Are 4K and 8K Televisions Worth it? Scientists Say These Experiments May Finally Settle the Debate
Recent experiments reveal the right display size and sitting distance required for people to differentiate between 4K, 8K, and HD TVs.
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.
Scientists Demonstrate ‘Brain-Inspired’ Computers Made from Mushrooms That Mimic Neural Activity
Scientists have designed a novel fungus-based computer system that incorporates parts made from common shitake mushrooms.
“This Marks a Paradigm Shift”: Study Finds ‘Technological Fingerprint’ Proving First Americans Arrived Over 20,000 Years Ago
New analysis of ancient artifacts reveal evidence that the First Americans arrived from East Asia by traveling along the coast more than 20,000 years ago.
“We Made an Exciting Discovery”: Astronomers Spot ‘Super Earth’ in Star’s Habitable Zone Less Than 20 Light Years From Earth
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
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
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
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
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 at the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy That Has Stumped Scientists for Decades May Have a Dark Explanation
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
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
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
Eerie audio recordings reveal how Europe's largest bats hunt, catch, kill, and eat birds in mid-flight without having to land.
Astronomers Use Earth-Sized ‘Super-Telescope’ to Spot “Mystery Dark Object” Too Faint for Conventional Observatories to See
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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’
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
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
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
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’
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”
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
Binge-watching TV which has often been considered a negative behavior may have positive mental health benefits including helping with stress.
These Ingenious Spiders Use Light from Captured Fireflies as “Bait” to Attract More Prey
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Archaeologists don't know who made one-million-year-old stone tools recently found on Sulawesi Island near the home of the "Hobbits."
Scientists Successfully Synthesize ‘Superalcohol’ Seed of Life Molecule in Space-Like Conditions
Scientists announce the first ever successful synthesis of a "superalcohol" seed of life molecule that could aid the search for life in space.
“Rare Snapshot of a Vanished Arctic World”: 75,000-Year-Old Cave Reveals Complex Ice Age Community
An international team of explorers have revealed unexpected findings discovered in a 75,000-year-old ice age European Arctic cave.
“Sound Transmission Isn’t Necessary”: Visual Microphone Decodes Vibrations to Hear Without Listening
Scientists have invented the first-ever single-pixel "visual microphone" that detects vibrations with light and converts them back to sound.
Engineers Invent “Cosmic Veil” That Could Revolutionize Energy Generation in Space
Engineers have announced the development of a "cosmic veil" they believe could dramatically improve energy generation in space.
Scientists Propose Origin Story for “Puzzling” Hot Zone Beneath America They’re Calling the North Atlantic Anomaly
Scientists studying a puzzling hot zone beneath America, called the North Atlantic Anomaly, have proposed a mantle wave origin hypothesis.
Scientist Demonstrates Detection of Near-Earth Objects Like Spacecraft and Asteroids with Heliostats
Sandi Lab experiments demonstrate how heliostats that concentrate solar energy can detect Near Earth Objects like asteroids and spacecraft
U.S. Space Force’s Enigmatic X37-B Space Plane to Test Next Generation Lasers and Quantum Inertial Sensors
The U.S. Space Force is preparing to launch the enigmatic X37-B spaceplane to study next-generation lasers and quantum inertial sensors.