This week in news from The Debrief, researchers bombarded mouse neurons with lasers to uncover how the brain generates illusions, offering fresh insights into schizophrenia. Elsewhere, a study suggests that if alien civilizations exist in the Milky Way, they are likely exceedingly rare and far older than humanity. Meanwhile, in orbit, U.S. Navy scientists have trained a zero-gravity Astrobee robot to fly autonomously without human input, marking a leap forward in space robotics. And in South Africa, cannabis waste has yielded a new class of rare compounds, flavoalkaloids, which may hold promise for future medical treatments.
Here’s a look at all the top stories we’re covering right now at The Debrief…
- “The Accident”: How a Cosmic Misfit Helped Solve a Planetary Mystery
A detailed study of a cosmic mystery known as “The Accident” has now provided new insight into the formation of clouds on giant gas planets.
- Did Volcanic Eruptions Support Life on Ancient Mars? New Research Says It’s Possible.
Volcanic activity may have given rise to life on Mars, say researchers, investigating how an early greenhouse effect on the Red Planet.
- Mystery of ‘Homo Naledi,’ an Ancient Human Species Who Buried Their Dead, Deepens with New Burial Discovery
Homo Naledi, an extinct species of small-bodied hominins, may have intentionally buried their dead over 240,000 years ago.
- Ryugu Asteroid Discovery “Forces Us to Rethink” Origins of Water on Our Planet
Near-Earth asteroid Ryugu was previously covered in flowing water, say researchers examining samples returned by JAXA’s Hayabusa2 mission.
- Interstellar Objects Like 3I/ATLAS Could be “Ready-Made Seeds” For Planet Formation
As 3I/ATLAS is presently fascinating space enthusiasts, researchers say that such interstellar objects may act as planetary seeds.
- China Says It Wants to Kill an Asteroid
According to China’s space agency, the government is preparing to test a direct method of planetary defense by sending a spacecraft to collide with an asteroid.
- Insect Apocalypse: These Ants Are Vanishing at an Alarming Rate
Scientists concerned with a recently identified “Insect Apocalypse” have discovered an alarming rate of decline in Fijian ant populations.
- Hawking Was Right: Unprecedented Black Hole Merger Observation Supports Predictions
A recently discovered black hole merger is proving correct theoretical predictions made by Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
- For Decades, Ghostly Halos Haunted the Seafloor off LA—Now Scientists Finally Know Why
Scientists solve mystery of ghostly halos off LA’s coast, revealing toxic waste barrels still reshaping the seafloor.
- Bombarding Brain Cells with Lasers, Scientists Pinpoint the Source of Illusions, Revealing New Insights Into Schizophrenia
New research into how the brain processes illusions has bombarded mouse neurons with lasers, artificially reproducing the brain activity.
- The Nearest Alien Civilization Might Be Across the Galaxy—and Millions of Years Older Than Us
If technologically advanced civilizations exist elsewhere in the Milky Way, they are likely to be both extremely rare and much older than our own, according to new research.
- US Navy Scientists Teach Zero-Gravity Robot to Fly in Space Without Human Interference
US Naval Research Laboratory scientists have successfully trained an Astrobee zero-gravity robot to fly in space without human interference.
- Cannabis Waste Holds Rare Compounds With Medical Promise, New Research Reveals
Scientists at Stellenbosch University report the identification of flavoalkaloids, a previously unreported class of rare compounds in cannabis.