Sunday Special: Virgin Galactic unveils a six-seat spaceship

Welcome back, Superhuman. The future of space travel is getting closer, with new technology paving the way for more affordable trips beyond Earth. Virgin Galactic has just unveiled a futuristic six-seat spaceship that looks straight out of a sci-fi movie. Meanwhile, scientists have developed a device that can transmit smells over the internet, bringing an entirely new dimension to the digital world.

1. Scientists unveil technology that can transmit smells across the internet: Ohio State researchers have unveiled Scentronic, a system that uses an electronic nose to identify an aroma and transmit that information online by telling a remote wearable device to release a matching scent. It can currently identify only five smells: beer, cake, coffee, oranges, and red wine. For now, it remains an early research prototype and would need a much larger scent library before becoming commercially useful.

2. Virgin Galactic unveils a six-seat spaceship for commercial space tourism: Dubbed Apeiron, the company’s first Delta-class spacecraft will carry six passengers on suborbital flights before gliding back to Earth. Virgin Galactic says its modular design could support up to eight flights per month — a major increase over its previous spacecraft. Testing will kick off before commercial service is expected to launch in early 2027. See the futuristic design here.

3. Controversial startup plans to develop bio-enhanced super dogs: Warhound, a new startup, plans to use gene editing and selective breeding to produce healthier and more capable working dogs for the US military. The dogs would also wear Anduril-built technology, potentially including mixed-reality systems and protective equipment. Warhound says it could improve dogs’ health, but the project has sparked major backlash over animal welfare and the ethics of engineering animals for military work.

4. Doctors use “search-and-replace” gene editing inside a person for the first time: Prime Medicine has treated a Wilson disease patient with an experimental therapy designed to correct a faulty gene directly inside liver cells through a single infusion. Wilson disease causes dangerous copper buildup and currently requires lifelong medication or, in severe cases, a liver transplant. If the therapy makes it past trials, one infusion could replace the lifelong daily medication Wilson disease patients rely on today.

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1. Meta VR Glasses: Turn almost any space into a personal theater or multi-screen workspace.

2. FacePaw Pet Door: An AI-powered pet door that recognizes your pet’s face and automatically unlocks the door for approved animals without requiring a collar tag.

3. Garmin CIRQA: A screen-free fitness band with no subscription. It’s built for folks who want health, sleep, and workout tracking, and can go up to 10 days on a single charge.

4. Nike x Hyperice Hyperboot: A high-tech recovery shoe that blends dynamic air compression and heat therapy to help you recover as you run.

📱 Reality Check: One commenter called it “the most awaited video on the iPhone Duo”. The popular tech YouTuber put the phone through the usual abuse, and some parts held up surprisingly well while others were a lot less durable than Apple claims. See the full breakdown (pun intended) here.

🧠 Thought To Speech: Neuralink has shown one ALS participant now typing on an iPhone, using Grok, and speaking over the phone using decoded brain signals. Its engineers spent 72 hours at his home building the features alongside him. Watch the wholesome video here.

🗡 Better Late Than Never: A murder committed in 1974 has remained unsolved for more than half a century. Now, a new DNA technology has linked it to this notorious serial killer.

🔍 Up Close: Vinyl can feel almost magical until you see the groove under an electron microscope. What looks like a smooth black record becomes a miniature mountain range. See it here.

💵 Gaming the System: Delivery couriers in France have found an unusual way to manipulate the delivery system and push back against low-paying orders, exploiting a quirk in the platform’s own pricing mechanism.

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Comeback Story: The Bangka slow loris had not been scientifically documented since the 1930s, but an Indonesian rescue organization claims to have found more than 90 individuals across Bangka island in the last ten years. Scientists now say the sightings prove the small, nocturnal primate survives in several areas. However, the species remains critically endangered as economic activity continues destroying its forest habitat.

Keeping in Touch: Google is partnering with the USO to put its Beam 3D calling system in 20 USO locations worldwide, so deployed service members can see and interact with their families in near-lifelike depth. The setup uses six cameras and a 65-inch screen with AI building a live 3D image of each person, requiring no headsets or glasses. The technology could make it easier for soldiers to feel present at family milestones.

Cancer Crusher: Stomach cancer is often caught late, and options tend to run thin once first treatments fail. Now, AstraZeneca claims its experimental drug Sora-Ve has reduced the risk of death by 42% with standard therapy across second- and later-line patients in a 532-person trial. The results could potentially give patients with few remaining options a new treatment path.

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Zain, Faiq, and the Superhuman AI team