel - the list is virtually endless. Currently, it's in the process of revolutionizing how we view and handle money. Bitcoin is the next revolution in financial services, and there is no time like the present to get a handle on this new innovation. Bit.Yoga is the perfect introduction for beginners, teaching you the fundamentals behind Bitcoin, how to trade and store it, and how to launch your own Bitcoin-powered business.   Read more