New Atlas

AUTOMOTIVE The fastest cars in history: 1946 to now There's only one fastest car in the world at any given time, and the car that holds that title has captured the public's imagination since the first flurry of speed record attempts in the early 1900s. Here's a look at the fastest production cars in history.   Read more AUTOMOTIVE Interview: Singularity University's Brad Templeton on the future of "robocars" Software architect, developer, internet entrepreneur and artist Brad Templeton talks to New Atlas about the future of self-driving cars and the surprising changes and challenges that they'll bring.   Read more MUSIC Turning junk into funk: Guitars made from things found around the home Six-string beauties made from thousands of matchsticks to upcycled carve monsters built using skateboard decks to a playable Stratocaster fashioned from packaging material inspired us to look around for more crazy stringed instrument creations. Here, in no particular order, are our top picks.   Read more DRONES Contest pics show drone photography at the top of its game SkyPixel, a community for aerial photographers and videographers, aims to celebrate the best drone photography with its photo contest. From winding roads to barren winter forests, the 2016 SkyPixel Photo Contest showcases just what can be achieved with a drone and keen eye.   Read more ENERGY Diamonds turn nuclear waste into nuclear batteries A University of Bristol team has found a way to convert nuclear waste into man-made diamond batteries that can generate a small electric current for longer than the entire history of human civilization.   Read more MOTORCYCLES Bolt-on drum charger boosts motorcycle power and torque up to 25% - at a fraction of the cost of a turbo This refreshingly simple forced induction system for motorcycles won't give you the huge power output of a turbo system - but it can give you a boost of up to 0.6 bar and some 15-25 percent more power, torque and efficiency at "about a tenth" the price of a turbo setup.   Read more MEDICAL Anti-inflammatory drug gives hope of brain repair after stroke Researchers University of Manchester have found a drug already used to treat certain conditions in humans can not only limit the effects of stroke, but also help repair the damage they cause.   Read more COMPUTERS Can neural networks pick the perfect present? Choosing the ideal gift may soon be outsourced to artificial intelligence: by answering a few questions about the recipient, a service called ebo box can pick out the right gift for them, using deep learning algorithms to scan market data and look for connections that humans might miss.   Read more SPACE Spaceworthy optical clock promises centimeter-level GPS precision An optical clock built by a team led by Matthias Lezius of Menlo Systems not only has the potential to one day produce centimeter-level GPS location fixing, but is capable of operating in a zero-gravity environment.​   Read more ENVIRONMENT “Starving” bacteria to double energy extraction from sewage Global efforts to extract energy from sewage in forms such as heat, biogas and even electricity may get a boost thanks to the work of a team of biochemists and microbiologists from Ghent University, Belgium, who are collaborating on a pilot project with DC Water in Washington DC.   Read more DIGITAL CAMERAS GoPro gadget helps users talk to their Heroes ​Among the features of GoPro's new Hero5 is the ability to control the camera via voice commands. And while that's all well and good as long as the camera is within hearing distance of your mouth, what happens when it isn't? Well, you can now use the Remo voice remote.   Read more ARCHITECTURE Off-grid flatpack cabins would assemble like Ikea furniture Vancouver's Leckie Studio recently launched the Backcountry Hut Company, to offer modular cabins that come flat-packed and are put together like a piece of furniture from Ikea. Still in the design stage, the cabins will be able to run on or off-the-grid with solar power.   Read more DRONES UK issues revised guidance for drone users Conscious of a lack of awareness about drone usage rules, an increasing number of drone incidents and in anticipation of many more drones taking to the skies this Christmas, the UK has issued revised guidance for consumer drone users.   Read more WEARABLES Clever clip keeps time on luxury watches The Frederique Constant Analytics is an accuracy measuring clip and smartphone app that allows owners to measure the performance of their watches at home and make sure they're properly maintained.  Read more GOOD THINKING Microsoft app caters to the colorblind ​In most cases of colorblindness, people can actually see colors, but they have difficulty telling them apart. While there are glasses that help enhance contrast, they cost several hundred dollars. That's why two Microsoft software engineers developed a free iOS app that does much the same job.  Read more SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR NEW ATLAS READERS Cyber Monday Sale: Protect Your Online Privacy with Hotspot Shield Elite Plus VPN — 65% off When you browse the Internet, you're leaving behind a trail of personal data that can make you vulnerable to cyber attacks. With Hotspot Shield, you'll reduce that probability as your data is encrypted and secured on a private network without slowing your browsing down. And now, with the roll out of the brand new and improved Elite Plus plan you'll get comprehensive protection on up to 10 devices simultaneously on public WiFi anywhere in the world.   Read more