World War Two

A new kind of “super” material with its origins in a wild World War II plan to build ships from ice and wood pulp could give future engineers a novel toolkit for construction in polar or even alien environments. It could also be a source of water.

When we think of game-changing weapons, it brings to mind hydrogen bombs, ICBMs, nuclear submarines, hypersonic missiles, and lasers. But one of the most significant weapons was a knife. New Atlas looks at the legendary Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife.