How to Land a Rocket on Another Planet Without Wreaking Havoc
How to land a rocket on another planet, moon, or even a comet without completely destroying the landing site or damaging the craft.
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.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Accelerator Facility Reveals Stunning Details in Virtual Tour
The Thomas Jefferson Lab has released an interactive map that lets users take a virtual tour of their National Accelerator Facility.
Air Force Releases Footage of its Devastating ‘QUICKSINK’ Smart Bomb Blasting a Massive Cargo Ship in Half
A new video released by the Air Force Research Laboratory shows the lethal QUICKSINK smart bomb sinking a derelict cargo ship to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico in one single shot, a feat usually reserved for submarine-launched torpedoes.
Let There Be Gravity? New Theory Says Gravity May Have Created the Universe’s First Light
A potentially "illuminating" new theory says that the universe's first light may have been ripped from the fabric of space/time by the extreme forces of gravity in the form of gravitational waves that existed right after the big bang.
Yes, AI is Using Brain Scans to Literally Read People’s Minds
Potentially invoking horrifying images of George Orwell's "thought police" or Phillip K. DIck's "pre-crime" police force, a team of Japanese researchers say they have taught a specialized AI to scan people's brains and almost perfectly recreate whatever image they are thinking about.
Einstein’s Theory of Gravity in Question? What a New Map Detailing One of the Great “Mysteries of the Cosmos” Helps Reveal
A stunningly detailed cosmological map that covers about of quarter of the entire sky shows the effects of dark matter on the cosmic microwave background radiation, lending strong support for Albert Einstein's theory of gravity.
Researchers Have Developed an Incredible New Method of Producing Realistic Holograms
Researchers have developed a new method for creating realistic 3D holographic projections that are three orders of magnitude better than the current state-of-the-art technology.
UFO Documentary ‘Accidental Truth’ Makes Strongest Case Yet for Crash Retrievals, Vehicles of Non-Human Origin
A brand new, award-winning documentary from MUFON TV founder Ron James presents an impassioned argument that UFOs have crashed here on earth and that they are of non-human origin.
“Black Hole” Created Using Sound Waves Could Help Enable the Development of a Physical Warp Drive
Researchers from the international think tank Applied Physics say they have created an artificial black hole in the lab that will help bring about the development of a working warp drive spaceship.
The U.S. Air Force and Raytheon are Finally Ready to Unleash StormBreaker
After nearly two decades of research and development, Raytheon Technologies is preparing to deliver 1,500 StormBreaker smart weapons to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.
Extrasolar Space Dust Could Contain Signs of Alien Life, New Paper Suggests
A new paper from the University of Tokyo suggests that astrobiologists could find signs of alien life in particles of space dust that have been ejected from exoplanets and traveled across the vastness of space to reach earth.
HyperCycle is on the Threshold of Enabling a New Route Towards Artificial General Intelligence
A new company called HyperCycle is enabling the development of global artificial intelligence by allowing localized AI systems to communicate and compete in an entirely new way.
The U.S. Air Force and DARPA Successfully Fly Lockheed Martin’s Hypersonic HAWC Scramjet
As a final phase of its HAWC hypersonic missile program, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
DARPA Funded Electric Sky on Threshold of Aviation Revolution with Whisper Beam
Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the folks at Electric Sky are moving closer to revolutionizing electric aviation by making its Whisper Beam power-beaming system a reality.
Galactic Scale Shockwaves Are Rattling Through the Cosmic Web
Australian researchers have measured the effects of massive galactic-scale shockwaves rippling through the cosmic web, a structure that encompasses all of the matter in the known universe.
This Extreme Enzyme Makes Electricity Out of Thin Air
A naturally-occurring enzyme that helps some forms of bacteria survive in extreme environments has that seemingly magical ability to make electricity out of thin air.
“Impossible” Photonic Breakthrough: Scientists Manipulate Light at Sub-Wavelength Scale
In a breakthrough for photonics previously considered impossible, researchers have shown the ability to manipulate microscopic objects with light at the sub-wavelength scale.
