Latest news with #NewAtlas
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Volkswagen Atlas: Big on space, smooth on road
VW rolls out flagship SUV in Korea, targeting Hyundai-dominated segment Volkswagen has rolled out the Atlas, its largest three-row SUV, in the South Korean market for the first time, catering to the country's strong appetite for family vehicles. All eyes are on how the German automaker will penetrate the SUV market currently dominated by Hyundai Motor Group and recover its annual sales to 10,000 units. First introduced in the US in 2017, the all-wheel-drive family SUV is one of Volkswagen's four new car models launching this year, including the Golf hatchback, ID.5 electric SUV and Golf GTI. Competing with Hyundai Motor Company's Palisade SUV, which sold over 6,000 units in the first quarter, the New Atlas boasts German precision engineering -- highlighting a comfortable and stable driving experience. The Korea Herald was able to try out the SUV in a recent media test drive covering some 136 kilometers across Seoul and Incheon. The most noticeable feature of the vehicle is how smoothly it navigates the road. Despite its large body size, it maintained firm handling with little vibration even on sharp turns. The car's appeal extends beyond its stability. Powered by Volkswagen Group's turbocharged 2.0 TSI EA888 evo4 engine -- also found in performance models such as the Golf GT -- the Atlas delivers impressive performance. It took on hills with ease accompanied by a powerful engine sound that added a hint of sportiness. On highways, however, the noise felt louder and a little more irritating. The Atlas also features Volkswagen's latest advanced driver assistance system, the This reduces fatigue during long-distance driving with Travel Assist, by automatically adjusting the car's speed, maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and keeping the vehicle within its lane. The Adaptive Cruise Control supports stop-and-go from 0 to 200 kilometers per hour, blind spot monitoring, rear traffic alert and emergency braking. Volkswagen stressed that the New Atlas has the largest body size in its segment in the Korean market, measuring 5,095 millimeters in length, with a width of 1,990 millimeters and a height of 1,780 millimeters. It also has a class-leading trunk capacity of up to 2,735 liters. Folding the second and third-row seats also creates ample floor space, making it ideal for camping and other outdoor leisure activities. The SUV accentuates a motorsport-inspired design package, with LED headlamps and an illuminated central logo for a bold look. The rear sports connected LED lamps, an illuminated logo and a body-colored bumper. The spacious interior is also emphasized by the driver's seat, which includes a 10.25-inch digital cockpit and a windshield head-up display. The New Atlas comes in a single trim and is available in six- or seven-seater configurations, priced at 68.5 million won ($49,800) and 67.7 million won, respectively.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
After a Single Concussion, Kids Are 15 Percent Less Likely to Go to College
More concerning news from the traumatic brain injury (TBI) front: a new study shows that kids who experience just one concussion are 15 percent less likely to end up going to college — the latest research to ring alarm bells about various ways that the long-term impacts of TBIs might manifest. The study, published last week in the European Journal of Epidemiology, was conducted by a cohort of Finnish scientists and physicians. Using data from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care, they analyzed data collected from patients aged 17 and under who received hospital-level care for a brain injury, ranging from emergency visits to the ER for seemingly mild concussions to treatment for more severe head traumas. What they found, according to lead study author Julius Möttönen, was alarming. "A mild, single concussion is often considered a relatively harmless event, but our research suggests that it can have long-term effects on learning and cognitive abilities," Möttönen, a doctoral researcher at the University of Tampere in Finland, told New Atlas of the study's findings. "This should get more attention in both healthcare and schools." According to New Atlas, the researchers obtained the records of 136,828 patients from the Finnish registry; 24,039 of those records, they found, contained details regarding higher education for patients over the age of 26. Within that group, researchers found that 8,487 received hospital treatment for pediatric TBIs, or "pTBIs." About 7,600 patients in that cohort were treated for more generalized concussions, while the remainder had a "specific intracranial injury" like brain bleeding, according to the study. The average pTBI patient age at the time of their treatment was 13 years old. The pTBI group was then compared against a reference group of 15,552 pediatric patients who, instead of a head injury, had received hospital-level treatment for limb injuries like broken ankles and wrists. The results were fascinating — and troubling. Overall, the scientists concluded that individuals from the pTBI cohort attended higher education at a 15 percent lower rate than their non-brain-injured counterparts. Within that group, the small cohort that experienced a specific cranial incident like a brain bleed were even less likely to engage