Scientists Looked at Van Gough’s ‘The Starry Night’ and Made an Astronomical Discovery
An astronomical redating of Vincent van Gogh's painting The Starry Night confirmed the artist used real stellar data in his masterpiece.
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.
“A Pivotal Period in Human Prehistory”: 60,000-Year-Old Ochre Analysis Reveals Clues About Stone Age Technology
A protein analysis of 60,000-year-old ochre from an ancient human site in South Africa has revealed previously unknown animal exploitation.
A Mysterious Skeleton Found in an Ancient Sarcophagus May Have Finally Been Identified
A new analysis of a mysterious skeleton discovered in a Westminster Abbey sarcophagus in the 1800s has identified two likely candidates.
“This is the Closest Thing to Magic”: Massless Ultrasound Tube Moves Matter Through the Air
Helsinki scientists have unveiled a massless ultrasound tube that uses sound waves to move matter through the air with any physical contact.
A Particle Long Considered an “Irrelevant Background Detail in Particle Physics” Could Now Help Solve the Mystery of Why We Exist
A hypothetical heavy neutrino may have altered conditions in the early universe, offering clues to the mystery of how and why we exist.
Ready to Move to Mars? This Martian Soil Map Ranks the Best Spots for Future Greenhouses
A University of Sydney Martian soil map covering 92% of the planet's surface ranks several thousand prime future Mars greenhouse locations.
13,800-Year-Old Alaskan ‘Base Camp’ Yields New Clues to Ancient Beringia Land Bridge Mystery
New analysis of a 13,800-year-old Alaskan Beringia site revealed clues connecting its mysterious inhabitants with Asia and the Americas.
“We Are Certainly Proving Out Technologies for the Future”: Voyager’s Griffin-1 Mission Cleared for 2026 Launch
Voyager Technologies says its Griffin-1 Moon lander mission has passed its acceptance tests and is preparing to launch sometime this year.
“More Dune Than Avatar”: Scientists Say These Nearby Exoplanets Could Be Home to Alien Life
A study of 29 "nearby" rocky exoplanets found that most could support only microbial life, while others may host Dune-style "sandworms."
LSD Microdosing Experiments Reveal a Completely Different Cognitive Effect on Half the Population
LSD microdosing experiments show that men and women may have completely different reactions to the drug's rumored cognitive improvements.
“Invisible” Tattoos That Appear & Dissapper on Command Combine Modern Technology with a 5,000-Year-Old Art Form
Engineers have invented full color, light-activated invisible tattoos that can be turned on and off with UV and LED light wavelengths.
When Magenta Solar Panels Were Placed Above Growing Broccoli Something Unexpected Happened
Broccoli grown under magenta solar panels maintained their crop yields while the system generated electricity from different wavelengths.
“A Final Pathway for Reducing Anxiety”: If Smoking Cannabis ‘Stresses’ You Out, This Might Be Why
Experiments with mice have revealed a connection between cannabis and anxiety, supporting some reports that it can exacerbate bad feelings.
Ancient Sea Level Analysis Reveals Earth’s Land Masses ‘Moved Rapidly’ Over 320 Million Years
Analysis of ancient sea levels shows Earth's land masses moved several times over 320 million years, causing its magnetic poles to shift.
Butterflies’ Mysterious Ability to Evade Predators Mirrors ‘Barber Pole’ Optical Illusion
Scientists investigating European butterflies' ability to evade predators found they employ an optical illusion similar to a "barber pole."
Forget Solar Panels: There’s a Whole New Way to Convert Sunlight into Energy
Scientists exploring methods for converting sunlight to useable electricity have found a hydrogen-based alternative to solar panels.
10-Mile-Wide Ames Impact Crater Linked to 372-Million-Year-Old Violent Extinction Event
The 10-mile-wide Ames impact crater in Oklahoma likely formed during a violent extinction event 100 million years later than believed.
New Drilling at Controversial ‘Noah’s Ark’ Site Reveals Organic Material and Mysterious Underground Cavities
Christian-faith scientists and Turkish archaeologists have completed core drilling excavations at the controversial 'Noah's Ark' site.
NASA’s ASCENT Propulsion Dual Mode System for Advanced Spaceflight Aces Critical Tests
NASA engineers say its ASCENT Propulsion Dual Mode system passed its vacuum chamber tests and is preparing for a planned October launch.
Army Bets $7.6 Million on Chariot Defense’s ‘Amphora’ to Solve a Growing Battlefield Energy Crisis
Chariot Defense's CEO explains how its Army's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) award winning Amphora system changes the combat energy equation
Mysterious Subsurface Feature Displaying Unusually Strong Magnetism on the Far Side of the Moon May Solve 4.2-Billion-Year-Old Mystery
Analysis of unusually strong magnetism on the Moon's far side has revealed a mysterious subsurface feature and an ancient magnetic field.
“Incredibly Exciting”: This Shape-Changing ‘Fire Amoeba’ Defies Extreme Temperatures by Surviving in 158°F Water
New record-breaking experiments prove that California's 'fire amoeba' can survive in hotter water than any previously known complex organism.
A ‘Lost’ Medieval Castle Was Just Discovered Hidden in an Unexpected Place
University College of Dublin officials have announced the discovery of a 'lost' medieval castle hidden inside a more modern structure.
Underground Nuclear Explosions in North Korea Caused a Serious Problem, and New Research Suggests It’s Getting Worse
Analysis of seismic activity following North Korea's underground nuclear test explosions revealed a disturbing effect that's getting worse.
Astra is Poised to Rewrite the ‘Commercial’ Rocket Equation with its 2027 Rocket 4 Launch
Astra appears poised to rewrite the economics of the commercial space launch rocket equation with its pending 2027 Rocket 4 debut.
