New Chinese Heavy-Ion Accelerator Spots Extremely Rare Hafnium-153
Less than two weeks after going online, China's new High Intensity heavy-ion Accelerator Facility has detected the rare hafnium-153 isotope.
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.
New Experiments Reveal Whether Ultracold Neutrons Magically Switch Between our Universe and a Mirror Universe
After months of experiments hunting for a mirror universe with 25 billion ultracold neutrons, scientists have finally revealed the results.
The World War II Atomic Blast Over Hiroshima Created a Previously Unidentified Multicomponent Metallic Alloy
The extreme energy, temperature, and pressure conditions during the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima created an all-new metal alloy.
After Surviving a Dogfight in a Test Aircraft, DARPA’s VENOM AI-Controlled Pilot Just Flew a Modified Combat-Style F-16
DARPA has announced the successful test flights of an AI-controlled F-16, moving the U.S. one step closer to autonomous fighting platforms.
A Routine Search for Lost Objects Unearths an Extremely Rare 2500-Year-Old Coin
A local official helping people locate lost everyday objects stumbled upon a 2500-year-old coin that's the first of its kind found in Israel.
“Enough Heat to Sizzle Thin-Skinned Animals”: New Evidence Shows How a Dinosaur-Killing Meteor Set the World on Fire
A fine layer of dust encircling Earth after the Chicxulub asteroid impact may have set the world on fire and caused dinosaur extinction.
“The Sizes of the Footprints Indicate Human-Like Body Sizes”: Origin of 1.4-Million-Year-Old Fossilized Footprints Stuns Scientists
Scientists shocked to learn that 1.4-million-year-old fossilized footprints found on an ancient lakeshore were from human-sized individuals.
It Appears the Reports of Venus’s Death Were Greatly Exaggerated—New Models Suggest the Planet is Still Geologically Active
New computer models suggest that Venus is not geologically dormant as previously believed, including possibly active volcanoes.
“That’s No Moon!”: Astronomers Vexed by “Super Weird” Moon-Like Object Without a Planet
Astronomers have discovered a possible moon-like object they are calling an 'exosatellite' that astronomers cannot easily identify.
U.S. Space Development Agency Orders 36 Space Vehicles for Defense Against Missile Attacks
The U.S. Space Development Agency has ordered 36 space vehicles operating in four distinct orbits designed to defend against missile attacks.
“Everywhere We Looked, We Found the Temperature Rising”: NASA Identifies a “Surprise” Heat Signature Below the Surface of Jupiter’s Moon Io
NASA and Southwest Research Institute scientists report the "surprising" detection of a heat signature below Jupiter's moon Io's surface.
Archaeologists Unearth “Exceptionally Well-Preserved” 2,600-Year-Old Wooden Beams Burned in the First Temple Fire
Excavations in the City of David have unearthed 2,600-year-old, exceptionally well-preserved wooden beams from the 586 BCE First Temple fire.
Consistent With “Magic and Rituals”: Ancient Cave-Dwelling Australians Burned Grass for Spiritual Purposes Dating Back 25,000 Years
Discoveries inside an ancient Australian cave suggest ancient humans burned grass at the site for magic, healing, and spiritual rituals.
New Research Reveals How Traveling Brain Waves Allow Us to Predict, Reconstruct, and Perceive the World
New research suggests traveling brain waves in the visual cortex help humans predict, reconstruct, and perceive the physical world.
“It Was a Mix of Excitement and Disbelief”: When Scientists Sent Deep-Sea Rovers to Confirm a 1960s Theory, They Made a Surprising Discovery
Deep-sea images captured off the coast of Benin, where 1960s scientists suspected a dead coral reef existed, reveal a shocking discovery.
A New Solution to the Dinosaur-Killer Meteorite Mystery Creates Fresh Questions
A new analysis of debris from a 66-million-year-old meteorite that scientists call the dinosaur-killer has revealed another origin mystery.
“A Major Milestone in the Search for Life on Other Planets”: First Ever Detection of an Atmosphere Around an Earth-Like, Habitable Zone Rocky Exoplanet
In a major boost to the search for life, Harvard astronomers have detected an atmosphere around a habitable-zone, Earth-like rocky exoplanet.
