Austin Burgess, Author at The Debrief

Recurring Drought Forced Ancient Bison Hunters to Abandon an 1,100-Year-Old Montana Hunting Ground

Austin Burgess·February 17, 2026

While bison still lived in the grasslands and the vegetation patterns remained unchanged, hunters stopped visiting the Bergstrom site, which had been used on and off for generations.

Neuroscientists Re-Examining a Classic Model Now Say Humans May Have As Many As 33 Senses

Austin Burgess·February 16, 2026

Neuroscientists and philosophers are re-examining Aristotle’s model of the five senses by investigating how the brain processes sensory information.

This Remote Greek Peninsula May Preserve a Living Link to the Ancient World

Austin Burgess·February 14, 2026

A remote peninsula in southern Greece may hold a living genetic link to the ancient Mediterranean world.

Exercise and Food Restriction Shape Psilocybin’s Effects, New Study Finds

Austin Burgess·February 11, 2026

A new study from Monash University, published in Genomic Press Psychedelics, found that psilocybin changes social behavior and immune signaling in female mice.

Thousands of Alien Plant Species Could Soon Take Root in the Arctic

Austin Burgess·February 10, 2026

A recent study published in NeoBiota indicates that thousands of non-native plant species could now find suitable conditions in the Arctic.

Modern CT Scans Are Helping Scientists Unwrap the Lives of Ancient Egyptians

Austin Burgess·February 7, 2026

Recent advances in medical imaging are providing new insights into the daily lives of ancient Egyptians.

Pairing THC With an Anti-Inflammatory Reduced Alzheimer’s Pathology in Mice

Austin Burgess·February 4, 2026

Scientists say combining a low-dose of THC with a common anti-inflammatory drug improved cognition and reduced Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in mice.

Clinicians Push Back on Common Myths About Dissociation

Austin Burgess·February 3, 2026

A new clinical handbook, Working with Dissociation in Clinical Practice, by Helena Crockford, Melanie Goodwin, and Paul Langthorne, explains that dissociation is more than a brief loss of focus or a rare mental health condition.

Scientists Deploy “Bat Accelerator Machine” to Unlock the Secret to How Bats Navigate in the Dark

Austin Burgess·February 2, 2026

In a new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, scientists from the University of Bristol reframe the concept of echolocation.

Could Cannabis Beverages Help Reduce Alchohol Consumption? New Survey Findings Say Its Possible

Austin Burgess·February 2, 2026

A recent survey found that cannabis-infused beverages may fit into a similar social context as alcohol, with participants reporting lower alcohol consumption after they began using cannabis drinks.

Closer to Home: New DNA Analysis Reframes the Story of the “Beachy Head Woman”

Austin Burgess·January 29, 2026

For over a decade, the Roman-era skeleton known as the Beachy Head Woman has fueled discussions about the identity of the remains as well as migration in ancient Britain.

This Wild Potato May Rewrite What We Know About Life Before Farming

Austin Burgess·January 28, 2026

New research shows that a wild potato was carried across the region more than 10,000 years ago, helping it spread far beyond its natural range.

Global Study Finds Invasive Species Are Helping Drive Sharp Insect Losses

Austin Burgess·January 26, 2026

A recent global analysis shows that invasive alien species are linked to significant declines in insect populations and diversity worldwide.

Droughts and Floods Weakened the Tang Dynasty Before Its Collapse, Researchers Say

Austin Burgess·January 24, 2026

New research suggests that environmental stress played an important role in weakening the Tang dynasty before its eventual collapse.

Ancient Cannabis Enzymes Reveal How THC and CBD First Evolved

Austin Burgess·January 22, 2026

A team of scientists has taken a closer look at the origins of cannabis chemistry by reconstructing enzymes from ancient plants.

“Auto-Brewery Syndrome”: What Happens When the Body Starts Brewing Its Own Alcohol?

Austin Burgess·January 20, 2026

A very small number of people can naturally experience symptoms of intoxication despite not consuming any alcohol.

A Newly Discovered Species Offers Clues to the Great Salt Lake’s Past

Austin Burgess·January 19, 2026

Researchers have discovered a new species in the Great Salt Lake, offering scientists a new tool for monitoring environmental change.

A New Brain-Stimulation Tool Could Help Scientists Trace the Origins of Consciousness

Austin Burgess·January 19, 2026

Although researchers can monitor brain activity associated with perception, pain, and awareness, it remains unclear which neural pathways are tied to the origins of consciousness.

Ancient DNA Reveals a Virus That Learned to Live Inside the Human Genome

Austin Burgess·January 17, 2026

A virus that infects nearly all children early in life has, in rare cases, been present within human DNA for thousands of years.

Novel Compound Activates Key Psychedelic Receptor Without Behavioral Effects

Austin Burgess·January 16, 2026

Laboratory tests of a novel serotonin-binding compound have revealed an unexpected disconnect between receptor activation and behavior, raising new questions about how psychedelic effects emerge in the brain.

A Jurassic-Era Discovery Reveals How Earth’s Orbit May Help Explain Why Some Shale Layers Are Rich in Oil

Austin Burgess·January 14, 2026

New research reveals the role of our planet's orbit in why some shale layers are rich in organic material.

Ancient Teeth Reveal a Surprise That Challenges Our Ideas on Early Migrations Into England

Austin Burgess·January 13, 2026

A recent bioarchaeological study shows that human migration in England continued from the end of Roman rule through the Norman Conquest.

Fossilized Bones Can Reveal Chemical Traces of Ancient Biology, New Research Demonstrates

Austin Burgess·January 12, 2026

A new study in Nature led by scientists at New York University reports that fossil bones as old as 3 million years still contain thousands of preserved metabolic molecules.

