NASA Shows Off Experimental ‘Next-Generation’ Advanced Electric Propulsion System
NASA is revealing new details about its experimental Advanced Electric Propulsion System, designed to fly on the Gateway mission in 2025.
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.
U.S. Air Force Signs Historic Agreement to Share Data with FAA on Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles
The U.S. Air Force has signed a historic agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to share critical testing data and expertise on Advanced Air Mobility Vehicles.
A Six Year Search for Purely Theoretical Axions is Going Deep Underground… Literally
Researchers are going into a laboratory deep underground to spend six years searching for purely theoretical particles known as axions.
These Deep Space ‘Agents of Chaos’ Likely ‘Wreak Havoc’ on Alien Lifeforms
New simulations by California astrophysicists reveal that gas giant planets can act as 'agents of chaos' by wreaking havoc on the orbits of earthlike planets capable of supporting alien lifeforms.
Creepy ‘Face’ Captured on the Surface of Jupiter by NASA’s Juno Spacecraft
Just in time for Halloween, NASA's Juno spacecraft has returned an image of cloud formations on the surface of Jupiter that seems to resemble a creepy face.
Ancient ‘Feat of Engineering’ Nearly 1,000 Years Older Than the Pyramids Found on Remote North Sea Island
Archaeologists say they have unearthed an ancient 'feat of engineering' on a remote island that had nearly been lost to history.
NASA’s Mysterious X-59 Supersonic Experimental Aircraft is Finally Gearing Up For Its First Flight
NASA's mysterious X-59 experimental aircraft is moving towards its first flight following an announced goal of 2024.
Unexpected Discovery Hidden Underneath Antarctic Ice Shelf for Millennia Found by Space Robot
Researchers studying beneath the Antarctic Ice Shelf say they have discovered stunning patterns and features no one has seen before.
Odd Formations on Mars Are Not Ordinary Strata After All, But Likely Clues to Ancient Habitat
Unique formations on Mars previously dismissed as ordinary rock strata may actually be signs of an ancient habitat on the red planet.
A 5,000-Year-Old Egyptian Tomb is Revealing its Secrets, and What Was Found Inside Could Rewrite Ancient History
A team of archaeologists studying a 5,000-year-old Egyptian tomb say their unexpected findings may dramatically alter previously held beliefs about the country's ancient history.
Hunt For Alien Technology Finishes Scan of 1.6 Million Star Systems “Flagged as Interesting Targets”
A team of Irish physicists have scanned 1.6 million star systems that could be promising targets in the search for alien technology.
The ‘Lost’ Continent of Argoland Has Finally Been Found, Solving a 155 Million-Year-Old Mystery
Following a seven-year search, the Lost Continent of Argoland, which broke off from Australia and disappeared 155 million years ago, has finally been found.
170-Million-Year-Old Ancient “Sea Monster” Revealed as World’s Oldest Mega-Predator of its Kind
A 170-million-year-old ancient sea monster has been classified by a team of European researchers as the oldest mega-predator of its Era.
Most Water-Repellent Surface Ever Created Challenges Existing Ideas on Friction
The most water-repellant surface ever was just created by researchers at the molecular level, challenging existing ideas on friction.
Anomalous “Tracks” in Astronomical Imagery Originally Dismissed as Noise Could be Something Else Entirely
A perplexing series of tracks that astronomers first dismissed as noise appear to be something else entirely.
Mysterious Cosmic Radio Waves From A Galaxy 8 Billion Light Years Away Were Just Detected by Scientists
A team of astronomers has detected a burst of cosmic radio waves originating from a galaxy 8 billion light years away.
40,000-Year-Old Encounters Between Humans and an Enigmatic Extinct Species Revealed in New Genetic Study
A new study delves into the 40,000-year-old encounters between modern humans and Neanderthals, revealing previously unknown patterns in our DNA.
Unbreakable Barrier Broken: New “Superlens” Technique Will Finally Allow Scientists to See the Infinitesimal
researchers trying to see things smaller than the best modern optical microscopes have developed a superlens technique without a superlens.
Laser Beams Deflected Off of Nothing but Air for First Time Ever in Breakthrough Patent Pending Process
Scientists tapping onto the power of acoustic waves say they have developed a contactless way of redirecting laser beams off of nothing but air.
Pseudogravity That Bends Light Just Like Real Gravity Created by Engineers in a Laboratory
A team of researchers working with photonic crystals say they have created pseudogravity in the lab that bends light like real gravity.
Exoplanet Hunters Spot Something They’ve Never Seen Before While Observing Distant Alien Ice Giant
An international team of exoplanet hunters say they have spotted the first-ever recorded collision of two alien ice giant exoplanets.
Electron Beams Magically Heal Microscopic Fractures, May Also Enable Creation of Objects One Atom at a Time
Electron beams that power microscopes have shown the seemingly magical ability to heal microscopic fractures atom by atom.
What is an ‘Exascale’ Supercomputer, and why is Europe Trying to Build One?
A European consortium has committed over 500 million euros to build the continent's first 'exascale' supercomputer which will be as powerful as 10 million notebook PCs.
Scientists Successfully Simulate Backward Time Travel with a 25% Chance of Actually Changing the Past
Scientists working at the University of Cambridge say they have simulated a backward time travel system that resulted in a 25% chance of successfully changing the past.
