MIT Experiments Show Plant Seeds Can “Hear” the Sound of Rain—And They Don’t Find It Calming
MIT engineers reveal plant seeds can "hear" the sound of rain, which awakens them from a dormant state and prompts them to begin growing.
Christopher Plain
Christopher Plain is Lead Science Writer at The Debrief. A science fiction and fantasy novelist of many years, you can follow and connect with him on X @plain_fiction, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.
Scientists Discover Path to ‘Extreme Light Intensities’ That Could Enable Ultra-Powerful Laser Weapons and Advanced Tech
Experiments reveal a new path to extreme light intensities used in combat lasers, nuclear fusion, and studies probing the laws of physics.
Scientists Use Modern Technology to Unravel the Origin of the ‘Baptism of Christ’
Modern machine learning tools have determined that the Spanish Renaissance painting, the Baptism of Christ, was the sole work of El Greco.
“Icarus is Building the Robotic Labor Force for Space”: Voyager Technologies is Sending a Next-Generation Zero Gravity Robot on a ‘Joyride’ to Space
Space launch company Voyager Technologies has agreed to test the Icarus Robotics zero-gravity robot 'Joy' on the International Space Station.
Max Planck Institute of Extraterrestrial Physics Makes an ‘Illuminating’ Discovery About the Solar System’s X-Ray ‘Glow’
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have successfully isolated the Solar System's ubiquitous X-ray glow.
Robots Are Learning Complex Tasks by Watching Humans and Other Robots
A new kinetic intelligence framework allows robots to rapidly learn complex tasks by watching other robots without any human intervention
Scientists Create Light Inside the Human Body Using Waves of Ultrasound
Stanford scientists have used nanoparticles and an ultrasound 'hat' to generate non-invasive, therapeutic light inside the human body
“Learning Gives Our Metamaterials the Ability to Evolve”: Scientists Invent Intelligent Materials That Learn, Change Shape, and Move on Their Own
Scientists have invented intelligent metamaterials that can learn, remember, change shapes, and move on their own without external control
“The Animal Cannot be Confidently Assigned to Any Known Phylum”: Scientists Exploring Deep Ocean Trenches Discover ‘Baffling’ Mystery Organism
A deep-ocean trench expedition discovered a unique, floating mystery organism that has left taxonomy experts 'baffled.'
Massive ‘Tycho’ Space Station 10X Larger Than the ISS Wins Inaugural Aurelia Prize
Massive Tycho space station habitat that is 10x larger than the ISS wins the inaugural Aurelia Prize in Design for Space Urbanism.
Tracking Debris & Weapons of Mass Destruction: U.S. Naval Research Lab Just Launched Three ‘Advanced Experimental Payloads’ into Space
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory launched three advanced experimental payloads to aid GPS, track space debris and spot nuclear explosions
“There are All Kinds of Neat, Fun, Weird Things Waiting for Us to Find”: Astronomers Discover Giant Hydrogen ‘Halos’ Surrounding Ancient Galaxies
Astronomers using the powerful Hobby-Eberly Telescope have eyed thousands of hydrogen halos surrounding ancient galaxies during 'cosmic noon'
“One of the Most Important Challenges in Astronomy”: Scientists Unravel the Epic, Violent, Multi-Billion-Year Story of Water on the Moon
Researchers have debunked a decades-long theory suggesting the origin of water on the Moon was from a comet impact or other single event
“A Microcosm of Life Itself”: Archaeologists Use ‘Radioactive’ Method to Date Historic Coral Polynesian Structures
Scientists have revealed a new timeline for historic coral structures in French Polynesia thanks to the modern uranium-thorium dating method
Scientists Have Turned Unwanted Sawdust into a Fire-Resistant Super Material
Scientists have created a fire-resistant material out of sawdust that offers a more sustainable alternative to burning the sawdust for energy
A Rare Glimpse into the Birth of New Worlds: Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics Discover Newly Forming Protoplanet
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have discovered a distant protoplanet still in the formation process
Bottom’s Up! Scientists Turn a Kentucky Bourbon Byproduct into a ‘Super’ Supercapacitor
Scientists have invented a 'super' supercapacitor made from bourbon stillage that stores 25 times more energy than current devices
This New Invention Will Let Robots Work Directly Inside a Failed Nuclear Reactor
Tokyo scientists have developed a resilient Wi-Fi robot controller chip that can withstand the ultra-high radiation inside a nuclear reactor
Astronomers Identify Origin of Mysterious Deep-Space X-Rays Directed Toward Earth
Five decades after astronomers detected mysterious X-rays coming from the constellation Cassiopeia, the mystery has finally been solved
Antimatter Breakthrough: CERN Scientists Successfully Transport Antiprotons in a Truck without Exploding
In a scene right out of a movie, CERN scientists successfully transported 92 antimatter antiproton particles in a truck without exploding.
“You Can Create and Control This Exotic State Using Light “: DARPA-Funded Scientists Use Lasers to Create a New Exotic State of Matter at Room Temperature
Researchers using custom fabricated nanostructures that 'trap' light have created a new exotic state of matter with light at room temperature
NASA Scientists Finally Solve Asteroid Bennu Mystery That Left Them “Baffled”
NASA scientists trying to unravel a longstanding mystery about the asteroid Bennu believe they may have finally 'cracked' the case
Nearly Two Thousand Years After Romans Played an Ancient, Mysterious Board Game, AI Figured Out the Rules
Simulated gameplay by AI agents has finally decoded the rules of an ancient mysterious board game that has puzzled scientists for decades
NASA’s Perseverance Rover Discovers Potentially Habitable Ancient Martian River That Could Lead to “Evidence for Past Life“
New ground-penetrating radar scans by NASA's Perseverance Rover have revealed an ancient Martian river that may have hosted life.
