Christopher Plain, Author at The Debrief

aliens probably look like Europa extremophiles

“The Secret Might Be Here on Our Own Planet”: This NASA Scientist Is on a Mission to Find Out What Aliens Look Like

Christopher Plain·July 15, 2025

NASA has tasked a University of Massachusetts Amherst microbiologist who studies extremophiles with figuring out what aliens probably look like.

exoplanets extraterrestrial life interstellar contamination

‘Interstellar Contamination’ Could Change Which Exoplanets Scientists Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Christopher Plain·July 15, 2025

A new analysis of exoplanets has shown interstellar contamination from nearby stars could change where to search for extraterrestrial life.

Scientists Discover Mysterious 80-Million-Year-Old Landscape Hidden Beneath Antarctica

Christopher Plain·July 12, 2025

An international team of scientists have discovered a mysterious, ancient landscape hidden beneath the ice sheet of Eastern Antarctica.

Into The Abyss: Scientists Capture First-Ever Images of Ultra-Deep Waters Near the Mariana Trench

Christopher Plain·July 10, 2025

Scientists used an autonomous underwater vehicle to image previously unexplored, ultra-deep waters near the abyss of the Mariana Trench.

Cosmic Mystery Solved? Earth May Reside Within a Huge ‘Void’ in Space

Christopher Plain·July 9, 2025

Scientists have proposed Earth is in the middle of a huge void in space, potentially resolving the cosmic mystery known as the Hubble Tension.

‘Space Ice’ Experiments Pour Cold Water on Panspermia Origin of Life Theories

Christopher Plain·July 8, 2025

Scientists studying space ice say the amorphous, low-density material's structure decreases the odds of a panspermia origin of life theories.

Scientists Say Deep Sleep Likely Increases Odds of “Eureka” Moments

Christopher Plain·June 27, 2025

Scientists trying to unlock the brain mechanisms behind so-called "eureka" moments of clarity gave found a possible connection to deep sleep.

Scientists Use Magnetic Levitation to Search for Ultralight Dark Matter

Christopher Plain·June 26, 2025

Rice University scientists have built a magnetic levitation sensor to spot quantum-level oscillations caused by ultralight dark matter.

Scientists Discover Ancient Temple From ‘Lost Civilization’ That Mysteriously Disappeared Over 1,000 Years Ago

Christopher Plain·June 25, 2025

Scientists have discovered the temple of a mysterious lost civilization in the Bolivian Andes that suddenly disappeared over 1,000 years ago.

How The Giant Magellan Telescope Could Confirm Potential Signs of Life Spotted by the James Webb Space Telescope

Christopher Plain·June 24, 2025

The Giant Magellan Telescope team explains how the observatory will help solve the mysteries of the cosmos including the search for life.

Scientists Are Trying to Explain a Mysterious ‘Cold Spot’ South of Greenland in the Atlantic Ocean

Christopher Plain·June 23, 2025

Scientists studying a mysterious cold spot south of Greenland in the Atlantic ocean have made a startling discovery.

three-dimensional time theory of everything

Theory Proposing Three-Dimensional Time as the “Primary Fabric of Everything” Could Unify Quantum Physics and Gravity

Christopher Plain·June 23, 2025

A new, testable theory proposing three-dimensional time as the "primary fabric of everything" could help unify quantum physics and gravity.

Artifacts Discovered in 20,000-Year-Old Ice Age ‘Ice Cave’ Could Rewrite Human History

Christopher Plain·June 21, 2025

Artifacts found in a 20,000-year-old ice age 'ice cave' in Australia's remote Blue Mountains named Dargan Shelter could rewrite human history

Astronomers Have Made an “Exceptional” Discovery, Only the Third of Its Kind “In the Entire History of Observations”

Christopher Plain·June 20, 2025

An international team of scientists used expertise, patience, microlensing, and a little bit of luck to make an exceptionally rare discovery.

human footprint 23,000-year-old footprints

Study Confirms Controversial 23,000-Year-Old Human Footprints, Challenging Past Views on Peopling of the Americas

Christopher Plain·June 18, 2025

New radiocarbon dating of ancient mud samples confirm the controversial dating of 23,000-year-old footprints in White Sands, New Mexico.