U.S. Army is Training Soldiers in New Fighting Technique That Didn’t Exist Before the 21st Century
The U.S. Army is training their soldiers in a new form of combat aimed at countering the increasing threat of unmanned aerial vehicles on the battlefield.
Mysterious Brightness Spotted by James Webb Telescope that has Baffled Physicists Potentially Solved
A mysterious brightness from the cosmic dawn which baffled physicists by violating the standard model of cosmology may finally be solved.
Mysterious Energy Bursts From Deep Space Have Baffled Scientists For Years. “Starquakes” Could Be the Solution.
Mysterious energy bursts that have baffled scientists for over a decade may finally have an answer that researchers are calling starquakes.
The Milky Way is Warped, and Scientists Can’t Explain Why. Now Dark Matter Could Help Solve the Mystery.
Harvard Astronomers say that there is a mysterious force warping the entire Milky Way galaxy, and no one knows what it is.
A Powerful Force is Dramatically Altering Animal Behavior, and Scientists Say It’s Coming from Outer Space
Scientists report that animal behavior is being affected by powerful forces from space impacting Earth's magnetic field.
NASA Space Lasers Could Become Earth’s First Line of Defense Against Collisions and Spaceborne Threats
NASA is developing a network of space lasers to protect the country's space-based assets from a wide range of orbital threats.
The Department of Energy Has Created Ultra-Pure Materials to Investigate the Origin of Matter in the Universe
The Department of Energy has helped to create ultra-pure materials that will help in the search for neutrinos and dark matter.
‘Game Changing’ Microscopic Sensor 500k Times Smaller Than a Human Hair is the Size of a Single Molecule
Researchers have developed a microscopic sensor the size of a single molecule, which is 500,000 times smaller than a human hair.
Into the Dreamscape: Scientists Discover How Vivid Dreams That Inspire Feelings of Awe Spill Over into Real Life
Researchers from the University of Notre Dame have found that potent dreams which inspire feelings of greater connectedness and awe often directly influence the resilience and productivity of full-time workers.
Einstein Was Right: Antimatter Reacts to Gravity Before Catastrophic Self-Annihilation
Researchers at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland have shown that gravity directly affects antimatter, once again proving Einstein to have been correct in his predictions.
Scientists Design and Test First Ever Working Quantum Engine
Scientists have designed and tested the world's first quantum engine, which may revolutionize the energy, computing, and power industries.
‘Ghost Signals’ from Trappist-1 Exoplanetary System Revealed by James Webb Space Telescope
Readings from the Trappist 1 star system have revealed "ghost signals" that could affect the search for life on its habitable zone planets.
“Holy Grail of Astrobiology”: Breakthrough Discovery Could Finally Solve Mystery of Life on Other Planets
An exciting new tool that researchers are describing as the "holy grail of astrobiology" may finally answer once and for all if there is life on other planets.
DARPA Wants Futuristic Space Weapons That Don’t Currently Exist
DARPA is asking for proposals on futuristic space weapons that don't exist in hopes of gaining a tactical advantage over U.S. adversaries.
Raytheon Bringing Deadly Wolfhound-Mounted Portable Combat Laser Weapons to the UK in October
Raytheon UK is bringing an arsenal of new versatile combat laser weapons to the United Kingdom, with plans integrate them as soon as October.
Researchers Studying the Quantum Realm Observe Alice in Wonderland-Style Mirror Universe for First Time
Researchers studying the quantum realm have seen evidence of a mirror universe where everything is the opposite of the real universe.
When You Experience Stress, Your Brain’s Cannabinoid System Gets You Stoned
New research reveals that the brain's cannabinoid system reacts to stress by releasing its own THC like substance to get you stoned.
Mysterious ‘Force Gun’ May Be China’s Most Frightening Space Weapon
Chinese researchers say they have developed a "force gun" that can manipulate objects from a distance like a Star Wars Jedi using the Force.
Here Comes the Pain: Red Fire Ants Are Invading Europe
Red fire ants have finally crossed the sea into Europe, bringing their painful sting and potentially devastating environmental consequences.
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Developing Incredible Morphing Hypersonic Engine
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Is Funding the development of a morphing hypersonic engine that can change shape during flight.
New Video Shows High-Speed AI-Controlled Drone Beating Top Human Pilot Racers for the First Time
An AI-controlled drone just beat the best human pilots in a first-person view drone race, a feat that previously seemed impossible.
Simulated Chemical Reaction ‘Magically’ Slowed by 100 Billion Times by Using Quantum Technologies
The seemingly magical properties of a quantum computer allowed researchers to slow down a simulated chemical reaction by 100 billion times.
Researchers Discover Yet Another Way That Space Travel Kills You
New research has revealed yet another way that long exposure to microgravity environments during space travel slowly kills you.
NASA Taps Boeing and Northrop Grumman to Develop Ultra-High-Speed Mach 4 Passenger Aircraft
NASA has tasked Boeing and Northrop Grumman to develop viable designs for a commercial aircraft capable of Mach 4 travel.
Breakthrough Method of Creating Individually Polarized Photons Could Yield Unhackable Quantum Internet
A new method for generating and polarizing individual photons may be the breakthrough needed to unlock a quantum internet.
Dark Energy Mystery Could Be Solved by Studying Andromeda Galaxy, Say Astronomers
A team of Cambridge researchers says the mystery of dark energy might be solved by studying the movements of the Andromeda Galaxy.