NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Detects Hydrogen Sulfide Around Distant Planet, Impacting Search for Life
The James Webb Space Telescope has detected the first-ever spectral signature of hydrogen sulfide around a massive gas giant planet.
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.
‘HoloRadar’ Equipped Robots Use Radio Waves and AI to ‘See’ Around Corners
University of Pennsylvania scientists have revealed the AI-driven HoloRadar system that lets robots see around corners using radio waves.
“A Mission That Pushes the Boundaries of Commercial Space”: Autonomous ‘SpacePilot’ Will Pilot Spacecraft to Asteroid Apophis
Commercial deep-space mission operator ExLabs has selected SpacePilot autonomous software for the 2029 Apophis asteroid intercept mission.
Quantum Scale Breakthrough: Scientists Measure Ultra-Short Events Lasting Just Attoseconds
Scientists have demonstrated a new method for measuring how long ultrashort events like quantum tunneling to occur at quantum scale time.
Sleep Aid or Sleep Killer? Scientists Discover How Pink Noise Machines May Alter REM Sleep
According to new experiments, sleep machines that use pink noise could adversely affect deep sleep and REM sleep instead of helping it.
Did Scientists Just Achieve “Inception”? Experiments Show “Dream Engineering” May Be a Reality
Experiments involving playing music during sleep have revealed a type of dream engineering that doubled subjects' problem-solving abilities.
Free ‘DinoTracker’ App Can Identify 90% of Extinct Dinosaur Species by Their Fossilized Footprints
Scientists have released the DinoTracker app to help paleontologists and amateur enthusiasts identify fossilized dinosaur footprints.
Into the Abyss: The Hunt for Mysterious Dark Oxygen on the Ocean Floor is Finally Ready to Begin
A trip to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to search for the mysterious origin of dark oxygen is finally launching this spring.
Did NASA Just Find ET’s Home? Scientists Detect an Earth-like Planet Orbiting a Sun-like Star
NASA has announced the discovery of an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star that shares several other similarities with Earth
Scientists Create ‘Unsinkable’ Metal Tubes that Still Float After Severe Damage and Submersion
A video shows unsinkable metal tubes retaining their buoyancy even after they are damaged or fully submerged for extended period of time.
“There Could be a Mushroom Out There Causing Fairytale-Like Visions”: People Eating These Mushrooms Claim to Have the Same Hallucinations
Science is searching for the chemical compound in these Chinese mushrooms that can cause identical hallucinations of little people everywhere
Did Thomas Edison Create Graphene More Than 130 Years Before it Was Officially Invented?
Experiments with identical replicas of Thomas Edison's original light bulbs shows the inventor may have accidentally created graphene
Discovery of Ring-Shaped Molecule in Deep Space Impacts Search for Extraterrestrial Life
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics have spotted the largest complex molecule in deep space ever.
An Icy Mystery Has Puzzled Scientists for Decades—This Researcher May Have the Solution
A Spanish scientist believes he has finally solved a longstanding mystery about ice that causes the different shapes ice crystals form.
Los Alamos Scientists Use Sonic Booms and Seismic Data to Track Objects Entering Earth’s Atmosphere
Los Alamos scientists have developed a novel method using shockwaves from sonic booms to track objects entering Earth's atmosphere.
Spacecraft Heal Thyself? Engineers Invent Futuristic Material That Heals Itself and Lasts for Centuries
Scientists have invented a futuristic material that heals itself capable of lasting for decades or centuries on aircraft and spacecraft.
Archaeologists: Half a Million-Year-Old Elephant Bone Hammer Wasn’t Made by Modern Humans
Archaeologists studying a nearly 500,000-year-old elephant bone hammer have determined the ancient tool was made by Neanderthals or another early human ancestor.
“This Was Not Accidental”: Scientists Unravel Video Supposedly Showing a Pet Cow Using Tools
Scientists investigating video of a cow using tools say their findings could expand the list of animals capable of tool use.
“One of the Solar System’s Least Mapped Planetary Surfaces”: Satellite Data and the Physics of Ice Flow Finally Reveal Antarctica’s Hidden Landscapes
Scientists have combined satellite data with the physics of ice flow analysis to create a map of Antarctica's hidden landscapes.
“It’s Just a Tube Hanging from an Axle”: Breakthrough Energy-Harvesting Device Makes Electricity from a Vibrating Underwater Pendulum
Catalan scientists have built a pendulum-based energy-harvesting system that converts the vibrations of water currents into usable power.
When ISS Astronauts Unleashed Killer Viruses on E. Coli, Strange Things Started to Happen
Experiments aboard the International Space Station revealed how killer viruses that infect bacteria evolve their attacks in microgravity.
When Scientists Examined the Contents of a 14,400-Year-Old Ice Age Wolf’s Stomach, They Found a “Woolly” Surprise
When Swedish scientists examined the stomach contents of 14,400-year-old Ice Age wolf remains they discovered DNA from a woolly rhinoceros
Look: Engineers Invent Inflatable Apple-Picking Robotic Arm that Picks Apples Without Harming Trees
Scientists have invested an inflatable apple-picking robot that uses similar technology as the inflatable "tube guy" advertising tools.
Extreme State of Matter: Physicists Have Finally Unraveled the Mystery of ‘Superionic Water’
An international team of over 60 scientists have successfully created 'extreme' superionic water and finally measured its atomic structure
‘Check Engine Light’ for the Human Body Could Tell You When to Go to the Doctor
Scientists have created an implantable artificial 'skin' that glows like a check engine light for the human body when it senses a problem.
“A Potential Biosignature is Awaiting Return Now”: Congress Abandons Retrieval of Martian Rocks That May Hold Evidence of Extraterrestrial Life
Plans to retrieve Marian rocks that may contain signs of extraterrestrial life appear to have been abandoned by the US Congress.