with higher education, entering college and university at a rate 22 percent lower than those who experienced concussions. And even when someone with a pTBI did go to college, they were 19 percent less likely than their peers to go on to receive an advanced degree. "People with pTBI had lower education attainment at all higher educational levels than the reference population with orthopedic injuries," reads the study, noting that the level of "education attainment" achieved by pTBI folks "was lower regardless of the injury severity." In other words, even a mild concussion was correlated with a lower likelihood of pursuing education beyond high school. Of course, the decision to seek higher education is complicated, and layered in factors like a person's socioeconomic background and identity. (That said, we should note that Finnish universities — and all Finnish education — is free for Finnish citizens, as well as citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area member states, and Switzerland.) But while the study's findings remain correlative, they add to an ever-growing body of scientific literature revealing the long-term consequences of brain injuries — from seemingly low-level concussions to life-threatening traumas — and their connection to learning disabilities, mental health challenges and disorders, behavioral changes, and long-term impairments in cognitive function. Hopefully, the Finnish paper leads to further study of how even comparatively minor head injuries may continue to impact someone's life years after their incident — and how kids grappling with life after a TBI might be best supported by schools and leaders in education. "For future monitoring of pTBI patients," write the study authors, "it is important to pay attention to the possible long-term negative cognitive impact that can lead to lower educational attainment." More on brain injuries: One Out of Three Former NFL Players Think They Have CTE, the Traumatic Brain Disease Linked to Murders and Suicides
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Automaker introduces futuristic concept van with revolutionary features: 'This is Travel 4.0'
Chery, a Chinese automaker, is shaking up the adventure car space with its new Journeo concept van, according to New Atlas. The idea for this half-electric hybrid vehicle is practically a transformer that can take you from city life to a sightseeing road trip in one fell swoop. The company calls the experience "Travel 4.0," and sure enough, the car's design is chock-full of features you've probably never thought a car could have. For example, its front seats swivel around to create a pop-up living room with a loveseat-esque rear bench. That bench can also turn into a daybed by swinging the seat backs to the sides. Where to put your head, you ask? The inside of the doors are removable cushions, New Atlas explained. Up top, a large glass roof and extra big rear windshield let as much of the views inside as possible. There's no shortage of space to stretch either; the front dashboard retracts and a rear pod slides out to give the interior nearly 5 feet of extra space. This setup is rightfully called "lounge mode," per New Atlas. As the outlet reported, the exterior of the Journeo has some other tricks up its sleeve for enhanced on- or off-road adventuring. A trunk in front — also known as a frunk — stores a mobile kitchen and grill. The grill panel can also drop down to create a curved outdoor bench, and a thin rooftop carrier deploys a flower-petal awning for a bit of shade. The car's concept is not as rugged as some van-lifers might look for, but it does have an adaptable air suspension system that can adjust based on road conditions. On top of that, Chery estimates a future iteration of the design will be capable of a 1,550-mile range when both its battery and fuel tank are full, which would be a major plus for any road-tripping driver, per New Atlas. This all just goes to show what's possible in the innovative world of electric cars, from cutting-edge designs to immense savings on gas bills and tailpipe-pollution-free driving. Interested buyers in this particular EV will have to wait for the design concepts to make it into a real car — but the Journeo is convincing enough to one day be a competitor to other electric multi-purpose vehicles, according to New Atlas. "Amazing concept," one commenter on Chery's Instagram promotion wrote. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "Yes. This is exactly what I want," another added. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This unbelievably high-tech EV can literally leap over obstacles: '[Those are] some James Bond car moves'