No Sample-Return Required? Scientists Demonstrate Extraterrestrial Biosignature Detection Method Using the Mars Rover’s Existing Instruments
A new mineral-based biosignature detection method could identify signs of life on Mars using the Perseverance Rover's existing tools.
Stalking Silence in Svalbard: Norse Scientists Unveil New Method for Tracking Silently Moving Objects in the Water
Norwegian scientists have unveiled a new method for tracking silently moving objects, including ships and whales, using fiber-optic cables.
Surprised Scientists Witness the Ocean Floor Literally Splitting Apart at Its Seams
For the first time in history geophysicists have witnessed the ocean floor literally splitting part at its seams in real time.
“We Call It Weather Jiu-Jitsu”: Scientists Want to Fight Extreme Weather With Precision ‘Nudges’ Instead of Force
Scientists have unveiled a method for controlling the weather with existing technology to alter the path of extreme storms before they land.
“It Was the Most Incredible Thing I Ever Witnessed”: New Film Details World’s First Private Astronauts—and a Life-Altering UAP Encounter
A newly released documentary film, 'Beyond Blue Sky: The Untold Story of the First Private Astronauts' describes one pilot's life-changing UAP experience.
Missing a Night’s Sleep Has an Effect on Your Brain You May Not Believe
New experiments have revealed that something unexpected happens inside your brain when you miss a night's sleep.
The Virtual World of Stonehenge Experience is Now Available Online for Free
The Virtual Word of Stonehenge exhibit in now available online, including an opportunity to travel back in time at the iconic site.
“It Was Completely Shocking to Me”: Archaeologists Discover the Earliest Monumental Egyptian Hieroglyphs Written 1,000 Years Before the Pyramids
Yale Archaeologists have discovered the earliest monumental Egyptian hieroglyphs, predating the Great Pyramid of Giza by over 1,000 years.
eVTOLS Are Here: Archer Aviation Confirms ‘Midnight’ Aircraft On-Track for FAA Certification, 2028 Olympics
Archer Aviation is in the final stages of FAA certification for its Midnight eVTOL aircraft and will ferry Team USA at the 2028 Olympics.
Scientists Release New Images Captured by the Lucy Spacecraft Flyby of Asteroid Donaldjohanson
Newly released images of the asteroid Donaldjohanson captured by NASA's Lucy spacecraft reveal age, rotation, and composition details.
Darkest Black Ever? New “Ultra-Black” Automotive Coating with Carbon Nanotubes Absorbs over 99% of Visible Light
To create the darkest black, scientists invented an ultra-black carbon nanotube automotive coating that absorbs over 99% of visible light.
Archaeologists Discover Stonehenge ‘Prototype’ Constructed 500 Years Before Britain’s Most Famous Megalithic Site
Archaeologists have discovered a Stonehenge 'prototype' structure aligned with the solstices that is 500 years older than the famous site.
Scientists Say We Need to Prepare Astronauts for What They May Encounter Inside the Moon’s Oldest and Largest Crater
Scientists examining the Moon's oldest and largest crater have provided a "roadmap" for what future Artemis astronauts may encounter.
Ancient Microbes Preserved in Rapidly Thawing Arctic Middens Are Waking Up—Could They Pose a Threat to Us Today?
An analysis of ancient microbes frozen in rapidly thawing ancient middens spanning Greenland estimates the potential for modern-day spread.
Quest for Fire: New Technique Pushes First Intentional Use of Fire to Over One Million Years Ago
Scientists studying the site of the oldest-known intentional use of fire have found evidence pushing that date past one million years ago.
Black Holes Aren’t Real? Astronomers Propose Elusive Formation Mechanism for “Gravastar” Alternative That is “Easier to Accept”
After 25 years of debate, scientists have proposed a mathematical model for an alternative to black holes called a gravastar.
Transformers on the Moon? Japan Reveals Details of Tiny Shape-Shifting Rover’s Historic Lunar Exploration
Japan's space agency has revealed details from their historic SLIM mission, including an autonomous shape-shifting rover's lunar exploration.
