“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.
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.
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.
Scientists Trace the Mysterious Origins of These Critical Life-Supporting Elements to the Death of an Ancient Star
Scientists have found an "extreme" solution to the mysterious origins of critical life-supporting elements chlorine and potassium.
“I Immediately Knew It Was a New Species”: Scientists Discover a New Ancient Winged Reptile, and Reveal its Gruesome Fate
When this researcher first laid eyes on a fossil, she instantly realized it was a new dinosaur species that had likely died a gruesome death.
Acoustic Levitation Breakthrough Uses Sound to “Float” Multiple Objects in Midair
Austrian researchers have made an acoustic levitation breakthrough allowing them to levitate and manipulate several objects at once.
Scientists Document a World Record 16,000+ Dinosaur Tracks Along an Ancient Shoreline
Scientists have set several world records by measuring, documenting, and mapping over 16,000 dinosaur footprints on an ancient shoreline.
Arming the Battle Against Illegal Poaching with Technology, Scientists Can Now Detect Gunshots with Acoustic Sensors and Neural Networks
Scientists have tapped into the power of neural networks to detect and locate gunshots connected to poaching with a web of acoustic sensors.
“We Used to Think Life Had to Start Completely from Scratch”: New Evidence Shows Biomolecules May Have Origins in Earth’s Atmosphere
New experiments show that biomolecules the form the basis of all life were present in the Earth's atmosphere before the first life existed
Newly Discovered Fossil Evidence Proves These Giants Roamed the Earth Over 12 Million Years Ago
Analysis of ancient fossils has shown that giant anacondas became extremely large over 12 million years ago and remain giants today.
Astronauts Placed an Extreme Earth Organism in Outer Space. Nine Months Later, it Was Still Alive
After placing an ancient extreme Earth organism outside of the ISS for nine months, scientists were shocked to find it was still alive.
Hundreds of Easter Island Moai Statues Can Now Be Explored in Unprecedented Detail, Thanks to This Interactive 3D Model
Binghamton University archaeologists have released a new interactive, 3D model of the Moai statue quarry on Rapa Nui (Easter Island).
“It Was a Complete Surprise”: Archaeologists Unearth Evidence Some Ancient Humans Hunted with Wolves Instead of Dogs
Archaeologists excavating a remote island cave have found unexpected evidence that ancient humans hunted with partially domesticated wolves.
Fame Kills, Even if You’re Rich: Artists in This Profession Die Before Their Peers, New Research Suggests
Scientists studying the link between fame and early death have found famous singers die earlier than their peers even if they're rich.
“We Never Came This Far”: Accidental Discovery May Finally Unravel Mystery of What Sparks Lightning
An accidental discovery involving laser beams and particles suspended in light may unravel the mysterious nature of lightning strikes.
California Sober? Scientists Find Smoking Cannabis Reduces Alcohol Consumption in This Specific Situation
Scientists discover that the 'California Sober' approach of replacing alcohol consumption with cannabis is effective under certain conditions
12,000-Year-Old Figurine Shows Humans Used “Pyrotechnology” Thousands of Years Before the First Societies
Archaeologists have unearthed a 12,000-year-old figurine that shows evidence of pyrotechnology thousands of years before the first societies.
“A Top Contender for Extraterrestrial Life”: Subsurface Ocean on Saturn’s Moon Enceladus Likely Stable Enough to Support Life
Temperature readings from Saturn's moon Enceladus suggests its subsurface liquid water ocean may be stable enough for life to evolve.
“A Potential Paradigm Shift in Cosmology”: Scientists Uncover Evidence the Universe’s Expansion is Slowing Down, Not Accelerating
Korean scientists studying Type Ia supernovae have found strong evidence that the universe's expansion is not accelerating, but slowing down.
“Targeted Ultrasound Echolocation” Inspired by Bats is Helping This Engineer Develop Tiny Flying Robots That Navigate in Total Darkness
A robotics engineering professor is building tiny, autonomous flying robots that can use sound waves to navigate in total darkness like bats.
Forget AI—Scientists Have Developed a Neuromorphic Computer That ‘Thinks’ Like a Human Brain
Scientists have built a prototype neuromorphic computer that thinks like a human brain and is faster than AI at learning new things.
Scientists ‘Magically’ Make Jet Fuel from Food Waste Using Hydrothermal Liquefaction
Scientists use hydrothermal liquefaction to 'magically' turn ordinary food waste into jet fuel without any fossil fuel additives.
Halloween Fireballs? Astronomers Warn of Potential Enhanced Risk of Cosmic Impacts and Airbursts in the Coming Decade
Astronomers warn of a small yet likely enhanced risk of damage, injury, or death from exploding swarms of Halloween Fireballs.
Quantum Breakthrough? Scientists Demonstrate First Quantum Sensor Approaching the Heisenberg Limit
Scientists use entanglement, aka 'spooky action at a distance,' to build a quantum sensor so sensitive it approaches the Heisenberg Limit
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.
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.