Christopher Plain, Author at The Debrief

“We Made an Exciting Discovery”: Astronomers Spot ‘Super Earth’ in Star’s Habitable Zone Less Than 20 Light Years From Earth

Christopher Plain·October 23, 2025

A newly spotted 'super-Earth' orbiting within its star's habitable zone, just 20 light-years from Earth, could host extraterrestrial life.

Power From Water: Scientists Use H20, Precision Engineering, and Friction to Generate Electricity

Christopher Plain·October 23, 2025

Scientists have invented a new type of device that uses water and silicon covered with tiny pores to convert friction into usable electricity.

James Webb Space Telescope Discovers Complex ‘Seeds of Life’ Molecules Beyond the Milky Way For the First Time

Christopher Plain·October 21, 2025

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have spotted "seeds of life" molecules around a protostar 160,000 light years from Earth.

“We Don’t Know Why It Happens”: Scientists Discover Bats That Glow an Eerie Green Under UV Light

Christopher Plain·October 21, 2025

Scientists studying North American bats have found several species that have the ability to glow when exposed to UV light.

4.4-Million-Year-Old Ankle Bone Discovery Reveals New Clues to the Mystery of How Ancient Humans Moved and Evolved

Christopher Plain·October 20, 2025

Analysis of a 4.4-million-year-old ankle bone supports the hypothesis that the earliest humans evolved from an ape-like creature in Africa.

mysterious glow Milky Way Galaxy dark matter

Mysterious Glow at the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy That Has Stumped Scientists for Decades May Have a Dark Explanation

Christopher Plain·October 17, 2025

A mysterious glow at the center of the Milky Way may actually be the first evidence for an elusive "dark" phenomenon, new research says.

Pentagon-Funded Scientists Deploy Ultrafast Lasers to “Draw” Crystals on Gold Nanoparticles

Christopher Plain·October 15, 2025

Scientists funded by the U.S. Department of Defense have created a new way to 'draw' customized crystals with ultrafast lasers.

Levitation Breakthrough: Scientists Create Levitating Disk That Requires No External Power

Christopher Plain·October 14, 2025

In a levitation breakthrough, scientists have created a virtually frictionless, macroscale levitating disk that requires no external power.

“We Knew We Had Documented Something Extraordinary”: Killing Behavior of European Bats Sounds Like a Scene from a Horror Movie

Christopher Plain·October 11, 2025

Eerie audio recordings reveal how Europe's largest bats hunt, catch, kill, and eat birds in mid-flight without having to land.

mystery dark spot gravitational lensing super telescope

Astronomers Use Earth-Sized ‘Super-Telescope’ to Spot “Mystery Dark Object” Too Faint for Conventional Observatories to See

Christopher Plain·October 10, 2025

Researchers using an Earth-sized "super telescope" and gravitational lensing have spotted a mystery dark object in deep space.

Holographic TV is Here: Award-Winning ‘Portalgraph’ Instantly Turns any Screen into a 3D VR Display

Christopher Plain·October 8, 2025

Award-winning headset-free 3D VR display technology, Portalgraph, can turn any TV or computer screen into an interactive VR display.

Study Confirms Theory Easter Island’s Iconic Moai Statues ‘Walked’ Into Place

Christopher Plain·October 8, 2025

Real-world experiments and computer simulations support the controversial idea that the Moai statues on Rapa Nui were walked into place.

Ancient Inhabitants of Teotihuacan May Have Left Clues Explaining Their Mysterious Disappearance

Christopher Plain·October 7, 2025

Scientists believe signs of an ancient hidden language may explain the mysterious disappearance of the people who built Teotihuacan.

Archaeologists Say Karnak Temple’s Builders Modified the Nile Landscape for Religious Symbolism

Christopher Plain·October 6, 2025

An analysis of the ancient Egyptian temple of Karnak suggests the site was selected and its terrain altered to honor the creation mythology.

Breakthrough Experiments Show How to Detect Hidden Objects Like Submarines and Buried Treasure Using Physics

Christopher Plain·October 3, 2025

New experiments demonstrate how to detect hidden objects like submarines or buried treasure using the power of acoustical physics.

James Webb Space Telescope Detects “Sign of Life” Molecule Phosphine on a Brown Dwarf 54 Light Years From Earth

Christopher Plain·October 2, 2025

Scientists using the James Webb Space Telescope have detected the "sign of life molecule" phosphine in the atmosphere of a brown dwarf star.

“These Large Engravings Are Not Just Rock Art”: Mysterious 12,000-Year-Old Pictographs Uncovered in the Arabian Desert

Christopher Plain·October 1, 2025

An international team of archaeologists has discovered several mysterious, 12,000-year-old rock art "road signs" in the Arabian desert.

Breaking Physics? Scientists Defy Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in Landmark Experiment

Christopher Plain·September 25, 2025

Scientists reveal unprecedented ability to "side-step" the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle by simultaneously measuring location and momentum

If You Have Trouble Listening in a Crowded Room, Your Hearing May Not Be to Blame

Christopher Plain·September 25, 2025

Scientists studying the ability to distinguish between voices speaking simultaneously have identified a culprit beyond poor hearing.

Unraveling Gravitropism: Scientists Decode the Unusual Relationship Between Gravity and Plant Roots

Christopher Plain·September 23, 2025

An international team of scientists has unraveled the mysterious relationship between gravity, and the growth trajectories of plant roots.