Art Fraudsters Beware: Science Has Found a Way to Tell a Fake Van Gogh from a Real One
A new forgery identification method using surface "texture" analysis has identified authentic artworks by van Gogh and at least one fake.
A Remarkable 400,000-Year-Old “Time Capsule” Unsealed in Israel Could Reshape Our Understanding of Early Human Evolution
Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered a remarkable site "protected from the ravages of time," revealing an early human presence that may extend to 400,000 years ago.
“When We Build the ARC Fusion Power Plant, It Will Work”: Company Claims Nuclear Fusion Reactor Design Will Produce More Energy Than It Consumes
Commonwealth Fusion Systems has published a series of papers they claim will lead to the successful construction of their ARC fusion reactor.
New Analysis Confirms the Universe is Still Expanding, Refuting Controversial 2025 Claims and Prompting Immediate Response
A new paper suggests a 2025 study claiming the universe is not expanding, which refuted a previous Nobel Prize-winning discovery, is wrong.
MIT Engineers Testing Exotic ‘Electrospray’ Propulsion for Faster, More Maneuverable Spacecraft
MIT engineers are testing "electrospray" propulsion thrusters that could make satellites and small spacecraft more powerful and maneuverable.
Decades of NASA Satellite Data Reveals the Elusive, Enigmatic ‘Urban Pulse” of Six Major Cities
Decades of satellite data have revealed the Urban Pulse of six cities worldwide, including the "health" of each city and its neighborhoods.
“SpiderCam, SpiderCam, Does Whatever a Spider Can?” 3D Camera Inspired by Jumping Spider is First to Operate Below One Watt
Northwestern engineers have unveiled an energy-efficient camera called SpiderCam that estimates depth in the same way that jumping spiders do.
Ancient Europeans Ate Some Pretty Gross Things, but The Ickiest One Was Probably by Accident
Analysis of dental tartar reveals that Ancient Europeans ate insects less often than humans near the tropics, and probably not on purpose.
After Swiss Scientists Injected ‘Repair’ Microrobots into the Injured Spinal Cords of Fish and Mice, Something Incredible Happened
After magnetically driven microrobots loaded with stem cells were injected into the injured spinal cord of a mouse, something happened.
“A Game Changing Warfighting Capability”: DIU-Funded Hermeus Says Autonomous, High-Mach Payload Release Test Flights to Begin
Aviation defense company, Hermeus, has announced new test flights to expedite carrying and releasing payloads at high-Mach speeds.
First Look: Enigmatic ‘Aurora’ Suborbital Spaceplane Spotted Carrying a Special John Hopkins Payload in Previously Unseen Video
Dawn Aerospace has released raw footage of its Aurora Spaceplane ferrying a Johns Hopkins Advanced Propulsion Lab payload to suborbital space.
Discovery Hidden Inside 520-Million-Year-Old Rocks Solves a Longstanding ‘Evolutionary Enigma’
A discovery hidden inside 520-million-year-old rocks has solved an evolutionary enigma and could even rewrite the entire tree of life.
EPFL Researchers Have Just Unleashed a Powerful Ultrafast Laser on a Chip They Call a “Holy Grail of Integrated Photonics”
Researchers have announced the first ultrafast laser delivering 1.05 nanojoules of energy in pulses as short as 147 femtoseconds integrated onto a photonic chip.
Scientists Discover an Astronomical ‘Rosetta Stone’ for Decoding Mysterious Cosmic Signals
Scientists claim to have discovered an astronomical 'Rosetta Stone' for mysterious cosmic signals that have perplexed astronomers for decades.
“Explore a Scene from Any Vantage Point You Want”: 3D Volumetric Video Breakthrough Means Streaming in 3D May Soon Be a Reality
A 3D volumetric video breakthrough overcoming previous technological limitations could finally enable true 3D streaming on everyday devices.
“How in the World Can These Things Happen?”: After a Series of ‘Mystery’ Quakes Shook Utah, Scientists Finally Think They Know Why
Nearly five decades after the first in a series of mystery quakes rocked the Utah-Wyoming region, scientists think they've figured it out.