60,000-Year-Old Projectiles Are the World’s First ‘Poison Arrows,’ Extending Earliest Use in Africa by Thousands of Years
Analysis of 60,000-year-old artifacts has uncovered the oldest known poison arrowheads, hinting at advanced ancient knowledge and reasoning.
Researchers Unveil Futuristic Eye-Tracking Technology That Sounds Like Something from Science Fiction
Scientists have successfully demonstrated a low-cost, self-powered eye-tracking technology that is powered by the friction of blinking eyes.
7-Million-Year-Old Discovery Offers “Direct Evidence” of Oldest Human Ancestor That Shared This Crucial Trait with Modern Humans
A modern analysis of 7-million-year-old remains suggest this mysterious ancient primate is the oldest human ancestor ever found.
“This Discovery Changes How We Think About the Quantum World”: Physicists Reveal New Evidence of Quantum Particles Working Together
Evidence of quantum particles working together to generate self-sustaining energy pulses has scientists rethinking the entire quantum world.
Communication with Light? Scientists Successfully Demonstrate Futuristic Wireless Technology
Scientists have revealed a futuristic 'communication with light' system that uses light pulses instead of radio waves to transmit data.
Astronomers Have Spotted a Nearly Invisible ‘Rogue Planet’ Wandering Silently Through the Cosmos
Ground and space-based telescopes have confirmed a microlensing event caused by a rogue planet wandering silently through the galaxy
Cremation Before Civilization? Evidence Suggests Ancient Hunter Gatherers Cremated a Woman Nearly 10,000 Years Ago
Evidence suggests ancient hunter-gatherers performed the first ever African cremation of a female sometime around 9,500 years ago.
“Zentropy Theory” May Unlock Previously Impossible Electronics Based on Transparent Ceramics
New 'zentropy theory' based on quantum mechanics could unlock seemingly impossible electronic devices made with transparent ceramics.
“Bold and Creative Concepts” Wanted: If You Have a Cool Idea for a Space Base, You Could Win $20,000
The Aurelia Institute has launched the $20,000 Aurelia Prize in Design for Space Urbanism, seeking "bold and creative" space-based concepts.
New Year’s Eve Conspiracy Theories? Government Agency Issues Statement On Low-Flying Helicopters Spotted Over Las Vegas
The U.S. government is anticipating conspiracy theories regarding mysterious DOE helicopters seen flying low above the Las Vegas Strip
No Burnout in the Mushroom Kingdom? Scientists Discover Surprisingly Adult Reason People Enjoy Super Mario Bros and Yoshi Games
Playing Super Mario Bros. and the expanded universe of Yoshi games appears to help young adults avoid burnout and experience childlike wonder
Arctic Scientists Discover Previously Unknown Deep-Sea Ecosystem Thriving on the Arctic Seafloor
After spotting the deepest hydrate seep ever, scientists were shocked to discover a deep-sea ecosystem thriving on the Arctic seafloor.
Scientists Suddenly Can’t Explain How Stellar Winds Spread the Seeds of Life Throughout the Cosmos
New findings suggest sunlight may not be powerful enough to propel stellar winds thought to spread the seeds of life throughout the cosmos.
“Turn Ideas into Physical Objects”: If You Describe an Object, This AI-Driven Robot Can Build It
MIT and Google DeepMind researchers have created an AI-driven robot that can turn ideas into physical objects with only simple text prompts
Ghosts, Gods & Monsters: U.S. Space Force Unveils Epic Concepts for Its New Space Weapons That Aim to “Conjure the Character of the Systems”
The U.S. Space Force has announced new space weapons naming conventions that include ghosts, monsters, and gods from Norse mythology.
Creating Matter with Light: Breakthrough Method Creates Electrodes Using Visible Light
Scientists have announced a breakthrough method for manufacturing electrodes from conductive plastics using nothing but visible light.
“Exciting Implications for the Search for Life”: New Analysis of Titan Increases Chances of Finding Extraterrestrial Life
A new analysis of Saturn's moon Titan that reduced the odds of a subsurface liquid ocean has increased the chances of extraterrestrial life.
Bearly Wild? Study Confirms Bears Living Near Humans Evolved to Become More Tame
Modern species of bears living near humans for extended periods show evidence of genetic changes making them less aggressive than others.
“There Are a Couple Suspicious Objects”: Discovery of Star Wars-Style Planet Orbiting Two Suns Could Lead to More Unexpected Finds
Astronomers combing through old image data have found evidence of a Star Wars-style planet orbiting two suns that previous studies had missed.
Experiments Reveal Which Colors and Tones You Should Use to Maximize the Music Listening Experience
UC Davis scientists have figured out which colors and lighting tones you should use to best maximize the music-listening experience
Breakthrough Transparent Material, MOCHI, Could Replace ‘Frozen Smoke’ as the Ultimate Heat Stopper
A new window-covering material called MOCHI that is almost completely transparent but blocks heat could significantly reduce on energy usage.
“This Material Can Heal Itself Over Thousands of Years”: MIT Scientists Have Deciphered the Ancient Mystery of Roman Concrete
MIT scientists have used modern technology to unravel the mysterious self-healing properties of ancient Roman concrete.
2,000-Year-Old ‘Hjortspring Boat’ Mystery May Point to Foreign Invaders, New Archaeological Clues Suggest
Scientists trying to unravel the mysterious origins of the 'Hjortspring Boat' found off the coast of Denmark have found tantalizing new clues
Moving Objects without Touching Them: Scientists Invent Chip that Generates Acoustic Waves as “Invisible Grabbers”
Viriginia Tech scientists have created a new electronic chip capable of moving objects without touching them thanks to acoustic waves.