Chrissy Newton, Author at The Debrief

The First LaserSETI Stations in Asia Are Now Active in Saudi Arabia

Chrissy Newton·October 31, 2026

The SETI Institute and Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for AlUla have activated the first two LaserSETI stations in Asia.

A Massive New Object Has Been Discovered Beyond Pluto—Could It Be a Dwarf Planet?

Chrissy Newton·October 29, 2026

A potential new dwarf planet has been found beyond Pluto, which may be among the largest objects identified in the outer solar system in decades.

U.N. Warns Your Brain Data May Soon Be Used Against You

Chrissy Newton·October 23, 2026

The United Nations has issued a warning about the potential misuse of neurotechnology, calling for limits on the rapidly advancing field.

Scientists Create a ‘Light-Powered Brain’ That Could Transform Future Communications

Chrissy Newton·October 17, 2026

Scientists are exploring light in entirely new ways with the creation of a “light-powered brain,” capable of recognizing hidden information within patterns of light.

AI Can Be Aware, But Humans Draw the Line at Consciousness, New Study Finds

Chrissy Newton·October 12, 2026

People are willing to describe AI as aware of its surroundings, but remain reluctant to consider it conscious, new research shows.

Perseverance Uncovers New Clues to the Complex Ancient History of Water on Mars

Chrissy Newton·September 30, 2026

NASA’s Perseverance rover has uncovered evidence of ancient groundwater, lake activity, and hot hydrothermal fluids near Mars’ Jezero Crater.

AI Keeps Getting Smarter—And Now Scientists Want to Know If It Can Build Robots

Chrissy Newton·September 19, 2026

Harvard and Georgia Tech researchers have created a new test to find out whether AI can be used to engineer robots.

What Separates Human Intelligence From AI? Scientists Say the Answer May Be Chemistry

Chrissy Newton·September 19, 2026

A new biochemical model of memory suggests that the chemistry of the human brain may represent a fundamental difference between biological and artificial intelligence.

U.S. Space Force Reveals It Has Space Weapons in Orbit for “Defending the Joint Force Against Hostile Adversary Action”

Chrissy Newton·September 17, 2026

The U.S. says it has deployed space weapons to defend against adversaries and AI-enabled threats, signaling a major shift in space warfare.

Pentagon Opens New Pathway for Government Insiders to Disclose UAP Information

Chrissy Newton·September 16, 2026

A new Department of War waiver creates a legally protected pathway for U.S. personnel to disclose UAP-related national defense information.

What If Consciousness Exists Beyond the Brain? Some Researchers Say This “Hard Problem” Requires a Radical New Approach

Chrissy Newton·September 5, 2026

Consciousness researchers are challenging academics to take a closer look at what philosophers call the “hard problem” of consciousness.

New Survey Suggests Gen Z Are More Likely to Believe in Aliens—How UFO Media May Be Shaping a Generation

Chrissy Newton·August 29, 2026

Growing news coverage of UFOs is influencing people's views about extraterrestrial life, particularly among younger Americans, according to a new survey.

Your Brain May Not Make Decisions the Way Scientists Once Thought, New Research Suggests

Chrissy Newton·August 27, 2026

New research from Indiana University suggests that when your brain makes a decision, it may not actually “make” it in the way neuroscientists have traditionally assumed.

Brain’s “Cognitive Legos” May Explain How We Multitask and Switch Between Tasks

Chrissy Newton·August 26, 2026

MIT neuroscientists have discovered flexible “cognitive Legos” in the brain that help us multitask and store information.

Your Brain Has an Air Traffic Controller—Here’s How It Keeps Information Moving

Chrissy Newton·August 21, 2026

Scientists have uncovered new details about how the brain’s “information hub” responds to uncertainty, revealing a remarkably flexible system that rapidly changes how it communicates with other brain regions as we make decisions.