Icarus Robotics’ Microgravity Robot JOY Completes 22 Minutes of Successful Weightless Flight
Microgravity robot 'JOY' from Icarus Robotics just totaled 22 minutes of weightlessness in successful tests ahead of a 2027 ISS deployment.
NASA Spacecraft Spots Something on the Moon Surrounded by a Mysterious Cold Spot That Wasn’t There Before
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured images of a new crater surrounded by a mysterious cold spot that wasn't there before.
15,000-Year-Old Stone Tool Experiments Shed Light on Mysterious Ancient Technological Transition
Stanford scientists studying 15,000-year-old stone tools have helped solve the mystery behind this critical technological transition phase.
A Problem in the ‘Pits of Eternal Darkness’? Scientists Pour Cold Water on Future Moon Colony Plans
A new study of water ice stored within the Moon's so-called 'pits of eternal darkness' has cast doubt on large, sci-fi sounding lunar cities.
66-Million-Year-Old Mystery Solved? Fossilized Bird Feather Reveals How ‘Modern’ Birds Likely Survived the Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid
Analysis of an ancient bird feather encased in dinosaur feces may have solved the 66-million-year-old mystery of why modern birds exist.
Defense Aviation Company Hermeus Unveils New “High Mach Speed” Prototype
Defense aviation company Hermeus has unveiled its high-Mach flight Ramjet-X designed to reduce costs and increase high-speed testing access.
A 560-Million-Year-Old Animal Survived in 3D, Hinting at an Entire Lost Ancient Ecosystem
Archaeologists have unearthed a 560-million-year-old animal life form preserved in 3D, hinting at an entire lost ecosystem.
Mysterious Origins of Britain’s 4,000-Year-Old ‘Devils’ Arrows’ Stone Monument Have Finally Been Solved
A new materials analysis of the 4,000-year-old Devil's Arrows stone pillar monument has finally revealed the site's mysterious origin.
A New Cold War Is Unfolding in Orbit as China Advances Satellite Surveillance
Beijing University of Technology scientists have improved maneuverability algorithms to conduct cold war in space-style satellite spying.
Inside the Mind of a Billionaire Cheater: “At His Level of Wealth, Societal Ethics No Longer Register”
A finance expert and Fortune 500 therapist peer into the potential motivations of billionaire cheater Steve Ballmer and his subordinates.
1,500-Year-Old Structure Yields Previously Hidden Rooms, Ancient Paintings, and a Roman Era Channel to Nowhere
Archaeologists have unearthed three previously hidden 1500-year-old rooms, ancient wall paintings, and a Roman-era water channel near Izmir.
Did Ancient Campfires “Reprogram” the Human Brain with Flickering Light and Red Wavelengths?
A new paper suggests that flickering, mostly red wavelength firelight from campfires was able to reprogram the human brain for language.
First-of-a-Kind Experiments Demonstrate Effects of Einstein’s Gravity in the Quantum World
New experiments designed to explore the boundary between Einstein's theory of gravity, and the quantum world achieved a history-making result.
11,000-Year-Old Stone Sculpture Unearthed at Göbekli Tepe’s Mysterious Sister Site Was Carved Millennia Before the First Human Societies
Archaeologists working at Karahantepe, a “significant parallel site” to the enigmatic Göbeklitepe, have unearthed a rare composite sculpture.
The Search for a Second Earth Begins: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is Poised to Make History
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Telescope will search for another Earth around a Sunlike-star using a light-warping technique called microlensing.
A Discovery Hidden in Antarctica’s Soil is Unlike Anything Found Elsewhere on Earth, Challenging Past Assumptions
Scientists studying samples of microbes locked in Antarctica's soil have found something that could completely upend previously held beliefs.
NASA’s Two Most Powerful Space Telescopes Will Share the Same Region of Space. Here’s Why That’s Not a Problem
Is there a risk of the Nancy Grace Romans Space Telescope crashing into the James Webb Telescope since they both share a Lagrange 2 Orbit?
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Launches Tomorrow—Here’s a Look at the High-Tech Instruments On Board
A quick look at the high-tech instruments that NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will use to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos.
Air Force Research Lab’s Innovation Unit SpaceWERX Funds Controversial Vacuum Energy Company Casimir
Controversial vacuum energy startup Casimir has received an Air Force Research Lab SpaceWERX award to prove its MicroSparc chip's viability.
What Happens After the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Historic Launch?
NASA has released a detailed outline of the next steps its Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will complete after its long-awaited launch.
Physicists Reveal Possible Connection Between “Warp Drive” Spacecraft and Phenomena Detailed in Recent Pentagon Releases
New research by theoretical physicists suggests the dynamics of a warp drive spacecraft could be consistent with some modern UAP reports.
Archaeologists Unearth 6,500-Year-Old ‘Sun and Moon’ Ritual Center That Predates Stonehenge by 1,000 Years
Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of an ancient ritual center connected to the Sun and Moon that predates Stonehenge by a millennium.
Rocket Lab Unveils ‘GHOST,’ a Game-Changing New Portable Launch System That Can Carry Payloads to Orbit from Anywhere on Earth
Private space launch services company Rocket Lab has unveiled its GHOST system capable of supporting rocket launches anywhere in the world.
Unraveling Why Glow-in-the-Dark Pigments Favored by Modern Artists and Designers Don’t Last
New experiments help explain why glow-in-the-dark pigments favored by artists and fashion designers lose their vibrance too quickly.
Lost Ancient Egyptian City Found? Archaeologists Unveil Mysterious Inscription Linking Excavations to a Fabled Lost City from Egyptian Texts
New discoveries, including an ancient inscription, have linked an archaeological site to the lost ancient Egyptian city of Mnes.