“These Features Were Completely Unexpected”: Webb Telescope Detects Unexplained ‘Structures’ in Saturn’s Atmosphere

Christopher Plain·September 22, 2025

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted mysterious structures in Saturn's atmosphere that scientists cannot easily explain.

“The Earth May Not Be as Extraordinary as We Think”: Study Finds Earthlike Planets Are Common, but Not So for ‘Water Worlds’

Christopher Plain·September 20, 2025

New simulations suggest Earthlike planets may be much more typical than previously thought whereas water worlds may not.

Walking Across Water? New Evidence Reveals Ancient Humans Moved from Turkey to Europe on Foot

Christopher Plain·September 19, 2025

131 relics discovered between Turkey and Europe suggest ancient humans traversed a currently submerged land bridge during the last Ice Age.

US Navy Scientists Teach Zero-Gravity Robot to Fly in Space Without Human Interference

Christopher Plain·September 15, 2025

US Naval Research Laboratory scientists have successfully trained an Astrobee zero-gravity robot to fly in space without human interference.

Life on Enceladus? New Findings Impact Chances of Life in the Subsurface Ocean of Saturn’s Icy Moon

Christopher Plain·September 11, 2025

New experiments of ice on the surface of Saturn's moon Enceladus successfully recreates organic compounds without a subsurface ocean.

“Everything is Born out of Nothing”: Scientists Release Video of First-Ever Visible ‘Time Crystal’

Christopher Plain·September 10, 2025

Scientists have released a video showing the world's first ever 'visible time crystals' that continue to move and change shape over time.

EV Battery Breakthrough! 800 km Range Lithium Metal Technology has “Ushered in a New Era”

Christopher Plain·September 9, 2025

After a four-year effort, Korean scientists have announced a breakthrough lithium-metal EV battery that can extend vehicle range to 800 km.

You’re Welcome, Couch Potatoes. Binge-Watching TV is Actually Good for You

Christopher Plain·September 1, 2025

Binge-watching TV which has often been considered a negative behavior may have positive mental health benefits including helping with stress.

A sheet web spider on its web in daylight. Image credit: Tunghai University.

These Ingenious Spiders Use Light from Captured Fireflies as “Bait” to Attract More Prey

Christopher Plain·August 28, 2025

Scientists find evidence of spiders trapping fireflies and letting them live for extended periods of time to attract additional prey.

“We Are No Longer Limited by the Laws of Physical Reality”: Scientists Use Virtual Reality and an ‘Invisible’ Robot to Move Real-World Objects

Christopher Plain·August 27, 2025

New Princeton University video shows how virtual reality and an invisible robot can deliver digital objects to real-world users.

Watch: Death Valley’s Mysterious ‘Sailing Stones’ Inspire Ice Slingshot That Propels Frozen Discs Without External Force

Christopher Plain·August 17, 2025

Virginia Tech engineers have designed an “ice slingshot” that can propel frozen disks of water across a flat, grooved surface without any external force.

Scientists Turn to ‘Black Metal’ to Make Ultra-Powerful Solar Thermoelectric Generators

Christopher Plain·August 14, 2025

Scientists have created a solar thermoelectric generator covered with black metal that is 15 times more powerful than the best alternatives.

“We Just Opened Up a Pandora’s Box”: Ionic Liquid Discovery May Expand Habitable Zones in Search for Alien Life

Christopher Plain·August 13, 2025

MIT study suggests ionic liquid-based life forms could survive on the surface of rocky planets previously considered uninhabitable.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots “Mysterious Objects” So Bright They Challenge Current Ideas About the Early Universe

Christopher Plain·August 13, 2025

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted 300 bright, mysterious objects in deep space that defy traditional cosmological classification.

Scientists Invent Record-Breaking Indoor Solar Panels That Could Make Batteries Obsolete

Christopher Plain·August 12, 2025

New indoor solar panels that are six times more energy efficient than current options could make batteries for home electronics obsolete.

New Research Probes Link Between Claims of Past Life Memories, Trauma, and Spiritual Beliefs

Christopher Plain·August 9, 2025

New research is exploring potential links between claims of past life memories, trauma, and spiritual beliefs.

Scientists Directly Measure ‘Impossible’ Zero-Point Motion That Cannot be Explained Classically

Christopher Plain·August 8, 2025

Scientists say they have achieved the "impossible" by directly measuring zero-point motion in a molecule at its lowest energy state.

Scientists Uncover New Evidence Supporting Controversial Theory That a Comet Impacted Earth 12,800 Years Ago

Christopher Plain·August 7, 2025

Core samples collected near Greenland support the controversial theory a comet impact 12,800 years ago caused global temperatures to drop.

Prometheus Announces Game-Changing Breakthrough in E-Fuels Direct Air Capture Technology

Christopher Plain·August 7, 2025

Prometheus Fuels has announced a breakthrough in e-fuel production that uses solar energy and carbon dioxide to make several varieties.

“Their Identity Remains a Mystery”: Archaeologists Unearth Evidence of Mysterious Ancient Humans on “Hobbit’s” Neighbor Island

Christopher Plain·August 6, 2025

Archaeologists don't know who made one-million-year-old stone tools recently found on Sulawesi Island near the home of the "Hobbits."

Scientists Decode “Perplexing Mystery” of How X-rays, Electric Fields, and Electron Avalanches Create Powerful Lightning Strikes

Christopher Plain·July 28, 2025

Penn State University scientists have demonstrated the complex series of events occurring inside thunderclouds that create lightning strikes.