Chinese automaker BYD is turning everything you think you know about what a car is capable of upside down. Its Yangwang U9 electric supercar can literally jump 20 feet over obstacles in the road, according to New Atlas. Don't believe it? See the acrobatics for yourself. If there's one thing people assume about cars, it's that they are heavy and cannot leave the ground. BYD has tossed all that out the window in the creation of this $236,000 electric vehicle — which marked an entrance into high-end markets for a company that is otherwise well-known for more affordable EVs. The U9 packs a ton of horsepower that helps it accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 2.36 seconds. That's probably faster than it took you to read this sentence. This EV is also lightning quick — it can whip around a racetrack at 243 mph — and is extremely agile. Its suspension design allows it to do bunny hops, drive on three wheels, and spin in a tight circle, all of which were already documented, per New Atlas. Yet taking flight over obstacles is a new trick for the 5,500-pound vehicle. During its leapfrogging, it successfully cleared an 8-foot pothole with a total jump of 20 feet and then handled 13 feet of 1.4-inch spikes and a patch of colorful chalk like it was nothing. The kicker? All of this was achieved completely autonomously — nobody was even inside the vehicle, New Atlas explained. Now, you might be thinking, "Why on earth would I need a car that jumps?" Aside from marketing, more practical uses do exist. The ability to get low could help make highway driving more efficient, and popping up higher could be useful for avoiding scrapes on driveways and speed bumps. The overall stability of the vehicle that makes extreme stunts possible also means it handles accelerating, braking, and turning at any speed safely and smoothly. It can float on water, which could definitely come in handy in an emergency, New Atlas reported. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The U9 EV isn't available in the U.S. yet, and at the end of the day, it surpasses most people's car needs anyway. But its extraordinary abilities just go to show the groundbreaking innovations that are possible with electric cars. World-class technology is available in plenty of other budget-friendly EVs. Driving one means you'll never need the gas pump again, which takes the edge off your monthly bills, too. Plus, with no planet-warming tailpipe pollution to worry about, you can drive in peace, knowing you're doing the environment a solid. "Not gonna lie. That's some James Bond car moves," one YouTube commenter wrote on the stunt video. "Very impressive BYD," another added. "Best bank robbery car ever!" a third joked. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Weird New Computer Runs AI on Captive Human Brain Cells
Australian startup Cortical Labs has launched what it's calling the "world's first code deployable biological computer." The shoe box-sized device, dubbed CL1, is a notable departure from a conventional computer, and uses human brain cells to run fluid neural networks. In 2022, Cortical Labs made a big splash after teaching human brain cells in a petri dish how to play the video game "Pong." The CL1, however, is a fundamentally different approach, as New Atlas reports. It makes use of hundreds of thousands of tiny neurons, roughly the size of an ant brain each, which are cultivated inside a "nutrient rich solution" and spread out across a silicon chip, according to the company's website. Through a combination of "hard silicon and soft tissue," the company claims that owners can "deploy code directly to the real neurons" to "solve today's most difficult challenges." "A simple way to describe it would be like a body in a box, but it has filtration for waves, it has where the media is stored, it has pumps to keep everything circulating, gas mixing, and of course temperature control," Cortical Labs chief science officer Brett Kagan told New Atlas late last year. Whether it will actually prove useful remains to be seen, but Kagan is excited for scientists to get their hands on the tech. "There's so many different options," he told Australian broadcaster ABC News, suggesting it could be used for "disease modelling, or drug testing." "The large majority of drugs for neurological and psychiatric diseases that enter clinical trial testing fail, because there's so much more nuance when it comes to the brain — but you can actually see that nuance when you test with these tools," Kagan told New Atlas. "Our hope is that we're able to replace significant areas of animal testing with this." For now, the company is selling the device as a way to train "biological AI," meaning neural networks that rely on actual neurons. In other words, the neurons can be "taught" via the silicon chip. "The only thing that has 'generalized intelligence'... are biological brains," Kagan told ABC. "What humans, mice, cats and birds can do [that AI can't] is infer from very small amounts of data and then make complex decisions." But the CL1 isn't about to disrupt the entire AI field overnight. "We're not here to try and replace the things that the current AI methods do well," Kagan added. Nonetheless, the approach could have some key advantages. For instance, the neurons only use a few watts of power, compared to infamously power-hungry AI chips that require orders of magnitude more than that. Apart from selling the CL1, Cortical Labs is also looking to sell compute via the cloud, using its own assembled racks of the unusual computers. In short, while it sounds like an exciting new take on conventional computers, Cortical Labs still has a lot to prove, especially when it comes to teaching neurons not unlike an AI. "I know where it's coming from, because it is clear that these human neuronal networks learn remarkably fast," University of Queensland biologist and stem cell research specialist Ernst Wolvetang told ABC. "At this stage I would like to reserve my judgement, because, learning Pong is one thing, but making complex decisions is another," he added. More on Cortical Labs: Researchers Teach Human Brain Cells in a Dish to Play "Pong"