Scientists Develop ‘Organ-on-a-Chip’ That Could Reduce the Need for Animal Testing

Chrissy Newton·August 13, 2026

Human cells on a chip could transform cancer drug testing by offering a human-based alternative to animal testing.

Did Sugar Help Build the Human Brain? New Research Challenges the Meat-Driven Evolution Theory

Chrissy Newton·August 11, 2026

New research suggests sugars and carbohydrate-rich foods may have helped fuel the dramatic growth of the human brain over 4 million years.

New Research Suggests Extraordinary Experiences Are More Common—and More Meaningful—Than Expected

Chrissy Newton·August 6, 2026

A recent study suggests that "nonordinary" experiences involving unusual phenomena may be more universal than previously thought.

Rare Meteorite From New Jersey Roof Strike Offers New Clues to the Origins of Life

Chrissy Newton·August 1, 2026

A meteorite that crashed through a New Jersey home reveals ancient asteroid chemistry that may offer clues to the origins of life on Earth.

Largest Mammoth DNA Study Suggests Ice Age Hunters Preferred Female Mammoths

Chrissy Newton·July 30, 2026

Ancient DNA from 500+ mammoth bones reveals Ice Age hunters targeted female woolly mammoths, reshaping ideas on prehistoric hunting.

Researchers Have Developed a Personalized Care Platform for Autism and Dementia

Chrissy Newton·July 25, 2026

A new AI-powered platform learns communication styles and behaviors to personalize care for children with autism and adults with dementia.

China Clears Brain-Computer Interfaces for Commercial Use: Is It Time for a Global Coalition?

Chrissy Newton·July 19, 2026

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) could fundamentally reshape what it means to be human. Is the formation of a global BCI coalition needed?

Scientists Have Made a Sweet Discovery in Interstellar Space, Offering Clues to Mystery of Life’s Origins

Chrissy Newton·July 15, 2026

For the first time, scientists have identified a sugar molecule in the interstellar medium, according to newly published research.

The Brain’s Language System Is Far More Expansive Than Scientists Thought, New Study Finds

Chrissy Newton·July 7, 2026

New evidence suggests the brain’s language network is far more widespread than previously thought.

Australia Joins Brain-Computer Interface Race With Less-Invasive Brain Tech

Chrissy Newton·July 2, 2026

A University of Melbourne startup is developing a new device designed to transform how people with speech impairments communicate.

AI’s Growing Appetite for Energy and Water Sparks a New Cooling Solution Beneath the Earth

Chrissy Newton·July 1, 2026

Researchers propose using underground aquifers to cool AI data centers, lowering the environmental impact of growing AI infrastructure.

New Research Suggests Human Laughter May Hold a 15-Million-Year Old Secret

Chrissy Newton·June 29, 2026

Human laughter may share a 15-million-year-old evolutionary rhythm with our primate ancestors, offering clues about the origins of speech.

Sunscreen Misinformation Attracts High Engagement on TikTok, Study Finds

Chrissy Newton·June 25, 2026

TikTok videos promoting sunscreen misinformation receive significantly more engagement than pro-sunscreen content, according to new research.

Thinking of Gifting a DNA Test for Father’s Day? This Researcher Warns it Could Lead to Surprising Discoveries

Chrissy Newton·June 20, 2026

Psychologists warn that DNA testing kits may reveal shocking family secrets, which may lead to emotional distress, and even privacy concerns.

NASA’s Curiosity Uncovers New Clues to Mars’ Potential of Supporting Ancient Life

Chrissy Newton·June 18, 2026

NASA’s Curiosity rover has made a discovery that offers promising new indications of the ancient preservation of organic chemistry on Mars.

From Lunar Dust to Lunar Cities: Engineers Turn the Moon’s Harsh Surface into a Blueprint for Settlement

Chrissy Newton·June 14, 2026

Researchers at Texas A&M University are exploring how lunar material could become a key building block for the first permanent settlements beyond Earth.