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.
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.
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.
Experiments Show Color-Enriched White Light Can Affect Whether a Room Feels Hot or Cold
New experiments show that enriched white light containing invisible blue or red wavelengths can affect indoor temperature perception.
Newly Discovered Object is So Close to the Milky Way’s Central Black Hole it’s Experiencing Warped Spacetime
Astronomers have spotted an object so close to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way its experiencing warped spacetime.
New Radar Scans Reveal Mysterious “Subsurface Anomalies” Beneath Controversial “Noah’s Ark” Site
New scans may offer clues to what lies beneath Turkey’s famous Durupınar site, which has long been associated with “Noah’s Ark" claims.
Bridging the Supersonic-to-Hypersonic Gap, Scientists Reveal Scramjet Igniter That Maintains Combustion Below Mach 5
Scientists reveal the 'RD torch' igniter that bridges the supersonic-to-hypersonic gap by maintaining scramjet combustion below Mach 5.
U.S. Department of Defense Initiative Funds AI Scientists to Help Predict the Future on the Battlefield
The United States Department of Defense has asked AI scientists to build a tool to 'predict the future' in active battlefield environments.
Archaeologists Unsealed an Ancient Egyptian Tomb and Discovered Something Completely Unexpected Inside
Spanish archaeologists excavating an ancient Egyptian Tomb near Luxor discovered 16 mummies and one unexpected yet intimate addition.
3.5-Billion-Year-Old Organic Chert Reveals One of Earth’s “Earliest Known Occurrences of Biologically Generated Organic Matter”
Scientists studying ancient chert have found 3.5-billion-year-old signs of life on Earth, making it some of the oldest evidence ever found.
New “Gamma Wave Entrainment” Glasses Supercharge Your Brain’s Performance
Korean scientists have invented a pair of transparent OLED glasses that create gamma wave entrainment to supercharge brain connectivity.
Space Is Getting Crowded—Now Surging Satellite Demand Prompts SEOPS ‘Waymaker’ Program to Add Second 2028 Mission
Commercial space launch company SEOPS Space has announced an unprecedented second Waymaker LEO rideshare mission in 2028 due to high demand.
“The Record Was Just Made”: Fastest Man on Earth Sets Hydrogen-Powered Land Speed World Record
Engineering giant JCB has announced that the Fastest Man on Earth has set a new hydrogen-powered world record with its Hydromax engine.
Newly Deciphered 1500-Year-Old Inscriptions Reveal Ancient Imperial Death Decree
Newly deciphered 1500-year-old inscriptions reveal details of ancient tax fraud and an imperial death decree for the offenders.
Archaeologists Surprised to Unearth Face-Down 2500-Year-Old Statue Almost Completely Intact
Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism has announced the discovery of a 2,500-year-old statue placed face down to fix an ancient road.
Centuries Before the Aztec and Inca Empires Existed, Locals Built Something Incredible in the Colombian Jungle
A new analysis of pre-Hispanic Colombian sites founded before the Inca and Aztec empires has revealed a surprising technological achievement.
A Nearly 4,000-Year-Old “Giant’s Tomb” Was Accidentally Discovered in Sardinia
Italian authorities working in western Sardinia have accidentally unearthed a new 'Giant's Tomb' that includes rarely seen features.
Archaeologist Finally Decodes 2,200-Year-Old Mysterious Stonemason Inscriptions That Have Stumped Researchers for Centuries
An archaeologist has successfully decoded mysterious stone inscriptions on a 2,200-year-old gate that have stumped researchers for centuries.
“Pluto Never Stops Surprising Us”: SwRI Scientists Find Evidence of Liquid Nitrogen on Pluto
SwRI researchers have revealed evidence of liquid nitrogen on the surface of the dwarf planet Pluto captured by NASA's New Horizons mission.
Study Finds Nightmares Connected to PTSD are Reduced or Completely Eliminated by THC from Cannabis
In a new study, THC reduced or completely eliminated PTSD-associated nightmares that interrupt sleep and can cause a fear of going to sleep.
“Surpassing the Evolutionary Boundaries of Biological Photoreception”: Scientists Invent Eyeglasses That Let Wearers See the Infrared in Full Color
Scientists have revealed a pair of infrared-to-visible light "upconverter" eyeglasses that let humans see the IR spectrum in full color.
Scientists Have Detected Antineutrinos, “the Most Elusive Particle in the Universe,” in an Inactive Nuclear Reactor
In a historic first, scientists have detected the most elusive particle in the universe, antineutrinos, inside a shutdown nuclear reactor.
Max Planck eROSITA Team Releases the Most Comprehensive Census of the High-Energy Universe Ever Assembled
The Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics has released the most complete catalog of the high-energy universe ever assembled.
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.
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.