This Futuristic Bandage Can Heal Wounds by Harvesting Electricity Out of Thin Air
Researchers from Northwestern University have developed a "magic" bandage that accelerates healing by harvesting electricity out of thin air.
Scientists Find Previously Hidden Corridor Inside The Great Pyramid of Giza
Egyptian Antiquities officials say researchers from the ScanPyramids Project have discovered a previously hidden corridor within the Great Pyramid of Giza
U.S. Navy Contractor Shows Off Typhoon’s New Anti-Drone Capability
International military contractor Rafael Defense Systems has released a video of their new anti-drone Typhoon weapons platform upgrade
Mystical Experiences from Psychedelics Offer Highest Psychological Benefits, New Study Reports
New research shows how "mystical" and "insightful" one's experience is while taking psychedelics may directly affect how beneficial those drugs are for treating anxiety, depression, and even PTSD.
Soldiers Use ‘Telepathy’ to Control Robot Dogs with Brain Waves: See Video
A potentially revolutionary system designed to use human brain waves to control robot dogs is ushering in a new era of battlefield technology based on a form of AI-enhanced 'telepathy'.
Mystery of How Psychedelic Drugs Rapidly Rebuild Neural Connections Solved
Researchers from the University of California, Davis, believe they now understand why psychedelic drugs like LSD, MDMA, and mushrooms rapidly regrow neural connections within the brain.
‘Magic Angle’ Superconductivity of 2D Graphene Connected to Double-Slit Experiment
The magic angel where bilayer graphene turns into a superconductor may have already been revealed in the famous double-slit experiment that showed electrons can be both particles and waves.
Brain Changes in Fighter Pilots Caused By Extreme Forces Could Aid Future Space Travelers
Changes to the brains of fighter pilots caused by extreme g forces and high levels of sensory input may offer key insights needed to prepare future space travelers for long-distance journeys to distant planets/
Lion’s Mane Mushrooms Found to ‘Magically’ Regrow Brain Cells, New Research Shows
New research has shown that certain compounds found in lion's mane mushrooms that are part of traditional Asian medicine can magically help the body regrow completely new brain cells.
The Mysterious Origin of Life on Earth and Other Planets One Step Closer to Being Solved
Research into which metals were present at the time life first formed on earth is shedding new light on the possible origin of life both here and potentially on other planets.
“Magic” Drug Restores Lost Memories and Unleashes Hidden Knowledge
Researchers have used an FDA-approved asthma drug to restore lost memories and otherwise hidden knowledge that had been previously considered lost.
Why Does My Dog Howl? It’s Probably Just Their Inner Wolf
If your dog doesn't howl, it may lack the DNA needed to "speak wolf"
If your dog doesn't howl, it may lack the DNA needed to "speak wolf"
New research indicates that if your dog tends to howl in response to other dogs, sirens, or miscellaneous noises, it is likely because your furry little friend is much closer genetically to being a wolf than dogs that don't howl.
Potentially Habitable Exoplanet Found in Our Cosmic Backyard
An earth-sized exoplanet that is orbiting within its star's habitable zone has been spotted a mere 31 light years away from Earth, offering astronomers and astrobiologists a tantalizingly close new target in the search for extraterrestrial life.
How DARPA, Star Trek, and UFOs Inspired This Engineer to Unravel the Secrets to Warp Drive Propulsion
Meet Dr. Chance Glenn, the university professor and electrical engineer preparing to test his warp drive theory.
Experts Say This is The Safest Place to Survive a Nuclear Blast Wave
Researchers modeling the effects of a nuclear missile explosion have found the safest type of building, as well as the safest place within that building, to survive the concussive effects of a nuclear blast wave.
Watch This Liquid Metal Robot Escape From Jail, Just Like ‘Terminator 2’
A new video shows a human-shaped robot escaping from jail by turning itself into a liquid metal state, like Terminator 2, and then slipping through the bars.