“Profound Social and Cognitive Changes Were Already Underway”: 15,000 Years Ago, Humans Shaped Clay for Ritualistic Purposes
The discovery of ancient clay beads made by children and adults thousands of years before the use of pottery suggests a ritualistic purpose
New Evidence Shows Neanderthals Exploited This Versatile Natural Material for Multiple Functions
Experiments show Neanderthals extracted birch tar and used it for several applications, including its antibiotic wound healing properties
“We Have Taught the Robot to Understand Its Surroundings”: This Intelligent Robot Can Locate Lost Items For You
Researchers have revealed an intelligent robot that uses three-dimensional imaging and knowledge from the internet to find lost items.
Forget the Three-Body Problem. Scientists Claim They’ve Just Solved the 100,000-Body Problem
After years of creating highly specialized software, researchers used supercomputer clusters to finally solve the "100,000-body problem.
“We Bring the Universe to the Lab”: Powerful Galactic Cosmic Ray Simulator Will Fuel Deep Space Experiments on Earth
Researchers at the GSI/FAIR accelerator facility have received a Galactic Cosmic Ray simulator that 'brings the universe to the lab.'
Earliest Human Ancestors Were Hunted and Eaten by a Giant Prehistoric Monster
Scientists have identified a 3.3-million-year-old giant prehistoric monster crocodile species that likely hunted early human ancestor Lucy
“The Cradle of Life Does Not Necessarily Require a Sun “: Scientists Identify Free-Floating Planets as a Tantalizing New Target in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Moons orbiting free-floating planets that wander the cosmos without a host star could sustain extraterrestrial life for billions of years
NASA Experiments Challenge the Idea of Life in Titan’s Methane Lakes
New lab experiments explore whether or not certain rudimentary lifeforms could exist in the hydrocarbon lakes and seas of Saturn's moon Titan
Voyager Technologies Funds Max Space to Build Off-World Habitats for the Moon and Beyond
Defense and Space company Voyager Technologies has announced a strategic investment in off-world habitat designer Max Space.
Scientists Show How to Trigger Tiny Lightning Strikes Inside a Block of Plastic
Scientists have successfully modeled large lightning strikes that occur on a kilometer scale in a lab setting of only a few centimeters
After 10 Years of Training, NASA’s Humanoid Robot ‘Valkyrie’ Has Finally ‘Graduated’ College
After ten years of intense college 'training,' NASA's humanoid robot Valkyrie has finally returned home. But her advancements live on.
U.S. Army Research Lab Announces the Creation of ‘Super Foam’ That Absorbs 10X More Energy
Research funded by the U.S. Army Research Lab has resulted in a 'super foam' that absorbs 10X more energy than existing protective foams.
The Mysterious Origin of an ‘Ultra-Energetic’ Cosmic Neutrino Detected in 2023 May Have Been Found
The search for the origin of a mysterious ultra-energetic cosmic neutrino detected in 2023 may have finally reached a 'blazing' conclusion
Forget Coffee and Energy Drinks: Experiments with Esports Athletes Reveal Caffeine-Free Beverage that Increases Concentration and Stamina
Experiments with esports players show this non-caffeinated drink combats mental fatigue in a different way than coffee and energy drinks
NASA Confirms DART Mission was the First Human-Made Object to Alter an Asteroid’s Orbit
NASA says an impact from its DART spacecraft changed the orbit of an asteroid for the first time ever, offering hope for planetary defense.
Traveling at 20% The Speed of Light: Scientists Demonstrate ‘Practical’ Light Sails to Explore the Universe
Scientists have successfully tested a material design for light sails using photonic crystals that could achieve 20% the speed of light
Engineers Create Full-Color Solar Windows Without Reducing Energy Generation
Korean scientists have created a tunable, full-color solar window that does not lose its energy generation capability regardless of color.
Scientists Find Missing Link to Psychedelics Like MDMA ‘Locking In’ PTSD Recovery Benefits
New experiments suggest a biological missing link that helps lock in the long-term benefits of psychedelic-assisted PTSD treatment
High-Energy Laser Turns Ordinary Moon Dust into Futuristic Materials for Lunar Colonists
A futuristic sounding process using a high-energy laser turns ordinary moon dust into versatile manufacturing and construction materials
“The First Privately Funded Space Science Mission Ever!”: Mauve Space Telescope Captures Historic ‘First Light’ Images
Blue Skies Space Ltd has revealed the 'first light' images just captured by the world's first privately funded space science mission ever
‘Adaptive’ Robotic Wing Senses and Reacts to Wind Changes More Rapidly Than a Barn Owl
Scientists have revealed an adaptive robotic wing equipped with artificial nerves so sensitive to air currents that it outperformed a barn owl
Scientists Placed Microscopic Animals in Simulated Martian Soil and Something Unexpected Happened
After exposing notoriously resilient microscopic animals called tardigrades to simulated Martian soil, they began to move extremely slowly
Concert Goers Getting the Blues: A Theater’s Color Affects the Listener Experience
Virtual concert attendees reported significant affects to their music listening experience based on the venue's color and lighting.
Moving at the Speed of Sight: Humans and Animals Experience Time at Dramatically Different Speeds
All animals, including humans. experience time at dramatically different speeds, allowing fast-pursuit predators to track prey in slow motion
“A Shift in Mindset Away from the Plastic Age”: This Advanced Material Actually Gets Stronger When It’s Wet
Scientists have invented an advanced material that gets stronger when wet that they believe could replace single-use plastic cups and bottles
Scientists Build a Zero-Gravity Microscope and Successfully Test it on the ‘Vomit Comet’
Scientists have invented a low cost, zero-gravity microscope called FlightScope that successfully conducted experiments on the vomit comet.