This week in stories we’re covering at The Debrief, a team of physicists is using light to alter the magnetic nature of matter at room temperature, revealing quantum effects once thought impossible. Meanwhile, a mysterious new space object has been found lurking in the glare of the Sun, and it’s one of the fastest-moving Solar System enigmas astronomers say they’ve seen. Finally, a groundbreaking new device employs levitation to help researchers gently sort living cells, with no need for physical contact.
You’ll find all this, and more, among the top stories we’re covering right now at The Debrief...
- Unexpected Earth-Sized Exoplanets Discovered in Binary Star System “Test the Limits of Planet Formation Models”
A trio of newly discovered exoplanets is defying the expectation that binary systems are hostile to planet formation, according to an international team of researchers.
- Ancient Mayan Astronomers Perfected a 700-Year System for Eclipse Prediction, New Study Reveals
New research reveals how Mayan astronomers built a precise eclipse prediction system using complex lunar mathematics.
- Scientists Are Putting $14.2M Behind an Ambitious New Effort to Map the Body’s “Hidden” Sixth Sense
NIH invests $14.2 million to map interoception, the body’s hidden sixth sense, revealing how the brain monitors vital internal signals.
- Are 4K and 8K Televisions Worth it? Scientists Say These Experiments May Finally Settle the Debate
Recent experiments reveal the right display size and sitting distance required for people to differentiate between 4K, 8K, and HD TVs.
- Physicists Revive a 19th-Century Theory of “Cosmic Knots” to Help Untangle the Mysteries of Dark Matter and Neutrinos
A long-dismissed theory involving “cosmic knots” could help explain the origins of neutrino masses, dark matter, and other mysteries.
- Elusive ‘Alfvén Waves’ Have Been Discovered in the Sun’s Corona, Ending Nearly a Century of Searching
Scientists have finally discovered theoretical torsional Alfvén waves within the Sun’s corona, concluding a decades-long search.
- Scientists Demonstrate ‘Brain-Inspired’ Computers Made from Mushrooms That Mimic Neural Activity
Scientists have designed a novel fungus-based computer system that incorporates parts made from common shitake mushrooms.
- Physicists Change the Nature of Matter With Light in Breakthrough That Blurs the Line Between Science and Magic
Scientists use light to change matter’s magnetic nature at room temperature, revealing quantum effects once thought impossible.
- Levitation Breakthrough Enables Scientists to Sort Living Cells Using “Invisible Force” Instead of Physical Contact
A groundbreaking new device uses electromagnetic levitation to help researchers gently sort living cells, with no need for physical contact.
- Astronomers Just Spotted an Undiscovered Space Object Hiding in the Sun’s Glare—And It’s Moving Extremely Fast
Hidden by the Sun’s glare, a new space object has been found lurking in our Solar System, and it’s one of the fastest-moving of its kind.
- Do NFL Refs Favor the Kansas City Chiefs? New Research Says Yes: The Data Backs Fans’ Suspicions
A new study suggests that NFL referees may favor the Chiefs in key games, potentially linking postseason calls to league profits and financial pressure.
- “Nowhere Else Could We Have Achieved This”: This Physics Experiment Aboard the ISS Could Significantly Improve Spacecraft Safety
European researchers aboard the ISS are investigating the fundamental nature of condensation to mitigate hazards to spacecraft electronics.
- “This Marks a Paradigm Shift”: Study Finds ‘Technological Fingerprint’ Proving First Americans Arrived Over 20,000 Years Ago
New analysis of ancient artifacts reveal evidence that the First Americans arrived from East Asia by traveling along the coast more than 20,000 years ago.
- Ancient DNA Reveals the Secret Killers That Wiped Out Napoleon’s Army in 1812
Ancient DNA reveals Napoleon’s army was decimated by hidden fevers, not typhus, during the disastrous 1812 Russian invasion.
- Striking New Fossils From a Dinosaur “Mummy Zone” Helped Solve a Mystery More Than a Century in the Making
The preserved record of “dinosaur mummies” soft tissue discovered in Wyoming is shedding new light on what these creatures truly looked like.
- Can You Trust Your Weed Dealer? New Study Finds Nearly Half of Cannabis Labels Overstate THC Potency
Colorado study reveals nearly half of Cannabis flower products exaggerate THC levels, raising concerns over labeling accuracy.
- New Study Warns Planet-Cooling Stratospheric Aerosol Injections are Unpredictable, Risky, Could End in Disaster
New study reveals stratospheric aerosol injections may be far riskier than expected, with major technical and governance limits.
- Warning Network’s Campaign to ‘Target’ 3I/ATLAS Sparks Theories About Secret Planetary Defense Effort
This week, the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) announced a new campaign that will target 3I/ATLAS.
- “We Made an Exciting Discovery”: Astronomers Spot ‘Super Earth’ in Star’s Habitable Zone Less Than 20 Light Years From Earth
A newly spotted ‘super-Earth’ orbiting within its star’s habitable zone, just 20 light-years from Earth, could host extraterrestrial life.
- The Discovery of a New Type of Time Crystal is Challenging Past Thinking on These Unusual Structures
Researchers have discovered that quantum interactions between particles can be used to create time crystals with their own internal rhythm, challenging previous beliefs about these strange structures.
- Power From Water: Scientists Use H20, Precision Engineering, and Friction to Generate Electricity
Scientists have invented a new type of device that uses water and silicon covered with tiny pores to convert friction into usable electricity.