Krypton-Fueled Ultra-Powerful Plasma Thrusters Could Drive Interplanetary Exploration
Ultra-efficient plasma thrusters, sometimes called ion thrusters or Hall thrusters, that are used almost exclusively in orbit could soon become much more powerful by using krypton gas instead of xenon.
These Are the Top 5 Places and Times Humanity is Likely to Discover Extraterrestrial Life
Here are the Top Five places humanity is most likely to find signs of extraterrestrial life and when those discoveries could take place.
Rocky Exoplanet Nearly the Same Size as Earth Found in Star’s Habitable Zone
NASA and MIT researchers using the TESS telescope say they have spotted a nearly Earth-sized exoplanet hanging out in its star's habitable zone.
Deep Underground Laboratory Reveals Results of Hunt for Quantum Gravity, String Theory
A team of researchers looking to unify the theories of quantum gravity with the Standard Model of Particle Physics have gone underground, literally.
Virtually Undetectable, Semisubs Could Become the Ideal Military Spy Vehicle
Researchers behind a prototype semi-sub autonomous craft say their approach could offer commercial clients a more efficient way of transporting cargo and provide the military with a whole new type of nearly invisible autonomous spycraft.
DARPA Selects Boeing’s Aurora for Potentially Game-Changing X-Plane
DARPA has selected Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to design and possibly build a potentially game-changing X-plane.
A New Plan for Finding Alien Life on Enceladus Looks at Using Orbital Spacecraft
Researchers from the University of Arizona have published a new plan for finding alien life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus by flying a probe through the water plumes the icy moon sews into space.
The U.S. Air Force is Preparing to Unleash Hypersonic Mayhem
The Air Force Research Laboratory is partnering with Fortune 500 defense contractor Leidos to design and develop the hypersonic Mayhem surveillance drone, the first drone designed to travel over five times faster than the speed of sound.
The Perception of Time is not Universal Even Among Humans
Researchers studying how fast different animal species perceive time have found that small animals, those that fly and underwater predators, see things way faster than humans.
The Case For Alien Life Elevated By The Exciting First-Ever Confirmation of Two Exoplanet Water Worlds
Researchers from the University of Montreal have confirmed the presence of two water worlds orbiting a star 218 light years from earth.
Despite Micrometeoroid Impacts NASA Says James Webb Telescope Should Survive and Thrive for Another 20 Years
Following the announcement that the James Webb Space Telescope has already endured 14 micrometeoroid impacts, NASA says that, barring an unforeseen event, the groundbreaking observatory should still be able to conduct science operations for another 20 years.
Dark Matter Could Actually Be Theoretical ‘Dark Photons’, New Research Suggests
Researchers have postulated that readings from the Hubble Space Telescope may help to explain the nature of the ever-elusive dark matter, which may actually be made up of something called dark photons.
This Star Trek-Style ‘Tractor Beam’ Allows Objects to be Moved Using Metamaterials and Sound Waves
Researchers studying acoustic levitation have devised a method using metamaterials that lets them manipulate objects of any shape and size without actually touching them.
U.S. Department of Energy to Make Major Fusion Energy Announcement This Week: Here’s What We Know
Scientists from the Nuclear Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories (LLNL) have achieved a major milestone in fusion energy as the energy needed to cause the reaction was less than the energy produced.
Physics Thinktank Proposes Method for Detecting Extraterrestrial Spacecraft Using Gravitational Waves
The research team behind the first physical warp drive has partnered with an associate dean of physics from Carnegie-Mellon University to detect extraterrestrial spacecraft using gravitational waves.
Cannabis Use May Offer Wide-Ranging Benefits for Bipolar Disorder
According to new research, people suffering from the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder may see significant benefits from regular cannabis use.
Japan’s Space Agency Successfully Completes First Flight of Steam-Powered Spacecraft
Japan’s Space Agency JAXA has reported the first successful flight of a steam-powered spacecraft named EQUULEUS beyond low earth orbit.