Flying Saucer? No, But This Inflatable Heat Shield Could Help Astronauts Land on Mars
NASA's new inflatable heat shield, which may one day assist in landing humans on Mars, will soon be launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Micah Hanks
Micah Hanks is a writer, podcaster, and creator/co-founder of The Debrief. He covers science, technology and futurism, and you can find him at micahhanks.com and on Twitter @MicahHanks.
Unsettling Security Threat Revealed as AI “Thermal Attack” Guesses Passwords in Seconds
A potential security threat has been revealed in a recent study where passwords were easily guessed by an AI-driven thermal imaging system.
A New Quasiparticle Has Been Created in Breakthrough Research by Physicists
A new type of magnetic quasiparticle has been created, according to researchers who coupled light with an array of extremely thin magnets.
Jacques Vallée: Pursuing Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and ‘Impossible Futures’
The 83-year-old scientist tells The Debrief what more than six decades of studying aerial mysteries have taught him about UAP phenomena and the scientific process.
Russian Space Agency Seeks to Continue Operations Aboard the ISS Beyond 2024
This week, we look at how the Russian space agency is now looking at the possibility of continuing its space operations aboard the International Space Station beyond 2024.
Puzzling Plasma Phenomenon Could Hold the Key to a Breakthrough in Fusion Energy
A team of physicists at Princeton Plasma Physics Lab says they have narrowed down what causes plasma disruptions during fusion reactions.
Controversial Ukrainian UAP Study Shot Down in Statement by Scientific Council
A Ukrainian UAP study claiming to have captured images of unknown aerial objects has been taken to task by astronomers with the country's National Academy of Sciences.
Are Intelligent Extraterrestrials Hiding from Us? In Fact, it Might Be the Other Way Around
Could intelligent aliens be hiding from us? A new research paper asks if a unique astronomical phenomenon could effectively hide Earth from any friendly aliens' view.
When Radiation Meets Metal: The Complicated Science of Material Failure
Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… items in our queue this week include how a team...
New Hypersonic Air-Breathing Missile to Represent a “New Class” in U.S. Strategic Weapons Arsenal
A first-of-its-kind air-breathing missile has been selected by the United States Air Force to be the latest addition to its growing hypersonic arsenal.
New Abiogenesis Theory Challenges This Widely-Accepted Argument About Alien Life On Earthlike Planets
Life on Earthlike planets could be more likely than one popular argument supposes, according to a theory outlined in a recent science paper.
New Breakthrough in Zero-Energy Technology Keeps Things Cool, With No Electricity Required
An innovative new passive cooling system could one day replace conventional cooling technologies, offering an alternative that requires only water to function.
Neptune’s Rings Make Rare Appearance in Surreal Images Captured by Webb
Welcome to this week’s installment of The Intelligence Brief… as new images from the James Webb Space Telescope...
SHERLOC Investigates Red Planet Puzzler at Wildcat Ridge
This week, the Perseverance rover's SHERLOC instrument has made potentially promising discoveries in an ancient delta that may help unravel a Martian mystery.
Through the Looking-Glass: Odd New Metasurface Material is a “Doorway” to Strange Quantum Phenomenon
The creation of a new metasurface material could improve efforts to harness quantum entanglement in the production of innovative new technologies.
For the First Time, These Incredible New Images of the Sun Reveal Its Mysterious Chromosphere
A pair of incredible new images of the Sun are revealing hidden details about its mysterious chromosphere for the first time.
Quantum Entanglement Discovery Could Lead to Breakthrough in Measuring Ultrafast Events
Researchers at Purdue University say observations of the quantum entanglement of photons in a recent study could point to novel ways of measuring events of incredibly short duration.
Rise of the Stellarators: Fusion Power Could Become a Reality with This Innovative Technology, But There’s a Twist
Scientists could soon be closing in on making sustainable fusion energy a reality, thanks to an innovative new take on an existing technology that could help fusion reactions occur in a more confined space.
NASA’s DART Spacecraft Is On Its Way Toward a Collision With an Asteroid Moon
This week's Intelligence Brief examines NASA's plans to smash its DART spacecraft into an asteroiod moonlet millions of miles away from Earth later this month.
Infodynamics: Discovery of a New Law of Physics Could Help Scientists Predict Genetic Mutations
Researchers say a new law of physics could help predict the occurrence of genetic mutations, in a remarkable development in the research field known as infodynamics.
Ghostly “Einstein Crosses” Spotted in Deep Space Could Help Resolve Dark Energy Mystery
Despite their striking appearance, Einstein Crosses aren't evidence of distant alien megastructures. However, they could help solve the lingering mystery of dark energy.
As Hydrogen Leak Sets Back Artemis I Launch, Here’s What’s Next for NASA’s Moon Mission
NASA’s Artemis mission saw significant setbacks on Saturday, after engineers were unable to resolve a hydrogen leak in an interface connecting the liquid hydrogen fuel feed line with the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
Was Einstein Wrong? Dark Energy Study Yields Surprising Discoveries About Nature’s Most Mysterious Forces
A new study on dark energy examines whether our understanding of gravity and its influence throughout the universe is incomplete.
Traveling at 8% of the Speed of Light, the Strange Celestial Object S62 is the Fastest Ever Seen
In this week's Intelligence Brief, we look at a mysterious object traveling at 8% of the speed of light, the fastest object ever observed by astronomers.
