Christopher Plain, Author at The Debrief

“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.

Does ‘Minecraft’ Have Free Will? Expert Says Game’s Voyager Agent Meets All Three Conditions

Christopher Plain·May 14, 2025

A Finnish philosophy professor says the generative AI 'Voyager' agent in Minecraft meets the three primary criteria for free will.

Quasars May Help Detect Gravitational Waves from Ancient Black Hole Collisions, This Astrophysicist Says

Christopher Plain·May 13, 2025

An astrophysicist has proposed a new method for detecting slow-moving gravitational waves using light from distant quasars.

A Centuries-Old “Impossible” Equation, Once Considered Unsolvable, Finally Has a Solution

Christopher Plain·May 13, 2025

A mathematician and a computer scientist have just solved an "impossible" equation that has been considered unsolvable for centuries.

Infrasound Technology Proves Critical for Planetary Defense Against Threats from Outer Space

Christopher Plain·May 3, 2025

A Sandia National Laboratories scientist has demonstrated how infrasound technology can improve planetary defense against threats from space.

I Think, Therefore I Am: Study Pitting Top Theories of Consciousness Against Each Other Reveals Its Findings

Christopher Plain·May 1, 2025

A team of scientists in an 'adversarial collaboration' put two of the top theories of consciousness to the test and this is what they found.

Fusion Breakthrough: Magnet Powerful Enough to Levitate an Aircraft Carrier Marks Final Step Before ITER Reactor Assembly

Christopher Plain·April 30, 2025

In a nuclear fusion breakthrough, ITER scientists have announced the completion of a magnet powerful enough to levitate an aircraft carrier.