Einstein 120-year-old problem absolute zero

New Solution to 120-Year-Old ‘Absolute Zero’ Problem Shows Einstein was Wrong

Christopher Plain·June 18, 2025

A newly published solution to a 120-year-old absolute zero problem shows that the criticisms of famed scientist Albert Einstein were wrong.

Antarctica Scientists “Don’t Actually Have an Explanation” for Strange Radio Pulses Coming from Below the Ice

Christopher Plain·June 14, 2025

Scientists hunting Antarctica for elusive neutrinos report the detection of strange radio pulses coming from beneath the ice.

Out-of-Body Experiences Could Be Coping Mechanisms Instead of Pathology, New Research Suggests

Christopher Plain·June 14, 2025

Scientists studying out-of-body experiences suggest they may be symptoms of these past experiences and not a cause of poor mental health.

Scientists “Were in Awe” as They Witnessed Longhorn Crazy Ants Perform Uncanny Feats of ‘Swarm’ Intelligence

Christopher Plain·June 13, 2025

Scientists studying Longhorn Crazy Ants witnessed a 'supercolony' perform several seemingly impossible feats of swarm intelligence.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots Source of ‘Extreme’ Redshift 7 Ultraviolet Light Powering Cosmic Reionization

Christopher Plain·June 12, 2025

The James Webb Space Telescope has spotted extreme galaxy clusters generating enough ultraviolet light to account for cosmic reionization.

random number generator quantum entanglement

Scientists Are ‘Playing with God’s Dice’ by Using Quantum Entanglement for this Game-Changing Random Number Generator

Christopher Plain·June 12, 2025

Scientists have built the first ever traceable and certifiable random number generator that uses quantum entanglement.

“People Thought This Couldn’t Be Done”: Ground-Based Telescopes Detect Echoes of “Cosmic Dawn” by Peering 13 Billion Years Back in Time

Christopher Plain and Tim McMillan·June 11, 2025

Astronomers have used Earth-based telescopes to look over 13 billion years back in time to the Cosmic Dawn just after the Big Bang.

A Rabbi, a Minister, a Monk, and a Priest Took Magic Mushrooms. Here’s What Happened

Christopher Plain·June 11, 2025

When a team of scientists asked over 30 leaders of the world's four major religions to take magic mushrooms, this is what happened.

Scientists Using LIDAR to ‘See’ Through the Dense Forest Canopy Make a Surprising 1,000-Year-Old Discovery

Christopher Plain·June 7, 2025

Dartmouth scientists using LIDAR-equipped drones to peer through Michigan's dense forest canopy have made a shocking 1,000-year-old discovery.

Scientists Successfully Simulate Bizarre Phenomenon Where “Light Appears to be Generated from Darkness”

Christopher Plain·June 6, 2025

Physicists have successfully simulated a bizarre phenomenon where three intersecting lasers create a third, resulting in light from darkness.

First-Ever “Metalenses” Turn Invisible Light Visible and Are Dramatically Thinner Than Glass Lenses

Christopher Plain·June 5, 2025

Breakthrough ultrathin metalenses not only focus light like traditional lenses but also turn invisible light into visible light.

“A Glimpse of the Future”: Scientists Suggest ‘Supermassive’ Alternative to Next Generation Supercolliders

Christopher Plain·June 4, 2025

Scientists say supermassive black holes that smash together particles at near light speeds could potentially replace high-cost supercolliders.

5,000-Year-Old Missing Formula for ‘Egyptian Blue’ Reveals Unusual Optical, Magnetic, and Biological Properties

Christopher Plain·June 3, 2025

Scientists recreating the lost formula for 5,000-year-old Egyptian Blue affirm its unusual optical, magnetic, and biological properties.

Satellite Scanning the World’s Oceans Detects Elusive Phenomena Scientists Say Had “Been Hiding in Plain Sight”

Christopher Plain·June 2, 2025

Scientists using satellite data to analyze the behavior of the world's oceans have spotted unusual forces operating on and below the surface.

Scientists Reveal New Clues About Ancient Lost World Hidden Beneath the Ice of Antarctica

Christopher Plain·June 2, 2025

A chemical analysis of rocks from an ancient lost world hidden beneath the ice sheets of Antarctica has yielded several new insights.