Turbulence, the “Greatest Unsolved Problem in All of Science,” Could Soon be Decoded
Physicists with the Georgia Institute of Technology say they have demonstrated how the phenomenon of turbulence can be better understood with a bit of help from fluid dynamics.
Enigmatic “Phantom Galaxy” is Revealed in Stunning Images From Space Telescope Collaboration
Images of the "Phantom Galaxy" M74 are among the latest stunning efforts that combine data collected by Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes.
“Cosmics” and “Phantoms”: Ukrainian Independent Study Reveals Observations of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
Ukrainian researchers say an independent study of unidentified aerial phenomena has produced images of objects that defy simple explanation.
Artemis Mission Has NASA Searching the Lunar South Pole for Landing Sites
This week, we examine several landing sites NASA recently proposed on the Moon's south pole for its ambitious Artemis mission.
Researchers Untangle “Arrow of Time” Mystery in Groundbreaking New Physics Study
Researchers are closing in on the mystery of the arrow of time, and how cells and particles could be the source for various phenomena that gives rise to the human concept of time.
Solving the Hard Problem of Consciousness: Physicist Nir Lahav Ph.D. on a Relativistic Theory of Consciousness
Dr. Nir Lahav explains how a relativistic approach to the hard problem of consciousness may help us unravel some of the perplexing questions we have about the brain, and other mysteries of the mind.
NASA Prepares For the First Moonshot of Its Artemis Program
As NASA gears up for its Artemis mission, we look at what NASA plans to accomplish during its first test flight with its SLS rocket and the Orion capsule.
Hidden Beyond the Edge of a Black Hole, a Curious Ring of Light Has Been Detected in a Supergiant Galaxy
Astrophysicists have revealed a once-hidden ring of light in “remastered” versions of the historic first images of a black hole.
Resurrecting the Thylacine: Colossal Announces Plans to “De-Extinct” the Tasmanian Tiger
Colossal Biosciences has announced its new effort to ressurrect the Thylacine using innovative de-extinction technologies.
We Have Ignition: Remarkable Breakthrough in Nuclear Fusion Represents a New Physics Milestone
For the first time, scientists have confirmed a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion involving the first successful instance of ignition.
Consciousness Mystery Could Be Solved By This Compelling New Physics Theory
A new physics theory proposes novel solutions to a longstanding mystery, which philosophers call the hard problem of consciousness.
Rare and Unexplained, Scientists May Soon Solve the Mystery of Lightning “Superbolts”
For decades, scientists have been aware of the existence of a rare and mysterious form of lightning known as superbolts.
As the Length of Days on Earth Changes, Scientists Search for Answers
This week we examine what atomic clocks are revealing about changes to the length of days on Earth, and why it has some scientists worried.
New Species Discovery Reveals a Mysterious Deep-Sea Giant in the Gulf of Mexico
A monstrous new variety of deep-sea isopod has been discovered deep below the waters of the southern Gulf of Mexico, according to new research published by an international team.
Free-Flying Robots and Sample Returns Are the Focus For Expedition 67 Crew Aboard the ISS
The Expedition 67 crew is currently working with free-flying robots aboard the ISS in its efforts to improve future science missions in orbit.
Earendel: The Most Distant Star in the Universe Seen Through the Eye of Webb
The James Webb Space Telescope managed to capture images of the most distant star in the universe... this week, we take a look at that star, and the origins of its unique name.
Dark Matter Mystery Comes Into Focus With New Mapping of Distant Galaxies
For the first time, scientists have mapped the dark matter around distant galaxies in a cosmological analysis that studies high redshift galaxies, according to new research.
MIT Scientists Just Did Something Remarkable With Holograms and 19th Century Technology
Employing holograms and an odd phenomenon in physics used in color photography, an MIT team has produced an all-new color printing technique.
2033 Will Mark a New Milestone as NASA Delivers First Samples From Mars
NASA has outlined its latest plans for its ambitious Mars Sample Return Program, now expected to deliver samples collected by the Perseverance rover back to Earth by 2033.
Evidence of an Ancient Sea Monster Just Turned Up in an Unlikely Place, but it Wasn’t Loch Ness
New fossil evidence is changing what we thought we knew about plesiosaurs... and here's why it has some people talking about Loch Ness.
The Aristarchus Anomaly: What China Found on the Moon Could Help Solve a Centuries-Old Mystery
Astronomers have long reported sightings of mysterious flashes of light from within the Aristarchus crater, and new data could help scientists understand their source.
The Pentagon Just Revealed the New Name of Its UAP Investigative Office
The DoD says the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), the newest iteration of its UAP investigations, will continue the efforts of the UAP Task Force.
Climate Change Concerns Prompt Executive Action From the White House
This week we turn our focus toward the Biden Administration's recent executive steps toward curbing the effects of climate change.
“Impossible” Neutron Breakthrough is Made, Building on Famous Double-Slit Experiment
A physics first in neutron interferometry that builds on the famous “double slit” experiment has led to a surprising breakthrough.
The James Webb Space Telescope is Already Changing How We See the Universe
This week in our analysis we’ll be looking at what the James Webb Space Telescope is already revealing about our universe.
Missing X-Rays in Black Hole Mystery May Be Explained in New Study of “Spaghettified” Star
Astronomers witnessed the shredding of a star by a supermassive black hole that “spaghettified” it in an event 215 million light-years away.