On the links I clicked, middle-click-to-new-tab definitely worked.
Search is atop every page, just to the right of the logo -- and autocomplete is wicked fast.
When you click a topic -- which has a blue-background, rounded-edge 'tag' look -- you get the topic page, with a list of 'open questions', 'best questions', and 'topic activity' (both new questions and answers/comments). Not exactly recent questions, but pretty close.
* Middle clicking a link to open in a new tab does not work.
* Where is the search box?
* How can I find a list of recent questions in a topic?