Michael Franco

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Michael Franco

While hydrofoils lift out of the water thanks to an underwater fin, hydroplanes zoom along by riding directly on the surface of the water. A slick carbon-fiber scale model from startup CovaConcepts shows off the latter concept in a fun new video. Both hydrofoils and hydroplanes are designed to make water travel faster, more efficient, and in many cases, more thrilling, but they do this in different ways. Hydrofoils have one or more blades, known as foils, that sit beneath the water's surface.

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Michael Franco

Tiny drops of water might not seem like powerhouse energy producers, but a new method shows how simple tubes might be able to turn falling rain into an energy source. In tests, the method was able to power up 12 LED lights. When it comes to generating clean energy from water, hydroelectric would certainly be the first thing to come to mind. But the issue with utility-level turbines is that they need large flows of water to operate, so their installation locations are limited.

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Michael Franco

Consuming cannabis can certainly be a way to deal with some health conditions like chronic pain or insomnia. But when a user goes too far and winds up in the hospital, the negative consequences can reach far into the future, says a new study. While the Grateful Dead once sang "too much of everything is just enough," that certainly doesn't seem to be the case with a substance well-known to many a Deadhead: cannabis.

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Michael Franco

One of the ketogenic diet's major perceived drawbacks is an increase in LDL, or so-called bad cholesterol. A new study, though, says that this cholesterol spike doesn't fit the conventional science in terms of its disease-causing ability. The ketogenic diet – an eating plan that emphasizes fat and protein over carbs – has certainly had its fair share of pluses and minuses added to its balance sheet over the years.

1 week ago | newatlas.com | Michael Franco

While the Coleman brand is nearly synonymous with camping gear, the outdoors company hadn't really brought its A-game to the cooler scene. That's all changed now with the release of its Pro line of hard- and soft-sided coolers. When Yeti brought its coolers to market in 2006, it changed the way we all could think about portable chill-bringers. Suddenly, you could go backwoods camping for four or five days and still have chunks of ice leftover for the ride home.