Scientists Invent a 2D Material with Exotic Properties Called ‘Glaphene’ that “Nature Does Not Make on its Own”

Christopher Plain·May 30, 2025

Scientists have invented a new two-dimensional (2D) material called 'glaphene' that combines the exotic properties of other materials.

Astronomers Detect Repeating Signals From Space Object That’s “Unlike Anything We Have Seen Before”

Christopher Plain·May 29, 2025

Astronomers have reported the discovery of a mysterious object in deep space that emits radio signals and X-rays in a repeating pattern.

Scientists Find “Up to a 40% Chance” Theoretical ‘Planet Nine’ Exists Given the Correct Conditions

Christopher Plain·May 28, 2025

A new analysis of planet formation models estimates the odds of a theoretical Planet Nine orbiting our sun at 40% given proper conditions.

Lunar Magnetism Mystery “Still Unexplained” as Material Detected on Far Side of the Moon Stumps Scientists

Christopher Plain·May 28, 2025

MIT scientists propose a radical new theory to explain why some rocks on the far side of the moon are highly magnetic.

titan atmosphere mysterious gyroscopic motion

“We’ve Got a New Mystery on Our Hands”: Scientists Stumped by Unexplained Motion in Titan’s Atmosphere

Christopher Plain·May 25, 2025

Scientists studying the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan have discovered a mysterious, gyroscopic motion they can't quite explain.

Scientists Studying High-Energy Gamma Ray Bursts During Lightning Storms Witness a “Shocking” Event

Christopher Plain·May 23, 2025

Scientists were trying to unravel the mystery of gamma ray bursts detected during lightning storms when they witnessed something shocking.

Optical Breakthrough: Tunable ‘Metalenses’ Could Enable Realistic Holograms and Invisibility

Christopher Plain·May 22, 2025

An optical breakthrough in plastic metalenses designed to offer ultrafine control of light could enable realistic holograms and invisibility.

DARPA Shatters Optical Power Beaming Record with Latest High-Energy Laser Demonstrations

Christopher Plain·May 21, 2025

New DARPA optical power beaming demonstrations using a high-energy laser and a new receiver shatter previous records for distance and power.

Scientists Studying Life Forms at the Base of a Glacier in Antarctica Make a Shocking Discovery

Christopher Plain·May 21, 2025

Scientists studying extreme life forms living at the base of a glacier in Antarctica made a shocking discovery.

World’s Most Powerful Laser, ‘ZEUS,’ Equips U.S. With Beam Surpassing 100x Global Electric Power Output

Christopher Plain·May 20, 2025

University of Michigan scientists say the most powerful laser ever built, called ZEUS, just achieved two petawatts of power.

Astronomers Detect Mysterious, Perfectly Spherical Object in Deep Space Emitting Radio Signals

Christopher Plain·May 20, 2025

An international team of astronomers have detected an invisible, mysterious, nearly perfectly spherical object emitting radio signals.

Scientists Reveal Clever Trick to Detect Explosive Munitions on the Seafloor Using Sound Waves

Christopher Plain·May 19, 2025

A new approach for detecting unexploded munitions on the seafloor using sound waves could save lives and prevent serious injury.

“No One Knows How to Explain This Behavior,” Says Scientist Stumped by Odd Pulses Coming From Sun-Like Stars

Christopher Plain·May 19, 2025

A NASA veteran’s multi-year survey of over 1,300 Sun-like stars has discovered several mysterious fast pulses of light that defy traditional cosmological explanations.

Ingenious Method for Logging Into Your Computer May be the Biggest “Little” Idea of All Time

Christopher Plain·May 16, 2025

Scientists have created an entirely new method for logging in to a computer by storing and retrieving data in a whole new way.

NASA Mission Reveals “Ground Shaking” New Insights into Mysterious Structures on Venus

Christopher Plain·May 16, 2025

A fresh look at data from NASA's Magellan mission has revealed potentially ground-shaking insights into mysterious structures on Venus.

“It Can Kill Anything You Throw at It.” ‘Skinwalker’ Parasite Kills Human Cells and Wears Their Remains as a Disguise to Escape Death

Christopher Plain·May 14, 2025

Scientists unmask a 'Skinwalker' parasite that kills human cells and then wears their skin as a disguise to avoid detection.