John Anderson
New Atlas
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, United States
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Past articles by John:
Super luxe Shika-shima train debuts in Japan
Japanese trains have long been known for their speed and efficiency. Now, if the East Japan Railway Company has its way, slow and luxurious may soon be added to the list with the May 1 debut of its Train Suite Shiki-shima, designed by famed Ferrari designer Ken Okuyama. → Read More
Mastodon bones push arrival of early humans in America back by 115,000 years
For decades, scientists believed humans arrived in America anywhere from 13,500 to 16,500 years ago. Now new research from the Cerutti Mastodon Discovery, an archeological site in California, blows those estimates away by suggesting hominids arrived on the continent as early as 130,000 years ago. → Read More
Alien technology? Harvard scientists propose source for fast radio bursts
There are plenty of strange phenomena in the universe, and fast radio bursts are among the more mysterious. So far, we don't know the source of these high-energy light bursts, but Harvard researchers propose they're caused by planet-sized alien transmitters for powering interstellar spacecraft. → Read More
Panasonic develops solar car roof for Prius
Solar car roofs have generally been the reserve of concepts, experiments and niche carmakers. Now Panasonic has developed a solar photovoltaic car roof for the latest Toyota Prius plug-in, upping the wattage to 180 W from the 50 W roof found on earlier Prius models. → Read More
Volvo adds hybrid power to SuperTruck concept
Volvo's SuperTruck concept has been designed to address fuel economy and emissions issues, which has been fitted with a prototype hybrid powertrain. Fuel consumption is reduced by 5 to 10 percent by allowing the diesel engine to shut off up to 30 percent of the time. → Read More
Science meets architecture in robotically woven, solar-active structure
New York’s MoMA PS1 will feature a shelter structure that uses robotically-knitted solar fabrics able to absorb and release light. Created by Jenny Sabin Studio, the canopy is photo-luminescent by night and cooling by day, with a misting system that delivers a cooling spray when someone is near. → Read More
Is “Zealandia” Earth’s newest continent?
As any high school student will tell you, Earth has seven continents. Now researchers from Australia and New Zealand are challenging this fundamental notion by proposing an eighth continent in the oceans east of Australia, dubbed Zealandia. → Read More
Even deepest ocean trenches aren't safe from human-made pollutants
Plunging more than 10 km (6 mi) down, you might think the the oceans' deepest trenches would be a relatively safe haven from human-made pollutants – but you'd be wrong. Researchers from Newcastle University in the UK have found extremely high levels of chemical pollutants in deep-sea scavengers. → Read More
Low-cost, high-performing battery runs on urine byproduct
Constructing a commercially viable battery from cheap materials has proven an elusive goal. Researchers from Stanford University hope to solve the puzzle with the introduction of an aluminum-ion battery that uses an electrolyte made of urea, the main component of urine (after water). → Read More
Bigger is better for far-roaming sea creatures when it comes to marine sanctuaries
Marine Protected Areas are proven refuges for less-mobile species, but whether they protect wide-roaming creatures has been up for debate. A recent study from Stanford University shows an MPA south of Hawaii provided protection for far-roaming grey reef sharks, holding promise for other species. → Read More
Massive wind turbine takes energy generation record
A V164 offshore wind turbine from MHI Vestas Offshore Wind has produced almost 216,000 kWh over a 24-hour period during tests at its site near Østerild, Denmark in December. In doing so, the 9 MW prototype takes the energy generation record for a commercially available offshore wind turbine. → Read More
Residential turbine design inspired by hummingbird wings
Employing dual oscillating blades that mimic the figure-8 motion of the wings of a hovering hummingbird, Tyer Wind's new and quirky turbine has a compact design that's a potential fit for residential use. → Read More
Massive marijuana report reveals drug's many health effects
The focus of marijuana studies can be as varied as their conclusions. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine seeks to remedy this by examining more than 10,000 scientific abstracts of cannabis studies published since 1999, reaching nearly 100 conclusions. → Read More
Pouncer drone can be packed to the propellers with disaster relief
Delivering supplies to disaster sites is an inexact science. The Pouncer is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed to land accurately, while its hollow wings and body can be packed with food, water and medicine, the pre-formed shell used as shelter, and the frame burned for cooking fuel. → Read More
Canada to complete world’s longest recreational trail
Cyclists in Canada will soon be able to pedal from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific Ocean, without having to share a road with a single car. The Great Trail will stretch 15,000 miles through each of the country’s 13 provinces and territories and touch three oceans. → Read More
Thin plastic overlayer doubles efficiency of rooftop solar panels
Swiss startup Insolight has developed a thin plastic overlayer that sits atop a solar panel and directs the sun's rays to a small area of very high performance solar cells to achieve a solar conversion efficiency of 36.4 percent. → Read More
Latest Hitachi wind turbines targets light offshore winds
Hitachi has developed an offshore wind turbine to milk more power from light-wind locations. The 5MW turbine features a rotor sweep diameter of 136m (446 feet), 15 percent greater than the previous model from the company, suited for areas with average annual wind speeds under 7.5 m/sec (16.7 mph). → Read More
Reusable microbots make meal of toxic metals
Researchers have developed a tube-shaped microbot that removes 95 percent of lead from polluted water in one hour, offering a cheaper and more effective way for removing heavy metals than previous methods. → Read More
Battery “kill-switch” prevents overheating and fires
Researches at Stanford University have developed a safer type of lithium-ion battery that automatically shuts off before it overheats, and restarts instantly once it cools down. → Read More
Mid-air holograms that respond to human touch
Researchers from Tsukuba University in Japan have created holograms that respond to human touch. Involving femtosecond lasers, which can stimulate physical matter to emit light in 3D form, the research could eventually lead to the creation of holograms that humans are able to interact with. → Read More