Some Brains ‘Switch Gears’ More Efficiently Than Others—New Research Reveals Why

Austin Burgess·January 8, 2026

The brain’s ability to switch between fast and slow processes depends on communication between regions, new research reveals.

Overlooked for a Century, Forensic Scientists Unveil an Unexpected Game-Changer for Solving Crimes

Austin Burgess·January 7, 2026

New forensic research reveals that fragments of moss as small as an eyelash can serve as a powerful tool in solving crimes.

‘Action Crisis’ Unraveled: New Research Tackles the Psychology of Doubting Your Doubts

Austin Burgess·January 2, 2026

Researchers found that prompting people to question their own doubts, a process called meta-cognitive doubt, can actually strengthen commitment to goals that are central to their identity.

“This Was a Remarkable Observation”: Deep-Sea ‘Zombie Worms’ Have Gone Missing, and It Has Ocean Scientists Concerned

Austin Burgess·January 1, 2026

A team of researchers led by Ocean Networks Canada conducted an experiment to lure a species of deep-sea worms to colonize remains placed on the seafloor.

Consciousness May Depend on the Physics of the Brain, Not Just Code

Austin Burgess·December 31, 2025

A new theoretical study argues that many standard beliefs about consciousness are rooted in a misleading concept of how the brain functions.

Scientists Reveal How Dinosaur Eggshells Can Function as Natural Clocks for Measuring Deep Time

Austin Burgess·December 30, 2025

New research shows that fossilized dinosaur eggshells can be used to help scientists more precisely date prehistoric nesting sites.

A Century Later, Ramanujan’s Pi Equations Are Helping Physicists Unlock the Secrets of Nature

Austin Burgess·December 28, 2025

In 1914, Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan published a short paper detailing several unusual formulas for calculating the value of the number π.

An Ancient Sewer System is Revealing How Disease Spread Among Roman Soldiers

Austin Burgess·December 26, 2025

Roman soldiers living along Britain’s northern frontier used communal bath and toilet facilities that depended on a sewer system to remove waste from their fort.

A New Theory Suggests Mass May Emerge From Invisible Dimensions

Austin Burgess·December 23, 2025

A recent study published in Nuclear Physics B examines how hidden dimensions might influence the physical reality that we observe.

Giant Marine Predators Once Hunted in Freshwater Rivers, New Study Suggests

Austin Burgess·December 20, 2025

Large prehistoric marine reptiles known as mosasaurs dominated the oceans until their extinction 66 million years ago.

Combining These Two Cannabis Compounds Reveals a Promising Tool in the Fight Against Ovarian Cancer

Austin Burgess·December 18, 2025

Ovarian cancer is among the most lethal gynecological cancers because it is often detected at an advanced stage and can be resistant to treatment options.

A Thousand-Year Drought May Have Driven “Hobbits” to Extinction, New Research Reveals

Austin Burgess·December 17, 2025

A recent climate study from the University of Wollongong suggests that Homo floresiensis, the small early human species from Liang Bua cave, endured centuries of increasingly severe drought on Flores

4000-Year-Old Discovery Offers Breakthrough in the Mystery of What Fueled a Bronze Age Plague

Austin Burgess·December 16, 2025

Scientists have unraveled how an early form of Bronze Age plague that differed from the Black Death spread across Europe.

Radiocarbon Study Redraws the Timeline of Ancient Egypt’s First Pharaohs

Austin Burgess·December 12, 2025

New data from radiocarbon dating is offering deeper insights into ancient Egypt and its relationship with the volcanic eruption at Thera.

New Research Has Revealed a Big Surprise About Baby Dinosaurs, Upending Past Thinking About These Ancient Reptiles

Austin Burgess·December 10, 2025

Emerging research suggests that dinosaur babies didn’t just grow into adults—they transformed their environments.

Engineered Rabies Virus Reveals How Psilocybin Reshapes Neural Pathways

Austin Burgess·December 10, 2025

New research reveals how psilocybin reshapes connections across the brain, helping explain how it can ease depression symptoms for weeks or even months.

Your Brain Rewrites Your Memories Each Time You Recall Them, New Study Finds

Austin Burgess·December 9, 2025

A recent neuroscience review questions the long-held belief that memories are unchanging records of past events.

New DMT Study Reveals How the Brain Loses Its Sense of Self Under the Psychedelic Compound’s Influence

Austin Burgess·December 6, 2025

A new neuroscience study reports that the psychedelic compound DMT disrupts a key brain rhythm linked to self-awareness.

This Tiny Worm Could Hold a Major Clue to How the Brain Regulates Aging

Austin Burgess·December 4, 2025

A surprising discovery from aging researchers shows that dietary restriction isn’t enough to extend lifespan on its own.

Yellowstone Quakes Offer Clues to Finding Underground Life on Other Worlds

Austin Burgess·December 4, 2025

A recent study published in PNAS Nexus reports that a swarm of small earthquakes beneath Yellowstone National Park set off a burst of biological activity deep underground.

Forensic Investigators Using Cutting-Edge Science Have Finally Solved a Medieval Murder Mystery

Austin Burgess·December 3, 2025

Researchers have used cutting-edge forensic science to solve a medieval mystery that has perplexed scholars for more than a century.

Engineered ‘Nanopores’ Displayed Learning-Like Traits in Recent Breakthrough Experiments, Scientists Say

Austin Burgess·November 26, 2025

A team of researchers from EPFL has discovered that biological nanopores exhibit electrical signal responses that resemble learning-like behavior.

A Medieval Poem Misled Historians About the Black Death for Centuries—Scholars Now Reveal the “Spider’s Web” of Plague Myths

Austin Burgess·November 20, 2025

A new study in the Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies shows that a widely accepted belief about the Black Death’s rapid spread from Central Asia to the Mediterranean is not based on records or eyewitness accounts, but on a single medieval poem.